History Main / SupernormalBindings

* In ''Disney/WreckItRalph'', after Vanellope is captured by King Candy and thrown in his Fungeon, she's shown in an enormous shackle labeled "100% glitch-proof".

So you've just captured a wizard, a fairy, a spirit, a ghost, maybe {{Superman}} or even a god. Congratulations! Now how do you keep them from escaping? Ordinary rope or handcuffs won't do the trick, they could just use magic to make them come undone or maybe just break them or pass right through them. What you need are special restraints that are either so strong ''nothing'' short of the universe collapsing can break them, or the restraints somehow [[AntiMagic counteract the prisoners' powers]], rendering them harmless as long as they're bound by the restraints.

So you've just captured a wizard, a fairy, a spirit, a ghost, maybe {{Superman}} or even a god. Congratulations! Now how do you keep them from escaping? Ordinary rope or handcuffs won't do the trick, they could just use magic to make them come undone or maybe just break them or pass right through them. What you need are special restraints that are either so strong ''nothing'' short of the universe collapsing can break them, or the restraints somehow counteract the prisoners' powers, rendering them harmless as long as they're bound by the restraints.

* In Peptuck's ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII ''story ''Legacy of the Chimera'' Dr. Odine's Sorceress suppressing devices have been adapted into handcuffs and are used to capture Rinoa.
* in the masssive crossover fic FanFic/FreedomThroughHarmony Book II has Number Two use a Time Anchor to prevent Doc from time traveling to get out.

* In ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' after Vanellope is captured by King Candy and thrown in his Fungeon she's shown in an enormous shackle labeled "100% glitch-proof".

* ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''. After Judge Doom captures the Toons Jessica and Roger Rabbit, he has the weasels tie them up with escape-proof Toon rope.

[[folder: Mythology ]]

* In ''Literature/TheEmperorsSoul'', Shai is bound with chains made of [[AntiMagic ralkalest]] metal, preventing her from Forging the shackles to make them defective. Interestingly, ralkalest is a fairly weak metal, so [[PlayAlongPrisoner if she'd really wanted to]], Shai could probably have Forged tools to break the chains.

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* In the StarTrekExpandedUniverse series ''Literature/TheQContinuum'', an old enemy of Q's is unleashed and traps him aboard the ''Enterprise'', which manifests itself as a pair of leg irons. Later he finds himself in the ship's hydroponics bay trying to pick them with a cactus needle.

* ComicBook/DoctorStrange uses a "Crimson Bands of Cyttorak" spell to tie up superpowered evildoers, and the {{Hulk}} when he's rampaging..

* In Myth/NorseMythology, the gods had the dwarves create a magical chain called Gleipnir to bind the mighty wolf Fenrir. To make Gleipnir impossible to break (at least until Ragnarok), it was made of six impossible things: the sound of a cat's footfall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish and the spittle of a bird.

[[quoteright:350: [[Disney/{{Hercules}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/herc_3189.jpg]]]]

* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', Kurapika's "Chain Jail" Nen ability is a powerful VariableLengthChain made of Nen that prevents physical movement and seals its victim's Nen. Kurapika enhanced its power by setting the condition that he can only use it against the members of the Genei Ryodan -- if he uses it against anyone else, he will ''die''.

* In ''Manga/Naruto'', one of the special traits of the Uzumaki clan is the ability to generate chakra chains which can be used to seal the Tailed Beasts.

* In ''Film/WreckItRalph'' after Vanellope is captured by King Candy and thrown in his Fungeon she's shown in an enormous shackle labeled "100% glitch-proof".

** ''Literature/PercyJecksonAndTheOlympians'': When Artemis is captured in ''The Titan's Curse'', she's briefly shackled before being forced to take Atlas' place holding up the sky.

* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', Kurapika's "Chain Jail" Nen ability is a powerful VariableLengthChain made of Nen that prevents physical movement and seals its victim's Nen. Kurapika enhanced its power by setting the condition that he can only use it against the members of the Genei Ryodan -- if he uses it against anyone else, he will ''die''.

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* After Hades assaults Olympus in ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', the gods are shown being led away in chains, which vanish rather than fall off after Herc cuts them.
* When Count Dooku captures Obi-Wan Kenobi in ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/AttackOfTheClones'', he holds the Jedi Knight captive, suspended in midair in a containment field that slowly rotates him. It has several other features designed to make Jedi less able to use the Force to escape.
* In ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'', Rasputin binds Hellboy in stocks and chains inscribed with [[IKnowYourTrueName Hellboy's true name]]. The only way for Hellboy to break these bindings is to say his name, [[YouCantFightFate tacitly submitting to his destiny]] as Prince of Hell and bringer of the apocalypse. Of course, making Hellboy fulfill this destiny is Rasputin's entire goal.
* In ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons'', Marina conjures a set of ropes on Ridley and Snails that seems to pulls them along wherever she goes.
* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' Steve is attacked in an elevator by thugs with a set of powerfully magnetic manacles. They manage to get one on him robbing him of use of that hand, but he still manages to turn it into a CurbStompBattle.

* When Artemis is captured in ''[[Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians The Titan's Curse]]'', she's briefly shackled before being forced to take Atlas' place holding up the sky.

* This happens in ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'': When Milamber is captured by the Tsurani, he must be bound. [[spoiler:However, being Milamber, there is no way that even magic can bind him. he promptly escapes.]]
* At least twice in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': the troll-made anti-magic spiky cuffs and Harry's unicorn-hair binding that works on a red half-vampire.
* In the StarTrekExpandedUniverse series ''Literature/TheQContinuum'', an old enemy of Q's is unleashed and traps him aboard the ''Enterprise'', which manifests itself as a pair of leg irons. Later he finds himself in the ship's hydroponics bay trying to pick them with a cactus needle.
* In ''[[Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus The Son of Neptune]]'', Thanatos, god of death, has been captured and bound with chains. [[spoiler:The only thing that can break them is the flame of life, meaning Frank has to [[CastFromHitPoints burn off part of his life force]] to cut through them]].
* ''Literature/TheKaneChronicles'': The most powerful means of restraint the House of Life has are the Seven Ribbons of Hathor, which are capable of holding gods. [[spoiler:The renegade magician Setne still manages to escape from them]].

* Subverted in an episode of ''Series/WonderWoman'' when after being caught by Nazis, she's wrapped in chains that had survived being tested by teams of elephants. For a while she [[PlayAlongPrisoner just sits there]] as they monologue, but when the time comes she breaks the chains easily.

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E5WarriorsGate Warrior's Gate]]" featured a "time-sensitive" race who had been enslaved because their abilities made them useful in navigating through hyperspace; their restraints had to be made from a special super-dense material extracted from white dwarf stars to pin them down to a single place and time and prevent them escaping.
* An episode of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' has handcuffs with kryptonite in them which are used on Kara Kent. In another episode, the goddess Isis tied Clark Kent to a table with magic ropes he was unable to break. However, he was able to escape by pulling until the table broke and then untangling himself from the now loose ropes.
* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'': One episode had Xena capturing Celesta, the goddess of death, in the chains of Hephaestus, which not even the gods can break.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Digger}}'', the dead god underground is bound by chains made by dwarfs of impossible things, in a probable shout out to Myth/NorseMythology. In order to make sure the chains are also proof against mundane threats such as earthquakes or lockpicks, [[spoiler: a wombat]] is also hired as a consultant.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Centurions}}'' episode "Return of Cassandara" had HotWitch Cassandra Cross being captured by her EvilTwin sister Lilith and bound with mystic chains. Ace had to use a magic rose she'd given him to enchant a sword to be able to cut through them.

* [[GovernmentConspiracy Project Cadmus]] in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' develops special handcuffs to hold the superpowered members of the League. However, on the only occasion they actually get to use them, the President calls it off and admits to doubting these cuffs would hold the Leaguers, anyway.
* An episode of the animated ''Bibi Blocksberg'' had the eponymous witch attempt to conjure a set of ropes to capture an evil wizard, but he [[AttackReflector sends her spell right back at her]], leaving her wrapped up in her own ropes which, being magical, can't be untied by hand, they have to be burned off.

** At the end of the 19th episode of the fourth season, three of the Winx get caught in a trap while trying to rescue the Specialists from Diana's warrior fairies. The chains used to bind them prevent them from using their new Sophix powers. However, once the remaining three fairies are caught, all six are able to combine their powers and break the chains.

* ''Webcomic/MagickChicks'': Faith invites [[spoiler: [[EerieCuties Layla]]]] back to her place, [[GirlOnGirlIsHot looking to score.]] But when [[spoiler: Layla]] vamps out on her, Faith ends up using her telekinesis [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/like_an_amateur to psychically restrain her.]]

* The marines in ''Manga/OnePiece'' use handcuffs made of a special substance called "sea stone" that nullify the powers of a Devil Fruit user. They're damn near impossible to break too.