Kirby Dots - TV Tropes

"Right, the war. We've been at war with Apokolips since forever and then some. It's had its ups and downs, frankly. (...) Although, I have to admit it... that time also introduced those strange, glowing black dots upon which our society is built. Would you want to live upon a dotless New Genesis? Right, I didn't think you did..."

— Highfather, Mightygodking's Remix Comic of Death of the New Gods issue #1

• My Hero Academia: Momo Yaoyorozu's Quirk allows her to create objects out of her body. The creation process is shown with multiple-colored dots.

• Special mention goes to Kirby's renditions of God.
• Jack Kirby himself in the cover of Comic Book Comics #4 is holding drawing tools glowing with his signature crackle.
• Marvel Universe:
  • Galactus' Power Cosmic is represented with Kirby Crackle, having been first created by Kirby himself. In Silver Surfer (Vol. 8) #14, it's revealed the time-travelling Silver Surfer arbitrarily chose the Power Cosmic's signature to be red with black dots in the memory of his late wife Dawn Greenwood, whose clothing of choice was red with black dots.
  • Galactus' daughter Galacta reveals offhandedly on her Twitter account that mere humans cannot perceive the Power Cosmic where it affects reality and blank it out in their minds. She further lampshades that some people call the visual result "Kirby Dots".
  • The Spider-Man/Human Torch miniseries hangs a lampshade on this trope. In the second issue, Spider-Man and the Torch trade "beats" to see who has it toughest, and Spidey accompanies the rest of the F4 on a trip to Another Dimension.

    Spider-Man: AAAAH! Did you see that? The whole world went trippy! And those lights! And what's with the big black dots everywhere?

  • Iron Fist's trademark attack involves charging up his fist with red or golden energy. It just looks wrong whenever it is shown without the Kirby krackle.
  • New Mutants: Sunspot becomes solid black and is surrounded by Kirby Crackle when he powers up. (Originally — lately, it's dark blue and mostly dotless.) X-Men: Evolution, despite not being a particularly slavish adaptation, especially visually, rendered the dot effect perfectly, much better than you'd think it'd work onscreen. According to the Official Handbook, the dots are his powers affecting the dust around him and turning them black. But yeah, the dots are basically there to offset his otherwise monochromatic and boring design. Officially these particles are referred to In-Universe as "Kirbons" by Nimrod the Greater and the Leader.
• The DCU:
  • Infinite Crisis: Alexander Luthor Jr.'s powers tend to rely heavily on this. What they actually are is not elaborated on further than "dimensional abilities."
  • In the New 52, this style of energy seems to be visual shorthand for things that tie into Fourth World stuff, especially with O.M.A.C. and Earth 2's Al Pratt, characters whose powers are hinted at being consequences of New Gods tech. Perhaps only fitting, as it was Jack Kirby himself who originally created O.M.A.C., the Fourth World and the New Gods.
  • In Gotham City Garage, a green-and-white Kirby Krackle surrounds Big Barda every time she starts up her cosmic rod.
  • Supergirl:
    • The Kirby Crackle is often used in the Red Daughter of Krypton storyline, when Supergirl's eyes pour sheer red energy◊ or her Battle Aura flares up◊.
    • In Many Happy Returns, this effect is used when Supergirl is flying in the second-to-last-issue.
    • In Supergirl (1972) #2, masses of white and black dots are used to depict currents of sea foam when Supergirl swims.
    • In Young Love's second panel, masses of black dots are used to represent the space void.
    • In The Supergirl from Krypton (2004), Superman and Darkseid are surrounded by masses of orange and black dots while they fight on the surface of the Sun.
    • In Supergirl (1982) issue #21, these show up every time someone powers up, gives off energy or fires energy bolts.
    • Strangers at the Heart's Core: Ubiquitously used by artist Bob Brown. A dimensional rift has been opened? Masses of black energy dots crackle around the gap. A car is careening off the highway? Trails of black dots are left in its wake.
    • In Escape from the Phantom Zone, every time Magog swings his spear, the blade leaves a trail of glowing purple energy surrounded by crackling black dots.
    • In War World, masses of black dots are frequently used to represent nebulas and the space void.
  • 'Superman:
    • The Day the Cheering Stopped: In the cover illustrated by Eduardo Barreto, streams of large black dots burst out of the Sword of Superman to show off its power.
    • Superman/Masters of the Universe crossover "From Eternia— With Death!": When Skeletor strikes the gates of Castle Gresykull with the Power Sword, a pink flare erupts as Skeletor and Beastman are showered with a mass of black energy dots.
  • Shazam! (2012): Billy Batson's costume has Kirby Dots within his lightning bolt Chest Insignia.
  • In JLA Secret Files and Origins, there's a two page story of Zauriel showing the reader around the Watchtower's trophy room. One of the things he shows us — but doesn't explain — is a glass cylinder filled with dots, apparently created by a Professor Kirby.
  • In Legion of Super-Heroes storyline The Great Darkness Saga, swirling masses of black dots surround the Master of Darkness at all times, a subtle hint of his true identity: Jack Kirby's character Darkseid.
• Norby: In the Norby's Other Secret adaptation, black dots around Norby, showing that he's using his hyperspace teleportation, start showing up in chapter six. Anyone inside the "sphere" of bubbles is taken along with him.
• Doctor Who Expanded Universe: Marvel USA's reprints of Doctor Who Magazine's comics used these on the cover art.
• In Astro City, it's the signature energy of the Furst Family, the local Fantastic Four Expy. In one issue, it's referred to as "spheralicity."

• The Adventures of D & A: Kirby Dots show up around the electro-wrench in the third story, when Captain Tim hands it to Adam.

• This Silver Age style fanart of Mega Man X contains it as a deliberate homage.

• Wizards has these from time to time, most visible when Avatar shorts-out Necron 99 after the latter kills Elinore's father. It's very much in keeping with the movie's general worship of countercultural '60s Comics.
• Deliberately invoked in the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire, especially for the massive energy discharges of the mechanoid beast that guards the undersea passage to Atlantis. The director discusses their use and origin by name on the commentary track. Considering that famously Kirby-influenced Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame worked extensively on developing the art style, it's not surprising for those who know his work.
• The Emotions in Inside Out all have Kirby Crackle on their skin, which gives them a distinctive grainy texture.
• My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Legend of Everfree: As part of Gloriosa's transformation sequence, there is an effect of black-and-white energy dots rolling over her clothes and turning them into Gaea Everfree's supervillainess costume.
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse uses this extensively for its interdimensional portal effects. They are everywhere in scenes taking place when the super-collider is activated, especially in the climactic final battle.

• Marvel Cinematic Universe:
  • A rare live-action version of the Kirby Crackle appears in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) whenever the Infinity Gem is used.
  • Thor: Ragnarok, which was released during Kirby's centennial, uses the Crackle more blatantly. Most prominently in portals such as the one Hela first steps out of in her first appearance.
  • Eternals has its own take on Kirby Dots, showing the cosmic energy the titular race uses as being denoted by golden circular patterns.
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home's climax features giant purple cracks in the sky that heavily harken to the Crackle.

• Anthony Dry uses Kirby Dots around the edges of some of his Doctor Who Novelisations covers, as seen here◊.

• The Kerkhovians in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are living masses of Kirby Dots, existing in a crystalline dimension as glowing, formless beings composed only of spherical lava-lamp-like bulbs moving in and out of each other behind a bright particle effect.

• Done with the playfield art for Black Knight 2000.
• Appears in the Williams/Bally pinball game Firepower, along with one or two character faces that appear very Kirbyesque. As Jack Kirby isn't known to have been involved in any pinball game artwork, it's suspected that this was a case of plagarism.
• In Genie, the jinn's manifestation is accompanied by a swarm of Kirby Crackle.
• The cryogenic machine of Centigrade 37 is adorned with lots of Crackle and Power Glows.

• The Enclave of the Endlings in Sentinels of the Multiverse is one big love letter to Jack Kirby, so Kirby Dots are shown all over the place, most prominently on Venox, the Last Mubbloxian.
• Mutants & Masterminds: In Worlds of Freedom for the Freedom City setting, illustrations in the chapter on the Terminus use Kirby Crackle for the energy weapons in Shadivan Steelgrave's Powered Armour, Taarvon the Undying's shadow magic, an energy dumbell carried by Max Muscle, and the "wheels" of the Overriders' Hover Bikes. The Terminus is, of course, one massive Shout-Out to the New Gods.

• Étincelle: The Curse of the Black Opal 4D movie from Futuroscope: Heavily used as a reference to the comic-book medium. The Pillar of Light rising from the Eiffel Tower causes a vortex of Kirby dots in the sky, and then the same dots rolls over the whole city, transforming it from live-action to shaded 3D animation.

• As with every comics trope ever, the Freedom Force games feature this, most notably for the Energy-X that gave the characters their powers.
• The Power Flight travel power in Champions Online surrounded the character with black Kirby Crackle. There was also the Krackle Aura, whose description explicitly mentions Jack Kirby.
• Various powers and weapons in DC Universe Online, such as Hand Blasters, use Kirby Crackle.
• Shortly before it shut down, City of Heroes added an aura that greatly resembled Kirby Crackle, called "Dark Matter".
• PK Flash's animation in Earthbound 1994 and Mother 3 features a scattering of energy dots across the screen. When Ness had his particle effects updated to more faithfully reference his home game in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, PK Flash gained Kirby crackle in the transition to reflect the original scattered dots.
• In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Agent can acquire a set of Power Armor which grants a Battle Aura of 'bursting' colored dots. Smaller, darker dots hover at the edge of the main aura to suggest this trope.
• In homage to his creator, Darkseid's Omega Beams in Injustice 2 have a Kirby Crackle effect when they impact.
• In Tetris Effect, used in almost every stage as part of the particle effects that form some of the environments and entities.
• In Super Mario 3D Land, the Cosmic Clones coalesce out of kirby dots. (In Super Mario Galaxy 2 it's more like smoke.)

• Ben 10 has a bunch of Kirby Crackle against a green background during most of Ben's transformations. Also, the 0 in Ben 10 has a bunch of dots in the middle. This makes sense, as the series was influenced by comics. The main character's Embarrassing Middle Name? Benjamin Kirby Tennyson.
• An episode of Superman: The Animated Series had Superman attacked by an Apokolips war machine with animated Kirby Crackle on its front panel.
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold, being heavily inspired by the Silver Age, features Kirby Crackle in several background instances, including Blue Beetle's power-up sequence. It's also very noticeable in the highly Kirby-inspired episode "The Last Bat On Earth!", as well as in Omac's transformation sequence. ^note 
• Shego's energy powers exert this effect in Kim Possible.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
  • In the 2003 series, they did a tribute episode to Jack Kirby, Kirby Crackle and all.
  • Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also features Kirby Crackle, as early as the first episode.
• In The Super Hero Squad Show Ms. Marvel calls Galactus's energy attack a "Kirby Krackle".
• All over the place in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The Hulk once saw a commercial for Kirby Kibble dog food, containing "Kirby Dots of real beef".
• The short-lived Silver Surfer: The Animated Series combined this with CG rendering with inconsistent effectiveness.
• In Miraculous Ladybug, Cat Noir's Cataclysm is perhaps a reference to this trope, as it bares visual similarities.
• Minoriteam is rife with Kirby Dots, which makes sense since it is a Homage to Jack Kirby and comics in general.
• What If…? (2021) uses this effect in "What If... Ultron Won?" in the fight between Uatu the Watcher (a Kirby co-creation) and Ultron, and in "What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?" in the final battle between Ultron and the Guardians of the Multiverse.

• Sunspots appear on the surface of stars during periods of intense magnetic activity and appear as (wait for it) a series of dark overlapping dots. They may have been Jack Kirby's inspiration for this particular technique.