Shock Collar: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

How it actually works is nearly always undefined. It's a metal ring, it hurts, end of. Sometimes it is electricity for some [[Electric Torture]], sometimes it's a generic [[Agony Beam]] generated by some alien [[Techno Babble]]. It makes a good [[Restraining Bolt]] for the plot, you can even spin some plot lines out of how to get it off, and sometimes it'll have the added feature of being able to be pumped up to deadly levels so that it can also be, effectively, an [[Explosive Leash]]. On other occasions expect some fun with Pavlovian conditioning.

{{examples}}

 

== Comic Books ==

** The Slave Collar had variable pain settings to punish wearers who disobeyed their owner.

** Issue 157 "Warworld", The Valk put headbands on their prisoners that can inflict any level of pain on their victims, up to and including death.

 

== Film ==

* In the 1996 version of ''[[The Island of Doctor Moreau]]'', all of the beast-folk have an implant that causes them excruciating pain when a remote control is triggered. This system of keeping them in check backfires when the Hyena-Swine figures this out and removes his own implant, then steals the control device to use it to dominate the others.

* In ''[[Crank|Crank 2: High Voltage]]'', Chev Chelios encounters two assholes that are torturing a dog with a shock collar even though it was obeying their commands. Chev tells them off, takes the collar, and puts it on. They try to shock him, but the electricity just powers up his artificial heart.

 

== Literature ==

* [[Jim Butcher]]'s ''[[Codex Alera]]'' has slave collars that will hurt the slave if they disobey or go against the master's will (to the extent that calling the person "bad" for no reason will hurt them) and send signals of pleasure when the person obeys. They often drive the victim completely insane, and it's played for every possible drop of horror.

* A similar device is used in ''[[Parable of the Sower]]'' and its sequel, by slavers to keep their slaves in line. Lauren and her community also have these put on them when they are attacked and captured in the second book.

* Voluntary example: In the ''Dream Park'' series, Gamers wear remote-control amulets that deliver a mild electrical stimulus to inform them that they've been killed out of a scenario. The initial shock is merely uncomfortable, but if a player stubbornly refuses to lie down and "die" when the simulation demands it, the voltage can be increased to inflict actual pain. (Presumably they're required to sign a release to allow this.)

 

** A torturer/assassin makes G'Kar wear one. One of his political enemies on the Kah'Ree had just died, and wished to exact revenge.

* Both ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' and ''[[Cheers]]'' used the gag in which the wearer of the collar gets hold of its control box and uses it in the mistaken belief that it will shock the other person instead of himself.

* These collars are worn by the imprisoned women in the "Gladiatrix" episode of ''[[Birds of Prey]]''. It also drugged them to the point of insanity.

* The aliens in ''[[The Outer Limits]]'' episode "Rite Of Passage" put shock wristbands on the humans they were raising to prevent them from trying to leave their enclosure. It wasn't due to malice; the woods were full of dangerous creatures.

* Human slaves in Pylea wear these on ''[[Angel]]''.

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

* In one ''[[Zits]]'' comic, Jeremy's mother forces him to wear a shock collar to stay at home after he breaks curfew one time too many.

* There was a series of ''[[Dilbert]]'' strips where the employees all had to wear headbands that the boss could use to shock them at will. Dilbert reprogrammed his to redirect its signal to Wally.

 

== Tabletop Games ==

 

== Video Games ==

** A bit more of a straight use of this trope occurs in the game as well, since [[The Joker]] uses them to keep tabs on his goons (and as an alert system to where Batman is or has been) [[Fridge Logic|and presumably also uses them when they get too out of line]]. Batman can also overload the collars with a specialized batarang so that they shock the goon wearing it into unconsciousness.

* The ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'' [[Web Games|Web Game]] has the Stab Bat, a familiar with the unfortunate habit of stabbing the player rather than the enemy every now and then. The familiar-specific equipment is, appropriately enough, a Shock Collar.

 

 

== Western Animation ==

* In one episode of ''[[The Angry Beavers]]'', the beavers are [[I Am Not Weasel|mistaken for dogs]] by a suburban family that gives them shock collars to housebreak them. "Bad puppies! We love you!"

* Worn by Shego's subjects in her future dystopia in ''[[Kim Possible|Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time]]''.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Costume Tropes]]