- Giles: “It was an earthquake, Buffy. A not uncommon occurrence in Southern California. No reason to think it was anything more.”
- Buffy: “Oh, I so have a reason. A darn good reason. The last time we had an earthquake, I died.”
- — on an earthquake in Sunnydale.[src]
Earthquake was the shaking of the surface of the Earth, with often mystical causes and consequences, despite a natural occurrence in places like Southern California[1] (including the cities of Sunnydale and Los Angeles). They had the tendency to either prevent an apocalypse, swallowing religious buildings whole or even imprisoning dangerous individuals; break an containment and freeing an individual; or act as portents, announcing prophecies or even apocalyptic commotions of the Hellmouth.
Notable Earthquakes
- 1812, Sunnydale. An earthquake caused a cave-in and swallowed the entire Sunnydale Mission building, trapping the Chumash vengeance spirit Hus.[2]
- 1932, Sunnydale. An earthquake swallowed the Temple of Proserpexa, preventing the followers of Proserpexa to destroy all life on Earth.[3]
- 1937, Sunnydale. An earthquake swallowed Order of Aurelius' church, entombing The Master.[4]
- 1890s, Budapest. The Whirlwind enjoyed the chaos of a recent earthquake.[5]
- 1997, Sunnydale. An earthquake announced the prophecy of Buffy's death and the Master's freedom.[6]
- 1999, Sunnydale. An earthquake presages an apocalyptic attempt by demons to reopen the Hellmouth.[1]
- 2002, Los Angeles. An earthquake announces the prophecy of Angel killing his own son.[7]