History Main / InCaseOfXBreakGlass

* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'': Torg has had to break his EmergencyStash of pants several times over the course of the comic.

* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2'': Chester V, CorruptCorporateExecutive and BigBad, has a box next to the [[spoiler:FLDSMDFR]] that reads IN CASE PLAN FAILS BREAK GLASS. That box contains a large hammer used to... break the glass containing the [[spoiler:FLDSMDFR]] so he can grab it and escape.

* ''WesternAnimation/KennyAndTheChimp'': [[WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor Professor XXXL]]'s office has a box labelled "In Case of Swine Flu". It contains a chef sizzling bacon which scares away the flu.

* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow''T he Eds are trying to find a way out of Eddy's Brother's room when they find a red box that reads "In Case of Movie, break glass". Upon doing so, they are rewarded with... a peanut. Fortunately, the peanut contained the key to Eddy's Brother's car. The key did open the doors, but it failed to start up the car indicating there was no gas in it, or the battery died, etc.

Picture this:
Alice and Ben are trapped in a panic room and Carl is having a nervous breakdown, Ben finds something sticking in a wall, a red box saying: "In Case of Crisis within a panic room, break glass."
Naturally Alice and Ben oblige and break the glass with the tiny hammer.

The thing inside the glass is just what Alice and Ben were looking for to have Carl calm down. The panic attack within the panic room has been averted. And there was much rejoicing.

Or, the thing turns out to be totally useless, but it doesn't stop Alice and Ben from using it anyway. [[MacGyvering Somehow]]. And it either works or just makes the situation worse.

[[folder: Films -- Animation]]

-->'''Ed:''' Look! ''(showing Edd and Eddy a red box)''
-->'''Edd:''' "In Case of Movie, break glass"?
-->'''Eddy:''' Bingo! ''(breaks the glass with the tiny hammer'') My bro's [[CrazyPrepared always prepared]]! ''(proceeds to reach for... a peanut; Eddy starts looking confused)'' A peanut?
-->'''Ed:''' [[SelfDeprecation Cheap movie.]]

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Buffy's high school actually has a fire axe in one of these emergency glass cases by the door of the school. In [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E3SchoolHard "School Hard"]], Spike breaks the glass with *the face* of one of his own minions in order to get the axe.

[[folder: Jokes]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Animation]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]

[[folder: Web Originals]]

[[folder: Web Videos]]

* ''WebVideo/DreamSMP'': Foolish presses an Emergencies-only button behind a glass -- its purpose was to call Quackity's slime army in case he got cornered.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Buffy's high school actually had a fire axe in one of these emergency glass cases by the door of the school. In the episode "School Hard", Spike actually broke the glass with *the face* of one of his own minions in order to get the axe.

* ''WebVideo/BestOfTheWorst'': {{Parodied}}. In the episode where they reviewed ''Film/{{Silk}}''; the movie's DVD is inside a clear jewel case, which in turn s encased by a glass box on the wall. When they are about to review the film, Rich breaks it with a hammer.

* ''WebVideo/TheReviewTeam'': "Alone Against Snippit" has this tippet -- "In case of any sort of disaster, break the friggin' glass!"

** "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein": When a group of nuns gets word of Peter entering a synagogue, they rush toward a case reading "In Case Of Heresy, Break Glass" and smash it to reveal rulers inside.
** "No Giggity, No Doubt": Quagmire worries that Courtney, a teenage girl he's about to have sex with, is actually his illegitimate daughter and breaks open a case to fetch an emergency DNA test (it's next to a case for an emergency HIV test).

** In "WesternAnimation/KittyKornered", Porky takes out a gun from behind glass when he thinks he's being attacked by men from Mars.
** And again in ''Bewitched Bunny'', when WesternAnimation/BugsBunny finds himself cornered by Witch Hazel in her house, he finds a conveniently-placed wall-mounted box labeled "MAGIC POWDER" with the glass front reading "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS" complete with a little hammer on a chain attached to it. Bugs uses it, revealing a sort of small bomb or grenade which he hurls at Hazel, turning her into a female rabbit!

** And finally, the later cartoon "3 Ring Wing Ding" has Cool Cat, who had been posing as a great fire eater while trying to evade hunter Colonel Rimfire at a circus, be forced to swallow fire at gunpoint, and [[FireBreathingDiner in his rush to put out his smoking head]], Cool Cat runs up to a case labeled "IN CASE OF FIRE BREAK GLASS", smashes the glass... and gets a bucket of water tossed at him, dousing the internal fire.
** ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' In [[Recap/TinyToonAdventuresS3E10BustersDirectorialDebut "Buster's Directorial Debut"]], near the end of the short, Buster finds a box that says, "In Case of Emergency, Break Glass", which has a box of magic dust in it. He uses it to turn Sandy into a goldfish, but decides not to turn Babs back to normal with it until after he's finished filming ''Furrball on the Roof''.
** "WesternAnimation/MississippiHare": Suffle is carrying a pistol that gets wet when a glass full of water spills. He then gets a second one from a red box reading: "For Dry Pistol, Break Glass"

** ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' In [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/TinyToonAdventuresS3E10BustersDirectorialDebut "Buster's Directorial Debut"]], near the end of the short, Buster finds a box that says, "In Case of Emergency, Break Glass", which has a box of magic dust in it. He uses it to turn Sandy into a goldfish, but decides not to turn Babs back to normal with it until after he's finished filming ''Furrball on the Roof''.

* In one ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'', there is such a box, but after someone breaks it, it is revealed that the emergency was a glass shortage, and he just made it worse.

* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'':
** According to Blog/WhatIf's "[[http://what-if.xkcd.com/48/ Sunset On The British Empire]]", the interior walls of Buckingham Palace have numerous 'In Case Of Emergency, Break Glass' boxes. [[BritsLoveTea Each one has a cup of tea in it.]]
** In case of emergency, [[http://xkcd.com/1634/ a glass repair kit.]]

[[folder: Web Video]]

* In ''Literature/SonicTheHedgehogInCastleRobotnik'' after a power-cut Sonic and Tails are stuck in an Elevator and after ages of trying to pry off the emergency hatch with their hands they notice a box with a spanner in it designed to remove the bolts fixing the hatch closed.
* ''Literature/TitanEmpire'': The Acolytes were made by Avalon in order to have a failsafe if the Empire turned against them.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E5FugitiveOfTheJudoon "Fugitive of the Judoon"]], [[spoiler:Ruth Clayton's [[HumanityEnsues Chameleon Arch]] is disguised as part of a fire alarm system in an old lighthouse. When she follows her TriggerPhrase instructions and breaks the glass, she is restored to her true self.]]

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', FlavorText for Boros Cluestone: "In case of fire, treachery, citywide riot, political upheaval, or worldwide societal collapse, break glass."

* ''WesternAnimation//TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': In [[Recap/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandyS5E14BillyAndMandySaveChristmas "Billy and Mandy Save Christmas"]] Santa has an "In Case of Vampire, Break Glass" case in his office, ready [[CrazyPrepated just in case]] [[spoiler: his wife]] decides to try to turn everyone into vampires again.

* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'': In the episode "Nullzilla", Phong has an extended CrazyPrepared-plan for a Godzilla-sized null monster rampaging through the city. This includes a large weapon in a case that reads "IN CASE OF GIANT NULL MONSTER THREATENING CITY -- BREAK GLASS".
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In "The Vat of Acid Episode", Rick's second vat of acid has a gun next to the oxygen tank with this label that Morty could use if someone were to use a ladle to test the acid.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Bossy Boots", after Mr. Krabs passes out after hearing [=SpongeBob=] "fire" Pearl, [=SpongeBob=] breaks an emergency case containing a dollar bill to wave under Mr. Krabs' nose like smelling salts.

* ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'' episode "No Duct Tape" features an emergency supply of duct tape in a windowed box, complete with sign "in case of emergeny break glass". Unfortunately, when Red breaks the glass, the 50-year-old roll of duct tape crumbles in his hands.

* ''VideoGame/UnrealI'': At the very beginning, there's a glass box with two medpacks inside of it below the end of the Vortex Rikers level, with the "Break Glass" text above it.

[[folder: Web Original]]

* ''WebVideo/TheReviewTeam'' has this tippet in "Alone Against Snippit": 'In case of any sort of disaster, break the friggin' glass!'

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The Decisions", Darwin swims to the door that leads to the water valve, but it is locked. Next to the door, he sees a case containing an axe in case of emergencies. Instead of breaking the glass to retrieve the ax, Darwin just uses ''the whole case'' to break open the lock.

[[folder:Literature]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]

[[folder:Jokes]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/IcarusNeeds'', a key needed to progress is found in a box with a sign next to it that reads as follows: "Break Glass In Need of Key".
* In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando'', the duo finds a new wrench and a rock encased in glass next to each other. The wrench has a label stating "In case of emergency, break glass with wrench"; while the rock's states an complex logic puzzle that Clank is eager to solve before Ratchet breaks the glass and takes the wrench.
* ''VideoGame/StarshipTitanic'': The SGT Lounge has a long stick behind glass, and the hammer to break the glass is elsewhere. [[spoiler: The long stick is to grab a lemon from the Promenade Deck's multi-season room. You need the parrot's perch, which isn't long enough to reach the lemon, in order to push the button on the case within which the hammer is ensconced. Only then can you obtain the Long Stick. It's that kind of a game.]]

* At the very beginning of ''VideoGame/UnrealI'', there's a glass box with two medpacks inside of it below the end of the Vortex Rikers level, with the "Break Glass" text above it.

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* In the ''WebAnimation/DoodleToons'' episode "Fast Food Follies", Pip and Goldie feed a customer a burger that causes him to breathe flames[[note]]Goldie wanted to put tobacco in the burgers to get customers addicted, but she accidentally put tobasco in it instead[[/note]]. To extinguish the flames, Goldie grabs an axe from in a nearby box labeled "In case of fire, break glass."

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[folder:Web Original]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]

[[folder:Real Life]]

* In ''Webcomic/DarkLegacyComics'', [[https://www.darklegacycomics.com/775 a murloc]] has one marked "In case of questors, break glass". The item inside is a yellow exclamation point which the murloc uses to [[BreakingTheFourthWall impersonate a quest giver]], so that the questor doesn't think it's a [[TwentyBearAsses quest target]].

** According to Blog/WhatIf's ''[[http://what-if.xkcd.com/48/ Sunset On The British Empire]]'', the interior walls of Buckingham Palace have numerous 'In Case Of Emergency, Break Glass' boxes. [[BritsLoveTea Each one has a cup of tea in it.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow'', the Eds are trying to find a way out of Eddy's Brother's room when this happens:
-->'''Ed:''' Look! ''(showing Edd and Eddy a red box)''
-->'''Edd:''' "In Case of Movie, break glass"?
-->'''Eddy:''' Bingo! ''(breaks the glass with the tiny hammer'') My bro's [[CrazyPrepared always prepared]]! ''(proceeds to reach for... a peanut; Eddy starts looking confused)'' A peanut?
-->'''Ed:''' [[SelfDeprecation Cheap movie.]]
** Fortunately, the peanut contained the key to Eddy's Brother's car. The key did open the doors, but it failed to start up the car indicating there was no gas in it, or the battery died, etc.
* ''WesternAnimation/KennyAndTheChimp'': [[WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor Professor XXXL]]'s office has a box labelled "In Case of Swine Flu". It contains a chef sizzling bacon which scares away the flu.
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
** DoubleSubverted in ''The Hardship of Miles Standish'', John Aldin (played by Elmer Fudd) finds a glass case reading "In Case of Indians, Break Glass". He simply lifts the glass up and takes out the gun behind it... ''then'' he breaks the glass.
** In ''Kitty Kornered'', Porky takes out a gun from behind glass when he thinks he's being attacked by men from Mars.
** And again in ''Bewitched Bunny'', when WesternAnimation/BugsBunny finds himself cornered by Witch Hazel in her house, he finds a conveniently-placed wall-mounted box labeled "MAGIC POWDER" with the glass front reading "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY BREAK GLASS" complete with a little hammer on a chain attached to it. Bugs uses it, revealing a sort of small bomb or grenade which he hurls at Hazel, turning her into a female rabbit!
** In "To Hare Is Human", Bugs has another mounted box around his bed marked ''In case of coyote, break glass.'' Inside the box is a BananaPeel, which he throws in front of the ladder that serves as the stairway to his hole. Once the coyote steps on the peel, his next stop is the Coyote Disposal and a date with gravity.
** And finally, the later cartoon "3 Ring Wing Ding" has Cool Cat, who had been posing as a great fire eater while trying to evade hunter Colonel Rimfire at a circus, be forced to swallow fire at gunpoint, and [[FireBreathingDiner in his rush to put out his smoking head]], Cool Cat runs up to a case labeled "IN CASE OF FIRE BREAK GLASS", smashes the glass... and gets a bucket of water tossed at him, dousing the internal fire.

* ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'': One episode has the titular characters travel into an exotic land to suddenly steal the throne from [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Rancid Rabbit]]. Rancid goes back to a case that says, "In Case of Emergency, Break Grass".
* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'': In the episode "Nullzilla", Phong has an extended CrazyPrepared-plan for a Godzilla-sized null monster rampaging through the city. This includes a large weapon in a case that reads "IN CASE OF GIANT NULL MONSTER THREATENING CITY -- BREAK GLASS".
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In "The Vat of Acid Episode", Rick's second vat of acid has a gun next to the oxygen tank with this label that Morty could use if someone were to use a ladle to test the acid.
* ''WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost'': In the short "Ghost Writers", there is a glass case at the Paramount cartoon studio reading "In Case If You're Fired--" [[BlackComedy and containing]] [[DrivenToSuicide a gun]].
* ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2'': Chester V, CorruptCorporateExecutive and BigBad, has a box next to the [[spoiler:FLDSMDFR]] that reads IN CASE PLAN FAILS BREAK GLASS. That box contains a large hammer used to... break the glass containing the [[spoiler:FLDSMDFR]] so he can grab it and escape.
* Inverted in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'', in which a giant lightbulb containing and powered by a swarm of [[ShockAndAwe Megawhatts]] is labeled with "In case of emergency, do NOT break glass".

* A host segment from the ''WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw'' show, ''WesternAnimation/SnooperAndBlabber'' has the show's cast as volunteer firemen. Blabber is seen destroying windows with an axe. When Snooper asks what he's doing, Blabber replies "It says '[[LiteralMinded In case of fire, break glass,]]' Snoop!"

!!In case of examples, read below:

** In "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein", when a group of nuns get word of Peter entering a synagogue, they rush toward a case reading "In Case Of Heresy, Break Glass" and smash it to reveal rulers inside.
** In "No Giggity, No Doubt", Quagmire worries that Courtney, a teenage girl he's about to have sex with, is actually his illegitimate daughter and breaks open a case to fetch an emergency DNA test (it's next to a case for an emergency HIV test).
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons: WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror V'', Homer goes insane after being forced to go a long time without TV or beer. Marge runs across a glass case that says, "In Case of Spousal Insanity, Break Glass", where she finds a baseball bat.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'' has the titular character travel into an exotic land to suddenly steal the throne from [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Rancid Rabbit]]. Rancid goes back to a case that says, "In Case of Emergency, Break Grass".
* In the ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' episode "Nullzilla", Phong has an extended CrazyPrepared-plan for a godzilla-sized null monster ramapging through the city. This includes a large weapon in a case that reads "IN CASE OF GIANT NULL MONSTER THREATENING CITY -- BREAK GLASS".

* In the ''WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost'' short "Ghost Writers", there is a glass case at the Paramount cartoon studio reading "In Case If You're Fired--" [[BlackComedy and containing]] [[DrivenToSuicide a gun]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs2'', [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Chester]] [[BigBad V]] has a box next to the [[spoiler:FLDSMDFR]] that reads IN CASE PLAN FAILS BREAK GLASS. That box contains a large hammer used to.... break the glass containing the [[spoiler:FLDSMDFR]] so he can grab it and escape.

* In the olden days, fire extinguishers were often contained in cabinets like these in public buildings, equipped with a metal breaker on a chain to break the glass pane with. It's less used in new installations though, due to the dangers of broken glass shards, and such cabinets are now usually designed with a glass door on the front that can be pulled open, or a plexiglass front with a pre-scored cut in the material.
* In Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada and several other countries, fire alarm break-glass "call points" are still in wide use, designed so a small button or lever right behind the glass will be pressed when the glass is smashed, sounding the alarm. Having the glass cover reduces the likelihood of pranks in which people set off the alarm even though there's no fire.
* On some trains and buses, the "emergency door open" handle, which opens ghe door in the event of an accident or fire, is behind a transparent plexiglass cover.

* In the BBC {{Edutainment}} series ''Series/{{Jigsaw}}'', the [[HotLine O-Phone]], which was used to summon incompetent superheroes The O-Men, was in a glass case labeled "In Emergency Break Glass". There was no hammer. The way to break the glass was to open the case, use the phone to smash the glass, then put the phone back before using it.

In RealLife, buildings and public transportation may have fire safety equipment (a fire axe) in a glass-fronted box, with instructions to break the glass in am emergency. This reduces the likelihood that a miscreant will steal the item.

* In the olden days, fire extinguishers were often contained in cabinets like these in public buildings, equipped with a metal breaker on a chain to break the glass pane with. It's less used in new installations though, due to the dangers of broken glass shards, and such cabinets are now usually designed with a glass door on the front that can be pulled open.
* In Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada and several other countries, fire alarm break-glass "call points" are still in wide use, designed so a small button or lever right behind the glass will be pressed when the glass is smashed, sounding the alarm.

Has nothing to do with [[InCaseOfBossFightBreakGlass breaking glass sections of a boss enemy to destroy it]].

* A host segment from the ''WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw'' show, ''WesternAnimation/SnooperAndBlabber''m has the show's cast as volunteer firemen. Blabber is seen destroying windows with an axe. When Snooper asks what he's doing, Blabber replies "It says '[[LiteralMinded In case of fire, break glass,]]' Snoop!"

* A host segment from the ''WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw'' show has the show's cast as volunteer firemen. Blabber is seen destroying windows with an axe. When Snooper asks what he's doing, Blabber replies "It says '[[LiteralMinded In case of fire, break glass,]]' Snoop!"

* A prison has a fire alarm with the usual BigRedButton behind a glass panel labelled: IN CASE OF FIRE, BREAK. Next to it is a gun cabinet labeled: IN CASE OF JAILBREAK, FIRE.

** According to Blog/WhatIf ''[[http://what-if.xkcd.com/48/ Sunset On The British Empire]]'', the interior walls of Buckingham Palace have numerous 'In Case Of Emergency, Break Glass' boxes. [[SpotOfTea Each one has a cup of tea in it.]]

* In the BBC {{Edutainment}} series ''Jigsaw'', the [[HotLine O-Phone]], which was used to summon incompetent superheroes The O-Men, was in a glass case labeled "In Emergency Break Glass". There was no hammer. The way to break the glass was to open the case, use the phone to smash the glass, then put the phone back before using it.

* In ''VideoGame/IcarusNeeds'', a key needed to progress is found in a box with a sign next to it that reads as follows: ''Break Glass In Need of Key''.

* At the very beginning of ''VideoGame/{{Unreal|I}}'' there's a glass box with two medpacks inside of it below the end of the Vortex Rikers level, with the "Break Glass" text above it.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* According to xkcd Blog/WhatIf ''[[http://what-if.xkcd.com/48/ Sunset On The British Empire]]'', the interior walls of Buckingham Palace have numerous 'In Case Of Emergency, Break Glass' boxes. [[SpotOfTea Each one has a cup of tea in it.]]

* WebVideo/RedLetterMedia: After a ''WebVideo/BestOfTheWorst'' episode in which Creator/MaxLandis made a guest appearance and brought ''Film/DoubleDown'', a Creator/NeilBreen film, as one of the three movies to review, the RLM crew kept another Breen film under a glass container in the studio marked with "In Case of Max Landis, Break Glass." After sexual assault allegations were leveled at Landis, the RLM channel [[MissingEpisode de-listed]] ''Double Down'', and the glass case was quietly relabeled "In Case of Emergency, Break Glass." The crew eventually did break the glass and watch the film when another film they had scheduled to review proved unwatchable.

-->'''Eddy:''' Bingo! ''(breaks the glass with the tiny hammer'') My bro's [[CrazyPrepared always prepared]]! ''(proceeds to reach for...a peanut; Eddy starts looking confused)'' A peanut?

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''
** DoubleSubverted in ''The Hardship of Miles Standish'', John Aldin (played by Elmer Fudd) finds a glass case reading "In Case of Indians, Break Glass". He simply lifts the glass up and takes out the gun behind it...''then'' he breaks the glass.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' Treehouse of Horror V, Homer goes insane after being forced to go a long time without TV or beer. Marge runs across a glass case that says, "In Case of Spousal Insanity, Break Glass", where she finds a baseball bat.