History Main / InstantIceJustAddCold

This may also apply to characters who have fallen into cold water and come out in a block of ice; if the water isn't cold enough to have frozen already, then, once again, where does the ice come from?[[note]]This trick actually DOES work with ''extremely'' pure water. [[http://phys.org/news/2011-11-supercool-doesnt-.html proof]]. The reason for this is that extremely pure water actually has a much lower freezing point than regular water. Water needs a contaminant particle to anchor it, give it something to freeze ''on''. Without it, water just won't freeze. Dropping a single particle of dust into a container of very pure, superchilled water will cause a massive chain reaction freezing all the water in the container.[[/note]][[labelnote:note 2]]It is also possible to achieve with other water solutions. Having certain things, like salt or alcohol, in solution with water lowers its freezing point. Thus it is possible to super chill such solutions below water's "normal" freezing point. Applying a sudden agitation to a liquid in this state can cause the water molecules to come into contact with one another which sparks instant crystallization. Often done as a bar trick by smacking the bottom of a super cold bottle of beer, but dropping something into such a super chilled liquid could also set the reaction off.[[/labelnote]] Note also that the block of ice in question has the strange tendency to come out in the shape of a perfect cuboid.

This may also apply to characters who have fallen into cold water and come out in a block of ice; if the water isn't cold enough to have frozen already, then, once again, where does the ice come from?[[note]]This trick actually DOES work with ''extremely'' pure water. [[http://phys.org/news/2011-11-supercool-doesnt-.html proof]]. The reason for this is that extremely pure water actually has a much lower freezing point than regular water. Water needs a contaminant particle to anchor it, give it something to freeze ''on''. Without it, water just won't freeze. Dropping a single particle of dust into a container of very pure, superchilled water will cause a massive chain reaction freezing all the water in the container.[[/note]][[labelnote:note 2]]It is also possible to achieve with other water solutions. Having certain thing, like salt or alcohol, in solution with water lowers its freezing point. Thus it is possible to super chill such solutions below water's "normal" freezing point. Applying a sudden agitation to a liquid in this state can cause the water molecules to come into contact with one another which sparks instant crystallization. Often done as a bar trick by smacking the bottom of a super cold bottle of beer, but dropping something into such a super chilled liquid could also set the reaction off.[[/labelnote]] Note also that the block of ice in question has the strange tendency to come out in the shape of a perfect cuboid.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBabaloos'': In “Big Chill For Baby Towel”, spending a brief amount of time in the freezer somehow traps Baby Towel in a giant block of ice.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'': In one episode, the class goes through the solar system and ends up on Pluto. In order to get his cousin Janet to come home without proof of having traveled through the solar system, Arnold takes off his helmet and his head instantly ices over.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'': "Snow Half-Pipe" plays with the idea. After Flain and Krader fall into the frozen water of the ice half-pipe, they float up entirely encased in ice, shown by their bodies colored entirely blue with stiff expressions. No extra ice cubes, though [[RuleOfFunny Flain's fire is also frozen as well.]]

%%* One of the many ways to die in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot''.* VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'s various ice-related abilities encase targeted enemies in a large ice cube, which can then be pushed aside as a projectile.

** The Gorons in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' get this during the unnaturally long winter.

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* {{Justified|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Frozone uses whatever moisture is in the air, as well as his own body moisture, to make ice. Therefore, his powers are much weaker when most of the moisture in the air has already evaporated.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'': "Vacation Trip Trap".

* "WesternAnimation/TotalDrama":

* Cold-oriented Saints in ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' have this effect on their foes. [[CallingYourAttacks Diamond Dust, Aurora Thunder, and Aurora Execution]] all freeze their targets into solid ice ([[LiterallyShatteredLives which then shatters, often doing the same to the victim]].) When Cygnus Hyoga's master, Aquarius Camus, froze him in an "[[HumanPopsicle ice coffin]]," this took the shape of a huge, perfect cube.

* Iceman of the ComicBook/XMen has the power to make things cold and to control his temperature and that of things around him. What you see is a man who can create ice, huge quantities, out of nothing. (Officially, he's supposed to be creating ice out of moisture in the air, but considering the ''amount'' of ice he can create, the air must be at 500% humidity everywhere.)
** A very curious example of this from the X-Men's earliest days: In Uncanny X-Men # 2, Iceman freezes a construction worker's glove. This somehow causes the glove to turn into ice cubes.

* Disaster movie ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow'' posits a brand new Ice Age happening ''very, very, quickly'' due to man-made climate change. On several occassions in the movie, such as when RAF helicopters are ordered to Balmoral to airlift the royals to safety, people caught in sudden flash-freezing situations where the air temperature abruptly falls to -140º become, effectively, frost-limed blocks of ice.

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* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}'':
** The Freeze Ray and Magic do this. It apparently cushions the fall of an asteroid.
** Also, if you put something into a refrigerator or freezer, it is encased in an ice cube when it is removed.

* Happens often in fighting games. Characters like Kula Diamond (''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'') and Rimururu (''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'') can produce large amounts of ice instantly and out of pretty much nowhere.

* Happens to anyone hit by a Freezy in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros.'' or some of the Ice Climbers' attacks.
* Similar to Dick Dastardly's above depiction, this happens to anyone who falls into icy water in ''VideoGame/MarioKart''.
* In ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', the ice balls thrown by characters with an Ice Flower PowerUp encase enemies in oversized ice cubes, which can either be used as platforms or picked up and thrown as projectiles.
* ''VideoGame/Stinkoman20X6'': If you stand still too long in the SlippySlideyIceWorld, Stinkoman will "freeze to square" and take some damage in the process.
* Use in ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'', with the Ancient {{Magick}} ice spells. Low-leveled spells briefly cover the target in snow and frost, making them look like a lumpy snowman. The high-level ''Ice Barrage'' encases the targets up to 9 square meters worth of ice for players, and [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/2007scape/images/2/22/Wanted!_-_Solus_decimates_rangers.png much more for a sufficiently powerful NPC.]]
* VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'s various ice-related abilities encase targeted enemies in a large ice cube, which can then be pushed aside as a projectile.

* Mages in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' can [[HumanPopsicle intentionally invoke this]] with their Ice Block ability, Hunters can inflict this upon others with their Freezing Trap, and it's so common in boss encounters as to be almost a StatusEffect.
* One of the many ways to die in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot''.
* Franchise/SpyroTheDragon's temporary ice-breath power in [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Frozen Alters]] in ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'', causes any enemy ([[VideogameCrueltyPotential or ally, for that matter]]) to become frozen in a block of ice. It was also used in ''VideoGame/SpyroEnterTheDragonfly'', and standing on a squarely-frozen dragon was actually required for a couple of puzzles.
* One of the many ways to die in ''[[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Bubble Symphony]]'', but with a hexagonal ice shape instead of an ice block, and the player character dies after the shape shatters shortly after it forms.
* Various Ice-type moves in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games invoke this trope, complete with animations or depictions of a block of ice encasing the target Pokemon.
** In the [[VideoGame/PokemonStadium N64 Pokemon Stadium games]], the Freeze status is depicted with a block of ice enveloping the Pokémon afflicted. Later 3D entries depict the status with crystals encrusting the Pokemon instead.
* The ''VideoGame/SnowboardKids'' franchise has a weapon you can shoot at your opponents to temporarily encase them in ice, bringing them to a complete stop for the moment.
* Several spells in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' do this. Absolute summons cold air which instantly freezes into a giant jagged block of ice. Icicle also does this, but to a lesser degree.
* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'':
** The [[FreezeRay Ice Beam]] is able to... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin freeze enemies]], and it is mainly used in killing the titular Metroids. Frozen enemies are coated in a fine layer of ice until the effect wears off.
** In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', shooting a wall with the Ice Beam creates a small chunk of ice which shatters in a split-second.

* Cirno of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' [[MemeticMutation infamy]] has the power to manipulate cold. Naturally, this mostly translates into summoning icicles and other ice bolts and shooting them at enemies. In one fighting game spinoff she is even able to create an ice block bigger than herself to crush the enemy with, in the space of less than a second!
* This happens to [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank Ratchet]] if he falls into instant-death water on an [[SlippySlideyIceWorld arctic-themed level]].

* In the ''VideoGame/BigFunInFurbyland'' minigame ''In the Clouds'', some clouds in the second level can freeze the Furby into a perfect ice cube.
* In ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy3'' onwards, many Ice-element attacks-- including some from the player characters-- can inflict the Freeze status.
** Justified with a particular interaction of status effects in ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy5'', where if a combatant is simultaneously afflicted with the Wet and Chilled status effects, they're both removed and turned into Freeze.
* In Chapter 2 of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', Noelle's [=IceShock=] spell is able to instantly freeze enemies solid in a layer of ice. Likewise, [[spoiler:the Weird Route's hidden [=SnowGrave=] spell fatally encases the target in a large block of ice, as shown by Berdly's murder]].
* ''[[VideoGame/IceAge Ice Age 2: The Meltdown]]'': In one level, Scrat has to traverse a once-frozen river by jumping onto ice floes. If he falls into the water, he'll end up as an ice cube.

* Haley of ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' finds a "+5 Icy Burst" bow that sometimes [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0615.html has this effect]] on its targets.

* Exaggerated in ''Webcomic/{{Buttersafe}}'', when a guy accidentally freezes his girlfriend in a block of ice by [[http://buttersafe.com/2013/11/05/blanket-hog/ hogging the blankets.]]

%%* ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck'': This happens to Donald at the end of ''Donald's Snow Fight''.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': Happens to the [[ItMakesSenseInContext Giant Wooly Walrus]] at the end of "Cold Ducks".%%Happens how?

** In ''Frigid Hare'', WesternAnimation/BugsBunny arrives in Antarctica and (thinking he's in Miami Beach) dives into the water, and the splash instantly freezes. Bugs then meets a little penguin whose tears turn into ice cubes.
** ''Tom Turk and Daffy'': Daffy Duck throws a bucket full of water at Porky and the water freezes in mid-air in the exact shape of the bucket. Later, Daffy throws another bucketful of water over a river, creating an instant bridge of ice.
** In ''[[WesternAnimation/PepeLePew Odor of the Day]]'', a dog falls into an icy lake and freezes into a block of ice while attempting to take shelter at Pepé Le Pew's house. After he is thawed out, he catches a cold, then Pepé poses as a doctor to cure him so he can drive him out of his home. Then, ''Pepé'', after the dog sprays him with perfume shortly after his cold returns, dives into the lake, thaws himself out in the fireplace and catches the same cold. Both Pepe and the dog decide to live with their illnesses and each other after the fact.

* ''WesternAnimation/PotatoesAndDragons'': Happens to King Hugo in "Ready Yeti?", and the Dragon in "King Of The Potato Frontier".

** In ''Odor of the Day'', a dog falls into an icy lake and freezes into a block of ice while attempting to take shelter at Pepe Le Pew's house. After he is thawed out, first after Pepe jams an axe into the block, then in a fireplace, he catches a cold, with the first instance being that Pepe poses as a doctor to cure him so he can drive him out of his home. Then, ''Pepe'', after being sprayed with perfume after the dog's cold returns, dives into the lake, thaws himself out in the fireplace and catches the same cold. Both Pepe and the dog decide to live with their illnesses and each other after the fact.

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'' winds up living with an Eskimo family in "Schnook of the North". He meets their next-door neighbor and flirts with her. She then takes a bucket of water, throws it on him, and instantly turns him into an ice cube.

* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'': At the end of "Hawaiian Vacation", Barbie and Ken go out in the snow and fall in. After the credits we see them in a block of ice.

You ever notice how, in some fiction, ''especially'' cartoons, things or people that are subject to extreme cold not only get [[HarmlessFreezing frozen]], but get frozen ''into a huge block of ice''? Even though there's no water around to freeze? That's this trope. Think of all the times you've seen a character who was shut inside a freezer sliding out in an ice block ''the exact shape and size of the freezer itself''. [[FridgeLogic Where the hell does the ice]] [[AccidentalPun come from?]]

* In ''Anime/MonsterRancher'', Shogun accidentally fell into a lake in a cold environment and instantly rose back to the surface trapped in ice. [[spoiler:This is how he ended up among the ranks of Durahan's frozen warriors.]]

* Mages in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' can [[HumanPopsicle intentionally invoke this]] with their Ice Block ability, Hunters can inflict this upon others with their Freezing Trap, and it's so common in boss encounters as to be almost a StandardStatusEffect.

* In Chapter 2 of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'', Noelle's [=IceShock=] spell is able to instantly freeze enemies solid in a layer of ice. Likewise, [[spoiler:the Weird Route's hidden (and fatal) [=SnowGrave=] spell fatally encases the target in a large block of ice, as shown by Berdly's murder]].

* In ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', the ice balls thrown by characters with an Ice Flower PowerUp do this.

* VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'s various ice-related abilities tend to do this.

** Notably, in the [[VideoGame/PokemonStadium N64 Pokemon Stadium games]], the Freeze status is depicted with a block of ice enveloping the Pokemon afflicted. Later 3D entries depict the status with crystals encrusting the Pokemon instead.

* In ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy3'' onwards, many Ice-element attacks - including some from the player characters - can inflict the Freeze status.

** The [[FreezeRay Ice Beam[] is able to... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin freeze enemies]], and it is mainly used in killing the titular Metroids. Frozen enemies are coated in a fine layer of ice until the effect wears off.

* Every time Evangeline uses her freezing spells in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', including against Asuna during training, it forms ice even though it's only stated to make things cold. Although maybe they're so cold that they're freezing ''the air''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}''

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''

* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}''
** The [[FreezeRay Ice Beam]] is able to... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin freeze enemies]], and it is mainly used in killing the titular Metroids. Frozen enemies are coated in a fine layer of ice until the effect wears off.

* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug''

* Cirno of ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' [[MemeticMutation infamy]] has the power to manipulate cold. Naturally, this mostly translates into summoning icicles and other ice bolts and shooting them at enemies. In one fighting game spinoff she is even able to create an ice block bigger than herself to crush the enemy with, in the space of less than a second!
* This happens to [[Videogame/RatchetAndClank Ratchet]] if he falls into instant-death water on an [[SlippySlideyIceWorld arctic-themed level]].

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* Exaggerated in ''{{Webcomic/Buttersafe}}'', when a guy accidentally freezes his girlfriend in a block of ice by [[http://buttersafe.com/2013/11/05/blanket-hog/ hogging the blankets.]]

* Happens in the SlippySlideyIceWorld in ''VideoGame/Stinkoman20X6'' if you stand still too long.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': Happens to the [[ItMakesSenseInContext Giant Wooly Walrus]] at the end of "Cold Ducks".
* ''WesternAnimation/{{SpongeBob SquarePants}}''
** [=SpongeBob=] once got dumped into an icy cold lake by Sandy, who jumped in after him; both turned into ice cubes.
** Then there was the time he left the fridge open overnight. By morning his entire house, and everything in it, was encased in ice. To be fair, he is ''underwater''... which only raises more questions. How is the interior of the fridge not frozen already, then? Not to mention the interior of the entire house, as opposed to just the floors and walls?
*** The better question is why the house doesn't float up to the surface, seeing as ice floats in water.
** There's also an episode where Plankton does this with a thermostat. It's later implied that he flooded he restaurant ankle-deep prior to freezing it (yes, flooded the ''underwater'' restaurant; if you didn't notice by now, the series plays fast and loose with the "underwater" rule).
** In "Frozen Face-Off" this happens to nearly every character at least once. Twice, in the case of poor Squidward.
* Seen in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' countless times.

** Another example: In ''Tom Turk and Daffy'', Daffy Duck throws a bucket full of water at Porky and the water freezes in mid-air in the exact shape of the bucket. Later, Daffy throws another bucketful of water over a river, creating an instant bridge of ice.
* The page image is from the ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'' episode "Vacation Trip Trap".
* Happened to Dastardly in ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'' as well. In "The Great Cold Rush Race," he gets submerged in ice cold water when he intended the consequence for the other racers. When Muttley pulls him out, Dastardly is in a block of ice.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}''
** Whenever Evangelyne uses an ice arrow, lots of ice forms around the point of impact.
** Nausea encases Rubilax in ice with a magic potion in episode 7.
** [=McDeek's=] freezing ray in episode 9.
** The classic comic-relief-encased-in-a-square-block-of-ice happens to Sadlygrove (and Rubilax) in episode 17 after falling in a frozen lake. Adamaï melts the ice with his fire breath.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'', a ''snowman'' falls into arctic water and emerges encased in a block of ice.
* Invoked in the AnimatedAdaptation of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rupert}}'' -- the episode's villain had a MagicWand with [[AnIcePerson ice powers]], so dropping him in the stream while he was holding it magically produced this effect.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' short "Mice Capades", Jerry and Nibbles turn the kitchen into an ice rink by flooding it and rewiring the refrigerator to freeze everything.
* Happens to WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck at the end of ''Donald's Snow Fight''.
* At the end of the ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' short "Hawaiian Vacation", Barbie and Ken go out in the snow and fall in. After the credits we see them in a block of ice.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' episode "Baby-Sitter Jitters", Robotnik gets zapped by his "Reversible Melt-O/Freeze-O Ray" and becomes trapped in a block of ice.
* Likewise, this also happened to ''WesternAnimation/MrBogus'', after falling through the ice in the second act of the episode "[[Recap/MrBogusS3E3WaterboyBogus Waterboy Bogus]]".
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'', the class goes through the solar system and ends up on Pluto. In order to get his cousin Janet to come home without proof of having traveled through the solar system, Arnold takes off his helmet and his head instantly ices over.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PantryPanic'', WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker ignores warnings of an early winter storm and goes swimming in a pond - the storm blows in mid-dive and he's encased in a rectangular block of ice, breaking out of it when it hits the now-frozen pond.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'' episode "Snow Half-Pipe" plays with the idea. After Flain and Krader fall into the frozen water of the ice half-pipe, they float up entirely encased in ice, shown by their bodies colored entirely blue with stiff expressions. No extra ice cubes, though [[RuleOfFunny Flain's fire is also frozen as well.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E4Rosebud "Rosebud"]], it happens to Mr. Burns' lost teddy bear Bobo during a flashback.