History Main / MistakenForQuake

* ''Film/{{Transformers}}'': When Ratchet walks into power lines and crashes to the ground hard enough to incite a tremor, Ron Witwicky runs under the table screaming that it's an earthquake. And later when the Autobots hiding in Ron's own backyard cause another tremor, Ron assumes it's an aftershock.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be]] [[JustForPun mistaken for]] ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''. Nor for [[ComicBook/DaisyJohnson the]] ''[[ComicBook/DaisyJohnson other]]'' [[ComicBook/DaisyJohnson Quake]].

** Creator/TaylorSwift's Eras Tour caused a few "[=SwiftQuakes=]" that measured 2.3 magnitude when she performed there in July of 2023, even harder than Beast Quake.

* Near the end of the 2010 NFC Wild Card Game with the New Orleans Saints visiting the Seattle Seahawks with the latter holding a small 34-30 lead, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch rolled off a 67-yard touchdown run, breaking at least four different attempts by Saints defenders to tackle him en route. The fans at what was then Qwest Field, already with a reputation of being among the loudest stadiums in the world, cheered so loudly at the insurance touchdown that nearby seismic stations mistook the shaking for a magnitude-two earthquake; combined with Lynch's nickname of [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars "Beast Mode"]], "Beast Quake" became the signature play of the Seahawks' 41-36 victory.

[[TheReveal Cut outside]]. It's actually being caused by an incoming fleet of [[HumongousMecha Battle Mech]]. Or a descending [[TheMothership alien mothership]]. Or the villain's DeathRay rising out of the ground. Or an AnimalStampede. Or a SandWorm. Or a [[TheCatfish catfish]]. But most definitely not an earthquake.

* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/ThePagemaster'', after Adventure inadvertently cuts off a stalactite while in a cave, the ground starts rumbling and Richard thinks it's an earthquake, until he sees [[EyeAwaken a giant eye open in front of him]]. [[ThatsNoMoon It turns out]] that Adventure was actually [[CaveMouth in the mouth]] of a sleeping dragon, which he had [[AwakenTheSleepingGiant inadvertently woken up]] by [[NiceJobBreakingItHero cutting one of its teeth]].

* In the Soviet novel ''Plutonia'', a man climbs a small hill in order to take samples. Then he shouts down to his friends "A terrible earthquake!" They are confused at first, since they feel nothing... then it turns out [[ThatsNoMoon that wasn't a hill]], but rather a giant turtle (well, actually a glyptodon; that is, an extinct armadillo).

* In the Soviet novel ''Plutonia'', a man climbs a small hill in order to take samples. Then he shouts down to his friends "A terrible earthquake!" They are confused at first, since they feel nothing... then it turns out [[ThatsNoMoon that wasn't a hill]], but rather a giant turtle.

** "Go Eat Worms!": Todd thinks there are earthquakes near the school, when it is actually a giant worm under the ground.
** "The Horror at Camp Jellyjam": The friequent earthquakes are actually King Jellyjam burping underground.

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': There are a couple times where Thor or the Many respectively moving underground through Russia or Asia causes seismic disturbances which are initially reported as sudden earthquakes, although it the post-Mass Awakening world it doesn't take people long to twig what the true cause is.

* ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'':

* ''Film/AustinPowersTheSpyWhoShaggedMe''. The introduction of FatBastard is played this way for RuleOfFunny.

[[TheReveal Cut outside]]. It's actually being caused by an incoming fleet of [[HumongousMecha Battle Mech]]. Or a descending [[TheMothership alien mothership]]. Or the villain's DeathRay rising out of the ground. Or a SandWorm. Or a [[TheCatfish catfish]]. But most definitely not an earthquake.

* In the ''Anime/{{Inuyasha}}'' episode "Battle Against the Dried-Up Demons at the Cultural Festival", Kagome wonders if the ground shaking is an earthquake, but it's actually a demon catfish flopping around on top of the school. (Note that in Myth/JapaneseMythology, a giant catfish ''is'' the cause of earthquakes.)

* In the comic ''Creator/{{Marvel}} Premiere'' #28 Los Angeles is disrupted by what people think is an earthquake that causes the pavement to split, buildings to fall down and freeways to topple. When it's subsided it turns out it was caused by an alien making a mountain erupt at Sunset Boulevard.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/ThreeHundred'', the approach of the Persian army makes the earth tremble, and [captain guy] thinks for a moment an earthquake is happening.

* When the ground shakes in a Franchise/CthulhuMythos tale, you can bet it's either a Cthonian hive nearby or something ''worse''.

* In the Soviet novel ''Plutonia'' a man climbs a small hill in order to take samples. Then he shouts down to his friends "A terrible earthquake!" They are confused at first, since they feel nothing... then it turns out [[ThatsNoMoon that wasn't a hill]], but rather a giant turtle.
* In ''Literature/SeptimusHeap: Queste'', the loud shaking of the Toll-Man's hut that Jenna first thought was an earthquake turns out to be a pack of Foryx running past the hut.

** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS26E1Battlefield Battlefield]]": Warmsly and Shou Yuing both ask if the time/space distortion caused by Morgaine's arrival is an earthquake.

* In the ''Anime/{{Inuyasha}}'' episode "Battle Against the Dried-Up Demons at the Cultural Festival", Kagome wonders if the ground shaking is an earthquake, but it's actually a demon catfish flopping around on top of the school. (Note that in Myth/JapaneseMythology, a giant catfish ''is'' the cause of earthquakes.)

* In ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', when Sakura triggers the trap in Clow's ruins, the characters think an earthquake has begun. Yukito, the high priest, knows better.

* In the comic ''Creator/{{Marvel}} Premiere'' #28 Los Angeles is disrupted by what people think is an earthquake that causes the pavement to split, buildings to fall down and freeways to topple. When it's subsided it turns out it was caused by an alien making a mountain erupt at Sunset Boulevard.

* Inverted in ''Film/LAStory's'' cafe scene, which has the ground begin to shake about halfway into the meal. Sara, just in from the UK, worriedly asks what's going on, and the others tell her it's just an earthquake.

* At the beginning of ''Film/ShortCuts'', seven-year-old Casey Finnigan enters his parents' bedroom in fear that the loud noises and vibrations that woke him up are signs of an earthquake; they're actually caused by helicopters spraying pesticide to combat an infestation of medflies that is plaguing Los Angeles.

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS26E1Battlefield Battlefield]]", Warmsly and Shou Yuing both ask if the time/space distortion caused by Morgaine's arrival is an earthquake.

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E5TheAngelsTakeManhattan The Angels Take Manhattan]]", Grayle wonders "Is it an earthquake?", but it's actually the TARDIS breaking through a temporal barrier to land in his foyer.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' module series "Desert of Desolation". While in the desert the {{PC}}s can experience an earthquake as a random encounter. In fact it's caused by the passage of a large number of SandWorm-type creatures called "thunderherders".

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''WebComic/GirlGenius'', when Agatha finally manages to reboot Castle Heterodyne, the invading forces think they're experiencing an earthquake until they discover that it's actually the castle fighting back, seen [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20130114 here]].
** Earlier when one of the Baron's [[DrillTank Deep 6 Model Worm Chasers]] is tunneling its way into the courtyard at the hospital [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090119 two Wulfenbach officers briefly mistake if for an earthquake.]]

* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' Splinter is giving the turtles a lecture when their sewer home begin to shake. Michealangelo wonder if it is an earthquake, but Donatello answers that since they are in New York it's possible but not likely. Then the cause become clear when the MadScientist Baxter Stockmans mouser robots breaks through the wall and attack Splinter and the turtles.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', Fred thinks there's an earthquake. Turns out it was Bamm-Bamm inexplicably destroying an addition to Fred's house.

* When the aliens attack in ''Film/{{Skyline}}'' some of the character assume it's a minor earthquake.

[[IThoughtItMeant Not to be]] [[JustForPun mistaken for]] ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''. Nor for [[ComicBook/DaisyJohnson the]] ''[[ComicBook/DaisyJohnson other]]'' [[ComicBook/DaisyJohnson Quake]].

[[IThoughtItMeant Not to be]] [[JustForPun mistaken for]] ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''.

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
* In the ''Anime/{{Inuyasha}}'' episode "Battle Against the Dried-Up Demons at the Cultural Festival", Kagome wonders if the ground shaking is an earthquake, but it's actually a demon catfish flopping around on top of the school.

[[folder:Film]]

-->'''Dori:''' Was that an earthquake?
-->'''Balin:''' That, my lad, was a dragon.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS26E1Battlefield "Battlefield"]], Warmsly and Shou Yuing both ask if the time/space distortion caused by Morgaine's arrival is an earthquake.
** In both [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E1SmithAndJones "Smith and Jones"]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth "The Stolen Earth"]], Martha Jones wonders if shaking caused by a mass teleportation (the Royal Hope Hospital in the former, the entire Earth in the latter) is an earthquake.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E5TheAngelsTakeManhattan "The Angels Take Manhattan"]], Grayle wonders "Is it an earthquake?", but it's actually the TARDIS breaking through a temporal barrier to land in his foyer.

* On ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', Will gets a car with a sound system loud enough to shake the Banks' kitchen.
-->'''Phillip:''' Oh lord, this must be the big one.
-->'''Geoffrey:''' Not unless it's down with [=OPP=].

[[folder:Tabletop RPG]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' module series "Desert of Desolation". While in the desert the {{PC}}s can experience an earthquake as a random encounter. In fact it's caused by the passage of a large number of SandWorm type creatures called "thunderherders".

--->'''Zach:''' ''(to Plato)'' Yeah, well, it sure found ''you'' scared!
--->'''Sock:''' ''(comes up while Zach and Plato are laughing)'' Did somebody say scared? I don't know the meaning of the word. [[MilesGloriosus Nothing, I repeat ]]''[[MilesGloriosus nothing]]''[[MilesGloriosus , scares me.]]
--->''(the ground beneath him rumbles and he jumps as the earth shoots up spiarling toward him)''
--->'''Sock:''' AAAHHHHHH!! EARTHQUAAAAAKE!!
--->'''Ari:''' ''(Sock finally falls over, he emerges)'' What's going on?
--->'''Zach:''' ''(laughing with Plato)'' Sure, nothing scares ''you''!

--->'''Sock:''' It's a miracle he gets in or out without starting an earthquake. ''(yelps in startlement as a crack shows up in the ground then Ari airs, dislodging several things with him)''
--->'''Sock:''' See what I mean?
--->'''Plato:''' Not at the moment.
--->''(Sock and Annie laugh at the handkerchief that landed on his face)''

[[/folder]]

* In ''Film/IndependenceDay'' when the alien ships arrive at Earth:
-->'''Steven:''' Is it an earthquake?\\
'''Jasmine:''' Not even a four-pointer, [[ItsProbablyNothing go back to sleep]].
* Inverted in ''Film/LAStory's'' cafe scene, which has the ground begin to shake about halfway into the meal. Sara, just in from the UK, worriedly asks what's going on, and the others tell her it's just an earthquake.

* When the aliens attack in ''Film/{{Skyline}}'' some of the character assume it's a minor earthquake.
* In ''Film/ThreeHundred'', the approach of the Persian army makes the earth tremble, and [captain guy] thinks for a moment an earthquake is happening.
* Parodied in the Lindsay Lohan and Creator/JamieLeeCurtis version of ''Film/{{Freaky Friday|2003}}'', where their senile grandfather mistakes his grandson shaking the table for an earthquake.

* In the ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' books

** "The Horror at Camp Jellyjam: The friequent earthquakes are actually King Jellyjam burping underground.

* In the Soviet novel "Plutonia" a man climbs a small hill in order to take samples. Then he shouts down to his friends "A terrible earthquake!" They are confused at first, since they feel nothing... then it turns out [[ThatsNoMoon that wasn't a hill]], but rather a giant turtle.
* Referenced in ''Literature/TheLastUnicorn'': Schmendrick remarks that people who mistake a unicorn for a horse would also mistake [[Myth/NorseMythology the Midgard Serpent]] for an earthquake.
* When the ground shakes in a Franchise/CthulhuMythos tale, you can bet it's either a Cthonian hive nearby or something ''worse''.

** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E5TheAngelsTakeManhattan "The Angels Take Manhattan"]], Grayle wonders "Is it an earthquake?", but it's actually the TARDIS breaking through a temporal barrier to land in his foyer.

* On ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' Peggy's [[TheVoice unseen]] mother is so fat...''(how fat is she?)''...She's so fat that the earth quakes when she walks, making others think an earthquake is happening.

** ''Fragments of Fear'' adventure "The Underground Menace". The inhabitants of Winnemuck, Michigan were terrified by a series of earthquakes. Little did they know that the earth tremors were actually caused by a ghoul priest trying to release a CthulhuMythos monster related to the Great Old One Shudde M'ell!

* On ''TheFlintstones'', Fred thinks there's an earthquake. Turns out it was Bamm-Bamm inexplicably destroying an addition to Fred's house.

* ''Franchise/{{Bionicle}} 2: Legends of Metru Nui'' has Toa Vakama mistaking a rampaging herd of Kikanalo (big rhinoceros-like Rahi) for a "bio-quake."