History Main / OminousClouds

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIIArielsBeginning'': While the merfolk were playing amongst a rocky shore of a seaside pool, dark clouds begin rolling across the sky just before a pirate ship appears to steal their treasures. Even [[TheNarrator Sebastian]] points out the change in both the sky and the [[TroubledBackstoryFlashback mood of the flashback]] before the real tragedy hits with the ship crashing into both the rocks and Queen Athena:

* ''Film/Nope'': A never-moving cloud looms over the Haywood's ranch, [[spoiler:and it's revealed that the cloud was hiding a living, predacious UFO.]]

** ''Film/Nope'': A never-moving cloud looms over the Haywood's ranch, [[spoiler:and it's revealed that the cloud was hiding a living, predacious UFO.]]

* ''VideoGame/ForTheKing'': While a [[BossBattle Scourge]] is awake and affecting the game world, swirling purple clouds appear above their lair.

* ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'': When James and the bugs arrive at New York City at night, they see dark, stormy clouds heading towards them. The stormy clouds indicate that the rhino, the same monster that killed James' parents earlier, is coming to get them.

Other ominous tropes related to the sky or the weather are TheStarsAreGoingOut, PartlyCloudyWithAChanceOfDeath, and SnowMeansDeath.

[[folder:Films --Live Action]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/{{Legion}}'': As David finally confronts Amahl Farouk for a psychic battle in the desert, the self-proclaimed Shadow King is followed by a spreading mass of inky black clouds that eventually block out the sun.

* ''Manga/PrincessResurrection'': Hime's mansion is always surrounded by a mass of swirling black clouds in an otherwise clear sky. It is also under constant attack from all manner of monster.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

Clouds are a pretty common sight in everyday life. They come in many forms, from light, wispy cirrus clouds to fluffy cumulus clouds. And of course, there's the Cumulo-nimbus clouds, towering masses of dark clouds that are the sign of impending thunderstorms.

* WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIIArielsBeginning: While the merfolk were playing amongst a rocky shore of a seaside pool, dark clouds begin rolling across the sky just before a pirate ship appears to steal their treasures. Even [[TheNarrator Sebastian]] points out the change in both the sky and the [[TroubledBackstoryFlashback mood of the flashback]] before the real tragedy hits with the ship crashing into both the rocks and Queen Athena:
-> '''Sebastian''': ''"But even the brightest days can be darkened by an unseen tempest."''
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'': While floating in the sky in the flying house, Carl and Russell came across some Cumul-nimbus clouds. The clouds cause a storm which shakes the flying house.

** ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': When the Gatekeeper and the Keymaster summon Gozer, thick, ponderous clouds form over the building that Peter refers to as Spook Central. And when Gozer is disembodied, lighting and thunder boom with Gozer's voice while waiting to choose a OneWingedAngel form (thankfully, Ray limits Gozer with his choice.)

* ''Franchise/TheLordOfTheRings'': Through the film series, the skies over Mordor are filled with menacing, black clouds and lightning, as well as the eerie lighting caused by the fires of Orodruin, aka Mount Doom.

* ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'': When James and the bugs arrived at New York City at night, they saw dark, stormy clouds heading towards them. The stormy clouds indicate that the rhino, the same monster that killed James' parents earlier, is coming to get them.
* ''What Should Riley Do?'', a licensed book based on ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'', reveals that whenever something is going wrong with some aspect of Riley's personality, storm clouds will appear above the corresponding island in [[JourneyToTheCentreOfTheMind her mind's dimension]]. For instance, when Riley is on a losing streak, clouds appear above Hockey Island.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': "Death In Heaven". Numerous Cybermen launch from St. Peter's Cathedral, transforming into a menacing black cloud that will rain "cyber-pollen" onto the graves of the world, transforming the dead into Cybermen.

[[/folder]]

Sometimes the Ominous Clouds will be supernatural in nature, forming around a EldritchLocation to shroud it in darkness and gloom.

Compare BadMoonRising and RedSkyTakeWarning for other tropes relating to natural phenomena in the sky heralding danger.

May overlap with TheStormbringer. Probably a SisterTrope to OminousFog. See also HostileWeather, which is an active danger.

Other ominous tropes related to the sky or the weather are TheStarsAreGoingOut, PartlyCloudyWithAChanceOfDeath, and SnowMeansDeath. It may be because AStormIsComing or ItWasADarkAndStormyNight.

See also {{Cumulonemesis}} for when the clouds themselves are sentient and attack the characters.

* ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'': The film opens with a massive cloud in space passing through Klingon Space heading directly to Earth. The cloud is already impressive and foreboding on its own. But when it is able to easily dispatch three Klingon Battle Cruisers, And then we're told it is on a heading directly towards Earth, and we later learn that it is over 2 [=AUs=] [[note]]Astronomical Units, the distance between Earth and the Sun, 2 [=AUs=] would equal over 185 million miles.[[/note]] in diameter.