History Main / AscendedFridgeHorror

* The ''Franchise/ToyStory'' series starts out taking the concept of sentient toys relatively light, while it explores some of the darker implications of having an AnimateInanimateObject co-exist with oblivious humans, it leaves one of the biggest ones out, namely the owner growing up and separating from them forever, but as the series goes on, it recognises the FridgeHorror of the concept more and more thoroughly; it openly spells the issue out in the second film and eventually, to a further extent than most people would probably expect from a children's movie series. The whole premise of ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' is the toys having to deal with the fact that their owner has grown up and put them aside.

** In ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' Diana gets [[Characters/WonderWomanAres Ares]] to step back and reevaluate--making him an occasional incredibly antagonistic ally for the rest of the series--by showing him that his goal of causing a nuclear WWIII would kill him by destroying the human race thereby killing anyone who might make war, believe in him, or even spread stories about him, the first and last of which he ''requires'' to exist. This made some readers wary when years later Ares usurped Hades and became Lord of the Dead since he now only needs the souls of the dead in Hades for power. Sure enough, in [[ComicBook/WonderWoman2006 the next series]] Ares tries to use Genocide in a plot specifically designed to kill off ''everyone'' on earth.

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' had a couple bits at the end. Okay, so Peter is a HalfHumanHybrid, and that explains how he was able to handle the Power Stone and not die instantly. And [[EvenEvilHasStandards Yondu, a notorious career pirate and criminal, refers to Peter's father as a "jackass".]] Okay, so what kind of being was both ''that'' powerful and so bad that someone who spent a lifetime plundering ships and killing people would call a "jackass"? We find out [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 in the sequel]]: [[spoiler: [[Characters/MCUEgo this universe's version]] of Ego the Living Planet, a Celestial who sired - and [[OffingTheOffspring murdered]] - untold numbers of his own offspring trying to find one that had enough power to help him destroy the entire universe. Yondu was hired to deliver Peter to Ego, but backed out of the deal and raised Peter as his own when he realized what Ego was doing to the ''other'' kids he helped bring to him.]]

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' had a couple bits at the end. Okay, so Peter is a HalfHumanHybrid, and that explains how he was able to handle the Power Stone and not die instantly. And [[EvenEvilHasStandards Yondu, a notorious career pirate and criminal, refers to Peter's father as a "jackass".]] Okay, so what kind of being was both ''that'' powerful and so bad that someone who spent a lifetime plundering ships and killing people would call a "jackass"? We find out [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 in the sequel]]: [[spoiler: [[Characters/MCUEgoTheLivingPlanet this universe's version]] of Ego the Living Planet, a Celestial who sired - and [[OffingTheOffspring murdered]] - untold numbers of his own offspring trying to find one that had enough power to help him destroy the entire universe. Yondu was hired to deliver Peter to Ego, but backed out of the deal and raised Peter as his own when he realized what Ego was doing to the ''other'' kids he helped bring to him.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheDepartmentOfTruth'': The Department of Truth acts as a {{Deconstruction}} of the ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve trope; reality is portrayed as subjective and can retroactively change if enough people believe in a singular "fact". With conspiracy theories on the rise, the Department of Truth works to make sure that conspiracy theories don't take root because a lot of the conspiracy theories people believe in -- like [[LizardFolk Reptilians]] or pedophilic, cannibalistic Satanists controlling the world -- would be incredibly dangerous if they existed. The result is a world where modern-day society is its own CosmicHorrorStory, where human belief can literally destroy the world if left unregulated.
* ''ComicBook/GreatLakesAvengers'': {{Big Be|autifulWoman}}rtha is a mutant with the power to [[TemporaryBulkChange swell her body fat]] to grant herself SuperStrength and durability; her civilian form is a conventionally-thin model named Ashley Crawford who funds the GLA with profits from her career. In order to change back from Big Bertha, she must undergo "power puking" to literally vomit up the excess fat and return to her original size. While this was first played for a joke, fans pointed out the disturbing implications (especially since Ashley is a model, and that industry is ripe with bulimia and other eating disorders); as such, later issues of the comic had Ashley severely traumatized by the fact that she has to make herself throw up if she wants to swap forms.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': After the ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' story ''ComicBook/TheFallOfTheMutants'' first introduced the [[GreaterScopeVillain En Sabah Nur]] (ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}}) in 1986, his introduction retroactively made the team's earliest adventures seem pretty disturbing to some fans, implying that there was a millennia-old Mutant warlord just [[ParanoiaFuel biding his time and waiting to strike]] while the X-Men were busy battling Sentinels and clashing with the Brotherhood. Then the 1995 crossover "ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse" took that idea and ran with it. Apparently, not only was Apocalypse ''always'' lurking in the background of the Marvel Universe, the only reason he didn't reveal himself when the X-Men were teenagers is because he didn't think he could challenge Xavier and Magneto's combined forces, and was wary of [[EnemyMine giving them a common enemy to unite against]]. And in an alternate timeline where [[WhatIf Xavier died before he could form the X-Men]], Apocalypse easily ''[[BadFuture conquered most of the world]]''.