Line #69 Main/HammeredIntoTheGround


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hammered_into_the_ground.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:Good thing it's not [[WesternAnimation/BugsBunny that rabbit]], or he'd ask [[CharacterCatchphrase what's up]].]]
6
7	A situation where a victim would literally be at least partially driven into the ground, whether through an attack, heavy fall, or by any other forceful means. Especially seen in cartoons and in video games, where being driven into the ground can be PlayedForLaughs. In situations like this, the victim would [[MadeOfIron remain mostly intact]], aside from the fact that he is at least partway into the earth. Very occasionally, it is presented seriously, with a target (such as an armored robot) who ''is'' "realistically" durable enough to survive this sort of thing.
8
9	A variant of this trope may occur when a character is hit [[MegatonPunch extremely hard]] - they'll be hammered with enough force that they get shot through the earth and will [[DiggingToChina reappear on the other side of the world]].
10
11	See also AnvilOnHead and SquashedFlat.
12	----
13
14	!!Examples
15
16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Advertising]]
19	* One Domino's advertisement has Advertising/TheNoid annoyed by the giant tablet with the restaurant's guarantee, that he attempted to kick it, only for it to collapse on him. Seconds later he dug himself out of the ground and moped while waist-deep.
20	* From a Foster's beer ad: "How to speak Australian. ''Fertilizer''." (A guy planted headfirst into the ground)
21	[[/folder]]
22
23	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
24	* In ''Anime/DragonBallZCoolersRevenge'', one of Cooler's pummeling attacks on Goku once he reaches his fifth form has him slam the Saiyan into the ground.
25	-->'''Cooler:''' [[WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged Imma plant me a dumbass tree!]]
26	* In ''Anime/MazinKaiser's'' BeachEpisode, Kouji and Sayaka take Mazinkaiser and Venus A to the beach. After Sayaka and Kouji have quiiiiite the fight... the one left half-in the water and with the legs sticking up in the air is '''Mazinkaiser''', courtesy of Venus A.
27	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
28	** [[AGodAmI Pain]] at one point gets slammed in the ground like a nail by a berserk [[spoiler: Four-Tailed Naruto]].
29	** Prior to Shippuden, Kakashi has done this to Sasuke with the use of "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu".
30	--->'''Kakashi''': They say the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down.
31	* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' during the episode "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!", Shinji and Asuka are defeated when they first face the angel. Each of their {{Humongous Mecha}}s ends up buried head-downwards with its legs sticking up in the air. Asuka later mocks Shinji by saying his EVA looks like "a drowned rat", even though hers is just about the same.
32	* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
33	** Basically, everyone at the wrong end of Luffy's Gum-Gum Gavel attack.
34	** Also people at the receiving end of [[LittlePeople Tontatta]] Combat: Tail Hammer.
35	** [[spoiler:Saint Charlos is hammered into the ground ''and'' gets his skull SquashedFlat when [[CombinationAttack he's struck by Sai's Drill Dragon Nail and Leo's Tail Hammer]]. ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill At the same time]]''.]]
36	** [[spoiler:During SWORD's [[RoaringRampageOfRescue raid in Hachinosu]], [[OldSoldier Garp]] grabs Aokiji's face and throws him against the ground with such force that he leaves a deep, massive crater on impact.]]
37	* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]: In the second episode of ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'', Saitama gets dragged into the ground by a mole monster as he is talking to the Beast King, the leader of the group of monsters that smashed he apartment.
38	* In ''Anime/{{Penguindrum}}'', as Masako Natsume [[spoiler: eats a poisoned ''fugu'' dish and a non-poisoned one]] to escape a SadisticChoice, the audience sees [[spoiler: her brother Mario]]'s legs comically sticking up out of a nearby pond.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
42	* ''Animation/MotuPatlu'': In "Super Murgiyan", when the chickens initially become stronger from Motu overfeeding them Dr. Jhatka's special powder and attack the gang, they punch Dr. Jhatka enough times to drive him into the ground.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Comic Books]]
46	* In a ''ComicBook/NewWarriors'' annual, ComicBook/{{Nova}} had a daydream in which he kicked the crap out of ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, Doctor Doom, and ComicBook/{{Galactus}} at the same time. At one point, he hammers Magneto into the ground in this manner.
47	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
48	** The [[https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Action_Comics_Vol_1_238 cover]] of ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' #238 showed "King Krypton, the Super-Gorilla" pounding Superman into the ground by hitting him over the head with a log.
49	** ''ComicBook/ThePlagueOfTheAntibioticMan'': When Superman confronts Nam-Ek about the latter's possible involvement in a plague outbreak, the Kryptonian rogue refuses to explain anything, and pounds Superman into the ground with a doble hammer-fist.
50	* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'': In a fight with Skaar and a depowered Bruce Banner, this comically happens to Wolverine. Skaar wonders aloud how that is possible before Bruce explains his indestructible skeleton.
51	* In ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}} and the Goths'', two potion-empowered gothic warlords do this to each other with clubs, driving each other mutually into the ground.
52	* In one fight in a ''ComicBook/{{Nodwick}}'' comic, the titular character gets driven into the ground by a powerful attack and is buried up to his chin. He says that it's worse than it looks, as he struck bedrock after about a foot and he'd like to spit out his kneecaps now.
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Fan Works]]
56	* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9739274/1/At-Odds At Odds,]]'' [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans Beast Boy]] gets a few more shapes, including a giant, solid as steel tree (not quite a plant, due to it being alien). During a mission with Raven, he goes to take on [[MadeOfIron Cinderblock]] while she handles some thugs. She hears a thunder-like sound and hurries to check - only to find the villain hammered into the asphalt up to his neck. GravityIsAHarshMistress.
57	* A semi-serious example happens early in ''Fanfic/{{Luminosity}}'', when the Cullen siblings are showing off their vampiric abilities to Bella. [[NighInvulnerability The "victim" is more annoyed than hurt.]]
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Film - Animated]]
61	* Played with at the end of ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'', in that the gingerbread man uses his cane to hammer the figurine of Farquaad deep into the wedding cake.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]
65	* In ''Film/TheNinthGate'', Johnny Depp gets pushed into the floor by Frank Langella, who delivers the one-liner, "It seems you found your proper niche at last... I like that."
66	* ''Film/ButterflyAndSword'', a rather over-the-top martial arts movie, have the bamboo forest fight where Sister Ko and Yip Cheung (respectively played by Creator/MichelleYeoh and Creator/DonnieYen) takes on enemy acolytes. Yip managed to take out one of his enemies via downward stop into the head, which makes the guy's entire body sink into the floor until only his head is sticking out. [[https://youtu.be/Zu-MnE1L_c0?t=78 Yes, really]].
67	* In ''Film/TheSandlot'', Scottie Smalls, the main character and {{narrator}} of the film, mentions about having a dream about a giant baseball signed by Babe Ruth that "fell out of the sky and hammered him into the ground like a railroad spike".
68	* At one point in ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'', Nuclear Man pounded Superman into the moon during the fight scene, Complete with clinking sound as if Superman and Nuclear Man's fist were made of metal. Then again, Supes is "The Man of Steel" and Nuclear Man is a clone of sorts.
69	* In ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle 2'', Lyle's evil henchwomen Sally and Kowalski are trying to destroy the jungle with a bulldozer. Rocky the Kangaroo saves the day by kicking them across the jungle, into a clearing. As they struggle to get up, Rocky has an idea and jumps on their shoulders five times each, each jump making the women grunt and squeal in pain seeing their bodies disappear. Rocky leaves them knocked out and trapped with a pile of mud around them. It’s unknown what becomes of them.
70	* ''Film/AtTheCircus'' has a slapstick scene where a circus strongman falls into the pit up to his neck by catching the wrong dumbbell.
71	* ''Film/DeadtimeStories'': In "Goldi Lox and the Three Baers", when Baby Baer attempts to kiss her, Goldi drops a log on his head that drives him into the ground up to his neck.
72	* ''Film/TheMightyOne'': The main villain of this ''wuxia'' is finally defeated after being hammered through the ground by a large pillar collapsing on him, as the last part of his ridiculously lengthy, over-the-top and excessive RasputinianDeath. After getting impaled through the ears by a sword, and another sword flung through his chest.
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Literature]]
76	* In ''Literature/{{Xanth}}: Ogre Ogre'', the ogres have a fighting technique called "the nail", which consists of repeatedly pounding your opponent on the head until he is driven into the ground.
77	* A [[Myth/RussianMythologyAndTales Russian folk tale]] involves two bogatyrs hammering each other into the ground to determine who is the strongest of the two.
78	* Medieval Uzbek tales about epic heroes -- batyrs -- had this rather formalized. Batyr's first strike rammed his adversary knee-deep, second -- waist-deep, third -- chest-deep. Though the most epic ones could do even better.
79	* ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror'':
80	** After Lyrah [[GoodThingYouCanHeal smashes Daylen's face in]] and tries to arrest him, Ahrek sweeps her feet out from under her with his [[MindOverMatter telekinetic powers]] and then slams her into the ground hard enough to create a crater. She [[SuperToughness crawls right out]], but it provides enough time for Daylen to escape.
81	** Daylen later ends up on the receiving end of this when [[spoiler: Lyrah]] hits him hard enough to plow him into the ground, leaving him to frantically pull himself out of it before [[ExtremeMeleeRevenge the beatdown]] can resume.
82	* In ''Literature/{{Elianto}}'', at one point a bard from Neikos (a parallel medieval war plagued by ForeverWar between the coarse and manly Oroni and the fashionable but snobbish Argentoni) narrates a previous battle, with a list of gruesome killing: as he mentions, Pendolo the Dirty "hammered Quattrochio of Comacchio in the ground like a nail, and [[ToiletHumor made a chamberpot out of his mouth, due to his impelling needs.]]"
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
86	* In the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode ''Seth'', Carter strikes down the eponymous Goa'uld using a Hand Device. When this doesn't quite render Seth harmless, she hits him with it again. This time it [[http://www.gateworld.net/gallery/albums/sg1_season3/302-Seth/screencaps/normal_sg1_302_699.jpg drives him into the ground, fatally.]]
87	* ''Series/UltramanTaiga'': The monster Gorothunder is killed in this manner when Ultraman Taiga gathers a ball of the monster's lightning and uses it as an impromptu mallet to smash the monster head-first through the floor.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Pinball]]
91	* In the [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition Premium and Limited Editions]] of ''Pinball/{{Metallica}}'', a giant hammer smashes captured pinballs through the table and into a coffin beneath the playfield.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
95	* In ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', the 90 ton Highlander was the heaviest mech that mounted jump jets when it was introduced, thus making it the heaviest mech capable of performing a DeathFromAbove attack. It was quickly noted in-universe that when performed on a light mech, the unfortunate victim was often driven into the ground by the force of the impact, thus leading to it being known as a Highlander Burial.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Video Games]]
99	* The ending of ''VideoGame/AbobosBigAdventure'' shows Abobo stomping [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Samus Aran]]'s head into the ground. [[BloodyHilarious Bloodily.]]
100	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': After Castor and Melissa were beaten by Ann, they both get sucked through a portal that has them landing headfirst in a desert, with Melissa having to dig Castor out.
101	* Subverted in ''VideoGame/BattleChess''. When a rook captures a knight, the rook hits the knight on the head, driving him downward until only his helmet is visible; but it turns out that the knight didn't get planted in the ground: instead the rest of his body collapsed into his helmet, and he waddles about on two feet that can still be seen protruding from it.
102	* In ''VideoGame/BattleMonsters'', Deathmask is the resident FrankensteinMonster / {{Golem}} and he's got the standard super-strength. One of his special moves is that he can do an overhand chop that'll nail the enemy into the ground and up to their neck. Deathmask will then grab the stuck opponent and throw them far away.
103	* The ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'' can pound their enemies in this fashion, most notably in the Turbo Tunnel level before the bike race section.
104	* In ''VideoGame/BugFables'', after [[VileVillainLaughableLackey General Ultimax]] is defeated for the first time, Kabbu simply launches him into the air, resulting in his head getting stuck in the ground. He remains stuck for the remainder of the scene, until the team visits the royal quarters. This also happens again briefly after General Ultimax pops out of his exploding ULTIMAX Tank and lands head-first into the ground before quickly getting unstuck.
105	* In the Commodore 64 video game ''Cliff Hanger'', used as one non-fatal failure animation.
106	* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'':
107	** ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'': Some of the forest levels have an enemy that keeps swinging a mallet. Upon being hit by it, Crash will be pounded deep into the ground, and a gravestone grows out from where he was hit.
108	** ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot3Warped'': If the triceratops from the prehistoric levels runs over Crash, he will be [[SquashedFlat flattened]], and the triceratops will repeatedly stomp on him over and over so he can't get back up.
109	* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', this is one of the standard positions you'll find Hildibrand Manderville.
110	* ''VideoGame/{{Hedgewars}}'' has a special weapon for this, the Mallet. In fact, when the enemy is above water, he can sink through the ground into it.
111	* In ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'', Sinestro makes a giant mace with his ring and smashes Superman into the ground. As soon as he stops to gloat, Superman takes him down.
112	* ''Kid Kool'' does this to the enemies he jumps on. It takes several bounces to bury them entirely.
113	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
114	** Sheeva's Nail Driver fatality involves her driving her defeated opponent to the ground with her four arms.
115	** Shao Kahn had this as a fatality in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' and the Nintendo 64 version of ''MK Trilogy'' using his own hammer.
116	** One of Superman's Heroic Brutality moves in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' involve him hammering his enemy into the ground.
117	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' has Jax borrow Superman's Heroic Brutality, and then punt the victim's head off.
118	* ''VideoGame/{{Ninjala}}'': The Tenchi Muyo Gum Ninjustu ensnares an opponent in a large gum net, then throws them into the ground for an [[OneHitKill instant IPPON]].
119	* In ''VideoGame/PeasantsQuest'', Rather Dashing can die this way when taking a pounding from Kerrek.
120	* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
121	** This is a side effect of several attacks, such as the [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Pitfall]] and Franchise/DonkeyKong's [[UseYourHead headbutt]]. Getting stuck in the ground prevents characters from moving or attacking until they get un-stuck.
122	** In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', both [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry King K. Rool]] and VideoGame/BanjoKazooie have down throw moves where they piledrive and bury their opponents in the ground.
123	* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
124	** In ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', if Mario falls from a great height into sand or snow, he'll get buried halfway and has to pull himself out.
125	** This is a recurring ability in the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' subseries, with one of the brothers pounding the other one into the ground so he can reach new areas and uncover buried items. In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', this happens to Big Massif in the Dream World, when his apprentices boast how he could smash even the largest possible rock. Cue him trying to smash the rock with his first as it comes down, then being smashed on the head by it with a loud metal-like sound before getting driven into the ground. Of course, this being a major NPC and upcoming boss he manages to dig out of the situation and come up out the ground behind the heroes, but still.
126	''VideoGame/NightSlashers'',the player can use the down air attack to hammer most enemies into the ground, leaving them stuck, and allowing them to go and kick them while in that state. Do be warned, as certain foes can still fight back.
127	* {{Mooks}} in the ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' series who are defeated by being launched into the air may end up lodging themselves halfway into the ground with their legs sticking out when they land. Any that become a victim of one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's grappling moves are guaranteed to end up the same position once he's done with them.
128	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' has suffered this three times. [[FrictionlessReentry Falling from space]] as a Werehog and diving his head into the ground of Windmill Isle in ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'', doing so again [[BookEnds at the ending]] except as a normal hedgehog in the same game, and being summoned by Merlina into and falling into the ground of Camelot in ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheBlackKnight''.
129	* Anyone from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' who's unlucky enough to be defeated with the Critical Arts of Birdie, Zangief, or Alex will end up with their feet sticking out of the ground afterwards.
130	* In ''VideoGame/{{Worms}}'' this is the result of being hit with a [[PercentDamageAttack Battle Axe]]. It is also possible for worms to be smashed into the ground if they either fall straight down enough to take damage, or if they get hit with an explosive weapon from directly above - both cases are very rare, as even a slightest angle deviation will prevent the smashing.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Web Animation]]
134	* In ''WebAnimation/{{Alphabet}}'', F does this to T in the latter's debut episode.
135	[[/folder]]
136
137	[[folder:Web Comics]]
138	* In ''Webcomic/EverydayHeroes'', a double dose of HyperspaceMallet drives an obnoxious guy [[http://eheroes.smackjeeves.com/comics/2133649/ch13-12/ completely out of sight.]]
139	[[/folder]]
140
141	[[folder:Web Original]]
142	* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': During "[[[[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/content_page/9/378 Boston Brawl II]]", Tennyo is stomped on by Matterhorn. She's durable enough that this embeds her into the asphalt rather than crushing her.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Western Animation]]
146	* This happens to Edd on ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' when Rolf uses his "Hat of Discipline": a giant hammer-hat.
147	-->'''Edd:''' ...What is that, Rolf?
148	-->'''Rolf:''' The Hat of Discipline. DO YOU LIVE IN A CAVE?! ''(wham)'' All is forgiven.
149	-->'''Edd:''' ...Thank you, Rolf.
150	** This again happens to Edd in TheMovie when [[spoiler: Eddy's brother hammers him into the ground...[[GrievousHarmWithABody with Eddy]]]].
151	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', Bender boasts of having once pounding a guy into the ground like a stake with a shovel.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/TheHerculoids'' episode "The Crystalloids" has a non-comedic example. Igoo the rock ape pounds a Crystalloid into the ground with a club.
153	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''
154	** In "WesternAnimation/RabbitFire", an elephant piledrives Elmer into the ground with one punch.
155	** [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner Wile E. Coyote]] got this treatment more than once, particularly when his own inventions backfire on him. The picture above is actually an ''inverted'' example, where a startled Wile E leaps upwards into the rock.
156	* This happens to WesternAnimation/MrBogus in the second act of the episode "[[Recap/MrBogusS1E13GoodSportBogus Good Sport Bogus]]", when he attempts to hold up a shotput that he had picked up, but because of its weight, he ends up sinking into the ground.
157	* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle'', Chanticleer gets nailed to the ground by the Grand Duke's magic.
158	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In an homage to the Road Runner cartoons, when Homer tries to get rid of a trampoline by throwing it off a cliff outcropping, it bounces back up, then falls on him, pounding him into the rock. Then he falls out the bottom of the outcropping to the bottom of a ravine.
159	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'' episode "The Smurfette", a Smurf with a hammer pays more attention to Smurfette than he does to the post that his partner is holding up and ends up hammering the other Smurf into the ground.
160	* There was a ''Franchise/TomAndJerry'' cartoon where Tom had a nightmare about a giant bulldog pounding him into the ground like a nail. And frankly, the times this has happened to him via a falling tree or telephone pole are too numerous to count.
161	* In the ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces'' episode "Real Gone Ape", the circus ape does this to Peter Perfect.
162	* In the Creator/TexAvery cartoon "The Peachy Cobbler", two of the shoemaker elves do this to each other.
163	** Happens in another cartoon, "The Cat Who Hated People", in which said cat is attacked by a moon creature, a giant hammer that mistakes him for a nail.
164	** Also in "Half-Pint Pygmy", in which George accidentally hits Junior into the ground with a large hammer. He uses the other end to get him out of the ground, then gently pounds him to straighten out the dent in the "nail".
165	* In ''WesternAnimation/ScrewballSquirrel1944'', Screwy Squirrel does this to Meathead, after Meathead [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished had just saved Screwy's life]].
166	* A falling tree does this to WesternAnimation/YogiBear in at least two shorts: "Slumber Party Smarty" and "Show Biz Bear".
167	-->'''Yogi:''' Looks more ... like a sycamore ... to me. (''thud'')
168	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhost'' episode "The Challenge", Zorak's GiantRobot Titanor smashes Space Ghost into the ground with his fist.
169	* The WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts were not above using this one.
170	** The WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} short "The Art of Self-Defense" begins with a history of fighting, starting with two cavemen hitting each other with clubs. They eventually drive each other through a rock ledge, and when they can't club each other anymore, they take to kicking each other's shins instead.
171	** In "Clown of the Jungle", WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck has had enough of the Aracuan bird and hammers him through the ground. The Aracuan reappears from BehindTheBlack to help Donald hammer.
172	* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' episode "Let's Play Trap-Trap", Mr. Cat gets beaten up by Quack Quack and/or Kaeloo offscreen and winds up with his entire body except his head smashed into the ground.
173	[[/folder]]

Context Main / HammeredIntoTheGround