Line #35 Main/CrossMeltingAura


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3	%% The examples have been alphabetized. Please put any new example in its proper place in the folder rather than at the end.
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6	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/VanHelsing https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DraculaIsAClansman_1371.jpg]]]]
7	[[caption-width-right:350:Dracula helps lighten the cross Van Helsing bears.]]
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9	->"''This symbol, these two planks of wood, it confounds me. Suffuses me with mortal dread. But fear is in the mind." ''[puts his hand on the cross and holds on while it burns]'' "Like pain. It can be controlled. If I can face my fear, it cannot master me.''"
10	-->-- '''The Master''', ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
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12	For the OccultDetective, HunterOfMonsters, and TheMenInBlack in charge of policing the supernatural threats that step out of line, a thorough knowledge of how OurMonstersAreDifferent is vital. They need to know all the {{Weaksauce Weakness}}es, the various {{Kryptonite Factor}}s, and develop DepletedPhlebotinumShells in order to properly [[FlawExploitation exploit the weaknesses]] of their prey. This is what helps level the playing field and save the lives of countless heroes as the forces of darkness [[WeakenedByTheLight run from the light]] [[HissBeforeFleeing hissing]] and burning.
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14	Except, of course, [[NoSell when it doesn't]].
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16	Some [[MonsterLord especially old, powerful]], [[FightOffTheKryptonite determined]], or [[EldritchAbomination twisted]] creatures may be so [[MadeOfEvil completely evil]] that they actually make the [[ProtectiveCharm holy item]] crumble, spontaneously combust or even liquefy in apparent fear and [[GoodIsImpotent impotence]]. Much like HolyBurnsEvil but [[InvertedTrope inverted]], the evil character or force defiles the [[IncorruptiblePurePureness holy/pure]] item to the point it's destroyed or at least rendered inert.
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18	Of course, such destruction is ''never'' subtle and is catered to the holy item. Holy statues will [[TearsFromAStone weep tears]] of [[TearsOfBlood blood]], prayer slips will have their holy runes drip off, and the PlaceOfProtection will [[WalkingWasteland sour and die]]. And crosses, as seen in the accompanying image, catch flame and either melt or burn to ash.
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20	However, the evil character can still be one-upped if the holy influence is combined with a person who [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve has great faith]] and [[OnlyThePureOfHeart virtue]].
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22	When a person is affected in this way, they are AllergicToEvil. Compare FightOffTheKryptonite and ScissorsCutsRock, for other characters resisting their weaknesses with raw power. Contrast TurnUndead, which can similarly be rebuked this way by a sufficiently powerful evil entity.
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24	----
25	!!Examples:
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27	[[foldercontrol]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30	* In the animated TV ''Anime/{{Hellsing}}'', this is how Alucard defeats Incognito: he uses his cross-melting aura to make a long silver stake to impale Incognito on: first through the chest and heart, then vertically all the way through.
31	* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', the First Hokage's necklace is able to contain the Ninetails/Kyuubi inside him when he manifests up to four tails. Once he goes beyond that, the necklace's seal fails and he crushes it in his hands.
32	* Meier Link in ''Literature/VampireHunterD: Bloodlust'' causes crosses to bend when he gets near. Not only that, but his presence also causes [[EvilIsDeathlyCold running water to freeze]], [[MirrorCrackingUgly mirrors to break]], and [[EnemyToAllLivingThings flowers to wilt and die]].
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Fan Works]]
36	* {{Exploited\|Trope}} in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5979513/1/On-Four-Legs On Four Legs]]''. Ron smokes herbal cigarettes, made with sage, and keeps an eye on the smoke. When the sage smoke [[ImminentDangerClue stops following the wind]], the centuries-old SkinWalker is somewhere nearby.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
40	* In the ''Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' movie, Buffy holds a cross out in an attempt to ward off Lothos and he grabs it, causing the cross to burst into flames. He even mocks her for her "puny faith"... upon which she corrects him by invoking her "[[IronicEcho keen fashion sense]]" -- and [[AerosolFlamethrower whips out a can of hair spray to turn the cross into an impromptu flame thrower]].
41	* In ''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'', when Lucifer enters a church he makes the holy water boil by dipping his fingers in and all the [[TearsFromAStone angel statuary cry]].
42	* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'':
43	** In ''Film/{{Dracula\|1979}}'' (1979), Jonathan Harker tries to ward off the Count with a wooden cross, but he just smiles and grabs it, making it burst in flames.
44	** ''Film/BramStokersDracula'' (1992):
45	*** Dracula's brides make Jonathan Harker's cross liquefy off his body as they seduce and drain him. Thankfully the process seems not to have superheated it, as it flowed off his chest harmlessly. It was a small cross; not enough power to ward them off (the bride that melts it recoils for a bit before regaining her composure and working her magic).
46	*** Subverted with the vampiric Lucy as she most likely isn't powerful enough to go against crosses (being newly turned and all).
47	*** Played straight against Dracula who burns the cross Helsing tries to use against him.
48	** In ''Film/VanHelsing'', Van Helsing holds up a huge honkin' silver crucifix to stop Dracula. He grabs it, screaming in agony; at which point it catches fire, melts, and he laughs.
49	* ''Fright Night'':
50	** The original ''Film/{{Fright Night\|1985}}'' (1985) has scary-movie actor turned vampire hunter Peter Vincent tries to use a cross against the vampire. The vampire takes it away from him and tosses it, noting that since Vincent [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve doesn't believe it will work, it won't]]. Charley tries it, using a much smaller cross. His greater faith actually causes Jerry to cringe away. Peter Vincent was able to burn a newly-turned vampire with a small cross earlier in the film, implying that the required amount of faith goes up according to the age/strength of the vampire in question.
51	** The remake ''Film/{{Fright Night\|2011}}'' (2011) has this occur has a crowning moment of snark when Charley tries it on Jerry:
52	--->''[Jerry is [[WeakenedByTheLight cringing and staggering backward]] from the cross Charley is brandishing at him]''\
53	'''Jerry:''' No, not the cross, Charley, not the cross...\
54	''[Jerry grabs the cross as soon as Charley's in reaching distance, invoking the trope]''\
55	''[cross catches fire and crumbles]''\
56	'''Jerry:''' No, Charley; [[DeadpanSnarker not the cross]].
57	** ''Film/FrightNight2NewBlood'' (a sequel to the 2011 movie that's really just another remake, except GenderFlipped) uses this again when Charley tries to ward off Gerri with a Bible after [[VillainOverForDinner she suddenly showed up in his girlfriend's dorm room]]. Gerri just grabs hold of it to "prove" that she's not a vampire, then a few seconds later waves Charley goodbye with a cross-shaped burn on her palm.
58	* In ''Film/HellraiserIIIHellOnEarth'', Pinhead liquified the cross held at him by a priest, seriously burning him, while giving an ironic quote: "Thou shall not bow down before any graven image." But he doesn't stop there: Pinhead's very presence is such blasphemy that the church itself starts tearing itself apart: the walls crack, the stained glass windows pop one after the other as he walks down the aisle, the candles erupt in huge columns of flame and the whole room is lit up a hellish red. Before long, the sanctuary looks less like a house of The Lord and more like a Satanic cathedral. Again: Pinhead accomplishes this by simply swanning down the aisle over to the pulpit.
59	* ''Film/TheLairOfTheWhiteWorm'' avoids vampires' weakness to crosses and at one point, the film's antagonist sprays acid-breath onto a crucifix to melt it.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Literature]]
63	* ''Literature/TheAdversaryCycle'': Both in the book and film version of ''Film/TheKeep'', although the two have slightly different circumstances. In both, one of the German officers holds up a cross to ward off Molassar the vampire. [[spoiler:Who is actually not a vampire at all but a sort of HumanoidAbomination EmotionEater who predates written history.]] Both times there is [[HopeSpot a brief moment where it seems to be working]], and then Molassar reaches out, grabs the cross, and effortlessly turns it into a twisted lump of metal. Rather more satisfying in the film version because it's happening to the SmugSnake SS Major instead of the noble, conflicted, MyCountryRightOrWrong Wehrmacht Captain.
64	* Occurs in ''Literature/TheApocalypseDoor'' by James D. Macdonald.
65	-->Wherever the rosary touched the bag above the fungal glop, a thin trickle of grey smoke rose up into the still apartment air.\
66	"Looks like that'll kill it", Simon said.\
67	[...] It wasn't the fungus that was on fire after all. It was the rosary.
68	* Fae in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' are [[ColdIron vulnerable to iron]], but some particularly powerful ones can rust iron by their very presence.
69	* The ''Literature/{{Eisenhorn}}'' book ''Hereticus'':
70	** The Chaos-corrupted Battle Titan ''Cruor Vult'' has such great psychic presence that it goes right through Bequin's [[AntiMagic blankness]] and [[spoiler:destroys her mind.]]
71	** A priest mistakes [[LightIsNotGood Cherubael]] for a manifestation of the God-Emperor and runs to meet it with an Imperial aquila. The daemon recoils in pain, but then the heat he emits melts the aquila.
72	* Played with the sun itself by Tolkien. Throughout ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' we've been told that the forces of Sauron like Orcs, Trolls and Nazgûl are afraid of the sun, and sunlight weakens or outright destroys them. And in the third book, we see Sauron's army on the march to Minas Tirith. Cue the sun fading and the day becoming dark as night. The pall of darkness is later blown away by a wind out of the west (wind being commanded by Manwë, holiest of the Valar), which also just happens to give Aragorn's stolen boats the extra boost of speed required to provide effective reinforcements to Gondor.
73	* Happens again in ''Literature/SalemsLot'', when Callahan's faith falters when confronting the ancient vampire Barlow: when agreeing to toss aside his cross to save Mark Petrie, he hesitates, and the cross loses its power. Later in the same continuity ([[ContinuitySnarl or at least partly]]), in ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' novel ''Literature/SongOfSusannah'', [[spoiler:Callahan has gained confidence and knows the proper answer to such a challenge: he doesn't need to throw the cross away, but he can tuck it away and still retain the power of faith radiating from him and hurting the vampires.]]
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
77	* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS26E3TheCurseOfFenric The Curse of Fenric]]", the doubting priest's holy symbols are ineffective against the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Haemovores]]. This is because the Haemovores are not actually repelled by holy symbols (like a cross), but rather the faith that their wielder has invested in them. As by this point in the story, the priest's faith is severely wavering, what power he may have had has simply seeped away...
78	* There are numerous examples in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Hallowed ground can repel minor demons, but not any that get named/affect the plot. "[[Recap/SupernaturalS04E09IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer I Know What you Did Last Summer]]" features a statue of Mary bleeding from the eyes as the demon Alistair approaches.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Music Videos]]
82	* The video for Dimmu Borgir's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9cqKafnUrk Sacrilegious Scorn]] has a priest threaten Shagrath with a wooden crucifix. Shagrath merely looks amused, grabs the crucifix, and sets it aflame.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
86	* Being the inverse of the Zenith Caste, Midnight Caste Abyssals in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' have the ability to toughen themselves against holy beings. This can also, more literally, be a result of Abyssal [[WalkingWasteland Resonance]] eruptions. Lastly, a class of [[LegionsOfHell First Circle Demons]] called teodozjia are basically hardcore Yozi priests, and engage in a battle of this vs. GoodHurtsEvil if they come across a Zenith Caste Solar.
87	* The Baali in the ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness''. Being Satanist vampires, they are the only ones in the setting actually vulnerable to crosses (rather than to faith) but as they grow more powerful, they can repel religious people in turn.
88	* In ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'', it's stated that when a priest shows a vampire his symbol, there's actually a battle of wills going on. If the priest wins, the emblem repels the vampire. If the vampire wins, well...
89	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Kholek Sun-Eater (a {{kaiju}}-sized monster that looks like a centaur-esque cross between a dragon and an ogre, despite being neither) is so named because whenever he's out and about, storm clouds blanket the area he's in (supposedly, whatever deal he and his kind made with the Chaos gods in primordial times was so horrible that the sun refuses to see him). Not only does lightning strike his enemies, it ''heals'' him.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Video Games]]
93	* In ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'', the [[LethalJokeItem Bible]] kills [[FinalBoss Mom]] and [[TrueFinalBoss It Lives/Mom's Heart]] in one hit. Trying to use it on [[spoiler:Satan]], [[spoiler:Isaac]], or [[spoiler:the Blue Baby]], on the other hand, [[RocksFallEveryoneDies will kill YOU instead]].
94	* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'':
95	** Dracula in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'' creates one after (failing to) break a paladin he just bested with a ReasonYouSuckSpeech. And just to drive the point home, he begins to chant the same Latin prayer that the paladin's chanting. The end result is a cross melting aura that causes such a massive explosion of power it ''can be seen from space'' and also destroys his 100-something acre castle. When it clears up, Dracula's standing in an empty field of nothing but ashes with a molten red crucifix and a rather confused look on his face. In this case, it's not because he's too powerful or evil for the cross, [[spoiler:it's because he is still God's chosen champion.]]
96	** Dracula also has one in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheDraculaXChronicles'' when he is first revived. He flies past a church, causing the cross on its steeple to crumple as if Magneto had taken a disliking to it.
97	%%** Occurs in the intro to ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles]]''.
98	* A variant is encountered in the ''AWE'' DLC for ''VideoGame/{{Control}}''. "[[HumanoidAbomination The Third Thing]]" -- the result of [[spoiler:the Hiss trying to corrupt a [[VideoGame/AlanWake Taken Dr. Emil Hartman]]]] -- would under most circumstances be WeakenedByTheLight (even a simple flashlight is effective), but thanks to [[spoiler:the Dark Presence ''and'' the Hiss [[EvilVersusEvil trying to fight for control of his body]]]], he's become so powerful that his mere presence causes portable light sources in the room to ''explode''. [[spoiler:Fortunately, light still can hurt him by way of massive floodlights]].
99	* In the game ''VideoGame/TheDarkness'', the final part of the game seems to involve the eponymous Darkness (which is generally weakened by light) supercharging due to a solar eclipse. With the greatest source of its weakness blotted out, it reaches a power level where it ''explodes'' lightbulbs that are near it, destroying both light sources and '''potential''' light sources.
100	* In ''VideoGame/DraculaUnleashed'', Mina Harker will have a crucifix specifically blessed for Alexander Morris if he befriends her enough to earn her trust. He can take it with him to confront Dracula in the finale, but Dracula will gloat about how long he has reigned over the darkness for centuries and grab the cross, bending it backwards harmlessly before going in to choke Alex. [[spoiler:If Alex saw a napkin doodle Devlin Goldacre made earlier, he'll realize that this same room they're inside is ''full'' of crosses mounted on walls and hidden behind curtains, and those are all enough to ward Dracula off once the curtains are pulled down.]]
101	* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestIIRomancingTheThrone'', the silver cross given to you by the monk will protect you from Dracula. But in the Creator/AGDInteractive FanRemake, if you try the cross on his equivalent (the AffablyEvil Count Caldaur), he'll ''kiss it'' and sarcastically say "God bless Kolyma". (This may have a little something to do with the fact that [[spoiler:the monk is evil in this version]]...)
102	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': in this game, Ganondorf's evil power is so mighty, even after he's been sealed for more than ten thousand years, that it corrodes and shatters the Master Sword, which has otherwise been depicted as absolutely immune to evil power. Zelda, however, notes that a tiny piece of the blade still cut Ganondorf when it shattered, proving he ''is'' vulnerable to it. [[spoiler:Through a time loop, the Master Sword is supercharged for over ten thousand years with holy energy, powering it up enough that it can destroy Ganondorf.]]
103	* Ghosts in ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'' cause Henry to slowly lose health just from proximity. But he can protect his health by wearing a holy medal or lighting a candle, both of which weaken ghosts as a bonus... the problem is the medals slowly break because of the ghost's evil and the candles burn out, making them limited-use items for dealing with the unkillable ghosts. The Swords of Obedience from the same game can permanently pin down a ghost. Unfortunately, said swords don't work on the BigBad, the most powerful ghost.
104	* In ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars II'', the [[NotUsingTheZWord Xombie Plague]] is so powerful that even the normally {{Kung Fu Proof\| Mook}} Zuul are not immune.
105	* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', the suicide/[[OurLichesAreDifferent lichification]] of Ras Frostwhisper by the Lich King is evil enough to corrupt the Stratholme Cathedral, remove its connection to the Holy Light, and ''consecrate it to the Scourge''.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Webcomics]]
109	* May appear in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', in "Vampires". Riff, being Jewish, uses a Star of David against vampires, since any holy symbol will do. (They even consider a can of beer, but not light beer.) The powerful Lysinda Circle vampire [[spoiler:Valerie]] grabs the symbol from around his neck and crushes it; she doesn't seem harmed by it at all, and while she's touching it, there's a hissing noise. It could be some version of this trope, though it might also be that it's actually burning her, but to such a small extent that she's able to ignore it.
110	* Appears in ''Webcomic/TalesOfTheQuestor''. Magnetized iron damages most fae creatures, but the Princeling merely acts indignant that someone would dare to think that a magnetized horseshoe would hurt him.
111	[[/folder]]
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113	[[folder:Web Video]]
114	* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': In ''Exandria Unlimited: Calamity'', the Lord of the Hells' aura is so strong, it corrodes Zerxus' Holy Avenger to the point of uselessness just by being near it. ZigZagged, however, as this is actually getting off lightly: the Ring of Brass need to make saving throws for their other magic items, which explode upon failure. So on the one hand, the sword is automatically destroyed, but on the other, Zerxus had no chance to be harmed by it.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Western Animation]]
118	* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': [[TheAntiChrist Unalaq]] from the second season of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has a downplayed version of this while in the spirit realm. Spirits are tremendously sensitive to the energies put off by humans, and as a result spirits can be changed from normal to dark and corrupted by human emotions of rage and fear. Similarly, corrupted and dark spirit forms can be returned to normal by humans being kind and friendly with them. Unalaq's energy is so dark that he corrupts even inherently good spirits simply by being anywhere near them, without needing any displays of anger, cruelty, or sadism to do the job, instantly turning even spirits that have been friendly to the protagonists into enemies just by being near them. Only one spirit is seen to resist his influence at all, a phoenix, and perhaps only because it races away from his presence as soon as possible so as to not be exposed to him any longer than necessary.
119	[[/folder]]

Context Main / CrossMeltingAura