Line #26 Main/MayanDoomsday


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9	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/Wizard101 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/comet.jpg]]]]
10	[[caption-width-right:350:[[RealitySubtext This content was released in late 2012.]]]]
11
12	->''"If I'm Mayan, I'm dyin'."''
13	-->-- Popular late-2012 phrase
14
15	Once upon a time, people thought December 21, 2012 was TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Silly, right? Well, a surprising number of people took this seriously. Where did this date come from, you ask? Well, let's sort out the facts from the fancy:
16
17	* '''Myth''': The [[UsefulNotes/PreColumbianCivilizations Maya civilisation]] predicted December 21, 2012 would be the end of the world.
18	** '''Fact''': In 1966, an anthropologist named Michael D. Coe pulled a mathematically significant date from the Maya Long Count calendar and concluded (incorrectly) that they believed that this date marked the end of the world. Notably, the date that Coe selected was originally December 24, ''2011'', later revised to January 11, 2013. The 2012 date was first put forward by Robert J. Sharer in 1983. Later research in the '90s suggested that the Maya ''didn't'' see 2012 as the end of the world, but rather, as a cause for partying like it's 1999--that is, it was simply the end of that calendar and the beginning of a new age. The end of the 13th b'ak'tun (Long Count calendar cycle) simply resulted in the beginning of the 14th b'ak'tun. The ends of the 1st through 12th b'ak'tuns hadn't coincided with any epic disasters, nor had the 1st day of the 1st b'ak'tun. And the fact that only 13 b'ak'tuns are known from the Maya codices is almost certainly because the majority of those scrolls were burned by some overzealous Catholic priests after the UsefulNotes/{{Spanish conquest\|OfTheMaya}}. The idea of the Maya apocalypse prophecy was then discredited in scholarly circles. By then, however, New Agers and {{conspiracy theorist}}s had latched onto Sharer's revised date, and the rest is (embarrassing) history. Also, whenever the "Mayan" calendar is shown, expect it to [[{{Mayincatec}} actually be the more visually appealing Aztec calendar]].
19	* '''Myth''': UsefulNotes/{{Nostradamus}} also predicted something would happen in 2012.
20	** '''Fact''': The only years Nostradamus mentions by name in his quatrains are 1999 and 3797. Of course, he could be talking about 2012 in some of his other quatrains. Or he could not. That's the magic of Nostradamus -- he was [[SharpshooterFallacy so vague that you can interpret him however you like]], which is where his "correct" predictions come from.
21	* '''Myth''': Lots of other ancient civilizations also cited the year 2012.
22	** '''Fact''': No, conspiracy theorists just took every doomsday prediction under the sun and attached it to December 21, 2012 because why not.
23
24	So, what was supposed to happen on December 21, 2012? Well, there were some fun predictions:
25
26	* Nibiru, a.k.a. Planet X: A planet about as real as [[Franchise/StarWars Tatooine]] which was supposed to hit the Earth in May of 2003. For some reason, the theory was later dusted off and applied to -- you guessed it -- December 21, 2012. Conspiracy theorists tend to ignore UsefulNotes/{{NASA}}, other space agencies, and the many amateur astronomers out there (some of them with gear that would make a professional observatory envious) [[ObliviousAstronomers when they assure us that if something the size of a planet were going to hit the Earth,]] they'd know about it ''years'' ahead of time by claiming that it's invisible until the day of its arrival.[[note]]Presumably, Planet X is supposed to be important again in the [[WesternAnimation/DuckDodgersInTheTwentyFourthAndAHalfCentury 24th and a half century]].[[/note]]
27	** Or just a simple CometOfDoom.
28	* Polar shift: Supposedly, the magnetic poles were going to reverse in 2012. Didn't happen, and wouldn't have caused disaster if it had. The idea that that this would be disastrous seems to have originated from misunderstanding of what the "polar shift" means. The magnetic poles reverse themselves relatively frequently, averaging once every 2 million years or so. But this doesn't have any significant impact on life; whenever the next geomagnetic reversal happens, the only thing that humans are likely to notice is that compasses will start pointing south instead of north. But the believers of the "polar shift" theory conflated the magnetic poles with the actual ''physical'' poles, at the axis of Earth's rotation. They believed that in 2012, the entire planet would flip 180 degrees on its axis, which would indeed have caused cataclysmic damage. Fortunately, it's also physically impossible for such a thing to just spontaneously happen. It would require an external force, such as [[ColonyDrop another planet colliding with Earth]] at just the right angle[[note]]It's speculated that such an event might be why UsefulNotes/{{Venus}} rotates "backwards".[[/note]]...at which point a polar shift would be the least of our problems. [[note]] There is one thing that really ''is'' important - due to the magnetic poles flipping, ordinary electric motors will try to become ''De Facto'' squirrel cage motors, and squirrel cage motors will try to become normal electric motors - so there will be a mild amount of disruption for a few months, but certainly '''not''' the end of the world. [[/note]]
29	* Solar flares: Solar flares happen all the time, but obviously solar flares happening on December 21, 2012 would be evil, world-ending, magic solar flares. Ironically, one nearly hit the Earth in July of that year, but missed by a period of 9 days.
30	* [[WhenThePlanetsAlign Planetary alignments]]: When the planets line up, you know it's bad! Except there were no planetary alignments in 2012 and planetary alignments have happened many times before without any effect on the Earth.
31	* [[CaughtUpInTheRapture The Rapture]]: Naturally.
32	* [[OneWorldOrder New World Order]]: Presumably, TheIlluminati thought it would be fun to [[DayOfTheJackboot kick their plans into high gear]] on December 21, 2012, since people were expecting ''something'' to happen anyway.
33	* Three days of darkness: A theory which got lots of traction in China, leading to huge sales of candles there.
34	* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pic_de_Bugarach Pic de Bugarach]]: A mountain in southern France near the Spanish border associated with UFO phenomena. New Agers were expected to flock to the mountain in December of 2012, believing they would be spared from the apocalypse and also get to reenact ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind''. [[UsefulNotes/LesCopsSportif French police]] blocked access to the mountain itself, concerned that a doomsday {{cult}} might carry out a mass suicide or worse. Unfortunately, this all turned out to be the paranoid fantasy of a fanatically Catholic local mayor, and the journalists who turned up to do freakshow stories on the New Agers found precisely three apocalypse tourists, one of whom was suspected of consciously seeking publicity for his unsuccessful attempt to start a cult.
35	* The ZombieApocalypse: Because again, why not?
36	* [[TheMagicComesBack The reintroduction of magic]] and the start of the Sixth World, or the Age of Aquarius. (''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'')
37	* The AncientAstronauts who guided the Maya returning to Earth. In fact, one such theory pointed out that ''Series/TheXFiles'' predicted an AlienInvasion in 2012 and that the creators of the show was trying to warn humanity that way. Why they would choose to do this through the plot of a TV show instead of going to the public is unknown.
38	* Additionally, any combinations of the above, or all of them at once.
39
40	As you may have noticed, none of this stuff ever happened. However, popular culture had a lot of fun with the supposed doomsday and that's what we're here to record.[[note]]Fun fact for posterity, by the way: This page was launched on December 22, 2012.[[/note]]
41
42	Now that December 21, 2012 has come and gone, it's safe to say that this is now a DiscreditedTrope. It made a comeback in early 2021 due to the ongoing UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic and polarized political climate in the U.S., leading to a lot of [[LIsForDyslexia dyslexia jokes]]. Just like with the 2012 doomsday, however, this one also didn't happen.
43
44	Present in the JustForFun/ApocalypseDayPlanner. See also MillenniumBug.
45
46	----
47	!!Examples:
48
49	[[foldercontrol]]
50
51	[[folder:Advertisement]]
52
53	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXwzGkK5S78 This]] amazingly funny Axe deodorant commercial.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
57	* Manga/StoneOcean, the 6th Arc of ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' was originally published between the years of 2000-2003, taking place during 2011 and ends in 2012. [[spoiler: [[ReligiousBruiser Enrico Pucci]] tries to synthesis the ultimate [[FightingSpirit Stand ability]], Made In Heaven, to accelerate time and reset the universe so the [[HeroicLineage Joestar]] bloodline does not exist]].
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
61	* The trope is referenced in Season 8 episode 28 of ''Animation/HappyHeroes'', where Careless S. warns everyone that a meteor is headed towards the castle. Since everybody else is affected by an amnesia spell cast by Huo Haha, they completely forget about this and think he's joking, with one castle visitor in particular writing his statement into his book of top jokes directly above one reading "2012 is the end of the world". (This episode premiered in 2014, by the way.)
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Comic Books]]
65	* "Fruitcake" Mullins in ''ComicBook/HardTime'' is a crazed scientist who claims he can predict the future, and who believes in the Mayan apocalypse. However, he thinks "the end of linear time" is to come on December ''23rd'', 2012. The WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue reveals that [[spoiler:it was the end... ''for him''; he died that day.]]
66	* ''Comicbook/TheInvisibles'': The world ends with the on Dec 21, 2012 with the [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascension of mankind]]. Creator/GrantMorrison talks about it [[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=41336 here.]]
67	* In ''ComicBook/LeonardLeGenie'', [[TimeTravel Léonard and Basile go to 2012]] to check how things are. They find out that according to the Mayan calendar, it will be the end of the world on December 21. They travel to 2013 to find out that the apocalypse will not happen. They are relived and return to their own time, except the next page show a massive asteroid is heading to Earth.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
71	* Some comics referenced the supposed doomsday in their strip for December 21, 2012:
72	** ''Bizarro:'' [[http://ginormasource.com/humor/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/mayan-calendar-2012-world-ends.jpg this quickly became a classic joke.]]
73	** ''Close To Home'': [[http://www.gocomics.com/closetohome/2012/12/21 Here]]
74	** ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'': [[http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2012/12/17 An]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2012/12/18 arc]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2012/12/19 covering]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2012/12/20 the]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2012/12/21 whole]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2012/12/22 week]].
75	** ''F Minus'': [[http://www.gocomics.com/fminus/2012/12/21 Here]].
76	** ''{{ComicStrip/Lio}}'': On the [[http://www.gocomics.com/lio/2012/12/20 the day before]], [[http://www.gocomics.com/lio/2012/12/21 the day]], and [[http://www.gocomics.com/lio/2012/12/22 the day after]].
77	** ''Little Dog Lost'': [[http://www.gocomics.com/littledoglost/2012/12/17 Another]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/littledoglost/2012/12/18 arc]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/littledoglost/2012/12/19 covering]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/littledoglost/2012/12/20 the]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/littledoglost/2012/12/21 whole]] [[http://www.gocomics.com/littledoglost/2012/12/22 week]].
78	* ''ComicStrip/MotherGooseAndGrimm'' has a story arc about Ralph's Mayan girlfriend who panics about the supposed "end of the world" and wants him to [[LikeYouWereDying make a bucket list of what to do before the world ends]]. This arc, of course, [[http://www.grimmy.com/images/MGG_Archive/MGG_2012/MGG-2012-11-27.gif ran]] [[http://www.grimmy.com/images/MGG_Archive/MGG_2012/MGG-2012-11-28.gif for]] [[http://www.grimmy.com/images/MGG_Archive/MGG_2012/MGG-2012-11-29.gif five]] [[http://www.grimmy.com/images/MGG_Archive/MGG_2012/MGG-2012-11-30.gif whole]] [[http://www.grimmy.com/images/MGG_Archive/MGG_2012/MGG-2012-12-01.gif days]] on the week of November 27, 2012. The aftermath did not occur until [[http://www.grimmy.com/images/MGG_Archive/MGG_2012/MGG-2012-12-30.gif December 30]], the day before New Year's Eve, and only nine days after the supposed "Mayan Doomsday".
79	* In early January 2012, ''ComicStrip/{{Sally Forth\|Howard}}'' had a two-week storyline where Ted, while not seriously believing it, used the doomsday talk as a reason to look back on their lives thus far, leading into a WhatIf storyline speculating on a future where Ted and Sally had never met.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
83	* The Creator/RolandEmmerich film ''[[Film/TwoThousandTwelve 2012]]'', of course. [[note]] Though the movie got the date wrong. The event happens in the summer, not the winter. This is {{handwaved}} by having the scientist characters constantly remark on how the disasters are happing "faster/sooner than expected".[[/note]]
84	* Various [[TheMockbuster mockbusters]] ripping off the Roland Emmerich film. Creator/TheAsylum has created three.
85	* ''Film/{{Melancholia}}'' doesn't mention the Mayans or 2012, but the title rogue planet is an {{Expy}} of Nibiru, and the film was definitely tapping into the apocalyptic zeitgeist of the time.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:Fan Works]]
89	* ''Fanfic/{{Anthropology}}'' was written and set in 2012, so with all these weird end-of-the-world conspiracies people were having at the time, [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Discord]] causing chaos seems just as plausible. In fact, Nathan mentions in chapter 28 that "the end of the world wasn’t for a couple more months", referring to the Mayan Doomsday.
90	* The Mayan Doomsday is brought up in chapter 1 of ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7937863 Ed, Edd n Eddy's Quest for the Pure Hearts]]'':
91	-->'''Jonny''': ''[to Plank]'' What'd yah say buddy? ''[{{beat}}]'' End of the world. Are you buyin' into that Mayan stuff? It's always a fad with you, mister!
92	* In the first chapter of ''[[Fanfic/LivingTheDreamKickass222urmom Living The Dream]]'', Lance and his friend group stay up late to see if doomsday would come. Turns out not only was it true, it was actually the [[CaughtUpInTheRapture Rapture]].
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Literature]]
96	* The entire plotline of the ''Invisible City'' novels by M. G. Harris.
97	* Yes, Creator/DanBrown did his thing with this one too, in ''Literature/TheLostSymbol''.
98	* Creator/BernardWerber has a character believing into the apocalyptic prophecy in ''Le Miroir de Cassandre'', partially because his mother was from Mayan descent. Another character jokes he will think about him on the morning of December 22, 2012.
99	* Played for laughs in ''Literature/ThatIsAll'', the conclusion to John Hodgman's ''Literature/CompleteWorldKnowledge'' trilogy, for world knowledge cannot be complete unless the world itself is finite. It's a sort of FantasyKitchenSink of apocalypses - the return of the [[EldritchAbomination Ancient and Unspeakable Ones]], an inferno of unquenchable [[AncientConspiracy Masonic]] fire, [[HiveMind DOGSTORM]], the magnetic North Pole burrowing through the Earth, TheSingularity, The BLOOD WAVE... but, most emphatically, no ZombieApocalypse.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
103	* ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'': "And The High Holidays" makes comments referencing this.
104	* The 1990's SpeculativeDocumentary series ''Ancient Prophecies'' got in on the fun quite early, predicting that mankind's technology would suddenly come to life and rebel (think the plot of ''Film/MaximumOverdrive''). Cue humorous shots of a guy getting his tie caught in a printer, an anachronistic 90's computer screen flashing "The End is Near", and a Christmas tree shaking around menacingly.
105	* The Discovery Channel had a special on this, taking the proposed "how the world would end" ideas that were scientifically possible. But the end conclusion was "there's a chance any one of these could happen anyway, regardless of date".
106	* ''Series/DoctorWho''. In Series 13, Yasmin Khan, Dan Lewis and Professor Jericho are shown breaking into a Mayan temple to find out when the world will end. It turns out to be 5 December 2021, the [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall broadcast date]] of the SeasonFinale.
107	* The ''Series/GoOn'' episode "The World Ain't Over 'Till It's Over" (aired December 4, 2012) takes place on December 21, 2012. [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Mr. K]] believes the world will end, but nothing happens.
108	* ''Series/PennAndTellerBullshit'' tackles this in the episode "The Apocalypse".
109	* ''Series/RaisingHope'' had an episode "The Last Christmas", which focus on the Chance family celebrating Christmas four days early due to the Mayan Apocalypse.
110	* A ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' skit featured two Mayans showing their newly completed calendar to their countrymen. They say the calendar ends in 2012 because the world will end, but eventually admit they just ran out of space.
111	** Around the time the Roland Emmerich film came out, ''SNL'' did a recut trailer parody in which the world was ending because UsefulNotes/SarahPalin had been elected president (with Radio/GlennBeck as her vice-president, no less).
112	* [[UsefulNotes/AustralianPolitics Prime Minister Julia Gillard]] appeared on the [[Creator/TheABC Triple J TV]] show for a very tongue in cheek end of the world speech.
113	--> '''Julia''': Whether the final blow comes from [[ZombieApocalypse flesh-eating zombies]], [[HellOnEarth demonic houston-beasts]] or [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking from the total triumph]] of [[Music/{{Psy}} K-Pop]], if you know one thing about me it is this - I will always fight for you to the very end.
114	* According to ''Series/TheXFiles'', December 21, 2012 is the date of a future AlienInvasion. WordOfGod says that the upcoming miniseries will address whether or not anything actually happened.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Music]]
118	* IndustrialMetal act Hanzel Und Gretyl's album ''2012'' was dedicated to the Mayan prophecies.
119	* "A Certain Shade of Green" by {{Music/Incubus}}
120	* Music/MyChemicalRomance's 2010 concept album ''Music/DangerDaysTheTrueLivesOfTheFabulousKilljoys'' takes place TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture (in 2019, that is) in an AfterTheEnd scenario. Promotional material is vague on what caused the collapse but implies that 2012 had something to do with it.
121	* On ''Radio/TheNowShow'', Mitch Benn devoted a song to mocking the idea the week before the apocalypse was due.
122	--> And even if that's what they meant they could've been wrong or lyin', \
123	'Cos if the Mayans could predict the future -- we'd still have Mayans. \
124	They might have been crazy or deluded, they didn't see that their fate included \
125	Diseases and Conquistadors; what makes you think that they predicted yours?
126	* "2012 (It Ain't the End)" by Jay Sean
127	* "Till the World Ends" by Music/BritneySpears (the song doesn't mention 2012, but the official music video does)
128	* Music/TechN9ne references 2012 in his RageAgainstTheHeavens song "Show Me a God", released in 2009.
129	-->''What's gonna be done in two thousand twelve when houston's gonna be\
130	When the Earth aligned with the sun''
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
134	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' the Maya Long Count calendar marks the transition between a [[TheMagicGoesAway low mana]] and [[TheMagicComesBack high mana]] period, with the fifth (our, at the time of publication) world ending on December 24th, 2011, and the sixth world beginning, bringing with it magic, dragons, new types of humans that resemble the legendary dwarves, orks, elves and trolls, among others. The (former) prequel ''TabletopGame/{{Earthdawn}}'' is set during the late fourth world (before 3114 BC) but in a subversion the [[AfterTheEnd middle of the fourth world]] was the real doomsday, with peak mana levels attracting an extraplanar invasion of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s.
135	* ''TabletopGame/{{Equinox}}'', intended as a far-future sequel to ''Shadowrun'' before a change in ownership: Earth (or, rather, the Earth Belt) is described as being in the Eighth World, a reference to ''TabletopGame/{{Earthdawn}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' being set in the Fourth and Sixth Worlds, respectively. These numbers are based on the Mayan calendar.
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Video Games]]
139	* A bulk of the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' series takes place in 2012, with the MythArc concerning the [[spoiler:giant solar flare that is supposed to reach Earth and eradicate all life]] on December 21, 2012.
140	* ''VideoGame/AzraelsTear'' is set around this time, and indeed there is a hint in the backstory that the world might end, what with all the huge earthquakes and plagues, although just so you know, this doesn't dominate the plot, which is about exploration and piecing together the story of what happened with the place and the characters in the past, and eventually acquiring [[HolyGrail a certain artifact]].[[note]]Well, yes, ultimately to save the world, but that doesn't really become apparent until later, unless you read the box blurb.[[/note]] An unusual example in that the game was published in ''1996'', over 16 years before this setting.
141	* ''VideoGame/ChooseYour2012'' is a game all about the concept, with the objective of using five disaster types to wreak as much damage to the world as possible in the alotted time.
142	* One of the more hilarious examples: ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} V: Gods and Kings'' has the Mayans as a civilization. Not only do you get an achievement for using a nuclear weapon on them in the year 2012, but when you encounter them in game, their leader Pacal [[TheEeyore always talks about how the world will end any day now]].
143	** While there are no direct references in-game, the Mayans debuted in ''VI'' alongside the Apocalypse alternate game mode.
144	* ''VideoGame/DikembeMutombosFourAndAHalfWeeksToSaveTheWorld'' centered around Dikembe helping Science the Bear stop possible threats that could end the world and construct a new Mayan Calendar before the old one finishes and the world ends. It was completed on December 20, 2012.
145	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' (set in 2013) makes a brief reference to this in its in-game radio. Ronald "Nervous Ron" Jakowski, the ConspiracyTheorist host of Blaine County Talk Radio's "Blaine County Radio Community Hour" podcast replays, dates his podcast to be from less than three months from this date (late September to early October 2012).
146	* ''New York Shark'', the third game in the ''VideoGame/MiamiShark'' series, was released in 2012, and fittingly features a meteor that you can pull down to cause an EarthShatteringKaboom.
147	* ''VideoGame/TheOmegaStone'' (the sequel to ''The Riddle of the Sphinx'' - no, not ''[[RiddleOfTheSphinx that trope]]'') is set in the year 2012. You, the protagonist, are warned about an apocalypse that can take place anytime, and you are sent to stop it from happening.
148	* ''VideoGame/OracleOfTao'' uses this as a checklist. All of the possible occurrences happen in rapid succession as a possible cause for the end of the world.
149	-->'''Textbook:''' Ancient legends speak of [[{{Canon}} Belial as the cause of the first Earth being destroyed]]. But I know the real truth.\
150	'''Ambrosia:''' Yes, what is it?\
151	'''Textbook:''' On Dec 21, 2012, ancient Mayan sorcerers caused the planets to line up, sending a giant planet to crash into Earth. This powerful ritual combined with the massive collision knocked Earth off its orbit, and caused the poles to shift, causing deadly solar flare radiation. Naturally, this in turn caused The Rapture, as well as three days of darkness, before [=UFOs=] came and simply wiped the Earth out of existence.\
152	'''Ambrosia:''' Suddenly, I think a demon coming from another dimension and destroying everything before [[SealedEvilInACan getting sealed away]] sounds more plausible.
153	* The less than stellar {{Platform/Steam}} videogame ''VideoGame/Revelations2012'' had its plot revolve around this. Supposedly, on the fated day, a [[SealedEvilInACan sealed demon would come out of his can]] and wreak havoc on the world. Four chosen people had to make sure this didn't happen.
154	* The conspiracy-themed MMORPG ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'' commemorated the date with a special event titled "End of Days", which started on December 21, 2012.
155	* The MOBA game ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}'' includes the Mayan Jaguar God Xbalanque, whose joke pokes fun on this whole doomsday because he actually doesn't have such power. Bonus point for being released in exactly the date of December [=21st=] 2012.
156	-->''12-21-12. Hahaha! You guys are so gullible...''
157	-->''[[LargeHam AAAAARRRGGHH!! I'M SUMMONING THE APOCALYYYYPSE!!]] Hahaha, no I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I don't have that power.''
158	* At the end of ''VideoGame/{{Submachine}}: 32 Chambers'', the player "resets" the Mayan calendar, and (presumably) averts this.
159	* VideoGame/UniverseAtWar: The Hierarchy's [[AlienInvasion invasion]] of Earth began on 2012.
160	* ''VideoGame/VersusUmbra'': There's an achievement called "Happy 2012" earned for killing 2012 enemies. The game came out in 2011.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Webcomics]]
164	* Discussed between Merlin and Nimue in ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace''. A reality shift suggests a more mundane reason for the calendar to end.
165	-->'''Mayan!Nimue''': Dude, the money just ran out.
166	-->'''Mayan!Merlin''': Quetzalcoatl damn it!
167	* ''Webcomic/DarwinCarmichaelIsGoingToHell'': The comic ended in 2012, and one arc features the apocalypse, which takes place in that same year.
168	* In ''WebComic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'', turns out the only reason the Mayans thought the world would end in 2012 was because a time travelling Wonderella (who they mistook for a god) said it would.
169	-->'''Wonderella:''' Like you guys are going to last that long anyway!
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Web Original]]
173	* In December 21, 2012, {{LetsPlay/Chuggaaconroy}} [[https://twitter.com/chuggaaconroy/status/282166327068725249 posted]] a [[{{Website/Twitter}} Tweet]] making fun of how people were hyping over the supposed end of the world. It's more of a humorous post, really.
174	-->''Days like today make me glad that I already stopped the moon from crashing last year! Play [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]] today, you owe it to yourself!''
175	* Made into a RunningGag by WebVideo/JesseCox and {{WebVideo/Wowcrendor}} during the ''Podcast/CoxNCrendor Show'' podcast. Jesse & Crendor would frequently remark about evil Mayan robots rising against humanity in their takeover bit and then make it more ridiculous from there.
176	* [[{{Website/Cracked}} Cracked.com's]] [[http://www.cracked.com/video_18511_the-embarrassing-aftermath-mayan-apocalypse.html The Embarrassing Aftermath of the Mayan 'Apocalypse']]
177	* ''WebAnimation/TheDamnFew'', episode "The Mayans."
178	* Website/JibJab[='s=] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0zf7EWZET0 2012 year-in-review video]] is themed around this. It's also briefly mentioned in their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zls4Ao3GyM&t=1m17s 2011 video]].
179	* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' almost invoked the trope in a meta way: the long-awaited season 1 finale, "ComicBook/{{Superman}} vs. [[Manga/DragonBall Goku]]," was originally slated to debut on December 21, 2012 before it got pushed back; not only was the episode advertised as fulfilling a prophecy, but [[spoiler: it ends with the world exploding]].
180	* Website/KnowYourMeme claims the phenomenon has reached memetic status, [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/december-21st-2012 as seen here.]]
181	* ''LetsPlay/{{Mahu}}'', the narrative let's play "The Wheel of Fate"
182	* Invoked in WebVideo/MothersBasement's "What's so great about Manga/{{Haikyuu}}?":
183	--> The world didn't end in 2012, but if you were a fan of Japanese high school boys' volleyball, things were certainly looking dire.
184	* ''Website/TheOnion'': "[[http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-who-just-bought-mayan-headdress-4-crates-of-co,30783/ Man Who Just Bought Mayan Headdress, 4 Crates Of Corn Pretty Sure You'll Be Looking Like The Fool When Apocalypse Happens]]" and "[[http://www.theonion.com/video/mayan-word-for-apocalypse-actually-translates-more,30781/ Mayan Word For 'Apocalypse' Actually Translates More Accurately As 'Time Of Pale Obese Gun Monsters']]."
185	* The ''WebVideo/QuintonReviews'' episode "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML5wQsGynQs That Time the World Ended]]" discusses and mocks various failed doomsday predictions, with an emphasis on the 2012 one.
186	* The ''WebVideo/{{Smosh}}'' skit "Worst ID Photo Ever!" contains a quick FreezeFrameBonus: When Anthony brings out his ID, the expiration date is on 21st December 2012.
187	* Debunked by WebVideo/SciShow [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjKUqQ2uSzg here]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVeOJuhjmps here]].
188	* ''Webanimation/StupidKids'': Website/{{Facebook}} crashes on 2012/12/21 thus turning all the people who sold their souls to it into {{zombie\|apocalypse}}s and hunt for the remaining souls in ''Boldogat és még boldogabbat'' (''Merry and even more'').
189	* In WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows' review of "Scream and Shout," we see a list of Todd's [[FailedFutureForecast failed predictions for 2013]], and one of them was the Mayan apocalypse happening two months late.
190	* ''Magazine/WeeklyWorldNews'' had some articles about this, such as [[http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/41622/mayans-begin-apocalypse-countdown/ the Mayans doing an "apocalypse countdown"]]. Notably, on the date itself, the site reported that the end of the world was [[http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/23938/end-of-the-world-postponed/ postponed to September 3, 2015]].
191	* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Today%27s_featured_article/December_20,_2012 In December 20, 2012]], Website/{{Wikipedia}} made sure to put on "Today's Featured Article" the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon one for what was supposed to happen the following day]].
192	* Spoofed in [[http://tehcorbzor.deviantart.com/art/352-343939180 this]] Website/DeviantArt post where an obese man is running away from ''falling Mayan pyramids''.
193	[[/folder]]
194
195	[[folder:Western Animation]]
196	* Mentioned in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The End": Gumball and Darwin see signs that (they believe) will signify the end of the world, and are put even further on edge when Bobert mentions an upcoming solar eclipse. Bobert mentions the Mayan prophecy to them, which he immediately dismisses as superstitious nonsense.
197	* In the 2012 ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "[[Recap/FuturamaS7E2AFarewellToArms A Farewell to Arms]]", a ''Martian'' calendar predicts a sunflare that will destroy the planet in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything 3012]]. Later, it is revealed that the planet in question ''is'' Mars, and that the calendar was sent to Earth as a warning to not visit Mars, [[EpicFail but by then the Earth's people had already relocated there]].
198	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'':
199	** In a mid-season short (released in 2013), Dipper asks a magic mailbox that gives answers to all questions when the world will end. It gives the answer of '''3'''012, to Dipper's mild surprise.
200	** The entire run of ''Gravity Falls'' takes place in 2012 and works toward a finale in which [[BigBad Bill Cipher]] attempts to bring on the Apocalypse.
201	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': In Episode 77, Kaeloo tells all her friends that the world is going to end in 24 hours because the Mayans predicted it. [[spoiler: Kaeloo herself winds up destroying the planet, but the cast fortunetely escape to outer space in a spaceship.]]
202	* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'', which started in 2011, played with this indirectly, with the BigBad being released during a planetary alignment known as Nibiru.
203	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
204	** In the chalkboard gag for the 2010 episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS21E10OnceUponATimeInSpringfield Once Upon a Time in Springfield]]", Bart writes, "The world may end in 2012, but this show won't."
205	** Spoofed in one segment of the 2012 "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS24E2TreehouseOfHorrorXXIII Treehouse of Horror XXIII]]" episode, in which a botched Mayan sacrifice in the past brings about the apocalypse in the future.
206	** A brief gag in the episode [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E9SaturdaysOfThunder Saturdays of Thunder]]" sees Homer trying to buy something from TV shopping. He is shown reading his credit card info over the phone, begins to give an expiration year in the 1980s, then stops and says "uh, 2012."
207	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MayanDoomsday