In the 2024 Fallout TV series (Season 1, Episode 5: "The Past"), there’s this scene where Thaddeus, with a bit of maneuvering, manages to remove the fusion core right out of Maximus’ T-60 power armor. And just like that, Maximus finds himself imprisoned within his power armor—a vulnerability reminiscent of another flaw I’ve noted concerning the use of a knife.
This got me thinking about my Fallout 4 days. In Fallout 4, you could pickpocket and steal fusion cores from unsuspecting NPCs. But unlike in the TV series, they weren’t left imprisoned in their power armor; instead, the power armor will (automatically?) open, allowing them to exit.
I’ve considered that this might simply be a gameplay mechanic to avoid leaving a trail of NPCs stuck in power armor.
But from a lore perspective, it raises the question: would they actually be stuck? Has there been any mention in previous Fallout games or related media about the repercussions of taking a fusion core from a power armor with someone inside, prior to this depiction in the TV series?
