<p>I get your question. Irl, there's no way. There are just too many bones, ligaments and tendons in the hand (not to mention the tremendous amount of pain an injury like that would incur) to be able to do that. BUT, FMAB is fiction, so OF COURSE HE CAN. FWIW, the FMA fandom wiki says this about the actual sound of snapping when Roy does his thing: The 'snap' sound heard at the start of these transmutations is caused by the instantaneous speed at which the highly concentrated gases and sparks react together and pop (and not Mustang's fingers actually 'snapping', to common belief.) I don't think it could be done irl, but ymmv. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-09T03:22:07.260Z
2020-03-09T03:22:07.260Z
Jennifer Barrett
<p>This may not make any sense or be true, but assuming that immediately following Wrath removing the swords from Mustang's hands he was forced by Pride to transmute, it is possible that during the deconstruction and reconstruction, the injuries were at least sealed up, or possibly healed altogether, seeing as he was alchemically torn apart and pieced back together.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-31T14:29:57.830Z
2014-07-31T14:29:57.830Z
CommanderMustang
<p>This is just a scenario of the <em>shounen</em> genre doing whatever it feels like. Biologically, he would have taken serious damage to bones, nerves, muscles, etc. when his hands were stabbed through. But in anime, particularly in the <em>shounen</em> genre, characters can often overcome this type of thing with relative ease.</p>

<p>Take, for example, a scene from <em>Shingeki no Kyojin</em> (<em>Attack on Titan</em>) wherein one of the characters literally has a plank stabbed through a lung, and still manages to somehow sit up—dragging the plank through their body—while spurting blood everywhere.</p>

<p>In Mustang's case, there is no evidence that he was healed in any fashion (such as by May Chang), nor that he is impervious to hand pain in any way. He is simply able to do this because the mangaka decided it was necessary to the story. That's the power of <em>shounen</em>!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-01T23:03:30.223Z
SnK isn't a good example of this, considering they handle injuries pretty realistically. I'm not sure how the scene you described (having your lung impaled, getting up, dragging the object through your body) could be considered unrealistic, when it happens in real life. Here's a somewhat recent story about a 13-year-old who did the exact same thing: http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/boy-impaled-on-trampoline-pole-1-423405
Az-
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-01T23:10:17.473Z
@Azrael While I don't mind finding other examples, my point was simply the ease at which the character was able to do so. Similarly with Mustang's hands, he *would* be able to still use his hands, but not with as much ease as is shown.
Cattua
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-01T23:19:28.977Z
It's just that, having watched the scene again recently, I couldn't help but think that it seemed anything but easy =P (Spoilers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAhIwyM1dXU
Az-
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T15:58:41.127Z
2013-10-27T15:58:41.127Z
Cattua
<p>Somewhat trivial, but here goes: in Fullmetal Alchemist, we see Mustang's hands get pinned down by Bradley's swords when Wrath and Pride are trying to force him to do human transmutation and open the gate. Given this, how does he manage to participate in the fight against Father later (probably in chapter 107 or a slightly earlier chapter) given that his "attack" requires use of his hands (and that he doesn't seem to start using circleless transmutation until he has to fend off a counterattack)?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T15:38:21.367Z
Are you asking how his hands can biologically still function, or how his gloves are still useful?
Cattua
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T15:40:10.330Z
I'm wondering how his hands can still function (with respect to being able to do the characteristic finger-snapping needed to produce a spark).
Maroon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-27T15:47:29.670Z
Sparks can be generated in many many ways ;)
Oded
<fullmetal-alchemist-series>
How does Mustang fight in the end of Fullmetal Alchemist with injured hands?
# How does Mustang fight in the end of Fullmetal Alchemist with injured hands?
Posted by: username_0 on 2013-10-27
Somewhat trivial, but here goes: in Fullmetal Alchemist, we see Mustang's hands get pinned down by Bradley's swords when Wrath and Pride are trying to force him to do human transmutation and open the gate. Given this, how does he manage to participate in the fight against Father later (probably in chapter 107 or a slightly earlier chapter) given that his "attack" requires use of his hands (and that he doesn't seem to start using circleless transmutation until he has to fend off a counterattack)?
**Tags:** fullmetal-alchemist-series
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you asking how his hands can biologically still function, or how his gloves are still useful?  
> **username_0**: I'm wondering how his hands can still function (with respect to being able to do the characteristic finger-snapping needed to produce a spark).  
> **username_2**: Sparks can be generated in many many ways ;)  
---
## 3 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2013-10-27. Score: 8 | Accepted answer
This is just a scenario of the *shounen* genre doing whatever it feels like. Biologically, he would have taken serious damage to bones, nerves, muscles, etc. when his hands were stabbed through. But in anime, particularly in the *shounen* genre, characters can often overcome this type of thing with relative ease.

Take, for example, a scene from *Shingeki no Kyojin* (*Attack on Titan*) wherein one of the characters literally has a plank stabbed through a lung, and still manages to somehow sit up—dragging the plank through their body—while spurting blood everywhere.

In Mustang's case, there is no evidence that he was healed in any fashion (such as by May Chang), nor that he is impervious to hand pain in any way. He is simply able to do this because the mangaka decided it was necessary to the story. That's the power of *shounen*!
> **Comments:**
> **username_5** (2014-08-01): SnK isn't a good example of this, considering they handle injuries pretty realistically. I'm not sure how the scene you described (having your lung impaled, getting up, dragging the object through your body) could be considered unrealistic, when it happens in real life. Here's a somewhat recent story about a 13-year-old who did the exact same thing: http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/boy-impaled-on-trampoline-pole-1-423405  
> **username_1** (2014-08-01): @Azrael While I don't mind finding other examples, my point was simply the ease at which the character was able to do so. Similarly with Mustang's hands, he *would* be able to still use his hands, but not with as much ease as is shown.  
> **username_5** (2014-08-01): It's just that, having watched the scene again recently, I couldn't help but think that it seemed anything but easy =P (Spoilers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAhIwyM1dXU  
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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-03-09. Score: 0
I get your question. Irl, there's no way. There are just too many bones, ligaments and tendons in the hand (not to mention the tremendous amount of pain an injury like that would incur) to be able to do that. BUT, FMAB is fiction, so OF COURSE HE CAN. FWIW, the FMA fandom wiki says this about the actual sound of snapping when Roy does his thing: The 'snap' sound heard at the start of these transmutations is caused by the instantaneous speed at which the highly concentrated gases and sparks react together and pop (and not Mustang's fingers actually 'snapping', to common belief.) I don't think it could be done irl, but ymmv.
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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-07-31. Score: 0
This may not make any sense or be true, but assuming that immediately following Wrath removing the swords from Mustang's hands he was forced by Pride to transmute, it is possible that during the deconstruction and reconstruction, the injuries were at least sealed up, or possibly healed altogether, seeing as he was alchemically torn apart and pieced back together.
---
