The effect comes from The Powerpuff Girls, the Cartoon Network series created by Craig McCracken that premiered in 1998, following Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup in Townsville. Laser vision and energy blasts are a signature part of their fights, so this beam sound became closely linked to the show's action scenes. As cartoon clips moved to video edits and soundboards online, fans kept reusing the zap for parodies and gaming moments, treating it as a longer, sustained pew pew effect with a distinctly nostalgic, Saturday-morning feel.