The Möbius Pest Strip
Doing the same thing over and over and over and over again (but just those four times; after that, there’s a reboot) is unsurprisingly unsurprising. In this case, we’re talking about the Lazurus Enemy. After the hero has plowed through a zillion henchmen, he’s the one that suddenly we feel bad about killing and show how moral we are by letting them go, or locking them in Arkham Asylum (hey, I’m trying to get DC back on the map, if only for variety’s sake), so that they can kill lots of people again. Be evil and I’ll like you; be good, and I’ll kinda like you. But don’t be stupid.
Technically, however, this rule refers more to the idea that if this non-dilemma dilemma didn’t work the first time, seeing it resurrected in its zombie form (it that what sequels are? That would explain a lot. Also, what do zombies come back as? And what would those zombies come back as? Thank God no one is reading this) on go-around nr. 49 is going to be even less compelling. Remember: mindless repetition only works with fart jokes. Right. You did know that, didn’t you?