History Main / SupernormalBindings

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 [[PowerNullifier counteract the prisoners' powers]], rendering them harmless as long as they're bound by the restraints.

* In ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons'', Marina conjures a set of ropes on Ridley and Snails that seems to pull them along wherever she goes.

* ''[[Fanfic/TheHeartTrilogy Heart of Ashes]]'' (a ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'' fic) introduces a chain that is strong enough to restrain a dragon. It cannot by melted by their fire, and it strangles them when they struggle. The only existing one was forged by [[TheBlacksmith Celebrimbor]] who didn't craft another one because he was horrified at how the first dragon contained with it killed itself in claustrophobic panic. Gandalf recovers the chain from the Iron Hills to be used against the dragon -- a [[SparedByTheAdaptation still living]] Smaug -- signed in Dorwinion. After Smaug's knocked unconscious, he's restrained with the chain, forcing him to bargain himself free to find and rescue Kathryn in time.

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

* ''Series/WandaVision'': Two instances of magically conjured chains in "[[Recap/WandaVisionEpisode8PreviouslyOn Previously On...]]

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' a quest line investigating Defias activity in Dustwallow Marsh yielded enchanted shackles from the wreckage of a ship, which indicated it had been transporting the king of Stormwind.

[[folder: Fan Fiction ]]

* 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.

** During the Golden Age Diana and the other Amazons were already wearing the restraints that would depower them with just some assembly required. Their bracelets of submission just needed to be welded together by a man to drain them of their superhuman abilities, and given Marston's love of bondage villains would unknowingly stumble upon this weakness with alarming frequency.

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

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

* In ''Discworld/LordsAndLadies'', Granny Weatherwax lassos and binds the unicorn with ''one of her own hairs''. Although witnesses most likely assumed she used witchcraft to do this, it's actually VirginPower at work.

* ''ComicBook/Irredeemable'' has the main character bound by aliens using cloned strips of his own invulnerable flesh.

* In ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons'', Marina conjures a set of ropes on Ridley and Snails that seems to pulls them along wherever she goes.

* ''Fanfic/TheDarkLordsOfNerima'': [[Anime/SailorMoon Helios']] sister Melinoe, the guardian of nightmares, is restrained with chains marked with powerful runes that keep her bound to the dream realm so that she can't run rampant through human nightmares.

* In the [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimbor Grimbor the Chainsman]] was a villain who specialized in creating restraints for use on superpowered characters.
* Rather common in ''Comicbook/{{Hellboy}}'' and ''{{ComicBook/BPRD}}'' when dealing with demons. When attempting a summoning, anyone with half an ounce of sense will use some magical binding or words of power to prevent the demon from leaving the summoning circle. (Of course, anyone with a full ounce of sense wouldn't be summoning demons in the first place, because [[EvilIsNotAToy things always manage to go wrong]] even with these barriers in place.)

* 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.

Anything that does not actually restrain the limbs in some way is NotThisTrope. Bracelets, anklets, necklaces or anything else that simply limits or removes their abilities is a PowerNullifier.

* During the Team Galactic arc of ''Anime/{{Pokémon}}'', Cyrus uses the Red Chain to tie up [[OlympusMons Dialga and Polka]] and make them do his bidding.

* During the Team Galactic arc of ''Anime/Pokémon'', Cyrus uses the Red Chain to tie up [[OlympusMons Dialga and Polka]] and make them do his bidding.

* During the Team Galactic arc of ''Franchise/Pokemon'', Cyrus uses the Red Chain to tie up [[OlympusMons Dialga and Polka]] and make them do his bidding.

* During the Team Galactic arc of ''Anime/Pokemon'', Cyrus uses the Red Chain to tie up [[OlympusMons Dialga and Polka]] and make them do his bidding.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': The Sangtee Empire held the Daxamite later nicknamed Julia in bindings designed to immobilize and de-power her. Diana disabled the power to them during her slave revolt.