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When theBig Bad wants to flex his power, he shoves his hands into big (usually black) gloves with anupward thrusting motion, then makes an evil fist (although a clawed semi-fist, as if clutching something unseen, is sometimes also done). Putting on the gloves can be optional; the character can make this move even if they're already wearing the gloves. For extra points, we get a scrunchy-leathery-rubbery sound effect as the fist is clenched.
Pretty much aMad Scientist staple, but the fisted glove is also a trope of megalomaniacs in general, showing off their power.
Could also be anEvil Hand. When it's aMad Doctor performing it, it might also include aGlove Snap. When the heroes do it, it's aBicep-Polishing Gesture. CompareMilking the Giant Cow. Not related to aFist Pump. Not to be confused withGiant Hands of Doom. Also not to be confused with thePower Fist. Or theBlack Power Fist.
Examples of Gloved Fist of Doom include:
Anime andManga
- When Colonel Roy Mustang in the manga andBrotherhood anime version ofFullmetal Alchemistprepares to fake the killing of Maria Ross there is a scene of him putting on his trademark "ignition gloves" in the classic evil fashion, complete with a closeup of the flame transmutation circle.Subverted in that he only pretends to kill her to create cover for her escape, using a pile of meat transmuted into a fake carcass as a decoy Ross, and thus does not do anything evil.Not that Edknew that at the time.
- Sakura Haruno ofNaruto inverts the trope, usually with a niceGlove Snap to go with it. She's one of the good guys, but if she uses this gesture thenbeware.
Comic Books
- This is practically a prerequisite for anyone who puts on theInfinity Gauntlet, both villainand hero alike.
- Showing the "clawed semi-fist" variant, we seehere theGloved Fist ofDoom!!
Film
- The prototypicalMad Scientist, Rotwang,does this inMetropolis (though he never does quite close his fist; his hand was said to have been prosthetic). Possibly theUr Example andTrope Maker.
- Darth Vader does this so often he comes close to being theTrope Codifier. "If you only knew thepower of the Dark Side..." "Luke,join me..."
- For bonus Gloved Fist of Doom, there was a kids' EU novel titled "The Glove of Darth Vader" and it was about the eponymous glove as aMemento MacGuffin. Presumably the bad guy made this gesture some more after he found it.
- Actually, it reallywas anGloved fist of Doom. It burned and eventually drove whoever wore it insane. Naturally the bad guys wanted it anyway.
- For bonus Gloved Fist of Doom, there was a kids' EU novel titled "The Glove of Darth Vader" and it was about the eponymous glove as aMemento MacGuffin. Presumably the bad guy made this gesture some more after he found it.
- Street Fighter. General M. Bison (Raul Julia)clenches a gloved (red) fist in an upward motion as he exclaims, "Pax Bisonica!"
- He also does a double-fisted one when he shouts, "Game Over!". He was almost as fond of this move as Darth Vader.
- Boromir does this at least once while contemplating the power ofthe Ring.
- As does theWitch-King during the lead-up to his dramatic reveal inReturn of the King.
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. While in the Acme factory, Judge Doom pulls on a large rubber glove before putting aToon shoe in the Dip. (Watch it here, 4:00-5:20. He doesn't make the fist, but he does put it on menacingly.
- Of course, it is perfectly reasonable for the judge to don menacing gloves sinceit is revealed later that he is a toon himself and the glove is for his protection...
- Given the chemicals stated to be present in Dip, a normal human would get nasty chemical burns putting their hand in it as well, so this isn't exactly telling on Doom's part. Heck, even standing in the presence of the stuff would likely cause severe tissue damage to the linings of the lungs.
- Of course, it is perfectly reasonable for the judge to don menacing gloves sinceit is revealed later that he is a toon himself and the glove is for his protection...
- Syndrome does it inThe Incredibles, with asemi-closed fist [dead link] (reversing the trope withwhite gloves).
- Jaffar inAladdin makes the move - sans gloves - when he turns into a genie. "ULTIMATE COSMIC POWER!"
- Teaser footage forAvengers: Infinity War invariably ended on Thanos doing this with the Infinity Gauntlet.
Live-Action TV
- Gwendolyn Post, the evil Watcher, does this after putting on the magical power glove inBuffy the Vampire Slayer 'Revelations'.
Video Games
- Shockingly, Yuna does this in a moment of rebelliousness in Final Fantasy X-2.
- Magus inChrono Trigger adjusts his gloves like this while charging a spell. There is no discernible reason why he would need to do this, but damned if it doesn't look cool.
- Ansem / Xehanort's Heartless ends his "Darkness is the heart's true essence" speech in the firstKingdom Hearts with one of these.
- City of Heroes' first expansion--City of Villains--had boxart that featuredPresident Evil Lord Recluse in the open-fisted pose. Moreover,Nazi-inspired villain (andM. Bison-lookalike) Reichsman raises a gloved fistin the middle of a fight before punching the ground with enough force to knock outPlayer Characters'Hit Points andEndurance. Gloved Fist of Doom, indeed.
- Illidan Stormrage does this in the opening cinematic ofWarcraft III: The Frozen Throne. He's conjuring up a storm to summon minions from the bottom of the sea.
Web Original
- Doctor Steel does this near the beginning ofThe Dr. Steel Show,episode 2, and is sometimes depicted that way in his propaganda art andphotos.
- Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: Dr. Horrible does it at least once, at the end of the Sing-Along Blog,just before he enters the room to join the Evil League of Evil. Symbolically, they look just like Captain Hammer's gloves.
Western Animation
- G.I. Joe's Cobra Commander often does this.
- Dr. Drakken does this inKim Possible, often two-fisted.
Real Life
- Recent[when?] studies have shown that clenching one's fist in this manner does indeed increase one's sense of power and increase willpower. Especially if you're thinking evil thoughts while doing so. (see: Schubert, T.W., & Koole, S.L. (2009). The embodied self: Making a fist enhances men’s power-related self-conceptions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 828–834.)
- Benito Mussolini loved to do this gesture during speechesphoto
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