History Main / KnockoutGas

* In ''Recap/TintinTintinInAmerica'', the Gangsters Syndicate of Chicago uses knockout gas on Tintin after dropping him through a TrapDoor and before dumping him into Lake Michigan. Fortunately for Tintin, they used the wrong kind of gas.

* ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'': Part of the stealth route for [[CasinoZone Golden Grin Casino]] involves pumping sleeping gas into the security center, knocking out the guards inside. Helpfully, this also disables the cameras.

Often involves InstantSedation, and related to OneDoseFitsAll. SisterTrope to DeadlyGas (and in RealLife, though almost never in fiction, the line between the two can be a very fine one.) SisterTrope to LaughingGas. SisterTrope to TranquillizerDart. HandSlidingDownTheGlass is a subtrope. Often used in a KnockoutAmbush. Often results in NonSequiturThud.

** Lampshaded in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #46, Just as Spider-Man is wondering where to start looking for The Shocker (A vibration-based villain) He spots a cop in a police call box reporting strange tremors, causing Peter to say.

** In ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #661, Veil turns into isoflurane, an anesthetic gas, to keep two muggers down. True to the usual depiction, despite the gas generally being colorless, it appears as a thick fog.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': In one issue of ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'', Cyclops is being chased by the rest of the X-Men who have been tricked by [[spoiler:Mastermind]] into thinking he's [[spoiler:Dark Phoenix]] come back to life. He lures the X-Men into the Danger Room, where he uses a field of "Wizard of Oz" poppies keyed specifically to knock Rogue unconscious. He does this so that he can [[spoiler:use her power absorption power to take brief control of a comatose Professor X's psionics to pierce Mastermind's illusion]].

* Franchise/{{Batman}} has used knockout gas from various sources: bombs, canisters, guns, etc.

* Enemies of ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' have used it from time to time. Mysterio, Kraven, the Chameleon, the Hobgoblins, and [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblins]] are all culprits.
* Creator/DCComics' golden age hero [[ComicBook/SandManMysteryTheatre Sandman]], one of the members of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica, used a knockout gas gun. Later versions of the character also used knockout gas.
* In ''Amazing Franchise/SpiderMan'' #661, Veil turns into isoflurane, an anesthetic gas, to keep two muggers down. True to the usual depiction, despite the gas generally being colorless, it appears as a thick fog.

* In ''[[ComicBook/XMen The Uncanny X-Men]]'', in one issue, Cyclops is being chased by the rest of the X-Men who have been tricked by [[spoiler:Mastermind]] into thinking he's [[spoiler:Dark Phoenix]] come back to life. He lures the X-Men into the Danger Room, where he uses a field of "Wizard of Oz" poppies keyed specifically to knock Rogue unconscious. He does this so that he can [[spoiler:use her power absorption power to take brief control of a comatose Professor X's psionics to pierce Mastermind's illusion]].
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

* ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'' has the moves Sleep Powder and Spore. The only differences are the accuracy and the PP.

* Britt's iconic Gas Gun in the 2011 ''Film/TheGreenHornet'' film. It instantly puts anyone to sleep for about an hour, though this was only after Kato experimented with and perfected it. The first mixture put Britt out for eleven days.

** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'': Uragaan has pores on its back that it can use to release sleep-inducing gas. The Crystalbeard variant launches [[GemstoneAssault gems from its tail]] that can be mined, and each material they give you sells for 10,000 Zenny a pop. However, said gems [[SchmuckBait can ALSO release sleeping gas at random]], so you'd best have some Energy Drinks handy or you're in real trouble.

* The 1933 German film ''Film/{FP1}}'' has the eponymous CityOnTheWater sabotaged by [[HarsherInHindsight gas pumped through the sprinkler system]]. One everyone's unconscious, the flood valves are opened and it's left to sink. Fortunately our heroes land an aircraft on F.P.1, then smash all the windows to let the gas out and wake everyone up.

* The 1933 German film ''F.P.1'' has the eponymous CityOnTheWater sabotaged by [[HarsherInHindsight gas pumped through the sprinkler system]]. One everyone's unconscious, the flood valves are opened and it's left to sink. Fortunately our heroes land an aircraft on F.P.1, then smash all the windows to let the gas out and wake everyone up.

* ''Film/{{Lou}}''. The kidnapper removes the doorknob and inserts a tube that sprays halothane into the child's bedroom.

* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' episode 8 "Waltz for Venus". During a hijacking, Faye renders a female hijacker unconscious with a spray of vapor.

* WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries: ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' parodied the tendency of villains to use this.

** "The Joker Goes To School" provides the page image. The Joker tampered with a milk machine so that first shackles the Dynamic Duo, then releases knockout gas before they can free themselves.

'''Root:''' I won't have to. They'll be incapacitated from the desflurane in the ventilation system. It vaporizes at 75 degrees. Which the building climate control has been programmed to reach ten minutes ago.
-->-- ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', "Lady Killer"

* ''Series/WonderWoman'': Wonder Woman is taken down many times this way. Knockout gas and chloroform were the only reliable method of fighting her when she was not disguised as [[SecretIdentity Diana Prince]].
** In "Judgment from Outer Space (Part 1)" a Nazi mole fires a gun at her feet that turns out to be a knockout gas grenade.
** In "Baroness Von Gunther" the eponymous [[TheBaroness Baroness]] sprays Wonder Woman with knockout perfume.
** In "The Feminum Mystique Part 2" the Nazis [[spoiler: take over Paradise Island. When they discover that all of the women [[BullyingTheDragon can overpower them]], they turn to hand thrown knockout gas grenades]].

** Uragaan has pores on its back that it can use to release sleep-inducing gas. The Crystalbeard variant launches [[GemstoneAssault gems from its tail]] that can be mined, and each material they give you sells for 10,000 Zenny a pop. However, said gems [[SchmuckBait can ALSO release sleeping gas at random]], so you'd best have some Energy Drinks handy or you're in real trouble.
** Radobaan, Uragaan's smaller cousin introduced in ''[[VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld World]]'', has a back that can be mined for bones. However, one must be careful when doing so, as it can also release sleeping gas from its back.
** Paolumu has a subspecies introduced in the ''Iceborne'' expansion, Nightshade Paolumu, who mixes chemicals in its air sac to produce a sleep gas, which it can then shoot out in lingering clouds.

* One of the most consistent ways of defeating [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]], at least on those occasions when he doesn't remember that he can hold his breath for hours. As the Hulk isn't all that bright, this is not infrequent.

** In ''Fear Cay'', one of the ''Literature/DocSavage'' novels, the bad guys try to capture Doc with Knockout Gas dispensed from a rigged wallet left on the sidewalk where he would find it. It doesn't work, because of his superior ability to smell ([[FridgeLogic he somehow smelled it before he breathed it]]) and (as with [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]]) his ability to hold his breath for much longer than normal. In this case it was ''not'' visible.

* In the eighth book of the ''[[ComicBook/DavPilkeyDogMan Dog Man]]'' series, Grampa [[InstantSedation puts both Petey and Li’l Petey to sleep]] via [[KnockoutGas sleep gas]], after they visit him in custody. He then steals Petey’s identity and kidnaps Li’l Petey in the latter’s sleep.

** Shadow Weaver also uses spells that consist of "sleep mist" which is magical KnockOutGas.

* Literature/DocSavage used anesthetic gas grenades. Somewhat justified in that Doc was supposed to have specifically invented these.
** In ''Fear Cay'', one of the Literature/DocSavage novels, the bad guys try to capture Doc with Knockout Gas dispensed from a rigged wallet left on the sidewalk where he would find it. It doesn't work, because of his superior ability to smell ([[FridgeLogic he somehow smelled it before he breathed it]]) and (as with [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]]) his ability to hold his breath for much longer than normal. In this case it was ''not'' visible.

* Franchise/DocSavage used anesthetic gas grenades. Somewhat justified in that Doc was supposed to have specifically invented these.
** In ''Fear Cay'', one of the Franchise/DocSavage novels, the bad guys try to capture Doc with Knockout Gas dispensed from a rigged wallet left on the sidewalk where he would find it. It doesn't work, because of his superior ability to smell ([[FridgeLogic he somehow smelled it before he breathed it]]) and (as with [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]]) his ability to hold his breath for much longer than normal. In this case it was ''not'' visible.

In a web series, on the youtube channel of Dessag(https://www.youtube.com/user/henryoil/videos), a series of web videos depict a secretary getting repeatedly knocked out by sleeping gas in every episode as part of the plot. In total, she has been knocked out by sleeping gas nearly thirty times winning her the record of being gassed onscreen more than any other actress. The actress stated that stars such as Linda Carter on Wonder Woman and Linda Thorson on the Avengers also played characters who were either chloroformed or knocked out by sleeping gas multiple times. Most of the knockouts in the series are very stereotypical from what is depicted in pop culture. The gas knocks her out instantly and she awakes hours later with no ill effects.