Knockout gas
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Knockout gas is a toxic substance used in fiction. It is presented in various forms, but generally provides a harmless way of rendering characters unconscious without physical contact - unlike chloroform, a liquid which is also a common element of genre fiction. Knockout gas is a staple of pulp detective and science fiction novels.
Some characters known for their use of knockout gas are Doc Savage, Fu Manchu, Batman, and The Avenger.
[edit] Real-life knockout gas
Russian security forces used a powerful airborne anaesthetic called KOLOKOL-1 during the Moscow theater hostage crisis of 2002, sedating terrorists and hostages alike before storming the building. Although the exact composition of the gas was not identified at the time, subsequent investigations suggested that it contained carfentanil, halothane, or a combination of the two. Due to a mixture of unintentional overdosing and the lack of prompt subsequent medical treatment, over 120 of the hostages died from the effects of the gas.
[edit] See also
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