Anti-Magic: Difference between revisions

For keeping the enemy from ''using'' their abilities for a period of time, see [[Power Nullifier]]. Similarly, the [[Kryptonite-Proof Suit]] can be used to resist the [[Kryptonite Factor]]. Compare [[Walking Techbane]], where someone has this effect on scientific technology. Contrast [[Won't Work On Me]], when characters can ignore (not nullify) the powers of others or their defenses. [[Mage Killer]]s often weaponize this ability. [[Un-Sorcerer|Un Sorcerers]] often have this; in fact, that might be why their own powers don't work.

{{examples}}

* ''[[To Aru Majutsu no Index]]'': Touma has the "Imagine Breaker", a right hand that can completely cancel any esper or magic power it touches. The [[Blessed with Suck|suck]] comes in the fact that it also cancels his ''luck''—turning him into a [[Cosmic Plaything]]—and leaves plenty of loopholes, like hitting any other part of his body. No-one in the city has ever heard of such a thing because the ruler of Academy City keeps the information about his power as top secret. Meanwhile, all the people in the magic side knows about him very well; Touma acquires a lightning-wielding [[Unknown Rival]] who is convinced that his ability to shrug off her attacks is a sign of some spectacular ability that he's holding back.

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]''

* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'':

** [http://magiccards.info/hl/en/53.html Creatures] [http://magiccards.info/ala/en/166.html with] [http://magiccards.info/cmd/en/237.html Shroud] [http://magiccards.info/zen/en/68.html can't] be targeted with magic or semi-magical abilities. Effects that are [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129808 sufficiently indiscriminate] can still get them, however.

* In the ''[[Books of Magic]]'', it is stated that Dr. Thirteen has this ability, which is why it is next to impossible to prove to him that magic exists, as it will disappear before he gets close enough to see it.

* Lord Joshua Coldrake from [[The DCU]] has the ability to outright negate any form of magic he enters contact with in a rather wide radius. Unfortunately, he's been [[Reassigned to Antarctica|banished to a cold, barren landscape]]... because of ''certain'' [[Noodle Incident|incidents in his youth]].

* In the ''[[Firefly]]'' fanfic ''[[Forward]]'', there is a special type of psychic known as a "blank" that is immune to the effects of other psychics. The Hands of Blue are stated to be blanks, as is the character of John Garis. All of them are specialists in either containing or hunting down psychics.

* In ''[[Article 2]]'', Shane shows traits of this when he touches the quill [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|Twilight Sparkle]] is levitating and the energy field she's using flickers. When he keeps his finger in contact with the quill, the spell is undone completely. The backstory of his medical internment, as explained by Celestia, confirms that magic works very peculiarly on him, always having unusual (and sometimes dangerous) side effects.

* ''[[Xanth]]''

** Magician Grey Murphy can cancel out any magic, but only one target at a time (and can actually make magic stronger by leaning hard on his null effect, then removing it).

* Adam, the Season Four [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', is unaffected by reality-altering spells. The universe itself may change, but he won't. The exact mechanics of this aren't really explained beyond Adam commenting that he is "[[Hyper Awareness|more aware of himself]]" than any other being.

** Vampires are immune to telepathy, but oddly not empaths.

* Negapsychics from the Palladium RPG ''Beyond the Supernatural''. They, like almost everything else in Palladium's vault of IP, wound up in ''[[Rifts]]''. In the original, a "real-world" psychic investigation/horror title, they were people with latent psychic powers who were avowed atheists or skeptics about the supernatural, causing their powers to develop into an anti-magic field. Even if they subsequently come to believe, they keep the ability. In Rifts, not believing in the supernatural isn't [[Flat Earth Atheist|really an option given its ubiquity]]. In this world, the Negapsychics just don't think it'll work on ''them''.

* Zed talents and contests of Will in ''Godlike''. Talents are inherently harder to attack with miracles, requiring a contest of will to either refute the power or force it to work. This doesn't affect indirect miracles, though, like being shot in the head by an invisible assassin... Zed talents can shut off enemy superpowers entirely by altering the environment around the talent—e.g. if a super-strong talent lifts a tank, the Zed makes the tank much heavier—without getting into a contest of wills. Will contests are out the window in the sequel Wild Talents, though, and it's implied there are no more Zeds either.

* In the [[Roguelike]] ''ToME'' the Unbeliever class (and, in later versions, users of the Unbelief skill) can't use magic, even wands and scrolls (which even Warriors can use). In exchange for this, they get a large bonus to their saving throws, and can disrupt magic being cast around them.

* In ''[[Enchanted Arms]]'', the main character Atsuma has the ability to negate various magics because of his right arm (Best seen in the hopeless fight against the Ice Queen Devil Golem). However early in the game has no control of this power.

* In ''[[Dominic Deegan]]'', there are people called "Resistants" that are pretty much immune to all magic, positive or negative. Dex Garrit is the only one to appear as a character. Recently, though, it's been hinted that they're not "immune" so much as just ridiculously resistant: [[Fan Nickname|TIM's]] energy blasts, for example, while destroying the landscape, seem to bounce harmlessly off of Dex's chest, until his inner monologue reveals that, however he looks on the outside, taking the shot hurt like ''[[Incredibly Lame Pun|hell]]''.

* ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'':

* In ''[[The Academy of Superheroes Universe]]'', Anchors negate the powers of those around them. Weaker ones are merely immune to superpowers, stronger ones have a radius of effect that extends around them. The most effective can reshape their area of effect at will.

* An early episode of ''[[The Fairly OddParents]]'' reveals dragons are completely unaffected by magic. As well as cockroaches, [[Superfriends]] knock-offs, Butterfly Nets and crazy sentient motor bikes. A lot of things in ''The Fairly OddParents'' can be Anti-Magic [[Useless Superpowers|when it's dramatically inconvenient]].

* The portion of the population who are resistant or immune to hypnosis ([[Internet Backdraft|leaving aside, for the moment, the definition of "hypnosis"]]). Illusionists generally have a few tricks to weed those people out in a magic show.

** Hypnosis only works if you willingly allow it to control you, you generally have to try hard to ''not'' be immune to it. This was also tested on ''[[MythBusters]]'' and confirmed.

* ''[[Fate/stay night|Fate Stay Night]]''

** ''Fate Stay Night'' gives us also the Rule Breaker, which is a dagger that can destroy magical constructs and concepts.

* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'':

** The [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=75278 Shell of the Last Kappa]. Admittedly its Anti-Magic effect is more absorption than cancelling, but it does let you stop fireballs dead.

* ''[[Past Sins]]'' introduces an anti-magic collar for unicorns.

* From the ''[[Lone Wolf]]'' gamebooks, the [[Infinity+1 Sword|Sommerswerd]] protect its wielder against most direct hostile magic, usually [[Energy Absorption|absorbing the energy harmlessly into the blade]]. It sometimes even allow to [[Attack Reflector|reflect it back]] at the spell-caster. Some magical attacks, presumably from artifacts of a similar level of power, have been known to circumvent this protection, however.

* In ''[[Orlando Furioso]]'', this is what the Ring of Angelica does when worn on a finger (it doubles as a Ring of Gyges if you put it on your ''tongue'').

* In ''[[Sword of Truth]]'', the Radahan collars also take away the magic of anyone wearing them. Oddly enough, at least in the television version, they aren't immune to magic themselves. In the books the collars could be taken off by magic, but only the Sisters of Light could do it, except for {{spoiler|Zed, who was [[Badass Grandpa|so incredibly badass]] that he not only was able to take one off despite not being a Sister, he took it off of himself ''while it was suppressing his magic''}}.

* In ''[[Charmed]]'', there are special anti-witch talismans that can make a witch powerless if they are in the same area.

* The Rod of Cancellation from ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', which among other things is one of the only magic capable of destroying the dreaded [[Sphere of Destruction|Sphere of Annihilation]].

* Dead magic zones exist in the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'', particularly right after the Time of Troubles.

* ''[[Asheron's Call]]'' has low-grade Chorizite which can be made into weapons that ignore magically modified armor and protection values.

* ''[[Nethack]]'' and related Roguelikes:

** [[Infinity+1 Sword|Carsomyr]] in ''Baldur's Gate 2'' is a +5 (and can be upgraded to +6 in the expansion) greatsword that grants its wielder 50% magic resistance, allows its wielder to cast Dispel Magic three times a day, and dispels magic on opponents with each hit. There's also the Cloak of Reflection which confers complete immunity to all direct damage spells, and pre-nerfing bounced the damage back to the caster too.

** At the end of ''Shadows of Amn'', {{spoiler|Jon Irenicus is trapped in a region of the Abyss that renders his magic useless, leaving him completely defenseless as hungry chittering demons surround him...}}

* ''[[EarthBound]]'' has the Shield Killer, which destroys physical and PSI shields, and the Neutralizer, which completely nullifies PSI buffs and debuffs, including shields. Also included is the Counter-PSI Unit, which prevents the target from using PSI altogether.

** And in the sequel, ''[[Mother 3]]'', you can get the Shield Snatcher, which acts like the Shield Killer from ''[[EarthBound]]''.

* ''[[Dominic Deegan]]'' has the character of Urban Eddie, whose trump card is a necklace that nullifies any magic directed towards him. He even shows another practical use for it by strangling a spellcaster with it, rendering them helpless.

* Inanire grenades from ''[[Errant Story]]'' dispel all magic in a small area and render casters caught in the blast unable to use magic for about a minute. They were created at the tail end of the Errant War, a genocidal war between elves and half-elves that led to the fall of the old elven empire and the virtual annihilation of the half-elves as a people, but due to their indiscriminate nature and late introduction never saw much use. Following the war's end they were tucked away in a vault in the last elven city left standing and mostly forgotten about {{spoiler|until the arrival of an insane half-elf mage named Ian who was bent on exterminating the elves, at which point they were used to defend the city}}.

* The substance Thunderstone in the [[Play-By-Post Games|play-by-post game]] ''[[Adylheim]]'' negates any magic that touches it, but it's very rare. More commonly, iron (but not steel!) destroys elves' illusions or Faerie magic when it touches them, bends or wards away certain sorts of magic, and (though this last one is more of a [[Power Nullifier]]) if embedded in the body of a [[Personality Powers|High Mage]], prevents them from using their magic at all.

* Norium in ''[[Deucalion Chronicles]]'' works to negate any magic it comes in contact with, though magic users can attune themselves to a given piece to bypass the effect.

* ''[[Justice League]]'':

** Hawkgirl's energy mace (and Thanagarian Nth Metal in general, as we find out in ''Unlimited'') negates magic. She can use it to break through magic force fields, blast through spells, beat Dr. Fate into submission, and even {{spoiler|[[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|kill an evil god]]}}.

* Disney's [[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]] animated series faced one obvious problem: How do you keep Genie from solving every problem with just a magical (and literal) [[Hand Wave]]? The explanation was usually either that a) Genie got distracted easily (which makes sense, considering [[Cloudcuckoolander|his personality]]) or b) that the villain of the week conveniently happened to have access to a powerful anti-magic device or spell. Of course, being significantly weaker after he was released from the lamp also cut back on his potential to solve problems.

* Evil Eye charms, consisting of round beads with blue eyes painted onto them said to ward off the effects of the evil eye, have been popular in Armenia, Turkey, and countries in the Middle East since ancient times. The "evil eye" is said to be a sort of [[Death Glare]] stemmed from jealousy or just [[The Power of Hate|malice]] that could bring harm to whoever it is given to.

** Some people tend to see the charms more like a lightning rod. That is, they don't necessarily ward off the "evil eye" but [[Energy Absorption|absorb]] it. There are stories of the charms shattering for no reason, which is linked to the charm absorbing a particularly potent ill will.

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' again: a limited version of Magic Cancel is the "Dispulso" spell. The author notes this a "paradoxical" spell, being a magic that disperses magic.

* ''[[Zero no Tsukaima]]:'' Louise's first controlled void spell. Earlier on, she also accidentally damages the defense wards on a storeroom for magical artifacts.

* ''Le Collège Invisible'' has Néga-mages, mages who focus on a short-ranged anti-magic spell that they usually maintain permanently around them. [[The Rival]] is an apprentice Néga-mage, which has proven useful on occasions.

** Another secondary character is a master Néga-mage (who inspired [[The Rival]] to take the course). He still keeps his anti-magic field up ''even after the events of the second book broke his mind''.

* Insert ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' spell here.

** The granddaddy of all countermagic is the iconic [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=185820 Counterspell], the card upon which so many others are based. The thing proved to be too overpowered; thus, it is no longer printed. We have a selection of weaker, fairer replacements like [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=113523 Cancel]{{broken link}} and [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=130701 Pact of Negation].

* The ''[[Star Wars Customizable Card Game]]'' has Sense and Alter. Sense cancels interrupts; Alter cancels effects and utinni effects (effects which give you something good or take something bad away when reached by the target). They're both canceled by Control, which also cancels immediate effects and mobile effects.

* The ''Doppleganger'' duology by Marie Brennan presents its own void magic. Completely unknown until {{spoiler|Mirage and Miryo become Mirei}}, it is exactly this trope, able to completely negate the spells of other witches. Things go haywire though if too much magic is negated, thus leaving too much ambient magic in the air. Can cause a simple fire spell to behave like a bomb.

* Within [[Lawrence Watt-Evans]]'s ''[[Ethshar]]'' series, there exists a spell that permanently cancels wizard's magic in a large area. Forever. Since the majority of the world operates by magic, the spell has been cast exactly thrice in the history of the world: once on discovery, once as a [[Deadly Prank]] against a wizard in a flying castle, and once to negate a universal solvent that was likely to destroy the entire world if unchecked. (Note, however, that it only applies to wizardry - the other half-dozen or so forms of magic are fundamentally different, though less powerful, and so are unaffected.)

* Well, it's apparently supposed to be [[Doing In the Wizard|sufficiently advanced technology]] that ''works'' like magic in some respects, but in ''[[Kamen Rider Dragon Knight]],'' Thrust's "Confine Vent" card causes any attack used against him to simply disappear. This extends to attacks that are assisted by an opponent's [[Familiar|Advent Beast]]—the beast fades away as well. How this works, and how it is that the beast can always be summoned again just as easily, isn't made clear.

* ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''

** The Anti-magic Field spell (and its psionic equivalent: Null Psionics Field).

* Most video game purge spells or powers, which negate all magical effects on a friendly or opposing target.

* In ''[[Asheron's Call]]'' medium grade Chorizite must be used as a [[Eye of Newt|spell component]] in spells that have this effect.

* ''[[Twokinds]]'' has "Dispel", which "Shuts off" [[Mana]] flow. No Mana, no magic. Less effective on highly trained enemies, because they can absorb Mana from the ground for just such a contingency. Trace can apparently do it instinctively. May lead to an [[Oh Crap]] if the enemy knows how to cast shadow magic by way of "Dark Mana" which works by using [[The Lifestream|the life-force of the earth]] as magic once all surface mana is drained off. Insanely powerful and insanity-inducing.

* ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'' :