History Main / ArcWelding

Compare CanonWelding, which ties together different series, and MidnightOnTheFiringLine, which retroactively ties a seemingly unrelated event into an existing StoryArc. See also MetaOrigin, PatchworkStory.

* A great many of the episodes of the '90s series of TheOuterLimits were retroactively revealed to take place in the same continuity. Those episodes which simply ''do not fit'', however, were simply left unmentioned.

Compare CanonWelding, which ties together different series, and MidnightOnTheFiringLine, which retroactively ties a seemingly unrelated event into an existing StoryArc. See also MetaOrigin.

* ''PokemonSpecial'' tends to do this. Both good guys and bad unexpectly show up in later arcs with [[XanatosGambit Xanatos Gambits]]ahoy, but FRLG and Emerald take the cake. FRLG was a result of all the previous arcs while Emerald was a direct consequence of FRLG.

* The {{Ravenloft} D&D setting's creators retroactively Arc Welded its first six adventures together into the Grand Conjuction story arc, using a Vistani prophecy as solder.

** PowerRangersInSpace revealed that [[BigBad Dark Specter]] was behind everything that happened in the series to that point. Combining the narratives of all the previous seasons ([[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Mighty Morphin]], [[PowerRangersZeo Zeo]], [[PowerRangersTurbo Turbo]], and PowerRangersInSpace into one greater arc.

* Interviews with the creative team behind ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' reveal that they were several episodes into production before they realized that they were working toward what became of the "Cadmus Arc" -- even though the final product appears seamless, with throw-away lines being ArcWelded into major clues. In particular, the penultimate episode's [[TheReveal Big Reveal]] [[spoiler: that Brainiac was possessing Luthor and influencing his actions]] was a last-minute decision, ArcWelding story elements that dated back to the previous ''Superman'' series.
** Similarly, the creators of the animated ''TeenTitans'' series waited until nearly the end of the first season to reveal the BigBad Slade's master plan ([[spoiler:turning Robin into his [[strike:[[HoYay catamite]]]] apprentice]]) because it took them that long to figure it out themselves.

* GeoffJohns has been doing this in the GreenLantern books, introducing an "emotional spectrum" that people can draw power from. The Green Lantern Corps fall square in the middle at green willpower; with red rage, orange avarice and yellow fear on one side and blue hope, indigo compassion, and violet love on the other. Not only are existing characters being tied into the spectrum (villainess Star Sapphire tapping into love energy, for example), but Johns is starting to establish whole rival corps for each (like yellow ring-wielder Sinestro starting his own Sinestro Corps of fear).

* ''PokemonSpecial'' tends to do this. Both good guys and bad unexpectly show up in later arcs with [[XanatosGambit Xanatos Gambits]]ahoy, but FLRG and Emerald take the cake. FLRG was a result of all the previous arcs while Emerald was a direct consequence of FLRG.
* Happened quite a lot in ''{{Fist of the North Star}}''. A few volumes after Kenshiro's TokenMotivationalNemesis Shin was killed off, it is revealed that the reason why he turned on Kenshiro in the first place was because Ken's stepbrother Jagi (a later villain) persuaded him too.

* KingsQuest: Dahlia, Hagatha, Mannanan, and Lolotte all appeared to be generic evil wizards and wicked witches. But then, we hear that the BigBad in KingsQuestV is the "brother" of Hagatha and Mannanan and looking for revenge. Then KingsQuestVI has a single, damning letter alluding to the "Brotherhood of the [[LegionOfDoom Black]] [[SecretSociety Cloak]]," who address one another as "brother" and "sister." The letter implicates ''at least three'' of the series villains as members...and could possibly implicate ''all of them'' as members. OhCrap. {{Fanon}}, especially the FanSequel and FanRemake games will ''cheerfully'' run with this theory.

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** In the most recent manga chapter as of this writing, it is revealed that ALL of Ichigo's major fights have been engineered by the BigBad.

Compare TheMoorcockEffect, which ties together different series, and MidnightOnTheFiringLine, which retroactively ties a seemingly unrelated event into an existing StoryArc. See also MetaOrigin.

* ''{{Oban Star-Racers}}'': [[spoiler:In the last episode, [[BigBad Canaletto]] gives Eva/Molly a HannibalLecture where he tells her that he's been causing every ContrivedCoincidence in her life that lead to her winning the ultimate prize, but turning down the position of Avatar so he can be freed.]]

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* The ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' novel ''Q & A'' has every Q-episode of ''TNG'' as being part of a long term plan to [[spoiler: prepare Picard for meeting the beings that sit in judgement over the universe, and convince them it's worth saving]]. Except "Q-Pid". That one he just did for the hell of it.

* The first three ''MetalGear'' games were mostly self-contained. ''MetalGearSolid2'' introduced [[AncientConspiracy The Patriots]], whose operatives [[spoiler:Revolver Ocelot and George Sears]] were largely responsible for the events of ''[[MetalGearSolid Solid]]''. ''MetalGearSolid3's'' place in the Patriots arc is not immediately apparent. ''MetalGearSolid4'' wrapped up the arc, and revealed that [=MGS3=] was [[spoiler:the Patriots' origin story.]]
** The bit about MGS3 was in the game itself, not tacked on by 4.