History Main / SelfDestructMechanism

** In the anime, Electrode doesn't even have the [[WingdingPupils "fainted" look]] after self-destructing, only a smug grin.

* The ''Franchise/{{Predator}}''s don't want their hunting gear to fall into local hands, and don't mess about, so they have a ''[[RuleOfCool personal]]'' SelfDestructMechanism that can destroy an area of 300 city block. In the first ''Film/AlienVsPredator'', it was explained as a way to keep Xenomorphs from spreading if a hunt on a friendly planet went wrong.

* The ''Franchise/{{Predator}}''s don't want their hunting gear to fall into local hands, and don't mess about, so they have a ''[[RuleOfCool personal]]'' SelfDestructMechanism.
** "Personal" on the order of "vaporize several city blocks". In the first ''Film/AlienVsPredator'', it was explained as a way to keep Xenomorphs from spreading if a hunt on a friendly planet went wrong.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', AxCrazy MadScientist Mayuri Kurotsuchi reveals during his battle with [[spoiler: Szayel]] that he has [[spoiler: implanted a mechanism in his Bankai so that it will self destruct if it is ever used against its owner]] - just one of several CrazyPrepared moments displayed in said fight.

* Spoofed on [[http://www.villainsource.com/ Villain Source]] (Your Online Source For Everything Evil) in which every advertised SupervillainLair comes with an "obvious and accessible self-destruct mechanism".

* Space launch vehicles have "Range Safety" systems. Typically it involves a linear shaped explosive charge that splits open the side of the rocket, [[StuffBlowingUp allowing the propellant to disperse]]. They're there primarily to guard against the scenario of a malfunctioning rocket flying into a BusFullOfInnocents. There's even a guy (the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_Safety_Officer Range Safety Officer]]) specifically tasked with pushing the BigRedButton if the rocket goes out of control and the safety of the public is at stake [[note]]The guy tasked with doing this is typically in another building, separate from the launch centre. He never meets anybody involved in the flight crew.[[/note]]

** The Space Shuttle is no exception to this rule. The ''Challenger'''s Range Safety ordinance was detonated by command, although the orbiter had already broken up at that point.
*** It is worth noting that it is only the Solid Rocket Boosters and External Fuel Tank that are fitted with explosives. In theory the orbiter will separate from the rest of the launch vehicle before the destruct command is given. In practice...

* Space launch vehicles have "Range Safety" systems. Typically it involves a linear shaped explosive charge that splits open the side of the rocket, [[StuffBlowingUp allowing the propellant to disperse]]. They're there primarily to guard against the scenario of a malfunctioning rocket flying into a BusFullOfInnocents. There's even a guy (the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_Safety_Officer Range Safety Officer]]) specifically tasked with pushing the BigRedButton if the rocket goes out of control and the safety of the public is at stake [[hottip:*:The guy tasked with doing this is typically in another building, separate from the launch centre. He never meets anybody involved in the flight crew.]]
** In the case of solid-fueled rockets, it is actually impossible to stop firing once they're lit, so triggering destruct is often the ''only'' way to terminate thrust in the event of a range safety concern.[[hottip:*:Thrust venting can be used to equalize thrust -- yielding zero net acceleration -- but the propellant will still burn to completion. And not all solid rockets feature thrust venting. The Shuttles notably don't.]] Doing this typically results in the entire booster going up in a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFeZkrRE9wI massive explosion, with lots of chunks of flaming debris]].

* LampshadeHanging in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'': "This is [=HeretiCorp=]. Even their lattes are rigged to blow lest their secret mocha flavor fall into the wrong hands."
** And we have an example that doubles with ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin with a [[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/120329 self-destruct button]].

* In the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series, the Umbrella Corporation is famous for simply loving its self destruct mechanisms, installing them in nearly everything it builds, from secret laboratories to Victorian mansions to trains.
** It's also called a "triggering system" in the first game. But that's par for the course for a game featuring [[BlindIdiotTranslation Jill sandwiches and masters of unlocking]].
** Somewhat justified since their specialization is in infectious [[TheVirus Bioweaponry]] and [[ZombieApocalypse we all know what happens if it gets loose]].

* ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'': In ''If Angels Wore Swimsuits'', Scanty furiously slams her fist down on a button in the middle of their Humvee, G-String. Kneesocks shouts out that she just pressed the self dectruct button, and the car blows up. An {{Ash Face}}d Kneesocks {{lampshaded}} it afterward.

* In ''Star Trek Online'', one of the ship skills you get is a self destruct with a 15 second countdown timer.

** Played straight in ''DeusExHumanRevolution''. [[spoiler: One of the choices for the ending is to destroy the Panchaea by depressurizing the structure with a press of a button, killing everyone in it, including yourself, but not pushing anyone's agenda.]]

* In the 3-part mini-series ''{{V: The Final Battle}}'', the Visitors activate the Mothership's self-destruct mechanism which will destroy not only the ship, but the planet Earth as well. The self-destruct procedure begins with a 5-minute countdown until the machine reaches critical mass. When the machine reaches critical mass, a 30-second countdown to detonation begins. But then a young girl named Elizabeth uses her magical human powers and deactivates the machine, thus cancelling the self-destruct.

* In the 3-part mini-series ''{{V V: The Final Battle}}'', the Visitors activate the Mothership's self-destruct mechanism which will destroy not only the ship, but the planet Earth as well. The self-destruct procedure begins with a 5-minute countdown until the machine reaches critical mass. When the machine reaches critical mass, a 30-second countdown to detonation begins. But then a young girl named Elizabeth uses her magical human powers and deactivates the machine, thus cancelling the self-destruct.

* In the 3-part mini-series ''{{Series/V V: The Final Battle}}'', the Visitors activate the Mothership's self-destruct mechanism which will destroy not only the ship, but the planet Earth as well. The self-destruct procedure begins with a 5-minute countdown until the machine reaches critical mass. When the machine reaches critical mass, a 30-second countdown to detonation begins. But then a young girl named Elizabeth uses her magical human powers and deactivates the machine, thus cancelling the self-destruct.

* In the 3-part mini-series ''[[V V: The Final Battle]]'', the Visitors activate the Mothership's self-destruct mechanism which will destroy not only the ship, but the planet Earth as well. The self-destruct procedure begins with a 5-minute countdown until the machine reaches critical mass. When the machine reaches critical mass, a 30-second countdown to detonation begins. But then a young girl named Elizabeth uses her magical human powers and deactivates the machine, thus cancelling the self-destruct.

-->countdown terminates and smoke flows from the phone*

* In ''StarcraftII'' one of the SCV's StopPokingMe lines is where he accidentally hits the self-destruct and frantically tries to deactivate it.

* Early on in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbTheMovieAcrossThe2ndDimension'', when Phineas, Ferb, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz first meet, it's mentioned that the reason Doofenshmirtz's Otherdimensioninator doesn't work is because he improperly wired the self-destruct button. Phineas [[GenreSavvy asks him why it's neccessary]], and Doofenshmirtz [[CrowningMomentOfFunny slowly realizes that he doesn't need it.]]

* ''The Mothballed Spaceship'' by HarryHarrison. The protagonists are trying to reactivate a derelict battleship that has been set to self-destruct to prevent it falling into the hands of anyone who doesn't have the correct codeword. Just in time they discover what the codeword is; [[ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish a simple five-letter word]] in [[EsperantoTheUniversalLanguage Esperanto]] -- "Haltu" or, "Stop".
* Largely avoided in ''BattleTech'' fiction. In the famous scene in which Kai Allard-Liao wipes out the Falcon Guard by blowing up his own 'Mech (and thereby setting off the explosive charges earlier placed in the canyon walls), he has to wreck his own machine by pulling out circuit boards until the engine goes into overload because there ''is'' no convenient self-destruct trigger otherwise. Units actually wired to self-destruct on purpose are usually simple decoys such as those used during the battle for Luthien.