Hatrick!
Goku was taken down by a laser
Goku was hurt by a needle
Vegeta can barely withstand lava's temperature
Inconsistency or is there an explanation?
Nothing is inconsistent here.
Goku was hurt by a needle.
The needle was poisoned.
The poison was what made it dangerous and not the needle itself.
Vegeta can barely withstand lava temperature.
This is not true.
The heat wasnt the problem. It was the lack of oxygen.
No matter how strong Vegeta is, he still needs oxygen to breathe.
The only one that might be a bit odd is
Goku was taken down by a laser.
Not inconsistent as in
Whis explained how your body can be in a vulnerable state if you let your guard down and relax to much.
Although we have seen occasions in dragonball and dragonball z, where someone takes no apparent dmg while seeming to be fairly relaxing.
Although I still wouldnt call this inconsistent.
They might have had their guard up enough.