History Main / CataclysmClimax

* ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheKnightsOnDinosaurs'' has Doraemon and gang facing an entire army of raptor-men in the Cretaceous era, in order to prevent the raptors from wiping out ancestors of mammals and to "reclaim Earth for the dinosaurs". After Doraemon repels most of the raptor-men's weapons, they then respond by bringing out their war machines, but then the battle is interrupted by the meteorite heralding the [[TheCretaceousIsAlwaysDoomed K–Pg extinction event]].

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] twice in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. [[spoiler: The Second Impact was a less successful invocation, but come Third Impact, AssimilationPlot, andTheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt are all in play.]]

* The ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' [[Recap/TintinFlight714 story "Flight 714"]] ends like this, in true B-Movie fashion.

* The 2008 version of ''Film/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'' ends with the area of plant life being burnt to a crisp. It seems that it's cyclical in nature and it may be possible to go back in another 50 years; but with all the magma the flooded the area it's hard to imagine how.

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] twice in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. [[spoiler: The Second Impact was a less successful invocation, but come Third Impact, AssimilationPlot, TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and KillEmAll are all in play.]]

* The first book of the ''Literature/CambridgeLatinCourse'' is set in Pompeii. In the year 79 CE. That the last chapter is a Cataclysm Climax [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready should surprise no one]].

** Justified in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''.

* Rare example of a ''deliberately'' triggered cataclysm: ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'', via the planet's SelfDestructMechanism.
* Another deliberate disaster: the destruction of Metalluna (via orbital bombardment) in ''Film/ThisIslandEarth''. Granted, that wasn't the end of the movie, per se, but it fits the trope in every other way.

* ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' doesn't end with the planet being destroyed, but the massive nuclear launch at the end of the film does effectively end civilization.

* The 2008 version of ''Film/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'' ends with the area of plant life being burnt to a crisp. It seems that it's cyclical in nature and it may be possible to go back in another 50 years; but with all the magma the flooded the area its hard to imagine how.

* ''The Incredible Petrified World'': The cast, seeking an underground refuge from a potential nuclear holocaust, find an entire ecosphere deep within the earth... which quickly caves in for no apparent reason.

* Another deliberate disaster: the destruction of Metalluna in ''Film/ThisIslandEarth''. Granted, that wasn't the end of the movie, per se, but it fits the trope in every other way.

Compare TrashTheSet. If it happens specifically because the {{Villain}} has just died, you have a LoadBearingBoss.

[[AC:{{ComicBooks}}]]

* In ''Disney/TreasurePlanet'', the title planet is actually a giant self-destructing explosive device, and the climax involves the main characters attempting to escape the planet before it explodes.

* ''Film/LostContinent''
* ''The Incredible Petrified World''

* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' - Dr. Elsa Schneider tries to take the holy grail past "The Great Seal," which causes the entire temple to fall apart with a local earthquake. This sets up a TakeMyHand moment where she tries to reach for the grail while hanging onto Indiana. She can't quite touch it and experiences a DeathByMaterialism. Indiana nearly does the same but decides to let it go.

* In ''Film/KingKong2005'', this is Skull Island's ultimate fate. Note, however, that this factoid was revealed only [[ExpandedUniverse on the official promotional website]], not in the film itself.

* The first book of the ''Literature/CambridgeLatinCourse'' is set in Pompeii. In the year 79 CE. That the last chapter is a CataclysmClimax [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready should surprise no one]].

An Ending Trope common to {{B Movie}}s of the '50s and '60s, especially those involving a LostWorld, in which an earthquake, volcano, avalanche or some similar (usually natural) disaster destroys the LostWorld. This can be [[ChekhovsGun hinted at in advance]], but as often as not it appears out of the blue to threaten the main characters and necessitate a hasty departure. Also note that the disaster always manages to hold off just long enough for the characters to actually discover the LostWorld and explore for a bit, then literally yanks the ground out from under them.

* ''LostContinent''

* The 2008 version of ''JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'' ends with the area of plant life being burnt to a crisp. It seems that it's cyclical in nature and it may be possible to go back in another 50 years; but with all the magma the flooded the area its hard to imagine how.

* ''TheMysteriousIsland'' ends with Lincoln Island being destroyed by a volcanic eruption.

** This idea was taken from the climax of ''SonOfKong'', the mostly forgotten sequel to the original ''Film/KingKong1933''.

* In the recent [[TheRemake remake]] of ''Film/KingKong'', this is Skull Island's ultimate fate. Note, however, that this factoid was revealed only [[ExpandedUniverse on the official promotional website]], not in the film itself.
** This idea was taken from the climax of ''TheSonOfKong'', the mostly forgotten sequel to the original version of KK.
* Rare example of a ''deliberately'' triggered cataclysm: ''ForbiddenPlanet'', via the planet's SelfDestructMechanism.
* Another deliberate disaster: the destruction of Metalluna in ''ThisIslandEarth''. Granted, that wasn't the end of the movie, per se, but it fits the trope in every other way.

* The ending of ''{{Uncharted}} 2: Among Thieves'' sees the destruction of the [[spoiler:Lost City of Shambhala thanks to Nate blowing up the Tree of Life in the final boss battle against Lazarevic]].
** Done again in Uncharted 3 [[spoiler:When Ubar is swallowed by the sand due to the central pillar being destroyed]].
*** [[spoiler: With ''THREE GODDAMNED BULLETS!'']]

* In ''[[{{Myst}} Riven: The Sequel to Myst]]'', [[spoiler:you cause this yourself. Deliberately, under orders from Atrus.]]

* The [[TheAdventuresOfTintin Tintin]] story ''Flight 714'' ends like this, in true B-Movie fashion.

* ''[[PlanetOfTheApes Beneath the Planet of the Apes]]''. This is what happens when the LostWorld is an entire planet. You'd think blowing up the entire world would put a stop to any future sequels. [[UnCancelled You'd be wrong.]]