History Main / NuclearOption

* The Lensman universe offers the ''super-atomic bomb'', which is used in vast numbers to attack ships that have just 'jumped in' via hyperspatial tube and are still getting themselves in order. The trope is really only played straight on both sides later in the series, when it becomes clear to our hero that what Galactic Civilization is facing is not disorganised outlaws and criminals but essentially the evil mirror of itself.

* Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' uses this trope both literally and metaphorically. In Turn Coat, it is revealed that this is Warden Donald Morgan's preferred method of dealing with a particularly nasty breed of [[Eldritch Abomination]]. Less literally, it is frequently mentioned that, in-universe, bringing in mortal (non-supernatural) authorities into a supernatural conflict is regarded as the nuclear option by the various supernatural nations. Ironically, this is less due to mankind's posession of ACTUAL nukes, and more due to mankind outnumbering the monsters (or near-monsters) enormously.

* ''{{Dune}}'' has "atomics", though their use against human targets is frowned upon with threats of "planetary obliteration".

* In ''SwordOfTheStars'', the first Hiver fleet that visited humanity was driven off only after earth broke out its ICBM stockpile.

* In ''IndependenceDay'', the army tries conventional bullet weapons, missiles and (it is implied) any other standard weapon, but they are all repelled by the aliens' shields. Ultimately, after great tribulation over the matter, the painful decision of using nukes is taken. Only one strike is made (annihilating [[GreaterHouston a large city]]) before it is realized even they are ineffective.
* Very similar to Independence Day is MarsAttacks in which every single possible weapon was fired at the spacecraft and the only option left is the bomb. But unfortunately, the aliens just inhaled it.

** There's also the Osterhagen Project from the season 4 2-parter finale ("The Stolen Earth/Parting of the Ways"): a series of 25 nukes embedded in critical locations in the Earth's crust, so we could blow the planet apart if humanity's prospects were so bleak that killing the entire planet and its population was a desirable option. Similar to the {{Armageddon}} example above in that while it is asking nukes to do what nukes do best (make a big bang), [[DidNotDoTheResearch the human race has not produced enough nukes to]] [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroy the planet]]. Kill everyone on it and render it an uninhabitable wasteland, yes, destroy it, no.
** This Troper can justify the Osterhagen Project's lack of firepower to destroy Earth in six words... just six... six: Alien Technology Amplified The Nuclear Bombs.
** In "The Hand of Fear", it's decided that the only way to destroy Eldrad, at this point still a hand, is to destroy the nuclear facility that it is using to regenerate with a nuke. UNIT evacuate the area before calling in the RAF. [[spoiler: Eldrad uses the energy to finish regenerating]].

** The nuking of the colonies is generally portrayed as entirely [=INappropriate=] use of unprovoked force throughout the series, with many of the Cylons themselves realizing later that it was actually their (or at least their leaders') own paranoid [[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure Only Way To Be Sure]] in regards to the possible threat posed by humanity.

* ''{{Halo}}'' has nukes as standard armament on human ships. They are one of the most effective weapons against the Covenant, due to the massive outpouring of energy. An entire Covenant colony is wiped out when ten nukes are crammed into a bomb the size of a minivan that is able to boost the yield a hundredfold. The resulting explosion annihilates a massive Covenant fleet, destroys the planet's MOON, and glasses a fourth of the world. What isn't glassed instantly is destroyed by the high winds created by the shockwave.
** [[DidNotDoTheResearch The shockwave in space, mind.]]
** In the books, there are also nuclear grenades. They're basically just nuclear bombs the size a football that the Spartans can load onto a Covenant ship and destroy. There was also an interesting occurence where the Spartans use the missiles for cover, since the missiles have stronger metal and are effectively bulletproof (something about physics makes this a bigger explosion). A case where they did do the research, since it's specifically noted that shooting a missile will not detonate it. The alien Brutes didn't know that though, and thus were extra careful with them.
** This is perhaps in contrast with Bungie's earlier ''{{Marathon}}'' series, where nukes are instead the favored weapon of ''the marauding aliens''. The Pfhor deployed them without pause against the ancient S'pht, your colony at Tau Ceti, and against [[ThatsNoMoon the Marathon herself]]. Of course, when that fails, it's time to break out [[EarthShatteringKaboom the Trih'Xeems]].

* In a much smaller scale, the Large Missiles (and later, Kojima Missiles) in ArmoredCore series. Kojima missiles are eerily close to real nuclear weapons in that when detonated, its radiation degrades and knocks out your ForceField-like [[BeehiveBarrier Primal Armor]], making you MadeOfPlasticine. To make matters worse, the same game series that feature Kojima missiles also feature the "shooting down missiles" mechanic, which means it's entirely possible that your nuclear missile can be shot at (most likely by machine guns and the like) and blows up in your face.

[[folder: Real Life]]
* Obviously, this has not happened with actual nuclear weapons in real life, but within the [[WashingtonDC Beltway]], there is something that Republicans and Democrats like to call the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_option nuclear option]]". In this case, it pertains to Congressional procedure: as of right now, both the House and the Senate are allowed to set their own procedural rules when it comes to debating bills on the floor. The Senate, in particular, has a history of allowing unlimited debate (the House has time limits because of its size) and subsequently a tactic called filibustering (talking nonstop about almost anything, even if it goes off topic like the rules of blackjack or reading the dictionary aloud).[[hottip:*:the current record by one senator is Strom Thurmond - over 24 hours straight filibustering the Civil Rights Act.]] This allows the minority party to stop a bill from being passed even though the party is the minority - 60 senators out of 100 are required for cloture (ending debate on a given bill). The "nuclear option" comes in here: the Constiution requires that "the will of the majority be effective", and the majority-but-not-filibuster-proof party can invoke this requirement to reinterpret the current set of rules and essentially force the Senate to do away with filibustering. Both parties are hesitant to do that unless the issue is ''that'' important, though, because if it's done away, the other party will stomp all over them in revenge when they become the majority.
[[/folder]]

* Obviously, this has not happened with actual nuclear weapons in real life, but within the [[WashingtonDC Beltway]], there is something that Republicans and Democrats like to call the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_option nuclear option]]". In this case, it pertains to Congressional procedure: as of right now, both the House and the Senate are allowed to set their own procedural rules when it comes to debating bills on the floor. The Senate, in particular, has a history of allowing a tactic called filibustering (talking nonstop about almost anything, even if it goes off topic like the rules of blackjack or reading the dictionary aloud).[[hottip:*:the current record by one senator is Strom Thurmond - over 24 hours straight filibustering the Civil Rights Act.]] This allows the minority party to stop a bill from being passed even though the party is the minority - 60 senators out of 100 are required for cloture (ending debate on a given bill). The "nuclear option" comes in here: the Constiution requires that "the will of the majority be effective", and the majority-but-not-filibuster-proof party can invoke this requirement to reinterpret the current set of rules and essentially force the Senate to do away with filibustering. Both parties are hesitant to do that unless the issue is ''that'' important, though, because if it's done away, the other party will stomp all over them in revenge when they become the majority.

* Obviously, this has not happened with actual nuclear weapons in real life, but within the [[WashingtonDC Beltway]], there is something that Republicans and Democrats like to call the "nuclear option". In this case, it pertains to Congressional procedure: as of right now, both the House and the Senate are allowed to set their own procedural rules when it comes to debating bills on the floor. The Senate, in particular, has a history of allowing a tactic called filibustering (talking nonstop about almost anything, even if it goes off topic like the rules of blackjack or reading the dictionary aloud).[[hottip:*:the current record by one senator is Strom Thurmond - over 24 hours straight filibustering the Civil Rights Act.]] This allows the minority party to stop a bill from being passed even though the party is the minority - 60 senators out of 100 are required for cloture (ending debate on a given bill). The "nuclear option" comes in here: the Constiution requires that "the will of the majority be effective", and the majority-but-not-filibuster-proof party can invoke this requirement to reinterpret the current set of rules and essentially force the Senate to do away with filibustering. Both parties are hesitant to do that unless the issue is ''that'' important, though, because if it's done away, the other party will stomp all over them in revenge when they become the majority.

* Obviously, this has not happened with actual nuclear weapons in real life, but within the [[WashingtonDC Beltway]], there is something that Republicans and Democrats like to call the "nuclear option". In this case, it pertains to Congressional procedure: as of right now, both the House and the Senate are allowed to set their own procedural rules when it comes to debating bills on the floor. The Senate, in particular, has a history of allowing a tactic called filibustering (talking nonstop about almost anything, even if it goes off topic like the rules of blackjack or reading the dictionary aloud).[[hottip:*:the current record by one senator is Strom Thurmond - over 24 hours straight filibustering the Civil Rights Act.]] This allows the minority party to stop a bill from being passed even though the party is the minority - 60 senators out of 100 are required for cloture (ending debate on a given bill). The "nuclear option" comes in here: the Constiution requires that "the will of the majority be effective", and the majority-but-not-filibuster-proof party can invoke this requirement to reinterpret the current set of rules and essentially force the Senate to do away with filibustering. Both parties are hesitant to do that, though, because if it's done away, the other party will stomp all over them in revenge when they become the majority.

** The nuking of the colonies is generally portrayed as entirely INappropriate use of unprovoked force throughout the series, with many of the Cylons themselves realizing later that it was actually their (or at least their leaders') own paranoid OnlyWayToBeSure in regards to the possible threat posed by humanity.

* In ''[[{{FanFic/NeonExodusEvangelion}} Neon Exodus Evangelion]]'', a nuclear cruise missile is used to [[spoiler:destroy the demoness Natlateth]]. Notably, it needs special command codes from MissionControl in order to launch.