History Main / IceBreaker

** Same in ''{{Hexen}}'', but there, once an enemy is frozen, it shatters by itself within a few seconds.

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*** TruthInTelevision, sort of. [=CO2=] fire extingishers contain liquid carbon dioxide (kept liquid via high pressure), which smothers a fire by displacing oxygen, and discourages re-ignition via cooling. The cooling is due to both evaporative effects as the liquid reverts to gas as it leaves the nozzle, and by rapid expansion (the same physical effects are at the heart of air conditioners and refrigerators). The blast from a [=CO2=] fire extinguisher is so cold that the discharge is like a dry-ice snowblower, and users can suffer serious "cold burns" if they hold the wrong part of the fire exinguisher while it is in use. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3-zBLIYCyM

* {{MacGyver}} did this in one episode where he was locked in a freezer. However it worked because MacGyver had gotten water to freeze in the lock. Since water is one of the few chemical that expands when it freezes, it broke the lock as it froze.

* ''DukeNukem 3D'' lets you do this to enemies: Frozen enemies will shatter into shards no bigger than your fist if kicked or shot, without fail. However, if they have time to thaw they'll still somehow be able to keep fighting with one hit point.
** Same in ''{{Hexen}}'', but there, once an enemy is frozen, it shatters by itself within a few seconds.

* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' also uses this trope. The Xiaolin Warriors and Jack are held in the dungeon. Even Dojo can't escape his cage by growing to his super size. But all it takes is for Omi to freeze the bars, and the warriors easily break free. (Omi is even able to break the bars of Jack's cell [[CherryTapping with his PINKY!]])

<<|YouFailPhysicsForever|>>

* In ''BatmanAndRobin'', Bane slams a wall of reinforced steel with both fists but is unable to break it. All it takes is for Mr. Freeze to use his suit to freeze the water pipes and thus freeze the wall, thus making it easier to bust out.

** Most ''FinalFantasy'' games featuring Shiva as a summon will have this -- her magic encases enemies in ice; then, with a snap of her fingers, she shatters them to bits. Of course [[SlapOnTheWristNuke it's only a visual effect]]. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' lacks the traditional summons, but Fran has ice-based quickenings, and her "Shatterheart" acts in the same way.

* ''TheDresdenFiles'': in ''Changes'' [[spoiler: Harry, after becoming the Winter Knight,]] covers vampire's arm with ice, then snaps it in half.

** Most ''FinalFantasy'' games featuring Shiva as a summon will have this -- her magic encases enemies in ice; then, with a snap of her fingers, she shatters them to bits. Of course [[SlapOnTheWristNuke it's only a visual effect]]. ''FinalFantasyXII'' lacks the traditional summons, but Fran has ice-based quickenings, and her "Shatterheart" acts in the same way.

* Freeware game ''ExitFate'' has a "Freeze" status ailment: Affected characters cannot dodge and will be killed instantly by any physical attack.

* In ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Aang uses water to freeze a lock to let Flopsy free.

* ''XiaolinShowdown'' also uses this trope. The Xiaolin Warriors and Jack are held in the dungeon. Even Dojo can't escape his cage by growing to his super size. But all it takes is for Omi to freeze the bars, and the warriors easily break free. (Omi is even able to break the bars of Jack's cell [[CherryTapping with his PINKY!]])

[[AC:WebComics]]
* Klaus in ''GirlGenius'' [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080602 wanted]] to use [[WorkerUnit firefighters]] this way. That is, a little army of HumongousMecha carrying liquid nitrogen fire extinguishers.

Not to be confused with the [[HollywoodHacking hacking tool]] from ''DeusEx''. Or with any slang about dating. Or that brand of gum. [[OverlyLongGag Or those big ships used to clear paths for other ships in the northern oceans.]]

* Confirmed by the ''{{Mythbusters}}'' in a recent episode: liquid nitrogen can make locks ''significantly'' easier to physically destroy. Of course, the equipment required makes freezing locks [[AwesomeButImpractical anything but subtle]]. Busted, however, in the case of dunking someone's head in liquid nitrogen for a few seconds and then shattering it against a table (as per the movie ''[[FridayThe13th Jason X]]''): as demonstrated with an artificial head analogue, the trauma would obviously be fatal, but the result as depicted would be impossible to achieve, even if the victim's head were submerged in liquid nitrogen for several ''minutes''.

* {{Negima}}'s Evangeline A K McDowell has a few spells that fit this trope.

* In ''{{Diablo}} 2'' any player character with an ice enchated weapon or ice based spells could destory enemies like this.

In fiction, this miraculous ability of cold to turn rubber balls into shrapnel bombs is, naturally, turned UpToEleven. Simply encasing a thing in ice ([[HumanPopsicle when it's not shown that a person can survive such an ordeal]]) or freezing it to the point that frost forms on the surface is often treated as enough to make steel bars shatter with a dramatic kick. In reality, you'd need several minutes of exposure to liquid nitrogen to achieve such a result, and touching anything that cold with bare skin would probably leave you in need of a new appendage or two.

Not to be confused with the [[HollywoodHacking hacking tool]] from DeusEx. Or with any slang about dating. Or that brand of gum. [[OverlyLongGag Or those big ships used to clear paths for other ships in the northern oceans.]]

Intense cold can be just as destructive a force as intense heat. While freezing things solid may not be as [[IncendiaryExponent pyrotechnically impressive]] as setting them alight or melting them into puddles, the fact remains that reducing the temperature of an object can have some ''interesting'' effects: namely, things that were once soft and pliable (like the human body) or rigid and impenetrable (like steel bars) turn ''brittle'' and hence easy to break.

Not to be confused with the [[HollywoodHacking hacking tool]] from DeusEx. Or with any slang about dating. Or that brand of gum. [[{{Overly Long Gag}} Or those big ships used to clear paths for other ships in the northern oceans.]]

* Probably the best-known example of the trope in action: in ''{{Terminator}} 2: Judgment Day'', the [[NighInvulnerability nigh-invulnerable]] T-1000 is splashed with liquid nitrogen. Its liquid metal matrix steadily freezes over until it starts shattering simply by trying to move around, until it's frozen completely solid. Then, it only takes a bullet [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome to shatter the whole construct into itty, bitty pieces]]. Shame they did it in the vicinity of molten metal...

Not to be confused with the [[HollywoodHacking hacking tool]] from DeusEx. Or with any slang about dating. Or that brand of gum.