Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[The Saucepan Man]

The shadow about it reached out like two vast wings.

The wing-like shadow is obscuring the Balrog and preventing us from seeing its true shape.

Originally Posted by JRR Tolkien

... and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall ...

Ah, there we are! As it draws itself up to a great height (hmm, how high is great?), it flexes its actual wings and they are no longer obscured by the wing-like shadow.