Crucified Hero Shot: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''And you stare at me in your Jesus Christ pose

 

It's very common for a character who just performed a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] to be lying with their arms outstretched like the crucified [[Jesus]]. The "person with outstretched arms symbolically representing Christ" pose is so deeply ingrained into modern culture that anytime we see a character in that pose, [[Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory|we tend to assume the director was going for this trope]], even when it's obvious from the context of the scene that he or she ''wasn't.''

A [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Rule of Symbolism]] (unless an example is [[Faux Symbolism]]).

 

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'': Lilith, that Angel NERV was [[Captured Super Entity|holding captive]] in their [[Elaborate Underground Base]], as well as EVA Unit 01, in the ''End of Evangelion'' [[The Movie|feature film]].

* ''[[Mazinger Z]]'': It happened several times to several characters: [[The Hero|Kouji]], his little brother, his friend Boss and Boss's gang... [[The Dragon|Baron Ashura]] seemed loving the trope. It also happened in ''[[Great Mazinger]]''. Occassionally both series featured ''the [[Humongous Mecha]] themselves'' being crucificed. And in the Mazinger Z vs Devilman movie, {{spoiler|[[Devilman]]}} himself.

* No fewer than three characters in ''[[D.Gray-man]]'' have been crucified by the villains, although one might have just been tied up in that position, and one was nailed to a clock. General [[Spell My Name with an "S"|Yeeger]] was crucified as a message to the heroes.

** Considering [[Church Militant|the nature of the group they belong to]], it's probably intended as mockery.

* In ''[[Bleach]]'', when Rukia is about to be executed by the Sogyoku, she's held up in a position similar to crucifixion.

** And this was just before she was to be stabbed by what used to be a spear.

** There's a red band of paint too, so double the cross imagery.

* The title character of ''[[Video Girl Ai]]'' ends up strapped in this position by cable and other video equipment {{spoiler|after being forced back into the Video world, as punishment for having fallen in love with Youta}}. The scene is so powerful and dramatic, the publisher reportedly pleaded with Masakazu Katsura to [[Fetish Retardant|draw some underwear on Ai]] to lessen the Fanservice (as she was [[Fetish Fuel|entirely naked]] in the original print.) In the animated version, this is the final, climactic scene.

* After being detained by the D-Reaper, Beelzemon is positioned this way in ''[[Digimon Tamers]]''.

** Not only him, but Jeri, the person Beelzemon was trying to save, after being ''[[Mind Rape|mind raped]]'' repeatedly for several days by the D-Reaper because she {{spoiler|saw her partner being killed for good, since this is the only season of digimon that does not apply ''[[Disney Death]]''}}, powered (probably as a converter, not a generator) the [[Eldritch Abomination]] , gets the pleasure of being trapped, crushed and crucified ''twice'' with big power cables while getting (judging by her screaming) [[Mind Rape|mind raped]] further for another week and at the same time desperatly trying to save a friend, who also gets crushed in front of her. Did I mention that the D-Reaper tries to both burn and drown her? And that she comes out of it better that when she entered? Bear in mind that miss [[Badass]] Asuka from [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Eva]] is thrown into a coma after ''five minutes'' of similar, if not lighter treatment, even if her problems have a different source.

** And in the sequel, ''[[Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing]]", Princess Liliana is shown crucified in the OP, but whether it's symbolic or representative of a later scene isn't clear yet.

* ''[[Akagi]]'' gets subjected to one of these. It's symbolic for a game of [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|mahjong]].

* A scene in the ''[[D.N.Angel]]'' anime had Satoshi in a feathery transformation scene, hanging from nothing in this postion.

* One of the rare cases where it's explicitly used as [[Cold-Blooded Torture]], the Meakashi-hen chapter of ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'' sees {{spoiler|Shion put Satoko up on a cross and then repeatedly stab her in the arms}}. Remind you of anything?

** There's also a promo art piece for the anime that shows Joshua bound to a cross, and a scene in the manga where Chrono is kept in a cross-like restraining device {{spoiler|when the Order imprisons him}}.

* {{spoiler|Sora}} in ''[[.hack//Sign]]'' when he {{spoiler|once again switches sides, to the good guys this time, and gets trapped by the big bad. Which he was ''not'' expecting. Things didn't go so well for him for awhile after that.}}

* ''[[Shakugan no Shana]]'': Happened to Shana at one point, but that was probably a matter of convenience for the villain in question.

* In Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventures (the manga), Vio is crucified and almost burned by Dark after his Heel Face Turn.

* In the manga of ''[[Deadman Wonderland]]'' this trope is referred to by name when the leader of {{spoiler|The Forgeries}} refers to this trope by name while crucifying Ganta on a nearby wall... bonus points: {{spoiler|the spikes used for the cruxifiction are drops of blood, while the pain is really only inside Ganta's mind, as the Forgery's special power is, apparently, [[Mind Rape]]}}

* In ''[[Saint Beast]]'', {{spoiler|Shin}} is actually crucified by Zeus as punishment for stealing Pandora's box (in attempt to save the human world from chaos). Being an angel, he survives, [[Fridge Horror|which might make it even worse]].

 

== Comic Book ==

* Mediocre [[Crisis Crossover]] ''Marvel: The End'' had its bad guy, the very difficult name to remember [[Unreliable Narrator|Ankhatamanatotep]] or something, energy blast an assembly of superheroes and proceeded to put them on floating crosses around New York city.

* [[The New Gods|Mister Miracle]] usually incorporates this into his escape artist's act, being strapped to a cross-shaped platform before being shot at, blow up, etc.

** Earlier than that, Angel got crucified by the Marauders in the Morlock tunnels.

*** Plus, Wolverine got crucified by the Reavers at one point.

* ''[[The Invisibles]]'' has plenty of these, but a particularly significant one occurs when [[Dane Mc Gowan]] (aka "Jack Frost") is floating in space during his "alien abduction" (contact w/Barbelith). A disembodied voice comments that this imagery was chosen for Dane because of his lapsed-Catholic background.

* Jon Osterman has this pose as he is being disintegrated in ''[[Watchmen (comics)|Watchmen]]'', then pulls a similar pose when reborn as Dr. Manhattan.

* [[Bionicle]]: In the infamous {{spoiler|Matoro Death scene, the hero assumes this pose temporarily}}.

 

* ''[[Cool Hand Luke]]'' has the title character assume one of these at the conclusion of the egg-eating contest.

* ''[[The Matrix]]'', [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic|naturally]].

* The main character from the film ''[[300]]''. Crucifixion was popular back then. According to Herodotus, Xerxes was so angry that he had old Leo's corpse beheaded and nailed to a piece of wood.

* ''[[Gladiator (film)|Gladiator]]'' has Commodus subjecting the protagonist's wife and little boy to this horrible fate (and after having the wife gangraped, no less), making him a [[Complete Monster]] even by Roman standards.

* ''[[El Topo]]'' uses this motif, which in its case is a [[Justified Trope]] because the movie is, among other things, a [[Deconstruction]] of the [[Messianic Archetype]].

* ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'': Conan was crucified on the Tree of Woe <ref>bet he wished it was the Sofa Of Reasonable Comfort instead</ref> in the movie of the same name. The scene was inspired by the opening scene of the Robert E. Howard story, "A Witch Shall Be Born," which had him crucified on an actual cross.

* In the Sylvester Stallone gangster (not [[Jive Turkey|gangsta]]) comedy ''[[Oscar]]'', Stallone's character ends up feeling very fatigued with everything that's gone wrong up to that point. He sighs, leans back, and drapes his arms across the mantlepiece behind him, horizontally. There's a little bit of Christian imagery in prior scenes, too ...

* In ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'', when Andy is held over a building, he throws his arms out in a pretty obvious cross pose.

* The last half-hour of ''[[Braveheart]]'' is devoted to this trope.

* A non-sacrificial example appears in [[Kenneth Branagh]]'s ''[[Hamlet]],'' when the "four captains / bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage."

* In ''[[The Incredibles]]'', Bob Parr is being held in Syndrome's secret lab. The thing is, he is held suspended in a holding unit that floats in midair, with his feet in one iron ball and his hands held out on either side in their own iron balls. {{spoiler|When he learns that his entire family has been killed,}} he hangs his head in defeat. Add that to the fact that he's the savior of the world, being a superhero and all...

* Clint Eastwood's character, at the end of ''[[Gran Torino]]''.

* In ''To End All Wars'', one of the leading Christian POWs is killed by crucifixion. The movie is based on an autobiography and the man really was martyred.

* ''[[Avatar]]'': In the extended cut of the James Cameron's film, Jake, before leaving earth, gets into a bar fight trying to protect a woman from her abusive boyfriend, and is subsequently kicked out the back door. He lies on the ground in the Jesus pose for a few minutes.

* ''[[Mad Max|Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome]]'': Max is seen by the children as the [[Second Coming]] of Captain Walker, complete with a Max-as-Walker picture of him spread out in crucified form carrying the children away upon himself. This is before Max almost kills himself helping the children get to their [[The Promised Land|Promised Land]] with the help of an antagonistic airplane pilot.

* As in the comic, John Osterman stretches his arms out as he is being disintegrated in ''[[Watchmen]]'', then slowly raises his arms into this pose when reborn.

* Inverted in ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men: First Class]]'' where {{spoiler|this happens twice (once to Emma Frost and again with Sebastein Shaw) and neither of them are heroes.}}

* {{spoiler|Celia's}} corpse floating in a flooded subway station at the end of ''[[Atonement]]''.

* A shot of Will on the train in Good Will Hunting. Kind of a headscratcher.

 

 

** Faithfully adhered to in [[Les Misérables (theatre)|the musical]] as well; as the barricade turns around you see him with arms outstretched in a cross.

* In ''[[Matthew Reilly|The Six Sacred Stones]]'', {{spoiler|Jack}} is crucified by his own father. He gets better, obviously.

* ''[[Dream of the Rood]]'' has this, what with it being about how awesome the Crucifixion was.

 

** And in the pilot episode, when he's Kryptonited and strung up as the "scarecrow".

** And then again in the episode 'Salvation' after being stabbed by Blue Kryptonite whilst falling from a great height.

** And in the very next season, his side is pierced by a <s> lance</s> piece of shrapnel.

* Captain Jack from ''[[Doctor Who]]'' strikes a Jesus Christ Pose when it's time for him to die. Later, after being resurrected, he gets shot again (he's ''[[Immune to Bullets]]'', so he survives) and strikes another Jesus Christ Pose. He has no real need to the second time, perhaps he just enjoys it.

* In ''[[The Prisoner]]'' Number Six takes a pretty vicious beating near the end of the episode "Free For All;" the guys who beat him up then hold him up with his arms outstretched and present him, defeated, to Number Two.

** He also strikes a [http://lewisshepherd.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/the-prisoner-intro.jpg?w=468&h=374 heroic version of the pose] in the opening sequence.

 

 

 

== Pro Wrestling ==

** Among those who were offended was a pre-WWE Kurt Angle, who was invited by ECW to work a program with Taz.

*** Which meant Angle went to work for WWF/WWE, which ... um, had the Undertaker treat a few of his opponents (and at least once being treated himself) to something very similar. Calling it a 'symbol' doesn't really remove the crucifixion imagery, guys.

== Video Games ==

* KOS-MOS in''[[Xenosaga]]'', although physically fine, evidently has her soul bound to a slab by cables, as seen by the party when diving into her memories.

** The fact that his energy source in the original Japanese was "Holy" rather than lightning just adds to the [[Faux Symbolism]] value.

* Right before the final boss in ''[[The World Ends With You]] '', {{spoiler|Joshua assumes a crucifixion pose after being struck by Kitaniji's attack and is absorbed into his Noise form. Not surprising since the rest of the game depicts him as a parallel to Jesus. He also uses a crucifixion pose when performing his [[Fan Nickname|Jesus Beam]] attack.}}

* There's a crucified ''villain'' shot in ''[[Silent Hill 4]].''

* ''[[Oddworld|Abe's Oddysee]]'' has the hero receive painful scars on the backs of his hands which convey mystical powers and allow him to become the saviour of his people. Everything is narrated in verse, and the line "With hand-scars complete" has Abe standing with his arms held out for no real reason other than [[Rule of Symbolism]] [[Faux Symbolism]]. Oh yeah, and he already died and came back to life. In a cutscene, not [[Nintendo Hard|all those other times]].

* Solid Snake throwing himself off the George Washington Bridge, outlined in rain, invisible, long-haired, [[Spy Catsuit|nude-looking]] and backed by an ecstatic chorale, at the start of ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 2''. He wasn't dying, but considering he'd abandoned his dream of having a normal life and family in the name of his 'duty to the world', it's a sacrifice.

* One of Yoriko's super moves in ''[[Arcana Heart]]'' has her [[Evil Weapon|evil staff, Mike]], strapping her into this position while he force-feeds her the life force of her opponent whom he had so generously placed [[Instant Runes|in the center of a ceremonial pentacle he had prepared]].

** And in the Japanese version of ''Origins'', after {{spoiler|turning into an afterling and being captured by the Machina Vanguard}} Sagi is attached to a cross. In the American version it was changed to a rectangle, but he's still hanging in a crucified position.

* In one of the later levels of ''[[Second Sight]],'' Pieter, one of the Zener Children, takes this pose when fighting off the Russian mercenaries with his telekinetic powers. [[Power Floats|He's also levitating.]]

* In ''[[.hack|.hack//Infection]]'', Skeith pins his victims up to his staff before Data Draining them. This is better seen when Skeith Data Drains Orca in the very beginning of the game. Played totally straight in the Japanese version, and some of the anime where Skeith's staff is in the shape of a Celtic cross instead of the "Q" shape.

* In ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]],'' Squall gets chained to a wall in this pose and subjected to [[Electric Torture]] during the disc 2 prison sequence.

* In ''[[South Park]]'', one of the children, Eric Cartman is crucified in the episode "Spontaneous Combustion".

* In ''[[Thundercats 2011]]'' one of the [[Church Militant]] Clerics is chained to a pillar this way, with a stripe on the pillar extending from the feet, in case the viewer missed the symbolism.

 

== Real Life ==

[[Category:Stock Poses]]

[[Category:Biblical Motifs]]