A method of execution employed chiefly by evil geniuses, apparently to fulfill some sort of contractual obligation with the Brotherhood of Heroes, Heroines, and Electrical Workers Local 402.

Most common features include:

  • vicious animals (sharks, piranhas, and poisonous spiders are very popular)
  • moving blades
  • poison gas
  • timed explosives
  • loved ones in jeopardy
  • A death trap, properly executed (no pun intended), always involves utter faith in its effectiveness on the part of the villain. To demonstrate this faith, the villain is obliged to always perform the following actions before the death trap has terminated its victims:

  • Explain, in detail, his entire scheme.
  • Leave the scene of the crime without watching the hero expire.
  • Failure to comply with these regulations will be punished by imprisonment in a facility from which it is actually somewhat difficult to escape.