We begin with one of the most dangerous illusions ever attempted. The bed of
spikes.
This is a world-class magician performing these perilous tricks.
Please do not attempt any of tonights illusions at home.
Check out the spikes. They are 18 inches long and made of steel.
The top platform weighs more than 500 pounds. When it comes crashing down it is
capable of driving the sharpened spikes straight through a slab of solid cement.
Imagine what that would do to our magician if this weren't just a trick.
He gives the cue and out come his lovely assistants.
The solution dates all the way back to the 19th century. It was originally
called the death of Korra.
These are not the Masked Magicians regular assistants.
So we can show you their faces without fear of revealing his true identity.
He lies down on the bed of spikes.
I don't think he's going to get much sleep.
His assistants tie him down.
They use thick leather straps to make sure his hands and feet are tightly
secured.
He struggles to break free but can't.
Now a black curtain is drawn. The curtain is supposed to spare the audience the
gruesome sight of our magician being impaled by the deadly spikes.
Notice that you can see all the way underneath the bed of spikes.
This is to prove that magician didn't just sneak out the back or else you'd
see his feet.
Everything is set. One of the assistants pulls on a rope and the spikes come
plunging down.
Sounds like they found their mark.
But the show just started. So you know we wouldn't let that happen.
How did the magician disappear just a split second before getting shish
kebabbed by the spikes? Here are the secrets.
In order for the illusion to work the audience must believe the spikes are real.
I can tell you for a fact that they are. And if you think the spikes simply retract into
the top platform you're wrong.
That's not how the trick is done.
Once his assistants have strapped him down and the curtain is drawn the magician
must begin his escape.
He only has a small area in which to hide to avoid being skewered by the
spikes. First things first.
The buckles and straps are real so it looks like he's tied down but he's not.
It's really just velcro. That's how he breaks free.
Now the magician must quickly roll off the platform and onto the ledge in order
to avoid being impaled. The assistant pulls on the rope.
The spikes come crashing down just inches away from him. He hurries back into
position.
The curtains parted
and there he is without a scratch on him.