History Main / DeadlyForceField

DeflectorShields are usually a defensive measure, protecting a person, object, installation, or ship from harm. But sometimes, force fields can be dangerous, either intrinsically or through [[NotTheIntendedUse using them in creative ways.]] Force fields opening and closing may cut objects or beings into pieces, or a ContainmentField may shrink around an object, crushing it into oblivion. If the capability exists to create force fields within another object (like a person), those fields may interrupt vital connections (such as blocking a human's carotid artery, starving the brain of oxygenated blood) or be expanded to tear the unfortunate subject apart. If the force field in question is strong enough, hitting it may be like hitting an indestructible barrier, smashing the crashing object into bits.

** {{Defied|trope}} by the Scroll of Protection: It acts as a force field, preventing a specified type of creature from entering the protected area. If the user of the Scroll tries to use it to push the creature(s) around or trap them, [[ObviousRulePatch the protection immediately fails]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Earthdawn}}''. The Circle 8 Wizard spell Compression Bubble forms around an opponent and contracts, causing damage to the opponent.

* In ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Giles and Faith are fighting a rogue Slayer and her warlock ally. Giles grabs a book and starts chanting, the warlock mocks him for grabbing a book of defensive spells. Then Giles says he just created an expanding forcefield... inside of the warlock.

* In ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperheroes'', in the "End of an Era" storyline that led to the first reboot, an evil Brainiac 5 from a MirrorUniverse used his forcefield belt to crush several Legionnaires, while commenting on the "lack of imagination" the mainstream Brainy showed by using it purely for defense.
* ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'' shows us some good examples, including:
** Ultimate Sue blocking the light from reaching some zombies' retinas, rendering them blind, and later, rapidly creating and dissipating bubbles in the zombie FF's brains, causing them to collapse.
** Pre-zombie Sue using the popping variant on zombie She-Hulk's head.

* In ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'', Thanos creates an indestructible force cube around Cyclops's head to counter the latter's eye beams. Unfortunately for Cyclops, it also cuts off Doctor Strange's spell that allowed him to breathe in space, and he suffocates to death despite Captain America's desperate attempts to free him.

** In ''ComicBook/BloodTiesMarvelComics'', Exodus creates a barrier around the entirety of Genosha and threatens to crush the island and everyone on it unless the mutants rise up against the humans. He's not kidding, either — skyscrapers start collapsing under it just before ComicBook/ProfessorX and the BlackKnight take him down.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' establishes that certain types of force fields, like those used by the Jem'Hadar (and possibly the Cardassians), are lethal to the touch. Mind you, in the case of the Jem'Hadar, we hear this from someone who [[spoiler:turns out to be a mole for the Dominion]], so there's room for doubt.
* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': Vashti's security net is extremely dangerous because it will obliterate anything that comes into contact with it, and that's exactly what happens to Seven of Nine's vessel. On impact, it disintegrates into several pieces of fiery debris.

** The Prismatic Sphere spell is normally stationary. If it can be made mobile (perhaps by modifying it so it can be cast on a movable item/creature) it can be touched to an opponent, inflicting a variety of massive types of damage on the victim.

** This shows up in the episode ''ComicBook/{{Cable}} vs. ComicBook/BoosterGold'' as one of the applications of the latter's force field. [[spoiler:It also serves to deliver the finishing blow, with Booster Gold crushing Cable into nothingness.]]
** Shows up again in the episode ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse vs. [[WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil Star Butterfly]]'' as one of the applications of the former's shield powers when he's being particularly ruthless (and unstable in his SuperMode). [[spoiler:Said SuperMode Steven also tries to use it as the finishing blow, even bubbling Star's wand to stop her from using magic to fight back. Unfortunately for him, Star in her GoldenSuperMode can use her magic even without her wand and her magic's ''much'' stronger than even his strongest shield, which results in her blasting her way out and incinerating Steven.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': Most DeflectorShields in-setting are bubbles of applied ArtificialGravity projected around objects, which deflect away munitions and diffuse beam weapons. Sufficiently large and well-fueled ships (like the 'plate'-class ships of the UNS, the Ob'Enn and the Plenipotent Dominion) can use the same principle against opponents, 'bubbling' and squeezing them to pieces while automatically destroying any attempt to fire back.

* WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse has found a surprisingly large number of offensive uses for his bubble shield:

* In ''Film/FantasticFourRiseOfTheSilverSurfer'', Sue threatens Dr. Doom by informing him she has the ability to create a force field inside of someone and then expand it until the person explodes (an ability well within the range of her comic counterpart, see above).
** Both movies have Sue using her force fields to knock people back.

** Narrowly avoided in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. Palpatine lured the Rebels to Endor with the hope of getting most of their fleet to crash into the Death Star II's deflector shield, which the Rebels thought Han's team had brought down. Lando Calrissian and Nien Nunb deduce that the shield is still up with seconds to spare and order the fleet to break off. According to the novelization, not everyone pulled up in time.

* ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'': The titular slayer repeatedly uses the priestess' barrier powers offensively ([[NotTheIntendedUse much to her unease]], because she'd very much prefer to remain a WhiteMage) such as casting an impenetrable barrier over the only exit to a goblin stronghold he'd set on fire so they can't escape death by asphyxiation, or summoning two barriers on either side of a goblin lord and crushing him between them.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', Violet is able to use her force fields offensively. She can project them so that others crash into them, like she does with Dash. She and Dash can also combine their powers to form the "Incredi-Ball", where Dash uses his SuperSpeed to run inside Violet's force field, which results in an unstoppable sphere hurtling along and bowling everything in its path out of the way. ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' has her using them like blades and battering rams.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'': The Helmeted Author [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/040216c loves]] this [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/040226c trope]].
[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles:''
** Carlos Ramirez uses a water-based shield spell that disintegrates anything that tries to pass through it instead of directly stopping attacks. At one point, he uses this to liquify a Troll that tries to jump him.
** In ''Literature/BattleGround2020'', Harry is ''utterly'' pissed off and out for blood after [[spoiler:[[RabidCop Rudolph]] manages to [[IJustShotMarvinInTheFace accidentally and fatally shoot]] Murphy]]. So he slips into TranquilFury, chases down his victim, and uses his shield bracelet's forcefield to slowly crush them against the wall [[spoiler:until Butters gets him to stop]].
* ''Literature/ExSuperheroes'': This is what makes Hunter, a BarrierWarrior, so dangerous. He doesn't just use defensive force fields. He uses them to crush, slice, slam, smash, and any number of other ways of killing enemies in gory ways. It also helps that the force fields are invisible to anyone but Hunter. He once killed a [[SuperSpeed speedster]] by creating razor-sharp force fields around him, and the speedster ran straight into them.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles:'' Carlos Ramirez uses a water-based shield spell that disintegrates anything that tries to pass through it instead of directly stopping attacks. At one point, he uses this to liquify a Troll that tries to jump him.

** Hachigen "Hachi" Ushoda is a [[FunctionalMagic Kido]] master who specializes in using barrier magic for offensive and defensive purposes. His "Standing Ovation Spell" creates kido barriers around the opponent's head to decapitate them. [[spoiler:He was able to defeat Barragan by transferring a barrier containing his rotting right arm into the Arrancar's body, having deduced that Barragan uses RequiredSecondaryPowers to protect himself from his MakeThemRot power and wonders what will happen if it's reintroduced to his body beyond that protection. The results are fatal.]]

** Hachigen "Hachi" Ushoda is a [[FunctionalMagic Kido]] master who specializes in using barrier magic for offensive and defensive purposes. His "Standing Ovation Spell" creates kido barriers around the opponent's head to decapitate them. [[spoiler:He was able to defeat Barragan by transferring a barrier containing his right arm into the Arrancar's body.]]

** The ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' 3.5E supplement ''Lost Empires of Faerun'' contains the spell ''crushing sphere'', which envelops the target and crushes it over several rounds.

** In ''ComicBook/BloodTies'', Exodus creates a barrier around the entirety of Genosha and threatens to crush the island and everyone on it unless the mutants rise up against the humans. He's not kidding, either — skyscrapers start collapsing under it just before ComicBook/ProfessorX and the BlackKnight take him down.

[[caption-width-right:350:One of many exciting ways to misuse force fields for fun and profit.]]

* In the ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' continuity, Zeruel the tenth angel is notable for using it's AT Field as it's main offensive option by either releasing powerful blasts that sends enemies flying or as a ranged projectile, crushing whatever poor sap happened to get hit.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** In the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'' episode "Little Graduation", Steven [[PowerIncontinence unwilling]] creates an enormous dome shield that cuts a stage in half and begins contracting, nearly crushing everyone inside (himself included).