History Main / ImpossiblyCompactFolding

* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'', Lucy Wilde's teeny-tiny car suddenly sprouts massive sternplanes, rudders and engines -- all obviously bigger than the entire volume of the vehicle -- when it transforms into a submarine. Impossible, but perfectly in conformity with the RuleOfFunny.

** ''Film/IronMan2'', introduces the Mark V or more colloquially know as the "Suitcase Suit". A full-body Iron Man Suit, all inside a briefcase. The full list of features are unknown, but it's shown to be ''much'' thinner and less protective than the Mark III or Mark VI (from the next movie), and perhaps more designed to be personal protection on the go rather than a full-feature suit.
** A slightly realistic and downplayed version of this trope (surprisingly enough) appears in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''. When fighting [[spoiler:Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier who was brainwashed by Baron Zemo]], Tony is revealed to have a special Iron Man Gauntlet stored within a custom wristwatch and seems to be {{foreshadowing}} of how Stark is close to understanding nanotech. Although the gauntlet is clearly more of a deterrent or self-defense weapon rather than a offensive one, as it lacks the repulsor rays his gauntlet are known for, but it still has a bulletproof construction as it manages to block a point-blank shot from a pistol.

* In ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', the All Spark cube goes from the size of a house to the size of a basketball. It also, apparently, forgoes the conservation of mass by allowing a teenager to lift it without trouble.

* In ''TabletopGame/GURPSUltraTech'' this appears to be possible at TechLevel 10, which includes such things as the "[[AutoDoc Suitcase Doc]]", which just keeps unfolding life support systems, surgical manipulators and diagnostic sensors as needed, the "Dynamic Car", which folds into a box when not in use (or, if an enemy hacks its systems, while ''in'' use) and the "Backpack Dragonfly", a microlight aircraft that can be carried in a backpack, and unfolded in seconds.

'''Barnacle Boy:''' Don't touch that button, that's the... ''[folds into origami swan]'' ... Origami Button.

A subtrope of {{Hammerspace}} and ToonPhysics, and a supertrope of TelescopingRobot. May overlap with BagOfHolding, BiggerOnTheInside, TransformingMecha, SwissArmyWeapon, RetractableWeapon or CollapsibleHelmet. FoldSpindleMutilation does this (messily) to a ''person''.

** ''Film/IronMan2'', introduces the Mark V or more colloquially know as the "Suitcase Suit". A full-body Iron Man Suit, all inside a briefcase. Although it's evened out by the fact that it's clearly not as durable as a regular suit, and it's not seen if it can fly, having to sacrifice a few things ''just'' to be compact.

** Two different WesternAnimation/{{Droopy}} cartoons, "WesternAnimation/SenorDroopy" and "Homesteader Droopy" had a gag with the wolf escaping from a rampaging animal (A bull in the first and a moose in the second) by leading it through a door and removing the door by folding it to pocket size. After discarding it behind his back, the door unfolds and turns into a cellar door with staircase, allowing the animal to emerge and headbutt the wolf into the air.

* In ''WesternAnimation/CarOfTomorrow'', there was a car "designed to fit the working man's pocket". The man driving it steps out, folds it up, tucks it in his jacket pocket and walks off.

* ''LightNovel/ChromeShelledRegios'': The dites, which, for something that collapses into a perfect box the size of a remote control, can be anything from a pistol to a surfboard-sized {{BFS}}.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' is a series where almost everyone uses a SwissArmyWeapon, some of which make limited, excusable use of this. And then there's Coco Adel, whose briefcase-sized HandbagOfHurt can somehow expand into an [[{{BFG}} enormous]] [[GatlingGood minigun]]. Amusingly enough, when she uses the briefcase as a melee weapon, it seems to actually weight enough to seriously hurt ''Grimm''.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJetsons'': George Jetson's car could fold up into a briefcase, which he can easily carry into his workplace in the show's intro.

* ''Webcomic/{{Xkcd}}'' strip #2534 "Retractable Rocket features a retractable rocket, which doesn't take off — it just extends itself upwards until it's tall enough to reach the ISS[[note]]about 250 miles, if you're wondering[[/note]], then retracts back down again.