History Main / ReimaginingTheArtifact

* DC recently brought back widely-hated FadSuper / CaptainEthnic Vibe, who was killed off in the 80's shortly after his debut. They've given him a less-ridiculous costume and removed the more offensive aspects of his origin (he's no longer a GangBanger who talks like AlPacino from ''{{Scarface}}'') to make him a more well-rounded character.

* In yet another example, ''[[WesternAnimation/YoungJustice Young Justice: Invasion]]'' looks to be doing a more serious, respectful take on Apache Chief and several other of the "[[CaptainEthnic Affirmative Action]]" Super Friends.

** According to his commentary in an ''UltimateSpiderMan'' collection, Bendis seemed to believe he was doing this with Venom when he was brought into that series. Their treatment of the CloneSaga is a more solid example.

* Despite the trope's naming similarity, Ron D. Moore's "re-imagined" ''[[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Battlestar Galactica]]'' is an example of a ContinuityReboot, not a "reimagining the artifact"--unless you consider the "artifact" as the entire original "Battlestar" series universe. Since Original Series creator Glen Larson still holds the movie rights for an Original Series franchise (and has worked for years to write and fund this venture), the "Battlestar" stories can also be viewed as AlternateUniverse material.

* Despite the trope's naming similarity, Ron D. Moore's ''[[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Battlestar Galactica]]'' is an example of a ContinuityReboot, not a "reimagining the artifact"--unless you consider the "artifact" as the entire original "Battlestar" series universe. Since Original Series creator Glen Larson still holds the movie rights for an Original Series franchise (and has worked for years to write and fund this venture), the "Battlestar" stories can also be viewed as AlternateUniverse material.

* Despite the trope's naming similarity, Ron D. Moore's ''[[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Battlestar Galactica]]'' is an example of a ContinuityReboot, not a "reimagining the artifact"--unless you consider the "artifact" as the entire original "Battlestar" series universe.

* Just about everything in the Ron Moore version of ''[[Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined Battlestar Galactica]]''.

* ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'' will be using the D-list and '''extremely''' [[http://www.cosplayisland.co.uk/files/costumes/6711/58102/CI_58102_1329485211.jpg 80's villain Magpie]] as a recurring character. Judging by the concept art released, she's been given a 21st century makeover so that she now resembles a flashy, modern pop starlet like LadyGaga rather than a retro glam rocker.

-->-- '''Thefourdotelipsis''', [[http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia]], on DarkHorseComics writer Randy Stradley (emphasis added)

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

* On ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', Dr. [=McCoy=]'s nickname "Bones" comes from the term "Sawbones", which was an old nickname for doctors. Since the term has fallen from the parlance, [[Film/StarTrek the 2009 film]] had Kirk call [=McCoy=] "Bones" because, in his introduction, he explains he's joining Starfleet because "The ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I've got left is my bones.".

* Many would argue that this is what BrianMichaelBendis has done with Marvel's lesser or dated 1970s characters like LukeCage and the first Comicbook/{{Spider-Woman}}.

** {{Krypto the Superdog}} has recently (by comic-book standards) been brought back... but to keep down the silly factor, he's sufficiently ill-tempered that he has to be kept in the Fortress of Solitude, and thus serves as a guard dog rather than as an NonHumanSidekick.
* DonRosa did tons of this in ''TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck''.

[[AC:FilmLiveAction]]

* Just about everything in the Ron Moore version of ''BattlestarGalactica''.

* ''{{Pathfinder}}'' had several bestiaries dedicated to re-imagining various monsters; in particular, "Misfit Monsters Redeemed" is purely this trope, as they chose the stupidest monsters from the Gygax era and attempted to make them ''work''.

* Similar to the above Apache Chief/Manitou Raven example, the campy characters original to the old ''SuperFriends'' show were re-imagined as the Ultimen and given a tragic arc in an episode of the DCAnimatedUniverse ''JusticeLeague'' series.
* The villians in the new {{ThunderCats}} series are named after each animal their based on, Lizards Jackals etc. Instead of them all being called "Mutants".

* The villians in the new {{ThunderCats}} series are named after each animal their based on, Lizards Jackles etc. Instead of them all being called "Mutants".

* Mortal Kombat's palette swapped, but otherwise identical ninjas were a running joke in the series. They were artifact of a time when limited sprites were able to fit on the hardware available, and so some needed to be reused. For Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and onwards they were all given a complete overhaul and unique looks.

->Stradleyism: The act of dismissing an element of canon altogether on grounds of it being "stupid", ''without taking the effort to do something interesting with it.''

* {{Pathfinder}} had several bestiaries dedicated to re-imagining various monsters; in particular, "Misfit Monsters Redeemed" is purely this trope, as they chose the stupidest monsters from the Gygax era and attempted to make them ''work''.

->"Stradleyism: The act of dismissing an element of canon altogether on grounds of it being "stupid", ''without taking the effort to do something interesting with it.''"

* Apache Chief, widely regarded as one of the lamest of the ''SuperFriends'', was readapted in 2002 by Joe Kelly into a much more interesting character, [[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Manitou_Raven Manitou Raven]].
* ''GrantMorrisonsBatman'' has a bunch of these, as part of his quest to make ''everything'' canon.
** GrantMorrison loves doing this: in his ''{{JLA}}'' run, he brought back such goofy stuff as Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}'s Silver Age imp sidekick Quisp in a way that fit the tone of the new title. And ''SevenSoldiers'' was a project whose entire remit was to take dated or underused old characters and reimagine them for today. ''AllStarSuperman'' is similarly almost nothing but Reimagining Artifacts from the 1960s and 1950s stories.

* Similar to the Apache Chief/Manitou Raven example, the campy characters original to the old ''SuperFriends'' show were reimagined as the Ultimen and given a tragic arc in an episode of the DCAU ''JusticeLeague'' series.

* Arguably this is the entire point of ''{{Planetary}}'', except when WarrenEllis is savaging superhero characters.
* Many would argue that this is what BrianMichaelBendis has done with Marvel's lesser or dated 1970s characters like LukeCage and the first Comicbook/{{Spider-Woman}}.
** According to his commentary in an ''UltimateSpiderMan'' collection, Bendis seemed to believe he was doing this with Venom when he was brought into that series. Their treatment of the CloneSaga is a more solid example.
* The ''DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'' novel ''Seeing I'' does this with the mind probe, re-using what is probably THE [[NarmCharm worst and funniest]] quote in the history of the show:
-->No, not the mind probe![[hottip:*:Delivered in a slightly alarmed manner. They probably weren't paying the actor very much.]]