History AndIMustScream / TheDCU

** In the [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Post-Crisis universe]], ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} spent thirty years in suspended animation, curled-up in a tiny pod and trapped in Kryptonite which hurt her and poisoned her mind [[ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004 until she finally landed on Earth]].
** [[ComicBook/Supergirl2011 Her Post-Flashpoint incarnation]] was captured by [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Simon Tycho]] and imprisoned in a stasis field near a chunk of kryptonite in ''ComicBook/LastDaughterOfKrypton''. She was feeling unbelievable pain, but she could not move away; neither to talk, scream or even cry.
** In ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl1982 Volume 2]]'', #20, Parasite absorbs Supergirl's powers and throws her in a flying metal coffin which floats about a mile straight up from solid ground. As he uses heat vision to seal her in, he warns that she has a little less than four minutes till her air runs out.

** In ''Superman Vol 1 #282'', Superman tells the tale of a Kryptonian named Nam-Ek (no relation to planet Namek since this story was written ten years before the birth of the ''Franchise/DragonBall'' franchise) who managed to make himself immortal and indestructible. When Krypton exploded, he survived, and remained floating in lifeless space, alone forever.

* In ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'', the third Mister Miracle is trapped in the Omega Sanction, a PocketDimension belonging to Darkseid that traps the victim in a life-spanning GroundhogDayLoop with each life more horrific than the last. He eventually manages to perform the [[EscapeArtist greatest escape of all time]], but not before being beaten, burned, mutilated, and [[GroinAttack castrated]] in just his ''first'' life within it.

** In another recent Batman story arc, ComicBook/TheJoker does this to Dr. Simon Hurt, who is immortal and has already pissed the Joker off on more than one occasion. Not only does Hurt accidentally slip on a banana peel and break his neck, Joker then injects him with Joker Venom and buries him alive. It gets even more disturbing when you remember precisely what Joker Venom ''does'' to its victims besides outright killing them. And since Hurt ''cannot'' die and the toxin presumably never wears off, he's stuck BuriedAlive while slowly going insane from the effects of Joker Venom, forced to laugh at himself for all eternity despite the pain he's in.

** The Queen of Fables was a villain who had formerly been trapped in a book of fairy tales, and could reshape reality to her whims using the same tales and other imaginative fantasy, turning Manhattan into an enchanted forest and cursing Wonder Woman with a thousand-year slumber. Wonder Woman recovered, however, and did away with the Queen by trapping her in a ''very'' different book, the U.S. Tax Code! (The idea was that she'd never find anything to use as a weapon in there, but no doubt she was ''not'' very happy.)

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'': Delirium condemns one man to forever feel the sensation of insects crawling all over his skin. He's seen later strapped to a bed in an asylum, not daring to scream because he does not want the spiders he can feel crawling on his lips to fall in. What makes all of this worse is this isn't some sociopath baddy that the series generally has in spades; it's just a random traffic cop who was [[DisproportionateRetribution unfortunate enough]] to be the one to pull Delirium over.
* In ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'', the third [[ComicBook/MisterMiracle2017 Mister Miracle]] is trapped in the Omega Sanction, a PocketDimension belonging to Darkseid that traps the victim in a life-spanning GroundhogDayLoop with each life more horrific than the last. He eventually manages to perform the [[EscapeArtist greatest escape of all time]], but not before being beaten, burned, mutilated, and [[GroinAttack castrated]] in just his ''first'' life within it.

*** Then there's Grant Walker in "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfBatmanAndRobinE19DeepFreeze Deep Freeze]]", a [[MrAltDisney Walt Disney-esque]] billionaire who, in addition to building a "perfect" society on an island of his creation, convinces Mr. Freeze to give him the same mutations as Freeze himself, allowing him to live forever. However, after Batman convinces Freeze to stop Walker from freezing the rest of the world, Walker ends up trapped in a block of ice, lost at sea, ''completely aware of everything around him, yet unable to free himself or even move for the rest of his immortal life''. As is to be expected, the last we ever see or hear of him is his anguished scream of horror, a scream that no one else can hear. A ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures'' comic follows up on his story by showing that he manages to get out (cause icebergs do melt ya know?) [[GoMadFromTheIsolation after several years of imprisonment drove him stark raving mad]] and tries returning to Gotham to get revenge upon Freeze after finding out that Freeze's condition has destroyed most of his body and the same thing will happen to him eventually. He's captured and imprisoned after Freeze almost kills him. However, these comics are generally considered to be non-canon to the DCAU, meaning he's probably still in there.

* In most adaptations, the Joker's signature venom kills people. However, to keep the body-count down, animated adaptions like ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', Joker venom "merely" paralyzes people with a huge grin, or leaves them unable to stop laughing. More than one fan has observed that this is far, far more disturbing. As Alfred put it in the first episode of the latter series,
-->'''Alfred:''' Aside from the ghastly grimace, [he's] fit as a fiddle. The poor soul simply seems to be a prisoner in his own body.
** Fortunately, Batman is able to find a cure by the end -- this time.
** In "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE29EternalYouth Eternal Youth]]", Poison Ivy does this to a bunch of rich industrialists she blames for the destruction of the earth's various plant species, and natural habitats. She lures them to a resort and spa, floods their bodies with a mutagen by tricking them into eating food and water loaded with it, and eventually they turn into human trees. Fortunately Batman is able to save everybody.
** Then there's Grant Walker in "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfBatmanAndRobinE19DeepFreeze Deep Freeze]]", a [[MrAltDisney Walt Disney-esque]] billionaire who, in addition to building a "perfect" society on an island of his creation, convinces Mr. Freeze to give him the same mutations as Freeze himself, allowing him to live forever. However, after Batman convinces Freeze to stop Walker from freezing the rest of the world, Walker ends up trapped in a block of ice, lost at sea, COMPLETELY AWARE OF EVERYTHING AROUND HIM, YET UNABLE TO FREE HIMSELF OR EVEN MOVE FOR THE REST OF HIS IMMORTAL LIFE. As is to be expected, the last we ever see or hear of him is his anguished scream of horror, a scream that no one else can hear.
*** Well, he ''was''. A comic followed up his story by showing that he managed to get out (cause icebergs do melt ya know?) and tried returning to Gotham to get revenge upon Freeze after finding out that Freeze's condition had destroyed most of his body and the same thing would happen to him eventually. He was captured and imprisoned after Freeze almost killed him.
* Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse:

*** In "Sneak Peek", TV personality Ian Peek [[IntangibleMan intangibility]] device finds the effect spreads to his body without the device being engaged. In the end, his PowerIncontinence winds up causing him to phase through Batman's hands, through the floor, and into the Earth. The ''best'' case scenario is that the lack of RequiredSecondaryPowers will mean incineration by the mantle, or death by suffocation, starvation, dehydration, or at least old age. If not, he's permanently phased into the core of the earth. ''Forever''.
*** Another villain, Inque, can shapeshift by turning into liquid and reforming. In "Disappearing Inque", Aaron Herbst, a guard at her prison who had a crush on her, is sweet-talked into helping her, but wants powers like hers in exchange. She gives him an incomplete version of the formula, leaving him an immobile half-liquid blob. ''His'' guard is seen talking to him just as he once did with Inque, hinting that history may repeat itself, but that's unrealistic: he can't move, and doesn't know enough about the formula to instruct her on how to fully Inque-ify him were she to agree.
*** Inque herself was on the receiving end prior to that episode. After being frozen by Terry and Bruce at the end of "Black Out", she was placed in Gotham Cryogenics. As it turns out, she was fully conscious the whole time, and did ''not'' appreciate the several months Herbst spent talking to her about his sad, empty life and petty troubles.
*** In "Earth Mover", Tony Maychek fused with the Earth itself, for ''years''. His episode centered on his anger at his unjust fate and wanting to see his daughter again. Thankfully, it gets better for him, since he found a way to control the Earth itself, then found release when he was finally killed in a cave-in.
*** In "The Winning Edge", it's revealed that Bane's body has withered away after years of Venom use, and he now lives in a nursing home under 24-hour life support, ironically staying alive only through the continuous infusion of more Venom.
** ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'':
*** The show is usually nicer to its villains than ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', but makes an exception for Mordred: Morgaine Le Fay's spell gave him eternal youth and life, but he's stuck as a child. When tricked into making himself an adult (thus causing him to disappear, as he'd cast a spell that teleported all adults to another dimension) it turns out that by breaking the youth spell, "all he has is eternal life." He's 1500 or so years old and counting, showing every bit of it, and is now essentially immobile in a chair at his (still-youthful) mother's home. And it's only going to get worse.
** At the end of the ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS2E9ActionFigures Action Figures]]", the android Metallo is left encased in lava underneath a volcano. His InnerMonologue reveals that he is unable to see or hear anything (in addition to the loss of taste, touch, and smell from being a robot in the first place). To keep himself sane, he gives us this chilling thought:
--->I am Metallo, I am Metallo, I am Metallo...
*** ...but he gets lucky and is rescued by a criminal organization. He angrily describes his experience to Superman in the next episode where he appears, “ [[Recap/SupermanTheAnimatedSeriesS2E23HeavyMetal Heavy Metal]]”, the experience obviously having driven him insane and sending him on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge:
---->'''Metallo:''' Do you remember how you left me Superman? Buried in rock? I couldn’t move! I couldn’t see! I couldn’t hear! But I could think. And all I thought about how I was going to make you pay!
* In an episode of the ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', the wizard Mordru is wrapped in a metal cocoon and sunken to the middle of the planet. Pretty harsh when you consider his eyes were still moving as he was buried, and the planet probably has a molten core... so either he is buried alive or melted. Pretty harsh for a team that works with the police and United Planets.
* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) experiences a taste of this. Not only was he told that [[spoiler:in the future, he would betray the human race for The Reach]], he eventually succumbs into this prophecy despite his desperate attempts to avoid his fate. Jaime falls [[spoiler:under control of the Reach]] and as a result, he was trapped in his own mind for ''months'', unable to control is body and could only sit back and watch in horror as [[spoiler:The Reach pretended to be him, deceived his family, and betrayed his team.]]

* Franchise/{{DCAU}}:

** At the end of the ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Action Figures", the android Metallo is left encased in lava underneath a volcano. His InnerMonologue reveals that he is unable to see or hear anything (in addition to the loss of taste, touch, and smell from being a robot in the first place). To keep himself sane, he gives us this chilling thought:

*** ...but he gets lucky and is rescued by a criminal organization. He angrily describes his experience to Superman in the next episode where he appears, “Heavy Metal”, the experience obviously having driven him insane and sending him on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge:

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!Franchise/TheDCU

** In the ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' storyline, this is the fate of [[spoiler:all the resurrected heroes who have been claimed by Nekron. They're trapped in their own bodies as the Black ring uses them as a puppet, forcing them to destroy their friends. And all the while, their living form is being slowly eaten away by the death energy, turning them into a Black Lantern for real]].

** In ''ComicBook/TheKingdomDC'', Superman in one of his many deaths at the hands of Gog was subject to being slowly transformed into Kryptonite after being chained to a planet with a special bomb attached to it that would recreate the destruction of Krypton.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':

* ''Franchise/TheFlash''

** Wally West exacted revenge on teenage supervillain Inertia (the killer and clone of the previous Flash, Wally's cousin {{ComicBook/Impulse}}) by essentially turning him into a living statue, putting him on display in the Flash Museum facing a statue of the Flash he killed. Inertia is still perfectly conscious and aware, and is unable to even close his eyes. Eventually, he recovered, although it's made him rather AxCrazy.

* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'':

--->'''Kyle Rayner''': Take it from me man, space is big. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Really. Really. BIG]]. Service.

* ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'':

** And in ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'' he was forced into a pressurizing machine that held him in place and prevented any shapeshifting - or escape. [[GoMadFromTheIsolation This eventually drove him completely insane.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'''s sister Delirium condemns one man to forever feel the sensation of insects crawling all over his skin. He's seen later strapped to a bed in an asylum, not daring to scream because he does not want the spiders he can feel crawling on his lips to fall in. What makes all of this worse is this isn't some sociopath baddy that the series generally has in spades; it's just a random traffic cop who was [[DisproportionateRetribution unfortunate enough]] to be the one to pull Delirium over.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** In ''ComicBook/{{The Kingdom|DC}}'', Superman in one of his many deaths at the hands of Gog was subject to being slowly transformed into Kryptonite after being chained to a planet with a special bomb attached to it that would recreate the destruction of Krypton.

* In the last issue of ''ComicBook/YoungJustice,'' Slobo was transported to the 853rd century by Darkseid's Omega Beams, and [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] in the process, so he showed up in the "Young Justice Hall of Statues". The Future versions of Robin, ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and Impulse noticed the statue was new, and Robin said they would check it out after their mission. Slobo showed awareness when he thought "Oh frag," to himself. Luckily, Future Robin keep his promise and checked out the statue, used future tech to analyze it, saw that it was actually Slobo, and reversed his condition.

* In ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'', the third [[ComicBook/MisterMiracle2017 Mister Miracle]] is trapped in the Omega Sanction, a PocketDimension belonging to Darkseid that traps the user in a life-spanning GroundhogDayLoop with each life more horrific than the last. He eventually manages to perform the [[EscapeArtist greatest escape of all time]], but not before being beaten, burned, mutilated, and [[GroinAttack castrated]] in just his ''first'' life within it.

* The 11th issue of ''Police Comics'' featured ComicBook/PlasticMan battling Cyrus Smythe, a seventeenth century British chemist who's brain was still alive and conscious after his death. By the story's present time in the 1940's, Smythe's brain ends up being placed in the head of an injured soldier named Tad Wilkins, and he proceeds to finish the growth serum he worked on when he was alive, enabling him to become a towering giant. Plastic Man manages to kill him, but the brain of Cyrus Smythe still lives and promises to return.

** In ''ComicBook/TheKingdom'', Superman in one of his many deaths at the hands of Gog was subject to being slowly transformed into Kryptonite after being chained to a planet with a special bomb attached to it that would recreate the destruction of Krypton.

** In the Elseworlds storyline, ''ComicBook/BatmanVampire,'' Batman fights {{Dracula}} and is turned into a vampire to be able to fight him on equal terms. [[spoiler:However, eventually Gordon and Alfred are forced to stake him, as he begins to become more and more monstrous. Because they failed to chop his head off, the staking only paralyzes him... Batman remains conscious and aware even while his body decomposes. Needless to say, he's not happy when they unstake him.]]

** In the [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Post-Crisis universe]], ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} spent thirty years in suspended animation, curled-up in a tiny pod and trapped in Kryptonite which hurt her and poisoned her mind [[ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton until she finally landed on Earth]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) experiences a taste of this. Not only was he told that [[spoiler:in the future, he would betray the human race for The Reach]], he eventually succumbs into this prophecy despite his desperate attempts to avoid his fate. Jaime falls [[spoiler:under control of the Reach]] and as a result, he was trapped in his own mind for ''months'', unable to control is body and could only sit back and watch in horror as [[spoiler:The Reach pretended to be him, deceived his family, and betrayed his team.]]

!!Franchise/TheDCU

* Franchise/TheFlash

* Demonic possessors in ''ComicBook/CleanRoom'' can shift the flesh of their host like clay. One named the Surgeon prides himself on his creativity when he showcases his Pony Man, a man with a horse's head. The Pony Man's SingleTear affirms to the audience that there is still a thinking, feeling person inside the abomination.
* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'''s sister Delirium condemns one man to forever feel the sensation of insects crawling all over his skin. He's seen later strapped to a bed in an asylum, not daring to scream because he does not want the spiders he can feel crawling on his lips to fall in. What makes all of this worse is this isn't some sociopath baddy that the series generally has in spades; it's just a random traffic cop who was [[DisproportionateRetribution unfortunate enough]] to be the one to pull Delirium over.
* At the end of ''Final Ark'', ComicBook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew found themselves in a horrific and seemingly inescapable predicament being transformed into regular animals without their powers and unable to communicate with the humans of New Earth. Fortunately, Monitor Nix Uotan makes a point of restoring them fully in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''.

** Major Force, a minor GL villain and StuffedInTheFridge TropeNamer and enthusiast, gets this treatment. Since he is essentially immortal, Kyle puts him into a little green tennis ball and rackets him into the vastness of space.
--->'''Kyle Rayner''': Take it from me man, space is big. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Really. Really. BIG]]. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Service]].

* ComicBook/TheFlash exacted revenge on teenage supervillain Inertia (the killer and clone of the previous Flash, this Flash's cousin) by essentially turning him into a living statue, putting him on display in the Flash Museum facing a statue of the Flash he killed. Inertia is still perfectly conscious and aware, and is unable to even close his eyes. Eventually, he recovered, although it's made him rather AxCrazy.
** Wally also ''unintentionally'' did this to [[EvilCounterpart Zoom]], believing that Zoom was just in suspended animation, not [[FateWorseThanDeath fully conscious and constantly reliving the worst moment of his life]]:
--->He won't have a gun. Trust me, Ashley... He won't have a gun. Trust me, Ashley... He won't have a gun. Trust me, Ashley... He won't have...

** In ''ComicBook/Superboy1994'', Kon-El is responsible for one of these. After Amanda Spence killed his first love Tana Moon, ComicBook/{{Superboy}} struggled with his desire to kill her on several occasions. The last time they fought, Spence had been technologically and biologically augmented to essentially be completely indestructible, and now no longer even needed to breathe. After Spence killed a clone created with some of Tana's DNA, and told Kon that she planned to have an endless supply to kill just for kicks, Kon flipped out, and launched her out of the ship they were fighting on and into space at about mach eleventy billion. Given how ridiculously vast outer space is, and the sheer unlikelihood of Spence ever being found by anyone or coming into contact with anything, and the fact that she essentially can't die and that her biology might make it so she can't freeze, it means that she's probably still floating around in the cold, vast emptiness of space alone and might do so for all of eternity.