History Main / AfraidOfNeedles

** This drives the plot of "Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Concert": when a roadie is found dead of a heroin overdose, his girlfriend insists that it was foul play because he was too afraid of needles to inject himself. It is revealed that [[spoiler:he had managed to overcome the phobia, but the overdose was a murder nonetheless]].

** Also used as a plot point in "Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum," in what appeared to be a [[DeceasedFallGuyGambit murder-suicide case]]: a junkie named Bill [=LaFrankie=] was hiding in the medical supply room after hours, then shot and killed the beloved director Dr. Conrad Gould when he came in while doing his rounds. He then used Dr. Gould's keys to break into a cabinet to steal some morphine. The police found him dead in the woods the next day, from a self-overdose. Monk, however, finds that [=LaFrankie=] was the fall guy when he breaks into current director Dr. Morris Lancaster's office and finds [=LaFrankie=]'s file, which shows that he was afraid of needles, not to mention that Dr. Gould's keys were still in his pocket in one crime scene photo.

* The title character of ''Literature/TheSagaOfTuck'' also has a fear of needles. And doctors. And psychiatrists. And hospitals. Childhood asthma with recurrent bouts of pneumonia will do that to you.

* Beast Boy from the ComicBook/DoomPatrol and later ComicBook/TeenTitans has this problem. Thankfully, his powers give him universal immunity, but that doesn't stop the writers from forcing him to take shots anyway.

-->-- '''Music/JudyPancoast''': "Gotta Get a Shot"

* {{Downplayed}} and {{Justified}} in ''Literature/{{Twig}}''. After spending most of his life enduring the most [[PsychoSerum painful injections possible]] -- and getting addicted to the effects -- Sy has developed a deep hatred and mild fear for needles. That doesn't stop him from stabbing himself with one, though.

This is a common enough fear among many people and a particularly fun example of TruthInTelevision. It may be related to the fact that while combat injuries and the resulting pain are usually suppressed by adrenaline, the pain that comes along with tearing off bandages, or putting peroxide into wounds is not. There is also how things like papercuts or [[AgonyOfTheFeet anything involving feet injury]] can be more painful than an injection, but regularly won't make people flinch due to being unexpected, unlike being injected where people expect it.

* In the first episode of ''Manga/CityHunter'', Ryo Saiba is confronted by a bad guy who responds to his gun by pointing out the crowded street through the window behind him, saying the gun's too powerful and if Ryo shoots him he'll also hit someone in the crowd. Ryo fires, and when the falling bad guy reveals an undamaged window, Ryo casually explains that he slowed the bullet by ''shooting through his own hand''. He casually walks out of the restaurant, and after a brief shot of him grasping his wounded hand and screaming there's a cut to him sobbing like a baby while his partner is disinfecting and bandaging his hand up.

* Excel from ''Manga/ExcelSaga'' is mortally afraid of needles in the manga due to some forgotten trauma. She manages taking an anesthetic needle while visiting a dentist though since she considered it a lesser evil compared to the drill.

* Jigen of ''Franchise/LupinIII'' isn't afraid of getting a shot, but he ''hates'' going to the dentist. Given that he's once been attacked by a venomous snake, and also had a car crash into the dentist's room with him, it may be justified.
* Chisato from ''Anime/LycorisRecoil'' is terrified of needles, to the point she regularly puts off going to the doctor for checkups. Takina is in disbelief when she learns that someone that regularly dodgest bullets in life-or-death battles could have such a fear, but Chisato points out that one, getting a shot hurts, and two, if she dodges the needle the visit is pointless.

* ''ComicBook/{{Lanfeust}}'': Hebus is a nine-foot-tall troll. He gets pierced by arrows, sliced by swords and axes, and burned by magic nearly on a daily basis. He has such a fear of needles that his reaction when faced with a deadly illness was to take a butcher knife, cut his leg and say "It has to go in the blood, right? Then pour it there, that's better!"

* This is a fairly common {{Fanon}} fear to give [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Ferb Fletcher]]. There's rarely a reason given for why he hates them and it's lead to some funny circumstances, like Vanessa taking care of him when the flu he got because he didn't get a flu shot makes him delirious.

* In ''X-Men'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TheDarwinChronicles'', the mere mention of needles, syringes or shots will cause Wolverine to hyperventilate.

* ''Series/TheDevilJudge'': Sun-ah is afraid of syringes, though that doesn't stop her injecting Yo-han with a drug.

* ''Series/{{Mom}}'': Jill is afraid of needles (except for botox) which is why she became an alcoholic even though "heroin has fewer calories".

** Adrian Monk is afraid of close to everything, but needles are very high. In fact, needles are second only to germs on his list (yes, he has a list of 312 fears and phobias; he's afraid of ''not'' having lists).

* ''Series/{{Oz}}'': Neo-Nazi inmate Robson hates needles, so he insists on laughing gas while getting his receding gums replaced. This has serious consequences for him when he racially insults his Middle-Eastern dentist while high; in revenge the dentist implants him with the gums of a black man, then lets everyone in prison know about it. After which needles become the least of Robson's worries.

* Diego Hargreeves of ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'' straight-up faints when he tries to volunteer himself to donate blood to his sister. [[FridgeBrilliance It almost certainly stems from the time his father gave him and his siblings homemade tattos when they were thirteen.]]

* WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss: In a FurryReminder moment, Loona the hellhound has to get a "Hellbies" shot in the episode [[Recap/HelluvaBossS2E4WesternEnergy Western Energy]]. The normally snarky, moody and angry hellhound turns into a shivering, terrified mess at the thought of getting a shot, with Blitzo having to drag her around and comfort her during their entire stay in Sloth. When she finally sees the needle, she goes full feral dog in her attempt to avoid it, fighting off Bltizo and the Doctor, in order to not get injected, before they finally manage to subdue her and give her the shot.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Harley Quinn cries like a little girl when Poison Ivy gives her a shot in "Harley and Ivy" (which she needs to survive the toxic waste dump Ivy's is hiding out in). Harley even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this by saying, "You'd think after hangin' out with Mistah J, I'd be used to a little pain."

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Poof catches the "Chicken Poofs" in the episode of the same name (meaning he turns into a chicken and whatever he sneezes on does too). When taken to get treated, Poof runs at the first sight of the doctor taking an oversized needle out to give him the medicine, leading to the main cast chasing after him as he causes chaos with his disease. When they finally catch Poof, the doctor reveals the needle is actually a carrying case for the medicine and he could've just gave Poof a little sippy cup to cure him. Wanda is less than amused when she finds this out.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/LittleLulu'', a BadassBiker has been trying to summon the courage to get a tattoo. Near the end of the episode, he observes kids and their mothers coming out of the tattoo parlour with (painted on) tattoos and nearly collapses on his bike with shame.

** In "Bubble Boy", Adam claims that he's allergic to big cats, but when the school nurse tries to shot him with an allergy vaccine, he panics and makes up more allergies as she presents him with more vaccines meant for different animals. Given Adam turned into a monkey when he was shot with the vaccine that was meant for Jake in "Inoculation Day", his fear isn't exactly unjustified.

* Early in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Clark uses this as an excuse to get out of a blood drive.

* HelluvaBoss: In a FurryReminder moment, Loona the hellhound has to get a "Hellbies" shot in the episode [[Recap/HelluvaBossS2E4WesternEnergy Western Energy]]. The normally snarky, moody and angry hellhound turns into a shivering, terrified mess at the thought of getting a shot, with Blitzo having to drag her around and comfort her during their entire stay in Sloth. When she finally sees the needle, she goes full feral dog in her attempt to avoid it, fighting off Bltizo and the Doctor, in order to not get injected, before they finally manage to subdue her and give her the shot.

* Kiba from the ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' fanfiction [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10527530/1/Ninja-of-Santoryu Ninja of Santoryu]] is absolutely terrified of pretty much anything sharp after his [[CurbStompBattle disastrous loss against Naruto]]

* Kiba from the Naruto fanfiction [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10527530/1/Ninja-of-Santoryu Ninja of Santoryu]] is absolutely terrified of pretty much anything sharp after his [[CurbStompBattle disastrous loss against Naruto]]

* Edward Elric from the 2003 anime adaptation of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' acts like an adult, but betrays his young age when he has to be restrained to have an injection. This is the child, who, after performing an unholy ritual and ''losing a limb'', does it ''again'', even offering his ''heart'' to bring back his brother... Then, when being fitted for automail to replace the arm and leg and having things connected to his nerves, didn't cry once. Mustang commented he had seen grown men break down crying from this process.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Guts. A guy who's CoveredWithScars, MadeOfIron, and whose [[AttackAttackAttack ultimate attack]] is [[FoeTossingCharge flinging himself into a horde]] of barbaric and often [[LegionsOfHell demonic enemies]] with his {{BFS}} and [[CharlesAtlasSuperPower raw]], UnstoppableRage (and he has this [[AcheyScars pesky scar that burns]] whenever a demon approaches him) [[{{Determinator}} no matter what they throw at him]] (be it stingers, arrows, horns, rock-like appendages, fire, lightning, or entire TREES why don't you) HATES getting sewn up with needles [[AfterActionPatchup after the fact]]. [[MinorInjuryOverreaction And he'll cry and whine all the way through.]]

A subset of FatalFlaw, and often portrayed as an AbsurdPhobia or IronicFear. See also AfraidOfDoctors and FoulMedicine. Can be the driving force of an InjectionPlot, especially if the GiantMedicalSyringe is involved. ScienceFiction often deals with this fear by switching to {{Futuristic Jet Injector}}s.

* Kon-El (of ''[[ComicBook/Superboy1994 Superboy Volume 4]]'', ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'', ''Superboy Volume 5'' & ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'') gets freaked out by needles mostly because waking up with an IV in him means his invulnerability wasn't working, and any kind of biopsy or other needle insertion means he has to drop his invulnerability. He doesn't like feeling weak and it doesn't help that he doesn't trust most scientists due to the ones who created him trying to kidnap him and modify him to be easier to control.

* Leslie has this problem in ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' -- so much so that when her {{Heterosexual Life Partner|s}} Ann tries to inoculate her, she lets loose with a PrecisionFStrike.

** Frank Burns is terrified of shots too and has to be ''dragged'' to a blood drive. Of course, unlike the first example, Frank is very much a MilesGloriosus.

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': Jayne, the gruff, tough badass of the crew of Serenity, absolutely hates getting patched up by Simon after a job. As Jayne is the ButtMonkey of the crew, this is PlayedForLaughs.

* On ''Series/{{Friends}}'', Phoebe and Rachel decide to get tattoos, but Phoebe backs out at the last moment when she realizes it's actually done with needles.

* ''Series/{{MASH}}'': The jolly surgeons of the 4077 needed a rare blood type to save a man's life. They found the right donor, but he was terrified of needles. "I can't stand those things! They make me feel -- ''oogy''!" This shriveling coward's usual job? Bomb disposal.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS21E15BartMangledBanner Bart Mangled Banner]]", Bart escapes out the window when he was due a flu vaccine while being chased by Dr. Hibbert for a lengthy sequence. He only gets the shot when he's tricked by Barney disguised as Dr. Hibbert with a LatexPerfection.

* A creepy example is ''Anime/CowboyBebop''[='=]s Mad Pierrot, an insanely violent assassin who is impervious to guns -- and yet, when he gets hit with a small knife, he starts bawling his eyes out. This event reveals his [[PsychopathicManchild true nature]]. The stab was bad enough to fully justify his collapsing and screaming. Flailing around and calling for mommy, not so much. His suit deflected bullets flying at him before they could even touch him, which probably meant he doesn't feel any pain from them at all. The knife actually penetrated the force field, which meant it really did hurt and was possibly the first instance of pain he's felt since his "conditioning". More of a fear of pain than a fear of needles.