History Main / RecursiveCreators

* In the ''MarvelUniverse'', the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens Celestials]] created the Kree, who in turn created ComicBook/TheInhumans.

* The android girl (called synthetics) in ''Film/AlienResurrection'' is from a line of synthetics designed by synthetics rather than humans.

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* A ''SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' strip shows a couple of scientists coming to the conclusion that we are in a simulated reality. The last panel has a pair of alien scientists celebrating that our universe broke the record for how long it took a simulated reality to moon them.

* The Metal God from the forum game ''[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14676704340A65280400&page=1 We write the timeline for a fantasy/science fantasy/just plain weird world]]'' is a Bracewell probe (A self-replicating space probe that establishes peaceful contact with alien civilizations, uplifts primitive ones, and terraforms barren worlds to support life) from an unknown civilization of BenevolentPrecursors. Its nemesis, Gur, is a [[note:Green Goo:read "Organitek GreyGoo"]] Berserker (A self-replicating space probe that destroys alien civilizations).

* The Metal God from the forum game ''[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14676704340A65280400&page=1 We write the timeline for a fantasy/science fantasy/just plain weird world]]'' is a Bracewell probe (A self-replicating space probe that establishes peaceful contact with alien civilizations, uplifts primitive ones, and terraforms barren worlds to support life) from an unknown civilization of BenevolentPrecursors. Its nemesis, Gur, is a Green Goo (like GreyGoo but with OrganicTechnology instead of nanobots) Berserker (A self-replicating space probe that destroys alien civilizations).

* The Metal God from the forum game ''[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14676704340A65280400&page=1 We write the timeline for a fantasy/science fantasy/just plain weird world]]'' is a Bracewell probe (A self-replicating space probe that establishes peaceful contact with alien civilizations, uplifts primitive ones, and terraforms barren worlds to support life) from an unknown precursor civilization. Its nemesis, Gur, is a Green Goo (like GreyGoo but with OrganicTechnology instead of nanobots) Berserker (A self-replicating space probe that destroys alien civilizations).

* The Metal God from the forum game [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=14676704340A65280400&page=1 We write the timeline for a fantasy/science fantasy/just plain weird world]] is a Bracewell probe (A self-replicating space probe that establishes peaceful contact with alien civilizations, uplifts primitive ones, and terraforms barren worlds to support life) from an unknown precursor civilization. Its nemesis, Gur, is a Green Goo (like GreyGoo but with OrganicTechnology instead of nanobots) Berserker (A self-replicating space probe that destroys alien civilizations).

* [[MadScientist Doctor]] [[BigBad Jail Scaglietti]] of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'', creator of the various [[SuperSoldier Artificial Mages]] and Combat {{Cyborg}}s in the series, is eventually revealed to be an ArtificialHuman himself [[spoiler:[[GovernmentConspiracy who was created by the very founders of the]] [[TheFederation Time-Space Administration Bureau]]]]

* In StarControl2, the Slylandro Probe is a faultily-programmed self-replicating robot spaceship which will first greet your ship in a friendly manner... then try to break it up for parts to make more probes.

* In Creator/StephenBaxter's ''Manifold'' trilogy, this is a recurring theme. ''Literature/ManfoldTime'' and ''Literature/ManifoldSpace'' opens with Reid Malenfant giving a speech advocating that humanity colonize the galaxy using self-replicating terraforming scout starships; for the cost of just one ship, they can shoot it to Alpha Centuari where it will break up asteroids to build more scout ships to investigate and terraform promising solar systems. In ''Manifold Space'', the discovery of an asteroid in Jupiter orbit glowing in the infrared spectrum leads to the discovery that robotic terraformers are ''here'', though [[spoiler: it is later subverted in that the 'Gaijin' robots are merely a very exotic iron-based form of mechanical life]]

* Creator/StanislawLem's "constructors" (Mortal Engines ([[MortalEngines not that one]]), ''Literature/TheCyberiad'').

* The imaginatively-named Replicators of ''Series/StargateSG1''.

* In the backstory of the ''VideoGame/{{X}}-Universe'' series Earth built several fleets of self-replicating, artificially intelligent terraforming drones (sometimes described as "Von Neumann machines" in the literature and the opening cinematic of ''X3: Terran Conflict''). [[AIIsACrapshoot Things went pear-shaped]] due to a faulty (or deliberately sabotaged; [[DependingOnTheWriter reports vary]]) software update, most of Earth's colonies were destroyed, and Earth nearly so. The surviving bugged drones evolved into the games' Xenon, which seek to "[[ColonyDrop terraform]]" all biological life out of existence.

* ''{{Multiplicity}}'': Overworked guy creates clone to do his work for him. Overworked clone creates clone...

* Cylons in ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Classic}}.'' It didn't turn out well for them, either.

* In the ''MarvelUniverse'', the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens Celestials]] created the Kree, who in turn created TheInhumans.

* A later story arc in ''TheHistoryOfTheGalaxy'' series involves an invasion of known space by self-replicating machines created long ago by a race only starting to explore the galaxy as automated explorers and colony creators. Unfortunately, when the machines returned centuries later, the found newer machines. Since their programming included adaptability to external threats, they proceeded to destroy the newer machines and their creators. They made many copies of themselves and continue their primary task of exploration. However, if they meet an unknown race, they automatically treat it as an enemy.

* Acibek in ''DominicDeegan: Oracle For Hire'' created his replacement before his HeroicSacrifice.

* In ''CalvinAndHobbes'', Calvin's duplicate begins making his own duplicates. HilarityEnsues.

-> ''IHaveManyNames Von Neumann probes, self-replicating machines, terraformers, Xenon, even the Enemy of God. But at its core, it was really only one thing; artificial general intelligence, mechanical minds capable of making themselves even more intelligent, and then again, and again, recursively forever.''

-->--''[[Videogame/{{X}} X3: Terran Conflict]]''

-> ''[[IHaveManyNames Von Neumann probes, self-replicating machines, terraformers]], Xenon, even [[EnemyToAllLivingThings the enemy of god]]. But at its core, it was really only one thing; artificial general intelligence, mechanical minds capable of making themselves even more intelligent, and then again, and again, recursively forever.''

* In the backstory of the ''VideoGame/{{X}}-Universe'' series Earth built several fleets of self-replicating, artificially intelligent terraforming drones (sometimes described as "Von Neumann machines" in the literature and the opening cinematic of ''X3: Terran Conflict''). [[AIIsACrapshoot Things went pear-shaped]] due to a faulty (or deliberately sabotaged; [[DependingOnTheWriter reports vary]]) software update, most of Earth's colonies were destroyed, and Earth nearly so. The surviving bugged drones evolved into the games' Xenon, which seek to "terraform" all biological life out of existence.

* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'s'' Mozart Boids (robot birds) are this.

* The eponymous (and autonomous) spaceships of FredSaberhagen's ''Literature/{{Berserker}}'' series.