History Main / SealedArmyInACan

* ''{{Babes in Toyland}}'' (a/k/a ''March of the Wooden Soldiers'') features an army of toy wooden soldiers that were built outside specification (100 wooden soldiers each six feet tall, instead of 600 wooden soldiers each one foot tall). They come in handy defending Toyland from the boogeymen.

* In RobertHeinlein's ''TheDoorIntoSummer'' he mentions in passing that the USA was able to win a war against Russia because of reserve troops kept in suspended animation.

* The Season 2 finale of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' has an agent of the show's [[BigBad Big Bad]] [[spoiler:open a doorway to Hell and unleashing an army of demons.]]

* The Necrons from ''{{Warhammer40000}}'' are a variation in that they can't be controlled and their only goal is to eradicate all life from the universe. Additionally, unlike most sealed armies they can wake up anytime they want and will voluntarily seal themselves away for centuries at a time to wait for victims to make themselves available.

* [[spoiler:There's Mr. House's Securitron army]] hidden in Fortification Hill in ''FalloutNewVegas'', the door to which can only be opened by the thing you were mugged for at the start of the game.

* ''Babes in Toyland'' (a/k/a ''March of the Wooden Soldiers'') features an army of toy wooden soldiers that were built outside specification (100 wooden soldiers each six feet tall, instead of 600 wooden soldiers each one foot tall). They come in handy defending Toyland from the boogeymen.

* In The Dragon in the Sword, by Michael Moorcock, the Eternal champion manages to get access to one of these, composed of all the heroes throughout eternity that fell. (It's implied that they're ones who tried to stop fighting). Each one is described as being as skilled as Erekose, who is able to take on 6 mooks without too much trouble. They take on the concentrated might of all of Chaos.

* In Robert Heinlein's ''TheDoorIntoSummer'' he mentions in passing that the USA was able to win a war against Russia because of reserve troops kept in suspended animation.

* The Season 2 finale of ''Supernatural'' has an agent of the show's [[BigBad Big Bad]] [[spoiler:open a doorway to Hell and unleashing an army of demons.]]

* Jason was given the task to sow a field with [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon's teeth]], which sprouted into a huge, invincible army. However, he defeated them by [[spoiler: throwing a stone into the army, causing them all to kill each other in an escalating brawl]]. There's probably [[AnAesop a message in that somewhere]].

* ''PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'' The Fearcat army in a magic mirror.

* ''PrinceOfPersia'' has an entire SealedArmyInACan in ''The Forgotten Sands''.

* While it's only described in detail [[AllThereInTheManual on the film's accompanying website and in the artbook]], the Warriors of Tenshu from ''KungFuPanda'' practically scream to be used in this fashion as a BadassArmy for the heroes. Here's hoping the repaired Urn of Whispering Warriors does show up in a sequel...

* Neo-Nazi movements, and extremist movements in general are the closest real life examples known.

* The Season 2 finale of ''Supernatural'' has an agent of the show's [[BigBad Big Bad]] open a doorway to Hell and unleashing an army of demons.

* ''TheMummy'': In the second movie the titular mummy returns and attempts to gain control of the Army of Annubis. [[spoiler: Cutting off their heads is the only way to kill them, not that it helps since more will show up anyway.]] They can only be sealed away, not destroyed.
** The Dragon Emperor's Army also fits, [[spoiler:although the heroes get access to ''another'' SealedArmyInACan in the form of his many dead slaves. They aren't exactly superior combatants, but they hold their own.]]

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* Palutena's army in ''KidIcarus'', too bad she's not evil and they're pretty damn useless.

Can sometimes be used as SealedGoodInACan for a '''really''' BigDamnHeroes moment. In these cases they may not be quite as mindless.

* ''PrinceOfPersia'' has an entire SealedArmyInACan in ''The Forgotten Sands''. While they do get killed a LOT by the resident BadAss Prince, what really makes them badass is their ability: As is stated in the very beginning just before they get unleashed, Malik is unleashing "As many warriors as the grains of desert sand". This is literal. The sand they touch turns into more soldiers. [[spoiler:This is why King Solomon's army and the Djinn were getting such a big ass-whooping by the army, not at all helped by the fact that they're lead by another Djinn (okay, technically an Efreet, but it's the same thing).]] Sadly, [[NoOntologicalInertia killing the BigBad causes all of the army to collapse, but that's hardly an easy thing to do, given the requirements.]]

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army The Terracotta Warriors]] are, according to legend, one of these but who are we kidding? They've been sealed up for thousands of years. [[TemptingFate It's not like some evil mastermind is going to wake them up or anything.]]
** Might be hard for them to be effective, since rebels stole most of their weapons not long after the project was completed.
*** That, and repeater crossbows and such are likely to be ineffective against the [[{{ChineseWithChopperSupport}} People's Liberation Army]], let alone the [[{{YanksWithTanks}} Marines and other such]]. And unless they're [[{{BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy}} actually alien robots]], I think all they'll ever be is an admittedly very impressive bunch of statues, so we're fine...
**** ...for now.
***** three words [[RockBeatsLaser Rock Beats Laser]]
* The page picture is of a sculpture garden by AntonyGormley, who has this motif among his themes. He's also made a garden of wood and cement blocks shaped like real people (he took their measurements). Why hire an army when you can make your own?
** Because the kind you hire can actually move. Neat, though.
* Neo-Nazi movements, and extremist movements in general are the closest real life examples known. [[hottip:*:[[ParanoiaFuel All it takes is]] [[GloriousLeader the right man]] [[VisionaryVillain and the right vision]][[ParanoiaFuel ...]]]]

* In ''{{Loom}}'', the Archbishop Mandible has a grand plan to release an army of [[spoiler:dead from the afterlife]]. This turned out to be not such a great idea.

* Capone "Gang" Bege of ''Manga/OnePiece'' has this as his power, where he seals an entire army in ''himself''. This allows him to brazenly strolll into a battlefield alone and still wind up with superior military force once he ejects them.

* Played with an interesting twist in ''PowerRangersNinjaStorm''. In the finale, it turns out that, unbeknownst to either the audience or the Rangers, the heros haven't been ''killing'' the [[MonsterOfTheWeek monsters of the week]], they've been sealing them. And the BigBad was keeping track of the exact number of monsters the can could hold, as when it went one over, it would let them all out at once.

* The [[NightOfTheLivingMooks Mariage]] in ''[[AudioAdaptation StrikerS Sound Stage X]]'' of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha''. Discovered during an archeaological dig. Beaten due to their {{Necromancer}} [[KingInTheMountain king]] having an anti-war point of view by that time and therefore not being too privy about sustaining their diminishing numbers.

* The Spirit Army from ''MortalKombat''. Resurrecting it was the villains' plot for ''Deadly Alliance'', and it was compeletely and totally destroyed in the opening of the following installment, ''Deception''.

* The Russian Navy is this, sealed away by it's lack of any ports that don't freeze over except on the Black Sea where it is bottled up by Istanbul controlling the mouth. As a result several naval powers have had sort of a standing ThisMeansWar on any attempt by Russia to conquer Istanbul, going back several generations.

[[quoteright:250:[[http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART29613.html http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GormleyClay.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:250:So cute. So many... all ''staring.'']]

[[quoteright:250:http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART29613.html http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GormleyClay.jpg]]

[[http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART29613.html http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GormleyClay.jpg]]
[[caption-width:250:So cute. So many... all ''staring.'']]

* Capone "Gang" Bege of ''OnePiece'' has this as his power, where he seals an entire army in ''himself''. This allows him to brazenly strolll into a battlefield alone and still wind up with superior military force once he ejects them.
* There also is an example in the Naruto Manga where it's revealed that Zetsu, given a sufficient amount of chakra can spawn an army of 100.000 clones of himself.

** [[StockAesops Let he who is without sin cast the first stone?]]
*** Jason? Without sin? That's the funniest joke ever. I'm ROFL-ing my ass over here. Keep it up. Do you have a time slot, when you are coming on?
*** Jason wasn't so bad. At the time. He didn't really start screwing up until AFTER they got the Golden Fleece home. Well, ok, until they actually left with it. And then Medea chopped up her brother.
** Question: If it's a huge, invincible army, [[{{FridgeLogic}} how did they kill each other?]]
*** Immortal vs. immortal is liable to cancel out somewhat. Even if they didn't kill each other, an all-out battle within an invincible army would likely incapacitate that army for quite some time...

* The Myrmidons in ''TheIliad'' were ants who would turn into warriors and provide Achilles with an invincible army.

* There also is an example in the Naruto Manga where it's revealed that Zetsu, given a sufficient amount of chakra can spawn an army of 100.100 clones of himself.

* Used a number of times on ''DoctorWho''.

** Confirmed in the last leg of the game in which [[spoiler you have to fight the ressurected Iron legion with a battalion of somewhat more modern troops]]

** Confirmed in the last leg of the game in which [[spoileryou have to fight the ressurected Iron legion with a battalion of somewhat more modern troops]]

** Confirmed in the last leg of the game in which [spoiler]you have to fight the ressurected Iron legion with a battalion of somewhat more modern troops [/spoiler]