History Main / TheyWouldCutYouUp

* "Disassemble" is practically an {{arc word|s}} in ''Film/ShortCircuit''. Except that NOVA has little interest in Number-5's sentience; they see it as a bug that needed fixing at best and a potential threat to innocent civilians at worst. At no point in either movie does any organization have any deliberate intention of conducting any unpleasant experimentation on him.
** Nobody wants to disassemble him, but they do want to deactivate him because he still has a powerful and dangerous laser weapon on him and is out of their control. (Number-5 doesn't reveal that he removed the weapon and turned that space into a harmless toolbox until the end of the movie.)

** This is what happens to the Seventh Doctor when a medical "professional" gets a hold of him during [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie the TV Movie]]. "Wow, this man has a double heartbeat! Let's ignore that bullet wound and poke his arteries with our scalpels and see what happens!" [[spoiler:He promptly dies.]]

* ''Manga/{{Ajin}}'': Getting caught by the government is basically fate worse than death for any Ajin, as Kei found out during his short stay. The scientists basically do all sorts of horrible tests, from slowly cutting off all your limbs, to crushing you in a trash compactor, etc. etc. Companies will pay to use Ajin to test the safety functions of their products. And as Ajin simply revive fully healthy whenever they "die", it's basically eternal hell for them. Luckily for Kei, he managed to escape after only a few days of torture.

** She needn't worry though, because [[spoiler: it turns out her brother wasn't there -- the Lemures fished him out to use as a bargaining chip]].
* [[MadScientist Mayuri Kurotsuchi]] in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' wants to cut up and experiment on anybody who demonstrates abilities he's unfamiliar with. He's equal-opportunity, though; he also cuts up and experiments on ''himself''.

* Referenced in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', when the [[ChurchMilitant Magdalan Order]] approaches [[BlessedWithSuck Joshua]] about joining them so they can help him learn to use his powers better, his sister Rosette tries to convince him not to by telling him they'll perform experiments on him and "[[PeopleJars pickle you in formaldehyde!]]" Joshua's response is just to laugh and tell her she reads too many books. (And she doesn't seem to believe it anyway, she just [[DontSplitUsUp doesn't want them to take Joshua away from her]].)
* ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' has references to PANDORA practicing experimentation on Contractors. It's mentioned that initially, various countries did this, until a U.N. treaty intervened. Not to stop this, but to demand that countries would share their research. The manga provided some glimpses into one of such research facilities.
** One has to wonder at the sanity of these scientists as well, because running human testing of an... unethical persuasion on a test subject whose only priority is their own survival, and is [[TheUnfettered quite willing to go to any extreme]] to stay alive and is superpowered doesn't seem like the best idea. The only reason any Contractor would have (willingly) stayed in those facilities was because they thought that their chance of survival was better if they did, but that doesn't necessarily mean they enjoy what goes on there. The instant they felt that staying in the testing was more likely to end up with them dead than escaping, they would have put their all into leaving. And we are talking about a group of people who could do anything from literally just [[TeleportSpam teleporting out on a whim]], [[PlayingWithFire to creating a firestorm to escape]], [[MakingASplash to causing a flood]], [[GravityMaster to crushing the walls with gravity]], etc. That said, any testing facility that treated its Contractors well could very easily have a BadassArmy on demand if there was ever a threat to the facility.
* Subverted and justified in ''Anime/DigimonTamers'': the local [[TheMenInBlack Men In Black]]'s leader Yamaki has an all-consuming hatred for Digimon, and really ''would'' cut them up. At one point, he sadistically destroys a Digimon on-screen over the mon's pleas for mercy. Takato worries about this for Guilmon and at one point imagines the army brutally gunning down his dinosaur buddy. [[spoiler:Yamaki eventually sees the error of his ways, at which point the Tamers stop caring about keeping their Digimon hidden.]]
* ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}'' has an interesting variation on this: instead of capturing [[HeadlessHorseman Celty]] and performing a forced vivisection, a doctor approaches the supernatural entity in question and ''asks her'' if she would be willing to undergo such a procedure in exchange for a permanent place to stay -- and she agrees. The results are still rather traumatic for her though, as it turns out that TheFairFolk are resistant to drugs and anesthesia. She then lives and falls in love with one of the scientists who did the work, and it's implied that she even works for the organization [[spoiler: even after she learns they're holding her head]].
* In the ''Manga/ExcelSaga'' manga, this happening to [[DeathIsCheap Hyatt]] is one of many reasons Excel is nervous about health care providers.
* A variant is Alphonse Elric from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist.'' Mustang advises Al not to continue with the State Alchemy exam because there is often a physical examination involved, at which point they would discover his armor is empty and cart him off to a laboratory for study. However, Al doesn't have a masquerade; people who don't know the truth simply assume he likes armor/feels safe inside it.

* Subverted in ''Manga/{{Heroman}}''. When [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Special Agent Axel Hughes]] finds out that Joey is the KidWithTheRemoteControl for Heroman, Joey asks him what's going to happen to him. "The U.S. Government is going to lock you away and do experiments on you for the rest of your life." Upon the look of horror on Joey's face, Axel laughs and tells him, that ''no''; a friendly alliance is more beneficial for everyone. "You really thought we were going to do that?"
* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' there were three variations. [[spoiler: The first one was what Takano wants to do with Rika so that she can jump start the Hinamizawa disease and have everyone kill one and other. The second variation involved both Satako Houjo who was at a higher level of the disease and needed to take injections to quell it. Again Takano wants to dissect her, only in her case, so she can study her. The third was the people of Hinamizawa, back when they were called Onigafuchi Village. They killed, dissected and cannibalized the higher diseased members so they could develop a stronger immunity to the disease.]]

* Nezu from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' is a very rare example of a non-human animal with a Quirk, which led to him being experimented on when he was first discovered. Eventually he was freed, though, and despite the abuse he suffered, he decided to become a hero with his SuperIntelligence, eventually becoming the principal of [[HeroAcademy U.A. High]]. His glee when given a socially acceptable opportunity to make humans squirm serves as a sign of how traumatic the experiments were for him, though.

** In the ''Franchise/FateSeries'', the Magi Association [[UndesirablePrize "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 ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'', miss Nakamura wishes to do this to the robotic Nano, so she can take credit for inventing her. If Nakamura weren't so inept at her repeated attempts to kidnap Nano, this would be quite dark for such an upbeat show.

* ''Manga/ShadowStar'' plays with this; Akira is really worried that something along these lines will happen if people find out about the "shadow dragons" because "[[GenreSavvy that's how it always happens in manga...]]"
** Which, given the series' [[HumansAreBastards tone]] and [[CrapsaccharineWorld setting]], is is probably 100% accurate (or worse).

* ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'''s MadScientist Washuu ''loves'' doing this with/to Tenchi, in order to find out just what makes him so darn special (such as being able to generate the Light Hawk Wings.) Her experiments are on the comedic side, though, so they don't usually hurt... they're merely implied to be rather {{Squick}}y, uncomfortable, and very, very embarrassing. Just remember, when Washuu puts on a nurse's outfit, [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable straps you half-naked to a table]], and goes "I've got ''magic fingers''!" it's time to RUN, not give in.
* Tessla in the ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' manga didn't have a chance to run away. Her life and death make up Vash and Knives' [[DarkAndTroubledPast tragic]] {{backstory}}.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Utawarerumono}}'', [[spoiler:Hakurou]] takes his girlfriend and runs, not wanting this to happen to her. [[spoiler: [[{{Squick}} He]] [[TearJerker fails]].]]
* In ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}'' at some point the wielder was captured and examined, but it turned out that while she was kept sedated, they wouldn't dare do anything that could look like an attempt to harm or remove its host (it can mince heavy machinery in an eyewink even ''against'' her will) before killing her outright. Manga, on the other hand, contained flashbacks about [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetic]] experimentation with demon remnants as a source for creation of {{Super Soldier}}s ([[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters this didn't end well]]).

* A different example has ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} supporting character Montgomery at the mercy of a corporation that keeps him hooked up to machines, the better to utilize his precognition to their advantage.

** In the Generation 1 comics, Circuit Breaker once managed to overpower about a dozen Autobots and had her engineers take them apart... thankfully not fatally, but she did experiment with their brain-counterparts. And had their heads mounted on a wall. And cobbled together the parts into a Frankensteinian variant of combining, in order to fight a pair of Decepticons. [[spoiler:She let them go free after the jury-rigged Autobot saved her of its own will, proving it was sapient and moral.]]
* This was the motivation behind mutated child Batwing's rampage in ''Comicbook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan''. When Spider-Man discovers him and promises to get him help, he freaks out completely because, as he put it, "Not going... get cut up by scientists... like mom said!"
* Sadly proved right in ''ComicBook/ElseworldsFinestSupergirlAndBatgirl'', when ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} discovers ComicBook/LexLuthor found and dissected [[Franchise/{{Superman}} her baby cousin]] many years ago.
* The ComicBook/{{Planetary}}/[[ComicBook/JusticeLeague JLA]] crossover oneshot is set in an alternate reality where the Planetary organization controls the advancement of science and technology the world over. By the time of the story, they've ''already'' cut up [[ComicBook/TheFlash Barry Allen]] and Ray Palmer (the Atom) in order to create super-fast couriers and shrinking technology for ''Fantastic Voyage''-style medical procedures.
* ComicBook/NikolaiDante refuses to report back to the the Makarov Dynasty after the Romanov Dynasty Weapon Crest fuses with his body for fear that the Makarovs would cut him up to learn how to design a similar Weapon Crest for themselves.
* ''Comicbook/TheSandman'': One of the reasons Hob keeps his immortality a secret from most people he knows, including the mortals he falls in love with. It's too easy for him to imagine a bunch of "Nobel-prize wannabes examining slices of my pancreas."

** ''ComicBook/{{Bizarrogirl}}'': After helping defeat Bizarrogirl, Dr. Light wants to run tests on her. Supergirl quickly knocks Dr. Light out, picks her doppelganger and makes off with her because she doesn't want Bizarrogirl to become a guinea pig.

** In ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 2011]]'' story ''Good-Looking Corpse'', Kara Zor-El investigates an abandoned clandestine research facility and finds the bodies of several Kryptonians who have been experimented on.
* Subverted in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''. Nick Fury explains to Peter Parker that since he is technically an illegal genetic experiment, he will become government property when he turns eighteen. Peter freaks out and assumes this trope is in effect, but Fury later clarifies that Spider-Man will simply become a SHIELD agent and a government-sanctioned superhero.

* ''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...
* This is ''exactly'' what pissed off the Xorda in ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' as Ivan Kintobor ordered soldiers to capture the Xorda representative and he dissected him. The Xorda responded by obliterating most of humanity.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': During "The Witch and the Warrior" Dr. Poison lays claim to Icicle, for the explicit purpose of cutting open his partially transformed body.

* 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.]]
* Has happened a couple of times in ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' fanfic showing the nations' {{Fanon}} HealingFactor.
* [[DiscussedTrope Brought up]] in ''Fanfic/AMightyDemonSlayerGroomsSomePonies'', where the main character has nightmares that the moment the My Little Ponies reveal themselves to humans, they'll get kidnapped and experimented on by a stereotypical MadDoctor.
* One of the many reasons Shirou wants to keep the Magic Association away from the Sekirei in ''Fanfic/InFlight''.
--> ''If you are defeated, the best you can hope for is death, and your corpse will most likely be violated and experimented on.''

* Defied in [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11255/the-finger-trap The Finger Trap]]. Adrian Parker jokingly (or [[ComedicSociopathy not so jokingly]]) asks if this will be the case with [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]], who knocked on Adrian's door. The army official tells that there are laws against that, since doing so could invite possible retaliation by the alien's civilization, citing a deleted scene from E.T.

* In ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'' Asuka -ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}- keeps quiet about her powers and her alien DNA because she is afraid of becoming a guinea pig.

* 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 [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight acting as if this is perfectly normal]].

* 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.]]
* Averted in ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind''. [[spoiler: Both humans and aliens always planned to return everyone unharmed at the end, except for volunteers who agree to be taken to the aliens' planet.]]
* Played straight in ''Film/{{Starman}}''.
-->'''Shirmin:''' ''(disgusted)'' Welcome to planet Earth.
* In ''Film/{{Phenomenon}}'' the government is almost totally upfront about wanting to do this to George. Because George's mind is [[NinetyPercentOfYourBrain working at near 100% efficiency]], it takes him no time at all to realize what they're not saying is [[spoiler:that the exploratory surgery they want to do would kill him, and that they think they'd get less data doing the same surgery after his death.]]

** In the ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'' prequel, Charlie tells him this will happen if he's caught outside of his car form. Luckily, this is a BroadStrokes prequel where [[spoiler:the Sector 7 agent lets Bumblebee go for saving his life.]]
* In ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' movie, knowledge of what Thunderbolt wants to do with the gamma power is why Bruce keeps running because he knows they'll dissect him and try to weaponize the gamma power.
* In ''Film/BeneathThePlanetOfTheApes'', Cornelius warns the fugitive astronaut Brent against speaking if captured by the apes-- "If they catch you speaking, they will dissect you. And they will kill you. [[InThatOrder In that order]]."
* Notably averted in ''Film/EscapeToWitchMountain'' and ''Film/ReturnFromWitchMountain'', which revolved around the HumanAlien kids being more in danger of exploitation by greedy individuals than dissection by TheMenInBlack. However, it's played straight in the 2008 ''Film/RaceToWitchMountain''.
* In ''Film/{{Splash}}'', an "internal examination" was the next thing on the to-do list of mermaid Madison's scientist captor.
* In ''Film/{{District 9}}'' [[spoiler:Wikus]] is nearly vivisected (without anesthesia and fully aware) when it turns out [[spoiler:his mutation into a Prawn]] makes him capable of operating the aliens' weapons. It turns out his employers secretly have been dissecting and experimenting on the aliens for years for that same purpose.
* "Disassemble" is practically an [[ArcWords arc word]] in ''Film/ShortCircuit''. Except that NOVA had little interest in Number-5's sentience; they saw it as a bug that needed fixing at best and a potential threat to innocent civilians at worst. At no point in either movie does any organization have any deliberate intention of doing any unpleasant experimentation on him.
** Nobody wanted to disassemble him, but they did want to deactivate him because he still had a powerful and dangerous laser weapon on him and was out of their control. (Number-5 didn't reveal he removed the weapon and turned that space into a harmless toolbox until the end of the movie.)

-->'''Pavlov:''' "You bastards... you are all under arrest for murder, sedition, for treason against the Federation. Oh! You're going to pay... because we're not going to kill you... oh no... you see, we got special places for things like you... where they cut you up, but they keep you alive when they cut you up... so they can see what makes you tick, and then what makes you sick! And I will be there, oh yeah! I'm going to be there when they see-- (threat cut short by infected soldier [[KilledMidSentence cutting his throat]]).
** Arachnid dissection and vivisection [[FunnyBackgroundEvent occur in the first film]] as well- particularly pay attention to the captured brain bug in the epilogue.
* ''Film/JackFrost1998''. Jack Frost's son is afraid that Jack will be experimented on by the government if he'd ever been discovered. Jack says he doesn't care, as long as he gets to spend some time with his son.
* In ''Film/TheManWhoFellToEarth'', this issue comes up when [[spoiler: Thomas (an alien) is captured by the U.S. government and experimented upon for ''years'', no matter how much he begs. Oh, the prison is a nice hotel suite, he never wants for food, etc. and he even has a final tryst with his Earth mistress...but his imprisonment seals the fate of his dying race back home, and he is finally released a broken, stranded soul]].

* Literal example: In ''Film/{{Creepshow}}'', Jordy Verrill decides not to call a doctor about the alien green growth on his hand because he imagines the "cure" will be to chop off his afflicted fingers. Without anaesthetic.
* ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow''. Major Cage asks Rita Vrataski, the only other soldier who's been stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop like he is, why they don't just tell General Bingham what's happening. Rita says that she's [[YouHaveToBelieveMe already tried it countless times]] and was [[CassandraTruth usually thrown in the psych ward]], except for the one time they believed her and she was vivisected.

* The plot of ''Film/{{Paul}}'' kicks off when the government decides he's [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Outlived His Usefulness]] and are going to dissect him so Paul escapes from Area51 to reunite with his mothership.
* ''Film/BladeRunner2049''. Deckard and Rachel had a baby after they escaped at the end of ''Film/BladeRunner''. This was supposed to be impossible, since Rachel was a [[ArtificialHumans replicant]], which can't have children. Deckard tells Officer K (AKA Joe) that he hid the child because he knew that it would be dissected in order to find out how it was conceived.
* This is what Ian plans to do to Shandra in ''Film/ShandraTheJungleGirl''. He wants to vivisect her so he can learn the secret of her sexually based LifeEnergy draining, and can give it to other women under his control. He is about to start the process when [[spoiler:he falls victim to Shandra's power]].

* ''Film/GameraTheBrave'': Subverts this. While the governmental Monster Task Force does take the injured juvenile Gamera, Toto, in to custody they have only benign intent. They know full well that Gamera are benevolent kaiju and work to patch him up from his fight with Zedus and try to speed up his growth, because they know Zedus will be back and an adult Gamera would be their best defense.

* ''Film/PainkillerJane'': Jane clearly fears, if not dissection, she'll be held by the military indefinitely with endless tests when they transfer her to Alaska. Instead, she escapes and goes on the run.

** Explicitly averted in the short story "Belief". The protagonist is a physics professor who discovers that he can fly; the entire story is about his attempts to get the scientific establishment to take him seriously. (His claims of antigravity get written off as a hoax, even on at least one physical demonstration.)
** "[[Literature/PateDeFoieGras Pâté de Foie Gras]]": This is a ScienceFiction version of the Golden Goose fable, but the scientists have learned from the original story and only attempt non-invasive methods of investigation. Even though it's just a goose, the government scientists were extremely careful not to harm it, and were terrified when it developed a fever. They weren't interested in the goose so much for the traditional reason ("Gold! ''Gold!'' We're ''RICH''!!!") so much as they were interested in how a ''goose'' was accomplishing nuclear transmutation of the elements inside its reproductive system.

* In Creator/MercedesLackey's [[UrbanFantasy urban fantasies]], this trope is out in full force. The [[GovernmentConspiracy secret government facility]] or evil corporations are more than happy to track down people with psychic or magic talents and do nasty things to them in the name of controlling them and/or using their powers.

* Creator/StephenKing writes of ''The Shop'', a government organization which does paranormal researches, into a lot of his stories. Charlie from ''Firestarter'' was on the run from them because of their desire to use Charlie as a weapon. This is mainly because her powers were entirely due to their PlayingWithSyringes with her parents, and they wanted to see the only really militarily useful result of the experiment. And by "militarily useful," we mean [[PersonOfMassDestruction "potentially able to crack the planet in half."]]

* The backstory in ''Literature/TheStarsMyDestination'' has shades of this with the first man, a scientist, to learn to Jaunt, or teleport. The first time it happens is under the stress of a fatal situation, and the scientist knows that, to replicate the phenomenon, his colleagues are going to do their best to kill him. Subverted because he actually ''goes along with this'', and after saying his goodbyes, ''does'' replicate it. The result is, by the time the novel takes place, all of mankind can teleport at will.
* The reason that Nancy, heroine of Creator/LoisDuncan's ''Literature/AGiftOfMagic'', gives for wanting to keep her psychic powers a secret. She's isn't afraid of being dissected, but she is afraid of being dragged off by the government and being turned into a lab rat. [[spoiler: The government already knows about her powers and respects her right to keep them to herself if that's what she wants.]]
* In China Mieville's ''Literature/PerdidoStreetStation'', Isaac visits the garuda [[BeastMan (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.
* Invoked in Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/TheStarBeast'' by John's ancestor when he acquires a native pet (or rather, [[spoiler:inadvertently kidnaps a native princess]]) while exploring an alien planet.

* The six psychic boys in ''Literature/HiddenTalents'' swear a blood oath never to tell anyone else about their abilities, for fear of this trope. Readers find out in the sequel however, that this [[PlayingWithSyringes doesn't exactly work out]].

* Invoked in ''Literature/IllegalAliens'' when the humans capture an alien engineer. The United Nations tells the other aliens he's been dissected and liquefied for experimentation, whereas he's actually helping them develop advanced technology.
* ''Literature/MenMartiansAndMachines''. The crew are captured by MechanicalLifeforms who start dissecting them and other forms of organic life, as they're a HiveMind and find individuality fascinating. TheCaptain [[NotSoDifferentRemark points out they're not that different]]; if they'd captured one of the robots they'd pull it apart to see what makes it tick as well.

* ''Presumed Dead'' by Rick Kennett, has a {{child soldier|s}} watching an instructor dissect the corpse of their StarfishAlien opponents. Her classmate cynically notes that right now on another planet, an alien instructor is likely doing the same to a human.

* The aliens of ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' lived in constant fear of this and it was brought up whenever they thought they might be found out. Subverted in that, despite their fears, the idea of them being aliens never occurred to anyone other than [[SpecialGuest Kathy Bates]] and her character was portrayed as insane. This is despite their occasional SuspiciouslySpecificDenial to being aliens.

** Subverted in the later TV movie, where it's shown that Alf's doing all right after turning himself in, when he is not shooting his mouth off at least.
* What Wolfram & Hart want to do with Connor in ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Given that the main thing that separates him from the many people with superpowers in the world is that he's a focus of prophecy (presumably ones that will be defunct if they kill him) it seems a bit of a waste.
* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', Talia's telepathic abilities had been enhanced to an unknown degree by her 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, examined" 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.

** In the episode when Talia got her upgrade, Bester and his partner were trying to apprehend Jason Ironheart for just this purpose, and Ironheart was trying to prevent it from happening, because he didn't want Psi Corps to learn the secrets he carried. When they finally do find him he's become so powerful that he kills one of them and then turns into a god.
* In ''Series/BeingHumanUK'', the group encounters a zombified girl (who is in total denial of her status and appearance as a rotting corpse). When they go looking into her origins at the hospital they find evidence of several other living dead individuals who met this fate at the hands of doctors and scientists trying to discover what made them tick. The video they find even includes the final disposal of the still aware remains of these individuals (by cremation).
* The Initiative on ''Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}}'' does this with any species they deem Hostile Sub-Terrestials (non-humans) to create SuperSoldiers. It [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes horribly wrong]], of course. Riley thinks this is what would happen to him if the Initiative gets hold of him again. Of course, the real reason they're trying to bring him in is to remove his modifications, which are causing severe mental and physical breakdown, so he's not exactly being rational. Then again, Riley witnessed first-hand his former employers have no trouble experimenting on beings that are [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent human most of the time]], so his fears might not be ungrounded.

** What happens to the Seventh Doctor when a medical "professional" got a hold of him, during [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie the TV Movie]]. "Wow, this man has a double heartbeat! Let's ignore that bullet wound and poke his arteries with our scalpels and see what happens!" [[spoiler: He promptly dies.]]
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E6Dalek "Dalek"]]: When Henry van Statten realizes the Doctor is an alien, he captures him and subjects him to painful scanning using some kind of device. The Doctor gets out of it after the titular alien gets loose and begins slaughtering its way through the facility.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E12ArmyOfGhosts "Army of Ghosts"]] has Torchwood get their hands on the Doctor. [[spoiler:And promptly avert things; the squad with trained guns ''lower'' them and applaud, and while he's captive he's told he'd be kept comfortable, and is in no way actually restricted. The Doctor proceeds to ... act civilised (aside from breaking a window to make a point).]]
** This happens to a human captured by Silurians in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E8TheHungryEarth "The Hungry Earth"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E9ColdBlood "Cold Blood"]]. Alive, and without anaesthetics.
* In an episode of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', Crichton thinks he's returned to Earth. It's a world constructed from his memories, and when the aliens running the show introduce a copy/clone of Rygel dead on a dissection table, it's implied this is what Crichton subconsciously expects to happen. And he's a ''military scientist!''
** Ironically, when the crew actually does arrive on Earth, they're all treated as honored dignitaries and celebrities. Moya arrived at Earth several weeks before Crichton did (note that Crichton's father and several other humans were already aboard when Crichton steps out) so the aliens actually managed to do fine by themselves.
** In the first case, Crichton also angrily points out the hypocrisy of sending out invitation to alien life to come and visit only to murder and vivisect them when they do. Of course, he fails to realize that people who send out these invitations are different from the people who will be dealing with hypothetical alien visitors, who will likely have a "kill them before they kill us" mentality.

* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', HRG tells Claire that this is what the company would do to her if they found her, presumably in order to test her regenerative properties.

** Also, while not exactly cut up, Elle was treated to some rather unpleasant tests to figure out how powerful she was as part of her BackStory.

* ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' averts this entirely, revealing their super powers to the general public seems only to result in mass media fame, with a notable lack of scary scientist dissections.

* In ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'' episode "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S3E4LastSupper Last Supper]]", an immortal woman finds this out the hard way when she's discovered by the US government and experimented on. Thankfully, she's rescued by a military guard who can't stand to see it happen, but the scientist who conducted the experiment finds out years later she's still alive and wants to finish his work as he's convinced her blood will make him immortal too...
* This is the reason the Diffy family in ''Series/PhilOfTheFuture'' try to hide the fact that they come from the year 2121. Mind you, they're bog-standard ''Homo sapiens'', so this is a flimsy excuse. This is pointed out in-universe by Mrs. Diffy, who reminds her husband that one of two tests would be performed on aliens "and one of them was a personality quiz". In fact, in a speculative episode where the secret ''does'' get out, it doesn't happen.

** Besides which, if anybody found out how his powers worked, he'd be arrested for murder for reviving Chuck when he knew that it would result in an [[EquivalentExchange innocent person dying.]]
** This show is a good example of this trope done right. For Ned, who really has no idea why he can do what he can do and who's had no guidance whatsoever on how to deal with it (meaning for most of his life he had no outside feedback to help keep him grounded), and who has numerous issues with abandonment, emotional intimacy, and social anxiety on top of that, this fear is a logical extension of his character and life story, rather than merely being a nebulous threat meant to justify TheMasquerade.
* Sort of the catalyst for the whole series in ''Series/RedDwarf''. In the first episode, the Captain tells Lister his cat will be cut up and have tests run on it, prompting the response, "Would you put it back together when you were done?"
-->'''Hollister''': Lister, the cat would be dead.\\
'''Lister''': Well, [[WithDueRespect with respect]], sir, what's in it for the cat?
* In the first season of ''Series/{{Roswell}}'', the FBI is pursuing the aliens, presumably to do sinister experiments on them. In the episode ''The White Room'', [[spoiler:Max is captured, and narrowly escapes vivisection after being tortured. Though Pierce, the head of the Special Unit, was after information, not scientific knowledge.]]

* ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'': Sarah thinks that if UNIT ever found out about Luke, they'd consider him a threat and lock him up. She's not keen on them knowing about alien supercomputer Mr Smith, either.

** This was somewhat subverted in regards to her parents. When they discovered her powers in the same episode (due to her confessing after said parents were left for dead in the exploding plant as well), they were quite understandably offended by Alex's belief that they would turn her in.
* Clark's secret is kept for this reason in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' and it's also mentioned in ''Series/LoisAndClark''. How would they [[NighInvulnerability cut him up?]] [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere Kryptonite knives.]]

** In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', "Memoria", Clark is captured and experimented on because the scientists have the blind luck of messing with kryptonite liquid at the time. In "Ryan", Ryan is also sent to the same research facility. In "Freak", ComicBook/LexLuthor captures [[spoiler:Chloe]] and [[KickTheDog has his team experiment]] [[MoralEventHorizon on her in his secret lab.]]
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' ("The Measure of a Man"). A Federation cyberneticist, Bruce Maddox, wants to disassemble the android Data for study, and Captain Picard has to legally establish that he has [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman the right to refuse to undergo the procedure]].

** The truly interesting twist on this one is that even Data himself is intrigued by Maddox's theories and ideas -- he was mainly concerned that Maddox wouldn't be able to put him back together when he was done, and was open to the idea if the risk could be reduced sufficiently. He actually makes an overture of friendship toward Maddox at the end of the episode; a later episode was all about a day in Data's life in which he mastered tap dancing and learned the basics of ballroom dancing and tried to comprehend the dynamics behind the events of Miles O'Brien's marriage to Keiko, narrated in a letter to...Maddox. Who is still continuing his research, with Data's full support.

* Inverted, with humans 'cut up' by non-humans, in ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959''.

** 2nd Ed introduces Insatiate Alchemists, humans who have learned of the Prometheans' status as walking alchemical reactors and decided to hunt them down in the name of working wonders. Mind you, the miracle ingredient for the Alchemists' works is the substance that naturally accrues as Prometheans [[ToBecomeHuman take steps towards completing their Pilgrimage]]... but they don't really seem to care. One anecdote describes an Alchemist who's made a killing on the "cash for gold" market -- namely because he always seems to have a store of strangely organ-shaped ore...
* ''TabletopGame/MummyTheCurse'' gives us Last Dynasty Inc., a mega corp that got itself set up after the very fortuitous discovery of an Arisen's tomb. They've found ways to measure [[LifeEnergy Sekhem]] with scientific equipment, and are using it to [[AntiVillain generate cures for cancer, more healthy steroids, and probative attempts at an AIDS vaccine]]. However, the only real sources of Sekhem are the Relics guarded and treasured by the Arisen, and the Arisen themselves, which means they're always on the lookout for new resources...

* In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' one quest sees a resourceful human capturing you and performing sick survivability experiments you have to survive to get back at him.

** At least according to the backstory, Crey never actually tries to do it to the player. The most they ever do is attempt to ruin your public image for getting too close to their CEO's big dark secret.
* Resident doctor slash nuttybar Shiro in ''VideoGame/{{Siren}}'' does this to [[spoiler:the Shibitofied Onda twins]], experimenting on what, exactly, it would take to kill them. The answer is: nothing. Made especially [[{{squick}} Squicky]] when he tugs an unborn fetus out of [[spoiler:Mina, the girl he had KILLED earlier in the plot]] and proceeds to stamp on it. Lovely.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{XCOM}}'' series, it's the standard procedure when dealing with captive aliens but the only dead ones. Live ones are interrogated ''and'' then disposed of[[note]]You actually get a corpse added to your base stores after an interrogation[[/note]].

* Toyed with in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonDS.'' 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.
* The resident {{Mad Scientist}}s of the [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Big Mountain Research Facilty]] were fond of this, needing no real excuse other than to [[ForScience do Science]]. [[MemeticMutation Vivisection can get boring!]]
* In VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS}}, Cole receives several warnings that the government wouldn't treat him kindly if they got their hands on him. It turns out to be a subversion: they already know how to endow someone with superpowers, they just want to control Cole and choose what direction he's pointed in since his powers are already very offensively oriented. Between the games, every government agent who has this goal for him is killed anyway. The mentalist Alden Tate, however, ''is'' vivisected.
* ''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.]]
* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'': [[spoiler: The only chance of a cure being reverse engineered from Ellie's immunity requires her death so her brain can be studied. [[PapaWolf Joel will not stand for it.]]]]
* In ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga 2'', this trope is defended by [[spoiler: Serph Sheffield]].

* In ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' this trope is the reason Jean hasn't published any research papers about her CuteMonsterGirl synthetic daughter, Molly. As depicted [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/195/ here.]]
* The talking raccoon, Woo, of ''Webcomic/SandraAndWoo'' mentions this when he first reveals this gift to Sandra, saying that he's kinda' attached to his vocal cords, and asking her to keep it quiet. The danger is never mentioned again.
* When Webcomic/{{Vexxarr}} is first captured, the lab geeks started running tests on Minionbot, mostly consisting of finding out that none of their tools can affect his casing. They get as far as hammers before Minionbot gets mad.
--> '''Minionbot''': ''Ow!'' Right, enough! [grabs hammer] [[IronicEcho While subject does not appear to have any obvious connection points]], I am sure that with correctly applied force it will disassemble nicely. [[AmusingInjuries I begin now with the elbow]]...
* Parodied in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'' [[http://www.grrlpowercomic.com/archives/317 here]]
* This is the objective of The Coroner in ''Webcomic/SidekickGirl''. He's already killed one superhero by vivisection that we know of. The one he's most interested in (And has already captured once) is the title character, whose HealingFactor means that he can dissect her infinitely without her dying, allowing him more time to figure out how her powers work.
* In ''Webcomic/MaggotBoy'', resident MadDoctor Sutton vivisects the rare sapient zombies to study how they work. Since they're undead, it causes no lasting ''physical'' harm, but it's still [[http://maggot-boy.com/wp/?p=158 pretty]] [[http://maggot-boy.com/wp/?p=187 traumatic]].

* [[Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate Charby]] figures it's good to keep Zeno away from the lab in the cabin's basement since the poor kid has already had a run in with scientist who vivisected him alive. When Zeno does react to the lab Charby is pleasantly surprised though Tony seems to realize it's still bad that Zeno's freaking out regardless of which emotion [[http://www.charbythevampirate.com/comic/110 he's showing.]]
* When Webcomic/{{Jix}}, Caligos, and Heleatra are captured by Area 51 the scientists attempt to vivisect Atra, despite one of them pointing out they could use an MRI, [[http://jix.thecomicseries.com/comics/782 but]] her HealingFactor keeps closing up the incisions. Then it turns out the scientist who wanted to do the vivisection [[http://jix.thecomicseries.com/comics/784 has a grudge]] against Jix stemming from the time they captured her android and attempted to take him apart.
* ''ComicBook/{{PS238}}'':
** The original Rainmaker program was centered on studying superpowers by kidnapping the titular Rainmaker, a boy with no power except to control whether or not it rained. He couldn't even make dangerous lightning storms until his powers got enhanced by a MadScientist. They thought that they could figure out the source of all powers, but couldn't contain any of the actually dangerous supers, so they were forced to use him. Doctor Irons helped/forced him to escape, and the program ground to a halt.
** By the time of the story proper, the government has backed off on this stance, not least because of the failure of that original Rainmaker program. There's also the fact that supers have mostly proven very cooperative if treated with respect.
** When an alien child (later named Prospero) lands at the school, the faculty is worried that the government is going to take him away and perform experiments on him, but the general who showed up points out that the last alien who showed up became the world's most valiant defender when he could have made a pretty good bid to conquer it instead, so they're willing to treat any aliens with respect and courtesy unless given a reason not to.

* Largely averted or subverted by the ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', who largely take the place those traditionally experimenting on the MonsterOfTheWeek's corpse would. The Foundation tends to be interested in observing and containing subjects, destroying those too dangerous. It helps that they really don't want more of most [=SCPs=], but the rare helpful ones avoid vivisection simply because there's no way to be sure it'd provide useful information, and there's usually only one. Of course, [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/interview-507-g when that's not the case...]]
* Phase doesn't believe that this is a prevalent problem in the Literature/WhateleyUniverse. Even after his own family lets a MadScientist trank him and slap him on an operating table. Part of the backstory of TheVerse is that [[spoiler: Phase is wrong about this. Really wrong.]]

* Averted twice in ''Literature/TheSalvationWar'': once, the National Security Advisor attempts to get a succubus so that he can vivisect her, but George W. Bush prevents this -- the succubus had already been offered sanctuary for defecting -- so the advisor has to "make do" with dissecting corpses of daemons killed in war. Later, Abigor offers some of his soldiers so that they can vivisected and humans can understand how demons are on the inside, but the general he is talking to tells him that it would be against their laws and doesn't follow on the offer.

* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest''. Johnny doesn't want anyone to know that his dog Dukey can talk, because if they did they would ''[[FauxHorrific make him a]]'' ''[[TrumanShowPlot reality TV show]]''! It makes sense, as there is no usual scientific data that could be gained from it that couldn't also be gained by, you know, just ''asking'' Susan and Mary, since they gave him all of those abilities. In one episode, the Network Executives are shown to scare even the axe-crazy Repto-Slicer.
* In a very meta episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' (1980's) several of the characters wind up on a planet inhabited by [[ArtisticLicenseBiology giant humanoids, to whom the Autobots are the size of]] [[MerchandiseDriven toys]]. When a scientist gets hold of them, they do indeed try to dissect them. One might wonder how [[MechaMooks being tiny and mechanical]] plays into the decision.
* 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.
* One of the justifications for the ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' [[TheMasquerade masquerade]]. Given that several of their bitterest enemies have discussed (or done) nasty things involving Gargoyle genes, it's quite justified.

* The ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' take this trope to heart. Given that in the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 cartoon]] the first thing government agent Bishop did when he captured them was to take their genetic material and try to dissect them, their fears are more than simple paranoia.
* Justified in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom''

** Also the [[TheMenInBlack Guys in White]], and their famous quote from Reality Trip: "You're coming in for questioning-" "-and experiments. Lots and lots of really ''painful'' experiments."
* Very nearly carried out in the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks'', to the point in which the doctor has Slammu [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable tied down to an operating table]] and heavily sedated before the others escape and save him. They then try to perform the same "explorative surgery" on the doctor with what is essentially a chain saw before they have to escape.
* The MadScientist in the Mickey Mouse short [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-JlevnccDk ''The Mad Doctor"]] actually ''sings a song'' about how he's a master at cutting bodies up and grafting parts to each other. He's first introduced as having planned to cut Pluto's freaking head off and graft it onto a chicken's body, just to see what sort of noise it would make. And he nearly cuts Mickey's stomach open with a HUGE buzz saw.
** Specifically, the MadScientist wants to graft Pluto's head onto a hen's body and then breed the result with a normal rooster to see if whatever hatches from the egg will cackle, crow, or bark.
* Averted in WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries. He actually forms a public research pact with S.T.A.R. Labs so that everyone benefits.
* What [[HeroAntagonist Dib]] wants to do to [[VillainProtagonist Zim]] on ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim.'' Unlike most of these examples, this is [[BlackAndGreyMorality not entirely unjustified]], especially since we see Zim [[AliensAreBastards doing experiments on humans himself]].
* The main reason Roger in ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' hides from the CIA. In one episode, he actually does get captured and is about to be cut up, [[spoiler: but Stan saves him]].
* Happens to Zoidberg in ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' during the events of 'Roswell That Ends Well.' Fortunately, he has enough spare organs that he's not too bothered about it. He's also apparently conscious throughout this entire procedure.
-->'''Surgeon''': Contents of stomach: one deviled egg...
-->'''Zoidberg''': Deviled egg?! ''*gobbles the egg right out of the surgeon's hand*''
-->'''Surgeon''': Contents of stomach: the same deviled egg...
* Referenced in ''WesternAnimation/WatchMyChops'', when Corneil said to Bernie that he did not want anyone to know his secret for fear of being a laboratory specimen because he can talk.
-->'''Bernie''': Surprise! And I'm gonna play the cassette to John and Beth and then, hello, evening news!\\
'''Corneil''': Ah! And then, hello, animal research lab! Oh, Bernie! You can't!

* ''Literature/{{Unwind}}''. Literally. And to make this worse, this process is legal and organized by the government.

* ''ComicBook/Dynamo5'' When most of the team is taken into F.L.A.G. custody early on, one of the main questions the government spooks want answered is how they got their powers... because they've tried exposing a ton of test subjects to the radiation that empowered Captain Dynamo, and those guys all just ''died''.

Of course, these considerations only apply to scientists who ''intend'' their results to be publicly documented. It can be expected that [[GovernmentConspiracy various black ops]] organizations that either suspect or already know about TheMasquerade won't care at all about any of this. (And [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught crime is only punishable if one is caught]].) Further, who knows ''what'' organizations like these would ''do'' with the knowledge they gain. So, you'll probably want to do your best not to get caught by them just the same.

* In ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' this trope is the reason Jean hasn't published any research papers about her CuteMonsterGirl synthetic daughter, Molly. As depicted [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20071110.html here.]]

* {{Subverted|Trope}} 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

* ''Literature/MenMartiansAndMachines''. The crew are captured by MechanicalLifeforms who start dissecting them and other forms of organic life, as they're a HiveMind and find individuality fascinating. TheCaptain points out they're NotSoDifferent; if they'd captured one of the robots they'd pull it apart to see what makes it tick as well.

* Agito, the short-tempered fire fairy from ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'', can only remember being confined in a lab, which had left her almost completely broken, physically and mentally. According to her, she was only days away from death by exhaustion before being rescued.

* ''Manga/MidoriDays'' manifests the danger in the form of a MadScientist who, of course, wants to dissect Midori ForScience.
* A variant is Alphonse Elric from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist.'' Mustang advises Al not to continue with the State Alchemy exam because there is often a physical examination involved, at which point they would discover his armor is empty and cart him off to a laboratory for study. However, Al doesn't have a masquerade; people who don't know the truth simply assume he likes armor/feels safe inside it.
** Later on in [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], at least, it's implied that most people know he's a living suit of armor, but since the government already knows how to create those, [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight nobody really gives a damn]]. At the time of the exam, Colonel Mustang wasn't ''quite'' high enough in the chain of command to realize this.
* ''Manga/ShadowStar'' plays with this; Akira is really worried that something along these lines will happen if people find out about the "shadow dragons" because "[[GenreSavvy that's how it always happens in manga...]]"
** Which, given the series' [[HumansAreBastards tone]] and [[CrapsaccharineWorld setting]], is is probably 100% accurate (or worse).

* Dr. K-ko's antagonist status in ''Anime/MagicalPokaan'' comes from her intent to fool around with the girls in a lab.
* In the early episodes of ''Manga/SgtFrog'', this is part of the reason (along with imprisonment and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking potential traffic accidents]]) why the alien frogs are not allowed to go out on their own, at least before they develop their {{Mobile Suit Human}}s.

* Between this and [[spoiler:[[AndIMustScream drowning at the bottom of the Hudson River for half a century]]]], Eve Genoard of ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' chooses this fate for [[spoiler:her missing brother]].
** She needn't worry though, because [[spoiler: it turns out her brother wasn't there -- the Lemures fished him out to use as a bargaining chip]].

* ''{{LightNovel/Durarara}}'' has an interesting variation on this: instead of capturing [[HeadlessHorseman Celty]] and performing a forced vivisection, a doctor approaches the supernatural entity in question and ''asks her'' if she would be willing to undergo such a procedure in exchange for a permanent place to stay -- and she agrees. The results are still rather traumatic for her though, as it turns out that TheFairFolk are resistant to drugs and anesthesia. She then lives and falls in love with one of the scientists who did the work, and it's implied that she even works for the organization [[spoiler: even after she learns they're holding her head]].
* Tessla in the ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' manga didn't have a chance to run away. Her life and death make up Vash and Knives' [[DarkAndTroubledPast tragic]] {{backstory}}.
* Subverted and justified in ''Anime/DigimonTamers'': the local [[TheMenInBlack Men In Black]]'s leader Yamaki has an all-consuming hatred for Digimon, and really ''would'' cut them up. At one point, he sadistically destroys a Digimon on-screen over the mon's pleas for mercy. Takato worries about this for Guilmon and at one point imagines the army brutally gunning down his dinosaur buddy. [[spoiler:Yamaki eventually sees the error of his ways, at which point the Tamers stop caring about keeping their Digimon hidden.]]
* Dr Ni has expressed his interest in research of the slightly odd characteristics of the youkai-ness of most of the sanzo party in ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}''. Given who this is, it's safe to assume this research wouldn't be pleasant.
* ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' has references to PANDORA practicing experimentation on Contractors. It's mentioned that initially, various countries did this, until a U.N. treaty intervened. Not to stop this, but to demand that countries would share their research. The manga provided some glimpses into one of such research facilities.
** One has to wonder at the sanity of these scientists as well, because running human testing of an... unethical persuasion on a test subject whose only priority is their own survival, and is [[TheUnfettered quite willing to go to any extreme]] to stay alive and is superpowered doesn't seem like the best idea. The only reason any Contractor would have (willingly) stayed in those facilities was because they thought that their chance of survival was better if they did, but that doesn't necessarily mean they enjoy what goes on there. The instant they felt that staying in the testing was more likely to end up with them dead than escaping, they would have put their all into leaving. And we are talking about a group of people who could do anything from literally just [[TeleportSpam teleporting out on a whim]], [[PlayingWithFire to creating a firestorm to escape]], [[MakingASplash to causing a flood]], [[GravityMaster to crushing the walls with gravity]], etc. That said, any testing facility that treated its Contractors well could very easily have a BadassArmy on demand if there was ever a threat to the facility.

* Referenced in ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', when the [[ChurchMilitant Magdalan Order]] approaches [[BlessedWithSuck Joshua]] about joining them so they can help him learn to use his powers better, his sister Rosette tries to convince him not to by telling him they'll perform experiments on him and "[[PeopleJars pickle you in formaldehyde!]]" Joshua's response is just to laugh and tell her she reads too many books. (And she doesn't seem to believe it anyway, she just [[DontSplitUsUp doesn't want them to take Joshua away from her]].)
* Subverted: When [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Special Agent Axel Hughes]] finds out that Joey is the KidWithTheRemoteControl for ''Manga/{{Heroman}}'', Joey asks him what's going to happen to him. "The U.S. Government is going to lock you away and do experiments on you for the rest of your life." Upon the look of horror on Joey's face, Axel laughs and tells him, that ''no''; a friendly alliance is more beneficial for everyone. "You really thought we were going to do that?"
* [[MadScientist Mayuri Kurotsuchi]] in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' wants to cut up and experiment on anybody who demonstrates abilities he's unfamiliar with. He's equal-opportunity, though; he also cuts up and experiments on ''himself''.
* In ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'', miss Nakamura wishes to do this to the robotic Nano, so she can take credit for inventing her. If Nakamura weren't so inept at her repeated attempts to kidnap Nano, this would be quite dark for such an upbeat show.
* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' there were three variations. [[spoiler: The first one was what Takano wants to do with Rika so that she can jump start the Hinamizawa disease and have everyone kill one and other. The second variation involved both Satako Houjo who was at a higher level of the disease and needed to take injections to quell it. Again Takano wants to dissect her, only in her case, so she can study her. The third was the people of Hinamizawa, back when they were called Onigafuchi Village. They killed, dissected and cannibalized the higher diseased members so they could develop a stronger immunity to the disease.]]
* {{Subverted|Trope}} 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.
* Besides the fact that she will eventually die from [[PsychoSerum drug]] withdrawal, this is also why Shinn wants to send [[SuperSoldier Stella]] back to Earth Alliance Forces in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny''.
* Nezu from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' is a very rare example of a non-human animal with a Quirk, which led to him being experimented on when he was first discovered. Eventually he was freed, though, and despite the abuse he suffered, he decided to become a hero with his SuperIntelligence, eventually becoming the principal of [[HeroAcademy U.A. High]]. His glee when given a socially acceptable opportunity to make humans squirm serves as a sign of how traumatic the experiments were for him, though.
* The protagonist in ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'', Riko, initially hides Reg from staff at the Belchero Orphanage because she fears this happening to him. Since he's a robot who apparently came from the Abyss, and since relics are frequently objects of study, this fear isn't unreasonable. Later, when Reg and Riko meet Nanachi, they explain that they normally hide from Delvers because they fear this happening to them, as well, [[spoiler:since they are the only person known to have returned from the Sixth Layer of the Abyss with most of their humanity intact]].

* In ''ComicBook/{{Vogelein}}'', this is one of the arguments the Duskie gives for why HumansAreTheRealMonsters, saying that they'll take the title character, lock her up, and take her to pieces to see how she works. Considering that she's a clockwork Faerie...

* ''Comicbook/TheSandman'': One of the reasons Hob keeps his immortality a secret from most people he knows, including the mortals he falls in love with. It's too easy for him to imagine a bunch of "Noble-prize wannabes examining slices of my pancreas."

Compare AlienAutopsy, in which the fantastic creature being studied is usually dead when human scientists find it in the first place, which would make such an up close and personal study sound ''significantly'' less unethical; MedicateTheMedium, in which the special ability would be dismissed as psychosis and treated as such; PlayingWithSyringes, in which unusual characters are the ''result'' of experiments, rather than being experimented on for being unusual; and SuperhumanTrafficking, which is a general trope for the exploitation of fantastic creatures.

A standard justification for any unusual character to maintain a {{Masquerade}}, because TheGovernment is Evil and ScienceIsBad and if [[GovernmentConspiracy the authorities]] got their hands on them, they'd stick them in a concrete box and [[PlayingWithSyringes perform all sorts of cruel experiments]] to find out what makes them and/or their special powers tick, either [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman destroying their quality of life, or killing them outright]] in hopes of getting [[CapturedSuperEntity all sorts of goodies.]]

Compare AlienAutopsy, in which the fantastic creature being studied is usually dead when human scientists find it in the first place, which would make such an up close and personal study sound ''significantly'' less unethical; MedicateTheMedium, in which the special ability would be dismissed as psychosis and treated as such.

See also PlayingWithSyringes, which is more about unusual characters being the ''result'' of experiments, rather than being experimented on for being unusual.

* 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, examined" 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.

* This is ''exactly'' what pissed off the Xorda in ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' as Ivan Kintobor ordered soldiers to capture the Xorda representative and he dissected him. The Xorda responded by obliterating most of humanity.

* ''Film/BladeRunner2049''. Deckard and Rachel had a baby after they escaped at the end of ''Film/BladeRunner''. This was supposed to be impossible, since Rachel was a replicant (genetically enhanced human "robot"), which can't have children. Deckard tells Officer K (AKA Joe) that he hid the child because he knew that it would be dissected in order to find out how it was conceived.

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

** In the Franchise/FateSeries, the Magi Association [[UndesirablePrize "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]].

* Has happened a couple of times in ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic showing the nations' {{Fanon}} HealingFactor.

* In ''FanFic/MasksWithinMasks'', Seven has frequent nightmares of being experimented on, especially given her past history and the fact that she's unable to control her illusions when asleep.

* Notably averted in ''Film/EscapeToWitchMountain'' and ''Return From Witch Mountain'', which revolved around the HumanAlien kids being more in danger of exploitation by greedy individuals than dissection by TheMenInBlack. However, it's played straight in the 2008 ''Film/RaceToWitchMountain''.

-->'''Pavlov:''' "You bastards... you are all under arrest for murder, sedition, for treason against the Federation. Oh! Your going to pay... because we're not going to kill you... oh no... you see, we got special places for things like you... where they cut you up, but they keep you alive when they cut you up... so they can see what makes you tick, and then what makes you sick! And I will be there, oh yeah! I'm going to be there when they see-- (threat cut short by infected soldier [[KilledMidSentence cutting his throat]]).

* ''Manga/{{Narutaru}}'' plays with this; Akira is really worried that something along these lines will happen if people find out about the "shadow dragons" because "[[GenreSavvy that's how it always happens in manga...]]"

* Explicitly averted in the Creator/IsaacAsimov short story "Belief". The protagonist is a physics professor who discovers that he can fly; the entire story is about his attempts to get the scientific establishment to take him seriously. (His claims of antigravity get written off as a hoax, even on at least one physical demonstration.)
* Asimov also wrote an SF version of the Golden Goose story (''Pâté de Foie Gras'') which averts this. Even though it's just a goose, the government scientists were extremely careful not to harm it, and were terrified when it developed a fever. They weren't interested in the goose so much for the traditional reason ("Gold! ''Gold!'' We're ''RICH''!!!") so much as they were interested in how a frakking ''goose'' was accomplishing nuclear transmutation of the elements inside its reproductive system.