History Main / ChainedToARock

* Prometheus, who stole fire from the Olympian gods and gave it to mankind. Was chained to a rock, with an eagle eating his liver every day for all eternity. At night, his liver would regenerate so the eagle could eat it again.
** Until Hercules came to get him. Still, centuries of having your liver eaten isn't something to laugh at.

* In Myth/GreekMythology, the Trojan princess Hesione was Chained to a Rock to appease a sea monster set loose because the king of Troy had cheated the gods of their payment for building the walls of Troy. Hercules rescued her. (Whereupon the king of Troy [[DudeWheresMyRespect tried to cheat him]], and Hercules sacked Troy.)
** This was also poor Princess Andromeda's plight when her mother's [[{{Pride}} arrogance]], and claims that [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman she was more beautiful than the Nereids]], angered Poseidon. She was saved by her future husband, Perseus, who stepped in with [[TakenForGranite Medusa's head]]...

** This was also poor Princess Andromeda's plight when her mother's [[{{Pride}} arrogance]], and claims that [[WorldsmostBeautifulWoman she was more beautiful than the Nereids]], angered Poseidon. She was saved by her future husband, Perseus, who stepped in with [[TakenForGranite Medusa's head]]...

* Loki, the Myth/{{Norse|Mythology}} trickster god from the Literature/{{Edda}} and father of Miðgarðsormur, Fenrir the wolf and the death goddess Hel. Was chained to a rock with the entrails of his murdered sons, and a snake hanging over him dripping poisonous acid into his face. Whenever his wife went outside to empty out the bowl she was holding up to catch the drops, Loki's pain made him writhe in his bonds, which created earthquakes. The prophecy was his chains would fail when Ragnarök start. Will be killed in the FinalBattle between the gods of Ásgarðr and their enemies.

** This was also poor Princess Andromeda's plight when her mother's [[{{Pride}} arrogance]], and claims that [[WorldsmostBeautifulWoman she was more beautiful than the Nereids]], angered Poseidon. She was saved by her future husband, Perseus, who stepped in with [[TakenForGranite with Medusa's head]]...

[[folder: Myth and Legends ]]

* In the finale of ''StarWars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones'', Padme, Obi-Wan, and Anakin are all chained to rocks to be killed by large monsters.

* ''Film/{{Cthulhu}}'' (2007). A female store clerk who tries to warn the protagonist is seen towards the end of the movie tied to a post with barbed wire out in the ocean, as a sacrifice for the Deep Ones.

* In [[MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers Disney's The Three Musketeers]], Mickey is chained in a underground dungeon on an island to drown when the tide comes in. [[spoiler: Just as he's about to drown, Donald and Goofy break him out.]]

* In one of the "Files" books, NancyDrew is knocked unconscious. When she comes to, she realizes that she's been tied to a piling, left to drown when the incoming tide inevitably rises over her head. This is especially sadistic on the bad guys' part, as if they wanted to kill her, they could have easily dumped her in the ocean while she was unconscious, but chose a method that borders on torture.

* In ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns'', Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} is chained to a rock by demonic villain Xenon, who intends to slay her to free himself from his prison. Remarkably Kara is rescued by another Supergirl and not for a man.

* Subverted in ''XXXenophile'' story "Rescue 911 A.D.", where the reason why the damsel is chained up has nothing to do with being eaten by the dragon...

* The myth of Princess Andromeda (see below) is the backstory of Bronze Saint Andromeda Shun from ''SaintSeiya''. In the final test for acquiring the Bronze Cloth of Andromeda, the candidate is chained to the rock pillars at the bottom of a chasm; as the tide rises, they must hold back the water with the force of their [[BattleAura Cosmo]] alone, or [[KillItWithWater drown.]]

* In ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns'', Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} is chained to a rock by demonic villain Xenon, who intends to slay to free himself from his prison. Remarkably Kara is rescued by another Supergirl and not for a man.

* TheIncredibleHulk had this done to him by Marvel's Zeus, like Prometheus, but instead of eagles, it's vultures, cause he's worth less.

* {{Juathuur}} example: Merlu is bound to a tree (magically). More literally, Lok is chained to... whatever walls in his world are made of.

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': [[WeHaveReserves Bridgemen]] who commit serious infractions, such as murder or repeated theft, may be chained to a wall facing into a [[HostileWeather highstorm]]. This is tantamount to a death sentence, as highstorms are incredibly powerful, with winds capable of stripping skin off (assuming you aren't crushed by flying debris first), but it still allows the executioner to claim that "the Stormfather decided their fate," washing their hands of the matter.

* The movie ''Film/ClashOfTheTitans'' distorts the mythic Greek original somewhat, showing the rock-bound Andromeda being rescued from the Kraken by Perseus. To be fair, that's ''far'' from the ''only'' way the movie "distorts the mythic Greek"...

* In the ''{{Bionicle}}'' serial ''Federation of Fear'', the former Makuta leader, Miserix, is found chained to a cave wall, unable to escape despite his incredible amount of special powers. He spent centuries there absorbing the nearby creatures into his own essence to pad out his armor and make himself grow, but the chains increased in size with him. This cruel imprisonment was actually meant to keep him (and his still loyal Makuta brethren tasked with killing him) out of harm's way, by making sure the then-current leader would not learn about his existence.

* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', [[WeHaveReserves bridgemen]] that commit serious infractions, such as murder or repeated theft may be chained to a wall facing into a [[HostileWeather highstorm]]. This is tantamount to a death sentence, as highstorms are incredibly powerful, with winds capable of stripping skin off (assuming you aren't crushed by flying debris first).

* In ''Film/{{The Maze Runner|2014}}'', Gally plans to tie Thomas and Teressa to posts in front of the opening to the maze and leave them as an offering for the grievers.

* In ''Film/TheMazeRunner'', Gally plans to tie Thomas and Teressa to posts in front of the opening to the maze and leave them as an offering for the grievers.

* In ''TacticsOgre: [[GaidenGame The Knight of Lodis]]'', after completing [[WakeUpCallBoss Formello]], Alphonse [[CutsceneIncompetence gets captured]] and interrogated by [[TheDragon Nichart]]. After realizing that Alphonse doesn't know anything beyond the party line, Nichart buggers off, leaving Alphonse chained up in the dungeon to drown when the tide comes in. [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt Naturally]], he gets rescued, setting the next bit of the plot in motion.

[[quoteright:267:[[Myth/GreekMythology http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Gustave_Moreau_Prometheus_7331.jpg]]]]

* Loki, the {{Norse|Mythology}} trickster god from the Literature/{{Edda}} and father of Miðgarðsormur, Fenrir the wolf and the death goddess Hel. Was chained to a rock with the entrails of his murdered sons, and a snake hanging over him dripping poisonous acid into his face. Whenever his wife went outside to empty out the bowl she was holding up to catch the drops, Loki's pain made him writhe in his bonds, which created earthquakes. The prophecy was his chains would fail when Ragnarök start. Will be killed in the FinalBattle between the gods of Ásgarðr and their enemies.
* In Greek mythology, the Trojan princess Hesione was Chained to a Rock to appease a sea monster set loose because the king of Troy had cheated the gods of their payment for building the walls of Troy. Hercules rescued her. (Whereupon the king of Troy [[DudeWheresMyRespect tried to cheat him]], and Hercules sacked Troy.)

%%* ''Film/KingKong''