[[quoteright:250:[[Film/{{Knowing}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SudokuSecretlyWantsToDestroyEarth.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Giving "murder by numbers" a different meaning.]]

A common {{Film Poster|s}} meant to shock and attract a viewer, the Earth Shattering Poster features the planet Earth being destroyed in an EarthShatteringKaboom, usually with tectonic cracks all along the edges that glow a volcanic red. Occasionally, it's because a gigantic hand, possibly alien and definitely evil looking, is crushing it. Other variants include the Earth being zapped with a DeathRay, or having a meteor colliding against it.

Needless to say, if the planet ever actually has this happen to it in the film it wouldn't be a case of InferredHolocaust; it would be an outright planetary catastrophe that would cause a Class 5 ApocalypseHow.

See also GotTheWholeWorldInMyHand, ApocalypticMontage.

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!!Examples:

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[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* The poster for ''Anime/FutureWar198X'' had a flow of lava/blood pouring out of the cracks. In the actual movie, this is mimicked by the shot of earth from space turning slowly red when nuclear bombs are set off in major cities all around the world.
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'':
** ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'' has several covers of Hulk living up to his title of "World Breaker". To further illustrate this, the "u" in the World War Hulk logo is formed by a broken Earth.
** The ''ComicBook/Hulk2008'' arc "Planet Red Hulk" has a cover with Red doing the same.
* The cover of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' #49 (volume 3), and the page image of the arc ''ComicBook/TheKangDynasty'', shows Kang the Conqueror impaling Earth on his orbital base "Damocles".
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[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/Armageddon1998'' had the Earth in front of a humongous meteor silhouetted against a ring of fire.
* ''Film/DeepImpact'' had a meteor impacting Earth, [[spoiler: and actually followed through on that promise.]]
* ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy2005'' does this pretty well in its trailer, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOltAxX_KKA which is better seen than described]].
* ''Film/KillerKlownsFromOuterSpace'' [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/killer_klowns_from_outer_space.jpg theatrical poster]] has the Earth being spun on a Klown's fingertip like a basketball.
* The poster for ''Film/{{Knowing}}'' features Earth burning into numbers.
* ''Film/{{Monkeybone}}'' has the titular character destroying the Earth with a chainsaw. [[CoversAlwaysLie However our planet is never threatened in the story, and the character uses a chainsaw briefly while possessing the body of the live-action protagonist]]. [[https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BTBHCN62L._AC_SY445_.jpg This DVD cover]] even makes the film look as if it's some sort of Rom-Com about a couple dealing with an apocalyptic monkey puppet.
* The central concept of the ''[[ShowWithinAShow Scorcher]]'' film series in ''Film/TropicThunder''.
* ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds2005'' has an alien hand holding the Earth as a red weed spreads.
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[[folder:Literature]]
* Creator/LRonHubbard's ''Literature/MissionEarth'' had the planet Earth gripped by a hand wearing a spiked wristband.
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[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The image of the Earth cracking was also used in Season 3 of ''Series/{{Heroes}}.''
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[[folder:Music]]
* Music/IcedEarth has [[http://www.nuclearblast.de/static/articles/153/153750.jpg/1000x1000.jpg the album cover]] of "The Crucible of Man", which has their mascot Set Abominae knee-deep in a giant crater on the surface of the planet earth.
* Music/IronMaiden has [[http://www.ironmaidencommentary.com/pictures/pictures04_pom/tourbook04_pom.jpg the poster]] for "The World Piece Tour", which features their mascot Eddie bursting the planet seeking a "brain" inside it. The art was later recycled for a tour with a name fitting the image, "Eddie Rips Up The World Tour'.
* The cover Music/JudasPriest's ''Ram It Down'' album features a giant fist which is, well, [[http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/j/judas-priest/album-ram-it-down.jpg ramming the earth down]].
* The cover for Kick Axe's third album, ''Rock the World'', features a giant guitar struck through the earth.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* The logo in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s titles depicts the Planet receiving an impact from [[ApocalypseHow Meteor]].
* ''VideoGame/StarControlII'' had a poster with ''two'' hands grasping Earth and it exploding.
* The LoadingScreen for the final episode of ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes''' "Who Will Die?" signature story depicts the villain holding Earth while it cracks apart under his assault.
* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Planetary_Annihilation_cover.jpg box art]] for ''VideoGame/PlanetaryAnnihilation'' shows an asteroid crashing into a planet and shattering the crust.
* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:X3_-_Reunion_Coverart.png one]] of ''VideoGame/{{X}}3 Reunion'' shows a [[DeathWorld lava planet]] being hit by not one but ''two'' [[WaveMotionGun giant orange lasers]]. However, the part of the planet visible inside the outline of the big empty X in the title shows a lush [[AllPlanetsAreEarthLike Earth-like planet]]. The image (without the title and therefore the Earth-like part) is used as the page picture of the franchise.
[[/folder]]
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