History Main / SwissArmyAppendage

-->-- Japeth, Film/{{Hoodwinked}}

* Aaron Stack, AKA The Machine Man, of Creator/MarvelComics; originally a serious superhero, currently a member of adrenaline-soaked parody team ''{{ComicBook/Nextwave}}''. All of his limbs are this--heck, he's like a more competent Inspector Gadget crossed with Bender from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''.

** Series/KamenRiderFourze {{Homage}}s Super-1 and then takes it [[UpToEleven Up to Forty]], with each arm ''and'' leg able to equip a wide variety of gear including rockets, drills, missile launchers, hammers, shields, winches, medkits, and lots more. And that's not even getting into Fourze himself being a SwissArmyHero as was common for the Heisei era.

** In the [[WesternAnimation/MegaMan animated series]], Roll also has one of these.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'':

* Aaron Stack, AKA The Machine Man, of Creator/MarvelComics; originally a serious superhero, currently a member of adrenaline-soaked parody team ''{{ComicBook/Nextwave}}''. All of his limbs are this--heck, he's like a more competent Inspector Gadget crossed with Bender from Futurama.

* In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse fic “[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/26203810/ 14,000,606]]”, after Peter Parker loses his left arm triggering the Snap to destroy Thanos's army, Tony Stark and Princess Shuri collaborate to create a new arm for Peter. This arm is not only made of vibranium, but is designed to replicate Peter's ability to stick to walls and has nanites that allow it to generate its own virtually limitless webbing. Tony also talks of plans to make various new versions of the arm with this as the prototype, particularly after [[spoiler:Quentin Beck briefly hacks the arm and turns it against Peter]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Cable}}'' from Marvel Comics. Early in his continuity his metal arm was one of these instead of whatever the heck it is now.

* ComicBook/MistyKnight's cybernetic arm has undergone a series of upgrades over the years.

* The Franchise/{{Marvel|Universe}} UK character ComicBook/DeathsHead and his successor Death's Head II both do this.

** [[TheHero Mag Launcher's]] Cyframe is the Airacomet, a giant hand. Aside from its most obvious function (punching the crap out of things), it can be equipped with various parts to give it a wider variety of other attacks and abilities, including but not limited to [[ElementalPunch elemental punches]] (of the FireIceLightning variety), crushing enemies with a [[DropTheHammer giant hammer]], and [[StandardStatusEffects spraying noxious fumes]] from a giant aerosol can. Mag also [[PlayingWith plays with]] this trope, as his Airacomet functions more akin to a third arm than a replacement limb.

* ''WesternAnimation/MaoMaoHeroesOfPureHeart'': Badgerclops' robotic arm can produce more than just an arm cannon. It also has a vacuum, water-sprinkler, spatula, makeup applicator, microphone, audio-diary, MP3 player, sniper rifle, hammer, grappling hook and lord only knows what it ''can't'' do.

* Fritz from ''VideoGame/BrainDead13'' replaces his hook hands with all kinds of melee weapons, guns, and other props (blender, electric razor, etc).

* Baiken of the game series ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' lost an arm and an eye. Despite it being TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, she didn't opt for a prosthetic. Instead she just filled that shirt sleeve with all kinds of stuff loosely attached to her shoulder, including a raking claw on a chain, and a fireworks launcher.
* In the same vein as Barret above, Drachma from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' has a wide variety of hands to fix to his mechanical arm. None are guns, but there's a variety of hooks, claws, prosthetics, blades, and what-have-you.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Evolution}} Evolution: The World Of Sacred Device]]'', all but two of the party members use Cyframes, ancient technology that has been repurposed for combat. Of the cyframes, two fit this trope the most:
** [[TheHero Mag Launcher's]] Cyframe is the Airacomet, a giant hand. Aside from its most obvious function (punching the crap out of things), it can be equipped with various parts to give it a wider variety of other attacks and abilities, including but not limited to [[ElementalPunch elemental punches]] (of the FireIceLightning variety), crushing enemies with a [[DropTheHammer giant hammer]], and [[StandardStatusEffects spraying noxious fumes]] from a giant aerosol can. Mag also [[PlayingWith plays with]] this trope, as his Airacomet functions more akin to a third arm than a replacement limb.
** The sequel introduces [[GentlemanThief Carcano]], who's cyframe is a bazooka that replaces his seemingly-lost left arm, making him a more traditional example.

* In ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', it's revealed later on that Gary Goodspeed's prosthetic arm can transform into an ArmCannon and a BladeBeneathTheShoulder.

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%%* Captain Hook in ''Anime/TheAdventuresOfPeterPan''.

* In the final segment of the ''WesternAnimation/HeavyMetal'' film, the villain has a mechanical hand. For the final fight, he swaps the hand for a buzzsaw-type cutting tool.

* Kryten of ''Series/RedDwarf'' plays it for laughs with his groinal socket attachment system.

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
** Ed has an automail arm, not too rare in his universe, but with alchemy he can pretty much do anything with it. Why does he even need a mechanic? Automail is very complex machinery, and he doesn't have the knowhow or skill to perfectly put it back together after transmutations. He goes to Winry so she can set it right again every once in a while. And he does periodically need it lengthened.
** A better example would be Paninya, who shows up early in the manga. She's got a [[ArmedLegs blade in one leg]] and a [[LegCannon gun in the other]]. Both of which prove to be fairly useful against the Elric brothers.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Late in the show's run, Finn gets a [[ArtificialLimbs robotic arm]] that is revealed to be this in the episode "Three Buckets".

* ''VideoGame/MegaMan's'' ArmCannon was this, in his original incarnation of Rock. This was before he had to be weaponized. May be a borderline case for this trope, as he shapeshifts/replicates things instead of hot-swapping.

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* Chaos Obliterators in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' combine this with ShapeshifterWeapon: they can morph their bodies into just about anything that's needed. This being 40k, "anything that's needed" usually equates to "whatever weapon is most handy at the time", though presumably even living daemonic war machines [[MundaneUtility need a screwdriver or a crowbar or something]] occasionally. Why would an Obliterator need a crowbar in 40k? The most obvious need would be to open doors or crates, but then we're talking ''ten-foot mountains of flesh, metal and gun''. Chaos isn't famed for common sense either; the whole faction seems to be either TheStarscream or the kind to shoot out a door before asking if someone's on the other side.
* By making the best of the [[CursedWithAwesome powerful curse]] she's under, Jacqueline Montarri has become one of the most adaptable villains in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting. Having lost her own head centuries ago, she decapitates other women and wears theirs, instead. And she gains any class-based abilities which those unfortunate ladies might've possessed in the bargain. If she ever offers to show you her "collection", don't accept, because it's ''not'' stamps or butterflies.

* In ''TabletopGame/Cybergeneration'', the Tinman character types have all four limbs replaced with these. A skilled Tinman can do truly impressive things with them, even, if the GM permits it, glide by turning their limbs into airfoils.
* In the ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'' campaign setting, ''Otherverse America'', one character class, the Midwives, are doctors who can transform their bionic arms into a variety of medical and surgical equipment.

* ''[[TabletopGame/BattlelordsOfTheTwentyThirdCentury Battlelords of the 23rd Century]]'' supplement ''Lock-N-Load: The Battlelord's War Manual''. A Snap-On Interface allows the user to swap his weapon cybernetic limbs with normal-appearing limbs to avoid attention.
* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': Omnimechs are a special type of Battlemech with modular weapon systems mounts. This allows technicians to swap out the weaponry, whether it's in the mech's arms or torso, in a matter of hours rather than taking multiple days like a similar change-out would take on a standard mech. There's also a Battle Armor device, the Modular Weapon Mount, that allows Battle Armor to perform in a similar capacity.

* Ideal produced a figure in the 70s called ''J.J. Armes'', a cyborg detective whose main selling point was an arsenal of snap-on hands.

* [[VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel Black Arts Viper's]] left arm is a prosthetic which [[InformedAbility is apparently full of explosives and other combat-useful gadgets]] that he can use on the fly, giving him his name. However, the only indication we have of this outside of an informative [[MissionControl CODEC conversation]] is a cutscene when his hand morphs into a projectile weapon, which he uses fairly sparingly during the ensuing battle.
* The old Megadrive/Genesis game ''VideoGame/CyborgJustice'' gave you (and level bosses) the ability to rip arms off enemies and swap them with yours. The options included a [[ChainsawGood circular saw]], RocketPunch and [[EnergyWeapon Lasers]]. Or you could just throw it back at them.
* The main character in ''The Potter and the Mould'' possessed limited shapeshifting abilities which allowed him to turn his hand into all sorts of useful doohickies, from a crowbar to a screwdriver to an indestructible container for some pretty powerful acid.

* In ''Webcomic/UmlautHouse'', decapitated MadScientist Rick Hundecoph has entire ''bodies'' which he could switch between, including a [[GenderBender female]] one which was used the first time he met his fiance's parents (Jake being [[ComingOutStory stuck in the closet]] at the time).

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Captain Hawkins' [[ArtificialLimbs prosthetic hand]] is shown to quickly switch between attachments, those seen include a HookHand, sword and slingshot.
* In ''Webcomic/TheBirdFeeder'', Josh's cap's abilities are a RunningGag in the comic. While he is a black-capped chickadee, and his cap ought to be an actual appendage, it appears that it's also removable. He claims that it's made of high-carbon surgical stainless steel, the bill can have a sharp point if needed, and it's shown to be extendable.

* In the 80's cartoon ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'', the villain Hordak was able to morph his hand into a variety of useful items.
** Hordak could morph his ''entire body.''
** Due to animation limitations at the time, Modulok got this ability too instead of being able to swap out body parts like his toy.

* Hoss Delgado from ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' has a hand that seems to turn into anything imaginable. Even things that seem useless.

* In an homage to ''Enter the Dragon'', Jackie Chan in ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' once fights a villain with different prosthetic hands. When going unarmed against the villain's weaponized hand, Jackie grabs other hands, which turn out to have rather mundane uses, like toothbrushes, instead of weapons.
* Much like the ''Teen Titans'' example above, Cyborg in ''WebAnimation/DCSuperFriends'' has tons of gimmicks built into his body, but his lean more towards the WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget end of the spectrum, with extending legs and a radar dish in his head.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', Truant Officer Shallowgrave has a hook that can turn into tools and weapons.
* The ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Joe's Revenge" reveals that Quagmire has a Swiss army ''penis''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', Peridot's limb enhancers can do a whole load of things, as long as the fingers are positioned right. They can form screens (which in turn contain her data and logs, and can operate other gem tech), helicopter rotor blades which she can use to fly and hover, an ArmCannon, a tractor beam, and they can emit bursts of electricity. She also occasionally uses them to emote what she wants (ie: turning them into arrows while pointing at something she wants Steven to fix). When not in use, they act as regular hands.
* In ''WesternAnimation/OzzyAndDrix'', Drix has an ArmCannon that seems to be equipped with everything. This is lampshaded in one episode where it even has a blender mixer, and Maria asks why a cold pill would need that. His response? "You know, sometimes I wonder that myself!"
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': The [[spoiler: alien sheep]] not only naturally have weapons as appendages, the weapons are replaceable.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Late in the show's run, Finn gets a [[ArtificialLimbs robotic arm]] that is revealed to be this in the episode "Three Buckets".
* Both [[{{Cyborg}} Warp Darkmatter]] and [[KillerRobot XL]] in ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' have a mechanical arm that can transform into a variety of tools and weapons, including (in the latter's case) [[MundaneUtility mundane things like eggbeaters]].

* Phantom, the BigBad from ''Manga/{{MAR}}'', has all of his most powerful [[MagiTek Ärms]] ''grafted onto his left arm'', which is wrapped up with cloth straps to keep it hidden. It's not exactly surprising when he reveals it, but it is ''awesome''.

* Guts in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' loses an arm to a demon during the Eclipse, but it's all good because his replacement includes a gunpowder ArmCannon and a repeating crossbow! On the other hand, the thing does ''not'' have moving fingers, but powerful magnets make sure that the artificial fingers are tightly grasping his massive sword, The Dragonslayer.

* Justimon, Cyberdramon's Mega form, from ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' has the Trinity Arm, which has three different forms.

* Swiss army limbs containing holdout weapons are common for the robot bodyguards and cyborg assassins in the various incarnations of ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'', not so common amongst the heroic characters. Particular instances are a double-barreled gun Batou has within his arm that he breaks out for the final fight in ''Anime/GhostInTheShell 2: Innocence'', and a pump-action shotgun [[AbnormalAmmo loaded with rolls of coins]] in the arm of the Chinese assassin Fem in the first season of ''[[Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex Stand Alone Complex]]''.

* ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} once fought a foe called Wooden Nickel whose "power" (using the term incredibly loosely) was that he possessed a wooden arm with multiple functions.

* The Franchise/{{Marvel|Universe}} UK character ComicBook/DeathsHead and his successor Death's Head II both do this.
** The original Death's Head has several different weapons that he can swap his right hand with, including a mace, an axe, a blaster, and several different types of missiles.
** Death's Head II has a liquid metal right forearm with (at least) four different configurations: hand, cannon, blade weapon, and "siphon" (which is used to absorb information, knowledge, and skills from others, organics or machines alike).
* ''ComicBook/{{Cable}}'' from Marvel Comics. Early in his continuity his metal arm was one of these instead of whatever the heck it is now.
** Cable's protege, Garrison Kane, has ''four'' of these, originally given to him by the Weapon X program. Cable later upgraded them to the same 40th century tech he uses for his own arm.
* Aaron Stack, AKA The Machine Man, of Creator/MarvelComics; originally a serious superhero, currently a member of adrenaline-soaked parody team {{ComicBook/Nextwave}}. All of his limbs are this--heck, he's like a more competent Inspector Gadget crossed with Bender from Futurama.

* Lucien Machete from the Topps Comics ''Franchise/{{Zorro}}'' series had a variety of weapons and gadgets built into his HookHand.

* John Silver in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'' is a cyborg, with artificial arm, leg, and eye. The arm transforms into about a million different things, from tools for cooking to a cutlass. He can even use another part attached to his leg to turn it into something akin to a plasma cannon.

* ''Film/TheKentuckyFriedMovie'' features "A Fistful of Yen," an AffectionateParody of ''Film/EnterTheDragon'', where the villain parodies Mr. Han's hand by feature an even wider array of attachments. Like a [[FireBreathingWeapon flamethrower]]. And a [[PowerPerversionPotential vibrator]].
* ''Film/TheMachineGirl'' (''Kataude Mashin Garu'') features a Japanese schoolgirl who loses her arm to the mob and replaces it with a machine gun as well as a chainsaw.
* [[spoiler: Judge Doom]] from ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'' has a golden one with an anvil at the end of it, which then becomes a buzzsaw.
* ''Film/{{LifePod}}'' had the 'Toolies' - a sub-species of dwarf-sized human's who underwent surgery to have tool adapters on one of their arms.
* In Robert Rodriguez' ''Film/PlanetTerror'', Creator/RoseMcGowan's character, a go-go dancer named Cherry Darling, loses a leg early in the movie and has it replaced by a peg, and later, a [[SwissArmyWeapon machine gun/grenade launcher]]. That's right, it's a gun leg. RuleOfCool keeps it from exploding from all the dirt that would get packed into the barrel.
* Franchise/{{Robocop}} fits this trope more and more as the film series progresses. In ''Film/RoboCop3'', he gets an ArmCannon with an underslung grenade launcher, and a data interface on his normal hand. However, one of his forearms has to be detached with his other hand in order to exchange it for the ArmCannon.

* The T-X from ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' has one of these: the liquid metal lets it be a normal hand, else it can fold about into a variety of weapons. The ones we see used are a plasma cannon, a nanomachine injector, and a flamethrower, but her navigational screen indicates there are around two dozen alternates. Including an [[Film/{{Aliens}} M-41 Pulse Rifle]], apparently.

* In ''Film/{{Hook}}'', Captain Hook has a number of swappable attachments for his missing hand, including a cup-like device he uses to hold a glove for the impromptu game of baseball he sets up to try and win the love of Peter Pan's son.

* Klinger, the one-armed tattooist in ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'', has had his missing hand replaced with a functioning tattoo gun. He also mentions a frosting attachment for icing cakes.

* Etienne d'Arcachon of ''Literature/TheBaroqueCycle'' by Creator/NealStephenson has a number of replacements for his missing hand, including at least one that [[PowerPerversionPotential can't be described in polite company]]. Yevgeny the Raskolnik has a few as well, including a flail and a cannonball to act as a counterweight for throwing harpoons.

* [[spoiler:Eugenides]] in Megan Whalen Turner's ''[[Literature/TheQueensThief Queen's Thief]]'' series has a few different prosthetics he uses to replace his missing hand, including a cosmetic false hand and a hook that he's used to kill a would-be assassin.
* Not an appendage, strictly speaking, but Arno Blunt in ''[[Literature/ArtemisFowl Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code]]'' acquires a wide variety of bizarre false teeth at some point after having his real teeth knocked out by a sonic grenade.
* Gil Terry from ''Literature/SpaceVulture'' has an alien cricket arm and a telescoping beetle eye. He lost his real body parts in a sports bet and had them replaced with non-species-specific spares, much to his displeasure.
* Herzer Herrick, from Creator/JohnRingo's ''Literature/CouncilWars'' series, uses a nifty prosthetic hand that combines a clamp and a shear with a torque amplification system befitting both the series's AnachronismStew and his own CanonSue status. It even opens beer bottles, though he'd much prefer to have a real hand. As both a high ranking officer, and the consort of one of the most powerful women on the planet, he could easily get his hand regrown. It's a matter of personal honor that he won't do so until after the war is over.
* ''Literature/QuantumGravity'': Lila has some weaponry in her arms. When they start developing new functions on their own, it is explicitly noted as odd. On the other hand, she's magic-stained and has elementals floating around in there, so what do you expect?
* Hal from ''Literature/TheBrotherbandChronicles'' makes one of these for Thorn, with interchangeable parts depending on what he wants to do.
* In Literature/WillDestroyTheGalaxyForCash, the GentlemanThief Daversham Derby has one of his forearms removed and replaced with a cylinder shaped device that gives him whatever tool he needs; however, this is because the device creates a miniature portal [[PortalNetwork (called quantunneling)]] to a room in some other part of the galaxy where his assistant inserts whatever tool he non verbally requests through the mouth of the portal.

* ''Series/TokusouRoboJanperson'' uses this, with the addition that his right arm can be launched off as a wired RocketPunch. The attachments include a [[{{BFS}} sword]], a [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]] and an actual RocketPunch.

* Torque, Robert Conrad's sidekick in the TV spy show ''AManCalledSloane'', had a selection of attachments, one of which was a mini-flamethrower he used to light his cigars with.
* Mr. Slurm, the woodshop and driver's ed teacher on ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'', has a hand missing. He replaces it with different tools, and occasionally a prosthetic hand, as the occasion warrants.
* Boomer of ''Series/PairOfKings'' has a "Swiss army toe" that can, among other implied skills, uncork bottles.
* The ''Series/OddSquad'' villain the Utensiler (and her kid sister) have hands that are giant Swiss army knives, allowing them to manifest whatever utensil they might require, up to and including a vacuum cleaner. However, her hands no longer function as hands and she requires someone to open doors for her.