Deus ex machina:
1. In Greek and Roman drama, a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation. See also: Justices Kennedy, Scalia, O'Connor, Thomas and Rehnquist
2. An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot. See also: Katherine Harris
3. A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty. See also Bush v. Gore