History Main / LightningReveal

* The opening theme to ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. Batman fights crooks in darkness, and the police wonder who it could be. The theme ends with the crooks tied up and a silhouette of Batman, standing on the roof of a building. A flash of lightning confirms his presence, before he disappears. Take a look at the opening, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEx9r5enZsk it's pretty awesome]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'': Done to stylistic effect in "Time's Arrow", [[spoiler: when Beatrice Horseman remembers her father implicitly threatening to have her lobotomized like he had her mother, resulting in a flash briefly revealing a black silhouette of her mother with a white head scar]].

* Occurs in the bonus case of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney''. [[spoiler:Phoenix's current case revolves around a case two years prior that may have been subject to evidence tampering. The primary witness of the previous case recalls two men fighting during a blackout, but remembers one instant, during a lightning strike, where she saw one man about to stab the other.]]

* Seen in [[TheStinger the ending stinger]] of ''VideoGame/PortalPrelude'', where lightning shows the G-Man adjusting his tie inside a tollbooth in the Aperture Science parking lot. just as [[PlayerCharacter Abby]] collapses in front of it.
* Done with "[[http://www.bogleech.com/aliensoldier/as-copter.gif Flying-Neo]]," one of the {{Mini Boss}}es in ''VideoGame/AlienSoldier''. Your character fights this [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot alien dragon zombie helicopter]] on the top of an airplane. Once you get it to about a [[TurnsRed quarter of its health]], it turns [[InvisibleMonsters invisible]]... only the background lightning will reveal its silhouette.

* ''Super VideoGame/StreetFighterII'''s intro initially has Ryu shrouded in the shadows, then several lightning strikes gradually illuminate him right before [[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou he launches a Hadoken towards the screen]].

* In ''VideoGame/MarkOfTheNinja'', this is flipped around. ''You'' always risk being seen by guards in the flash. However, [[AntiFrustrationFeatures to prevent nervous breakdowns]], the game takes an AcceptableBreakFromReality and makes the thunder sound ''before'' the lightning flash, so you can predict when it's coming and take action.
* A gameplay mechanic in the ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' segment of ''VideoGame/NintendoLand'' where the ghost is invisible to the other players, they can only sense the ghost through vibrations and can only see him if they shine a light on him, dealing damage. Every once in a while lightning will strike and illuminate some of the map, if the ghost is in that area they're perfectly visible. Skilled ghost players can make it seem like they're going another way then they are when the lightning strikes, or with a little luck, hide from the illuminated areas so when lightning strikes, the ghost hunters [[NothingIsScarier don't see anything.]] Impossible on the rooftop level which has no walls so the entire thing is illuminated when lightning strikes. Needless to say, winning as a ghost in this level takes a lot of skill.
* ''VIdeoGame/MonsterHunterPC'' does this with the titular character's intro in the opening FMV: approaching the Warlock's castle, his face shrouded in shadows, suddenly a bout of DramaticThunder reveals the character before he barges in.

* If you happen to play ''VideoGame/{{Driveclub}}'' set at night with heavy weather and stormy clouds, you will barely see anything beyond you (or your rival's) headlights. However, thunders may appear from time to time to help you see for a split-second the track's layout... for the next few seconds.

* The main menu for ''VideoGame/ProjectZomboid'' seems to show a man caring for his sick wife. When the lighting flashes, however,it is shown that the man is actually a zombie feasting on the woman.

-->'''Marge:''' What he's typed will be a window into his madness. [reads it] "Feelin' fine." Woah! That's a relief.
-->''[lightning strikes, revealing "No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy" [[RoomFullOfCrazy scribbled all over the walls]]]''
-->'''Marge:''' Mmm... this is less encouraging.

* Tornadoes at nighttime can sometimes fall under this trope. A flash of lightning can sometimes illuminate an otherwise invisible funnel cloud or debris circulation, and storm spotters are trained to look on the horizon and under cloud bases for something that is not lightning but might be confused for it and that is far more indicative of tornado danger - power flashes ''from the tornado itself'' snapping power lines and blowing transformers.

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In this ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction, [=MaNi=]/Elder Brother spots [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX Monster X]] via a lightning-flash amid the darkness in Berezniki, in Chapter 17.

* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': When the ''Argo'' flies through [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah Ghidorah]]'s storm towards him with [[Characters/MonsterVerseKaiju Rodan]] in pursuit, Rodan has an OhCrap reaction and pulls back before Ghidorah is directly seen. Then lightning flashes reveal Ghidorah's huge silhouette flying directly in front of the ''Argo'' amid the darkness.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'': The ''Bowser's Fury'' addon for the Switch re-release does this rather well. As Mario climbs onto the crashed airship on [[JustForPun Fur-Step Island]] at Lake Lapcat, a bolt of lightning reveals Fury Bowser, who then takes that moment to attack Mario!

* Doesn't even involve darkness in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''. Master Shifu waits for Tai Lung on the stairs to the Jade Palace. DramaticThunder sounds and Shifu closes his eyes for a moment against the lightning. When he opens them, Tai Lung is standing before him having run up the thousand-odd steps without even appearing out of breath.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[BadassBoast I am vengeance]]. [[IAmTheNoun I am the night]]. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I. AM.]] [[Franchise/{{BATMAN}} BATMAN]]!!!!!]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[BadassBoast I am vengeance]]. [[IAmTheNoun I am the night]]. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I. AM.]] [[Franchise/{{Batman}} BATMAN]]!!!!!]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[BadassBoast I am Vengeance]], [[IAmTheNoun I am The Night]]. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I. AM.]] [[Franchise/{{Batman}} BATMAN]]!]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'': When Luigi ends up in the Dark Lands, he is chased by a horde of Dry Bones until he finds refuge in an abandoned fortress. As Luigi sighs and thinks he's finally safe, a lightning flash reveals a band of Shy Guys right behind him.

* In ''[[{{Literature/Kane}} Darkness Weaves]]'' it is a dark and stormy night, as Arbas the Killer and young aristocrat Imel are waiting for Kane in his hiding place, an old crypt. The first glimpse that Imel gets of Kane is through lightning. And it is not a confidence-inspiring sight.

* Doesn't even involve darkness in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda''. Master Shifu waits for Tai Lung on the stairs to the Jade Palace. DramaticThunder sounds and Shifu closes his eyes for a moment against the lightning. When he opens them, Tai Lung is standing before him having run up the thousand-odd steps without even appearing out of breath.
* In ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', after Roger saves the fifteenth puppy from death, lighting crashes and everyone turns to the door to see Cruella standing in the doorframe.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'', Manolo's [[spoiler:skeleton form]] is first revealed this way, just before he [[spoiler:asks Xibalba to kill him]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/KuboAndTheTwoStrings'', during the battle between the Sister and Monkey on the boat, the former has suddenly disappeared but a lightning reveals her shadow behind the sail.