History Main / NowDoItAgainBackwards

* ''JonnyQuest'' TOS episode "The Invisible Monster'': Dr. Quest plans to destroy the title creature by reversing the process by which it was created.

* GreekMythology: In one myth, Apollo and Marsayas had a musical contest, with Apollo using a lyre and Marsayas a flute. The judges were unable to separate them, so [[JerkassGods Apollo]] [[MovingTheGoalposts demanded a rematch where they had to hold their instruments upside-down and sing while playing them]]. Naturally, Marsayas stood no chance.

* ''CourageTheCowardlyDog'': Going through a tornado reduces Old Lady Muriel to 3½ years old. The solution was for Courage to put her through a tornado going the opposite direction.

* Parodied in a ''DaisyOwl'' strip in which Cooper suggests that the cure for falling down the stairs is falling back up the stairs.

* GreekMythology: In one myth, Apollo and Marsayas had a musical contest, with Apollo using a lyre and Marsayas a flute. The judges were unable to seperate them, so [[JerkassGods Apollo]] [[MovingTheGoalposts demanded a rematch where they had to hold their instruments upside-down and sing while playing them]]. Naturally, Marsayas stood no chance.

* In early editions of ''DungeonsAndDragons'' some spells were reversible and casting the reverse of a spell could negate the normal version.

** "The Last Flight". During World War I a British Royal Flying Corps pilot passes through a strange looking cloud and ends up in 1959. He eventually figures out that he needs to pass through the cloud again to return to his own time and does so.

* In ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' episode 'The Odyssey of Flight 33', the plane flies into an [[NegativeSpaceWedgie effect]] that puts them into the Jurassic period. They return to the effect and instead end up 30 years before their own time. The episode ends with them low on fuel and heading for the effect once more.

-->-- ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', "Non Sequitur"

!Examples:selpmaxE

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' was likely the worst offender in this case. The initial example above was from the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Crossover", and the quote comes from the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "Non Sequitur". A list of all the occurrences of this trope in ''Franchise/StarTrek'' turned out to be longer than the Universe and collapsed into a black hole that we were only barely able to reverse by rewriting the list in reverse order, so let's just leave it at those two.
* An episode of the kids TV show ''SpaceCases'' featured Harlan Band (and the console that could inform the crew of the lethal radiation leak) becoming invisible after getting zapped by a discharge from the Christa's engine core (which only happened because he spilled juice on it). The obvious solution was to have him stand in the same place, have the ship's android pour ''more'' juice on the engine core, and, of course, ReverseThePolarity of the neutron flow.
* Annoyingly enough, the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "1969" (one of its most Trekish episodes ever, along with such gems as "Emancipation" and "Brief Candle"). Slightly subverted as they return to the future, not to the point in time from which they departed, and Cassandra has to send them back in time from there.
** Also done in "Ripple Effect" where to return the dozens of alternate SG-1's to their home dimensions, they repeat the event that started the whole mess, and send them back through the gate in reverse order of when they arrived.
** Also pops up in an episode of Atlantis, "The Daedalus Variations", where in order to get back to their own reality, Sheppard and the team have to fly the alternate reality Daedalus back through all the other parallel realities encountered during the episode in reverse order.
* In the episode of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', "The Locket," they fly into some mist where time flows differently, and they discover that hundreds of years have passed in the few hours they were in it. They don't seem to be able to get out until they... fly backwards out of it and this reverses time to right before they entered it.

* Subverted in an episode of ''BoyMeetsWorld''. An accident with a microwave oven throws Corey back to the 1950s, and a Wise Old Man tells him that to get back, he just needs to recreate the circumstances of the accident. There's just one problem, as Corey points out: there were no microwave ovens in the 1950s.[[note]] Which isn't quite true; the first commercial microwave was manufactured in 1947, and home versions went on sale in 1955.[[/note]] Luckily for Corey, it was AllJustADream.
* In ''TheTwilightZone'' episode 'The Odyssey of Flight 33', the plane flies into an [[NegativeSpaceWedgie effect]] that puts them into the Jurassic period. They return to the effect and instead end up 30 years before their own time. The episode ends with them low on fuel and heading for the effect once more.

* The [[ThatOneLevel infamous]] plasma corridor in {{R-type}} 3.

A subtrope of the ResetButton. Sometimes you can even deal with magical or even [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memory]] issues in much the same way-- by repeating the spell (or blow to the head) backwards.

* ''ThePowerpuffGirls'' #66, "Rain, Rain, Go Away," has a sea monster making everyone do a rain dance from a pop song that everyone (except Buttercup) likes that makes Townsville flooded. To make the flood recede, the girls play the recording of it backwards and blare it from two large speakers.

* TruthInTelevision (sort of): All speed records have to be achieved twice to be declared official - once to set the speed, and ''again'' in the direct opposite direction - this proves that it was an official speed, and not assisted by a tailwind or the such.

** When the Resurrection spell is spoken in reverse, it will cause a resurrected creature to return to dust. This was based on the Creator/HPLovecraft short novel "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward".

* It's the whole premise of ''Videogame/{{SpoilerAlert}}''. You literally play the game backwards, i.e. unkill both the enemies and the bosses, and uncollect the coins.

* ''WeeSing'' in the Big Rock Candy Mountains: After the characters perform "Follow Me," the Snoodle-doodles ask them to "do it all backwards, really fast!" They do it.

*** There is an alternate theory that those people didn't disappear, they simply remained in the present. Or, rather, were moved forward to the new present, while everyone asleep got stuck in the old present. Of course, without a plane, their outlook wasn't very good...

* Subverted in an episode of ''BoyMeetsWorld''. An accident with a microwave oven throws Corey back to the 1950s, and a Wise Old Man tells him that to get back, he just needs to recreate the circumstances of the accident. There's just one problem, as Corey points out: there were no microwave ovens in the 1950s. Luckily for Corey, it was AllJustADream.
** Actually there were. The first commericial microwave oven was manufactured in 1947, and a home version went on sale in 1955.

[[folder:Music Video Eodiv Cisum]]

[[folder: Real Life Efil Laer ]]
* Ultimate Example: Walk forwards. Now do the same thing in reverse. You're right where you started again, aren't you.
* RealLife Example: Sandia National Laboratories has come up with a way to ''[[http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/sunshine.html reverse combustion and turn carbon dioxide back into fuel]]''. Although plants can do this (concentrate and store solar energy for later use by turning carbon dioxide and water into glucose) without much effort it's a pretty big deal for humans to be able to do it artificially.
** This is called the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer-Tropsch_process Fischer-Tropsch process]] and has been known since the '20s. Engineering it to the point where it's efficient enough to be useful is the hard part. WWII Germany did employ it out of desperation.
** Humans actually ''can'' also do this as well (to a degree): it's called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis Gluconeogenesis]]. It's the reverse reaction of glycolysis, the first part of the process our bodies use to oxidize glucose, and is used when our blood sugar level is low.
** In fact, ''all'' chemical reactions can be run in exactly reverse (in a principle way - energy, entropy and other factors may be stacked sky-high against it so the equilibrium constant is gigantic - but it's still an equilibrium).
* TruthInTelevision (sort of): All speed records have to be achieved twice to be declared official - once to set the speed, and ''again'' in the direct opposite direction - this proves that it was an official speed, and not assisted by a tailwind or the such.
** Jokingly referred to on ''TopGear'', after Richard Hammond's high speed crash: Jeremy Clarkson remarks that it would have set the world record for the fastest car-accident... [[CatchPhrase in the world]]. Only he has to do it again the other way.
--->'''Hammond''': I don't want the record -- it's not one I want!
* The idea behind the alternative medicine of homeopathy might be described this way. The usual homeopathic remedy for a given symptom is to consume a substance which would normally ''cause'' the symptom, but in such extreme ''dilutions'' that the result is chemically identical to water.
** And thus will only really cure a mild thirst.

[[folder: Tabletop RPG GPR Potelbat ]]
* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' spells.
** When the Resurrection spell is spoken in reverse, it will cause a resurrected creature to return to dust. This was based on the Creator/HPLovecraft short novel "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward".
** Campaign ''Shadows of Yog-Sothoth'', adventure "The Rise of R'lyeh". If the spell that's being used to raise R'lyeh is cast in reverse, it will cause R'lyeh to sink again.
* In early editions of ''DungeonsAndDragons'' some spells were reversible and casting the reverse of a spell could negate the normal version.
** Flesh to Stone/Stone to Flesh
** Neutralize Poison/Poison
** Bless/Curse
** Light/Darkness
** There are also a few magical effects that will undo themselves if applied a second time, like the (cursed) Helm of Opposite Alignment (as long as you didn't start with an alignment that was neutral on either axis) or Belt of Masculinity/Femininity, although in those two cases the character would need to go find a new copy, as each item discharges and loses its magic when used.
** The Truenamer, [[GameBreakingBug if it were playable]], would have this mechanic for some of its Utterances (i.e., spells): you can say them backwards to achieve the opposite of the normal effect.

[[folder: Video Games Semag Oediv ]]
* The [[ThatOneLevel infamous]] plasma corridor in {{R-type}} 3.
* Averted in the computer game ''Out Of Order''. Playing the theme of The Town backwards renders it harmless, and reveals the hypnotic subliminal messages hidden within, but doesn't counteract the effect. To do that our hero has to swap out the hypno-tunes for his Three Frank Harlons album.
* In LucasArts' ''VideoGame/{{Loom}}'', many drafts can be reversed to achieve the opposite effect. For example, you can dye wool green, then un-dye it back to white.
* In the fourth chapter of ''TalesOfMonkeyIsland'', Guybrush has to follow a set of steps to prepare a Voodoo recipe called the "Feast of the senses", to feed La Esponja Grande and make it grow. In the next episode he has to follow similar steps but backwards to make the Esponja shrink, as Lechuck had stolen it and was using to steal the Voodoo energies of the Crossroads.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Link pulls the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time and travels seven years into the future. He eventually learns that he can go back to the present by putting the Master Sword back.
** Zelda games featuring the Four Sword follow a similar format: First, Link unwittingly draws the Four Sword, unleashing Vaati who had been [[SealedEvilInACan sealed within it]]. So Link has to tromp around the kingdom collecting trinkets in order to reach Vaati's sky palace so he can beat the crap out of him and stuff him back in the sword, which must be returned to its pedestal again.
* ''VideoGame/{{VVVVVV}}'' has a shiny trinket that you cannot access because of an InsurmountableWaistHighFence. To get to the other side, the player has to navigate through 6 different screens filled with spiky death... twice.
* The final game in the ''BitTrip'' saga, ''BIT.TRIP FLUX'', is basically ''BIT.TRIP BEAT'' played from right-to-left instead of left-to-right.
* [[ThatOneLevel Cold Hard Crash]] from ''Videogame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'' takes this concept UpToEleven to the point of almost cruelty. To get [[OneHundredPercentCompletion 100% completion]] of the game Crash must break every box in the current level he is in and collect a gem that only appears when he does so. To get all the boxes in this level you have to play through the first half without dying to activate and reach the death course, a difficult, checkpoint-free path covered in crusher traps and nitro mines, almost entirely on [[SlippySlideyIceWorld slippery ice]]. When you reach the end of the death course, you need to activate a switch and do the course BACKWARDS to get the new crate the switch spawns at the beginning of the level, at which point you take the platform back to the main level and complete it

[[folder: Web Animation Noitamina Bew ]]
* Parodied in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'', in [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/answer9.html Marzipan's Answering Machine 9.2]]. Homestar mistakes "Go to Richway and pick up some Hefty bags" for "Go away and pick up sticks" for a breakup message. In an attempt to undo his response, he tries saying it backwards, but realises it doesn't work and ends up switching tapes with the machine.
** Also, in the Strong Bad Email "rock opera," Strong Bad starts the email by saying, "Checkin' email, and take it to the flip side! !edis pilf eht ot ti ekat dna ,liame 'nikcehC"
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[[folder: Web Comics Scimoc Bew ]]
* Parodied in a ''DaisyOwl'' strip in which Cooper suggests that the cure for falling down the stairs is falling back up the stairs.
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'', in the episode "NRAy Ray". (Everything is lovey-dovey, until Captain Hero realizes the house has been robbed. The animation then runs backwards for a short time to Start.)

* In the "Rock Zombies" arc of ''Runaways'' evil radio DJ Val Rhymin uses a magic-infused song to turn plastic surgery patients into zombies to take over Los Angeles. While the older kids confront Val on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl Molly decides to try playing the song backwards to change all of the zombies back to normal. It works.

* In the "Rock Zombies" arc of ''ComicBook/Runaways'' evil radio DJ Val Rhymin uses a magic-infused song to turn plastic surgery patients into zombies to take over Los Angeles. While the older kids confront Val on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl Molly decides to try playing the song backwards to change all of the zombies back to normal. It works.

* In the "Rock Zombies" arc of ''Comicbook/Runaways'' evil radio DJ Val Rhymin uses a magic-infused song to turn plastic surgery patients into zombies to take over Los Angeles. While the older kids confront Val on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl Molly decides to try playing the song backwards to change all of the zombies back to normal. It works.