A common Film Poster meant to shock and attract a viewer, the Earth Shattering Poster features the planet Earth being destroyed in an Earth-Shattering Kaboom, usually with tectonic cracks all along the edges that glow a volcanic red. Occasionally, it's because a gigantic hand, possibly alien and definitely evil looking, is crushing it. Other variants include the Earth being zapped with a Death Ray, or having a meteor colliding against it.
Needless to say, if the planet ever actually has this happen to it in the film it wouldn't be a case of Inferred Holocaust; it would be an outright planetary catastrophe that would cause a Class 5 Apocalypse How.
See also Got the Whole World in My Hand, Apocalyptic Montage.
Examples:
- The poster for Future War 198X had a flow of lava/blood pouring out of the cracks. In the actual movie, this is mimicked by the shot of earth from space turning slowly red when nuclear bombs are set off in major cities all around the world.
- The Incredible Hulk:
- World War Hulk has several covers of Hulk living up to his title of "World Breaker". To further illustrate this, the "u" in the World War Hulk logo is formed by a broken Earth.
- The Hulk (2008) arc "Planet Red Hulk" has a cover with Red doing the same.
- The cover of The Avengers #49 (volume 3), and the page image of the arc The Kang Dynasty, shows Kang the Conqueror impaling Earth on his orbital base "Damocles".
- Armageddon (1998) has the Earth in front of a humongous meteor silhouetted against a ring of fire.
- Deep Impact has a meteor impacting Earth, and actually follows through on that promise.
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) does this pretty well in its trailer, which is better seen than described.
- Killer Klowns from Outer Space theatrical poster◊ has the Earth being spun on a Klown's fingertip like a basketball.
- The poster for Knowing features Earth burning into numbers.
- Monkeybone has the titular character destroying the Earth with a chainsaw. However our planet is never threatened in the story, and the character uses a chainsaw briefly while possessing the body of the live-action protagonist. This DVD cover◊ even makes the film look as if it's some sort of Rom-Com about a couple dealing with an apocalyptic monkey puppet.
- The central concept of the Scorcher film series in Tropic Thunder.
- War of the Worlds (2005) has an alien hand holding the Earth as a red weed spreads.
- L. Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth had the planet Earth gripped by a hand wearing a spiked wristband.
- The image of the Earth cracking was also used in Season 3 of Heroes.
- Iced Earth has the album cover◊ of "The Crucible of Man", which has their mascot Set Abominae knee-deep in a giant crater on the surface of the planet earth.
- Iron Maiden has the poster◊ for "The World Piece Tour", which features their mascot Eddie bursting the planet seeking a "brain" inside it. The art was later recycled for a tour with a name fitting the image, "Eddie Rips Up The World Tour'.
- The cover Judas Priest's Ram It Down album features a giant fist which is, well, ramming the earth down◊.
- The cover for Kick Axe's third album, Rock the World, features a giant guitar struck through the earth.
- The logo in Final Fantasy VII's titles depicts the Planet receiving an impact from Meteor.
- Star Control II had a poster with two hands grasping Earth and it exploding.
- The Loading Screen for the final episode of City of Heroes' "Who Will Die?" signature story depicts the villain holding Earth while it cracks apart under his assault.
- The box art◊ for Planetary Annihilation shows an asteroid crashing into a planet and shattering the crust.
- The one◊ of X3 Reunion shows a lava planet being hit by not one but two giant orange lasers. However, the part of the planet visible inside the outline of the big empty X in the title shows a lush Earth-like planet. The image (without the title and therefore the Earth-like part) is used as the page picture of the franchise.