Invisibility in fiction  

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Invisibility in fiction is a common plot device, found in both the science fiction and fantasy genres. In fantasy, invisibility is often invoked and dismissed at will, with a magic spell, a potion or a ring. In science fiction, invisibility is often conferred on the recipient as part of a complex process that is difficult or impossible to reverse, so that switching back and forth at frequent intervals is less likely to be done in science fiction.

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Processes

Invisibility can be achieved by any number of different mechanisms, including perfect transparency without refraction, mechanisms that reroute light particles so that the subject is not apparent to viewers, and mind control techniques that cause the viewer's minds to simply edit out the subject. In the case of magic, often no attempt at explaining the mechanism is even used. In addition, there are many instances of imperfect invisibility such as cloaking devices in science fiction or the near-invisibility of fantastical creatures that are "out of phase" with this reality. In paranormal fiction, there can also be partial invisibility in that some people, such as psychics, may see invisible creatures or objects while others do not.

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Special effects

Strictly speaking, invisibility does not show up and so itself is not the subject of any special effects techniques, but the interaction of invisible subjects with the visible world does call for special effects, especially in the case of invisible people wearing visible clothing. Early films and television shows used wires and puppetry to simulate the existence of an invisible person, along with some scenes that used a matte process to delete certain elements in favor of the background. In The Invisible Man the initial shots swathed the actor's head in a black velvet hood and shot this against a black velvet background. Later, CGI techniques and green screens allowed for greater variety, such as showing rain drops on invisible man Chevy Chase in Memoirs of an Invisible Man.

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Historical Examples

  • One of the first known fictional depictions of Invisibility is the Ring of Gyges described by Plato. According to the legend, Gyges of Lydia was a shepherd in the service of King Candaules of Lydia. After an earthquake, a cave was revealed in a mountainside where Gyges was feeding his flock. Entering the cave, Gyges discovered that it was in fact a tomb with a bronze horse containing a corpse, larger than that of a man, who wore a golden ring, which Gyges pocketed. He discovered that the ring gave him the power to become invisible by adjusting it. Gyges then arranged to be chosen as one of the messengers who reported to the king as to the status of the flocks. Arriving at the palace, Gyges used his new power of invisibility to seduce the queen, and with her help he murdered the king, and became king of Lydia himself. King Croesus, famous for his wealth, was Gyges' descendant.
  • After gaining magical power through his pact with the Devil, Doctor Faustus - as depicted in Christopher Marlowe's play - travels to Rome. Armed with his new powers and attended by Mephastophilis, he goes to the Pope’s court, makes himself invisible, and plays a series of tricks. He disrupts the Pope’s banquet by stealing food and boxing the Pope’s ears [1].
  • According to legend the seventh century St. Aidan protected a stag from a pack of hunting dogs by miraculously turning it invisible.
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Films

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TV shows

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Literature

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Comics

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Video games

  • Optic Camo soldiers, Fennek Stealth scouts and Akula MBTs in Act of War: Direct Action and High Treason
  • Ghosts, Wraiths, Observers, Dark Templar, and Infested Kerrigan/Duran in StarCraft
  • Active Camouflage power in the Halo series
  • Predator Cloaking Device in Predator and AVP video games
  • Cloaking device powerup in Super Smash Bros. Melee
  • Spy cloak in Team Fortress and Team Fortress 2
  • Stealth Camo in the series Metal Gear Solid
  • Vanish Cap powerup in Super Mario 64
  • Potion and Boo's Sheet powerup in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
  • Luigi turns invisible with Flower Power in Super Mario 64 DS
  • Smoke and Reptile possess a special move to turn invisible in the Mortal Kombat series
  • In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a player can enchant multiple objects with a percentage of invisibility which creates 100% invisibility when worn. When combined with 100% stealth, this renders the player completely unable to be seen or heard by enemies. Enchanted invisibility is distinctly different from chameleon which only allows limited camouflage.
  • The Chinese Stealth Suit of Fallout 3 allows the player to turn invisible whilst crouching. Stealth Boys offer the same effect.
  • The Nanosuit in Crysis and Crysis 2 allows the player to have active camouflage hence being invisible.
  • In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier the player activates the cloak automatically by crouching, if the player gets too close to an enemy. He will be compromised.
  • In Deus Ex, the player is able to activate an invisibility cloak, which is effective against human NPCs. There is also a cloak which diverts microwaves, rendering the player invisible to cameras, automated turrets and bots.
  • Rain features an invisible world revealed by the rain.
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Miscellaneous

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See also


Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Invisibility in fiction" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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