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| 3 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Take care to put your example in its proper place in accordance with Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings! |
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| 7 | [[quoteright:320:[[VideoGame/CombatMedicSpecialOps https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/combatmedic6.jpg]]]] |
| 8 | [[caption-width-right:320:The doctor is ready to see you. [[OneManArmy All of you]].]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | ->''"Death or healing: I care not which you seek."'' |
| 11 | -->-- '''Space Marine Apothecary''', ''Tabletopgame/Warhammer40000: Videogame/DawnOfWar'' |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Being [[TheMedic the designated healer]] is a necessary job, but it [[BoringButPractical isn't a glamorous one]]. While [[AnAdventurerIsYou everyone else]] is [[InHarmsWay having all the fun mixing it up with the bad guys]], the medic is stuck in the back watching life bars go up and down, and throwing out the occasional StatusBuff. Then again, they don't ''want'' to be up front, because they're [[SquishyWizard squishy as hell]] and [[ShootTheMedicFirst everyone's gunning for them]]. This is usually not a problem when one player's controlling an entire party, but this starts to break down in cases where one guy's playing the support. While some are perfectly fine with this (being the medic means you'll get invited to [[AnAdventurerIsYou just about any party]]), for others, the support classes just aren't that exciting. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | The solution? Give TheMedic some teeth, and you've got yourself a Combat Medic. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | While a Combat Medic still serves as the primary healer and buffer, they have the ability and incentive to leap into the trenches and kick some ass, too. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, including 'protective auras' that buff nearby allies while the medic fights, or attacks that simultaneously heal the medic's allies. Enemies that try to ShootTheMedicFirst will find that they won't go down as easy as they expected when they can [[BarrierWarrior create impenetrable]] [[SomeKindOfForceField force fields]] or just [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom swat them into the stratosphere]]. Last but not least, [[AttackItsWeakPoint certain tactics]] can make their [[LethalHarmlessPowers harmless powers lethal]], like casting revive on enemies when ReviveKillsZombie. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | The militant medic isn't unique to video games, either; healers often find it necessary to pick up some combat ability and [[TookALevelInBadass kick a few asses]] every now and then if they don't want to be stuck in the background. After all, in an action series, the [[ActualPacifist Hippocratic Oath]] is a rather overrated thing, and the Geneva Convention is simply quaint and obsolete. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | The Combat Medic may also overlap with a BareFistedMonk, or a monk wielding a PowerFist. Some games do in fact give the monk limited healing capabilities, or a few self-heals. This is linked to Shaolin Monks knowing Martial arts and the term "monk" often being synonymous with a religious figure. Since religious figures almost ''always'' are [[TheMedic Healers]], this explains why it is often used. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | Compare ThePaladin. The MagicKnight is rather similar, though defense-oriented Magic Knights tend to be focused on fighting first and healing second. Contrast TheRedMage, a mage who knows healing ''and'' attack magic. Another RPG fantasy class that greatly resembles this is the cleric, who is usually a religious warrior healer. The [[CompetitiveBalance laws of balance]] must also state that a pure healer would have to outclass them in healing and that a Combat Medic [[MagicKnight Paladin]] or a monk that can heal has to sacrifice some common healing traits to be able to take a few hits. But this only really applies when you have a group-oriented game, especially an MMORPG, because why would you roll a squishy-healer when you can roll a Combat Medic that can take a few hits and heal just as good either way? In a solo game, it's not uncommon for a GameBreaker to be just like that. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Note that this is TruthInTelevision. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, military medics were supposed to go into combat with no weapons and treat the wounded of either side. However, German medics were often armed with pistols, and this led Allied soldiers to be somewhat skeptical of the non-combatant status of German medics, as taking up a weapon meant the medic forfeited his protection under the Geneva Convention and was treated as a regular combatant, regardless of any distinguishing insignia he wore, and from the German side, troops like the SS even made it a point to use wounded soldiers as bait to lure allied soldiers out and shoot them, forcing the medics to take up arms and protect themselves. In the Pacific and the Eastern Front, there were no niceties at all -- both sides considered medical personnel fair game, though for the Japanese it wasn't so much that they actively targeted medical personnel, more that they had no concept of noncombatant medics; to them, a soldier was a soldier. In fact, by the end of 1941, medics in the Russian Theater even stopped wearing medical handbands because they both were useless and [[ShootTheMedicFirst painted them brighter as targets]]. Nowadays, this trope is even encouraged in real life, due to the fact that most modern armies engage in combat [[BananaRepublic with]] [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny forces]] [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror that]] [[TerrorismTropes do not]] [[OrganizedCrimeTropes respect]] the Geneva conventions. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Sub-trope of SupportPartyMember. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | Not to be confused with DeadlyDoctor, a medical doctor who fights ''with'' medical knowledge and equipment. This trope is more general: a doctor who fights (in which case, compare MartialMedic). |
| 30 | |
| 31 | ---- |
| 32 | !!Example subpages: |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[index]] |
| 35 | * CombatMedic/VideoGames |
| 36 | [[/index]] |
| 37 | |
| 38 | !!Game examples: |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 41 | |
| 42 | [[folder:Play-by-Post Games]] |
| 43 | * Dr. Landon from ''Roleplay/DarwinsSoldiers'' starts off as a civilian surgeon rescued by the main characters, but is more than happy to pick up a pistol and becomes more combat proficient as he survives the teams' various firefights. Also Sharon Redfield, the medic and third-in-command of Cobalt Squad, is a military example. |
| 44 | * Dietrich "Medic" Luzwheit, Zenna, and Marco Martinet in ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'' are among Dino Attack Team's few medics who are also soldiers, and as such, they are usually fighting Mutant Dinos while healing patients on the battlefield. |
| 45 | * ''Roleplay/FireEmblemOnForums'': Anyone who takes a class with access to Staves and any offensive proficiency is this by default if they choose to specialise into Healing Staves, such as [[NinjaMaid Butlers/Maids]] or Troubadours, who can take any physical weapon in addition to staves. |
| 46 | ** ''Solrise Academy'': Andreas Bellamy, who carries a large sword as his main armament and uses his Arte, ''Restoration'' to heal allies [[CastFromHitPoints at the cost of his own health]]. |
| 47 | [[/folder]] |
| 48 | |
| 49 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 50 | * The ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' wargame doesn't actually have a proper medic class, but down at the tactical level with the ''Mechwarrior'' RPG, field medic builds are invaluable. Any character can carry a handful of medpatches or a medkit to handle minor cuts and bruises, and most will take a rank of First Aid to improve their effectiveness, but due to the harder nature of the setting (lacking resurrection or instant healing) having at least one player character with several ranks in Med-Tech and/or Surgery is common. As it turns out, the stats that control medical prowess also turn field medics into ''fantastic'' explosives experts, such that many field medics are also demolitionists. A properly statted and spec'ed field medic can easily be put at the controls of something with [[MacrossMissileMassacre a whole heaping bunch of missiles]] and easily hold their own while being no less effective at healing injured characters. |
| 51 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk}} 2020'' has Trauma Team, which is essentially the same as [[TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}} DocWagon]] below. Their regular ambulance crew includes two "security personnel" whose task is to pacify the pickup zone if necessary. Preferably using the machine gun mounted on the armored ambulance. |
| 52 | * ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'' has several class combinations to be a combat medic. |
| 53 | ** Dedicated Hero + Acolyte/field medic. The acolyte can wield divine spells, including healing, the Field Medic can revive a dead party member in the round following his/her death. |
| 54 | ** Strong hero + starting occupation with treat injury as a class skill + Surgery feat. Not as good as a dedicated medic, but still able to heal as well as injure. |
| 55 | ** Fast hero + starting occupation with Treat Injury as a class skill + Surgery feat. For all the gunslinger out there. |
| 56 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': |
| 57 | ** The entire Cleric class is dedicated to this in the first and second editions. Instead of squishies, Clerics are the second-best tanks in the game (near the monks and just behind the [[HeavyEquipmentClass warrior]] classes) as well as gaining healing spells very early on and having decent mana. Their main drawback is that they can't use bladed weapons. (This is actually a fair mechanic, considering about 75% of the weapons in the game are bladed. This includes all the good ranged weapons.) |
| 58 | ** In 3rd Edition, efforts to make the Cleric "more fun" to play brought it closer to MagicKnight than Combat Medic: in ''addition'' to remaining the best healer class, the cleric's offensive capacities went up. Having the ability to turn their prepared spells into healing spells also let them devote more slots to their awesome combat buffs. An abusive player can throw the team balance out of whack simply by exploiting all the class's best options. |
| 59 | ** In 3.5e, they introduced a dedicated Healer class. It turned out to be a less versatile Cleric in most circumstances. |
| 60 | ** In 4th edition, there are several classes that fit the Combat Medic trope -- the Cleric, Bard, Druid (in the Essentials version), Warlord, and Ardent -- each with different strengths so that, for example, an Ardent and a Warlord in the same party complement each other rather than infringing on each others' roles. Most of their healing spells are tied to attacks, or minor actions, which let them support their allies while fighting at the same time. |
| 61 | ** And in 5th Edition, this trend continues. Druids, Bards and Paladins are all exceptional healers as well as scrappers, and even Rangers can become quite capable healers if built correctly. Most surprisingly, the new Warlock class can also use healing magic if they take the Celestial Patronage, spells like Cure Wounds and Restoration (Lesser and Greater) become available as bonus spells. Naturally Clerics are still the poster child for this, and Life domain Clerics exemplify this best of all: all their healing spells are more effective than other Clerics, but along with those of the [[WarriorMonk War]], [[ShockAndAwe Tempest]] and [[TheBlacksmith Forge]] domains, Life Clerics are also proficient with heavy armour. Alternatively, Grave domain Clerics focus on magic for restoring life at the brink of death; they make sure allies about to go to their grave don't go in there just yet, and they also make sure that [[NightOfTheLivingMooks the horrible things that do belong in the grave]], ''stay down in the grave''. |
| 62 | ** Way of Mercy Monks can replace a unarmed attack with a hit point restoring effect and at later levels remove various conditions, including disease. That's right, they can 'punch' people better. |
| 63 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Lancer}}'' has the Lancaster, which was designed to be large and fast so it could reach struggling allies in a pinch and take a few hits itself. Players quickly realized this combination of traits made it quite good at ramming. It also carries welding torches and nanomachine swarms, ostensibly for repairs, that can be turned on unlucky enemies. |
| 64 | * All characters in ''TabletopGame/LegendSystem'' can fight to some degree, so anybody with healing abilities is automatically this. The Sage and Shaman classes are more explicitly this trope: the Sage can heal in a radius and give allies extra turns in-between blowing away enemies with waves of BlackMagic, while the Shaman can cast incantations that can either heal or harm, and gets a spell list with plenty of options for both supporting and blasting. Thanks to the game's multiclassing system, any character who chooses the aforementioned class tracks also becomes a Combat Medic. |
| 65 | * A function of how magic works in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening''. A mage who knows enough about the Life Arcanum to heal someone else also knows how to buff up their own physical stats or turn plants into bees to set them on their enemies. At higher levels of Life magic, one can shapeshift others, degrade their physical stats, inflict diseases, and [[BodyHorror cause someone's body to tear itself apart]]. |
| 66 | * ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has a few. Battlefield Medic, most Cleric creatures, and now Frontline Medic. Most decks with life gain effects apply this to the player, [[WhiteMage unless built solely to support a team]]. |
| 67 | ** Ironically, the actual "Combat Medic" ''card'', dating back to the ''Fallen Empires'' expansion set, isn't one of these. It has 0 power (meaning it can't deal damage in combat without being boosted first) and no other offensive abilities either; it's solely useful for its damage-prevention ability and perhaps on occasion as a blocker. |
| 68 | * Thanks to the functionality of the point-buy system in ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'', a character who selects Healing as a power is in no way barred from also buying more combat-oriented abilities -- and are in fact encouraged to do so, since the game's Power Level system heavily supports all characters having some baseline level of fighting ability. While it is both possible and easy to build a superhero with no combat ability save for healing, you'd just be deliberately handicapping yourself. |
| 69 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' First Edition, a game which essentially took over the 3.X version of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', has more Combat Medics. The Paladin can play this role, as they now have mass-healing abilities and have been heavily upgraded from their 3.5 Incarnation. The Cleric, who got a few nerfs to avoid Codzilla, still fits this trope, as can many Oracle builds. The Witch skirts TheRedMage and Combat Medic, as they have healing but they also are far from a Jack character at magic. A properly made Alchemist and even Bard can also fall into this role. |
| 70 | ** The ''Advanced Class Guide'' added the Warpriest class, which blends the martial prowess of a Fighter with the divine magic of a Cleric, though in practice it seems more built to bridge the gap between the martial-focused Paladin and the magic-focused Cleric. They get the ability to enhance their weapons and armor, a special healing ability separate from their magic, and a selection of "blessings" that can be used to support allies, increase their damage, or damage and hinder their opponents. |
| 71 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' Second Edition has the Cleric, who now can train as a war priest to be a MagicKnight with WhiteMagic or can be more caster-friendly. The Sorcerer, Alchemist, Witch, Oracle, Investigator, and Druid can do it with magic or alchemy. Good-aligned Champions can also use modest healing magic and anyone can multiclass more easily to get healing magic. Skills have been upgraded to make them capable of restoring enough HP to make them usable. In short, ''anyone'' can be the Combat Medic with the Medicine skill and the Battlefield Medicine feat, which anyone can take at first level. |
| 72 | * While ''TabletopGame/PlanetMercenary'' allows any player to gain any skill, the Command Package of Doctor gives initial bonuses to Medicine, Xenobiology, Dodge, and any one Combat skill. |
| 73 | * New German Republic medical officers in ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' are every bit as well-armed and [[WeWillWearArmorInTheFuture armored]] as any other soldier, and field ambulances are just as armed as any APC. This is because the Gargoyles don't give a damn about Geneva or its conventions. |
| 74 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'''s [=DocWagon=] High Threat Response Teams are Combat Medics For Hire. In many cities they or their competitors are the only ambulances in operation. Notably, [=DocWagon=] does not care whether or not the patient has a SIN -- the [=SINless=] just have to pay for at least the basic contract (5000 Nuyen per year) in advance. |
| 75 | * ''TabletopGame/TheUnofficialHollowKnightRPG'': Something of a necessity; the fact that the most reliable way to generate [[{{Mana}} Soul]] for spellcasting is to attack enemies with a melee weapon means that even a bug on the Path of the Bloom (which is otherwise a WhiteMage with no abilities capable of harming enemies) is going to have to wade into combat sooner or later. |
| 76 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': |
| 77 | ** [[SuperSoldier Astartes]] Apothecaries are just as combat effective as their battle-brothers while having the ability to keep their comrades in the fight, unless they are mortally wounded. Then they just euthanize them and rip out the organ responsible for growing new genetic material for the chapter. Depending on the edition of the game, the rules for Apothecaries allow them to make their fellows tougher, heal wounds or even bring them back from the brink of death. |
| 78 | ** Space Wolves don't have apothecaries (at least not until they got the primaris version). Treatment of the wounded often fell to the Wolf Priests (their chaplain analogues) who often carry around a horn of ointments and holistic cures. This somehow works just as well as the cocktail of drugs other Apothecaries carry. |
| 79 | ** Astra Militarum examples: |
| 80 | *** The field medics who accompany Astra Militarum Command Squads are typically Veteran Guardsmen with a degree of medical skill equipped with a medi-pack that, depending on the tech-level of the regiment's homeworld, could be anything from a roll of bandages to a sophisticated auto-diagnostic and treatment kit. In-game these medics have the same combat abilities as every other Veteran in the squad and, depending on the edition, make it more difficult to wound members of the squad and/or heal wounded characters. |
| 81 | *** The Death Korps Quartermaster combines the role of medic with the technical skill required to recover damaged equipment and the spiritual training to administer comfort to the dying. The Quartermaster is also an officer who accompanies his regiment to the front lines and has the combat skills required to survive the hell of trench warfare. In the 8th Edition of the rules, the Quartermaster Revenant has characteristics superior to a Death Watch Veteran and is equipped with a medi-kit that he can use to heal nearby allies. |
| 82 | ** Orks have Mad Doks. While they do carry supplies for treating wounded Orks their reputation is such that nearby Orks are more likely to decide that their injuries aren't that bad than risk letting the Dok treat them. |
| 83 | ** Death Guard have Plague Surgeons, one of the only Chaos Legions to have retained their Apothecaries post-fall. They make the already tough-as-balls Death Guard even harder to drop. Because of their age and diseased hulk, they are even more formidable than their loyalist counterparts. |
| 84 | ** The Genestealer Cult Biophagus is implied to be a doctor in the lore (he was handing out "vaccinations" to a local imperial guard regiment that is also experiencing a [[BlatantLies completely unrelated high desertion rate]].) In-game however he acts more as a buffer, giving stim-boosts to Aberrants and other cult troops. However, while he is squishy, he is still part genestealer, with all the combat prowess that entails. |
| 85 | ** In 4th edition, a cheap Necron Lord with the Resurrection Orb was considered essential for Necron Warriors or Immortals gunlines; not only did he keep the necrons alive via the Orb, but he also provided essential melee prowess if any of the units were charged by dedicated melee specialists. Destroyer Lords likewise often took one as well to keep up with Destroyers. This was largely phased out in later editions where the Orb became less and less effective in reviving troops and Necrons in general became harder and harder to kill. |
| 86 | * Medic specialists in the 2018 version of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000KillTeam'' are just as capable as their fellows in battle but are also able to boost the resilience of members of the kill team and, with the right skills, heal their comrade's injuries. |
| 87 | [[/folder]] |
| 88 | |
| 89 | !!Non-game examples: |
| 90 | |
| 91 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 92 | * The [[AllThereInTheManual guidebook]] for ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' states there is a division of the [[RedShirtArmy Survey Corps]] that are combat medics. While not explicitly featured thus far, it is safe to assume members are skilled soldiers -- they have to be, to have survived for any length of time in the branch with the lowest survival rates. Hange, Petra, and Krista have all been shown administering emergency treatment to comrades on occasion and are all badasses in their own right. |
| 93 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': |
| 94 | ** Captain Unohana Retsu is head of the 4th squad, which is an entire unit of combat medics. She's both famous for being the perfect YamatoNadeshiko and scary enough to frighten even the BloodKnight 11th division. She also has an InformedAbility as a MasterSwordsman. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed that she was the founder and first Kenpachi of the 11th division and the most diabolical criminal in Soul Society history. Now TheAtoner, she's only become this trope since giving up being an AxCrazy MartialMedic.]] |
| 95 | ** Orihime Inoue starts as TheMedic with some BarrierWarrior abilities, but by the Lost Agent arc she has fully evolved into this. |
| 96 | ** Uryuu Ishida may be a badass mystic archer who has defeated a shinigami captain by one-shotting both the captain and his bankai at the same time, but he's as weak as a kitten compared to his father, Ryuuken Ishida. Ryuuken's not only a fully qualified surgeon and the director of Karakura General Hospital, but he's a quincy whose exceptional fighting strength is surpassed only by his stubborn [[RefusalOfTheCall refusal to use that power]]. |
| 97 | ** Giselle Gewelle can heal wounds and regrow lost limbs... by decomposing corpses into new flesh and then using it in her "patients". Her colleagues fear her abilities as much as they find them useful, as it's entirely her whim as to whether she heals someone or turns them into a zombie slave. The technique for both is the same. |
| 98 | * Akiko Yosano from ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs''. Her ability 'Thou Shalt Not Die' allows her to heal wounds, but only if they're half-killed before then or their wounds are fatally-serious. If her patient is only non-lethally injured, she'll have to hurt them some more first. |
| 99 | * Cynthia from ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' ends up becoming this. She was already a capable fighter, powerful enough to hold the 14th rank among the active Claymores. After surviving the Northern Campaign, she spent the seven-year TimeSkip developing a technique that allows her to [[HealingHands heal]] an injured comrade by manipulating their Yoki aura. All Claymores are capable of regeneration, but her abilities allow her to reattach or even ''regrow'' severed limbs in the midst of a heated battle. |
| 100 | * Seiko Kimura from ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool''. As the Ultimate Pharmacist, she's capable of creating medicine that can cure wounds and neutralize poisons, as well as give herself SuperStrength. |
| 101 | * Noi of ''Manga/{{Dorohedoro}}''. The 'Medic' part comes from her magic, able to heal everything from [[TearOffYourFace a ripped off face]], dismemberment and so on. The 'Combat' part is that she's an over 6 foot tall wall of muscle that can quite literally chop people in two with her bare hands. |
| 102 | * ''Manga/FairyTail'' gives us Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragon Slayer, who starts out as a master of healing magic but not much anything else since she's too timid to stand up for herself in the heat of battle. As the series progresses, however, she learns to start putting her "dragon slaying" abilities to use by [[BlowYouAway breathing and conjuring tornadoes]]. Fast-forward 100 or so chapters, and she actively supports her friends in battle by enhancing their speed, strength, and defense while still managing to hold her own, and even plays a crucial role in taking out at least two {{Arc Villain}}s. 50 chapters after ''that'', she's a fully polished fighter who can fight one-on-one.[[spoiler:And 90 chapters after ''' ''THAT'' ''',she reaches her magic's ultimate form,by eating the energy a DoomsdayDevice radiated.]] Also, [[BadassAdorable she's twelve years old]]. |
| 103 | ** Also, Chelia Blendy, Wendy's God Slayer counterpart. [[spoiler:Correction: ''ex''-counterpart]]. |
| 104 | * Dr. Techs Farzenberg of ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'' isn't ''actually'' an example of this trope (he's a NonActionGuy that only will resort to violence to defend himself if absolutely necessary as a doctor should be), but nonetheless [[https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/895/411/c30.png an image of him cocking a pistol with the subtitle "I'm a healer, but..."]] became [[{{Memes/Gundam}} a template that was popularly applied]] to {{Combat Medic}}s everywhere. |
| 105 | * ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': |
| 106 | ** [[AgentPeacock Josuke Higashikata]], from ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond is Unbreakable]]''. His Stand, Crazy Diamond, is almost on par with Jotaro's [[LightningBruiser Star Platinum]] when it comes to melee combat. He's also one of the rare instances where the healing power itself doubles as an offensive measure because it works by rewinding time. For example: [[spoiler:he restores a missile fired at him and turns it on the enemy who fired it.]] [[NoSelfBuffs Too bad Josuke can't heal himself with his Stand]]. |
| 107 | *** Early in the manga, his mother has unwittingly consumed [[MakingASplash Aqua Necklace]], an intrusive liquid Stand that can [[GrandTheftMe control people's bodies]]. How does he deal with it? He ''punches through her back, pushes Aqua Necklace out through the hole in her gut, and smashes a bottle in front of her, then restores the bottle around Aqua Necklace and restores his mother's body and clothes as he pulls out his arm''. The whole thing is over before she knows anything happened, and she doesn't even feel pain -- at most, she has a vague suspicion that ''something'' happened. |
| 108 | ** ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'' has [[NeighborhoodFriendlyGangsters Giorno Giovanna]] and his Stand, Gold Experience. Unlike Josuke, Giorno not only has the ability to replace severed limbs; he can use his Stand on himself. On the other hand, it does nothing for pain and while it also works wonders in combat, [[GlassCannon its durability leaves much to be desired]]. |
| 109 | ** ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' has [[spoiler:Foo Fighters, [[WormThatWalks a sapient colony of sea plankton]]]]. She can heal deadly wounds by filling them with her [[spoiler:plankton]] and sewing them on a microscopical level, making her invaluable as TheMedic. However, she can also fire pieces of said [[spoiler:plankton]] like bullets, which, coupled with her ability to [[SuperToughness withstand massive amounts of damage]], makes her just as useful as a fighter. |
| 110 | ** ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun Steel Ball Run]]'' has [[ChurchMilitant Hot Pants]] and her Stand, Cream Starter, [[ItMakesSenseInContext which is basically a spray can that sprays flesh.]] The flesh can be used to blind enemies when [[EyeScream sprayed on the eyes]], or suffocate them to death when sprayed on both the nose and mouth. The flesh also heals cuts and wounds, which is pretty handy for [[HandicappedBadass Johnny Joestar]] and [[BigBrotherMentor Gyro Zeppeli]] to patch up after a fight. |
| 111 | * Gareki from ''Manga/{{Karneval}}'' is in training to become one of these. |
| 112 | * Shamal of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' is a straight [[TheMedic medic]], but she joins in the battle when needed. Such as the time when she she shoved her arm through [[spoiler:Nanoha]] to save the Wolkenritter. And the PensieveFlashback of the Ancient Belkan era in the [[AllThereInTheManual second Sound Stage]] of ''A's'' which showed her killing a knight who was calling reinforcements. And the time when she captured Otto, the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Numbers]] [[HollywoodCyborg Cyborg]] in charge of field operations. |
| 113 | ** Before Shamal, there is Yuuno. In addition to his healing ability, he has StoneWall defensive ability makes him apparently impossible to hurt. He's also good with binding spells, and magical chains that can cut things apart when pulled hard enough. Finally, he has a "forced teleportation" spell which lets him relocate enemies to more convenient locations -- such as, in space, directly in front a battleship's charging main cannon. When the series' writers actually let Yuuno participate in a battle, he's always a major player. |
| 114 | * ''Manga/{{Monster}}'''s Dr. Tenma is usually a nice guy. But don't screw with him, or he'll stab you in the carotid artery. He's considered a genius brain surgeon who happens to have advanced military/firearms training. |
| 115 | * Tsunade from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fits to a T, as a character adept at both healing and kicking ass. Not only her, but ''any'' named characer who is a medic-nin: Tsunade's apprentices Sakura (who along with Tsunade has SuperStrength thanks to her medical training) and Shizune, Yashamaru, Chiyo, Kabuto, Ino... |
| 116 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'' |
| 117 | ** At first glance, it's easy to mistake Tony Tony Chopper for the TeamPet (even in-universe). However, he's a highly proficient doctor who can be quite the BadassAdorable when pushed. In the fight with the zombie Oars, Chopper consistently used his medical knowledge to tip the fight in the Straw Hats' favor. |
| 118 | ** Also Trafalgar Law, whose [[PowerUpFood Devil Fruit]], appropiately named Ope-Ope Fruit (from "operation"), allows him to cut people up and reassemble them in any way he likes. He's the doctor and captain of the Heart Pirates and his epithet is "The Surgeon of Death". Despite how deadly he is, Law is proven to be pretty damn good at the medic part of combat medic, though he hasn't been shown to use his medical expertise on the battlefield yet (unless you count that one time he guessed where Kaido's heart was while in his dragon form, [[ArmorPiercingAttack before he fried it]]). |
| 119 | * in Anime/PokemonTheSeries, Nurse Joy's have their own Pokémon and will defend their facilities if attacked, and have been shown to be no slouches when doing it. Some have even been shown to be able to Mega Evolve their Pokémon, and one special division apparently have a lot of legendary Pokémon at their disposal. |
| 120 | * From ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', Yellow, who is gifted with HealingHands, spends her arc steadily improving her battling skills up to the point she has to go up against Lance front and center. |
| 121 | * Yaone from ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}''. Hakkai also functions as this, though his healing powers are draining and he can't use them if he's injured. |
| 122 | * Faust VIII from ''Manga/ShamanKing'', who slaved over his medical studies to find a cure for his gravely sick wife Eliza, and then dedicated himself to necromancy to find a way to stay with his deceased wife Eliza (who is now his Guardian Ghost). He's an important team player for Yoh and co. in the Shaman Fight because of his medical expertise; and moreso after learning from the Chō-Senjiryakketsu to revive even the dead. |
| 123 | * Princess Amelia of ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' serves as this to her group of friends; she wields powerful WhiteMagic, but is also skilled with Shamanistic Magic and utilizes the latter with [[BareFistedMonk martial arts attacks]]. [[TheMedic Sylphiel]] is better at WhiteMagic than Amelia is, but save for a devastating BlackMagic spell that she practiced religiously to [[AllLoveIsUnrequited impress the man she has a crush on]], she is lousy with attack spells. |
| 124 | * ''Manga/SoulEater'': |
| 125 | ** Kim Diehl is both a tanuki witch with healing abilities and very handy with her flamethrower/lantern Weapon, Jackie (in fact, she was introduced as a meister before the reveal she was a witch). Though we've seen slightly more of the latter talent, healing herself from a nasty [[GoodThingYouCanHeal stab wound]] is an indication of how good a Medic she is. |
| 126 | ** Stein satisfies his endless curiosity by being a doctor (of a kind) and a crazy awesome meister who has a thing for bladed weapons. Apparently, this is because both occupations give him the opportunity to cut things up. |
| 127 | * ''Manga/SteamDetectives'': Ling Ling is a nurse, and she does happen to get into the action of the series, helping her partner solve crimes and dealing with criminals. |
| 128 | * In ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'', Asuna's ALO build, playing as an Undine Healer, but also specializing for rapier sword skills, complementing her experience from SAO. There's a reason she's nicknamed "Berserk Healer." |
| 129 | * The twins Jin and Mikoto from ''Anime/TomicaHyperRescueDriveHeadKidouKyuukyuuKeisatsu''. The two strive to be doctors like their parents, and pilot an ambulance-themed mech. Although the twins actually get little chance to utilize their medical skills onscreen thanks to the show focusing more on the action, their robots play that role, having more support abilities such as a gun which can release cement to repair collapsing building. |
| 130 | * The medic corps from ''Literature/TheWrongWayToUseHealingMagic'' are this due to their leader's absolutely hellish training. Every member has to be strong enough to fend off any attackers and then be able to heal their comrades on the battlefield or safely bring them back and not die. As a result most combat medics, including the main character, Usato, are far stronger than the rest of their country's soldiers. |
| 131 | * ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'''s Kurama is a lethal fighter with a genius-level intellect -- and a knowledge of both the killing and healing abilities of plant life. |
| 132 | ** Similarly, the demon Shigure is both a badass combatant with his RingsOfDeath and an extremely efficient surgeon [[spoiler:who actually implanted [[MagicalEye the Jaganishi]] in Hiei's forehead.]] |
| 133 | [[/folder]] |
| 134 | |
| 135 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 136 | * 'Doc' Watson from ''ComicBook/CombatKellyAndHisDozen'' was the squad's medical officer who would charge into combat alongside the others wielding a machine gun and grenades. |
| 137 | * Dr Charles [=McNider=], aka Dr Mid-Nite, in Creator/DCComics, and his [[LegacyCharacter successors]] Dr Beth Chapel, aka Dr Midnight, and Dr Pieter Cross, aka Dr Mid-Nite II. |
| 138 | * Mender from ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'' has HealingHands but is also prone to battle-fury, such that he might tear into a group of enemies only to heal them once the battle is over. He actually gets a kick out of his contradicting natures. |
| 139 | * The Franchise/GIJoe team often fields a medic, the two most notable being Carl "Doc" Greer and Edwin "Lifeline" Steen. |
| 140 | * Soranik Natu of the ComicBook/GreenLantern Corps. Her ring came to her in the middle of a difficult operation, and she only accepted so she could use it to save her patient (she comes from the same planet as [[FallenHero Sinestro]], so Lanterns don't exactly have a great reputation there). |
| 141 | * Healer Randolph of Tomahawk's Rangers in ''ComicBook/{{Tomahawk}}''. |
| 142 | * Bill Mauldin's classic WWII comic ''ComicBook/UpFront'' depicted medics at the front alongside the dog soldiers. In one panel a dishevelled medic is told he didn't earn combat pay because he wasn't "in combat." |
| 143 | * Valkyrie, the title recently taken up by Dr Jane Foster, assembled a team of medical superheroes to aid her: Doctor Strange, Night Nurse, Cardiac, Excalibur (Dr Faiza Hussain) and Manikin (Dr Whitman Knapp). They call themselves the Mighty Medics, unofficially. |
| 144 | * Nightcrawler in the ''ComicBook/XMen'' had some medical training and sometimes served as the team's medic, especially during the Creator/ChrisClaremont run. |
| 145 | * ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': MadDoctor Pharma meets his end when his former subordinate First Aid blows his head off with a minigun. Ratchet is also shown being quite willing to fight, but First Aid is the one with the most...''proactive'' approach to medicine. |
| 146 | [[/folder]] |
| 147 | |
| 148 | [[folder:FanWorks]] |
| 149 | * ''Fanfic/{{Bait and Switch|STO}}'': During an away mission in chapter seven, the USS ''Bajor's'' science officer Birail Riyannis serves this role, mixing it up in firefights and providing first aid to an injured civilian and two members of the away team. |
| 150 | * ''Fanfic/BloodAndHonor'': In addition to being a sharpshooter and tactician, Quinn has medical training. He performs first aid in the field several times and can also give follow-up treatment in a medbay. |
| 151 | * In ''Fanfic/TheDarkLordsOfNerima'', Beneda notes that this is the key difference between Dr. Tofu and the Dark Kingdom's healers. The former was not only a fully capable healer, but could hold his own in a fight if need be, while the latter consisted of those youma that were too weak to take part in combat. |
| 152 | * Watson is most definitely this in [[Fanfic/DeliverUsFromEvilSeries Mortality]]. He used his medical skills [[DeadlyDoctor on a captured criminal when Holmes was captured and tortured with an inch of his life]] and most likely [[TranquilFury MURDERED Smith and the captured criminal with his medical skills]]. |
| 153 | ** Let's just say [[LivingEmotionalCrutch messing with his friend]] is [[TooDumbToLive a suicidal mistake]] since it gets this gentle soul ''pissed'' and to the point of [[GoodIsNotSoft wanting to kill you.]] |
| 154 | * In ''Fanfic/EmbersVathara'' both Katara and Zuko use their bending abilities to heal and fight. Toph subverts this by having a proper training, but preferring to only smash people around. Most healers were taught how to fight in the old days, [[spoiler:until Koh decided that getting rid of them would make it easier for him to destroy all humans]]. It’s hinted that Avatar Kuruk actively defined this trope (splitting healers and warriors) to either save last healers or to avoid [[spoiler:creating another insane Northern Tribeswoman like Avatar Kesuk.]] |
| 155 | * ''Fanfic/EquestriaGirlsFriendshipSouls'': Fluttershy graduates to this as she grows stronger. Originally, the most she could do was use a CompellingVoice and injecting her reiatsu into others to weaken or dominate her enemies while also using the same principles to power up herself and her allies, but as she improves she gains the ability to use that same power to heal others and herself while developing her hand-to-hand skills. |
| 156 | * In ''Series/DoctorWho'' fanfic ''{{Fanfic/Gemini}},'' Skeerse, the [[LizardFolk reptilian]] nurse held captive by the super-soldier facility, eagerly treats Nathan’s injuries when the ''Morningstar'' crew commandeer the sick-bay. He then takes up arms when June Harper convinces him to join the escape plan, and reveals that before he came to work at the super-soldier facility, his home-world had been caught in the middle of the Dalek Civil War and he had fought against the Imperials and the Renegades alike. |
| 157 | * ''Fanfic/AGrowingAffection'' adds to the list of medically trained ninajs, but also has a number of other ninjas (including Naruto and Hinata) being taught a few simple medical jutsu so they can help out in an emergency. This comes in handy in a few chapters. |
| 158 | * In ''Fanfic/LegacySekiroKimetsuNoYaiba'', Tamayo is a master of Ashina-style swordsmanship, clashing evenly with the likes of Wolf (albeit after hundreds of years of isolation have atrophied his skills). Her medicinal techniques are also second-to-none, having learned from her mother to create an ElixirOfLife for Wolf to take. |
| 159 | * In the ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' FanFic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4942679/1/The_Long_Walk The Long Walk]]'', after her HeelFaceTurn it turns out the OC Breech Loader turns out to be something of a medic, knowing all about healing injuries sustained in street battles, and also has a wide knowledge of dealing with drug-related problems. It also turns out that she has absolutely no qualms about hurting people, and can even [[spoiler:defeat Raphael in one-on-one combat]]. |
| 160 | * [[AlliterativeName Alazar Aboudi]] was a Special Forces combat medic in ''Fanfic/MarqueAndReprisal''. |
| 161 | * In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', Lily is [[TheMedic a cleric]] in the healer tents, as well as [[TheApprentice an apprentice hunter]] in the battlefield. |
| 162 | * ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'': Riley Finn is a highly competent soldier trained as a medic, and his wife is a Peace Corp doctor who always carries a gun. |
| 163 | * ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'': In addtion to canon healers like Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura, several other characters like Hinata and Shino are trained in medical ninjutsu thanks to it being taught as an elective in the academy [[spoiler:following the Uchiha Insurrection.]] |
| 164 | * ''Fanfic/VowOfNudity'': Both protagonists, despite being a monk and a warlock, have healing options far better than their class normally gets thanks to their subclasses. Haara specced into Tranquility (letting her substitute punches for uses of HealingHands), and Spectra formed a pact with a Celestial giving her the ability to heal herself and others with beacons of restorative light. |
| 165 | * Jane Crocker in the Homestuck fanfic ''Fanfic/WarboundWidow''. Because of her Life abilities she's incredibly tough and hard to kill, able to heal shattered bones with ease. Even when faced with loosing a limb she comforts herself with the fact she'd be able to grow it back. Eventually. |
| 166 | * In ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'', OL's secondary role to the team is a healer, he uses his abilities to immediately heal the team on site. |
| 167 | ** OL is also trying to get the League to get a dedicated Superpowered Healer for their team, as it would make life so much easier. He convinces Batman to get Accomplished Perfect Physician on the team. |
| 168 | [[/folder]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[folder:Film -- Animated]] |
| 171 | * Baymax from ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' is initially a healthcare companion robot, but is given fighting ability after Hiro's upgrades. |
| 172 | [[/folder]] |
| 173 | |
| 174 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 175 | * In ''Film/MasterAndCommander'', the HMS ''Surprise'''s chief medical officer Steven Maturin takes part in the final battle, despite still recovering from a gunshot wound earlier in the movie. |
| 176 | %%* Technician Irvin Wade in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. |
| 177 | %%* John Watson in ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'' and ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows''. |
| 178 | * The titular machines from the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' series have detailed files on human anatomy to make them more efficient killers. Of course when programmed to fight on the humans side, this also makes them ''very'' good at treating wounds. |
| 179 | %%* Surgeon Reynolds in ''Film/{{Zulu}}''. |
| 180 | [[/folder]] |
| 181 | |
| 182 | [[folder:LARP]] |
| 183 | %%* Earth Templars in the NERO LARP qualify as this. |
| 184 | * Odyssey LARP has the Philosopher class, which does healing and magical rituals. Carthaginian philosophers get melee weapon use as their cultural skill. More secrets of the universe? no thanks, I'll have a pair of swords! |
| 185 | [[/folder]] |
| 186 | |
| 187 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 188 | * James Nichols, M.D., from the ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'' series is a veteran Marine, the product of Chicago's roughest ghetto and street gangs, expert sniper -- and, after the Ring of Fire, legitimately the best doctor ''in the entire world''. Also, he's shacking up with a Boston Brahmin flaming radical liberal schoolteacher with a history of arrest for Civil Rights protests who knows at least three different recipes for homemade napalm offhand. |
| 189 | * Dr. Maturin in the ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'' series, in addition to being a learned physician, is also an expert swordsman and marksman. |
| 190 | * Croaker from ''The Black Company''. He's also the titular mercenary company's historian [[spoiler:and eventually its commander]]. |
| 191 | * In the ''Literature/BlackMagician'' series of novels, Healing magic can be used to stop a man's heart. All members of the Magician's Guild have at least some training in Healing magic and know how to block this, but [[spoiler:[[GameBreaker when you are fighting magicians from an enemy nation which never had a Healing tradition...]]]] |
| 192 | * Memmon and Khirion of ''Literature/BrothersOfTheSnake'' are both Space Marine Apothecaries. Note that "Space Marine" part comes before "Apothecary" -- they're more akin to warriors with additional medical training than medics with additional military training. |
| 193 | * Lucy Pevensie in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia''. |
| 194 | * Dr. Awesome from "Literature/ClockpunkAndTheVitalizer", though he doesn't get the chance to show off the "combat" side. |
| 195 | * In ''Corner of a Round Planet'' (the sequel to ''Literature/PocketInTheSea'',) Dog Company's medic, Lillenthal, is definitely this though he does focus on his job as the medic first and foremost. |
| 196 | * ''Literature/{{Countdown}}'': M Day's medics are trained to shoot and heal; the initial cadre was several Green Beret medics. |
| 197 | * Alastair Kornbock from ''Literature/DocSidhe'' is a world-class surgeon who has no problems being on the frontline of Doc's fight against evil. As he explains, the Fair World's equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath only applies to patients, and the people he fights don't become his patients until after he shoots them. |
| 198 | * Butters from ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' is turning into one. |
| 199 | ** There's also [[MagicalNativeAmerican ''Injun Joe'']] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Listens-To-Wind]], member of the Senior Council and all-round CoolOldGuy (born in the early 1800's), who still goes back to medical school every few decades to keep his knowledge up-to-date. |
| 200 | * Fiene in ''Literature/EndoAndKobayashiLive The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte'' possesses healing magic, however she is also a brutally (and comically) effective physical fighter far beyond everybody else in the setting. She's been on record of reattaching ''her own arm'' and defeating two assassins ''at the same time''. |
| 201 | * Since all unicorns in ''Literature/TheFirebringerTrilogy'' are trained as warriors, healers like Teki also turn out this way. |
| 202 | * Most Healers in the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series don't get combat training, but some do. On that short list, [=MindHealer=] Crathach from ''Exile's Honor'' not only has HealingHands that work on a damaged psyche, but is so good with [[DualWielding two daggers]] that he can teach Alberich a few tricks. Crathach ends up assigned to Sendar's bodyguard for the final battle. |
| 203 | * Clarissa [=MacDougall=] of the ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' universe ''starts'' as a nurse in the Galactic Patrol. By the third book of the Kim Kinnison story arc she's promoted into the ranks of the Lensmen themselves, justified in-universe because she's the [[spoiler:co-penultimate of the Arisian breeding program and more than half-Lensman to start with]] and also [[spoiler:the only one qualified to work with the Matriarchs of Lyrane II]]. She more than justifies her promotion when she uncovers [[spoiler:the return of the Overlords]]. |
| 204 | ** In the grand finale, she goes back to Lyrane and turns things up several notches. And then several more. By the time it's all over, there's a trail of wreckage and enemy corpses behind her; and it's quite clear that while the other Second-Stage Lensmen all have specialist skills she lacks, [[spoiler:she has by far the greatest reserves of sheer mental force]]. To top it all off, she's one of the tactical controllers at the [[spoiler:Battles of Arisia and Ploor]], alongside the Galactic Coordinator and the Patrol's two senior Admirals (among others). |
| 205 | * Magnus Chase of ''Literature/MagnusChaseAndTheGodsOfAsgard''. As a son of the Vanir, Frey, he's less naturally combat oriented than demigod children of Aesir like Thor or Odin, working better as a medic with his HealingHands. He still manages to keep up with his friends with his Einherji SuperStrength and his sword, [[AbsurdlySharpBlade Sumarbrandr]], a.k.a [[LivingWeapon Jack]]. |
| 206 | * Played with in the case of Malcolm from ''Literature/RangersApprentice.'' While an ActionSurvivor who hates harming others, he is quite capable of protecting himself with usage of illusions and home-made flashbang grenades. |
| 207 | * Rebecca Chambers from ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' is portrayed in the novels as not only the STARS team medic, but a scientist as well. She's accurately shown to be weak in combat, but that doesn't stop her from saving the world through smarts and cunning or everybody loving her. |
| 208 | * John Watson from the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' series, as well as fulfilling his namesake trope, can be seen as a combat medic. While Watson is a doctor and sometimes patches Holmes up after injuries on a case, he more often acts as physical backup for Holmes in dangerous situations. He is a competent fighter and owns a gun. |
| 209 | ** [[RetiredBadass Watson survived service]] with the British Army in ''Afghanistan''. 'Nuff said. |
| 210 | * Clighal from the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' is both the Jedi Order's chief medic and able to take down an insane Jedi in about five seconds flat. |
| 211 | * ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Kaladin was trained as a surgeon by his father before going to join the army and becoming an expert spearman. |
| 212 | * Creator/RosemarySutcliff was keen on both warfare and medicine: among her various soldiers and doctors are a Roman army surgeon who leads LaResistance (''[[Literature/TheDolphinRing The Silver Branch]]''); a Roman orderly who masquerades as a standard-bearer (''A Circlet of Oak Leaves''); an infirmarian monk who becomes a cavalryman and battlefield surgeon (''Literature/SwordAtSunset''); and a cattle doctor-turned-Viking-turned-Byzantine physician (''Literature/BloodFeud''). |
| 213 | * Dr. Livesey from ''Literature/TreasureIsland'' easily overpowers and kills a pirate in a swordfight, and is mentioned to be a veteran of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fontenoy Battle of Fontenoy]] several times. |
| 214 | * In addition to designated squad medics assigned to the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'''s Dendarii Free Mercenaries, [[ActionGirl Elli Quinn]] has sufficient medical training to do a field prep for [[HumanPopsicle cryo-freeze]] of battlefield casualties. (Probably part of her overall bodyguard training.) |
| 215 | * Medicine cats in ''Literature/WarriorCats'' are all trained to fight unless they're physically incapable of doing so. And some medicine cats were warriors before becoming medicine cats, which makes them even more skilled in battle. They don't normally need to fight, as they're not supposed to be acceptable targets, but woe betide anyone who breaks that rule. |
| 216 | * ''Literature/{{Worm}}'': Panacea's HealingHands are actually complete control of a subject's biological functions- she can just as easily inflict heart attacks, irrevocable cancers, or other biological nasties as she can heal injuries; thankfully her personal moral restraints keep that part of her power from manifesting more often than not. There's also Bonesaw, Amy's EvilCounterpart, a medical [[GadgeteerGenius tinker]] so talented she can bring back others from death itself -- and is also a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] SerialKiller armed with a number of biological self-modifications and lethal poisons. |
| 217 | * The ''Literature/XWingSeries'' has Ton Phanan. He was a licensed doctor before being badly hurt and [[EmergencyTransformation getting cybernetics]]. After that he left his profession and became a pilot. In ''Wraith Squadron'' because of his medical training he became the squadron's medic. Even outside of the cockpit he wasn't too squishy, being a little of a DrJerk and a DeadlyDoctor who was able to cut an attacker's throat with a laser scalpel. |
| 218 | -->'''Sarkin''': Why did you give [medicine] up?\ |
| 219 | '''Phanan''': Because I didn't care for patching up people I don't care about and do enjoy killing people I hate. |
| 220 | [[/folder]] |
| 221 | |
| 222 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 223 | * ''Series/NineOneOne'': Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz, before joining Los Angeles’ 118 firehouse, served in the US Army as one during tours in Afghanistan. |
| 224 | * ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': Jemma Simmons was initially a NonActionGuy just accepted into field duty and completely unused to the related hardships, but facing near-death on a consistent basis forced her to [[TookALevelInBadass step up her game]], both physical and emotional, very quickly. While still not an official field agent she's become pretty handy in a scrap and also had the time to pick up some ImprobableAimingSkills along the way. |
| 225 | * ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Willow Rosenberg during Season 8. |
| 226 | * Leo from ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''. As a human he was a medic in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and when he died he [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence was transformed]] into a [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Whitelighter]] complete with HealingHands. Another bump in power saw him as an [[PhysicalGod Elder]], and added [[ShockAndAwe lightning bolts]] to his healing powers. And even before that power-up, he has proved himself to be capable of combat, once even taking on a medieval knight in a sword fight and winning. |
| 227 | * ''Series/CodeBlack'' has Col. Ethan Willis, a military trauma surgeon assigned to Angels Memorial to teach front-line battlefield medicine to the ER staff. RoadsideSurgery is his stock in trade, and he is noted for having performed many surgical procedures in the back of a moving Humvee -- often while under fire. Even ''Leanne Rorish'' cedes to his expertise in this area. |
| 228 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'''s Rory Williams is a nurse by profession. He's also, when he opens that little door in his mind, the Last Roman Centurion, and has 2,000 years of memories and skills to draw on. ''Cybermen'' are scared of him. ''With reason''. |
| 229 | ** The same episode as Rory-v-Cybermen gives us Strax, a Sontaran who had this role forced on him as "penance" for something his "clone-batch" did. He had to leave the army and care for the sick and weak of other species, which is considered a FateWorseThanDeath for a [[SociopathicSoldier Sontaran]]. He makes the best of it, but his bedside manner is, well... |
| 230 | --->'''Boy''': Will I be OK?\ |
| 231 | '''Strax''': [cheerfully] Of course you will my boy, you'll be up and around in no time. And perhaps one day, you and I shall meet on the field of battle, and I will destroy you for the glory of the Sontaran Empire!\ |
| 232 | '''Boy''': Thanks, nurse. |
| 233 | * ''Series/{{Emergency}}'' had one who was training to become a paramedic. Unfortunately, he kept trying to fall back on the combat medicine he'd learned in the army, and kept arguing with Gage and [=DeSoto=] over how to treat the patients and wanting to start treatment before the doctor could advise what to do. He really learned a hard lesson when the guys treated a man whom the medic kept insisting was an acid tripper, and then the hospital relayed he was actually a diabetic, and the medic's course of action (there's nothing you can do but transport and let it wear off) would have killed him. |
| 234 | * ''{{Series/Firefly}}'s'' Simon Tam isn't much of a frontline fighter, but his exceptional medical skills allow him to disable opponents using nonlethal attacks, and in one case prevented an unruly [[TokenEvilTeammate Jayne]] from taking over the ship. |
| 235 | ** "Ariel" also proved he can be quite the DiabolicalMastermind if he needs to be. |
| 236 | ** On the other hand, "War Stories" subverted this when Dr. Tam took up arms to help [[BigDamnHeroes rescue the Captain]]. According to Shepherd Book, even after his part in an intense gunbattle, Simon ''[[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy still]]'' [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy hasn't taken another person's life]]. |
| 237 | * ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Caitlin Snow is a trained doctor as well as a bioengineer, and is a seasoned ActionSurvivor. This trope becomes more prominent for her after becoming a metahuman, even using her medical knowledge while fighting Barry. |
| 238 | * Dr. Owen Hunt in ''Series/GreysAnatomy''. The first episode that introduced him has him performing a tracheotomy on a guy with a ''pen''. After he leaves the army and becomes a trauma doctor at Seattle Grace, he, at first, has trouble adjusting to working at a civilian hospital and nearly gets into trouble with his improvised medicine (e.g. having a patient's scalp glued to her head instead of calling for a specialist to properly suture it). Oh, and he still has PTSD from his time in Iraq. |
| 239 | * ''Series/HolbyCity'' has Berenice "Bernie" Wolfe, late of the Royal Army Medical Corps and explicitly called "the greatest trauma surgeon [the UK] has to offer". By the end of the series, she had been blown up no less than three separate times and declared dead at least once. Shortly after she joins the Acute Admissions Unit at Holby, a mass casualty has her asking for permission to organise triage and emergency care as she would on the front lines; her resulting "Kandahar style" medicine [[GeekyTurnOn impresses]] AAU lead Serena Campbell so much that she offers Bernie the position of co-lead and the opportunity to start up her own trauma unit. And when another doctor starts flirting with her girlfriend -- [[OneTrueLove the aforementioned Serena Campbell]] -- Bernie points out acidly that she knows ''thirteen'' ways to kill someone with her bare hands. |
| 240 | * In ''Series/KamenRiderOOO'', Akira Date/Kamen Rider Birth was part of a group of traveling doctors before he became a Rider. He gets to use his medical skills in Episode 24, and one of his dreams is to set up a medical school. |
| 241 | * ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'' both subverts and plays it straight. [[TheHero Emu Hojo]] is a skilled doctor and genius gamer, but has little mundane fighting skills, getting beaten up at every opportunity. [[note]] fighting viruses in [[Recap/KamenRiderExAidEp4AnOperationCalledDash #4]], Zaizen's troops in [[Film/KamenRiderGenerationsDrPacmanVsExAidAndGhostWithLegendaryRiders Heisei Generations]], by [[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Takeshi Asakura]] in Revival of Beast Rider Squad and by [[spoiler:Masamune Dan]] in [[Recap/KamenRiderExAidEp38PeriodWithTears #38]] [[/note]]. [[FallenHero Taiga Hanaya]], on the other hand, is genius doctor, the most skilled Kamen Rider and experienced fighter. |
| 242 | * Though he doesn't often get to show it, ''[[Series/{{Mash}} M*A*S*H*]]'s'' Colonel Potter very much qualifies. He and an extremely reluctant Hawkeye are the only surgeons on the show who have participated in an on-screen firefight[[note]]An exchange of small arms fire in ''Hawkeye Get Your Gun''[[/note]]; and it's obvious that he knows exactly how to handle himself in a combat situation. This is very much justified, as Potter is a "mustang officer" veteran of three wars -- World Wars I, II, and Korea -- and spent most of his Army career in the cavalry. Potter has no doubt been in heavy combat many, ''many'' times. |
| 243 | * ''Series/MiamiMedical'' has Matt Proctor, a general surgeon ("hernias and hemorrhoids" as another character puts it) who joins Miami Trauma -- because before he was a general surgeon, he did two tours in the Persian Gulf and three years at the Landstuhl military hospital as a front-line combat trauma surgeon. ''It shows'', particularly in crisis situations when everyone else is at a loss for what to do. Eva Zambrano, a surgical fellow who had been in line to take over her trauma team, doesn't even argue when he gets the spot over her because he's ''so good'' at his job despite his personality quirks. |
| 244 | * Several episodes of ''Series/{{Moonlight}}'' show that Mick used to be one during UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, and that's ''before'' he became a vampire. He shows off his skills as a battlefield medic by tying off a cut artery with a ''necklace''. |
| 245 | * Aramis of the BBC's 2014 version of ''Series/TheMusketeers''. The eponymous heroes are elite soldiers and amongst them Aramis is usually the one tasked with sewing up their war wounds (Porthos says Aramis "should have been a seamstress"). He also is shown to have some interest in forensics and the group turn to Aramis's expertise to try and save [[spoiler:Cardinal Richelieu]] when he is poisoned. |
| 246 | * Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard of ''{{Series/NCIS}}'' served in Afghanistan and Bosnia with the U.K.'s Royal Army Medical Corps before joining NCIS; |
| 247 | * ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': Sameen Shaw originally went to medical school, but was deemed unfit to become a doctor due to her LackOfEmpathy towards others. She went on to join the Marines, and later the ISA. She has patched up several others over the course of the show, and has probably patched herself up just as many times. |
| 248 | * Like the character in the [[Literature/SherlockHolmes source material]], Dr. John Watson of ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' is a former military doctor, a veteran of the [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror war in Afghanistan]]. He comes across as the [[TheHeart kind, patient, and caring]] opposite of Sherlock Holmes, and then, at the end of the first episode, he shoots a guy through the heart to save Sherlock. From ''the next building''. |
| 249 | -->'''John''': ''[while holding Sherlock in a headlock]'' I was a soldier! I killed people!\ |
| 250 | '''Sherlock''': You were a doctor!\ |
| 251 | '''John''': I had bad days! |
| 252 | ** And does ''again'' [[CombatPragmatist while tied to a chair at the time]]. |
| 253 | * ''Franchise/StarTrek'': |
| 254 | ** Trekiverse doctors have generally been fast with the InstantSedation in a pinch, but [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Dr. Beverly Crusher]] takes it far past that. She has several times proved herself [[ActionGirl competent with a phaser -- or her fists]] -- and even once commanded the ship in combat. Where she [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu blew up a Borg ship]] ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome by triggering a solar flare]]''[[note]]The incident even involved a callback to "Suspicions," ''another'' episode in which she gunned down a hostile [[MonsterOfTheWeek alien-of-the-week]][[/note]]. Also she is the only doctor seen so far who truly ''enjoys'' command, and she regularly commands the night shift "just to keep in practice." As if all that wasn't enough, in the third season [[spoiler:of ''Series/StarTrekPicard'', she gets her very own "Fire everything we've got!" moment at the tactical station of the good old ''Enterprise''-D, unleashing holy hell (and phasers, and photon torpedoes) on a Borg cube]]. |
| 255 | ** Dr. Julian Bashir of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' is this at times. He once killed a Jem'Hadar by stabbing him in the ''neck'', not to mention the fact that he'll defend himself (and others) with a phaser when necessary. (At the Siege of AR-558, his skill with a phaser rifle impresses battle-hardened veterans stationed there; he holds his own against the Jem'Hadar, and then as soon as the fighting ends, ignores his own injuries to start patching up the other wounded). He's also genetically augmented with superhuman reflexes and genius intellect which he normally has to hide but gets to put to use working for Starfleet Black Ops. |
| 256 | ** The Doctor from ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' is upgraded in the later seasons to also be an emergency command hologram and proves to be very dangerous when turned against the crew. He's also effectively immortal. |
| 257 | *** He also once disabled two enemy warships with a single torpedo. Anyone who has used a shock rifle in ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'' can guess how he did that. |
| 258 | ** Admiral Cornwell, the face of Starfleet Command in ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'', rose to that rank as a Starfleet Medical psychiatrist. In season one of the series, she does less psychoanalyzing and more strategizing against Klingons, attempting diplomacy with Klingons, enduring capture and torture at the hands of Klingons, and assisting in her own rescue by shooting Klingons [[HandicappedBadass while paralyzed from the waist down]]. |
| 259 | ** Dr. Joseph M'Benga and Nurse Christine Chapel in ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'' were both on the front lines during the Federation-Klingon War, and fought alongside their comrades, with M'Benga even personally developing a SuperSerum known as "Protocol 12" to boost the troops' fighting abilities, his own included. [[spoiler:He personally slew three Klingon officers in hand-to-hand combat in retribution for the atrocities they had committed during one particularly bloody battle, which included killing civilians and even [[WouldHurtAChild children]].]] In "The Broken Circle", the two use Protocol 12 to battle their way through a ship full of renegade Klingons. It should be noted, though, that their experiences have left them with some ''[[ShellShockedVeteran very]]'' [[ShellShockedVeteran deep scars]], especially M'Benga. |
| 260 | * ''Series/Supergirl2015'': Because of her medical knowledge (she gave up a career in medicine to join the DEO) and bioengineering background, Alex Danvers is the person who patches up the injuries of Team Supergirl and diagnoses medical problems. She even has administered blood transfusions. However, she is primarily a field agent, and thus gives out more injuries than she heals. |
| 261 | * Owen Harper from ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' was not averse to wielding a gun, and then there was that time he kicked the ass of [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Death]]. |
| 262 | * ''Series/TheXFiles'': Dana Scully (yes, [[TropeNamer that]] AgentScully) is both a doctor with a medical degree and a trained FBI agent, so you'd best believe that she's capable of kicking your ass and then patching up any injuries she might've given you afterwards. She's a much better shot and generally tougher than Mulder, despite the latter being much taller and more physically inclined, on top of being [[CloserToEarth smarter and more centered than he is]]. |
| 263 | [[/folder]] |
| 264 | |
| 265 | [[folder:Myths & Religion]] |
| 266 | * In the Norse tale ''Sigrdrifumal'', a female figure (possibly a Valkyrie) instructs a warrior what runes he must know. These include both victory runes (for battle) and healing runes. |
| 267 | [[/folder]] |
| 268 | |
| 269 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 270 | * Ultimate Pro Wrestling university trainee Nurse Cassie was hired by the company before her wrestling training was even completed after she tended to Schwag, who was injured during a [[PowerStable Galaxy]] attack. |
| 271 | * [[InsistentTerminology Dr.]] Wrestling/BrittBaker [[InsistentTerminology D.M.D.]], currently with Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling, is a fully licensed and practicing dentist. She started wrestling training shortly before starting dental school at the University of Pittsburgh, and was a three-year veteran of the indy circuit by the time she earned her D.M.D. in 2018. Her current gimmick heavily draws on her dental background. |
| 272 | [[/folder]] |
| 273 | |
| 274 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 275 | * In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Dr. [=McNinja=] is a doctor and a ninja. Self-explanatory. |
| 276 | * Honey of ''Webcomic/BeyondTheEnd'' is supposed to be a healer, but the second she sees Michael, she's challenging him to fights. End is also a healer, but was originally trained as a fighter, so carries a short sword. |
| 277 | * Hati of ''Webcomic/CryHavoc'' doesn't particularly like the fighting part of being a combat medic, but is still put on the front lines with the rest of the mercenaries. While not as heavily armed or armored as her squad mates she can hold her own in a fire fight. |
| 278 | * As the cleric for the evil adventurers in ''Webcomic/{{Darken}}'', Mink isn't exactly a pacifist (she's a [[ReligionOfEvil cleric of Hextor]], after all). More to the point, she's a [[BreathWeapon lightning breathing]] [[HalfHumanHybrid half-dragon]] with a massive hammer. She can definitely hold her own in combat. [[http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20060410 as long as she's not wielding a flail.]] |
| 279 | * All four of ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'' prove to be handy in a fight. Three of them are ''magical'' doctors; Sarin specializes in shapeshifting magic, Mori's got a powerful spell-gun, and Kili can call upon spirits to aid her. Goro the surgeon is a literal Combat Medic, formerly a Major in the Army and still a deadly shot with a thrown scalpel. |
| 280 | * Dr. Bowman in ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' served as one of these for a time, a job made even more difficult than usual by the fact that all his patients were [[spoiler: his fellow uplifted chimps]], and in order to treat them he first had to [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2600/fc02531.htm club them unconscious.]] |
| 281 | * Dr. Sun in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' declares his intention to deconstruct Baron Wulfenbach's giant medical mecha. Wulfenbach appears to take the threat seriously. [[spoiler:Then he does it. It involved several explosions.]] |
| 282 | -->'''Dr. Sun''': ''[to [[BloodKnight Captain Dupree]]]'' All things considered, Captain, you got off rather lightly. Therefore in the future please refrain from damaging any more of my staff... Or else I will ''personally'' rip off your arms and ''feed'' them to you. Do we have an ''understanding''?\ |
| 283 | ''[Dupree nods worriedly]''\ |
| 284 | '''Dr. Sun''': ''Excellent''. I do like a patient smart enough to follow her ''doctor's advice''. |
| 285 | %%* Thomil of ''Webcomic/{{Juathuur}}''. |
| 286 | * ''Webcomic/KirbyCardClash'' has one in the form of Hanna who not only supports her allies, but also has some combat friendly spells. |
| 287 | * ''Webcomic/LastRes0rt'''s Scout Arael declares herself as one of those to avoid getting her ass completely kicked by the players. Despite being armed with what appears to be an electric scythe (which turns into a not-so-electric staff), she doesn't do too much healing in our first appearance of her, but definitely is the one scout who is acting only in self-defense. The "Combat" part of this makes total sense when she [[spoiler:takes down a Zombie-fied Scout Kuvaela. Apparently, her oath doesn't apply to undead.]] |
| 288 | ** Qin Xu is an actual doctor, but doesn't have the same hesitation Arael does. 'Course, the Scouts are actively TRYING to kill him... |
| 289 | * In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' while Durkon mostly acts as support, he also has a fondness for growing giant and smashing people with a [[CarryABigStick huge hammer]]. |
| 290 | ** Numerous clerics fill this function. [[NoNameGiven The Cleric of Loki]] fights alongside [[AxCrazy Belkar]], staying in the back, but killing several opponents, and healing him. |
| 291 | * [[http://whatsshakincomic.com/2010/10/11/page-6/ Ell]] from ''Webcomic/WhatsShakin'' is a holy mage that not only uses defensive magics like heals and shields, but can also whip out a wicked attack if necessary. |
| 292 | * Adrestia "The Vengeful One" from ''Webcomic/MorphE'' is physically the strongest of the Seedlings and wastes no time showing it off. She awoke as a Thrysus mage, proficient in Life and Spirit magic, and serves as the party's healer. |
| 293 | * ''Webcomic/UnknownLands'': Mischief is the main group's very impressive magical healer, and is also their second most lethal combatant as a powerful mage with an understanding of blood magic. Kai, the other member of the group with medical knowledge cannot magically patch people up in the middle of battle and isn't much of a fighter either, though he does know how to use his knife to kill if he has to. |
| 294 | * Several characters from the ''Webcomic/WhiteDarkLife'' roleplays qualify, but the standout examples are Matt and Ben Mokary. Matt is a [[PowerCopying mimic]] who also happens to be an angel, and he specializes in WhiteMage-type abilities, but with his ability to assume the powers of just about anyone he can imagine, he can kick a lot of ass. Ben is a more mundane example, "merely" being a highly skilled medic and surgeon as far as his healing abilities are concerned, but, well, he outranks everyone in Orbis save for its queen '''for a damn good reason'''. Annie Belnades (and her daughter, Anastasia) are honorable mentions; their healing powers only work up close and personal, but they can bring people back from nearly anything short of being reduced to LudicrousGibs (therefore falling somewhere in between Matt and Ben in terms of effectiveness), and both are highly skilled and powerful fighters who can easily [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom swat their enemies half a mile away]] with a single blow. |
| 295 | [[/folder]] |
| 296 | |
| 297 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 298 | * Kristy was one in the Epilogue of Game 12 for ''Roleplay/ComicFuryWerewolf''. Espeh (sort-of) was one as well. |
| 299 | * Randus duThane, the Artificer played by Brian in the ''Podcast/CriticalHit'' podcast. Some of his spells heal or protect the other players, others do damage, some do both! |
| 300 | * ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': |
| 301 | ** [[BadassAdorable Pike Trickfoot]] is Vox Machina's cleric, and specializes in magic for healing and protecting the party. That being said, she's also a heavily-armored [[ChurchMilitant War Domain]] cleric, and the team's go-to girl for taking on TheUndead. She can definitely hold her own in a fight. |
| 302 | ** Whenever Pike isn't around, [[WideEyedIdealist Keyleth]] tends to play substitute healer, most notably when she conducted a restoration ritual to heal Grog's mind after a battle with an Intellect Devourer left him braindead. Healing is not her main forte, though -- as a [[NatureHero druid]], that focus lies in harassing enemies with elemental spells when she isn't just shapeshifting into giant animals and mauling their faces off. |
| 303 | ** The Mighty Nein, season 2's party, has [[GenkiGirl Jester Lavorre]], a [[MasterOfIllusion Trickster]] cleric who's handy with an axe and is actually the second-strongest party member after [[TheBigGuy Yasha]]. Jester actually leans so hard on the "Combat" side of this trope that the other party members often joke that she forgets she has healing spells in the first place. |
| 304 | ** The Nein's second cleric and SixthRanger, [[GentleGiant Caduceus Clay]], is more of a [[WhiteMage straightforward healer]] than Pike or Jester, but he can still summon a swarm of flesh-consuming insects to eat people alive if they piss him off. |
| 305 | ** Bells Hells, season 3's party, has [[ExtremeDoormat Fresh Cut Grass]], an automaton cleric who plays double duty as the party's healer and WarriorTherapist. He can also switch out his hand for a detachable sawblade to gore people with, and [[spoiler:has a hidden SanityMeter that causes them to go berserk and attack anyone nearby if they get too stressed]]. |
| 306 | ** Like Vox Machina, the Hells have a druid as their secondary healer. [[TheDitz Fearne]] only heals people when things are truly dire though, and spends most of her time chucking fire at her enemies. |
| 307 | * In ''Literature/DeadWest'', The Porcelain Doctor and his squad on the British side, the Boers have von Ranzow and his doctors. They are very much adored in-universe for this, and Niall and von Ranzow both end up as Warrior Saints in their lives, a rare honour. Note that usually the only personnel from the medical corps to fight on the battlefield is Niall, when he is challenged, as he is the only aristocrat in the field lazaretum, and thus he is in the unique position to not to lose his immunity after the duel. Von Ranzow only did it offscreen, but their respective medical crew still choose to do their fare in the middle of a fricking battlefield, under heavy fire. On the end, this is what causes the Porcelain Doctor's death. |
| 308 | * In one ''WebOriginal/DorklyBits'' short White Mages are Jerks, the party’s White Mage poorly attempts to become a combat medic, emphasizing more on combat than actually doing his job and healing the party. |
| 309 | * ''Podcast/FalloutIsDragons'' has two examples: Firelight, a mostly pacifist unicorn with [[PlayingWithFire pyromantic abilities]], and Doctor Tibbs, who uses his medical knowledge to heal, make drugs, and break ponies whenever he feels like it. |
| 310 | * QUINNS from ''The Last Stage'' by WebVideo/NatOneProductions is a former Army medic now working for The Detachment. Just because he patches the other characters up doesn't mean he's above bringing out the guns when he needs to. |
| 311 | * ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', which is set in a fantasy MMORPG, has a handful of them. |
| 312 | * In ''Podcast/PastDivision'', the life cleric Drake Hothands is the party's main healer, and also one of the heaviest hitters thanks to his enchanted warhammer. |
| 313 | * ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': GadgeteerGenius Jericho is designing his Rafe PoweredArmor (named for Raphael, the archangel of healing) for use by medics, [=EMTs=], and search/rescue units. While the 'standard' version isn't armed, he did give it hardpoints which could mount either lifesaving equipment or weapons, and his own armor is equipped with a [[HyperSpaceArsenal teleportation rig]] that can summon some of the most lethal hardware the more weapon-oriented Devisors and Gadgeteers at the school could come up with -- and for a supposedly blind guy, he's a damn good shot. |
| 314 | [[/folder]] |
| 315 | |
| 316 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 317 | * [[MakingASplash Waterbenders]] in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' have an impressive range of combat moves using water and ice, but some develop HealingHands as well. The northern water tribe normally separates these roles by gender, but Katara masters both in the course of the series and passes them on to Korra in [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra the sequel]]. |
| 318 | * Lifeline of ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' cartoon is a medic and makes it a rule to not carry any firearms. Doc is another example in the same series. |
| 319 | * Ponto, the Kulipari medic from ''WesternAnimation/KulipariAnArmyOfFrogs'' is the largest member of the Kulipari and is capable of using his poison to boost his strength to crazy levels. |
| 320 | * Kix from ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' is one of the 501st Legion's medical officers, but both being a clone trooper and involved in a war against the Separatist Alliance's battle droid armies, he's prepared to fight against them too if necessary (as well as any wild animals that might try to feed on any of his wounded brothers out in the open). |
| 321 | * Raven from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' is shown to be able to heal in addition to her more combat friendly powers. She uses this power exactly twice onscreen. |
| 322 | * Ratchet is portrayed as this in most incarnations of the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' franchise. In ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', he is the only person on Optimus Prime's team who'd actually gone through the Great War, and most of his weapons (EMP generator, [[BarrierWarrior forcefield manipulators]], etc.) are actually medical tools. [[ShellShockedVeteran But that doesn't mean he enjoyed it...]] |
| 323 | ** This was actually a wonderful extension from the 1980's comic book series, where Ratchet was not only one of the few Autobots to defeat Megatron one on one, he did it twice! |
| 324 | ** On the Decepticon side of things, there's [[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime Knock Out]], who's "better at breaking 'em than fixing 'em." |
| 325 | ** Hook in the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers original series]] is described as a "surgical engineer" in his Tech Specs, and has occasionally been seen acting as a medic for the Decepticons (and even the Autobots [[HeelFaceBrainwashing in one instance]]). |
| 326 | * In ''Anime/TransformersCybertron'', there's Red Alert. Especially after his MidSeasonUpgrade. |
| 327 | * David from ''WesternAnimation/TheWorldOfDavidTheGnome'' is not only a doctor, he also frequently battles trolls, [[HumansAreBastards hunters]], and the occasional gnome gone rogue. Not bad for a 399 year old. |
| 328 | [[/folder]] |
| 329 | |
| 330 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 331 | * It's a common urban myth that medical knowledge is not only useful for knowing how to save someone's life, it's also useful for knowing how to ''end'' it. In reality, detailed medical knowledge in no way translates into knowing how to fight, and in actual combat, there is no time to do precise things that require detailed knowledge. Modern shooters shoot center of mass and the head, neither of which it takes a medical degree to recognize. Likewise, modern fencing, HEMA, and martial arts practitioners don't sit for detailed classes in anatomy in the hopes of becoming better fighters. Being a doctor does not turn you into a fighter any more than being a fighter lets you practice medicine. |
| 332 | ** Modern combat medics shoot center of mass. So do infantrymen. So do military cooks, truckers, mechanics, pilots, and everyone else. It's [[BoringButPractical what works]]. |
| 333 | ** The level of detail in anatomy class during medical school and other advanced training is very granular and fine-detailed because it needs to be for the purpose of medicine. You do not need to know what the procerus [[note]]A small muscle on the bridge of the nose[[/note]] is to get the idea that a bullet between the eyes is going to ruin the unfortunate person on the other end. |
| 334 | ** Against a resisting opponent in a fight, there is no time for the precise movements that would let someone apply specialized knowledge. Someone might, at best, target something like "the temple," but this is hardly detailed anatomical knowledge. |
| 335 | * TruthInTelevision. In UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, the preferred method of getting from Point A to wounded guy at Point B involved grenades. Lots of grenades. |
| 336 | ** Medics were given shotguns, sidearms, or even assault rifles for protection. Resulting situations were described as "[[DeadlyEuphemism preventative medicine]]". |
| 337 | * [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks United States armed forces]]: |
| 338 | ** Combat Medic is now a specific Job Type in the U.S. Army. |
| 339 | *** Much like the Navy Corpsman they are referred to as Doc and are often armed for self defense. Like their naval cousins they have a large amount of respect because they go out into the field with the infantry and are known to participate actively in fighting when needed. |
| 340 | *** [[https://www.badassoftheweek.com/bleak Sergeant David Bleak]], a US Army combat medic who during the Korean war, took down several enemy soldiers ''with his bare hands'' in the midst of an enemy ambush. Staff Sergent Bleak's actions were heroic enough to earn the Medal of Honor, the US military's highest honor for valor. |
| 341 | *** To elaborate, he killed one by [[NeckSnap breaking his neck]], killed another by [[ChokeHolds crushing his windpipe]], and then two others later by [[PutTheirHeadsTogether smashing both their heads together so hard]] that their skulls probably cracked. |
| 342 | ** Patrol medics of the United States Army and Navy (called corpsmen) are both issued rifles. They are essentially riflemen who have passed a more advanced first aid course, serving as a soldier first and medical specialist second. |
| 343 | ** The [=USAF=] has Pararescuemen, aka [=PJ=]'s or "Pedros", elite commando medical teams. Arguably the most elite [=SOF=] group the [=US=] has, they're a force of elite commandos with massive medical training. The training pipeline takes a full ''two years'' to complete, over half of which is pure combat medicine. It's generally referred to as "Superman School", with the highest washout rate of any [=SOF=] training, about 80%. The resultant medical commandos are often attached to other SOF units that lack such highly trained specialists. |
| 344 | ** The only branch of the United States military that does not train their own medics is the Marine Corps; instead, they are assigned Navy Hospital Corpsmen, who are referred to as "Doc" and given great respect. This is because, in addition to their Field Medical Training classes, they are required to pass all aspects of the Marine Physical Fitness test. In other words, they have to be able to run 3 miles in less than half an hour, perform at least 50 sit-ups in two minutes, know how to fire and service a rifle, all while learning how to save a Marine's life. Is it any wonder that the rating of Hospital Corpsman is the most decorated in the US Navy? |
| 345 | *** Marine training is even harder on the attached Corpsman than the rest of the Marine recruits. A Corpsman is required to carry a full pack like everybody else as well as their own medical supply kit which isn't exactly light. To make things harder, whenever recruits get a few minutes to rest on a particularly gruesome run or field exercise the Corpsman is expected to check on all of the recruits assigned to him for injuries (especially foot injuries). |
| 346 | * Tends to happen in any situation where one or both sides do not respect the red cross symbol. Notable historical examples include the German and Russian armies in UsefulNotes/WW2 towards each other, and US medics in the Pacific theater. |
| 347 | * The [[InsistentTerminology Land Branch]] of the [[BadassIsraeli Israel]] [[UsefulNotes/IsraelisWithInfraredMissiles Defense Forces]] takes this trope to its logical conclusion with an ambulance that is also a ''[[MilitaryMashupMachine tank]]''. %% There's no such thing as the "Israeli Army"; the IDF has land, air, and sea "Branches" instead of a separate force for each. |
| 348 | ** Also carried over to the civilian world with [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/MDA_Armoured_Ambulance.jpg this ambulance]] from Magen David Adom (Red Star of David), Israel's answer to the Red Cross. |
| 349 | * UsefulNotes/TheKnightsHospitallers. |
| 350 | * Most armies have a special forces medical division trained to rescue soldiers (in particular, shot-down pilots) behind enemy lines. Think medic + commando. |
| 351 | ** Many Special forces medic can even perform a variety of minor surgeries in the field to save your life and treat a very broad range of injuries and ailments. |
| 352 | * UsefulNotes/TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar dictate that in order to hold noncombatant status and be entitled to bear the Red Cross, hospital ships must be totally unarmed, even purely defensive systems like Phalanx CIWS being forbidden. This has presented something of a problem in modern times, as the Red Cross means nothing to a guided missile that misses its intended target and locks onto the first ship it sees. As a result, the Royal Navy, who learned the "indiscriminate missiles" lesson the hard way when the ''Atlantic Conveyor'' was sunk during UsefulNotes/TheFalklandsWar, has bit the bullet and fitted its [[InsistentTerminology "Primary Casualty Reception Ship"]] RFA ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFA_Argus_%28A135%29 Argus]]'' with a couple of point-defence guns. |
| 353 | * Several countries and their respective branches of service, including for example the [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks United States Army]] and the [[SemperFi Marine Corps]], issue the majority of their soldiers with at least a bare minimum of first aid supplies (and training), so that every soldier can apply this trope [[ProperlyParanoid just in case]]. |
| 354 | * [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_L._Salomon Benjamin Lewis Salomon]], a US Army [[OpenHeartDentistry dentist re-assigned as a front-line surgeon]]. When his medical tent was getting swarmed with Japanese soldiers, he drove back the attackers and covered his unit's escape with a machine gun. As he gave his life for his brothers in arms, he managed to take 98 of the enemy with him. |
| 355 | * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekaterina_Mikhailova-Demina Ekaterina Demina (nee Mikhailova)]]. While being the only Russian nurse awarded with Order of Florence Nightingale and saving more than 300 soldiers during WWII, as a medical officer of the Marine corps she fought on par with her comrades. For example, during the recapture of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, not only she rescued 17 wounded from the battlefield but single-handedly assaulted a fortified German position, taking 14 prisoners and killing 10 enemies in the process. |
| 356 | * Cracked.com [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20706_the-5-most-badass-medics-in-history-war.html The 5 Most Badass Medics In The History of War]] |
| 357 | * UsefulNotes/WongFeiHung was a doctor by trade, running his own clinic. He's also one of the most famous RealLife martial artists in the world. |
| 358 | * An interesting story from UsefulNotes/WorldWarII came from a misinterpretation of this trope: Switzerland, who remained neutral during the war, nonetheless detained any planes, Allied or Axis, who crossed their lines seeking refuge. Most of the time, these were Allied bombers who had sustained too much damage in battle to make it back to base, and instead opted to land in Switzerland where they would be treated better than as P.O.W.'s by the Germans. Some Swiss pilots tasked with escorting these bombers to airbases were surprised at how compliant the crews of these B-17s and B-24s were to being approached by unknown fighters, especially when the Swiss Air Force tended to fly ''Axis'' aircraft that they had either confiscated and repaired or simply bought from the Germans, such as the Bf-109, with the only identifying marks on them being the Swiss military emblem.[[labelnote:*]]A white cross on a red background[[/labelnote]] When a Swiss pilot finally managed to ask an American detainee about this oddity, the American pilot responded that, while yes they were a bit leery of being approached by Bf-109's, they wouldn't ''dare'' fire upon a plane operated by the Red Cross![[labelnote:*]]The Red Cross' emblem being a, well, red cross on a white background.[[/labelnote]] |
| 359 | * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Holliday John Henry "Doc" Holliday]] received his degree in dentistry at the age of 21 in the year 1872. He later became a legendary gunslinger and friend of Wyatt Earp. |
| 360 | [[/folder]] |
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