History Main / EnemyRisingBehind

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'': In the second book, a vaguely heroic example takes place when Sinister has Doctor Strange (who has been hunting him for a very, ''very'' long time) loom up behind him just before Sinister has a ''very'' bad day. Just how bad it is, is the reason that it's only 'vaguely' heroic.
-->'''Strange''': Hello, Nathaniel. ''Long time no see''.

* Fanfic/MyHeroAcademiaUnchainedPredator: Three Steel Sabers giving a ransom demand to the Japanese government are blissfully unaware of the Slayer walking up from behind. As Nine cannot warn them [[spoiler: due to VEGA cutting off all communications, preventing Nine from even warning the rest of the Sabers about his presence]], he, his lieutenants, the hostages and the whole world are forced to watch the Slayer pull out a chainsaw and turn a [[HostageVideo Ransom demand]] into a [[PublicExecution brutal execution]].

* Gollum ambushing Sam in Mt Doom in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing''

* In ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' the ''Enterprise'' does this to the USS Reliant, Khan's commandeered ship.
* In ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier'', a Klingon Bird-of-Prey rises up behind Kirk as he flees the "god" alien. {{Subverted}} when it turns out to be a GunshipRescue, with Spock manning the guns.

* ''Literature/{{Sten}}'': the protagonist and his Lancer are retrieving a poor bastard from a prison hell-world. They are offshore on a small boat when a sea monster pulls this move on them. Cue screaming and thrashing and Sten doing cool stuff with his AbsurdlySharpBlade.

* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E20WhatIsAndWhatShouldNeverBe "What Is And What Should Never Be"]], the djinn sneaks up behind Sam as he tries to cut Dean down, but Dean warns Sam.

* ''Franchise/LooneyTunes'': Happens to Sylvester several times in ''Hyde and Go Tweet'', after Tweety had accidentally gotten exposed to the Hyde Formula and got turned into huge demented grotesque monster. Tweety once even taps Sylvester on the back to get his attention.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E15TheHonorableOnes "The Honourable Ones"]], the first bonzami (giant [[ImmuneToBullets blaster-bolt-immune]] lizard) comes out of a tunnel behind Zeb while he's threatening to give Kallus a few more broken bones.

* Subverted and played for laughs as {{Bookends}} in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' At the start of the movie, a monster rises up behind a kid's bed. His screams startle the monster. [[spoiler:At the end, Mike rises up behind a kid's bed, ''then goes into a stand-up comedy routine''.]]

* ''Film/TrueLies'': Harry in the Harrier rising up behind the main villain.

* Fanfic/MyHeroAcademiaUnchainedPredator: Three Steel Sabers giving a ransom demand to the Japanese government are blissfully unaware of the Slayer walking up from behind. As Nine cannot warn them [[spoiler: due to VEGA cutting off all communications, preventing Nine from even warning the rest of the Sabers about his presence]], he, his lieutenants, the hostages and the whole world are forced to watch the Slayer pull out a chainsaw and turn a [RansomVideo Ransom demand]] into a [[PublicExecution brutal execution]].

* Inverted from a both a camera and morality standpoint in [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Jedah]]'s ending in ''VideoGame/CapcomFightingEvolution'' -- the camera cuts to behind Jedah as he [[LaughingMad relishes in his victory]]... revealing [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] approaching him with the full intent of putting a bullet through his head.

-> ''"An interesting fact about Old Stickfingers is that he is right behind you."''
-->-- ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', [[https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/new-legends-innistrad-midnight-hunt-2021-09-16 "The New Legends of Innistrad]]

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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Anime/DragonBallZKai'': In episode 75, Imperfect Cell rises up out of the ground behind Android 17 right before [[spoiler:absorbing him]].
* ''Anime/BlueGender'': Episode 7 have Yuji and Marlene chilling in a lake which seems to be devoid of Blues... until a particularly ''huge'' one comes out the water's surface, right behind Marlene. Who instinctively tries grabbing for her gun, only to suddenly realize she's unarmed after leaving her weapons on the surface.

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* In ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf: Mighty Little Defenders'' episode 43, Sparky assures Paddi they and the other goats will be fine as Paddi gets scared in a storage room they've entered. Cue the shadow of someone appearing behind them, catching them off guard; the episode ends there, and the cliffhanger is resolved in the next episode where the shadowed figure is revealed to be [[spoiler:General Wolf's quartet of alpha troops]].

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': As Ariel explores a sunken ship, Flounder is worried about sharks. Sure enough, outside the ship, a huge shark rises from behind him before it breaks into the ship to attack them.

* Gollum ambushing Sam in Mt Doom in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing''

* ''Film/Batman1989'': The two BitPartBadguys shoot Batman while he's on the ground, then turn away. He rises up from the ground behind them, then proceeds to beat them up.
* ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs''. Hannibal Lecter is lying on a gurney in an ambulance with the face of a murdered police officer covering his own face. He sits up behind a paramedic, pulls off the false face and... We don't see what happens next, but we learn that he killed everyone in the ambulance.
* One of the more iconic examples comes from the original ''Film/{{Halloween 1978}}'', where a presumed dead Michael Myers slowly rises up behind an exhausted Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis). ''Film/Halloween2018'' features a CallBack to this moment [[spoiler: except this time it's Laurie about to finish off Michael instead.]]
* Featured on a memorable scene in ''Film/HellNight'' (1981) where the final couple are talking to each other and are oblivious to the killer (who was hiding under a carpet, which was on top of a trap door) rising behind them.
* ''Film/Constantine2005'':
** After Angela falls into the pool, the man possessed by TheSpearOfDestiny rises up behind her.
** After Constantine enters the pool, a Mammon-possessed Angela rises behind him.
* Near the end of ''Film/HomeSweetHome2005'', May's young son was abducted by the film's "monster" while wading through a shallow pool as he's grabbed from behind.
* [[FluffyTheTerrible Fluffy]] in the first ''Film/HarryPotter'' movie. The gang don't notice until [[DroolHello he starts drooling on them]]. Later, [[spoiler:the disembodied spirit of Voldemort]] menacingly manifests behind Harry as he looks at the Philosopher's Stone, and he doesn't notice until it's flying right at him.
* The giant maggot in ''Film/GalaxyOfTerror'' does this to a female crewmember, it...well, some people call it "Rapeworm". That should explain what happens next.
* ''Film/ResidentEvil2002''. When [[spoiler:Spence]] is holding the other survivors at gunpoint, a zombie rises up out of the water behind him and bites him on the neck.
* ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''. When Superman is standing on the deck of the small ship waiting for the crooks inside to give up, another crook rises up out of a hatch behind him and hits him over the head with a crowbar. The crook is stunned by the impact.
-->'''Superman:''' [[ShoutOut Bad vibrations]]?
* ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': Brian is writing (poorly composed) graffiti on a wall. The audience can see the approaching silhouette of a centurion-complete with ominous music and ScareChord when the centurion claps his hand on Brian's shoulder.
* ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen''. After [[spoiler:Dorian Gray]] removes his sword from Mina Harker's body and prepares to leave, she rises up behind him, stabs him and pins him to a wall. Vampires like Mina are only incapacitated by being staked, not killed.
** When the stake misses her heart anyway.
* Exactly what makes ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' so terrifying.
* ''Film/FrightNight1985''. Dandridge's minion Billy Cole is shot in the head by Peter Vincent and falls down the stairs. A few moments later, while Peter Vincent and Charlie are facing the other way, Cole gets up and starts walking up the stairs toward them.
* ''Film/JudgeDredd''. Rico escapes from Aspen Penal Colony in a body bag. When the body bags arrive back in Megacity One, a technician is left alone checking them out. Rico's body bag rises up behind the technician and Rico shoots him through the bag.
* ''Film/RamboIV''. Rambo does one in style, beheading a Burmese soldier with a machete.
* Inverted in two Creator/BrianDePalma movies: ''Film/RaisingCain'' and ''Film/MissionToMars''. The character facing the camera bends down to pick up something, thus revealing the enemy behind him...
* ''Film/{{Outpost}}''. A mercenary enters the room where their employer Hunt is and tells him [[ScrewThisImOutOfHere they're leaving whether he wants it or not]]. Hunt turns to face him, and freezes in place with a horrified expression as he sees an undead Nazi soldier rising up behind the merc. The merc sees the expression, tells him to run and turns, lashing out with his knife. [[ImmuneToBullets It doesn't do any good]].
* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'':
** ''Film/TheTerminator'': This is how we get our first look at the T-800's real body. The endoskeleton emerges from the inferno after losing its flesh covering in the tanker explosion.
** In ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', when taking one of the asylum guard's places, the T-1000 copies the appearance of the guard as it rises up from the floor. The real guard takes notice too late.
* In the original version of ''Film/KingKong1933'', a brontosaurus emerges from the water in this manner to attack Denham's crew on their raft.
* ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' has the shark rising out of the water while Brody's head is turned away as he dumps chum in the water. This, of course, prompts one of the [[GonnaNeedMoreX most famous lines of the movie.]]
* ''Film/DeepRising'': When the DwindlingParty reaches the kitchen, Mulligan wants to hole up there for a last stand as he thinks that it's the only place on the ship where they'll be save from the man-eating giant worms. This results in a MexicanStandoff when Finnegan and Hanover disagree, but before it can get violent Mulligan suddenly notices that everyone facing him has an OhCrap expression...
* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' has Jake, on his first excursion into the [[DeathWorld Pandoran]] wilderness, get into a confrontation with a juvenile Titanothere. Jake stands his ground and shouts, and the titanothere backs off... [[AlwaysABiggerFish because of the apex predator Thanator rising behind him.]]
* ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' has the ''Mosasaurus'' doing this to an unwary submersible in the opening. The next shot is from above the lagoon, as the lights of the craft vanish...
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/SaveYourselves''. When Su comes out of the cabin after having ran into it to gather supplies, Jack begins to softly shout "Pouffe on the roof!" to alert her about a pouffe she doesn't see sliding across the cabin's roof behind her.

* ''Series/SweetHome2020'': One of the monsters rises behind Ji-su. Jae-heon spots it just before it attacks.
* In the introductory sequence of ''Series/GameOfThrones'', Ser Waymar Royce and old veteran Gared of the Night's Watch are investigating the massacre of a wildling village, but [[ItWasThereISwear find nothing there]]. Gared starts digging in the snow and finds some bloody remains; he looks up to tell Ser Royce when his eyes widen in horror as a blue-eyed demon is rising up behind the knight. Ser Royce turns to see what he's looking at and gets killed by the [[ShroudedInMyth White Walker]].

* A ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' season finale involves a large number of Black Claw {{Mook}}s storming Nick's hideout. Despite the odds, Nick manages to kill nearly all of them, but the last one shoots him several times in the gut. Nick falls and looks dead. The guy turns around and call his boss to let him know the job is done. Then Nick slowly rises behind him ([[spoiler:having been granted a HealingFactor by the ancient piece of wood found by the Grimm Crusaders]]). The other guy is dead within seconds.

* Inverted from a both a camera and morality standpoint in [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Jedah]]'s ending in ''VideoGame/CapcomFightingEvolution'' - the camera cuts to behind Jedah as he [[LaughingMad relishes in his victory]]... revealing [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] approaching him with the full intent of putting a bullet through his head.
* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}:'' Alex rising up behind a Blackwatch trooper who thought one bullet to the head was enough to kill him.
** And then Alex does it again at the end of the game, to [[spoiler: General Randall]]. This time, though, he's [[KillAndReplace disguised as]] [[spoiler: Colonel Taggart.]]
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' has two examples. The first example is Mendes popping up just behind Leon and grabbing him by the neck. Played with when Jack Krauser rises up behind Leon Kennedy, disappears when Leon senses something and turns around, and Krauser attacks Leon from above.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' has a cutscene like this. A ball and chain statue comes to life and attacks Link from behind while the camera is in front of him.
* ''VideoGame/AnotherWorld'' has an example from the first moments in which you take control. If you leave the protagonist standing in front of the deep pool he was teleported into (and swam out of to avoid multiple tentacles belonging to an off-screen monster), you'll notice something appearing behind him. If you do not move despite this, the tentacle will grab him and drag him to a watery death.

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiNocturne'': The end of the True Demon Route. [[spoiler: Lucifer makes his appearance in his true form like this, rising from the ground behind the Demi-Fiend while he's occupied talking to Lucifer's avatars, the Blonde Child and the Old Gentleman. The Demi-Fiend only realizes Lucifer's there when a MASSIVE shadow falls over him.]]

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'': [[SmugSnake Metal Face]] does this right [[SpeakOfTheDevil after the party laments they haven't found him.]]

* PlayedForLaughs in ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'' where an escalation in Paris involving Agent 47 in a clown suit begins with a shot of a security guard, only to have the ComicallySerious Agent 47 rise up behind him, bright red afro and all

[[folder:Web Comics]]

--> '''Torg''': "By the way, I'm not going to turn around so you can get the satisfaction of seeing me gasp in fear before sucking my brains out."
--> '''Aylee''': "''Fine,'' I'll just find someone who ''will!''" (leaves)

* ''Webcomic/Trevor2020'': A variation: Once [[spoiler: Trevor]] seems to have been subdued, and Purdy and Enid turn to ask each other what they were saying because the gunfire from moments ago kept them from hearing each other, part of [[spoiler: Trevor]] begins to shift and rise above & in ''front'' of them.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Godslave}}'', Turner rises behind Edith when she unwisely turns her back on him -- she thinks TalkingIsAFreeAction applies and he exploits it.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ6jisr1Nlk&index=1&list=PLSQLREUw9vwlh8bzgvZCt_WS8615trN5H&t=1m22s A Link Between Videos]] a stone talos manages this on a clueless Link
* In ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}'', this happens during the Nostalgia Critic vs Dr. Insano fight.
* In ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'', Jaffers does this when he attacks the reviewers after they recover the gauntlet.

* ''Franchise/LooneyTunes'': Happens to Sylvester several times in ''Hyde And Go Tweet'', after Tweety had accidentally gotten exposed to the Hyde Formula and got turned into huge demented grotesque monster. Tweety once even taps Sylvester on the back to get his attention.

* ''Series/SweetHome'': One of the monsters rises behind Ji-su. Jae-heon spots it just before it attacks.

** In ''Film/{{Alien 3}}'' we see the xenomorph creeping from the top of a vertical passage when one of the prisoners is trying to retrieve a flare from the bottom.

** Amongst the [[Film/Alien40thAnniversaryShorts 40th Anniversary Shorts]], the particular Xenomorph in ''Harvest'' seems to like approaching the humans stealthily from behind, doing it three times during the short.

* ''Film/{{Constantine}}''.

* ''Webcomic/{{TREVOR}}'': A variation: Once [[spoiler: Trevor]] seems to have been subdued, and Purdy and Enid turn to ask each other what they were saying because the gunfire from moments ago kept them from hearing each other, part of [[spoiler: Trevor]] begins to shift and rise above & in ''front'' of them.

** ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'': While [[BigBadWannabe Simmons]] is EvilGloating to Madison and her accomplices about his dream for Mechagodzilla, the cybernetic monster itself activates in its giant chamber behind him, turns to look at him and slowly approaches the control room, [[spoiler:having been taken over and granted a malevolent sentience by Ghidorah's subconsciousness]]. Simmons is too invested in his monologue to notice until he opens his eyes and sees everyone backing away, at which point he turns around and has just enough time to say "Oh, shit" before [[spoiler:being swiped by MechaGodzilla's claw into oblivion]].

* ''Film/ResidentEvil''. When [[spoiler:Spence]] is holding the other survivors at gunpoint, a zombie rises up out of the water behind him and bites him on the neck.

* In ''Anime/DragonBallZKai'' episode 75, Imperfect Cell rises up out of the ground behind Android 17 right before [[spoiler:absorbing him]].

* ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth'' features this. In the third case, when Miles Edgeworth drops off the ransom money in an amusement park's Haunted House dining room and steps into the hall, [[http://i39.tinypic.com/b7momw.gif a slumped, seemingly-lifeless costume]] ''stands up'' and begins [[http://i44.tinypic.com/2w3xjjn.gif creeping]] [[http://i39.tinypic.com/b8wtar.gif up]] [[http://i41.tinypic.com/2eoa53a.gif behind]] him. Add supremely creepy music to the montage, and it's a part of the game that you would ''not'' want to play while alone at night.

[[folder: Comic Book]]

* In Pixar's ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'', Russel and Carl are just about to release Kevin back into her habitat when [[spoiler: Muntz]] in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Airships}} Zeppelin]] ominously rises up behind them. Doubles as a SurpriseVehicle.

* In the Firebird Suite segment of ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'', the spring sprite seems to reach safety after scrambling up a tall tree, but the Firebird rises back into its bird form and towers over her.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'', Boris is so busy yelling at Muk and Luk he completely fails to notice the huge [[BearsAreBadNews grizzly bear]] right behind him.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda3'', Kai does this to Crane during the ship scene, after having already snatched up everyone else who went inside.

* ''Film/TrueLies'': Harry in the Harrier rising up behind the main villain.

* This is how we get our first look at ''Film/TheTerminator's'' real body.

* Directionally-inverted example: ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars''. Godzilla has just destroyed the rogue "planet" Gorath with his breath, and as he stands recovering from the effort, the camera cuts to a close-up of his face and a shadowy figure slowly lowering itself into the frame behind him. Godzilla slowly raises his head, turns around, and faces his most powerful opponent, Monster X.

* In ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', when taking one of the asylum guard's places, the T-1000 copies the appearance of the guard as it rises up from the floor. The real guard takes notice too late.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'': In "In the Army", Ren is making Stimpy carry him on his back during a hike and they pause at a mud puddle. Just then, their DrillSergeantNasty slowly rises from the puddle while Ren badmouths him with his back turned; after turning around and seeing him, Ren has one ''hell'' of a WildTake.