History Main / NervesofSteel

* The average ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' SpaceMarine has the rule "And They Shall Know No Fear", which lets them reroll their Morale checks.

*** Wash is able to go from the funny sarcastic guy to completely calm and in control in mere moments as well, as best seen in the Pilot in where he shows us just WHY Malcolm and Zoe have such trust in him and provides us with one of the best Crowning Moments Of Awesome in the series by outmaneuvering the Reevers without loosing that stoic calm

Everyone has a tipping point, a BerserkButton, [[HeroicBSOD a threshold of shock]] and joy and [[DrivenToMadness weirdness]] that once crossed [[NotSoStoic collapses all emotional reserve like a FawltyTowersPlot. Some, however, have such an exceptionally high threshold that they'd probably greet the impending collapse of the universe with the same equanimity as cold tea.

-->--''Mao, ''[[DarkerThanBlack Darker than Black]]

NervesOfSteel are a character trait affecting the mind and emotions -- or more specifically making the mind resistant to the effects of the emotions. You see, NervesOfSteel are of steel in the same way a physical body can be MadeOfIron -- they are nigh-unshakable.

Someone who has NervesOfSteel ''thinks'' when times are tough. He makes decisions efficiently; he pushes his emotions aside, and so his decisions are not overly affected by them. He may be TheStoic, or he may be perfectly normal emotionally. Either way, his ''mind'' is never shoved aside when his emotion is. It is always thinking, a weapon as sharp as a sword.

In short, someone with NervesOfSteel is immune to the HeroicBSOD or VillainousBSOD. (This trait is morally neutral.) God help us all if [[NotSoStoic this proves untrue]].

A good trait for a BadassBookworm to have, at least if they want both halves at the same time. Almost mandatory for TheSpock. Note that nerves of steel may be hard to distinguish from TranquilFury at times. Showing a StiffUpperLip is a good way for a character to convince ''other'' people that they have NervesOfSteel.

In short, someone with NervesOfSteel is immune to the HeroicBSOD or VillainousBSOD. (This trait is morally neutral.) God help us all if this proves untrue.

** Simon operating on Kaylee in the Pilot with(as far as he knew) the possibility that he and River might be killed or turned over to the Alliance hanging over his head.

->"We could make them exactly even," said Hornblower, taking the plunge. "Have two pistols, one loaded and the other empty. Simpson and I would take our choice not knowing which was which. Then we stand within a yard of each other, and at the word, we fire."
-->-- ''[[HoratioHornblower Mr Midshipman Hornblower]]''

In short, someone with NervesOfSteel is immune to the HeroicBSOD or VillainousBSOD. (This trait is morally neutral.)

A good trait for a BadassBookworm to have, at least if they want both halves at the same time. Almost mandatory for TheSpock. Note that nerves of steel may be hard to distinguish from TranquilFury at times.

* In the often overlooked Frank Herbert novel, "The White Plague," a character takes great pain and care to describe the titular illness in its every gory, incurable, detail, knowing that no one trying to cure the white plague can possibly do so. The reason this character has such intimate knowledge of the plagues effects is because ''she's dying of it''.

* The protagonist in ''Metro2033'' is resistant to psychic anomalies. At least a few times in the game, he and several others are attacked by something indescribable and unnatural and he's able to resist it. This is also why he's able to withstand the Dark Ones's psychic communication without going insane.

* In the 23-F coup attempt in Spain, in which troops stormed the Congress of Deputies and ordered all politicians to the ground - weapons pointed at them - three of them disobeyed: Manuel Gutiérres Mellado, who stood up and ordered the leader to desist (to no avail, but took some balls) Adolfo Suarez, who remained sitting down (also took some balls), and Santiago Carrillo, who [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome calmly lit up a cigarette]] showing NervesOfSteel and balls of the same material.

** In a ''StarTrekTOS''[=/=]''StarTrekTheNextGeneration''[=/=]''DeepSpaceNine'' crossover novel whose title escapes me (it's been a long time since I read it), Dr. Bashir was doing some very delicate operation and the Red Alert klaxons went off. Dr. [=McCoy=] was sure that the patient was dead because the noise would have startled Bashir, but no, [=McCoy=] kept his scalpel very still. Then he contacted the bridge. "Turn off the alarms in sick bay. I held myself still once but I don't think I could do it again."
*** ''The Return'' - William Shatner writing himself back into the franchise through after his demise in Generations. Said operation was on Kirk if I remember correctly.

A good trait for a BadassBookworm to have, at least if they want both halves at the same time. Almost mandatory for TheSpock.

* In the often overlooked Frank Herbert novel, "The White Plague," a character takes great pain and care to describe the titular illness in its every gory, incurable, detail, knowing that no one trying to cure the white plague can possibly do so. The reason they have such intimate knowledge of the plagues effects is because ''she's dying of it''.