View source for We Have Forgotten the Phlebotinum

{{trope}}{{Needs Image}}
The heroes find themselves in a situation that would be difficult for normal mortals; but for them, it should be relatively easy. They have standard [[Applied Phlebotinum]] for this situation...

Only this time, they ''don't'' have it. The heroes are aware of the Phlebotinum, and how helpful it would be in this situation, but they realize that they have forgotten to bring it. Someone left it at home, or in the car, or someplace else that they can't get back to at the moment. Or maybe it, or its keeper, has been stolen from them. Our heroes will have to think of another plan...

Not to be confused with [[Forgotten Phlebotinum]], where the characters seem to have forgotten that it even ''exists''. This trope is for times when the characters remember it, but simply don't have it handy.

{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* A ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' omake has Lucy and Happy go try to exterminate poisonous rats in an old mansion. However, their only tool is a fly swatter, as Happy is in spaz mode and Lucy forgot the keys she needs to use her summoning magic.

== Fan Works ==
* At one occasion in ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]'', Kyon forgets his [[Badass Longcoat|coat]] and [[Morph Weapon|weapons]] after leaving for school in a hurry. It becomes critical when {{spoiler|the Combine attack the school}}, and causes Nonoko's temporary [[Magical Girl]] upgrade.

== Film ==
* [[Megamind]] has a weapon that would easily defeat his opponent... but he left it in the car... which is invisible... and he can't remember where he left it.
* ''[[Serenity]]'': "It'd sure be nice to have some grenades right about now..."
** Made funnier by the fact the captain made him leave them behind in the first place.

== Literature ==
* ''[[Labyrinths of Echo]]'' by Max Frei have most of the action in the magically-strongest region of a magic-rich world. Several clever characters who remembered that locals are spoiled rotten with "[[Utility Magic|kitchen magic]]", and were aware of [[Summon Everyman Hero|Max's youth in a magic-poor world]] sometimes called him for some non-magical solution, or a fresh point of view. For one, locals had a lot of magic and alchemy, but few hard metals and weak engineering. They invented magic cars and even low-pressure wheels, but not tracks. At least until Max got a mission to a swamped province and realized he will either explain to two mages what the hell "tracks" are in the next few minutes or wade through this half-mire for who knows how long.
** Speaking of alchemy, pre-[[Ban on Magic|Codex]] locals were spoiled more with really powerful magic, so a few sneaky people (including Juffin and one major antagonist) occasionally blind-side everyone not with even more fancy powers, but weird drugs from another continent (even when similar results can be achieved via local magical tradition, like with invisibility, limitations are different, and a pill works on anyone).

== [[Live Action Television]] ==
* In a classic ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode, the Doctor and Sarah Jane are locked in a prison cell, and are trying to open the door.
{{quote|'''Sarah Jane''': Just use the sonic screwdriver.
'''Doctor''': It's in the TARDIS.
'''Sarah Jane''': (groans) }}
* In the [[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]-ridiculed ''[[The Giant Spider Invasion]]'', two characters drive on a road close to the spider's location. They then radio a helicopter to drop a bomb on the spider when they signal with a flare gun, and start running towards the spider. When they get there, one of the characters says that ''he's forgotten the flare gun''...
{{quote|'''Tom Servo:''' On the way to shoot the flares I forgot them.
'''Crow:''' Bold new storytelling - ''forgetting'' to do a simple errand. }}
* Barely averted in the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode ''Avenger 2.0''. Felger and Sam go to an alien planet to deliver an antivirus that would solve the problem of the week. At the last minute, Felger's assistant Chloe stops him to remind him to actually ''bring'' the CD that the antivirus was on. 

== [[Western Animation]] ==
* In one ''[[Animaniacs]]'' episode, Wakko and Dr. Scratchensniff get stuck in the elevator. Scratchy suggests to Wakko that he "pull something big and silly from your [[Bag of Holding|gaggy bag]]" to help them. Wakko responds that he didn't bring it.
* [[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]] left Genie's lamp in his room to go looking for Jasmine and before he knew it, the [[Evil Chancellor]] had taken over and sent him to places that 9th-century Arabs didn't even knew existed!
* ''[[Futurama]]'' - ''Love's Labours Lost in Space'': Bender forgets to replenish the ship's dark matter fuel.  {{spoiler|Luckily it turns out their newly aquired [[Team Pet]] Nibbler [[Solid Gold Poop|excretes it]].}}

== Webcomics ==
* On [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0232.html this page] of ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'', all of Roy and Elan's magic weapons and other useful items are missing, because Elan ''sent them to be cleaned''.

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Applied Phlebotinum]]
[[Category:We Have Forgotten the Phlebotinum]]