History Main / SignsOfTheEndTimes

* ''Creator/JohnHodgman's Literature/ThatIsAll is ''dedicated'' to making this trope as weird as possible. Ray Kurzweil acquiring a kayboard arm (not the kind you're thinking of), the Blood Wave and the Rise of [[EldritchAbomination The Ancient and Unspeakable Ones]] are all signs of the Apocalypse.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' Sourcebook ''Elder Evils'' has this all over the place - book introduces nine [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] whose appearance is proceeded by the signs of upcoming apocalypse. They're even divided in generic and monster-specific signs.

* ''WebOriginal/SCPFoundation'': The Burning of the Wanderer's Library is generally considered the worst that can happen. Wether it actually is literally leading to the end of the world or is more just a shit hit the fan indicator varies.

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* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has the ringing of the bell of the last Christian church. During the unification of Terra, the man who would later become the GodEmperor of man set out to purge anything that would challenge his vision of a secularist science-based mankind. Among those things is the last Christian church, maintained by a single elderly preacher. The Emperor, under a disguise, attempts to peacefully convert the priest. After getting utterly defeated in the ensuing philosophical debate, the Emperor storms off and orders the church to be burned down. The bell of the church rings one last time, as it is prophesied to do when the end of man begins.

''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'': In "Gremlin Alert" the shadowy shroud enveloping London portends the End Times. What could be worse? According to Colonel K, it's the cancellation of the third test.

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''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse]]: In "Gremlin Alert" the shroud enveloping London portends the End Times. What could be worse? According to Colonel K, it's the cancellation of the third test.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has the ringing of the bell of the last Christian church. During the unification of Terra, the man who would later become the GodEmperor of man set out to purge anything that would challenge his vision of a secularist science-based mankind. Among those things is the last Christian church, maintained by a single elderly preacher. The Emperor, under a disguise, attempts to peacefully convert the priest. After getting utterly defeated in the ensuing philosophical debate, the Emperor storms off and orders the church to be burned down. The bell of the church rings one last time, as it is prophesied to do when the end of man begins. Being 40k, you know where this will lead to.

** The [[Literature/TheBible biblical]] ''Literature/BookOfRevelation'' is crammed with them from start to finish, including plagues, world wars, stars falling to earth, TheNumberOfTheBeast, DemonLordsAndArchdevils showing up... it would be easier to list the signs that ''don't'' appear. Unsurprisingly, this is one of the original TropeMakers if not the UrExample.

** Despite the occasional Christian groups claiming to know when the world will end, most Christians consider trying to predict the end times to be an exercise in futility, due to Jesus Himself being on record as "sighing deeply" and saying, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it." (Mark 8:12) In another verse, He explicitly states that the coming of The End will be a major surprise for everyone, that "concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36)"

How do we know that the EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is approaching? By the warning signs that precede it, of course. Whether TheStarsAreGoingOut or [[Literature/BookOfRevelation a beast with seven heads rises out of the ocean]], or just [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking dogs and cats lying together]], everyone knows that something bad is about to happen. It's a sign of the end.

* In the first season finale of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Mrs. Calender knows the Hellmouth is about to open based on locally occurring portents; a family's swimming pool begins to boil (with them in it), a cat gives birth to a litter of snakes and a baby is born with his eyes facing inward.

* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' runneth over with all kinds of approaching apocalypse signs. [[spoiler:Turns out, most of them are fake or just misinterpreted, even though Gehenna really is approaching fast.]]

* "Seven Swans" (the song, not the album) by SufjanStevens is rife with apocalyptic imagery:

-->There was thunder
-->There was lightning
-->Then the stars went out
-->And the moon fell from the sky
-->It rained mackerel
-->It rained trout
-->And the great day of wrath has come
-->And here's mud in your big red eye
-->The poker's in the fire
-->And the locusts take the sky

* In the "present" (23rd century) of ''PastwatchTheRedemptionOfChristopherColumbus'', the world has already gone through an apocalypse that has reduced the population to 700,000,000 people and necessitated great efforts to replenish the earth to what it formerly was. An example of this is what spurs those on the Columbus Project to make the decision to change the past and obliterate their entire post-Columbus history and those who existed in it in favor of repairing the past and creating [[spoiler:what turns out to be]] a better future. It turns out that despite their optimism and everything they've done, there are more people than the planet can support, North America is in the midst of a famine, crop production is going down, and no matter what is done, everything's going to go to shit, another Ice Age will come, and humanity will be plunged into the Stone Ages.

* This was a ''very'' popular trope in early VertigoComics. In ''Comicbook/TheSandman'', Doctor Destiny's hold over Dream's gem leads to a wave of cruelty, hallucinations, and general nightmares sweeping over the global consciousness as the fate of the Dreaming lies in the balance.

Not to be confused with SignOfTheApocalypse, a stock phrase used for humor.

* In ''7th Legion'', there is a prophesy about the signs that the Chosen, those who humans had left Earth long ago, were returning to reconquer it. The first was a night without darkness (the lights from the ships filling the sky). The second is a day without light (those same ships blot out the sun with their numbers). The final sign is the rain of fire (landing craft entering the atmosphere).