History Main / DreadZeppelin

Thus the airship became the go-to flying transport for all manner of fictional dictators, warlords, SkyPirates, and other miscreants. This trope applies not only to airships in the real-world definition (powered lighter-than-air aircraft) but also to fictional vehicles that are called "airships" but use other means of lift, as are often found in SteamPunk settings. It can, but need not, overlap with CoolAirship and ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' foe Colonel Blimp commanded a fleet of airship capable of snatching and carrying off submarines and battleships.
* ''ComicBook/BatmanBlackAndWhite'': The climax of "Heroes", set in 1937, features a Nazi airship.
* In ''Batman: Master of the Future'', the sequel to ''ComicBook/GothamByGaslight'', Batman has to battle Alexandre LeRoi in 1892, who is seeking to disrupt Gotham's Turn-of-the-Century celebration by attacking the American Discovery Exposition with a burning glass mounted on his zeppelin.

* In the {{Elseworld}} miniseries ''ComicBook/Marvel1602: Fantastick Four'', [[ComicBook/DoctorDoom Otto Von Doom]] has an airship that is literally a sailing ship with a balloon over the top. He uses it to kidnap Creator/WilliamShakespeare.

[[folder:Fanfics]]

* ''Literature/CreatureOfHavoc'': {{Invoked|Trope}} and {{Justified|Trope}} by the SorcerousOverlord, who captures the legendary flying ship ''Galleykeep'' to serve as his base of operations. His ultimate goal is to capture a HiddenElfVillage that's magically protected from ground invasion but has no such defense against an aerial attack.

* ''Agent Intercept'' has the Svartalfar Stealth Ship, the main threat of the ''Sky Hunter'' side mission. Its light-bending technology allows it to remain entirely invisible, it can take a Hades Missile to the balloon... but Uko really had [[MadBomber Darius Squib]] at "silent-propulsion missile system."

* ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'''s "Friends in High Places" campaign climaxes with a pair of gigantic German zeppelins launching a surprise attack on London. Note that this game is set during WWI, not WWII, so the Germans aren't Nazis yet.

* The primary enemies of the ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'' series are the Bloons. While regular ones look like [[{{Balloonacy}} balloons]], the strongest ones resemble blimps. The blimps move slowly, but they're much tougher and are generally more resistant to [[StatusEffects slow and stun effects]].

* The [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2 second]] and [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3 third]] installments of the ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlertSeries Command and Conquer: Red Alert]]'' series give the Soviet faction the Kirov Airship heavy-bomber rigid/semirigids. While the Soviets aren't always ''evil'' in ''2'' and ''3'', with their villainy mostly being PlayedForLaughs, they do tend to be the "bad guys".
* While the 'evil' part depends heavily on perspective, ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'' has the armed Moralintern airships/zeppelins which patrol the skies above Revachol and keeping the vigil for any potential extremist uprising; as Moralintern is representative of Centrism, however, it's indicated that they're there to prevent any change and keep control of society. The Kingdom of Conscience thoughts lampshades this.

* One of the landmarks of the [[ThoseWackyNazis Hydra]] [[BadFuture Empire]] in ''VideoGame/LegoMarvelSuperHeroes2'' is a giant zeppelin. The first part of one of the game's levels takes place on it.
* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 4'': The first boss is the Brave Guerrier blimp deployed by the [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Amadeus Syndicate]]. It's armed with missiles, turrets, bouncing mines and plethora of fanatical soldiers.[[spoiler:The still burning aircraft returns to provide support to the Sea Satan submarine during the fourth boss battle.]]

* Airships are a recurring vehicle of choice for Bowser and his Koopalings across the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series, and are typically used as siege weapons when Bowser tries to take over the Mushroom Kingdom or kidnap Princess Peach. As a general rule of thumb, if boss levels in the 2D games (at least the ones since they were introduced in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'') don't take place in a castle or fortress, they're typically on an airship. For reasons unknown, the Mushroom Kingdom is rarely seen using air travel of their own, though Mario has piloted a CoolStarship in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and a souped-up hot-air balloon in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', and Mario, Peach, and (sometimes) Luigi have been seen occasionally riding in much smaller, unarmed hot air balloons ([[VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine and in at least one instance, a conventional modern-day airplane]]) in the prologue or epilogue of a handful of games.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'', the VillainProtagonist was calling the shots from his personal airship. If you lost all your agents, you got a cutscene of [[YouHaveFailedMe the Syndicate destroying it with a bomb]].
* In ''VideoGame/WarcraftII'', Goblin Zeppelins were TheHorde's equivalent to the Gnomish Flying Machine. This is averted in future installments - goblins became a neutral race in ''Warcraft III'' and early ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', and when they re-joined the Horde, they weren't an evil faction anymore.
* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein2009}} Wolfenstein]]'', Deathshead bases his operations aboard a large zeppelin hovering over Isenstadt, the presence of which is a source of consternation to numerous [=NPCs=]. In the climactic mission, BJ infiltrates the zeppelin to destroy it and the secret projects on board.

[[/folder]]

** In the ''Diamond and Pearl'' series, we have Hunter J's airship; quite appropriate for arguably the biggest KnightOfCerebus of the anime.

* Max Zorin's airship from ''Film/AViewToAKill'' may look like a boring old blimp, but does yours unfold from a construction shack and come with an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQnEyiGdGQ integrated deathtrap?]] Max even gets to make a BondOneLiner.

Part of the reason why this trope is so pervasive has to do with the history of the airship, starting with UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. During that war, Germany used Zeppelins as bombers against Britain and France, and although they did relatively little damage they terrified Allied civilians. After the war, zeppelins were used as passenger carriers by UsefulNotes/NaziGermany up until 1937. On the civilian side, blimps are often used for advertising, which ties into fears of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive power-hungry CEOS with massive egos]].

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has one such example in [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-5913 SCP-5913]], a ghostly airship from an alternate reality, whose crew are forced to sail the skies for all eternity due to her captain's ill-fated DealWithTheDevil.

* Lawrence III's airship ''Hikoukyu'' (Japanese for "Flying Palace") from ''Anime/{{Pokemon 2000}}'' and Zero's Megarig from ''Anime/PokemonGiratinaAndTheSkyWarrior''

** And Team Rockets' Meowth-shaped hot air balloon, which just happens to be their main form of transportation. However, after they TookALevelInBadass in the ''Best Wishes'' anime, they abandoned the Meowth balloon and replaced it with a simple purple hot air balloon with a stylized Team Rocket "R" insignia on it.

[/folder]]

* In ''Batman: Master of the Future'', the sequel to ''ComicBook/GothamByGaslight, Batman has to battle Alexandre LeRoi in 1892, who is seeking to disrupt Gotham's Turn-of-the-Century celebration by attacking the American Discovery Exposition with a burning glass mounted on his zeppelin.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' has the Gyro-Evac, essentially a cross between an EscapePod and a hot-air balloon -- shaped like a rocket and designed to go straight up very quickly, armed with gravity bombs and hidden in a tanker truck until the true villains of the movie reveal themselves and their plot to abscond back to the surface with the lost treasures of Atlantis.

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
* Max Zorin's airship from ''Film/AViewToAKill'' may look like a boring old blimp, but does yours unfold from a construction shack and come with an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQnEyiGdGQ integrated deathtrap?]] Max even gets to make a BondOneLiner.
* In ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers2011'', Cardinal Richelieu's forces get a huge airship (based on an in-universe design by Leonardo da Vinci) near the end of the film and use it to combat the one that the musketeers had hijacked.

* ''Literature/CreatureOfHavoc'': {{Invoked|Trope}} and {{Justified|Trope}} by the SorcerousOverlord, who captures the legendary flying ship ''Galleykeep'' to serve as his base of operations. His ultimate goal is to capture a HiddenElfVillage that's magically protected from ground invasion but has no such defense against an aerial attack.
* In Gareth Powell's ''Ack-Ack Macaque'' books, the Gestalt (a transhumanist cult from an alternate timeline) invade using their Dreadnought airships. The Earth of Ack-Ack Macaque relies on nuclear-powered airships for air travel, but all of these are civilian models with only a few defensive weapons. The Gestalt Dreadnoughts are 2 kilometres long, bristle with autocannon and missile batteries and they're so heavily armoured that only a nuclear strike can destroy it, otherwise heavy cannons can barely make a dent in a Gestalt Dreadnought.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' combines this with ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld in "Rise of the Cybermen". The TARDIS crashes into an alternate history, where airships are still in common use in the modern day. Specifically, they're used by Cybus Industries, an amoral corporation that sees its customer base as research material and eventually creates the Cybermen in this version of the show's continuity.

* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'': supplement ''Fearful Passages'', adventure "Rigid Air". The dirigible ''Bellinghausen'' (AKA ''Terra Nova'') and part of its crew have been taken over by a Franchise/CthulhuMythos entity called a dho-spawn. The dho-spawn has spent months tracking down and decapitating ex-members of the crew. The Investigators must discover the truth and destroy the dho-spawn before it perpetrates more evil.

* Airships are a recurring vehicle of choice for Bowser and his Koopalings across the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series, and are typically used as siege weapons when Bowser tries to take over the Mushroom Kingdom or kidnap Princess Peach. As a general rule of thumb, if boss levels in the 2D games (at least the ones since they were introduced in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'') don't take place in a castle or fortress, they're typically on an airship. For reasons unknown, the Mushroom Kingdom is rarely seen using air travel of their own, though Mario has piloted a CoolStarship in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' and a souped-up hot-air balloon in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', and Mario, Peach, and (sometimes) Luigi have been seen occasionally riding in much smaller, unarmed hot air balloons ([[VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine and in at least one instance, a conventional modern-day airplane]]) in the prologue or epilogue of a handful of games,
* In ''VideoGame/WarcraftII'', Goblin Zeppelins were TheHorde's equivalent to the Gnomish Flying Machine. This is averted in future installments - goblins became a neutral race in ''Warcraft III'' and early ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', and when they re-joined the Horde, they weren't an evil faction anymore.

* ''VideoGame/CarnEvil'': Ludwig von Tokkentakker, the BigBad, has a giant zeppelin-like airship perched on top of the Big Top, the final level. Tokkentakker brings you on board the airship for the final battle.
* ''VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries'': The Toppat Gang has one. It is primarily featured in ''Infiltrating the Airship'', and also shows up in one ending of ''Fleeing the Complex''.
* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'': the Sky Knights fly a giant zeppelin. Though unlike other examples, they style themselves as heroic defenders, despite actually just being thugs abusing their power for their own ends.
* The primary enemies of the ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'' series are the Bloons. While regular ones look like [[{{Balloonacy}} balloons]], the strongest ones resemble blimps. The blimps move slowly, but they're much tougher and are generally more resistant to [[StatusEffects slow and stun effects]].

* ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'''s "Friends in High Places" campaign climaxes with a pair of gigantic German zeppelins launching a surprise attack on London. Note that this game is set during WWI, not WWII, so the Germans aren't Nazis yet.
* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 4'': The first boss is the Brave Guerrier blimp deployed by the [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Amadeus Syndicate]]. It's armed with missiles, turrets, bouncing mines and plethora of fanatical soldiers.[[spoiler:The still burning aircraft returns to provide support to the Sea Satan submarine during the fourth boss battle.]]
* ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'' has the airships themselves as antagonists. Specifically, the MOAB-Class Bloons, which serve as EliteMooks, and Boss Bloons, which are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
* ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'': The Drow certainly fit this trope if all the airships they have floating around Sky Schooner Docks are any indication.

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has one such example in [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-5913 SCP-5913]], a ghostly airship from an alternate reality, whose crew are forced to sail the skies for all eternity due to her captain's ill-fated DealWithTheDevil.

[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'': Don Karnage and his SkyPirates operate out of the Iron Vulture, a cross between an airship and an AirborneAircraftCarrier.
* ''WesternAnimation/ActionMan2000'': Dr. X and his Council of Doom have a high tech airship that, among other things, can turn invisible. It originally belonged to Tempest, who used it to control the weather in his debut episode, but Dr. X made it his headquarters after accepting Tempest into the council.
* The Hawk from the ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats'' episode "Melody Memory Mix-Up" is a villain prowling the skies in a dirigible. He's seeking Professor Layton's force field plans in order to make his dirigible impervious to anti-aircraft weaponry. From this impregnable flying fortress, Hawk aims to monopolize air traffic lanes and demand ransom to allow passage.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Fangface}}'' episode "The Invisible Menace Mix-Up", the PhantomThief Sky Ghost has one of these as his base of operations, fitted with an {{Invisibility}} Ray.

* [[spoiler:Hellywood]] from ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere'' is a prime example of this trope. We don't actually see it fly until the 10th episode of the show, though. But when it does, it's quite a sight-- it is, for all intents and purposes, a ''flying skyscraper'' with a built-in WaveMotionGun.
* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'': Has the Millennium's airships, which are used to conduct the attacks on both London and the Hellsing Organization Headquarters, and are loaded with Nazi Vampires.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Has nothing]] to do with Music/LedZeppelin. Or the [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly bizarre]] Led Zeppelin cover band that [[SimilarlyNamedWorks shares a name]] with this trope.

* Though its ominousness is mitigated a bit by being bright yellow, the blimp in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' makes for an effective scouting vehicle for the team of hunter players in WebVideo/FailRace's ''Survive the Hunt'' series. In addition to relaying Alex's position to the others, whoever's piloting will also tend to dive-bomb intersections to check on cars.

* The primary enemies of the ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'' series are the Bloons. While regular ones look like [[{{Balloonacy}} balloons]], the strongest ones resemble blimps. The blimps move slowly, but they're much tougher and are generally more resistant to [[StandardStatusEffects slow and stun effects]].