History Main / TheyWouldCutYouUp

* There's a the story of the crew mebers of a B-29 who were shot down, and captured on the ground. They were taken to a nearby university, where the faculty of the medical school lead some of the students to conduct a number of medical experiments on the bomber crew, and eventually vivisected them.

* There's a the story of the crew mmebers of a B-29 who were shot down, and captured on the ground. They were taken to a nearby university, where the faculty of the medical school lead some of the students to conduct a number of medical experiments on the bomber crew, and eventually vivisected them.

** There's also the story of the crew mebers of a B-29 who were shot down, and captured on the ground. They were taken to a nearby university, where the faculty of the medical school lead some of the students to conduct a number of medical experiments on the bomber crew, and eventually vivisected them.

* Then there is animal vivisection of course. The United States, UK, and Australia at least have rules in place where they often need to be approved by both scientists and people interested in animal welfare. Anesthesia is usually required.

See Also: PlayingWithSyringes, when they really ''do'' cut something up.

* ''Comicbook/{{Hellblazer}}'' #142, "Setting Sun" by Creator/WarrenEllis, has John Constantine dealing with the ghost of a recently deceased Unit 731 scientist who participated in these kinds of experiments. In contrast to the experiments described below under Real Life that at least had purpose, the ghost relates all manner of ForTheEvulz stories about the pointless 'experiments' he and his colleagues had done. He even preempts the question of "why?" or "How would this help you win the war?" by explaining "You have to understand; we were insane." He compares it to [[TheyDo falling in love]] with a beautiful girl; eager to indulge all his impulses, his [[JustFollowingOrders orders]] effectively ''permission'' to do as he pleased. His GhostlyGoals are to be vivisected ''himself'' before moving on. He makes it clear that this is not "absolution" but "closure" -- he simply feels it would be appropriate to truly "touch" the "girl" he met during the war. John quickly retrieves the ghost's rusty wartime surgical implements and goes to work...

* In Fanfic/MassEffectMurphysLaw, during a raid on the rebuilt Telten facility on Pragia, Sean discovers, much to his horror, that Cerberus won't hesitate to do this to human children in the name of unethical biotics research. The mortician found hiding in the room is brutally beaten then stabbed by Sean after pushing him past his [[RageBreakingPoint limit.]]

* Subverted in ''Film/ETTheExtraterrestrial'': [[spoiler:Despite their initially sinister appearance, the scientists pursuing E.T. show no sign of wanting to cut him up, and even try to save his life when he's dying. They do want to cart him off and lock him up in a secret location while they study him, though.]]

* Historically, this trope has been the subject of some intense debate in medical fields. Significant advances in medical science have been made by examining the results of some horrifically unethical medical practices (the aforementioned Mengele freezing experiments being arguably the best known example) and there are plenty of health care professionals who feel uncomfortable building on knowledge that was obtained through what amounts to torture. After all, knowledge gained in such a manner could save thousands of lives and give the deaths of those experimented upon long-lasting meaning -- but it also tacitly acknowledges that such torturous practices [[TheEndJustifiesTheMeans can be given a justification if the results are good enough]].

* Subverted in ''Anime/SonicX''. While the local authorities do take the giant humanoid bunny and her strange companion to a laboratory, at no point is it even implied that Cream and Cheese are in any actual danger.

** In the Franchise/FateSeries, the Magi Association [[MedalOfDishonor "awards"]] Magi with inimitable abilities with the Sealing Designation. Which means they are to be vivisected and taken apart for study. One of the known Magi "awarded" with such an honor is [[Literature/FateZero Kiritsugu's father]], and Tokiomi feared that [[spoiler:keeping Rin ''and'' Sakura, two children born with rare magical powers, would've gotten them on this list]].

* In ''Fanfic/{{Emergence}}'', the students who meet and befriend Team WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} ask them to keep their abilities secret, out of a fear of this happening. However, when the government finds out, they instead hope to befriend and recruit the girls.

* In ''GIJoe vs. the Franchise/{{Transformers}}'', the Joes are ordered to do this to [[KidAppealCharacter Bumblebee]] and Wheeljack by their superiors, who [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman only see them as machines]]. They almost carry them out, until a stunned Wheeljack reveals that the army's plans of nuking Cobra Island will have disastrous consequences...

[[folder:Theater]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]

* In a novel a small group of people are captured by aliens who have been living in an underground complex in South America. The aliens then take one of the group to cut them up to see their intestines, for predicting the future, rather than for science. Turns out the 'cutting up' was an assumption on the part of the humans and in fact the aliens got all the information they wanted with sophisticated, and harmless, scans.

* Referenced and averted in ''Film/{{Hop}}''. Fred says that this would happen to E.B. if he just went around talking in public. This is immediately followed by E.B. complaining to their waitress about his order, and her [[NoBigDeal acting as if this is perfectly normal]].

* [[VideoGame/BlazBlue Sector Seven]] has the recurring issue of hiring lunatics to deal with scientific discoveries. In fact, everyone that was offically hired by Sector Seven that's major to the story has this at some point. Lambda-11 comes to mind, [[spoiler: but Relius gets a prize for using his own ''daughter and '''wife''''' as experiemnts.]]

* In China Mieville's ''Literature/PerdidoStreetStation'', Isaac visits the garuda [[PettingZooPeople (eagle people)]] ghetto and tries to bribe some of them to come to his lab so he can study them. The garuda leader loudly informs his flock that "they'll take your wings away, kill you dead!" even though Isaac protests that's not his plan. To be fair this is such a crapsack world that this is a reasonable assumption.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Utawarerumono}}'', [[spoiler:Hakurou]] takes his [[PettingZooPeople Petting Zoo Person]] girlfriend and runs, not wanting this to happen to her. [[spoiler: [[{{Squick}} He]] [[TearJerker fails]].]]

* Toyed with in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon DS.'' Local MadScientist Daryl has been chasing the strange creature Mukumuku for ''years'' in an attempt to figure out how it works, and given the long and fantastic family history of genetic experimentation he brags of, it seems ItRunsInTheFamily. So when chance favors him, and he happens upon an injured [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaid girl?]] He takes her home to his basement, and... [[MoralityPet diligently cares for her until she recovers.]] And if you befriend said mermaid, she ''openly chastises you'' for daring to think Daryl would experiment on her.

* ''Series/H2OJustAddWater'': The mermaids fear this will happened to them if their secret is known, but they hide the secret even from their families, who presumably wouldn't cut them up. On one occasion, a scientist does find out and try to experiment on them against their will.

* Referenced and averted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hop}}''. Fred says that this would happen to E.B. if he just went around talking in public. This is immediately followed by E.B. complaining to their waitress about his order, and her [[NoBigDeal acting as if this is perfectly normal]].

* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', Talia's telepathic abilities had been enhanced to an unknown degree by her AGodAmI ex-boyfriend, Jason Ironheart. A while after she left the show due to being revealed to have a sleeper personality, Bester mentioned that the Psi Corps had learned a lot when they "dissect--that is, examination" her. This is probably Bester trying to [[IShallTauntYou put people off their guard]] and/or just being a JerkAss, as the sleeper agent program was initiated by the Shadow-allied faction of the Corps, and he's not part of that, nor was he aware of Talia's sleeper personality before it was exposed.

* Technomancers in ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' are advised to keep their powers secret, as they are rare and not well understood. Thus they are both valuable and threatening; most mega-corps have large standing rewards for anyone who brings in a technomancer.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': [[spoiler:In her backstory, Ciel]] was subjected to a ''very'' thorough "examination" after TheChurch discovered her bizarre ability to automatically, completely regenerate from any injury. No matter what they did, she just wouldn't die, but that didn't stop them from trying over and over again. In her route in the game, she attempts to kill Shiki [[spoiler:after he is possessed by Roa]] to keep him from suffering the same fate.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Utawarerumono}}'', [[spoiler: Hakurou]] takes his [[PettingZooPeople Petting Zoo Person]] girlfriend and runs, not wanting this to happen to her. [[spoiler: [[{{Squick}} He]] [[TearJerker fails]].]]

* Blackarachnia [[spoiler: left the Autobots]] in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' because she was afraid this would happen to her after she became technoorganic. Given the xenophobic nature of the High Command, she might not be too far off the mark.