History Main / Earthquakemachine

* In the final chapter of ''Film/KingOfTheRocketMen'', the evil Dr. Vulcan uses his [[DeathRay Sonic Decimator]] to hold New York City to ransom. Every cop in the city is called out to look for him, but he's actually on an island well outside the range of the Sonic Decimator where they won't think to look for them. He then turns the device on an underwater fault, creating an earthquake and tsunami that destroys New York City with StockFootage from the 1933 film ''Deluge''.

* In the final chapter of ''Film/KingOfTheRocketMen'', the evil Dr. Vulcan uses his [[DeathRay Sonic Decimator]] to hold New York City to ransom. Every cop in the city is called out to look for him, but he's actually on an island well outside the range of the Sonic Decimator where they won't think to look for them. He then turns the device on an underwater fault, creating an earthquake and tsunami that destroys New York City with StockFootage from the 1931 film ''Deluge''.

* ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower: [[VideoGame/RocketPowerBeachBandits Beach Bandits]]'' has an Earthquake Machine in Golem's VolcanoLair on Mondo Mountain, which was used to try to make the volcano erupt, but the Rocket Power gang shuts it down, when causes a volcanic surge. [[spoiler:The gang then fights Golem Sr., [[RoboticReveal who turns out to be a robot]], over a pool of lava, who then makes the volcano erupt before [[DefeatEqualsExplosion he explodes]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower: [[VideoGame/RocketPowerBeachBandits Beach Bandits]]'' has an Earthquake Machine in Golem's VolcanoLair on Mondo Mountain, which was used to try to make the volcano erupt, but the Rocket Power gang shuts it down, when causes a volcanic surge. [[spoiler:The gang then fights Golem Sr., who turns out to be a robot, over a pool of lava, who then makes the volcano erupt before [[DefeatEqualsExplosion he explodes]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower: [[VideoGame/RocketPowerBeachBandits Beach Bandits]]'' has an Earthquake Machine in Golem's VolcanoLair on Mondo Mountain, which was used to try to make the volcano erupt, but the Rocket Power gang shuts it down, when then causes an eruption, [[spoiler:though not before fighting Golem Sr., who turns out to be a robot.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower: [[VideoGame/RocketPowerBeachBandits]]'' has an Earthquake Machine in Golem's VolcanoLair on Mondo Mountain, which was used to try to make the volcano erupt, but the Rocket Power gang shuts it down, when then causes an eruption, [[spoiler:though not before fighting Golem Sr., who turns out to be a robot.]]

* Subverted in a Marvel one-shot about ComicBook/{{Hulk}} and ComicBook/{{Venom}} versus a MadScientist named Dr. Bad Vibes, who claims his machine is responsible for a string of earthquakes. When they track him to his lair...[[spoiler: Bad Vibes is just a crazy old homeless man threatening them with a cardboard box with "Earthquake Machine" written on it.]]

* The absolute first appearance of ComicBook/LexLuthor (then only known as Luthor) in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comics involved Luthor stealing one of these.

* Dr. Wily used one in the ''WesternAnimation/MegaManRubySpears'' cartoon.
* Seismo from ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'' is a living one, with giant feet that shake the earth when he stomps them. Unfortunately for those around him, he gets ultra-nervous very easy and has the tendency to tap his feet when he does...

* In the WesternAnimation/PorkyPig cartoon "WesternAnimation/PorkyTheRainmaker", Porky has some weather pills that make whatever weather phenomenon is written on it. One chicken eats an earthquake pill, causing it to have personal earthquakes. When it holds onto something for a brace, that ends up shaking, too.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/RoadRunner'', Wile E. Coyote makes the Road Runner eat the earthquake ''pills''. But, of course, he forgot to ReadTheFinePrint on the pill bottle.

%%* Was one in ''Manga/PhantomThiefJeanne''

* Subverted in a Marvel one-shot about Hulk and Venom versus a MadScientist named Dr. Bad Vibes, who claims his machine is responsible for a string of earthquakes. When they track him to his lair...[[spoiler: Bad Vibes is just a crazy old homeless man threatening them with a cardboard box with "Earthquake Machine" written on it.]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

** In "The Enemy of the World", the eponymous dictator Salamander's evil scheme involves causing earthquakes in territories that oppose him.
** In "The Power of the Doctor", the Daleks have sent up giant machines inside volcanoes to destabilize the tectonic plates, causing volcanoes to erupt all over the world.
* This causes the Undertaking in ''Series/{{Arrow}}''. Specifically, the first season's bad guy uses one [[spoiler:or two, actually to destroy a particularly crime-ridden section of the city.]]

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "The Enemy of the World", the eponymous dictator Salamander's evil scheme involves causing earthquakes in territories that oppose him.

A modernized, although not necessarily more realistic take will probably depict such a machine as a KillSat or something along these lines. This is derived from [[UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheories conspiracy theories]] concerning [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAARP HAARP]], some of which accuse the project of producing earthquakes for whichever nefarious purpose the NWO might have for them at the moment.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-219 SCP-219]]. Actually can shake anything, not just earth.