History Main / PreExplosionBuildup

* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' had the dream sequence where Sarah Connor imagines herself getting killed by a nuclear weapon fired by Skynet: First there is a blinding light and a heat wave, causing the everything to catch fire. Then comes the shockwave with accompanying sound and mushroom cloud, which flattens buildings, throws cars around, uproots trees and causes the charred remains of people to scatter into the air like leaves.

* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'':The Return Of The King, this is heard before the big green bolt of garrison-light bursts out of Minas Morgul towards the sky.

* In ''Film/TheLastJedi'' there is complete and total silence for around 10 seconds when [[spoiler:the ''Raddus'' slams into the ''Supremacy'' at lightspeed, tearing a massive gash of stunning bright light through the entire ship.]] The deafening roar of the explosion's shockwave (again, [[SpaceIsNoisy through space) only comes well after the initial brilliance of destruction.

* When Tyreal blows up the World Stone in the epilogue of ''[[VideoGame/{{Diablo}} Diablo II: Lord of Destruction]]'', a warping sound can be heard before the stone goes boom.

*** There is a moment of silence after Tyreal charges up the sword (and a slowmotion effect when he throws it) that reaches its pinnacle when the sword enters the stone. Then the dimensions around the stone start to ripple.

* Krypton exploding in ''SupermanReturns'' uses this effect.

* The fate of the evil space ship in the finale of ''EliteBeatAgents''.
* ''StarFox64'' has a remarkable ''numerical'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZeB21sTFdg example]] when unlocking the hard path from Macbeth.

* Also present in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}''. When a Covenant vehicle is destroyed (except for Brute manufactured ones) it will explode once then almost invariably produce a strange whine and explode again. This is justified as the vehicle's plasma coil going critical.

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* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' had the dream sequence where Sarah Connor imagines herself getting killed by a nuclear weapon fired by Skynet: First there is a blinding light and a heat wave, causing the everything to catch fire. Then comes the shockwave with accompanying sound and mushroom cloud, which flattens buildings, throws cars around, uproots trees and causes the scarred remains of people to scatter into the air like leaves.

* During missions for the ''ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum'', Canon Analysis Devices that are exposed to [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale too much]] [[OutOfCharacter OOCness]] will usually display gibberish before [[ExplosiveInstrumentation burning out]].

* Also present in ''{{Halo 3}}''. When a Covenant vehicle is destroyed (except for Brute manufactured ones) it will explode once then almost invariably produce a strange whine and explode again. This is justified as the vehicle's plasma coil going critical.

* In one of the ''StarWars'' prequels, Jango Fett uses "seismic charges" against Obi-Wan. Before they explode, there is a second of complete silence. Even the [[SpaceIsNoisy audible silence of space]] stops for a moment.

* ''Film/TheMatrix'' is a heavy user of this trope. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] to some extent as a side-effect of the Matrix's processors being unable to keep up with the unanticipated actions of the heroes.
** In the first movie, the glass warped visibly and audibly when the helicopter crashed into the building.

** In the second movie, warping effects when Neo exited the bomb wired level with all the doors.

* In ''TheLordOfTheRings'':The Return Of The King, this is heard before the big green bolt of garrison-light bursts out of Minas Morgul towards the sky.
* ''[[{{Terminator}} Terminator 2]]'' had the dream sequence where Sarah Connor imagines herself getting killed by a nuclear weapon fired by Skynet: First there is a blinding light and a heat wave, causing the everything to catch fire. Then comes the shockwave with accompanying sound and mushroom cloud, which flattens buildings, throws cars around, uproots trees and causes the scarred remains of people to scatter into the air like leaves.

* In ''{{Titan AE}}'' the Drej PlanetKiller first turns on a targeting/focusing beam, then hits the planet with an energy burst, causing shockwaves to ripple around the planet surface while the seas boil and the continents burn, and finally [[EarthShatteringKaboom the entire planet erupts]] like a volcano, shattering it to tectonic-plate-sized pieces.

* In ''TheLordOfTheRings'':The Return Of The King, this is heard before the big green bolt of garrison-light bursts out of Minas Morgul towards the sky, while Sam, Frodo and Gollum watch (and listen) in horror and the Witch-King flies out towards the siege of Minas Tirith.

*** There is a moment of silence after Tyreal charges up the sword (and a slowmotion effect when he throws it) that reaches its pinnacle when the words enters the stone. Then the dimensions around the stone start to ripple.

* When Tyreal blows up the Word Stone in the epilogue of ''[[VideoGame/{{Diablo}} Diablo II: Lord of Destruction]]'', a warping sound can be heard before the stone goes boom.

* ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'': "There was a terrible ghastly silence. [[EarthShatteringKaboom There was a terrible ghastly noise.]] There was a terrible ghastly silence."

* ''{{Watchmen}}'' uses this with [[spoiler:the Dr. Manhattan bombs,]] where the sphere of AppliedPhlebotinum shrinks into nothingness and is followed by the blast a moment of silence later.

* When Tyreal blows up the Word Stone in the epilogue of ''[[{{Diablo}} Diablo II: Lord of Destruction]]'', a warping sound can be heard before the stone goes boom.

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* In one of the ''StarWars'' prequels, Jango Fett uses "seismic charges" against Obi-Wan. Before they explode, there is a second of complete silence. Even the [[SpaceIsNoisy audible silence of space]] stops for a moment.
* Krypton exploding in ''SupermanReturns'' uses this effect.
* ''TheMatrix'' is a heavy user of this trope. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] to some extent as a side-effect of the Matrix's processors being unable to keep up with the unanticipated actions of the heroes.

*** There is a moment of silence after Tyreal charges up the sword (and a slowmotion effect when he throws it) that reaches its pinnacle when the words enters the stone. Then the dimensions around the stone start to ripple.

* Also present in ''{{Halo}} 3''. When a Covenant vehicle is destroyed (except for Brute manufactured ones) it will explode once then almost invariably produce a strange whine and explode again. This is justified as the vehicle's plasma coil going critical.

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* ''StarTrek'' is also a big offender. A variety of effects are used for different explosions.

** YourMileageMayVary on whether that counts since it could just be a subversion of [[SpaceIsNoisy noisy space.]]

Often only takes a second, before the big boom, you will hear a very soft sucking sound, or a warping sound. In some more exotic examples, the sound will temporary disappear. Sometimes accompanied by a PreExplosionGlow. Or a visible ripple and warping effect in the surroundings or the bomb will be shown SuckingInLines.

* In ''TheLordOfTheRings:TheReturnOfTheKing'', this is heard before the big green bolt of garrison-light bursts out of Minas Morgul towards the sky, while Sam, Frodo and Gollum watch (and listen) in horror and the Witch-King flies out towards the siege of Minas Tirith.

* when Tyreal blows up the Word Stone in the epilogue of ''[[{{Diablo}} Diablo II: Lord of Destruction]]'', a warping sound can be heard before the stone goes boom.

* [[TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy There was a terrible ghastly silence. There was a terrible ghastly noise. There was a terrible ghastly silence.]]

* In the epilogue of ''[[{{Diablo}} Diablo II: Lord of Destruction]]'', when Tyreal blows up the Word Stone, a warping sound can be heard before the stone goes boom.
** In fact, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome this effect is tripled]]:
*** After Tyreal charges up the sword, there is a moment of silence, and a slowmotion effect when he throws the sword, that reaches its pinnacle when the words enters the stone. Then the dimensions around the stone start to ripple.
*** The stone slowly disintegrates, and as it reaches its ends, it builds up to a final explosion, this explosion is preluded by the now familiar pre-explosion warping sound.

* Also present in {{Halo}}, Halo 3 specifically. When a Covenant vehicle is destroyed (except for Brute manufactured ones) it will explode once then almost invariably produce a strange whine and explode again. This is justified as the vehicle's plasma coil going critical.
* The fate of the evil space ship in the finale of EliteBeatAgents.
* StarFox64 has a remarkable ''numerical'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZeB21sTFdg example]] when unlocking the hard path from Macbeth.

* During missions for the ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum, Canon Analysis Devices that are exposed to [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale too much]] [[OutOfCharacter OOCness]] will usually display gibberish before [[ExplosiveInstrumentation burning out]].

* In ''{{Titan AE}}'' the Drej PlanetKiller first turns on a targeting/focusing beam, then hits the planet with an energy burst, causing shockwaves to ripple around the planet surface while the seas boil and the continents burn, and finally the entire planet erupts like a volcano, shattering it to tectonic-plate-sized pieces.

* StarFox64 has a remarkable ''numerical'' example when unlocking the hard path from Macbeth.