• Dislocation-mediated plasticity and work-hardening emerge as the unifying mechanism shaping mechanical behavior of metals, linking yield, strain aging, slip-band formation, and microstructural evolution to macroscopic deformation across crystalline and polycrystalline aggregates [5], [9], [12], [14], [16], [17], [20].

• Martensitic/phase transformations shape microstructure and properties in steels and TiNi-like alloys, with spontaneous and induced martensites, martensite morphology, and transformation theory providing the link between phase state and strength/ductility [3], [6], [7], [8], [18].

• Crack initiation, propagation, fatigue, and fracture behavior are seen as emergent from microstructure and phase state, including plastic-flow–driven crack formation, fatigue crack growth in martensitic and austenitic steels, and subcritical crack growth in ceramics [10], [12], [13], [19].

• Elasticity, anelasticity, and nonlinear mechanical response provide the theoretical backbone for describing time-dependent and inhomogeneous deformation, underpinning how metals respond to loads and evolving microstructures [4], [5].