History Main / DistantPrologue

* ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'':

Supertrope to AMinorKidroduction. Contrast of course DistantFinale. See also FramingDevice.

* ''Manga/WorldWitches''
** The ''Manga/StrikeWitches'' episode "[[Recap/StrikeWitchesEp1MagicalGirl Magical Girl]]" opens with the Neuroi's invasion of Karlsland in 1939, before jumping to 1944.
** ''Anime/StrikeWitchesTheMovie'' begins with the Neuroi's attack on Europe in 1943, shortly before the formation of the Strike Witches.

* ''TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' starts with Galadriel narrating her MinorKidroduction in Valinor, than jumping to the War of Wrath which takes place at the end of the First Age. Galadriel does inform the audience that she spent several centuries searching for Sauron. Current events take place in the Second Age.

* ''Film/TheSorcerersApprentice'' has several. The first one takes place in 740 AD, with [[Myth/KingArthur Merlin and Morgana]]'s final battle. Merlin is killed (due to one of his apprentices betraying him), and Morgana (along with Balthazar's LoveInterest) is trapped in a SoulJar. We then see several short flashes of Balthazar traveling the world throughout history, trying to find the [[TheChosenOne Prime Merlinian]], a good sorcerer who is destined to become equal to Merlin in power. The plot then moves to the year 2000, where a 10-year-old boy named Dave finds Balthazar's antique shop during a field trip. Dave accidentally releases Balthazar's rival Horvath from the SoulJar. During the resulting battle, both sorcerers end up being trapped in a ''different'' SoulJar for 10 years (to the day). TimeSkip to 10 years (to the day), and the now free sorcerers start looking for Dave, who is now in college.

* The prologue of the ''Manga/MedakaBox'' fanfic ''Fanfic/WorldAsMyth'' is split up into three parts. One kicks off the plot. One happens fifteen years before. And one happens [[UpToEleven one hundred and fifty years]] before.

Supertrope to AMinorKidroduction. Contrast of course DistantFinale.

* ''Webcomic/TheLegendOfGenji'': The prologue has Jinora delivering an eulogy at [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra Avatar Korra's]] funeral just days after Korra's HeroicSacrifice. The first chapter then jumps ahead seventeen years to the main story.

* The first chapter of the "Rewrite the World" arc in the ''FanFic/AlternateTailSeries'' starts in the year X761 with Joseph and his students facing off against a powerful water-controlling horse.

* ''FanFic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': Chapter Zero takes place a thousand years before the main events of the story.

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': The first issue of ''The Magnificent Ms. Marvel'' begins hundreds of years in the future, with a Saffan father telling his child about the legend of the Destined One -- that is, the events of the story.

* ''ComicBook/TheMagnificentMsMarvel'': The first issue begins hundreds of years in the future, with a Saffan father telling his child about the legend of the Destined One -- that is, the events of the story.

** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The first issue narrates the ultimate fate of Captain America during World War II. The next one continues in modern day, half a century afterwards.
** ''ComicBook/UltimateVision'': The first issue details the Vision's creation and journeys across the space, thousands of millions of years ago (previously included as bonus scenes in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'', ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'' and ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour''). The second issue starts the actual story, set in the modern day, right after the ''ComicBook/UltimateGalactusTrilogy''.

** ''[[Franchise/{{Superman}} Adventures of Superman]]'' Annual #8 begins with a {{Hologram}} of Jor-El appearing to Superman in the 20th Century and downloading a great deal of information about Krypton into his brain. The remainder of the story takes place on Colu 500,000 years later, where the same thing happens to the Curatti Willigig.

* ''ComicBook/MagnificentMsMarvel'': The first issue begins hundreds of years in the future, with a Saffan father telling his child about the legend of the Destined One -- that is, the events of the story.

* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel

-->-- ''Film/TheArkOfTruth''

** ''Film/TheArkOfTruth'' starts with a Distant Prologue in an even earlier time period, when the Ancients left their home galaxy for the Milky Way galaxy. The [[ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarAway specific wording]] also sounds like a parody of ''Franchise/StarWars''. Which would hardly be the first time Star Wars got brought up on the show.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'' starts off in 2180 (though that date has changed several times. Only the first book and ''Ourobourous'' have confirmed this, with the first two series saying late 21st century and series 3/4 saying 23rd). Skip three million years once Lister enters stasis.