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The Big Bang (1987) movie poster

Timeline

The Big Bang (1987) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1987 · 76 mins · French
Directed by
Picha
Starring
Alice Playten, Luis Rego, Richard Darbois, David L. Lander, Marshall Efron, Perrette Pradier

In 1995, Italy wipes out Libya, destroying Israel; Africa bombs Germany, which then attacks France; Luxembourg conquers England; Sweden, Monte Carlo and Switzerland immolate themselves; the Russians move to liquidate the United States, prompting America to unleash its nuclear fleet, leaving only two continents on the brink of World IV.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (14)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like The Big Bang
  5. 5 Every angle

14 events in order · contains spoilers

The Big Bang Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Big Bang (1987) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Accidental start of World War III in Sicily

    An assassination blast using a miniature nuclear device destroys Sicily, Italy. Italy misreads it as nuclear terrorism and retaliates, triggering a cascading confrontation around the world. The events unfold in 1995 as World War III begins.

    When
    1995
    Where
    Sicily, Italy
  2. Global retaliation spirals out of control

    Italy's misinterpretation sets off a domino effect: Libya is annihilated, Israel destroyed, Africa bombs Germany, Germany attacks France, Luxembourg bombs England, and Sweden destroys itself. This chain reaction rapidly drags the entire world into global warfare.

    When
    1995
  3. Northern nations merge into USSSR

    In the north, Americans and Russians escalate the conflict and unleash a colossal exchange, leaving two continents on the brink of World War IV. The two powers merge to form the USSSR, a hybrid superstate with a mutated strain of males. It begins developing weapons with universe-destroying potential.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    Northern Hemisphere (USSSR)
  4. Womankind retreats to Vaginia

    With the male powers in chaos, the women withdraw to their territory of Vaginia, living underground to survive the new order. The postwar map redraws itself around the survivors and their safe havens. The separation of the sexes defines the new geopolitical landscape.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    Vaginia
  5. Council appoints Fred Hero with a magical light bulb

    The Council of the Universe appoints Fred Hero, a retired superhero now working as a garbageman, to diplomatically calm the two nations. He is given a powerful light bulb that supposedly makes him invincible. He accepts the mission and heads toward the USSSR to broker peace.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    Council of the Universe
  6. Fred confronts Comrade-In-Chief and is dismissed

    Fred travels to the USSSR and tries to persuade the Comrade-In-Chief to discard all bombs. The Comrade regards Fred as a lunatic and signals guards to remove him. The encounter reveals the absurdity of the war and the human costs behind it.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    Comrade-In-Chief's Lair, USSSR
  7. Fred meets Liberty and falls in love

    During his mission, Fred encounters Liberty, the female mascot of the nation, and instantly falls for her. They escape the Comrade's lair together, beginning a romance that complicates his diplomatic task. The romance raises the personal stakes in the battle for peace.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    USSSR / Liberty's locale
  8. Liberty learns Fred is married and leaves

    Liberty discovers that Fred is married and is shocked by the revelation. She decides to return to the Comrade rather than join Fred in peace talks. The personal conflict deepens as political negotiations falter.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    Comrade's Lair / Liberty's location
  9. Fred seeks peace in Vaginia and meets Una

    Fred travels to Vaginia and meets Una, the multi-breasted leader. Una reveals a super-weapon called Big Mama, a spherical device designed to combine with The Big One and destroy the universe. The stakes of the negotiations grow ever higher.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    Vaginia
  10. Una demands a peace bargain for sex

    Una agrees to peace only if Fred and she have sex. Fred cannot satisfy her demands, leaving any chance for accord unresolved. The deadlock intensifies as the risk of annihilation looms over both nations.

    When
    1995-1996
    Where
    Vaginia
  11. Fred’s rage triggers the Fourth World War

    In a fit of rage over his love and the looming crisis, Fred unintentionally triggers the Fourth World War. The two nations resume their deadly arms race as the universe hangs in the balance. The conflict spirals toward a cataclysmic ending.

    When
    1996
    Where
    Global
  12. Liberty aboard The Big One; rescue to a tropical island

    Liberty is taken aboard The Big One, which rises into the sky. Fred rescues her and they retreat to a tropical island as the final battle unfolds above them. A tense reunion with Liberty fuels the desperate race to avert catastrophe.

    When
    Final phase
    Where
    Tropical island
  13. Conan affair revealed and island confrontation

    As armies clash, Fred's wife reveals she is seeing Conan. The final stand culminates in a climactic gathering on the island and the weapons collide, risking universal annihilation. God witnesses the moment but takes no action.

    When
    Final phase
    Where
    Tropical island
  14. Universe destroyed; afterlife begins in Heaven

    The collision of the two missiles destroys the universe. God, busy with his own affairs, takes no action as the cosmos ends. Fred and Liberty arrive in Heaven and begin a new life together on a solitary cloud.

    When
    Afterlife
    Where
    Heaven

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:38

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Timeline questions answered

The Big Bang Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Big Bang (1987): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

How does World War III start in the movie?

World War III begins by accident in 1995 when a hitman uses a miniature nuclear device during an assassination in Sicily, Italy. Italy misreads the blast as nuclear terrorism and retaliates against Libya, triggering a cascading series of retaliations that spiral into global warfare.

  • world war iii
  • nuclear war
  • sicily
  • assassination
  • world war iv
Q2

What is the USSSR and how did it form?

After the U.S. and Russia unleash a massive nuclear exchange, the two powers merge into a single superstate called the USSSR in the Northern Hemisphere. This hybrid nation has a mutated strain of males and develops weapons capable of destroying the entire universe.

  • usssr
  • superstate
  • russia
  • america
  • nuclear exchange
Q3

Why do all women retreat to Vaginia?

With the male powers in chaos after the nuclear exchanges, the women withdraw to their own territory called Vaginia, living underground to survive. This creates a new geopolitical landscape where the sexes are completely separated.

  • vaginia
  • women
  • underground
  • gender separation
Q4

Who is Fred Hero and why was he chosen for the mission?

Fred Hero is a retired superhero who now works as a garbageman. The Council of the Universe appoints him to diplomatically calm the tensions between the USSSR and Vaginia. He is given a powerful light bulb supposedly making him invincible.

  • fred hero
  • council of the universe
  • superhero
  • garbageman
  • light bulb
Q5

What are The Big One and Big Mama weapons?

The Big One is a phallic-shaped missile developed by the USSSR that the Comrade-in-Chief intends to use against Vaginia. Big Mama is Vaginia's spherical weapon with a crude feminine design, created to combine with The Big One and threaten the entire universe.

  • the big one
  • big mama
  • weapons
  • missile
  • universe destruction
Q6

Why does Liberty leave Fred after learning he's married?

After Fred escapes the Comrade-in-Chief's lair with Liberty, she discovers he is married. Shocked by this revelation, she decides to return to the Comrade-in-Chief rather than pursue a forbidden romance with a married man.

  • liberty
  • married
  • fred
  • romance
  • comrad e-in-chief
Q7

What does Una demand from Fred in exchange for peace?

Una, the multi-breasted leader of Vaginia, agrees to peace negotiations only if Fred agrees to have sex with her. Fred cannot capitulate to this demand, leaving any chance for accord unresolved.

  • una
  • peace bargain
  • sex
  • vaginia
  • negotiation failure
Q8

How does Fred unintentionally trigger the Fourth World War?

In a fit of rage over his failed romance with Liberty and the looming crisis, Fred's actions unintentionally spark the Fourth World War. The two nations resume their deadly arms race, pushing the universe toward cataclysm.

  • fourth world war
  • fred
  • rage
  • arms race
  • universe
Q9

How does the universe get destroyed in the end?

The Big One missile and Big Mama collide in a catastrophic event that destroys the entire universe. God witnesses the moment but remains detached and takes no action to prevent it.

  • universe destruction
  • big one
  • big mama
  • collision
  • god
Q10

What happens to Fred and Liberty after the universe ends?

After the universe is destroyed, Fred and Liberty arrive in Heaven together. They begin a new life on a solitary cloud, finding love again in the afterlife despite the complete annihilation of existence.

  • heaven
  • afterlife
  • fred
  • liberty
  • cloud
  • new life
Q11

What does the Comrade-in-Chief tell Fred about history?

The Comrade-in-Chief delivers a history lesson explaining how men lost their power after the war while women emerged from underground and began rebuilding. This explains the power dynamic between the USSSR and Vaginia.

  • comrade-in-chief
  • history lesson
  • men
  • women
  • power
Q12

What is the Conan affair that is revealed on the island?

During the final confrontation on the tropical island, Fred's wife reveals she is having an affair with Conan. This personal betrayal adds to the chaos as the weapons collide and the universe faces annihilation.

  • conan
  • affair
  • fred's wife
  • island
  • betrayal

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Big Bang, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Big Bang tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Satirical Apocalypse Movies like The Big Bang

World-ending stakes played for laughs in a politically charged, absurdist comedy. If you enjoyed the absurdist take on global annihilation in The Big Bang, you'll like these movies. This thread gathers films that blend political satire with farcical comedy, exploring heavy themes like nuclear war through a bizarre and whimsical lens.

  • absurd
  • satirical
  • chaotic
  • farcical
  • anxious
  • cynical
  • Tone: whimsical, cynical, satirical
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a frantic, often incompetent protagonist attempting to navigate or prevent a world-ending catastrophe triggered by political absurdity or societal madness. The plot is fast-paced and convoluted, weaving together global conflict, surreal characters, and a central thematic critique, all leading to a high-stakes, emotionally complex conclusion.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their unique tonal blend: they maintain a high-stakes, heavy emotional core (apocalypse, existential threat) but deliver it with a whimsical, fast-paced, and absurdly comedic tone. This creates a specific, jarring yet coherent viewing experience of laughing in the face of the void.

Movies with Cosmic Bittersweet Endings like The Big Bang

Stories where universal destruction leads to a strangely hopeful, detached conclusion. For viewers who appreciated the unique ending of The Big Bang, where total destruction is paired with a transcendent connection. This list features movies where apocalypses lead to ambiguous, bittersweet, or philosophically hopeful conclusions that redefine what an ending can be.

  • bittersweet
  • existential
  • melancholic
  • cosmic
  • apocalyptic
  • philosophical
  • Tone: bittersweet, melancholic, existential
  • Pacing: variable, building to climax
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The journey builds towards an unavoidable, large-scale catastrophe. The narrative's emotional arc, however, pivots at the end away from pure despair. Instead, it finds a sliver of meaning, love, or cosmic irony in the aftermath, offering a conclusion that is simultaneously sad for what was lost and sweet for what was ultimately gained or understood on a grander scale.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific emotional payoff. They all deliver a heavy, often apocalyptic narrative but conclude with a bittersweet or philosophically detached feeling. This pattern prioritizes a unique emotional mix where sadness is tempered by a strange sense of hope, acceptance, or cosmic irony.

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Movies Like The Big Bang

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Every angle

The Big Bang (1987) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Big Bang in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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