History Main / SmiteMeOMightySmiter

* Inverted in the Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar series. In the {{backstory}} to the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy, the violently theocratic Karsites abruptly [[HeelFaceTurn clean up their act]] and sue for alliance with Valdemar after their deity, Sunlord Vkandis, takes it upon himself to actually answer an invocation during the country's annual high holy ceremonies... with a BoltOfDivineRetribution which incinerated the thoroughly corrupt high priest of their religion (and that was just for starters) This earned him the FanNickname "Vkandis the Unsubtle", although given the massive amount of corruption in the Karsite priesthood, it's probable that nothing more subtle would have solved the problem.

* Inverted on ''TheSimpsons'' when Homer interprets the lesson of the episode as "The Lord is Vengeful!" and wants God to turn him into the instrument of His divine retribution. "Oh Spiteful One, show me who to smite, and he shall be smoten!"

* Despite the Eastern mythology-based "spirits" introduced on the show, Prince Zuko has such a scene in the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "Bitter Work." After a day of [[spoiler:failing to learn to bend lightning]], on top of everything else that's happened in his life, he stands on top of a mountain during a raging thunderstorm and screams at the heavens:

** At the end of another episode, "[=HUMANCENTiPAD=]," Cartman gets angry after having his new present, the Apple [=HUMANCENTiPAD=], taken away from him. He shouts at God to stop "fucking" him -- and this time, he ''does'' get smited, [[BoltOfDivineRetribution getting nailed with a bolt of lightning out of the blue]] and winding up in the hospital. WordOfGod *[[IncrediblyLamePun cough]]* says they were going to have him moon God and get struck in the ass, but the censors nixed that one.

** At the end of another episode, "[=HUMANCENTiPAD=]," Cartman gets angry after having his new present, the Apple [=HUMANCENTiPAD=], taken away from him. He shouts at God to stop "fucking" him -- and this time, he gets the full BoltOfDivineRetribution treatment and winds up in the hospital. WordOfGod *[[IncrediblyLamePun cough]]* says they were going to have him moon God and get struck in the ass, but the censors nixed that one.

** In another episode, "[=HUMANCENTiPAD=]," Cartman gets angry after having his new present, the Apple [=HUMANCENTiPAD=], taken away from him. He shouts at God to stop "fucking" him, which causes him to get struck by lightning. WordOfGod *[[IncrediblyLamePun cough]]* says they were going to have him moon God and get struck in the ass, but the censors nixed that one.

** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1983/10/23 another strip,]] Garfield gets progressively angrier at Odie's blithe happiness, insulting him more and more. When he finally reaches the end of his patience, he looks upward and shouts "Who could possibly love a grinning idiot like you?" It promptly begins to rain...on everything ''except'' Odie. Garfield's not amused: "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!"

** In [[https://garfield.dale.ro/garfield-1983-october-16.html another strip,]] Garfield gets progressively angrier at Odie's blithe happiness, insulting him more and more. When he finally reaches the end of his patience, he looks upward and shouts "Who could possibly love a grinning idiot like you?" It promptly begins to rain...on everything ''except'' Odie. Garfield's not amused: "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!"

** In [[https://garfield.dale.ro/garfield-1983-october-16.html another strip]], Garfield gets progressively angrier at Odie's blithe happiness, insulting him more and more. When he finally reaches the end of his patience, he looks upward and shouts "Who could possibly love a grinning idiot like you?" It promptly begins to rain...on everything ''except'' Odie. Garfield's not amused: "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!"

* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' has Freeza mocking Goku's declaration that he's evil, declaring that if he's really ''that'' evil, God should strike him down. Before he's even finished speaking [[BoltOfDivineRetribution a lightning bolt]] strikes Freeza... [[NoSell who promptly laughs]] and tells God to try harder next time.

[[caption-width-right:350:'''[[Awesome/AsurasWrath COME ON!!]]''']]

->''"Fine! The gloves are off pal! C'mon, lemme see a little wrath! [[TropeNamer Smite me, O mighty smiter!]] You're the one who should be fired! The only one around here not doing his job is '''you'''! ANSWER ME!!!"''

-->'''Truman:''' "Is that the best you can do? You're gonna have to KILL ME!"

* In Eisner's classic graphic novel ''A Contract with God'', lifelong good Jewish boy Frimme Hirsch feels God has violated their agreement by allowing his adopted child to die. He rages at God while a storm batters his home. The lightning and noise seem to be God's angry responses to Frimme's accusations.

* ''Film/XMenApocalypse''. Erik Lehnsherr has put aside his Magneto persona and tried to live a normal life among humans, but his wife and daughter are accidentally killed by the police after his true identity is revealed. Erik slaughters the policemen in a rage, then clutches the bodies of his family and shouts skywards, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE?" Getting no answer, he decides ThenLetMeBeEvil should apply.

* One episode of the surrealist comedy show ''Upright Citizens' Brigade'' features Captain Lunatic, a police detective who ''constantly'' does this. At the end of the episode, he gazes into the Bucket of Truth, which has sent everybody else who's looked in it running away screaming, then looks up at the heavens and shouts, "Don't you think I know that?!"

* Inverted on ''TheSimpsons'' when Homer has a good day and says, "Oh Spiteful One, show me who to smite, and he shall be smoten!"
** Actually, the ''good'' day caused Homer to quit attending church. The above quote comes from near the end of that episode, when his house caught fire, nearly killing him. He thought the lesson of the story is "The Lord is Vengeful!" and was wanting God to turn him into the instrument of His divine retribution.

[[folder: Radio]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* In the episode "A Single Drop of Rain" of ''Series/QuantumLeap'', Sam (who has leaped into the life of a con man who claims to be a [[{{Rainmaking}} rainmaker]]), does everything he can to help a drought-stricken community, to no avail. He spends time haranguing God before it finally rains:

* In ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'', a golfer (and priest) is provoked by a ruined game to yell "[[UnusualEuphemism Ratfarts]]!" at the heavens. He's promptly [[BoltOfDivineRetribution struck by lightning]], and his caddy, Carl, slinks away.

->''"Fine! The gloves are off pal! C'mon, lemme see a little wrath! Smite me, O mighty smiter! You're the one who should be fired! The only one around here not doing his job is '''you'''! ANSWER ME!!!"''

* Embodied in ''Film/FallingDown'', where a run of particularly bad luck turns a blue-collar man into a domestic terrorist.

* An episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/Histeria]]'' had a character say, "And if I'm wrong, may lightning strike me dead!" Cue a lightning bolt hitting the spot directly next to him. "See? It didn't even wind me!"

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/Histeria'' had a character say, "And if I'm wrong, may lightning strike me dead!" Cue a lightning bolt hitting the spot directly next to him. "See? It didn't even wind me!"

* The TropeNamer is a line from the movie ''Film/BruceAlmighty'', where {{God}}'s answer boils down to [[LetsSeeYouDoBetter "Let's See YOU Do Better"]] when he temporarily gives Bruce his powers in a section of Buffalo, New York. Incidentally when God recounts his "Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter" statement he admits that, while he's not one for blasphemy, it did [[ActuallyPrettyFunny make him laugh]].

* In Series/DoctorWho minisode "Rain Gods", the Doctor does this by daring the titular gods to strike him down while he and River are about to be sacrificed to them. Slight inversion as it is part of his plan to distract their captors in order to escape.
* An episode of Series/PennAndTellerBullshit has Penn and Teller running around with lightning rods on their heads, challenging God to strike them for all the things they've said about him. Well, not [[TheSilentBob Teller]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Christian Rock Hard," Cartman and his band are being signed onto a Christian record label, and the heads tell him they want to make sure that his band isn't just in it for the money. Cartman replies, "I have [[BlatantLies never in my life]] done anything just for the money. If I'm lying, may the Lord strike me down right now." Nothing happens, but Butters scootches away, just in case. This could well be a case of [[FridgeBrilliance Fridge Brilliance]] in that Cartman is, in fact, telling the truth: he really doesn't do anything [[ExactWords just for the money]]... every motivation also involves spite.
** In another episode, "[=HUMANCENTiPAD=]," Cartman gets angry after having his new present, the Apple [=HUMANCENTiPAD=], taken away from him. He shouts at God to stop "fucking" him, which causes him to get struck by lightning. [[WordOfGod Word of God]] *[[IncrediblyLamePun cough]]* says they were going to have him moon God and get struck in the ass, but the censors nixed that one.

* Played with in [[Kevin Spencer]]. In one episode a preacher is telling his congregation "God wants you to give me all your money. If I'm lying may He strike me down right now!" Then a stray bullet Kevin fired nearby hits the cross behind the preacher and it falls, crushing him.

* UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini did this frequently.