History Main / DropPod

* The HALO Intruder Pods used in ''Genocidal Organ'' by Project ITOH are made of artificial flesh that shapes in the form needed to cushion the impact or glide in the direction needed. They also have automatic weapons built into the 'legs' to clear the landing zone. Once the soldiers are deployed the Pods self-destruct by cutting off the enzymes needed to sustain the flesh, causing it to decay. A scene of them in action [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra0YU6HT6mA can be seen in the anime adaptation]].

** In many missions and cutscenes of campaign mode Zerg use "Sacs", which are basically organic drop pods released by their Leviathan ships. The ''Heart of the Swarm'' opening cinematic shows Kerrigan's Leviathan dropping a rain of sacs upon the Dominion's capital city of Korhal: they crash into the ground, and ferocious Zerg creatures emerge from the craters to kill hapless Terran marines. In campaign missions Kerrigan often arrives at the start point in a one of these sacs, and in at least one case her starting buildings (The Zerg use OrganicTechnology, which includes their buildings) are planted down by falling sacs. One of the ultimate abilities that Kerrigan can unlock summons drop pods containing 40 primal zerglings, 5 primal roaches, and 5 primal hydralisks.

** In many missions and cutscenes of campaign mode Zerg use "Sacs", which are basically organic drop pods released by their Leviathan ships. The ''Heart of the Swarm'' opening cinematic shows Kerrigan's Leviathan dropping a rain of sacs upon the Dominion's capital city of Korhal: they crash into the ground, and ferocious Zerg creatures emerge from the craters to kill hapless Terran marines. In campaign missions Kerrigan often arrives at the start point in a drop pod, and one of the ultimate abilities she can unlock summons drop pods containing 40 primal zerglings, 5 primal roaches, and 5 primal hydralisks.

* The EscapePod from ''VideoGame/RiskOfRain2'' is a drop pod for intents and purposes, dropping you onto the planet at the start of the game.

* In the campaign of ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' the Terrans use drop pods, the mercenary compound brings merc units to the field in seconds using them and a tech upgrade allows the barracks to do the same. In addition the Zerg have "Sacs" that fill the same function in certain missions.
** In the Co-op Missions, [[EliteArmy Nova's units]] ''only'' arrive in drop pods, which means that the various structures don't actually produce units at all. However, there is a long cool-down each type of unit.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Saturnic Traveling Torpedoes are single person drop pods used by the Saturnain Empire, they are dropped into water and can then be piloted to a landmass at high speeds but cannot fly to return to the ship.

---> "Could we possibly make any more noise?" ''(Chief pulls out a rocket launcher)'' "... [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder I guess so.]]"

* In the ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' and ''VideoGame/QuakeIV'' universe, the drop pods are almost identical as how they are in ''Literature/StarshipTroopers''. In ''II'', the player starts when he misses his drop zone and ends up and the far side of enemy territory. In Quake IV, the player uses a drop pod to make a pin-point attack on a Strogg command centre. Coincidentally, both landings are crash landings due to malfunctions in the pods' systems after they're clipped by another pod[[note]]which, in ''II'''s case, saves Bitterman's life, most of the other pods being shot down by the Big Gun's powerful {{EMP}}[[/note]].

* Used in the ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'' series to drop down armour onto the battle field.

* In ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'''s ''Delta Rising'' expansion the Vaadwaur often use a variant with a built-in [[TeleportersAndTransporters transporter]] that acts as a MookMaker mechanically. First seen in "Revelations", where offscreen the Vaadwaur used them to do a DungeonBypass of the Turei planetary defense grid and sabotage it from below. More are deployed when the player character starts reversing the damage.

** Even the Imperial Guard gets in on this, having Tetrarch Class Heavy Landers, meant to carry whole squads from orbit to the ground. Unlike SpaceMarine Drop Pods, though, these have a tendency to break down in-flight. [[BlatantLies The Guardsmen are told that they have nothing to worry about if the pod's engines fail.]]

* The Crimson Lance arrive in these in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}''.
** The prologue of ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'' is concluded by utilizing the Moonshot Cannon as an improvised drop pod. It's intended to drop supplies "like, really fast." However, the party uses it to escape the Lost Legion invasion of Helios by loading ''themselves'' into one of the shipping containers, and having [[StartOfDarkness pre-evil]] Handsome Jack launch them.

---> "Could we possibly make any more noise?" ''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments (Chief pulls out a rocket launcher)]]'' "... [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder I guess so.]]"

Note that while a Drop Pod is ''nearly'' always used to damage the enemy, it doesn't always. The [[TropeMaker Starship Troopers]] version typically disintegrated, creating chaff to protect the trooper from anti-air targeting systems, by the time it reached the ground.

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* In ''ComicBook/RogueTrooper'', the [[SuperSoldier GIs]] were deployed onto [[DeathWorld Nu Earth]] in these during the Quartz Zone Massacre. This also carried over into the video game adaptation.

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* Used for both SpaceMarine and [[RealRobotGenre Real Robot]] deployments in ''Literature/TheHistoryOfTheGalaxy'' series, usually from Marine Assault Modules (basically, {{Drop Ship}}s with tons of guns for clearing the area and battering down heavy fortifications prior to the land assault), when the MM itself can't land. The pods are little more than shipping crates with landing thrusters attached.

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* Used in the ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon FEAR]]'' series to drop down armour onto the battle field.

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[[folder: Real Life]]

* And of course, given their renowned penchant for unorthodox weaponry experimentation, ThoseWackyNazis tested [[http://s1.postimg.org/z2r4w5wwq/Ju_87_D_3_Cont_2.jpg special personnel pods that would be carried over the Ju-87 dive-bomber's wings,]] which would be released in a steep dive, descending from a parachute, allowing for even more precise troop deployment then would be possible with a glider, with 2 men to a pod, one pod to a wing. This is probably the closest that real life has ever gotten to this trope.

* And now, Elon Musk is on the case: having landed a Falcon 9R stage as God and Heinlein intended, he's now [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Pm8ZY0XJI trying to get a crew pod to do the same]].

** Da Orks, [[CrazyAwesome being who they are]], kick this one up a couple notches in the form of Roks. They take an asteroid, add engines, guns, and armor to it, fill it with Orks, and ram it into a planet. The Rok either causes a huge ruckus on impact and unleashes a horde of greenskins, or simply explodes and kills everything in the vicinity. Orks don't care which.

A DropPod is usually launched from a ship--usually in space--like a bullet after being loaded with troops, preferably in PoweredArmor. Sometimes it has its own thrusters, allowing it to adjust its course in flight. When it hits, it usually performs a GroundShatteringLanding, softening up the enemy enough to allow the troops to disembark safely.

Note that while a DropPod is ''nearly'' always used to damage the enemy, it doesn't always. The [[TropeMaker Starship Troopers]] version typically disintegrated, creating chaff to protect the trooper from anti-air targeting systems, by the time it reached the ground.

* In the first ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' and its expansions, any SpaceMarine unit could be redeployed via DropPod, though it required a clear landing area. In ''Dawn Of War II'', this is how your squads enter the map, and they can summon another one that instantly replenishes your troops (and this time, can be brought down on enemies' heads).

---> "Could we possibly make any more noise?" ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny (Chief pulls out a rocket launcher)]]'' "... [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder I guess so.]]"