History Main / ExplosiveLeash

[[quoteright:350:[[OnePiece http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/exploding_collar_1257.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The most effective way of keeping slaves in line.]]

* Slade uses the 'deadly nanites' variant to recruit Robin as his [[BoxedCrook Boxed]] [[InvertedTrope Hero]] apprentice in the ''TeenTitans'' 1st series finale. Since, like most superheroes, Robin would tell him where to stuff it if he was just threatening him, Slade [[IHaveGotYourWife slaps the leash on the rest of the Titans instead]].

* Slade uses the 'deadly nanites' variant to recruit Robin as his [[BoxedCrook Boxed]] [[InvertedTrope Hero]] apprentice in the ''TeenTitans'' 1st series finale. Since, like most superheroes, Robin would tell him where to stuff it if he was just threatening him, Slade slaps the leash on the rest of the Titans instead.

* [[spoiler:Antimony]] in ''GunnerkriggCourt'' got to wear a lite version. After being [[LooseLips too talkative on a dangerous topic in the wrong time]] she had her wrist wrapped in the bracelet supposed to snip her hand off if she divulged [[spoiler:Coyote's]] secret to anyone during the vacation on his territory. It's obviously a part of object lesson, though he may or may not actually care about disclosure as well. But at least it looks stylish.

* [[spoiler:Antimony]] in ''GunnerkriggCourt'' got to wear a lite version. After being [[LooseLips too talkative on a dangerous topic in the wrong time]] she had her wrist wrapped in the bracelet supposed to snap her hand off if she divulged [[spoiler:Coyote's]] secret to anyone during the vacation on his territory. It's obviously a part of object lesson, though he may or may not actually care about disclosure as well.

** The actual gameplay effects, from this troper's experience, are more or less negligible EXP losses. You get plenty of positive karma anyway from defying orders, and smacking your "boss" in the face with a sword several times without him retaliating or insulting him is pretty satisfying anyway.

'''Ms. Bitters:''' '''* places a collar around Zim's neck* ''' If you leave school grounds, it will explode.

* [[http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/386053.html?#cutid1 Plastique puts one on Cameron Scott to prevent him from transforming into CaptainAtom]]. (NSFW, and must be logged in.)

* TheShapeshifter uses this, [[spoiler: combined with a RestrainingBolt in the form of a chip inserted into the COLA's skulls]]
* In ''The Court of the Air'' the feybreed are forced to wear[[ExplosiveLeash suicide torcs]] as part of joining the [[TheCorpsisMother special guard]].

* In Larry Niven's short "Neutron Star," UN Agent Sigmund Ausfaller did this to Beowulf Shaeffer's ship. Well, it wasn't actually Shaeffer's; it was the Puppeteers'. Ausfaller (correctly) suspected [[spoiler: that Bey would take the ship to Wunderland and sell it instead of fulfilling the mission the Puppeteers contracted him for, which was figuring out how some explorers doing a close orbit of a neutron star got themselves killed through and (ostensibly invulnerable) General Products hull. Answer: tides.]]

* In the second season finale of ''{{Torchwood}}'', [[spoiler: Captain John Hart reveals that his actions - at least in "that" episode - were motivated by the bomb grafted to his wrist. How long the blackmail had been going on is not explained, so his bad behavior earlier may be excusable (or just an excuse).]]

* ''Starcraft II'' features this with [[spoiler:Tychus Findlay]].

* In ''X-Men: the Animated Series'', Genoshan slavers outfitted a few of the X-Men and other mutant prisoners with [[RestrainingBolt power-suppressing]] [[SlaveCollar Slave Collars]] and forced them to use their powers to build a dam. The collars just [[PowerNullifier turned off their powers]] if they tried to escape but would explode if a prisoner tried to remove them.

* ''{{Gundam 00}}'''s sidestory manga use explosive collars on criminals "drafted" into Celestial Being and its sister organization, Fereshte. While the collared individuals are given more freedom than most examples of this trope, the collar is never intended to be removed, though rare exceptions are made (such as when one got married).

* This is mocked in ''EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'' with the "Voodoo Anklet." If you try to leave the island, it becomes...very uncomfortable. * dun dun dunnnnnn*

The collar is always accompanied by a promise to remove it once certain conditions have been met, but [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness there's]] [[MovingTheGoalposts never]] a guarantee.

* In episode 2 of the ''HomestarRunner'' game ''Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People'', Strong Bad is outfitted with one of these for not paying the King of Town's email tax: it's set to go off if Strong Bad tries to leave his house. Fortunately, the blast produced is [[NonFatalExplosions only enough to blacken Strong Bad's face and knock him back into the house]] if the player tries leaving.

* Sadly, there is a case of TruthInTelevision, thanks to the 2003 incident near Erie, Pennsylvania where pizza deliveryman Brian Wells had a bomb locked around his neck, in order to force him to rob a bank. After the robbery, when police had detained him and were waiting for the bomb squad, the device exploded and killed him instantly.
** Later it was found that he'd actually been in on the robbery, but under the impression that the bomb would not be real.

* ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' does it with the Gurren Lagann itself -- Simon [[spoiler:was scheduled to be executed]], but he still ''had to'' kick some alien butt before it reached the city, so he asked [[spoiler:Rossiu]] to have his HumongousMecha packed with explosives. To insure he didn't make a HeroicSacrifice, they also had someone else stay in the mech, because Simon definitely wouldn't sacrifice ''someone else's'' life.

* In the original ''GuiltyGear'', Potemkin's collar is an explosive collar that will detonate and kill him if it's removed, as he's a slave of the nation of Zepp. The government is overthrown by the end of the game, at which point the bomb is defused, and the collar simply acts as a RestrainingBolt in future games.