History Main / AreTheseWiresImportant

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'', Mace Windu punches a hole in a droid fighter, yanks at some wires... and starts using them as ''reins''. Implausible as all get out, but it looks cool.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' episode "Flash and Substance", the Flash does this to the giant, rocket-powered boomerang Captain Boomerang catches Flash with. Flash likes this. He earlier did something similar to Grodd's mind control helmet, at super speed, while making it look like he was just slapping his head repeatedly.

* BadassNormal Robin did this to a squid-shaped robot in an early episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. As ''WebVideo/TeenTitansTheAbridgedSeries'' points out, he was somehow able to punch through the robot's armor despite Starfire's laser blasts having absolutely no effect.
** Perhaps it had a form of DeflectorShield that blocks energy damage, but is less effective against kinetic damage?

* Happens all the time in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''.

* ComicBook/{{Superboy}} pulled this stunt during the ''[[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman Reign of the Supermen]]'' event, tearing into a robot that tried to kill Superman (again) and ripping out a few random parts.

* ComicBook/AtomicRobo (see trope image) is fond of this tried-and-true technique.

* In ''{{TabletopGame/BattleTech}}'', this is a favored attack method of battle armor with a battle claw and jumpjets. That is to say, they jump up to a [[HumongousMecha Battlemech]], grab hold and generally start shooting holes in delicate looking things. It's not a battle armour specialty, either; there's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Anti-'Mech Infantry]] who do exactly the same thing with nothing but their bare hands, climbing gear, a combat rifle and satchel charges. They [[WeHaveReserves tend to take]] [[RealityEnsues tremendous casualties]] in the process, given that they're chasing after a multi-story war machine's feet trying to climb up, normally while it's moving. [[SuicideAttack Suicidal]], but for underequipped units that can't take on a 'mech in direct combat it's better to take a chance of having half the army smeared over the landscape than to [[RapePillageAndBurn just allow the things to do whatever they want.]] Especially against the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Clans,]] who don't mind sending 'Freebirths', and anyone above 40 to their honorable deaths.

-->-- '''Tony Stark''', ''Film/IronMan1''

* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' -- Bob got the chance to [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20070825.html do this]] to the same spaceship on [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20100810.html two separate occasions.]] In both cases it meant smashing random control panels with his shoe.

* One of the funnier cutscenes in MDK2 is Max trying to stop a doomsday missile aimed at the Earth. Because he isn't known for finesse, he just opens a panel and starts rapidly ripping every component out he can get his hands on. Unfortunately, he can't stop it, however he does apparently disable the navigation and the warhead, causing it to harmlessly crash into the palace where Kurt is. Max tries to play it off that he arrived to save him.

** In ''Film/AntMan'', the title character resorts to this after getting into a fight with the Falcon, shrinking down to disable his wingsuit from within before fleeing.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' episode "Flash and Substance", the Flash does this to the giant, rocket-powered boomerang Captain Boomerang catches Flash with. Flash likes this. He earlier did something similar to Grodd's mind control helmet, at super speed, while making it look like he was just slapping his head repeatedly.

** ''Film/IronMan1'': During the final fight with [[BigBad Iron Monger]], Tony Stark quips "This looks important!" and rips the targeting sensor out of his armor.

* One of the funnier cutscenes in MDK2 is Max trying to stop a doomsday missile aimed at the Earth. Because he isn't known for finess, he just opens a panel and starts rapidly ripping every component out he can get his hands on. Unfortunately, he can't stop it, however he does apparently disable the navigation and the warhead, causing it to harmlessly crash into the palace where Kurt is. Max tries to play it off that he arrived to save him.

* In the ''Series/TwilightZone'' episode, "Terror At 20,000 Feet", a gremlin is doing this to an airplane until stopped by an acrophobic Creator/WilliamShatner. Before his intervention, the thing was yanking wires and pieces out of the airplane's engines.

** Task Manager, anyone? Or worse, the computer registry. Note that you theoretically ''can'' improve performance by messing with those - after a year or more of installing and uninstalling things, junk data can pile up. Of course, if you don't know ''exactly'' what you're doing, you can easily delete something important while trying to clean out junk data, resulting in serious system problems.

** Task Manager, anyone? Or worse, the computer registry.

* In ''{{TabletopGame/BattleTech}}'', this is a favored attack method of battle armor with a battle claw and jumpjets. That is to say, they jump up to a [[HumongousMecha Battlemech]], grab hold and generally start shooting holes in delicate looking things. It's not a battle armour specialty, either; there's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Anti-'Mech Infantry]] who do exactly the same thing [[CrazyAwesome with nothing but their bare hands, climbing gear, a combat rifle and satchel charges.]] They [[WeHaveReserves tend to take]] [[RealityEnsues tremendous casualties]] in the process, given that they're chasing after a multi-story war machine's feet trying to climb up, normally while it's moving. [[SuicideAttack Suicidal]], but for underequipped units that can't take on a 'mech in direct combat it's better to take a chance of having half the army smeared over the landscape than to [[RapePillageAndBurn just allow the things to do whatever they want.]] Especially against the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Clans,]] who don't mind sending 'Freebirths', and anyone above 40 to their honorable deaths.

* Ben has used this technique a couple of times in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben10}}''.

The destructive opposite of PercussiveMaintenance. For one wire in particular, see CutTheJuice. For wires that need to be dealt with in a particular order, see WireDilemma.

* In a late '70s issue of ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'', the team is trying to stop a giant robot called Red Ronin -- designed, incidentally, to fight Godzilla -- from reaching New York and presumably destroying it. Thor's not around, and the rest of the team -- Iron Man, Wonder Man, Vision, Captain America, and a few others -- are fighting Ronin from outside, along with the Shield Helicarrier. But not Beast. He makes his way inside the mecha, finds the control room, sits down, and susses out how it's controlled, then yanks the one plug that will cause the thing to shut down. It's a {{Crowning Moment of Awesome}}.

* ComicBook/{{Superboy}} pulled this stunt during the ''Reign of the Supermen'' event, tearing into a robot that tried to kill Superman (again) and ripping out a few random parts.