History Main / NukeEm

** Depicted most tragically in Fou-lu's storyline[[note]]Peasant girl meets dragon-god. Peasant girl falls in love with dragon-god. Peasant girl is taken prisoner by empire dragon-god founded 600 years ago, tortured horribly, and ultimately used as Tactical Thermonuclear Peasant in attempt to kill dragon-god. Dragon-god survives (barely) and [[KillEmAll goes completely bugfuck nuts]][[/note]] when he realises ''who'' was used as the ammo. Suffice it to say that it does ''not'' end well for the EvilEmpire.

** One of the first sidequests has the option to detonate the nuke in the center of Megaton, which can be done as soon as you leave the Vault.

* Cheshire, of Creator/DCComics, famously once destroyed {{Qurac}} with a nuclear explosive to prove that she wasn't bluffing about having nukes or being willing to use them. It gets brought up from time to time, but [[ThrowawayCountry nobody really cares about the country itself being gone]]. And this was the reason ''why'' she chose Qurac, because she knew if most people tried to call her a monster because of it they would be reminded that she destroyed a country considered to be the terrorist capital of the world, and that secretly, they may have been glad she did it. She murdered millions just to troll the world, and laughed as the country burned.
* The short original run of ''Marvel Boy'' depicted its titular superhero (despite his prodigious combat-oriented abilities) as wiping out a group of enemy agents by simply flying over their base and dropping a nuclear weapon on them.

* ''VideoGame/FarCry5'' [[spoiler:canonically ends with a nuclear war breaking out, though the exact details of events prior to the war, including what caused it, and the exact state of the world after it are never really made clear. This also results in a post apocalyptic sequel, ''VideoGame/FarCryNewDawn''.]]

* Much like the ''Battletech'' example above, NukeEm is decidedly not an option allowed by The Third Imperium in ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' to its constituent or client planets. Anyone using nukes on anyone else within reach of the Imperium, for whatever reason, can expect a ''very'' unfriendly and supremely unpleasant visit from the Imperial military, potentially including [[PayEvilUntoEvil getting a taste of their own nuclear medicine.]]

** Every game in the main series features the late-game development of nuclear weapons (or "Planet Busters" in ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''[[note]]Though we should note they're more of a mid-game development in ''SMAC'' thanks to the future setting[[/note]]), which are by far the most devastating offensive units available, even despite attempted countermeasures like Bomb Shelter structures or the Strategic Defense Initiative national wonder. Problem is, using nukes causes ''severe'' diplomatic repercussions, and depending on the game can kick up a ton of pollution and/or advance [[ClimateChange global warming]] by a significant degree. Once the United Nations is founded, it's possible for civs to come together and ban the construction of nukes, though this notably does nothing to any pre-built atomic stockpiles.

* ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager''. The SpaceMarines have no problem hurling micratomic grenades about when they're supposed to be on a rescue mission. B'Elanna Torres has to talk them out of detonating an A-rocket too near ''Voyager'', as the radiation would be trapped by the electromagnetic field the ship uses to ward off cosmic radiation.

* In the ''Armor Wars'' storyline in ''ComicBook/IronMan'', CorruptCorporateExecutive Edwin Cord constructed the [[PoweredArmor Firepower suit]] for a military contract. Among its [[MoreDakka many armaments]] was a low-yield nuclear missile named the Terminax, which was ultimately used to destroy the Silver Centurion armor. Cord later blackmailed the military into keeping Firepower for himself by threatening to tell the press that this nuclear-armed battlesuit was intended for [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill riot control]]. The "new" Iron Man was able to [[CurbStompBattle tear Firepower apart]], though, and shut down another Terminax before it could destroy the Stark Enterprises campus.

** In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'', Stalin launches nukes against capital cities of the Allies to ensure victory. Of course, the good guys disarm them in flight -- which they only knew how to do because one of Stalin's top commanders had defected out of ethical concerns over the nuclear weapons programme and how it was going to be used[[note]]in that timeline, the Soviets were the ''first'' to develop nukes[[/note]].

* At the end of ''[[LetsPlay/{{Dream}} Dream's]]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tylNqtyj0gs "3 Hunters Grand Finale" video]], [[spoiler: the hunters set up a trap near the End spawn point that they plan to use to kill Dream with the instant he enters the End. Knowing he stands no chance of surviving it normally, Dream opts for the [[SarcasmMode perfectly predictable route]] of just dropping a quarter-stack of TNT through the stronghold portal. What results is basically an interdimensional bomb, leading to the trap's destruction and all three hunters dying]].

See also: FiveRoundsRapid, ImmuneToBullets, TheEvilArmy, and RadiationImmuneMutants. Not related to the [[VideoGame/DukeNukem incredibly egotistic alien-slaughterer of the same name]].

** Every game in the main series features the late-game development of nuclear weapons (or "Planet Busters" in ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''[[note]]Though we should note they're more of a mid-game development in ''SMAC'' thanks to the future setting[[/note]]), which are by far the most devastating offensive units available, even despite attempted countermeasures like Bomb Shelter structures or the Strategic Defense Initiative national wonder. Problem is, using nukes causes ''severe'' diplomatic repercussions, and depending on the game can kick up a ton of pollution and/or advance GlobalWarming by a significant degree. Once the United Nations is founded, it's possible for civs to come together and ban the construction of nukes, though this notably does nothing to any pre-built atomic stockpiles.

* In a lengthy story arc where ComicBook/TheMightyThor had gained the [[AGodAmI powers of Odin]] and became a WellIntentionedExtremist, the government lured him to a deserted island and nuked him. It's debatable whether this would have worked on [[NighInvulnerable normal]] Thor, but all it did to [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Odin-powered]] Thor was anger him to the point of crossing a MoralEventHorizon.

* In the Sci-Fi channel movie ''Baal Lord of Storms'', the military considers nuking ''a storm front''. While it's clearly the wrong option, there's a techno-babble reason given (something to do with disrupting electro-magnetic waves) to make it merely a bad idea and not simply a completely cracked out of their mind idea. Ironically [[spoiler:it actually ''helps'' by weakening Baal enough for [[SummonBiggerFish El, the God the heroes have summoned]] to defeat him.]]

* ''Film/MegaSharkVsGiantOctopus''. The EvilArmy suggests nuking the eponymous sea monsters, to the horror of the scientists. Think of the damaged ecosystem! The risk to the population! The tsunamis! Much of which could have been avoided by not luring these monsters into shallow water near populated areas like scientists propose. No mention is made of using weapons ''designed to destroy underwater targets'' like depth charges or anti-submarine missiles.

* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' the Chinese have nukes. And you can build as many silos as you want. Each with a separate nuclear silo. You don't need line of sight to fire them either. DeathFromAbove indeed. General Tsing Shi Tao is noted to be ''obsessed'' with nuclear weapons, and is eager to use them in every combat situation [[WeHaveReserves without regard to the safety of his own men]].

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': The Green Geni are not as negativity effected by nuclear radiation as humans, and are a group of xenophobic homicidal interstellar criminals who like to find worlds bearing life and nuke them from orbit as entertainment.

* Attempted in ''{{Literature/Touch}}'', as a way of dealing with an otherworldly horror from before the dawn of man. [[spoiler: It only mostly fails.]]

* Attempted in ''{{Literature/Touch}}'', as a way of dealing with an otherworldly horror from before the dawn of man. [[spoiler: It only mostly fails.]]

** Every game in the main series features the late-game development of nuclear weapons (or "Planet Busters" in ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''), which are by far the most devastating offensive units available, even despite attempted countermeasures like Bomb Shelter structures or the Strategic Defense Initiative national wonder. Problem is, using nukes causes ''severe'' diplomatic repercussions, and depending on the game can kick up a ton of pollution and/or advance GlobalWarming by a significant degree. Once the United Nations is founded, it's possible for civs to come together and ban the construction of nukes, though this notably does nothing to any pre-built atomic stockpiles.

* In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', when air-to-air missiles fail to harm Doomsday, the military immediately suggests that they nuke it once Supes has moved the fight into the upper atmosphere. The President agrees over the objections of the [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure secretary of defense]. Well that escalated quickly. [[spoiler:Goes about as well as you'd [[WhatAnIdiot expect.]]]]