Overkill
Encyclopedia
Overkill is the use of excessive force
or action that goes further than is necessary to achieve its goal.
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exceeding the amount needed to destroy an enemy
The term is attested from 1946 and was in common use during the Cold War
era, referring to the arms race
between the United States
and the Soviet Union
. Both nations possessed (US and Russia still possess) more than enough nuclear weapons to destroy one another many times over — nuclear overkill.
The term for this was "pounding the rubble" or, as military officers sometimes joked, "pounding the ruble
".
and overdramatizing. For example, in most modern horror films, such as Friday the 13th, most of the killing is quickly cliché
d, and is always overkill.
, "overkill" is made part of the battle system; This occurs in the game when you land an attack with more damage than the monster your fighting has remain (Example: Monster A has 10 health remain and you deal 100 damage with your attack. This will trigger a sign over the dying monster "Over kill") When Over kill has been activated you may give bonus rewards after battle. In many first-person shooter
s, starting with Doom, overkilling a character will result in gibbing that character. In the game Halo 3, a medal named Overkill is awarded for killing four enemies in a short period of time. Overkill has also been used in the game Call of Duty 4 as a perk which represents having two primary weapons at the same time.
, from an eponymous album. A 1980s thrash metal band from New Jersey
and a speed metal band from Los Angeles
also took that name, in a period when names referring to war and murder were popular, e.g. Anthrax
, Slayer
, Megadeth
(from a military term for a million deaths).
Excessive Force
Excessive Force is a musical side project started in 1991 by Sascha Konietzko of KMFDM and Buzz McCoy of My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult.-History:...
or action that goes further than is necessary to achieve its goal.
Nuclear weapons
Overkill is especially used to refer to a destructive nuclear capacityNuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
exceeding the amount needed to destroy an enemy
The term is attested from 1946 and was in common use during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era, referring to the arms race
Arms race
The term arms race, in its original usage, describes a competition between two or more parties for the best armed forces. Each party competes to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation...
between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Both nations possessed (US and Russia still possess) more than enough nuclear weapons to destroy one another many times over — nuclear overkill.
The term for this was "pounding the rubble" or, as military officers sometimes joked, "pounding the ruble
Ruble
The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. Currently, the currency units of Belarus, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, and, in the past, the currency units of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union, are named rubles, though they all are...
".
Film
In a critical sense, overkill might be considered a close relative of overactingOveracting
Overacting is the exaggeration of gestures and speech when acting. It may be unintentional, particularly in the case of a bad actor, or be required for the role. For the latter, it is commonly used in comical situations or to stress the evil characteristics of a villain...
and overdramatizing. For example, in most modern horror films, such as Friday the 13th, most of the killing is quickly cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
d, and is always overkill.
Video games
Overkill is a common feature in many video games. In some games, such as Final Fantasy XFinal Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, "overkill" is made part of the battle system; This occurs in the game when you land an attack with more damage than the monster your fighting has remain (Example: Monster A has 10 health remain and you deal 100 damage with your attack. This will trigger a sign over the dying monster "Over kill") When Over kill has been activated you may give bonus rewards after battle. In many first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s, starting with Doom, overkilling a character will result in gibbing that character. In the game Halo 3, a medal named Overkill is awarded for killing four enemies in a short period of time. Overkill has also been used in the game Call of Duty 4 as a perk which represents having two primary weapons at the same time.
Music
Motörhead has a song called OverkillOverkill (song)
"Overkill" is a song by the band Motörhead. It was released in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings in 1979. It is backed with B-side "Too Late Too Late" which appears on the CD re-issues of the Overkill album. Early copies came with a free "Overkill" badge...
, from an eponymous album. A 1980s thrash metal band from New Jersey
Overkill (band)
Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
and a speed metal band from Los Angeles
Overkill L.A.
Overkill L.A. or SST Overkill is a speed metal and hardcore band started in 1980 in Los Angeles and which recorded two records on SST Records and some tracks on compilations. The band started as Overkill but they were rechristened Overkill L.A...
also took that name, in a period when names referring to war and murder were popular, e.g. Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
(from a military term for a million deaths).