History Main / PowerGlows

* The constructs of the ''[[GreenLantern Green Lanterns]]'' are all made of glow.

* The ''Series/WonderWoman'' TV series: There is always one of those just when [[SecretIdentity Diana Prince]] [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spins]] [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction to change clothes into]] WonderWoman. (Notice that there wasn't any AudibleGleam nor PowerGlows in "The Feminum Mystique Part 1", the only episode in the series where Wonder Woman changes back into Diana Prince.

* Any ''SonicTheHedgehog'' character with a [[SuperMode super form]] when in said form.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' tried and failed to utilize this. The glowing magical items came off [[{{Narm}} looking like they were]] [[SpecialEffectsFailure covered in plastic-wrap.]]
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' manages to pull this off much better, with enchanted items having a slight subtle glow instead the plastic-wrap one. [[GameMod Mods]] exist for both games that remove the effects if you don't like them.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' mixes the two: enchanted weapons have faintly glowing swirls and whorls like ''Morrowind'' (only ''way'' better-textured), while armor and jewelry uses the ''Oblivion'' glowy outline.
** The ''Dragonborn'' expansion for ''Skyrim'' introduces the [[SuperMode Dragon Aspect]] Shout, which surrounds the user with a set of glowing, draconic armor.

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', the usage of some meteor powers cause glowing, but [[spoiler:Chloe's [[EmpathicHealer healing powers]]]] is most notable. "Fracture" shows that [[LightIsGood pure white light]] is literally shone on everything in the mind world of whoever she is healing, while most meteor powers glow [[GreenRocks green]].
* ''Series/StargateSG1'':
** The glowiness of a power source is directly proportional to how powerful it is. The most powerful, Project Arcturus, creates a giant glowy ball of pure energy.
** Lampshaded in a later episode where determining whether a super powerful artifact is safe to handle amounts to "Well, it's not glowing anymore, so..."
* When someone glows on ''Series/DoctorWho'', something badass is about to happen. Cases in point, the Bad Wolf and psychic supercharged Doctor.
* In ''Series/MadanSenkiRyukendo'', the Ultimate form of the title hero is ridiculously shiny, and his final attack even moreso.
* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', the Warp Core of the ''Enterprise'' has a band of glow running down it. The faster the Warpspeed, the faster-moving the glow. ''Franchise/StarTrek'' does this a lot to show that things have power behind them.
* In ''Series/BabylonFive'' when Delenn and the White Stars take on the Drakh, the Drakh weapons systems glow brighter and brighter to build up the tension as they prepare to fire.
* In the pilot for ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', the crude EnergyWeapon Cameron assembles in the safe of the bank only has enough power to kill Cromartie when the "isotope" powering it begins to glow.

* The ''Series/WonderWoman'' TV series: There is always one of those just when [[SecretIdentity Diana Prince]] [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spins]] [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction to change clothes into]] WonderWoman. (Notice that there wasn't any AudibleGleam nor PowerGlows in "The Feminum Mystique Part 1", the only episode in the series where Wonder Woman changes back into Diana Prince.

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* Comicbook/DoctorStrange typically has a glow around his hands when spellcasting.

* In ''ComicBook/WonderWomanAndTheStarRiders'' the Star Rider gal's Star Jewels all glow, as does the cap of Ice's MagicStaff and [[WingedUnicorn Nightshine]]'s horn.

* In ''Toku'', a basic rule is "if you make your [[SuperSentai sword]] or [[Series/KamenRider foot]] glow, it will gain the power to explode rubber monsters."

* ''Anime/DragonballZ'' may not be the [[UrExample oldest example]], but it might be [[TropeCodifier the definitive one]].
** Actually inverted in the Android saga. The titular androids - cyborgs more powerful even than Frieza - are shown as extreme threats, despite their lack of any glow at all. In fact, Androids 17 and 18 are for a short time the two strongest beings in the DBZ universe, the latter totally trouncing the very glowy, newly Super-Saiyan Vegeta.

* [[OnePiece Luffy's]] Gear Second gives his body a bright pinkish glow. Yeah it's high-pressure blood in his body but it's still glowing. Also, Sanji's Diable Jambe (Devil's Leg) makes his foot glow a bright red.
** Partially justified, because the idea of the attack is that he's heating up his leg with friction (without tearing his skin or clothes to shred). The heat then glows, like a toaster coil.

* A few of the more powerful player characters in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' do this. Aradia and Sollux both glow when using their [[MindOverMatter telekinetic abilities]] (white and red/blue, respectively). Rose, on the other hand, glows ''[[DarkIsEdgy black]]'' when tapping into TheDarkArts.

* Tony Stark's arc reactor in the ''Film/IronMan'' movies glows ''very'' blue. Very vaguely justified in that it is producing electrical energy, and that whatever reaction happens in it might give off Cherenkov radiation. As for the repulsors... the workings of a palm-sized rocket/energy weapon are anyone's guess.
* From the same continuity as the above: The [[MacGuffin Tesseract]] from ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''. At the start of the film, Johann Schmidt comes across the artifact buried in the tomb of a Norwegian warrior, but we know it's fake because it ''doesn't'' glow. The ''real'' one, on the other hand, is like a small star. The glow extends to Arnim Zola's Tesseract-powered weapons as well, all of which carry luminous blue power packs.

* ''KingdomHearts''. And Kingdom Hearts II is even worse. Everything sparkles, lights, shines, flares, and so on... MY EYES!!

* The Gods (save for Hades) in "Disney/{{Hercules}}" glow. Hercules did glow as a baby but lost that when he was turned mortal, he regains his godly glow at the end

* The Gods (save for [[Hades CastingAShadow]]) in "Disney/{{Hercules}}" glow. Hercules did glow as a baby but lost that when he was turned mortal, he regains his glow at the end

* The Gods (save for Hades/CastingAShadow) in "Disney/Hercules" glow. Hercules did glow as a baby but lost that when he was turned mortal, he regains his glow at the end

* Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'': orc-hating elvish swords and entire tower of Minas Morgul. Though in the case of the elvish swords, the glow seems to have been a deliberate design feature (it indicates the presence of orcs) rather than a side effect of the magic.

** The ancient [[MachineWorship Adeptus Mechanicus]] power axe [[NamdWeapon Petre Cog-Tooth]][[note]]introduced during 8th Edition of the game[[/note]], is said to be the [[SuperPrototype first and most powerful Omnissian power axes ever created]] and its blade glows with an aura of power. Some less devout minds claim this glow could actually be due to extreme radiation saturation.

** The Thousand Sons Chaos Space Marines have all been sealed inside their armor and now exist as magical golem style soldiers. Any gaps that appear in the armor (typically from incoming fire that damages the armor) reveals that the interior of their suits now glow. [[http://static.flickr.com/92/240958422_fa4140eb11.jpg Some people have even brought this to the table.]]

-> '''Dr. Blitzmeyer:''' Hello! I see that my Anomalous Energy Enhancer has caught your eye!
-> '''Blackheart:''' Well, I do like green glowing things... What does it do?
-> '''Dr. Blitzmeyer:''' Well right now it... glows green.
-> '''Blackheart:''' That's it?
-> '''Dr. Blitzmeyer:''' It's a new technology.

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* ''Webcomic/{{MAG ISA}}'' -- [[http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119792 Kyle]] glows after he [[HulkingOut Hulks out]].

* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' Gwynn tends to glow and [[PowerFloats float]] when she starts really channeling her witchy powers.

* Magic items glow in ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' when being used. Some of them also "smoke" light.
** Actually they channel the users aura, which changes color and effect (i.e., "smoking" light) depending on the individual. This is why when someone loots a magic weapon, it glows differently than whoever was just using it.

* In ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'', [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-6-49/ The Python of Merrssshaulk” glows on its own.]]

* Literature/WhateleyUniverse example: [[PersonOfMassDestruction Tennyo's]] sword glows a brilliant blue, and can cut through pretty much ''anything'' since it's made of some sort of anti-matter. Tennyo herself does the glowy bit when she gets really amped up, complete with RedEyesTakeWarning. Several Energizers like Golden Girl also do the full-body glow when they kick in their powers.
* Literature/UnlikelyEden example: [[BadassAdorable Heather's]] axe starts of as just strangely blurry, but later, as her Preferred Weapon Effect kicks in it attains full glow. Additionally, the eyes of all [[SuperSoldiers Coalition soldiers]] and [[SuperSoldiers Ourkind]] bioluminesce when their abilities are activated.
* In ''Literature/{{Spectral Shadows}}'' we have Christine with her healing powers and her fur glows yellow when in use.

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* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': In a world of magic like D&D, many active magical effects are naturally accompanied by "flickers of arcane energy", or "glowing radiant energy".
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** Stormlight, the primary magic power of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', glows, as one might expect from the name. A slight subversion in that most people use the glow more than the power itself, though it can be used to run {{Magitek}}

Power glows. The more power, the more glow. So, anything that glows is [[PowerMakeover automatically presumed to be superior]] to otherwise identical things that don't glow, and more glow is better. This is closely related to the RuleOfCool because glowing is cool, so things that glow automatically get more WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief, allowing them to be more unrealistically powerful. They're often GoodColorsEvilColors, too. For example, evil glows bright red, good glows blue or gold, and [[SicklyGreenGlow radioactive materials glow green]].