History NightmareFuel / AmericanGods2017

* In the prologue, the Vikings have sailed to the point where they have very little food or water. When they make it to the beach, they have no time to restock because if they step off of the beach, they will be pin-cushioned by a flurry of arrows. They cannot set sail because there is no wind. In order to ask for Odin's favor to help leave, they willingly let their captain stab an eye out with a red-hot knife, they burn a member of their crew alive on a pyre and they kill each other in a senseless battle. When the wind picks up they leave before they could give their dead proper funerary rights. Given that they have no food or water, it is very likely that almost all of the men died trying to ration their supplies on the way back to the ([[FridgeHorror very likely cannibalized after they died from the wounds they had no time to dress overtook them]]). We know that the captain lived to ''not'' tell the tale of what they experience, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the crew.
* Shadow's recurring nightmare of the a pile of skulls.
* As a show of just how absurdly high on the totem pole the New Gods really are, the Technical Boy (who is portrayed as something of an obnoxious, rich, white-brat) has Shadow ''lynched'' for for the crime of ''not respecting him enough'', Shadow being in the dark of who the Technical Boy is or what he is being lynched for.

* The female cop that has Shadow and Mr. Wednesday is immediately suspicious of the OrgyOfEvidence they used to arrest them was just dumped in their lap, which just makes you wonder how long the New Gods have been watching them.
* When Media floats into the interrogation room a few feet off of the ground, accompanied by the dramatic score, its equal parts amusing as it is unsettling.

* The citizens of Vulcan are all [[PuttingOnTheReich caucasians dressed in uniforms adorned with a red sash]] [[CorporateWarfare with the Vulcan corporate logo on it]] and [[RightWingMilitiaFanatic carrying guns (presumably Vulcan-brand guns) with an almost cultish patriotic fervor]], the town itself having a historical lynching tree and the various people there give Shadow (a black man) suspicious looks when he and Wednesday roll into town. It's basically every liberal Antifa, anti-corporatist, pro-gun control's nightmare come to life.

* William Jame's death is horrific enough on its own. The fact that his spirit is not only out for blood, but has it out for the lives for the marginalized Black population (no matter how merciful he spins it) sucks majorly.
* The last time we see of Jamar Goodchild is him being tackled to the ground and handcuffed by a cop. The next scene we find him dead in Ibis' morgue. We can only assume that the police had him killed (unarmed, no less), or at least he died in their custody.
** Jamar's body is found covered in burns and other sort of wounds that Ibis claims was inflicted post-mortem. He then explains that this is common to black bodies in Cairo. ''How exactly'' do these wounds end up on their bodies? Do they just appear as a mark of Froggie's curse, or does something find the bodies and inflict the wounds after they're dead?
* William Jame's spirit manifests as his disembodied head, on-fire and stuck on a pike. When Jamar sees it in broad daylight, it's scary as hell, especially when his eyes follow Jamar.

** Jamar's body is found covered in burns and other sort of wounds that Ibis claims was inflicted post-mortem. He then explains that this is common to black bodies in Cairo. ''How exactly'' do these wounds end up on their bodies? Do they just appear as a mark of Froggie's curse, or does something find the bodies and inflict the wounds after they're dead

* Mr. World. Just Mr. World. From his KubrickStare to [[FauxAffablyEvil his utter failure to act affable]], his repeat GlamourFailure, his ColdHam sermon of salsa and the illusion of free will, the way he bullies Technical Boy like an abusive dad would "discipline" their son and the implications of his invasive omniscience allowing him to know Shadow's dreams, the face he makes when he masturbates (presumably when in private) and various other facts. And this was ''his introduction!''

* The New Gods massacred the entirety of a police station just as a warning to Shadow and Wednesday.

* In the prologue, the Vikings have sailed to the point where they have very little food or water. When they make it to the beach, they have no time to restock because if they step off of the beach, they will be pin-cushioned by a flurry of arrows. They cannot set sail because there is no wind. In order to ask for Odin's favor to help leave, they willingly let their captain stab an eye out with a red-hot knife, they burn a member of their crew alive on a pyre and they kill each other in a senseless battle. When the wind picks up they leave before they could give their dead proper funerary rights. Given that they have no food or water, it is very likely that almost all of the men died trying to ration their supplies on the way back to the (very likely cannibalized after they died from the wounds they had no time to dress overtook them). We know that the captain lived to ''not'' tell the tale of what they experience, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the crew.

* The citizens of Vulcan are all caucasians dressed in uniforms adorned with a red sash with the Vulcan corporate logo on it and carrying guns (presumably Vulcan-brand guns) with an almost cultish patriotic fervor, the town itself having a historical lynching tree and the various people there give Shadow (a black man) suspicious looks when he and Wednesday roll into town. It's basically every Antifa, corporatist, pro-gun control's nightmare come to life.