This alarm comes from Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2, the real-time strategy game released in 2000, where it warned players that a nuclear strike was on its way. As gameplay clips, edits and soundboards circulated online, the danger alarm became shorthand for impending doom beyond the game itself. It remains popular because the sound needs no explanation: one wail tells viewers something big, dangerous and irreversible is about to happen, which makes it perfect for jokes, fails and high-stakes gaming moments.