History Main / Earthquakemachine

* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', this is Letz Shake's weapon of choice: a giant, silo-like device capable of unleashing a ''magnitude 20'' seismic blast when fully charged (bear in mind, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill he's supposed to be an]] ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill assassin]]''). [[spoiler:[[TheUnfought We never get to see it in action]] as the instant before it finally charges up, he and the device get slashed completely in half by Henry]]. [[ChekhovsGun It ends up coming back]] in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' [[spoiler:in the form of [[NotQuiteDead the newly-rebuilt]] ''Dr.'' Letz Shake, adapted into a smaller, but still devastating SpiderTank version of itself. This time, he actually is fought, and while his earthquakes are much smaller, they can still OneHitKill Travis if he stands in the wrong spot.]]

* ''Anime/LupinIII''

* In Literature/MacdonaldHall 's ''The War With Mr. Wizzle,'' Elmer conveniently has a minor earthquake machine built, which the guys sneak into Wizzle's home and then convince him the home is built on a minor faultline.

* In ''Videogame/AssassinsCreedRogue'', one appears in the form of [[spoiler:a piece of Eden wich causes the Lisbon earthquake of 1755]].
* In ''Videogame/BattleZone1998'', the NSDF Grizzly HoverTank and its CCA counterpart carry the 'Thumper', a special weapon that channels biometal ammo directly into the ground to create a massive earthquake wave that will send enemies flying helplessly into the air.
* The Soviets in the ''Aftermath'' expansion of ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'' have access to the [[FunWithAcronyms M.A.D. Tank]], a vehicle that uses a large piston to release a wide-reaching and highly damaging seismic shockwave. However, it has no effect on infantry and the M.A.D. Tank [[SuicideAttack destroys itself in the process]].

* Dr. Wily used one in the ''WesternAnimation/MegaMan'' cartoon.

* ''WesternAnimation/ActionMan2000'': The Quake suit of PoweredArmor was designed by Japanese scientists to study tremors, but it could also produce them. It is subsequently stolen by a fat janitor who uses it to become the supervillain "Quake".

[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/WonderWoman https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/earthquake_machine.png]]]]

** ''Anime/LupinIIIRedJacket'' had one being used to hold Italy for ransom.

* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', this is Letz Shake's weapon of choice: a giant, silo-like device capable of unleashing a ''magnitude 20'' seismic blast when fully charged. [[spoiler:[[TheUnfought We never get to see it in action]] as the instant before it finally charges up, he and the device get slashed completely in half by Henry]]. [[ChekhovsGun It ends up coming back]] in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' [[spoiler:in the form of the newly-rebuilt ''Dr.'' Letz Shake, adapted into a smaller, but still devastating SpiderTank version of itself. This time, he actually is fought, and while his earthquakes are much smaller, they can still OneHitKill Travis if he stands in the wrong spot.]]

* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', this is Letz Shake's weapon of choice.

* ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis: Tokyo 2040'' [[spoiler: has one employed in its backstory as GENOM tried to keep runaway boomer technology from getting loose, deciding to employ the device to bury the lab, and causing the city to be rebuilt. However, this didn't destroy the technology as it later got loose.]]

* The absolute first appearance of ComicBook/LexLuthor (then only known as Luthor) in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comics involved Luthor stealing one of these.
* ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': In ''Desastre'', a MadScientist threatens cities using several types of {{Doomsday Device}}, the last one causing earthquakes and threatening the heroes' own city.

* The ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' spin-off comics had a story called "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Earthquake Maker]]" in which a MadScientist named Parthal used one of these to destroy four Iranian cities. These turned out to be simply tests in preparation for his main plan, which was to split the country in half from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, causing devastating floods. While [[EvilGloating monologuing]] about this, he explains that the government of [[{{Ruritania}} Bereznik]] is paying him a fortune for it, although we never find out what ''their'' motive is.

* In ''Film/ConspiracyTheory'', the conspiracy theorist protagonist stumbles upon a conspiracy to kill the American president through an artificially induced earthquake. The machine is not described, but it's apparently fired from aboard a space shuttle.
* In ''Film/TheBigBus'', the villain wants to stop the eponymous transit vehicle from being able to make a non-stop trip from New York to Denver, so when it leaves the road and ends up on a cliff, his brother wants to use the earthquake machine to knock the bus over the cliff. When he aims the earthquake [[spoiler:at his brother's location, in his iron lung]] HilarityEnsues.

* The Russian children's novel ''Literature/JourneyToTheMorningStar'' has this as a SuperweaponSurprise by the peaceful [[HumanAliens Etherians]], who normally use ultrasonic waves to stop planetquakes. It takes a human to point out that they could just as easily ''cause'' a localized planetquake, making it a devastating weapon against the warlike Sinots (although, only when they're actually on the ground). They use it a total of one time before the Sinot population rises up against their oppressors and offers peace to the Etherians.

* ''Series/JimyKimmelLive'' had a segment joking (among other items) about the "post-quake camouflage" bandanas found on a website selling "disaster"-themed goods, at which he questions why you'd want to blend in ''after an earthquake''... unless you somehow "caused it" and wanted to get away. (By default, he assumes he'd want to be ''found.'')

* In ''Videogame/AssassinsCreedRogue'', one appears in the form of [[spoiler:a piece of Eden wich causes the Lisbon earthquake of 1755]].
* In ''Videogame/BattleZone1998'', the NSDF Grizzly HoverTank and its CCA counterpart carry the 'Thumper', a special weapon that channels biometal ammo directly into the ground to create a massive earthquake wave that will send enemies flying helplessly into the air.
* The Soviets in the ''Aftermath'' expansion of ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'' have access to the [[FunWithAcronyms M.A.D. Tank]], a vehicle that uses a large piston to release a wide-reaching and highly damaging seismic shockwave. However, it has no effect on infantry and the M.A.D. Tank [[SuicideAttack destroys itself in the process]].

* Rumble in ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'' is able to use his fist as piledrivers and create small earthquakes with them.

* Dr. Wily used one in the ''WesternAnimation/MegaMan'' cartoon.
* The 1942 [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheatricalCartoons Superman cartoon]] ''Electric Earthquake'' has one -- created by a Native-American MadScientist who wants to reclaim Manhattan for his people, believing it was taken by fraud.
* [[DishingOutDirt Armodrillo]] from ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'' is a robotic-like creature known as a Talpaedan who can use his drill arms to create small earthquakes or quickly create tunnels which can also generate vibrations.
* Seismo from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'' is a living one, with giant feet that shake the earth when he stomps them. Unfortunately for those around him, he gets ultra-nervous very easy and has the tendency to tap his feet when he does...
* In the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'', Pete plants one of those old jiggling exercise machines to the foundation of the house next door and creates mini-quakes to scare away potential buyers so he can use the land to create his own backyard paradise.
* ''WesternAnimation/ActionMan2000'': The Quake suit of PoweredArmor was designed by Japanese scientists to study tremors, but it could also produce them. It is subsequently stolen by a fat janitor who uses it to become the supervillain "Quake".
* In the WesternAnimation/PorkyPig cartoon "WesternAnimation/PorkyTheRainmaker", Porky has some weather pills that make whatever weather phenomenon is written on it. One chicken eats an earthquake pill, causing it to have personal earthquakes. When it holds onto something for a brace, that ends up shaking, too.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/PacMan'' short "The Great Pac-Quake", Mezmaron sends the Ghost Monsters out with a machine to distract the people of Pacland with an earthquake so the ghosts can steal the secret map from the local museum.

* In ''Literature/BlueMoonRising'', one of the three {{Infinity Plus One Sword}}s, Rockbreaker, was one of these.

%%* Was one in ''Manga/KamikazeKaitouJeanne''

* The WesternAnimation/PorkyPig cartoon "WesternAnimation/PorkyTheRainmaker", Porky has some weather pills that make whatever weather phenomenon is written on it. One chicken eats an earthquake pill, causing it to have personal earthquakes. When it holds onto something for a brace, that ends up shaking too.

* Hydrogen Bombs do this, particularly when someone buries them. Though one air-detonated bomb, the Tsar Bomba, explosion was so big that it could be FELT anywhere and everywhere. Strangely though despite the wide swath of earth that is shook by an underground blast, there is little damage that is earthquake-related.

* The MacGuffin for the ParodyFic ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'' is a stolen [[UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla Tesla]] Scalar Interferometer, eventually used in an attempt to erupt every volcano in Antarctica, flooding the world's cities.

[[quoteright:300:[[Franchise/WonderWoman https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/earthquake_machine_6.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/earthquake_machine_6.jpg]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* The 1942 [[SupermanTheatricalCartoons Superman cartoon]] ''Electric Earthquake'' has one -- created by a Native-American MadScientist who wants to reclaim Manhattan for his people, believing it was taken by fraud.

* One of the Sennins in ''Manga/SoulHunter'' has this as her [[WeaponOfChoice Paopei]]. Although it had great destruction potential, her ally rightly points out that it's not a weapon of precision and hitting a single, nimble human-sized target is a tall order, even for a person of her skills.

* The ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' cartoon ''Electric Earthquake'' has one -- created by a Native-American MadScientist who wants to reclaim Manhattan for his people, believing it was taken by fraud.

Almost every MadScientist has at least one of these in his blueprint library, sometimes even two. Sometimes simply called the Earthquake Machine, or the Quicksand Generator, Liquefaction Array, or even Ruin Device. If it does the two things that all earthquake machines have in common, it will: 1) cause earthquakes as its primary function, 2) [[CaptainObvious probably be a machine]], although there are a few examples of this trope involving living creatures instead of machinery.

* The ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' spin-off comics had a story called ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Earthquake Maker]]'' in which a MadScientist named Parthal used one of these to destroy four Iranian cities. These turned out to be simply tests in preparation for his main plan, which was to split the country in half from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, causing devastating floods. While [[EvilGloating monologuing]] about this, he explains that the government of [[{{Ruritania}} Bereznik]] is paying him a fortune for this, although we never find out what ''their'' motive is.

* ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis: Tokyo 2040'' [[spoiler: has one emplyoed in its backstory as GENOM tried to keep runaway boomer technology are getting loose, deciding to employ the device to bury the lab, and causing the city to be rebuilt. However, this didn't destroy the technology as it later got loose.]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Space 1889}}'' an earthquake machine or a volcano machine are possible inventions in the main book.

* ''WesternAnimation/ActionMan2000'': The Quake suit of PoweredArmor was designed by Japanese scientists to study tremors, but it could also produce them. It is subsequently gets stolen by a fat janitor who uses it to become the supervillain "Quake".