Some damsels are so annoying that the audience wouldn't mind seeing them dead others end up in trouble in a way that just screams Character Derailment. This set-up is plausible if the damsel in distress is a beloved character, but can be very jarring if the audience fails to see what's so valuable about the damsel and why the rest of the cast should drop everything to go to her rescue. Although strictly speaking, since 'damsel' means a young, unmarried woman, if this character has a husband then she doesn't count as a true damsel in the literal sense. If the abuser is her husband, she may be rescued by a Wife-Basher Basher. In other cases, the damsel's distress is due to someone in her own family, such as her husband, her Archnemesis Dad, or a Wicked Stepmother. She may also be lost or stranded in a hostile area, trapped, or suffering any number of terrible fates where she needs help to survive. The classic damsel has been kidnapped or captured and is locked away, awaiting rescue and afraid for her life and virtue. Her plight unites the cast, causing them to put aside their differences and work together to save her or provide the premise for The Quest and is considered Older Than Dirt. A female character is put into immediate danger in order to put the cast in motion.
