History Main / GodGuise

A common way to invoke this trope is for the characters to run into a CargoCult, whereupon the less technologically advanced society mistakes them for deities. The subsequent plot requires either for the lead characters to convince the "primitive" culture that they are not actually deities, or else has them exploiting ignorance for their own ends. The trope may be used to set up AnAesop about lying/taking advantage of others.

* {{Christopher Moore}}'s ''{{Island of the Sequined Love Nun}}'' uses the WWII setup of {{Cargo Cult}}s. An American doctor and his beautiful but sick, greedy wife use the beliefs of the natives (who [[CargoCult worship the pilot Vincent and his plane the Sky Priestess]]) in order to [[spoiler:[[Squick harvest their organs]]]]. The main character is being used by Vincent to settle a bet Vincent made with [[spoiler: Jesus, Buddha, and Moses]].

* This is how the angels in HisDarkMaterials created the abrahamic religions. The first of them all convinced the ones that were born after that he was the supreme creator and being, and so [[GodIsEvil he came to rule them]]. Latter, when the rebel angels gave sentience to mankind and other races, all he had to do was to send his agents and see the awestruck people convert to his cause. The witches in Lyra's world worship deities based on our finnish mythology, but no indication about their nature is present. One of said witches does, however, kill the false gods a human tribe worshipped - [[PantheraAwesome tigers]].

* The Dennou Coil beard episode.

[[caption-width-right:300:"I am the God Ganesh! No, really!"]]

A God Guise is character pretending to be a supremely powerful being, or who is somehow mistaken for one. If the deception is intentional, this is almost always done to influence someone's actions. After all, who would dare to refuse a directive from a god?

[[caption-width-right:300:"Please do not offer my God a peanut."]]

A God Guise is the situation where a character pretends to be God (or some other supremely powerful being), or is somehow mistaken for one. If the deception is intentional, this is almost always done to influence someone else's actions; after all, who would dare to refuse a directive from the Almighty?

The God Guise can be carried out in a variety of ways, from a fancy costume with special effects, good use of a ConvenientEclipse, or an impressive display of SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology.

A common way to invoke this trope is for the characters to run into a CargoCult, whereupon the less technologically advanced society mistake them for deities. The subsequent plot frequently requires that the heroes convince the "primitive" culture that they (or their enemies) are not actually deities, or else exploit their ignorance for their own ends. May be used to set up AnAesop about lying/taking advantage of others, and often ends with a TorchesAndPitchforks moment once the natives figure things out.

A God Guise is the situation where a character pretends to be God or some other sufficiently-advanced being, or is somehow mistaken for one. If the deception is intentional, this is almost always done to influence someone else's actions; after all, who would dare to refuse a directive from the Almighty?

** Even earlier in the {{Transformers}} mythos, the G1 second-season episode 'The God Gambit' follows the second variant by having a tribe of RubberForeheadAliens on the moon Titan [[CargoCult worshipping a statue]] that looked vaguely Transformer-like, before actual Transformers crash-landed there.

* In Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'', the people of the Foundation provide prosperity to their neighbors while keeping them dependent on the Foundation. This is done by reducing the operation of technologically advanced equipment to rituals governed by a religion operated by the Foundation.

* Done with a ShoutOut to ''RealGenius'' in ''IncredibleHulk'' #384, when an inch-tall Hulk secretly perches on The Abomination's shoulder and pretends to be God to stop a kidnapping.

Also see ScamReligion, CargoCult, and EngineeredHeroics. Contrast with GodInHumanForm, GodForADay, and AGodAmI.

* ''Ringworld'' by LarryNiven. The main characters deliberately use their advanced technology to make the primitive inhabitants think they're deities -- a technique they call "the God Gambit".
** Unfortunately it backfires [[spoiler:because Louis can't keep a straight face.]]

* At the end of ''BeastWars'', the resident ChewToy Waspinator is shown being worshipped as a God by the protohumans.

* In the episode of ''TheSimpsons'' where Apu's married, Homer tried to put a stop to the wedding by dressing as Ganesha. No one is fooled (indeed, anyone with a passing familiarity with Hindu mythology would know he got the characterisation all wrong).
** In another episode, Bart plays with his Mr. Microphone by telling Rod and Todd next door (who were listening to the radio) that he's God, and tells Rod to walk through a wall which he will make vanish. So Rod walks into the wall.
** Lisa, in one Treehouse of Horror episode of ''TheSimpsons''. An accident with her science fair project creates a race of miniature people, who think she is God for stopping Bart destroying them.

The God Guise can be carried out in a variety of ways, from a fancy costume with special effects to an impressive display of SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology.

Also see ScamReligion, CargoCult, and EngineeredHeroics. Contrast with GodInHumanForm and AGodAmI.

Also see CargoCult and EngineeredHeroics. Contrast with GodInHumanForm and AGodAmI.