History Main / EmergingFromTheShadows

* In the Creator/StanleyKubrick adaptation of ''Literature/{{Lolita}}'', Humbert comes home to find a man sitting in the dark in his house; he turns on the lights to reveal Claire Quilty (known to the audience but not Humbert) in the guise of the college psychiatrist, Dr. Zempf. "I sat in ze dark to save you ze expense of ze electricity."

* In the Creator/StanleyKubrick adaptation of ''Literature/{{Lolita}}'', Humbert comes home to find a man sitting in the dark in his house; he turns on the lights to reveal Claire Quilty (known to the audience but not Humbert) in the guise of the college psychiatrist, Dr. Zempf.

* In the Creator/StanleyKubrick adaptation of ''Literature/{{Lolita}}'', Humbert comes home to find a man sitting in the dark in his house; he turns on the lights to reveal Claire Quilty in the disguise of the college psychiatrist, Dr. Zempf.

* DavidLynch has done this in many of his movies, particularly when revealing a love interest or FemmeFatale.
** ''{{Eraserhead}}''
** ''BlueVelvet''
** ''MulhollandDrive''

-->'''Agent Coulson:''' *steps out of shadows dramatically* "Welcome to Level Seven." *beat* "Sorry, that corner was really dark and I couldn't help myself. I think there's a bulb out."

* In the first season of ''Series/{{Angel}}'', a demon comes to Angel Investigations seeking protection from TheDeterminator who's been chasing him across several states. Angel is then confronted by a leather-clad man in the shadows holding a crossbow, but is singularly unimpressed when ComedicHero Wesley steps into the light.

* The original version of Creator/SternPinball's ''Pinball/{{Batman|Stern}}'' has a large black cylinder in the middle of the playfield. During the game, the side rotates away, revealing Self/Demonstrating/TheJoker inside.

* Used for a VisualPun in ''TheNakedGun''-type adds for Red Rock Cider. LeslieNielsen shouts, "Hey! You, over there, in the shadows!" The man steps forward and reveals himself to be Hank Marvin, guitarist with sixties pop group, the Shadows.

* Esmeralda beckoning Quasimodo to come out of the cathedral at the end of ''Disney/TheHunchbackofNotreDame''.
* Rapunzel does this to Flynn in {{Tangled}}

* In ''LordOfTheRings'', a revived Gandalf the White keeps his face and new garments hidden until it is time to reveal himself. The films actually invert this, by having him reveal himself as a blinding light fades.

* The original version of Creator/SternPinball's ''[[Pinball/BatmanStern Batman]]'' has a large black cylinder in the middle of the playfield. During the game, the side rotates away, revealing The Joker inside.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Bart and Lisa meet a shady figure in a parking garage, and he stands in the shadows as he tells them to investigate Sideshow Bob's successful run for mayor, but refuses to give away his identity. Suddenly Homer drives up, illuminating the man in his headlights, and cheerfully calls out "hi Mr. Smithers!"

* In ''{{Smallville}}'', ''Kandor'', [[spoiler:Jor-El]] is revealed this way.
** ''Idol'', [[spoiler:Chloe does this to WonderTwins, comes with a pretty epic threat.]]

* In ''Series/AgentsOfShield'', Phil Coulson reveals [[NotQuiteDead he's still alive this way]], and immediately lampshades it in true Joss Whedon fashion.

* ''TheTwilightZone'' does this in "Eye of the Beholder" (when revealing that these "humans" have quite a different standard of beauty than ours) and "He's Alive" (when revealing that the person guiding the neo-Nazi is [[spoiler:Hitler himself]]).
* A very common occurrence in ''TheXFiles'', particularly if it's someone involved in some way with the myth arc conspiracy.
* In the first season of ''{{Angel}}'', a demon comes to Angel Investigations seeking protection from TheDeterminator who's been chasing him across several states. Angel is then confronted by a leather-clad man in the shadows holding a crossbow, but is singularly unimpressed when ComedicHero Wesley steps into the light.
* In [[AgentsofShield Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D]], Phil Coulson reveals [[NotQuiteDead he's still alive this way]], and immediately lampshades it in true Joss Whedon fashion.
->'''Agent Coulson:''' *steps out of shadows dramatically* "Welcome to Level Seven." *beat* "Sorry, that corner was really dark and I couldn't help myself. I think there's a bulb out."

* Tirek in the ''MyLittlePony'' special "Rescue at Midnight Castle", when he is about to use his Rainbow of Darkness for the first time.

* In ''Film/TheThirdMan'', Harry Lime is revealed when light from a window shines on him from across the street.
* Colonel Kurtz's face in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' is emerging from the shadows only after minutes of talking.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Xyxon [[InvokedTrope won't let the Creature in the Darkness step out of the shadows until it's dramatically appropriate]]. The creature was ''supposed'' to do this during the big battle at Dorukan's Gate, but things didn't quite go to plan. It's spent ''years'' hiding in shadows, being shut in a box, or being forced to carry around a magical ([[ParasolOfPrettiness albeit nice looking]]) umbrella that creates darkness beneath it.

* Many, many stories about {{Batman}}, regardless of the medium, love to do this with that very character.

Compare FaceFramedInShadow, DramaticSpotlight, NaturalSpotlight.