History Main / ThePowerOfGlass

-->--'''Lotus''', ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}''

As we know, broken glass is sharp, and nobody likes being cut by it having to deal with a dropped object or shattered window.

Glass manipulation, or "hyalokinesis," is when someone creates, shapes and manipulates glass, an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid material, through some form of magic. The simplest application is creating sharp shards of broken glass to slice up or impale opponents. If an existing form of glass isn't around, no worries: just use the proper molecules in the surrounding environment to make some. Even better, [[ElementalShapeshifter just turn yourself into some]] and go to town, provided that you put yourself back together. Failing those tried-and-true applications, there's good old ShapingYourAttacks like the other kinds of elemental manipulation. These powers are often used to [[PleaseReflectOnThisIndex create mirrors or lenses]]. The glass used tends to subvert SoftGlass, or otherwise the enemy wouldn't even get a scratch on them.

Related to SandBlaster since sand plus heat equals glass for the most part. A MagmaMan can be related if volcanic glass is thrown into the mix. For that reason, hyalokinesis doesn't have to be the main power of an example--just a useful facet. A form of ElementalPowers if it is.

* In ''Film/{{Virtuosity}},'' the villain, SID6.7, escapes the computer by using a silicon-based android body. When he loses an arm in a firefight, he finds out that the glass of a parked car can be used to reconstitute himself.

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Glass manipulation, or "hyalokinesis," is when someone creates, shapes and manipulates glass, an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid material, through some form of magic. The simplest application is creating sharp shards of broken glass to slice up or impale opponents. If an existing form of glass isn't around, no worries: just use the proper molecules in the surrounding environment to make some. Even better, [[ElementalShapeshifter just turn yourself into some]] and go to town, provided that you put yourself back together. Failing those tried-and-true applications, there's good old ShapingYourAttacks like the other kinds of elemental manipulation. These powers are often used to [[PleaseReflectOnThisIndex create mirrors or lenses]].

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Cinder Fall's Semblance, "Scorching Caress", allows her to [[PlayingWithFire superheat]] and reshape objects. She mainly uses for turning earth into weapons or objects made of obsidian, black volcanic glass. This is in keeping with her {{Fairytale Motif|s}} of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}'', who [[IconicItem is famously associated]] with glass slippers.

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[[caption-width-right:350:Paper cuts got nothing on ''this'']]

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* ''Film/TheMummy2017'': With the Dagger of Set, Ahmanet destroys all of the glass in the London to create a massive storm as a show of power.

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* ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'': Mera's Epithet, [[GlassCannon Fragile]], seems to have this as an ability. When she fights Sylvie, she creates giant, crystalline spikes, along with a spear of the same material.

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* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'': Silicya, as the Fairy of Silica, has crystal/glass-based powers.

* Shatterbird of the Slaughterhouse Nine in ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' is a "silica kinetic," having the ability to manipulate silicon through high-frequency sounds, giving her essentially perfect control over all glass, sand, and other siliceous compounds. Her favorite thing to do is make the glass in a city explode to announce the arrival of her faction.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/HeroesReborn2015 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4651e6092d597387587b480ffac19482_heroes_reborn_heroes.jpg]]

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SubTrope to MindOverMatter. Compare MagicMirror, SandBlaster, AnIcePerson and GemstoneAssault. Usually attacks via FlechetteStorm. If the character can turn things ''into'' glass, see TakenForGranite. Not to be confused with PowerCrystal.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Cinder Fall's Semblance, "Scorching Embrace", allows her to [[PlayingWithFire superheat]] objects. She mainly uses for turning earth into weapons or objects made of obsidian, black volcanic glass. This is in keeping with her {{Fairytale Motif|s}} of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}'', who [[IconicItem is famously associated]] with glass slippers.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Variation. Cinder Fall's Semblance allows her to [[PlayingWithFire superheat]] objects, which she mainly uses for turning earth into various glass-shaped weapons. This is in keeping with her {{Fairytale Motif|s}} of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}'', who [[IconicItem is famously associated]] with glass slippers.

* ''Webcomic/{{Spinnerette}}'': This is the main power of the appropriately named Colonel Glass, one of the major antagonists Spinny and Mecha Maid face (the latter who also has history with him), who can control any shard of glass in his vicinity down to a molecular level. Not to mention he has a healing factor and is ''AxCrazy'' to boot. His coming pretty much threw what was a quirky superhero series into one of it's darkest arcs.

* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'': Silicya, as Fairy of Silica, has crystal/glass-based powers.

* In the first arc of the ''[[ComicBook/StevenUniverse Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems]]'' series, the Crystal Gems encounter a corrupted gem nicknamed the Glass Ghost. It looks like its composed of broken glass and anything it touches is turned into glass. On top of that, the gem is desperate for contact and turns the inhabitants of Beach City into glass looking for it. Steven realizes this and uses his bubble shield to give the Glass Ghost some form of touch without risking himself. She poofs herself after that. The Glass Ghost may or may not have this power in uncorrupted form, because the comic states that she's a quartz because glass isn't a gem type (which isn't true in the rest of the franchise, where there gems made of obsidian and possibly other types of glass).

Also, precisely ''because'' glass is everywhere, one can get [[SwissArmySuperpower really creative]] with their use of glass, such as making mirrors to making reflections (illusions), refracting ambient light, and more. To say nothing of [[GlassWeapon the myriad of weapons]] someone could make. Beware of brittleness though.

* In the first arc of the ''[[ComicBook/StevenUniverse Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems]]'' series, the Crystal Gems encounter a corrupted gem nicknamed the Glass Ghost. It looks like its composed of broken glass and anything it touches is turned into glass. On top of that, the gem is desperate for contact and turns the inhabitants of Beach City into glass looking for it. Steven realizes this and uses his bubble shield to give the Glass Ghost some form of touch without risking himself. She poofs herself after that. The Glass Ghost may or may not have this power in uncorrupted form, because the comic states that she's a quartz because glass isn't a gem type (which isn't true in the rest of the franchise, where there are several glass-type gems).

Related to DishingOutDirt since sand plus heat equals glass for the most part. A MagmaMan can be related if volcanic glass is thrown into the mix. For that reason, hyalokinesis doesn't have to be the main power of an example--just a useful facet. A form of ElementalPowers if it is.

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda%E2%80%93lime_glass Soda-lime glass]] is often the most commonly represented form of glass used for his trope. That said, it doesn't have to be the only kind. Obsidian, fulgurite, volcanic glass, and more also qualify.

SubTrope to MindOverMatter. Compare SandBlaster, AnIcePerson and GemstoneAssault. Usually attacks via FlechetteStorm. If the character can turn things ''into'' glass, see TakenForGranite. Not to be confused with PowerCrystal.

SubTrope to MindOverMatter. Compare SandBlaster and GemstoneAssault. Usually attacks via FlechetteStorm. If the character can turn things ''into'' glass, see TakenForGranite. Not to be confused with PowerCrystal.