Ghostly apparitions emerged from within and swarmed playfully about the astonished onlookers. Belloq and his cohorts continued staring into the ark, saying, "It's beautiful!" Little did he know, these would be his last words. The spirits' appearances transformed from angelic beings into monstrous abominations known as The Angels of Death. Belloq, Toht and Dietrich's expressions turned from wonder to horror. Rooted to the spot with fear, the Nazis beheld a pillar of holy fire rising from the Ark and coalescing around Belloq before shooting bolts of fiery energy through the assembled soldiers, killing them. The Ark then turned its full and terrible wrath on the three men who had dared look inside: Colonel Herman Dietrich's head imploded, Major Arnold Ernst Toht's face melted off his skull and Belloq's entire body exploded. The Ark then swept the Nazis' remains into the air, then fire blasted them and the ark's lid into the sky. Once the fire receded, the lid returned to the ark and the apparitions vanished, leaving no trace of those who had beheld them. The captured Indy, witnessing energy beginning to come out of the Ark, had already realized beforehand what was about to happen. Warning Marion, they closed their eyes and looked away from the Ark, symbolically showing proper respect, and were spared from The Wrath of God.