History Main / TheyWouldCutYouUp

* This is why Cris from the Creator/PhilipKDick short story ''The Golden Man'' never stays in one place too long. In the case of [[Film/{{Next}} the movie]], however, the threat wasn't scientific experimentation but rather the possibility that the FBI would imprison Cris for life and force him to use his predictions to their advantage. [[spoiler:He willingly goes with them in the end to prevent a nuclear attack that would kill his love interest.]]

* Creator/MichaelCrichton's ''Literature/{{Next}}'' revolves around the ''RealLife'' legal precedents that could be [[LoopholeAbuse interpreted]] as this. Yeah, that's right; current biotech laws are vague enough that if a doctor harvests cells from you, not only can they sell them to researchers without compensating you, whoever buys those cells might own your "cell line", a.k.a. ''you and your children'' -- at least if they have a skilled AmoralAttorney.
* According to the [[PlantAliens Mi-go]] of the Franchise/CthulhuMythos, the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign hunts down and torment them for knowledge.

* Raine has a tendency to want to do this with Noishe and Corrine in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''.
* In ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', one quest sees a resourceful human capturing you and performing sick survivability experiments that you have to survive in order to get back at him.
* In ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes,'' Crey Industries does this so often, it's a pretty legitimate fear for the meta-humans in that universe.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', if the [[spoiler:Web Of Intrigue]] videos are anything to go by, this is one of GENTEK's goals regarding [[PsychoPrototype Alex Mercer]]. [[spoiler:The problem with this, of course, is Mercer's PersonOfMassDestruction status, his HealingFactor, and his propensity for [[ISurrenderSuckers playing dead/unconscious]] when he's finally cornered. Less than five seconds after the morgue security camera confirms that he's still there, his ex-boss turns around to find that Mercer is [[RightBehindMe right behind]] [[StealthHiBye him]]. [[OffscreenTeleportation Somehow]].]]

* In one of the bad endings of HGame ''Madou Souhei Kleinhasa'', Roze is experimented on by enemy scientists to find out how her magic works. It's implied that she doesn't survive their experiments.

* 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 what happens 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.
* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': The resident {{Mad Scientist}}s of the Big Mountain Research Facility are 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 {{subver|tedTrope}}sion: 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 officially 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 experiments]].
* ''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]].
-->"Since when did people start expecting science to be humane? To study the body, you cut it open. To study the mind, you isolate it by crushing the heart. Historically, that's how science has advanced."
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', the player is given missions from the International Police to capture the Ultra Beasts (Pokémon from another dimension). Anabel and Looker believe that the [=UBs=] would be better off in the hands of a Pokémon trainer than sealed away in some laboratory.

* This is why Roland has to keep Sadachbia's presence on the down-low in ''Webcomic/NotSoDistant'' since Sadachbia is a large alien, who'd probably look great cut up on a table to Earth scientists.
* Though she's a little confused about it on their first encounter with the FBI, this is later a thing Aylee in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' fears. The humans she's living with assume the government would automatically perform a secret alien autopsy on her if they ever found out about her.
* In ''Webcomic/DelaTheHooda'', the extradimensional fox hybrid Dela is warned against contacting Earth authorities because rumor has it that they dissect aliens. This potential problem is later resolved when the [[TheMenInBlack Men In Plaid]] (the Canadian division of the Men in Black, [[CanadaEh who wears plaid suits because the Canadian government can't afford fancy, black Italian suits]]) has a talk with her and decides let her go free.

-->'''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|Trope}} 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'', the 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]].
--> ''"I'm not going to hurt you. [[NightmareFuel Extensive testing]] has shown that's a physical impossibility!"''
* ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'': Charby figures that 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 a 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]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Jix}}'': When Jix, Caligos, and Heleatra are captured by Area51, 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.

* In the backstory to ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'', this was the fate of [[spoiler:the Alpha AI]]. The entire series plot thus far is (sometimes loosely) based around dealing with the repercussions of cutting it into pieces.
* {{Averted|Trope}} 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 be 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 the offer.
%%* Invoked in at least a few Literature/ChakonaSpace stories.

* {{Subverted|Trope}} 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 AxCrazy Repto-Slicer.
* In a very meta episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'', 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 techno-organic. Given the xenophobic nature of the High Command, she might not be too far off the mark.
* This is one of the justifications for the ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' {{masquerade}}. Given that several of their bitterest enemies have discussed (or done) nasty things involving Gargoyle genes, it's quite justified.
--> '''Goliath:''' ''Look'' at me, human! I would spend the rest of my life in a testing facility. Was my crime against you so horrible as to make ''that'' an equitable punishment?
* The ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' take this trope to heart. Given that in the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 cartoon]], the first thing that the government agent Bishop does when he captures them is to take their genetic material and try to dissect them, their fears are more than simple paranoia.

* Very nearly carried out in the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks'', to the point that 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 chainsaw before they have to escape.
* [[MadScientist Dr. XXX]] in the Mickey Mouse short ''WesternAnimation/TheMadDoctor'' 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, Dr. XXX 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|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. Superman actually forms a public research pact with S.T.A.R. Labs so that everyone benefits.
* This is 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 conducting experiments on humans himself]].
* This is 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]].

'''Zoidberg:''' Deviled egg?! ''[gobbles the egg right out of the surgeon's hand]''\\

* Referenced in ''WesternAnimation/WatchMyChops'', when Corneil says to Bernie that he does 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!

** In the Generation 1 comics, Circuit Breaker once manages to overpower about a dozen Autobots and has her engineers take them apart... thankfully not fatally, but she does experiment with their brain-counterparts. And has their heads mounted on a wall. And cobbles together the parts into a Frankensteinian variant of combining, in order to fight a pair of Decepticons. [[spoiler:She lets them go free after the jury-rigged Autobot saves her of its own will, proving that it is sapient and moral.]]
* This is the motivation behind the 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 puts it, "Not going... get cut up by scientists... like mom said!"
* Sadly proved right in ''ComicBook/ElseworldsFinestSupergirlAndBatgirl'', when ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} discovers that [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] found and dissected [[Franchise/{{Superman}} her baby cousin]] many years ago.
* The ComicBook/{{Planetary}}/[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica 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 [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in order to create super-fast couriers and shrinking technology for ''Film/FantasticVoyage''-style medical procedures.

* ''ComicBook/SupermanSecretIdentity'': [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] ''is'' captured and experimented on by shady military types, and only narrowly escapes. On his way out, he finds the bodies of other superhumans who weren't so lucky, some of them children. When he learns he's going to have kids of his own, he makes it clear that [[IfIWantedYouDead he could have taken the entire government apart]] a long time ago if he wanted to and is prepared to help them out on his own terms.
* 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...
* In Marv Wolfman's ''Man and Superman'', Clark (who hasn't yet donned his costume) listens in on Lois Lane and Perry White discussing the city's mysterious super-powered vigilante. Lois points out that if she could fly, she'd be worried about people wanting to cut her open and find out how. Clark reflects that that's exactly what his mother used to warn him about.

* Paul Chadwick's ''ComicBook/{{Concrete}}'' plays with this trope extensively. For one thing, the title character is just as eager to understand his transformation as the scientists are, and therefore he cooperates with them. For another, he is a world-famous celebrity, and it would be quickly noticed if he vanished mysteriously, or if some overzealous scientist got carried away with his studies. Furthermore, scientists in ''Concrete'' tend to be sympathetic characters who want to stay on the right side of the law. In fact, Concrete cooperates with the government and the military to create his cover story.
* ''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 some 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 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/{{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 shows 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.
* In the ''ComicBook/SpiderManBeyond'' storyline, the Beyond Corporation captures ComicBook/{{Morbius}} and the Lizard, experimenting on them as part of [[spoiler:their supervillain research program]].

* In the ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' fanfic [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/139056 "Interview"]], the trolls (who ended up on Earth in this fic) [[DefiedTrope defy]] this outright:

* In ''Series/Supergirl2015'' fic ''Fanfic/{{Survivors}}'', a secondary character warns the Danvers that [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]] is being searched by a group that kills and/or experiments on aliens.
-->'''Jeremiah:''' Apparently this DEO is in the business of killing aliens or... experimenting on them. They have all been racing to find you but the DEO has given up, he believes.
* In ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'', Shag points out that John can't go home with [[WingedHumanoid wings]] because he'd be dissected; Paul unknowingly echoes this when he tries to talk John into finding a way to change back. Much later, after he really is facing the return home, John sourly reflects that at least the scientists won't be able to hang onto him.
** Also, Jeft refers to extremely powerful psionics as suffering this fate while Shag is yelling at him for apparently inducing psionic powers in Ringo.
* 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]].

* This 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 ponies reveal themselves to humans, they'll get kidnapped and experimented on by a stereotypical MadDoctor.
* This is 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.''
* An interesting variation in ''Fanfic/{{Stardust|Arad}}''. Funnily enough, [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] is ''already'' in the captivity of [[VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown XCOM]], an organization where this trope is their typical MO. However, the Council has also recommended sending Twilight to another base where only painful experimentation awaits her, which many XCOM personnel recognize as a horrible possibility and seek to prevent it.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Emergence|RWBY}}'', the students who meet and befriend Team WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} ask them to keep their abilities secret, out of fear of this happening. [[SubvertedTrope However]], when the government finds out, they instead hope to befriend and recruit the girls.
* {{Defied|Trope}} 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 ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3442555/1/Street-Sharks-Redux Street Sharks Redux]]'', the protagonists are mindful of this trope as one of many reasons why they want to avoid being re-captured by [[MadScientist Dr. Paradigm]]. Among other things, he makes no secret of the fact that he wants to brainwash them into being his flunkies. One story arc has him capture Slammu, drugging him, and keeping him StrappedToAnOperatingTable to perform countless tests to determine what physical changes took place. Because Dr. Paradigm's into PragmaticVillainy though, he doesn't ''actually'' cut Slammu up. He plans to hold off on that until he's more sure of the potential HealingFactor or else has more test subjects...
* ''Fanfic/LastChildOfKrypton'': In the first episode of the second version, Kal-El warned Shinji about this possibility if it was discovered that his DNA was partially alien.
* In ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'', Asuka (ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}) keeps quiet about her powers and her alien DNA because she is afraid of becoming a guinea pig.

* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/46115/healing-for-a-spell Healing for a Spell]]'' (a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' and ''Series/{{MASH}}'' crossover): Shortly after Twilight Sparkle (who landed in Korea as a result of a magical mishap) is found and brought back to the unit, the surgeons at the 4077 (who are concerned for her safety) tell her that I Corps would demand her for scientific observation if they found out she was there, which is why they have to keep her a secret. Fortunately, they're successful - even the soldiers she helps treat agree to keep quiet.
* In ''Fanfic/TheWebOfTheSpiderMan'', Peter refuses to go to the hospital out of fear of what the doctors would find if they started treating him in his current state, begging Ned to take him home instead.
* In ''Fanfic/TheBridge'', the prospect of this and increasingly inhumane experimentation on Godzilla Junior, whom at the time was couch sized and under her care, is why Dr. Azusa Gojo was so protective of him. After finding out he was completely sapient and saw her as his mother, she knew she couldn't shield him forever and had to let her adoptive son go to live with the adult Godzilla away from human hands.

* After he agrees to join SHIELD in ''Fanfic/TheNewRecruit'', Matt Garretty says that he wants' SHIELD's help in figuring out how he and his friends got their powers, but that he doesn't want to be dissected or anything. This trope is averted when Coulson promises that won't happen; SHIELD scientists can be enthusiastic, [[EveryoneHasStandards but they aren't crazy.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TheGreatRedPandaRescue'', Mei is kidnapped and sold for this purpose due to her ability to turn into a giant red panda.

* ''The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs''. Its owner killed it to know how it worked, didn't learn anything, and now no longer gets golden eggs. Poor sucker.
** Used as a proverb when it looks like somebody might end up cutting off a vital source of long-term gain (be it information or money) in their greed for ''short''-term gain: "Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs".
** Subverted in ''[[Literature/TheEschatonSeries Singularity Sky]]'' when an ignorant citizen of a backwater world asks a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien for a goose that lays golden eggs. No one thinks about how it works until they start suffering radiation sickness... transmutation in real life is a nuclear process, after all.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov and Creator/JanetAsimov's ''Literature/NorbysOtherSecret'': Mentioned briefly in the [[Literature/NorbyTheMixedUpRobot previous book]], Norby is concerned that if his [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup unusual abilities]] became public knowledge, he'd be taken apart and inadvertently killed. Admiral Yobo coming to the Wells household, announcing that the Inventors Union wants to do just that, kicks off the plot of this book, which ends with the admiral convinced that Norby is too [[PowerIncontinence unreliable]] to be studied productively, as well as getting an [[ArtificialGravity miniaturized antigrav belt]] for them to study instead.

* ''Literature/{{Larklight}}'' has an interesting version with the backstory of its space pirate captain, who was sent to an institute for studying strange life forms after surviving a deadly and mysterious plague. When he overheard the doctors' plans to dissect him, he gathered the other test subjects and ran for it. In a universe full of colorful and bizarre aliens of every possible shape and peculiarity, his crew is the weirdest thing most people have ever seen.
* Creator/StephenKing writes of "The Shop", a [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction government organization]] which conducts paranormal research, into a lot of his stories. Charlie from ''Literature/{{Firestarter}}'' is on the run from them because of their desire to use Charlie as a weapon. This is mainly because her powers are entirely due to their PlayingWithSyringes with her parents, and they want 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"]].
* Used in the ''Literature/MaximumRide'' series, where the main characters are running away from one of these types of labs. They were created with bird genes and have wings. The lab wants them back and they just want to be left alone.
* The first humans to encounter the aliens in ''Literature/PandorasStar'' by Peter F. Hamilton are dissected. The sequence, told ''from the alien's point of view'', is pure horror even with death being (usually) a minor inconvenience in the Commonwealth.

* 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|Trope}} 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 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 [[BirdPeople (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 CrapsackWorld that this is a reasonable assumption.
* {{Invoked|Trope}} 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.

* In ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'' the pan-dimensional beings [[spoiler:also known as mice]] try to obtain Arthur Dent's brain to perform experiments on ("Diced.") to find out the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything.
%% Hidden until somebody can confirm ''which'' novel: I think it may be ''Catalyst'' by Alan Dean Foster but I don't have a copy to check -- * 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.
* In ''Literature/CorrespondenceFromTheGoddess'', after Lydia starts developing superpowers and Albert Pharmaceuticals expresses interest in studying her, Elana rejects the idea entirely, citing this trope. Lydia then goes to see them secretly, and it doesn't ''seem'' to go badly at all.
* The six psychic boys in ''Literature/HiddenTalents'' swear a blood oath never to tell anyone else about their abilities, for fear of this trope. However, readers find out in [[Literature/TrueTalents the sequel]] that this [[PlayingWithSyringes doesn't exactly work out]].

* ''Literature/TheOtherworld'': The second book of the series, ''Stolen'', features a group of scientists, at least some of whom want to do just this, so they can find a way to share supernatural powers with the rest of humanity and "better them".
* This threat has been made several times to [[spoiler:Philuffy]] in ''Literature/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'', the only human to have been implanted with Abyss tissue and survive.
* {{Invoked|Trope}} 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 that 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.
* In "Literature/TheGypsiesInTheWood", Charles Beauregard helps a [[ChangelingTale fairy changeling]] evade TheMenInBlack in trade for the safe return of the child she's impersonating. To persuade her that this is her best course, he tells her about the [=MIBs'=] intentions:
-->[They] might tire of asking questions. It can be boring, not getting answers. In the end, the Undertaking might just cut you up in the name of science. To find wings folded inside your shoulder-bones, then spread them on a board and pin you like a butterfly. There's a secret museum for creatures like you.
* ''Literature/PresumedDead'' by Rick Kennett, has a {{child soldier|s}} watching an instructor dissect the corpse of their {{Starfish Alien|s}} opponents. Her classmate cynically notes that right now on another planet, an alien instructor is likely doing the same to a human.
* ''Literature/TheseBrokenStars'': [[spoiler:After her and Tarver's rescue, Lilac is subjected to serious medical tests when it becomes apparent that she's a whisper-made replica. Thankfully, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive her]] [[PapaWolf father]] arrives and puts a stop to things.]]
* A scene in ''Literature/TheDreamMerchant'' has the twins narrowly escaping being cut up so that a savage tribe can [[PoweredByAForsakenChild harvest their blood for a plague cure]].
* Creator/WilliamGibson's short story "Hinterlands" depicts what it would be like to be on the receiving end of a CargoCult -- the first human to experience it does not end well, dissected in a Soviet laboratory. Also {{Foreshadowing}}, as an insane victim of the cargo cult [[spoiler:reprograms her spaceship's surgical bay to dissect ''herself'', committing suicide]].
* ''Literature/UnidentifiedSuburbanObject'': [[spoiler:Chloe's parents, who are among the last survivors of a race of HumanAliens from Tau Ceti Four, hide their heritage for fear that they would be the targets of constant harassment at best, or captured and imprisoned at worst.]]
* In ''Literature/TheMer'', humans who are transformed into Mer are strictly forbidden from contacting anyone in their former lives, partly because it puts them at risk of being dissected, experimented on, or subject to SuperhumanTrafficking.
* In ''Literature/ImmortalGuardians'', this is a continual concern. The first thought the military has when they discover the existence of preternaturally strong vampires and Immortal Guardians was a) how can this be weaponized for our benefit and b) how can we destroy them if we can't weaponize them for our own benefit. In later books, the immortal Guardians discover that the military has captured an alien specifically because all of a sudden the military has tranquilizers that work on the previously impervious Guardians. In the spin-off, the Aldebarian Alliance, the story is actually told from the viewpoint of Taelon, a captured alien who suffers through repeated amputations, vivisections, and poisonings as the doctors and scientists work to see what makes him tick.
* In ''Literature/TheComingRace'', the protagonist is an ordinary man who finds himself living in an underground LostWorld of people who branched off from humanity many thousands of years ago, and who are physically and mentally different from surface-dwellers in a number of ways. His host warns him not to go out alone because the others would quickly realise he wasn't like them, and he would soon attract the attention of the College of Sages, who might dissect him for scientific purposes.

* 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}}.

* Similarly to the ''[[Franchise/TheTwilightZone Twilight Zone]]'' example, the first humans to encounter the aliens in ''Literature/PandorasStar'' by Peter F. Hamilton are dissected. The sequence, told ''from the alien's point of view'', is pure horror even with death being (usually) a minor inconvenience in the Commonwealth.

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

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E7TheLongGame "The Long Game"]]: When short-lived companion Adam has future technology installed ''in his head'' in an attempt to set up a TimelineAlteringMacGuffin situation, the Doctor drops his useless ass back on Earth and tells him that now he has to live quietly, less this happen to him. Which isn't going to be easy, since now his skull opens up every time someone snaps their fingers in his vicinity.

** 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.

* ''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 some 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...

* 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 nonetheless 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]].

* This threat has been made several times to [[spoiler:Philuffy]] in ''LightNovel/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'', the only human to have been implanted with Abyss tissue and survive.

%% Trope was declared Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease via crowner by the Real Life Maintenance thread: [crowner link] [=%%https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13350380440A15238800&page=558#comment-13929=]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* The Nazis, most infamously Josef Mengele, whose "experiments" almost never produced any actual, useful scientific data (the main exception being the research on freezing injuries, which formed the basis of medical practice in that field for decades after the Nazi experiments ended), and didn't seem to have any purpose other than "how many more horrible things can we do?" [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Mengele's contemporaries were baffled.]]
* During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the Japanese Unit 731, headed by Shirō Ishii, did this to Prisoners of War and Chinese civilians with their vivisection campaigns. They also tore babies out of pregnant women, threw prisoners into pressure chambers, tested how much damage bombs and various diseases did on the prisoners and tried out poison gas, all without anesthesia or any medical treatment. Unlike Mengele, some doctors actually did produce some useful data such as the infection rates of malaria and created artificial blood, which led to the US military's biological and chemical weapons departments insisting on their freedom of ''all'' the doctors, including Ishii, in exchange for their findings. [[KarmaHoudini They got it, their medical qualifications meaning many also went on to become rich]].
* There's the story of the crew members 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.
* Benign example with exploratory surgery. "Something's gone wrong inside you so we need to cut you open to see what we need to fix." Of course, this is the non-torturous example with the testing standards.
* There is animal vivisection, of course. The United States, the 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.
* 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 healthcare 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 [[WellIntentionedExtremist can be given a justification if the results are good enough]].
[[/folder]]

Then there's the question of medical ethics. In RealLife, medical researchers have to follow ''very'' strict testing standards to be able to publish their results. Getting caught violating them can easily end their careers and leave them facing civil or even criminal charges. It should be noted that the NotEvenHuman excuse some scientists love to use in fiction would not be much of a defense, as no law explicitly says only ''Homo sapiens'' [[InhumanableAlienRights have the right]] to refuse to be gutted against their will. The RealLife instances where people have donated their bodies (or blood samples or whatever) to science in order to help research of particular conditions were, after all, ''voluntary''.

* ''Manga/{{Ajin}}'': Getting caught by the government is basically a fate worse than death for any Ajin, as Kei finds out during his short stay. The scientists conduct all sorts of horrible tests, from slowly cutting off all their limbs, to crushing them in a trash compactor, et cetera. 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.

* ''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.

* In ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', the local [[TheMenInBlack Men In Black]]'s leader Yamaki [[FantasticRacism has an all-consuming hatred for Digimon]], and really ''would'' cut them up. At one point, he orders a analysis of a captured Digimon, which painfully breaks them down on-screen while they plea for mercy. When a scientist asks what to do with one such Digimon's data, [[KickTheDog Yamaki tells him to delete it]]. Takato is rightfully worried for Guilmon, and at one point imagines the army brutally gunning down his dinosaur buddy. [[spoiler:Yamaki eventually [[HeelFaceTurn sees the error of his ways]], at which point the Tamers stop caring about keeping their Digimon hidden.]]
* ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasDinosaur'' have Nobita finding a fossilized egg, which later hatches into a ''futubasaurus suzukii'' which Nobita names Piisuke. After developing a bond with his new pet, Nobita states his intentions of showing off Piisuke to his friends, only for Doraemon to remind him when news of Piisuke, a living Dinosaur in modern times, reach the public, scientists and researchers will inflict this trope on him, leading to Nobita quickly changing his mind and deciding to keep news of Piisuke's existence a secret.

* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', there are three variations. [[spoiler:The first one is what Takano wants to do with Rika so that she can jump start the Hinamizawa disease and have everyone kill one another. The second variation involves Satako Houjo who is at a higher level of the disease and needs to take injections to quell it. Again Takano wants to dissect her, only in her case, so that she can study her. The third is 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.]]

* 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.

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

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

* ''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 [[ArtificialHuman replicant]], which can't have children. Deckard tells Officer K (a.k.a. Joe) that he hid the child because he knew that it would be dissected in order to find out how it was conceived.

* ''Film/GameraTheBrave'': {{Subverted|Trope}}. While the governmental Monster Task Force does take the injured juvenile Gamera, Toto, into 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.

* A kid-friendly version appears in the Swedish children's movie "Pirret" (approximately "That Bubbly Feeling"). The movie is about a little girl who can fly when she's particularly happy and has "that bubbly feeling". Her mother asks the family physician if there's anything wrong with the girl, and the girl is whisked off to the hospital where a ''very'' unsympathetic doctor tries to find out what makes her fly. No actual cutting up, just MRI scans and stuff. Of course, since the doctor is constantly scaring her, she doesn't get "that bubbly feeling" in the doctor's presence, and in the end she's released.

** Subverted in ''[[Literature/TheEschatonSeries Singularity Sky]]'' when an ignorant citizen of a backwater world asks a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien for a goose that lays golden eggs. No-one thinks about how it works until they start suffering radiation sickness... transmutation in real life is a nuclear process, after all.

* 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 ''Literature/CorrespondenceFromTheGoddess'', after Lydia starts developing super-powers and Albert Pharmaceuticals expresses interest in studying her, Elana rejects the idea entirely, citing this trope. Lydia then goes to see them secretly, and it doesn't ''seem'' to go badly at all.

* In ''Literature/ImmortalGuardians'', this is a continual concern. The first thought the military has when they discover the existence of preternaturally strong vampires and Immortal Guardians was a) how can this be weaponized for our benefit and b) how can we destroy them if we can't weaponize them for our own benefit. In later books, the immortal Guardians discover that the military has captured an alien specifically because all of a sudden the military has tranquilizers that work on the previously impervious Guardians. In the spin off, the Aldebarian Alliance, the story is actually told from the viewpoint of Taelon, a captured alien who suffers through repeated amputations, vivisections, and poisonings as the doctors and scientists work to see what makes him tick.

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

** {{Subverted|Trope}} 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.

** In the episode where Talia gets her upgrade, Bester and his partner are trying to apprehend Jason Ironheart for just this purpose, and Ironheart is trying to prevent it from happening, because he doesn't want Psi Corps to learn the secrets he carries. When they finally do find him, he's become so powerful that he kills one of them and then [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence 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).

* ''Series/Charmed1998'': In the third season finale a news crew catch Prue and Piper using their powers on camera and expose their magic to the world. Piper worries that this will be one of the consequences of being exposed. This doesn't end up happening, but the actual consequences [[KilledOffForReal aren't much better]].

** In the pilot episode when John Crichton explains that he's not [[HumanAliens Sebacean]] but human, Captain Crais threatens to pull him apart to see what he's made of, though it's unclear if he means autopsy-wise or just lots of ColdBloodedTorture. However Crais has personal reasons for wanting John dead, given that he accidentally killed Crais's brother moments after he arrived. In the [[Recap/FarscapeS01E02IET following episode]] it's played straight--the crew of Moya land on an alien planet that hasn't bade first contact, and one of the locals helps Crichton because she's worried her military employers will put him on an autopsy slab if captured.

* This is one of the main reasons why Henry keeps his ResurrectiveImmortality a secret in ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}''. As revealed in on episode, Adam, another immortal who's 2000 years old, experienced this firsthand during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII at the hands of [[MadDoctor Josef Mengele]], who kept trying to figure out the secret to Adam's immortality.

* Although it’s not the main reason Immortals in ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' keep a low profile, it’s likely on their minds. Duncan gets captured and experimented on by a doctor who sees him heal and leave the hospital after being hit by a car. Sometimes, such witnesses are recruited to become Watchers,but this guy was crazy and Duncan had to kill him to escape.
* ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'': One of the episodes features a plot by the Chinese to get the quicksilver gland. Darien ends up getting his head drilled into so they can drain the quicksilver.

** Which brings up some nasty FridgeLogic about the fact that Data had already been admitted to Starfleet Academy, been granted a commission and rank as an officer, and even decorated with medals for valor in the line of duty; none of which would or could apply to a piece of property rather than a legal recognized individual. The scientist's argument is essentially just "ignore that stuff because it would be cool if I could figure out how to make lots of new androids that we can treat like disposable slaves".

** The truly interesting twist on this one is that even Data himself is intrigued by Maddox's theories and ideas -- he is mainly concerned that Maddox wouldn't be able to put him back together when he was done, and is open to the idea if the risk can be reduced sufficiently. He actually makes an overture of friendship toward Maddox at the end of the episode; the later episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E11DatasDay Data's Day]]" is all about a day in Data's life in which he masters tap dancing, learns the basics of ballroom dancing, and tries to comprehend the dynamics behind the events of Miles O'Brien's marriage to Keiko, narrated in a letter to... Maddox, in order to support him with his research.

* ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'': An extremely disturbing example occurs when Jack's immortality is discovered by a family of butchers in the 1920's. They repeatedly stab him to death in front of ever-growing crowds. Eventually, the whole crowd starts hacking away at him.
* Cole and Mel had this concern in ''{{Series/Tracker}}''. The government knew aliens were on Earth and captured one of the fugitives. Cole was captured trying to get to him,but got loose because they didn’t know Cole’s species wasn’t weak to heat like the other guy. When they used cold gas, it did weaken him, and he only survived thanks to the fugitive helping him. The concern remained with Cole and Mel after that, and worried Mel when Cole had to go back to the facility to see how Zin learned to re-use host bodies later on.

* A recurring concern of various aliens, monsters and mutants on ''Series/TheXFiles''; TheConspiracy isn't exactly hesitant to vivisect or experiment on anyone even remotely out of the ordinary.

*** The Cheiron Group is a MegaCorp which does just this -- it captures supernatural creatures, figures out how their powers work, and then [[LegoGenetics cuts out bits and implants them into field agents so they can use those powers]]. Its main source of revenue is processing other monster parts into pharmaceuticals to sell to the general public. This is one of the few times where the ''player'' is doing the cutting-and-utilizing.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': The resident {{Mad Scientist}}s of the Big Mountain Research Facilty are fond of this, needing no real excuse other than to [[ForScience do Science]]. [[MemeticMutation Vivisection can get boring]]!

* ''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 experiments]].
* ''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]].]]

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': This is one of the things sparks needs to worry about. Especially from the Baron himself, in Othar's case.

* This is why Roland has to keep Sadachbia's presence on the down-low in ''Webcomic/NotSoDistant'', since Sadachbia is a large alien, who'd probably look great cut up on a table to Earth scientists.

--> '''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]]...

* ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'': Charby figures that 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 a 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]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Jix}}'': When Jix,, Caligos, and Heleatra are captured by Area51, 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.

* {{Averted|Trope}} 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.

* Very nearly carried out in the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks'', to the point that 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.

* During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the Japanese Unit 731, headed by Shirō Ishii, did this to Prisoners of War and Chinese civilians with their vivisection campaigns. They also tore babies out of pregnant women, threw prisoners into pressure chambers, tested how much damage bombs and various diseases did on the prisoners, and tried out poison gas, all without anesthesia or any medical treatment. Unlike Mengele, some doctors actually did produce some useful data such as the infection rates of malaria and created artificial blood, which led to the US military's biological and chemical weapons departments insisting on their freedom of ''all'' the doctors, including Ishii, in exchange for their findings. [[KarmaHoudini They got it, their medical qualifications meaning many also went on to become rich]].
* There's a the story of the crew members 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 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.
* 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 [[WellIntentionedExtremist can be given a justification if the results are good enough]].

** 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 the pilot episode when John Crichton explains that he's not [[HumanAliens Sebacean]] but human, Captain Crais threatens to pull him apart to see what he's made of, though it's unclear if he means autopsy-wise or just lots of ColdBloodedTorture. However Crais has personal reasons for wanting John dead, given that he accidentally killed Crais's brother moments after he arrived.

** In the pilot episode when John Crichton explains that he's not [[HumanAliens Sebacean]] but human, Captain Crais threatens to pull him apart to see what he's made of, though it's unclear if he means autopsy-wise or just lots of ColdBloodedTorture. Through Crais has personal reasons for wanting John dead, given that he accidentally killed Crais's brother moments after he arrived.

* 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 that 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 an 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.

* ''Comicbook/TheSandman'': This is one of the reasons that 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."

** The truly interesting twist on this one is that even Data himself is intrigued by Maddox's theories and ideas -- he is mainly concerned that Maddox wouldn't be able to put him back together when he was done, and is open to the idea if the risk can be reduced sufficiently. He actually makes an overture of friendship toward Maddox at the end of the episode; the later episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E11DatasDay Data's Day]]" is all about a day in Data's life in which he masters tap dancing, learns the basics of ballroom dancing, and tries 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.
*** ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' indicates that Maddox was ultimately somewhat successful.