Line #1 Main/SelectiveMagnetism


1	->'''Kevin:''' Good thing their guns aren't made of steel.\
2	'''Mike:''' Good thing our jeep isn't magnetic. Oh wait, it is.\
3	'''Kevin:''' It's the Law of Selective Magnetism. It only works when things look cool or funny.
4	-->-- ''Podcast/RiffTrax: Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''
5
6	Magnetism is a physical principle can be used to add some [[RuleOfCool awesome]] or some [[RuleOfFunny comedic relief]] to a story. But often in fiction the needs of the plot can outweigh the desire for consistency, and Selective Magnetism can set in. This occurs when magnetism is used within a work, but its portrayal is inconsistent within the universe of the story.
7
8	Selective Magnetism can manifest itself in a few different ways:
9	* Objects that are (or will be) attracted by magnets show no effect until the (previously hidden) magnet is revealed. (Also works in reverse; the magnet is seen but does not attract an object until the object is revealed.)
10	* Some objects are attracted by the magnet, but other objects that are clearly the same substance are never attracted. Alternatively, the object being attracted by the magnet may not actually be magnetic at all, yet is being attracted out of - or away from - objects which are made of magnetic metal and should be pulled instead.
11	* An object is shown being pulled towards the magnet, but the magnet itself doesn't show any signs of being pulled towards the object and vice versa; it is as if one of the two is bolted down, even if this clearly isn't the case.
12	* Metal objects are attracted to the magnet no matter their size or mass, and the magnet is never the one being attracted to larger pieces of metal.
13	* A magnet attracts an object, an irritated character pulls the object away as if to say "no" to a naughty child, and the magnet no longer attracts the object.
14	* The magnet just seems to turn on or off in an unpredictable way.
15
16	Allowing magnetism to be selective is usually necessary because applying the behavior of magnetism consistently within a story or even within the same scene may destroy the joke, deaden the dramatic impact, require the addition of too much detail, or prevent the characters from progressing the plot. Done well, and the audience maintains its WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief despite the inconsistency. Done poorly, and the work will allow a community of physics nerds (if done really badly, non-nerds) to criticize the work in forums for eternity.
17
18	Can be TruthInTelevision, as only three common metals are ferromagnetic (iron, nickel, and cobalt) and only these metals can be magnetized or strongly affected by other magnets. Magnetism can also be established by an electric current (electromagnetism), which can be turned on or off. Writers usually show an awareness of electromagnetism, but not ferromagnetism.
19
20	A subtrope of ArtisticLicensePhysics. Often overlaps with HollywoodMagnetism and sometimes MagnetismManipulation, but there are distinct differences:
21	* MagnetismManipulation occurs when a character in the work can choose how magnetism works and this is set forth explicitly as a special ability.
22	* HollywoodMagnetism occurs when the work clearly portrays magnetism differently than RealLife.
23	* Selective Magnetism occurs when the force of magnetism is inconsistently portrayed even within the universe of the work.
24	Please make sure that your example of magnetism as used in fiction goes to the right trope.
25	----
26	!!Examples:
27
28	[[foldercontrol]]
29
30	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
31	* ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}'': Dream Tag Tournament's tag team of Neptuneman and Big the Budo and their spammy Magnet Power. More powerful displays DO attract any and all nearby metal... but they all seem to go towards the designated target, rather than the origin, where the force is at its strongest.
32	* Eustass "Captain" Kid of ''Manga/OnePiece'' has this as his Devil Fruit power. Thus far his powers seem limited to the basic 'attract' or 'repel' rather than full-on metal telekinesis ala Magneto.
33	** There's also Campachino and Brindo, who can attract and repel ''[[WonderTwinPowers each other]]''. This isn't a Devil Fruit, they claim their power comes from their brotherly love.
34	* In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'', Mariah's Stand, Bastet can magnetise people. For the most part, the victims [[AvertedTrope will attract every iron object in close proximity]], but somehow this pulls a car off the ground and down the street without the person being pulled by the same force towards it.
35	* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': [[{{Robeast}} Mechanical Beast]] Bazil F7 was armed with magnetically-charged armor plates that could be detached off its body and launched at its adversary (with the purpose of sticking to it and disrupting their mechanisms). However the magnets did not attract other objects when they were working, and they stuck to [[HumongousMecha Mazinger-Z]] and [[FemBot Aphrodite-A]] in spite of them [[{{Unobtanium}} not made of steel to begin with]].
36	* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', there is the Magnet Release bloodline used by the Third and Fourth Kazekages of the Hidden Sand, as well as Hidden Cloud ninja Toroi. The Kazekages fight by magnetizing Iron Sand and Gold Dust respectively and showering enemies with it. Toroi turns ''enemies'' magnetic if they or any object they're touching comes into contact with his shuriken, giving anything else metal he throws at them homing capabilities.
37	** A filler villain had the ability to turn himself magnetic at will. Hinata defeated him by forcing to turn himself magnetic and pushing him off a cliff into a pit full of iron sand, where he was BuriedAlive [[HoistByHisOwnPetard by his own power]].
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Comic Books]]
41	* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Magneto. Scientists also promptly said his powers wouldn't work that well due to the Third Law of Motion -- to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, thus, while lifting a battleship weighting tens of thousands of tons the mutant would also be attracted to it like a fridge magnet...
42	** Which is a preposterous statement. Unless he is flying directly over the battleship, it is clear that not he himself is magnetic, just something in the direction the battleship is moving in. If that something can only be air, there should be extreme winds like never seen before on earth, but he himself should be fine. Unless he is somehow holding the magnetic medium in place, then it should drive him right through the earth's crust...
43	** Since his power appears to extend to nonferromagnetic metals, it most likely would drive him straight into the ground.
44	*** {{Justified\|Trope}} ([[HandWave somewhat]]) in some stories written by the less scientifically illiterate among the writers, in that he uses his [[GravityMaster control over gravity]] to "anchor" himself into position relative to Earth. The reaction force is transferred to the planet's own mass. Of course, the transfer of momentum as such should still [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath crush him to a pulp]], so he [[RequiredSecondaryPowers must be tougher than he looks]]...
45	*** At various times, it has been stated that Magneto is not personally magnetic so much as he manipulates the Earth's planetary magnetic field. Thus this sort of thing would not be a problem, since any motion effects would be against the mass of the Earth, not Magneto himself (and no matter what it is he's lifting or moving, it's a ''lot'' smaller and less massive than the Earth). However, Magneto has also been shown as being able to use his powers in places such as other dimensions like Belasco's Limbo, where one is left wondering as to the source of the magnetic field he is manipulating.
46	*** Belasco's Limbo's magnetic field. It's not Earth's field specifically, it's him altering the ambient magnetism. Although this is a HandWave. Even many celestial bodies in our solar system (especially moons) have negligible magnetic fields of their own. Why another dimension (an intrinsically magical one no less) would even have a magnetic field is unclear. Although a similar principle has also been applied to characters like the ComicBook/SilverSurfer, whose "Power Cosmic" works even in places like the Dark Dimension despite supposedly being derived from [[PowerOfTheSun stellar radiation]].
47	** This was {{retcon}}ned to include all metals. Magneto could fiddle around with virtually all electromagnetic effects, too. Up to and including functional telepathy, in the hands of some writers.
48	** His 'telepathy' was described as controlling minds via the iron in the blood of the victim's brain. He also has [[{{Determinator}} strong concentration and iron will]] to CharlesAtlasSuperpower-levels (hence a few odd instances of astral projection. And in the comics, it's not just his helmet that protects him from telepathy -- it's being ''just that bullheaded.'')
49	** The mental powers were EarlyInstallmentWeirdness -- astral projection and mind control were the results of his 'powerful mutant brain' back in 1963. When it comes to canon, Marvel isn't DC -- if it happened, it ''happened,'' even after you've rethought. HandWave time! Past instances of mind control became 'manipulation of the iron in the blood of your brain.' Astral projection is a bit harder.
50	*** Since then it was described that Magneto always had minor telepathic powers as secondary abilities separate from his control over magnetism, though nowhere near as powerful as Professor X's. In ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (the first one, not [[ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen that one]]) he uses a special helmet that enhances those abilities.
51	** Mostly, the writers use Mags' powers as "telekinetically controls metal objects" these days. Laws of physics need not apply, particularly with regard to reaction force.
52	** In ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'' Magneto is seen using "magnetism" to stop his arm from bleeding. Presumably it's again the iron in the blood.
53	** Harder to explain is the time that Iceman had covered everyone in an ice bubble. Once whatever he'd been shielding them from had passed, it's Magneto who breaks the bubble, "magnetically."
54	** Likewise, it's never been clear whether the powers of Polaris (Magneto's daughter) are derived from her physically or whether they are psionic.
55	** In the ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' mini-series ''ComicBook/AvengersTheChildrensCrusade'', Quicksilver tries to kill his father by hurling some wooden fence posts at [[SuperSpeed super-speed]]. It is made to appear as though this is a credible threat, even though it would raise the question of why nobody ever thought of using wood as a means of harming, incapacitating or imprisoning Magneto before.
56	*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5-JVvCrGC8 Who says?]]
57	** Really, [[http://luchins.com/what-were-they-thinking/from-the-same-issue-as-the-last-x-panel/#comment-11119408 the perfect sum-up: "I've always thought that Magento's poweres [sic] weren't 'Control over magnetism' but 'he can do anything as long as he mentions magnetism while doing it'."]]
58	*** Unfortunately, as mentioned above, water is dipolar. So both the hand bleeding, and the ice sealing (see link) ''could'' be done, its just not practical for everyday use.
59	** Note that, if Magneto can literally manipulate the electromagnetic force at will, his powers are actually ''vaster'' than depicted in most comics. Of the four fundamental forces, two only work within the atomic nucleus, and the other is gravity. The EM force keeps all atoms together, keeps all molecules together, keeps all physical objects too small to be generating lots of gravity together (which includes ''your body'')...
60	*** In other words, he's a Jedi.
61	* ''ComicBook/BoosterGold'': Goldstar has this in addition to all of her brother's [[FlyingBrick powers]].
62	* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica briefly used to use magnets in his gloves back in the 1960s to control the trajectory of his shield throwing without effecting anything else in the way.
63	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Dr. Polaris's magnetic suit is not indicated to be able to manipulate magnetic very finely, rather it is meant to just repel or attract things very strongly. Somehow, he's able to prevent Steve Trevor from even attempting to punch out of his fighter jet after he forces the thing off course and damages the electronics indicating that he can use it to move the jet in one direction while also pulling individual elements of the jet in other directions.
64	* Played with in ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow''. ComicBook/{{Superman}}, in order to halt an invasion of "Metallos", grabs the gigantic globe statue on top of the Daily Planet building, rubbing it from top to bottom at super-speed to align its magnetic poles, turning into a "super magnet". He then uses it to attract and incapacitate all the Metallos, and in the course of this pulls in not only the attackers, but a great deal of the metal objects in the Daily Planet offices (typewriters, chairs, etc.). Lois initially fears that Superman might have made the magnet so powerful that it might lift cars from the street below, but swiftly discounts that possibility, because, well... he's ''[[TheAce Superman]]''.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
68	* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
69	** In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', Magneto does rip iron out of someone's blood, but it was pure, unabsorbed iron, injected into his bloodstream the night before by Mystique. Whether it's possible to do that and have the dupe survive is another matter entirely, but hey, they tried. The film also went to the trouble of making the guard look extremely unwell when he arrived for his shift in the facility where Magneto was being held, though whether he was suffering from incipient metal poisoning or merely very hung over wasn't spelled out..
70	** The movie series Magneto does not share his comic book version's ability to create [[DeflectorShields force fields]]. In the comics this power often rationalizes why Magneto can resist virtually any form of harm as well as affect things that should not be noticeably affected by magnetism otherwise. Which was presumably why he could not burst out of a plastic prison cell.
71	** ''[[Film/XMenFirstClass First Class]]'' and ''[[Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast Days of Future Past]]'' noticeably avoid mentioning magnetism any time his powers are described, instead always phrasing it as "[[ExtraOredinary controlling metal]]" or similar.
72	* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', Indy uses gunpowder to find where a magnetic box is in the warehouse. The gunpowder (which isn't even magnetic) easily flies across the entire warehouse, but other magnetically charged items don't even begin to be attracted to it unless they are literally within feet of it. The magnetism is also selective in terms of ''plot progression'': The ceiling lights weren't affected by the box until ''after'' the box was discovered. Later, the titular skull attracts some gold coins and Mutt flat out ''[[LampshadeHanging says]]'' "Gold isn't magnetic" and Indy follows up with "neither is crystal", which seems to imply whatever the skull is doing isn't magnetism, but some sort of semi-random pulling force.
73	* Some people have noticed that Jazz in ''Film/Transformers2007'' is able to rip guns out of the hands of Sector Seven agents with magnetism, but their cell phones still work. But then, advanced living machine alien technology ''may'' justify that.
74	* ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' has John Conner use a magnetic coil against the Terminatrix, which drags the gun out of his hand, but they seem unaffected by anything else on their bodies, like belt buckles or zippers. It might work, however, if they're made of non-ferromagnetic metals, such as brass or aluminium.
75	* In ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'', Exeter tells Cal and Ruth their hands become stuck to metal supports because the supports are magnetized. When the film is shown in ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000: [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000TheMovie The Movie]]'', Mike notes "if your hands were metal, that would mean something."
76	* ''Film/SpiderMan2'' boasts a fusion reactor that attracts anything even remotely metallic to it (from up to several hundred yards away)... except for the components of the reactor itself, Doc Ock's tentacles, and little things like the metal components used to hold the pier together... Granted, Ock does mention that the tentacles are 'impervious to magnetism'...
77	* In ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', Film/JamesBond activates an MRI machine to disarm a North Korean soldier. Ignoring the fact that it takes hours for an MRI to fully power up, the only things that the magnet attracts are the pistol and a few medical implements, leaving the steel table, hospital bed, etc. completely untouched.
78	* The MRI bit was also used in ''Film/TheOne'', where [[BigBad Yulaw]]'s gun was pulled towards the machine. Then Yulaw, apparently, hits the MRI so hard it shuts off. Can be justified given how strong Yulaw is (in-universe ConservationOfNinjutsu).
79	* The eponymous hero from ''Film/TheReturnOfCaptainInvincible'' has this power, but he hasn't used it for decades and it seldom works as intended.
80	* Justified as an actual clue in ''Film/TheRaven2012'', in which Fields discovers that a hair from a crime scene is strangely attracted to a magnet. [[spoiler: That's because the culprit was a newspaperman, and there were traces of iron-based printer's ink on the hair.]]
81	* Averted in Creator/DisneyChannel's ''Film/TheLuckOfTheIrish'' when, after a string of bad luck, Kyle's "lucky gold coin" sticks to a magnet while he's in science class. When his teacher points out this oddity, since gold isn't magnetized, Kyle realizes that his coin had been stolen and replaced with a fake.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Literature]]
85	* In the ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheRedKing'' series by Jenny Nimmo, there is a boy named Joshua Tilpin who is a living magnet. Except that his magnetism attracts things from dust bunnies to paper to non-ferromagnetic materials. It also extends to his personal charisma, making people just instinctively like him even though he's an immoral brat and one of the bad guys. Interestingly enough, the only thing he's seen ''not'' attracting is metal.
86	* The titular characters of ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' can Push and Pull metals by burning steel and iron, respectively. Note that you can only push metals directly away from or towards your center of mass, and if you try to Push or Pull something that's a lot bigger than you (or well anchored), you move instead. All metals, even those that are not really magnetic, can be Pushed or Pulled.
87	* The sequel series ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'' reveals that aluminum and a few of its alloys are Allomantically inert, and cannot be Pushed or Pulled.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
91	* In ''Series/JackOfAllTrades'', to stop an execution, Jack turns the Governor's armor into a powerful magnet, literally pulling the bullets out of the air and sticking them to his armor. The guns, everybody's jewelry, buckles, etc, are all left perfectly still. Swords are not attracted to the armor until they are drawn.
92	* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' tested a MRI machine affecting metal fragments in tattoo ink. While it was very attracted to the metal block they used for a test, the machine didn't seem to affect the ink. Except the (iron-based) black ink.
93	* ''Series/{{House}}'':
94	** Done in an episode. As well as House blowing up the MRI by shooting a corpse in the head and sticking the body in to simulate a patient with a similar injury, testing whether or not the fragments were large enough to be ripped out (more than enough.) There's a brief LampshadeHanging to explain why the bullets are magnetic;
95	--> '''Foreman:''' Standard police-issue Kevlar vests don't have the ceramic plate inserts that would shatter a bullet. They would just catch it, which means Baby Shoes was using .38 caliber hollowpoints, which, unfortunately, are ferromagnetic.
96	--> '''House:''' ''[grinning]'' It's so cool that you know that.
97	** In another episode, a magician forgot about the key he had swallowed. When he got his MRI, it ripped through his intestine.
98	* The rifts in ''Series/{{Primeval}}'', which produce a strong magnetic force when the writers remember that they do. Doesn't affect technology (they send a robot through at one point.) Just occasionally attracts things. And the things that get pulled in by the magnetic field are just gone, they don't appear on the other side or fall down when the anomaly collapses. Of course, if they did go through to the other side, then they'd have to explain why a modern-day metallic object was found among dinosaur fossils dating back to that time period.
99	* ''Series/{{Lost}}'':
100	** Sayid is shown pounding away on a concrete wall with a metal strut. Jack wanders by and demonstrates that whatever is behind the wall is extremely magnetic, to which Sayid responds that he is glad the strut is made of titanium, which has very little magnetic attraction to the wall
101	** In the fifth season, a man is killed when said magnetic field ''rips a filling out of his mouth'', though fillings usually don't have ferromagnetic metals. However, this may be intentional by the writers, to emphasize that the pull was sudden and strong enough to have this effect.
102	* In ''Series/{{Fringe}}'' an MRI manages to attract an ''iridium compound'' out of someone's brain. Never mind that a) iridium is not (ferro)magnetic and b) metallic compounds have no free-flowing electrons to facilitate a magnetic field. If we then assume these are positive iridium ions in solution, just to make something attracted to the magnet, it would behave like all the other ions in your bloodstream and do naff all, certainly not making your blood vessels stand out from your face. </rant>
103	* Similar to the ''Series/{{Fringe}}'' example, Hodgins on ''Series/{{Bones}}'' once searched through a planter with magnetic gloves to find a titanium bone implant from the BodyOfTheWeek. Titanium isn't ferromagnetic either, which Hodgins should have known given his chemistry training.
104	* Averted in the season 5 opener of ''Series/BreakingBad'': the magnet used to [[spoiler:wipe/destroy Gus' computer with records implicating them also attracts all of the ferromagnetic materials in the evidence room, creating a gigantic mass of random evidence on the wall that falls to the ground when the magnet is turned off. The magnet also damages the truck the magnet is in, keeping Jesse and Walt from making a completely clean getaway.]]
105	* One episode of ''Series/GetSmart'' had KAOS building an enormous magnet to pull Navy warships off course. Max somehow pulled the magnet off course with the magnet in his belt buckle (It wasn't even a spy gadget. It was just an ordinary magnetic belt buckle). The fact that if Max was wearing a magnet that powerful, he quickly would have been permanently attached to any ferromagnetic object he happened to pass by his pants is ignored.
106	* In an episode of ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'', a criminal holds a nurse hostage in an MRI chamber, demanding certain favors from her. As she start to comply and he is DistractedByTheSexy, she is able to switch on the machine, which rips the gun out of his hand. Unfortunately for the scumbag, as he also has a metal plate in his skull, it doesn't end well for him.
107	* ''Series/AmazingStories:'' The episode "The Main Attraction" has its JerkJock protagonist get magnetized by a meteor. What objects are subsequently attracted to him is pretty much dictated by RuleOfFunny.
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Other]]
111	* There's a story about a boy who became fascinated with magnets after seeing them work in his science class at school, so he decides to steal the teacher's magnet and place it in his pocket, on his way home, first he attracts a metallic can of cigarettes which becomes magnetized and starts attracting other consecutively larger objects, soon he attracts ''a train'' and a ''space probe from orbit (astronaut included)''.
112	* The Magnetism element in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}''.
113	* An ad campaign once featured a boy discussing his new invention: the Lost Cat Magnet. ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Video Games]]
117	* Referenced in ''VideoGame/SimonTheSorcerer'', where [[spoiler:to steal a dragon's hoard, Simon uses a magnet and a piece of string to collect it from above, one coin at a time. Once you've collected the whole hoard, Simon himself quips about how it shouldn't work, but did.]]
118	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
119	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleOfSeasons'': Link gets magnetic gloves that not only exclusively work on only things labelled with an "S" or an "N" -- which come in four forms: spinny things labelled S, cylinders sticking out of the ground labelled S - both of which pull you to or push you away from them -- and balls labelled N, and enemies that flip between S and N which you can move. Whether you push or pull these magnetic devices depends on whether you set the gloves to north or south poles, and they work on nothing that's not explicitly labelled as a magnetic monopole. Magnetic monopoles have never been discovered in real life, real magnets have both a south and north pole, not just one or the other. Also, it only works with the one monopole directly in front of you. Even if there is a magnetic monopole closer to you but slightly off.
120	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': There are large sections of magnetic wall and ceiling Link can stick to with the iron boots. This is ''only'' when he's wearing them, not when they're packed away, which he can [[InstantCostumeChange easily do with a quick hop]] even when currently stuck to a surface. Keep in mind that Link runs around with a large metal shield on his back. Though the shield could be a non-ferromagnetic metal (and probably is, since ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' suggests it's MadeOfIndestructium), the same is not likely to true of the vast arsenal he keeps tucked away behind the shield. [[http://awkwardzombie.com/comic/deep-in-the-moron-mines This webcomic page]] takes it to the other extreme, with magnets attracting a book, an [[NightmareFuel Oocco]]...
121	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild': The Magnesis rune will only move the one metallic object you have aimed it at. Justified in this case, as the rune is activated through an advanced {{Magitek}} tablet that can presumably detect exactly what object it is supposed to affect.
122	* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' claims the Spider Ball works via magnetism, yet neither the ball nor the tracks seem to attract anything but each other.
123	* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'': One of the duo's main gadgets is the Gravity/Magneboots. They allow Ratchet to traverse specific magnetic surfaces, such as on wall shafts and undersides of spacecraft, though they grant him limited movement.
124	* Played with in ''VideoGame/MissionImpossible1990''. One room is just filled with these, and they affect ''only'' weapons. Those lead-core bullets and wooden boomerangs get pulled off-track and into them, which is obviously a pain (or a perverse joy, if you like watching enemy bullets never get farther than two pixels from their guns). Weirdly, while it affects outgoing boomerangs, returning boomerangs fly straight and true.
125	* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' has the Soviets using various magnetic weapons: from magnetic harpoons to magnetic weapons that strip armor and weapons off enemy vehicles to magnets that suck units into space.
126	* In ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'', Chibiterasu gains a magnetism power that works exclusively on objects with a U-shaped symbol on them.
127	* ''Videogame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'''s Monsoon uses and abuses his magnetism powers in levels usually unexplored by this trope, by way of DetachmentCombat (his cyborg body can split up in several pieces, and he can split up fast enough to let your sword pass through harmlessly) and flinging whole helicopters at you. Or, in one of his most dangerous and infamous attacks, clumping huge amounts of junk together into a giant wheel and trying to run you over with it. It essentially works as metal-only telekinesis rather than attractive & repulsive forces, in his case.
128	* The magnet-shroom from ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' can attract quite a wide range of metal objects, but it can only attract one object at once regardless of how many are on-screen, with a cool-down before it attracts the next one. Additionally, magnet-shrooms are not attracted to each other.
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Webcomics]]
132	* In ''Webcomic/HeroOhHero'', an elf uses a spell which [[http://www.neorice.com/hoh_285 creates a point in space that attracts a sword]] another character's using, without pulling in any other nearby metal objects [[spoiler: including his backup sword]].
133	* Both The Beast and Count Wolkerstorfer in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' possess this ability; The latter eventually helps Agatha defeat the former.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Western Animation]]
137	* Dr. Polaris in ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]''. Technically, he describes his abilities as "ferro-kinetic", so it may just be really specialized telekinesis, except he's defeated by the logic that a magnet loses its charge when heated up enough so he can't control metal that's been heated.
138	* In addition to the comic examples given above, Magneto in ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' brought down a brick wall by magnetising it, used a magnetic forcefield to deflect Cyclops' EyeBeams, and levitated Storm and Cyclops with similar forcefields -- and that was just in his debut story. Mags' levitation powers were described in the comics as 'cutting across the gravimetric lines of force,' which seems to mean "gravity=magnetism," and he's actually de-gravitizing them (and himself, when he flies.)
139	* The ''WesternAnimation/BugsBunny'' cartoon "WesternAnimation/CompressedHare" plays this to hilarious effect. Wile E. Coyote, having given Bugs an iron carrot, thinking the rabbit will actually eat it, activates a ten trillion volt electromagnet to attract the carrot (and thus, Bugs) to him. It works: the magnet draws the carrot, and Bugs' mailbox, and all the metal appliances in his home, then a stop sign, a great deal of barbed wire, horseshoes, trash cans, various large vehicles, The Eiffel Tower, satellites out of orbit and finally, a rocket attempting to take off...
140	* In the classic [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner Road Runner]] shorts, Wile E. would often try a scheme to get the Road Runner to eat iron-laced birdseed, and then use a magnet to attract the bird to him. Only for the magnet to [[RuleOfFunny improbably]] attract something ''else'' made of iron (A canister of TNT, with the fuse already lit) or attract ''him'' to something metal nearby (train tracks, just ahead of a train). At least it was always something that ''would'' be magnetic.
141	* In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' the alien Lodestar, who uses magnetic powers, tried to use his powers to take the guns of some warlike aliens. He ended up attracting all their guns, but fortunately didn't pin himself to any of their tanks - or have their tanks come flying towards him.
142	* Agent Six in ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'' can combine his swords to get this.
143	* Megavolt has fun with this in a ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' episode. Somewhat justified, since his goal is to attract..things you can build a BIGGER magnet with. Which he'll use to steal ... more magnet parts. The #3 most dangerous criminal in Saint Canard isn't known for [[MadScientist his sanity]].
144	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' "The Cent of Money" featured Mr. Krabs abusing Gary's new "ability" to attract coins, and ''only'' coins. Gary can even get coins out of ''change machines and parking meters''! And why is it Gary can do this? He swallowed a fridge magnet!
145	* Referenced in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbTheMovieAcrossThe2ndDimension'', where an electromagnet is described as being very powerful, so powerful it even attracts aluminum.
146	** This may also be a [[FridgeBrilliance subtle effort]] to RetCon a flaw from the [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb pilot episode and Rollercoaster: The Musical]]. In both of these, tin foil (which is generally aluminum) was attracted to a powerful magnet of Doof's in his effort to [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext "Pull the eastern sea-board in a westernly direction"]].
147	* RuleOfFunny applies, but WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget went rather beyond most examples of this trope when the MadScientist BigBad of an episode had surprising success in stealing all the world's gold -- including pulling fillings out of peoples' mouths -- by attracting it to his "gold magnet". Which was only about the size of a car.
148	* In the episode "Love-Bheits" of ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', the trope is averted for a laugh. Baron Ünderbheit, who has a metal mandible and bulky metal armor, uses an "atomic supermagnet" to bring down Dr. Venture's plane as it flies near his realm. Although the scheme does work, the Baron himself flies up to stick to the device's business end the moment it is switched on.
149	* WesternAnimation/HeckleAndJeckle are caddies to Chesty the Bulldog in "Goony Golfers." They sneak a magnet in Chesty's putter, so when he putts the ball, it gets pulled back and planted on the putter. When he brings the base of the putter up to examine it, the magnet pulls out his false teeth.
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Context Main / SelectiveMagnetism