Line #54 Main/ColorfulContrails


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4	[[quoteright:300:[[ComicBook/PowerPack https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/488234_ju8.png]]]]
5	[-[[caption-width-right:300:Normal people chase rainbows. Rainbows chase ''her''.]]-]
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10	Whenever something or someone moves at high-speed, especially when flying or running, there is a good chance a path of color will be left behind. Said path may be stylized with sparkles, fire, BattleAura, stripes, or even rainbows, for the sake of RuleOfCool.
11
12	A contrail is a physical presence of some kind being emitted by the engine of the motion as exhaust. In real life, contrails are the condensation of water exhaust products from burning jet fuel that mixes with other particulate exhaust products to form a cloud. You do not see it at ground level because the air temperatures are too warm for this to occur.
13
14	The defining principle here that would keep it from being a form of MotionBlur is that a blur is not physically there, but is supposed to be an optical illusion for depicting a LudicrousSpeed. This is a direct product of the cause of motion (such as jet engine exhaust) or is used to depict a power or ability that would cause such motion (like depicting a BarrierWarrior's force field as being used as a propellant) -- or when it cannot be determined if it is one or the other.
15
16	Compare BurningRubber, SpeedStripes, and SpeedEchoes. When applied to a bullet, see EveryBulletIsATracer; when applied to swords (or other melee weapons) see SwordLines.
17
18	Can be associated with RainbowsAndUnicorns if unicorns leave a trail of colors.
19
20	----
21	!!Examples:
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23
24	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25	* ''Manga/{{Akira}}'': In the film adaptation, the Capsules' bikes have trailing red and yellow taillights as they speed across the city.
26	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Characters leave a contrail behind them in the same color as their BattleAura. Additionally, the Kinto'un/Flying Nimbus cloud leaves behind a trail in the same color as its body.
27	* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'': Mages who fly often leave a contrail of their magic color behind them. In close-ups, you can see the contrails coming from just below their feet. This allows the audience to follow the action from distant shots.
28	* ''Manga/InitialD'': Cars leave trailing red taillights as they race down tracks on mountainous roads. These contrails are only left by the main cast and the opponents they race.
29	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
30	** ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'': In ''[[Recap/PokemonS1E40TheBattlingEeveeBrothers The Battling Eevee Brothers]]'', Mikey commands his Eevee to perform a Take Down attack, followed by a "rage tackle'' attack. The latter increases Eevee's speed such much that dashes of colored light trail in its wake.
31	** ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'': After Mewtwo destroys Giovanni’s complex in a fit of rage, he propels himself away through the sky, leaving a bright blue streak behind.
32	** ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesRubyAndSapphire'': In ''Come What May'', Jessie attaches a device to her Dustox that spews a trail of rainbow dust while the Pokemon is using Tackle (the device also gives Dustox's Poison Sting and Whirlwind attacks a seven-colored makeover).
33	* ''Manga/WanganMidnight'': Trailing red taillights are often left by the main cast during high speed races on the Wangan Highway. These are most often seen during moments of high speed and intensity.
34
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Comic Books]]
38	* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'':
39	** ''ComicBook/PowerPack'': Julie Power, also known as Lightspeed, leaves a [[RainbowLite three-colored]] rainbow trail behind her when she flies. Since the Power Kids are known for swapping powers occasionally, the same thing happens to her siblings if they have the lightspeed power.
40	** ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'': Karoline Dean leaves rainbow light as she flies, though hers has the full spectrum and the colors are blended. She and Julie Powers even suspend their fight to compliment each other's trails.
41	** ''ComicBook/XMen'': Cannonball can produce a biochemical reaction similar to a jet engine that allows him to fly. It's unique because the contrail obscures his body from the waist down.
42	* ''ComicBook/{{Starfire}}'' often has her hair glowing and trailing behind her when she reaches high flight speeds, making herself look like a shooting star from a distance. One comic actually suggests this is literally her hair stretching out, as she leaves it as a trail to allow herself to be tracked.
43	* {{Invoked\|Trope}} in ''ComicBook/JustImagineStanLeeCreatingTheDCUniverse'' for its alternate take on ComicBook/TheFlash. Rather than depicting the speedster with [[FastAsLightning a lightning bolt motif]], this version is made to resemble a prismatic flash of light, with an all-white costume and rainbow-colored tassels attached to her helmet, forming a bright rainbow streak as she zips along.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Fan Works]]
47	* ''Fanfic/ACertainMagicalFriendship'': ''Context_SHIFT'': In [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/287615/4/a-certain-magical-friendship-context-shift/assault-on-the-city-of-science-magicians-and-espers "Assault on the City of Science - magicians_AND_espers"]], Rainbow Dash is described as leaving a rainbow-coloured afterimage when moving in SuperSpeed.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
51	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTheAmericanRabbit'': Once Robert achieves a fast enough speed on his roller skates, he leaves a trail behind him in an American stars-and-stripes pattern, which transfers onto himself to become The American Rabbit superhero.
52	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'':
53	** [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls1 In the first movie]], human Rainbow Dash leaves a rainbow-colored trail just like her pony counterpart after she gains wings through the MagicalGirl transformation and starts flying.
54	** From ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsLegendOfEverfree Legend of Everfree]]'' onward, Rainbow Dash gains SuperSpeed and leaves the rainbow-colored trail behind her when running.
55	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', a red trail is seen behind Mei along with SpeedStripes just before she rams into her mother during the climax.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
59	* ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'': In the final scene, after the alien ship takes off, it abruptly accelerates, leaving a literal rainbow contrail.
60	* ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': While not “colorful”, the Battle of the Department of Mysteries features smoky trails left by Appariting combatants; black for the Death Eaters and white for the Order of the Phoenix.
61	* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
62	** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'': Pietro Maximoff leaves a blue-white trail as he moves at lightning-fast speeds.
63	** ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'': Wanda Maximoff first displays magic-propelled levitation here, with trails of red streaming from her hands.
64	* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'': Parodied when Spaceball One goes to LudicrousSpeed and leaves a ''plaid'' contrail.
65	* ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'': The newly-refit ''Enterprise'' produces a spectacular rainbow contrail effect when entering warp drive. This was toned down quite a bit in subsequent films.
66	* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Space ships leave a subtle streak behind when entering or exiting [[FasterThanLightTravel hyperspace]]. From the perspective of the ship itself, the stars appear to stretch into lines instead of tiny dots of light.
67	* ''Film/{{Tron}}'':
68	** Light cycles leave a [[HardLight solid wall of light]] in their wake, as they are used in [[ShowWithinAShow a game]] where the goal is to make the other racer(s) crash into the opposite wall.
69	** Continued in ''Film/TronLegacy'', although the light walls are now three-dimensional and can be curved or leave the ground. And they're not limited to light cycles, but also part of a dogfight between light planes and a light bomber.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Literature]]
73	* ''Literature/HarryPotter''
74	** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'': On his first trip to Diagon Alley, Harry tries many wands in Garrick Ollivander’s shop before finding the one that suits him best. When he waves his perfect match for the first time, a trail of red and gold sparks shoots out of the end (a subtle allusion to his future placement in Gryffindor House at Hogwarts).
75	** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': Hagrid’s flying motorcycle has been upgraded by Arthur Weasly with several combat-style enhancements. One of these includes a “dragonfire” accelerator, which causes blue-white flames to burst from the exhaust as the bike is propelled through the air.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
79	* ''Series/{{Automan}}'': Automan's superfast car leaves a blue streak behind it.
80	* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Speedsters give off lightning trails when they run. These may be differently-colored in order to indicate certain conditions or to differentiate speedsters in the same scene:
81	** Barry Allen, Jesse Quick, Wally West, and Jay Garrick have yellow lightning, indicating a pure speed force connection (though Barry and Jay have a reddish tint to theirs).
82	** Reverse Flash [[spoiler:and Nora West-Allen]] have red lightning [[spoiler:under the effects of the Negative Speed Force]].
83	** Blue lightning is an indicator of the speedster using Velocity X serum.
84	** Savitar and Godspeed have white lightning, indicating incredible, unnatural speed.
85	** Accelerated Man and Iris (when temporarily given Barry's powers in Season 4) have violet lightning, [[spoiler: which becomes an early clue that the "Mystery Girl" with purple and yellow lightning is Barry and Iris's daughter]].
86	* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': In "The Second Coming", Hiro meets his "archnemesis" Daphne, who is a speedster. He stops time, then follows the motion blur streak which exists InUniverse to where she's stopped -- and then she moves! She's moving ''so fast'' that even with time standing still she can travel at (what appears to be) normal speed.
87	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
88	** ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'': Each hero leaves a vertical trail of the same color as their costume when teleporting (an effect common to most, if not all, iterations of the franchise).
89	** ''Series/ChourikiSentaiOhranger''[=/=]''Series/PowerRangersZeo'': The Ohblocker robos/Super Zeozords take off into the skies after winning their first battle, each one leaving a contrail matching their color scheme.
90	* ''Series/{{Smallville}}''
91	** Metropolis' anonymous hero (Clark) is called "The Red and Blue Blur" (or just "The Blur" for short) because all anyone can see is Clark's trademark red and blue clothing zip by as he performs heroic acts.
92	** In the episode where Clark meets the ''Smallville'' version of the Flash, they have a race where the Flash looks like a blur to Clark.
93	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': Starships leave a streak when they go to [[FasterThanLightTravel warp speed]]. From the perspective of the starship itself, the stars appear to be elongated streaks separated into different wavelengths of light.
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Toys]]
97	* ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}'': In an animation featuring the Phantoka, the Toa and Makuta are distinguished by the light and dark contrails they leave behind respectively.
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Video Games]]
101	* ''VideoGame/{{Battlerite}}'': Characters who are hit with Zander's [[ForcedTransformation Sheep Trick]] while hasted gain a rainbow trail behind them as they move.
102	* ''VideoGame/BitTrip'': [=CommanderVideo=] often has a yellow-orange-blue-pink-purple rainbow behind him when he moves. [[http://img02.deviantart.net/561c/i/2012/081/4/e/commander_video_by_kna-d4tkhgk.png Like so.]]
103	* ''VideoGame/CastleCrashers'': The player characters reach the Evil Wizard's castle after an enemy gauntlet only for it to launch into the air. The heroes respond by... doing the exact same thing, launching off of the ground with their magic and flying to catch up with the airborne castle, with a colorful trail behind them, even colored after each character's magic element.
104	* ''VideoGame/{{Elsword}}'': As Eve airdashes, her drones (which aid her in doing so) emit a blue streak (or pink in [[SuperMode Awakening Mode]]).
105	* ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'': In Pangu Lagoon, when Lilac passes through the Time Gates, her Dragon Boost becomes super-charged, greatly increasing its power. When she uses the super-charged Dragon Boost, a blue trail appears behind her. Blue trail also appears when she [[spoiler:inflicts the ExtremeMeleeRevenge on Lord Brevon for [[BigSisterInstinct hurting Milla]] after the final fight with multiple Dragon Boosts, with the last one creating the trail.]]
106	* ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'': Small ships like fighters leave a trail behind them that not only looks cool but also helps the player see them when the camera is zoomed out.
107	* ''VideoGame/HyperLightDrifter'': A [[VideoGameDashing dash move]] leaves a red streak and SpeedEchoes in the Drifter's wake.
108	* ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'': The F-Laser weapon shoots out a controllable drone that leaves behind trails of light. The trails can deal damage to enemies as much as the drone itself does.
109	* ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'': Whenever a character dashes, faint contrails of their primary colors as they dash (blue for X without the Neutral Armor, red for Zero or X's Icarus Armor, black for Axl, etc.). This also applies when performing a dashing wall kick.
110	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Ho-Oh's designation is literally the "Rainbow Pokémon", and some versions of the Pokédex claim that a rainbow forms behind it as it flies.
111	* ''VideoGame/RocketLeague'': The customization feature allows you to change the type of boost and trails you leave behind to you liking, in a variety of colors. This means you can have a car propelled by a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izh74RIr650 literal bassline]] and leaving behind a trail of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsYp4icY3KQ cloud and stars]] inspired by ''Anime/DragonBallZ''.
112	* In ''VideoGame/{{Rodina}}'', Xeno Scouts leave behind themselves a trail of green smoke which helps the player in spotting them from large distances. By holding the "clutch" button, the player's ship can similarly emit a lime trail which helps indicate the ship's direction of motion, which is not necessarily the same one it's facing.
113	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
114	** In the 3D games, characters will, under certain circumstances, leave behind a color-coded trail of light. Sometimes, it fits the color of the character. Other times, like with Shadow's orange trail, it doesn't.
115	** Various minor characters sometimes generate contrails as well. If the contrail is flat, horizontal, and ribbon-like, it usually means Sonic, or other playable characters, can run atop the contrail as if it was a long, solid platform and chase down the character generating the contrail. Examples include gargoyles in ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'', who leave yellow trails that Sonic can use to travel between segments in [[WorldInTheSky Levitated Ruin]]; and SQUID and WYVERN in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', with SQUID leaving a purple contrail from its body and WYVERN leaving a red contrail from its spines, both of which allow Sonic to run along them to catch up to and attack them while they're flying through the air.
116	* ''VideoGame/{{Speedrunners}}'' has colorful trails that appear behind your character when you reach high speeds as RevenueEnhancingDevices. You can create your own trails using the in-game editor and potentially have them put up for sale, earning a cut of the profits.
117	* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'': Sonic has a blue streak behind him when doing certain moves, such as a Homing Attack.
118	* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' has the Meowmere, a weapon whose {{Sword Beam}}s fire bouncing, meowing Nyan Cat projectiles that leave rainbows behind them, and the Meowmere Minecart, which basically lets you ride in Nyan Cat.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Web Animation]]
122	* ''WebAnimation/MysterySkullsAnimated'': Arthur leaves behind a brief trail of orange dust when running, while Vivi leaves blue, Mystery leaves red and Lewis leaves purple.
123	* The Website/YouTube {{meme\|ticMutation}} Nyan Cat is shown flying with a rainbow trail following it.
124	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':
125	** Ruby Rose has a speed Semblance that allows her to move extremely fast. Whenever she activates it, she leaves behind a highly styalised trail of red rose petals that then dissipate into the wind.
126	** Neon Katt zips around on a pair of rollerblades, leaving behind a colourful rainbow streak whenever she moves. She is inspired by the Nyan Cat meme.
127	** Harriet Bree has a speed Semblance that is lightning themed. Whenever she activates it, lightning arcs through her eyes and feet, and she leaves behind streaks of yellow lightning as she runs.
128	** In Volume 8, [[LegacyOfTheChosen Oscar]] begins unconsciously tapping into an ability that super-speed his strikes; it creates so many SpeedEchoes of his arm that they blur together into a green contrail effect. [[spoiler:It's sign of the scale of power inheritance Oscar has received from Ozpin, who used the same ability against Cinder in Volume 3.]]
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Webcomics]]
132	* ''Webcomics/CloseToYourHeart'': The knights can be seen from a distance by the colored trail of light they each leave behind as they fly.
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Western Animation]]
136	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bananaman}}'': The eponymous hero often has yellow trails behind him when he flies.
137	%%* ''WesternAnimation/BlazeAndTheMonsterMachines'': Blaze leaves one whenever he unleashes his "Blazing Speed". Anyone he shares it with will have one as well. %%Missing context: What Blaze leaves when unleashing Blazing Speed.
138	* ''WesternAnimation/MightyMouse'' leaves a red contrail in flight. Indeed, his most unusual power is the ability to manipulate that contrail like a flexible band of matter, usually to restrain an adversary.
139	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
140	** In general, certain pegasi, usually the fastest fliers, leave colorful contrails behind themselves as they fly. Rainbow Dash leaves a rainbow trail in the same colors as her mane, Lightning Dust has an orange-and-yellow lightning bolt the color of her mane on a green background the color of her coat, and the Wonderbolts trail thunderclouds.
141	** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E6PowerPonies Power Ponies]]": When Pinkie Pie/Filli-Second moves in SuperSpeed, she trails a pink-and-magenta streak superimposed with a white lightning bolt.
142	** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E25TwilightsKingdomPart1 Twilight's Kingdom]]": After Twilight temporarily [[spoiler:absorbs the other three princesses' magic]], she leaves a trail of white sparkles and indigo and purple stripes in the same color as her mane while flying.
143	** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E22WhatAboutDiscord What About Discord?]]": Discord leaves a plaid contrail behind himself when flying next to Rainbow Dash.
144	* ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls'': The three eponymous superheroines tend to leave a brightly colored trail matching their respective colors when they fly. Later episodes have people who develop similar powers leaving their own similarly colored trails, one episode having an empowered squirrel leaving an orange colored one. ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' subtly expands on this with the girls' new unique motifs involving shapes by adding them to their contrails. Blossom has squares, Bubbles has circles and Buttercup has triangles.
145	* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS2E4TotalRickall Total Rickall]]", the fantasy character Tinkles leaves a [[http://78.media.tumblr.com/ce488375d7550baea88c86866ef24499/tumblr_nut0p80DLo1uo0kxpo1_500.jpg rainbow colored trail]] while flying.
146	* ''WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies'': The show's version of ''The Tortoise and the Hare'' has Max Hare leave a blue streak when he runs.
147	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS23E22LisaGoesGaga Lisa Goes Gaga]]", instead of the typical black or white smoke, Lady Gaga’s personal train spews a full-on rainbow trail from its smokestack.
148	* ''WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa'': Giant Realistic Flying Tiger always leaves a rainbow trail behind her. In one episode, other characters follow Tiger's trail to find her.
149	* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': The Wings of Tinabi can carry the user into the sky, leaving a rainbow-colored trail of light behind it.
150	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ColorfulContrails