As its name suggested, the TCE kills by drastically compressing the bodies of its targets to the point where life functions ceased. Eventually, the victims were no longer visible after the exposure. The Master liked to leave the shrunken doll-like corpses of his victims as a calling-card for the Doctor to discover. (TV: The Deadly Assassin) The TCE, despite its name, was equally capable of shrinking inorganic tissue: victims' clothes were also shrunk. On one occasion, the Master demonstrated the weapon by shrinking empty space-suits. (TV: Planet of Fire)