History Main / ShapeshifterModeLock

*** Although, now it's stated that the chameleon circuit is working properly. It analyzes a huge area of it's surrounding environment, extrapolates an inconspicuous form for it's exterior, then shifts that appearance to.....a phone box. Every time.

* "Yennorks" are ''Literature{{Discworld}}'' werewolves born with permanent mode-lock. Angua had a sister Elsa who was unable to turn into a wolf and her brother Andrei passes himself off as a sheepdog because of his inability to take human form. She makes it clear to Carrot that this doesn't make them a human and a wolf, they're both still werewolves, just werewolves unable to change.

* In ''Series/Misfits'' One of the Super-powered teens has some trouble after his [[GenderBender Gender bending power]] makes him stuck as a woman due to his[[TrulySingleParent Self-induced pregnancy]], lucky all is well by the end of the episode.

** ''Series/TheTransformers'' cartoon, specifically the episode "The Autobot Run," had the Transfixatron, a weapon that trapped most of the Autobots in their vehicle modes (all land-based, all unarmed), making them very vulnerable to the Decepticons. Later episodes would imply that Mode Lock could also be the result of heavy damage, and the Headmasters were automatically stuck in vehicle mode anytime their partners (who transformed into their heads) weren't around.

* In ''{{Prototype}}'', halfway through the game you are given a "cure" that mode locks your ability to shape shift your body into weapons. Oddly enough though you can still shape shift.

** In the ''DoctorWhoMagazine'' strip, shapeshifting companion Frobisher got stuck as a [[EverythingsBetterWithPenguins penguin]] for a while. Even before and after that, however, it was the form he most preferred.

* Between episodes 21 and 23 of ''{{Wakfu}}'', Adamaï, a young shapeshifting dragon, is stuck in Tofu form after being [[JustEatHim swallowed whole and then regurgitated]] by Igôle (a powerful beast reinforced by Xelor magic, which is what interfere with Adamaï's power). This is a case where the modelocked form is small and weak, Tofus being RidiculouslyCuteCritter birds.

* In ''{{Ys}} II'', Dalles traps you in Roo form, and you must go on a GuideDangIt FetchQuest to change back.

** Technically, before she met Tsukune, [[SwordInTheStone the only one who can safely remove her rosary]], she was mode-locked as her "outer" self.

* The ''{{World of Warcraft}}''-based series ''{{Chronicles of the Annoying Quest}}'' has Hana. Unlike other druids, Hana cannot shapeshift back from his cat form at will. This [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean shortcoming]] is a great source of annoyance to his fiancée, Kit.

* A memorable example in ''{{Lucifer}}'' came when the BigBad sent a shape shifting demon to kill Elaine. The demon in question killed her father and took his form to get close to her. [[spoiler:After Elaine escaped, the Big Bad decided to stop said demon from interfering by trapping it in that form permanently. It literally begged for death at the end, as the man's memories started to overwhelm it.]]

* "Yennorks" are ''{{Discworld}}'' werewolves born with permanent mode-lock. Angua had a sister Elsa who was unable to turn into a wolf and her brother Andrei passes himself off as a sheepdog because of his inability to take human form. She makes it clear to Carrot that this doesn't make them a human and a wolf, they're both still werewolves, just werewolves unable to change.

*** Shown with her father, in particular, who is slowly forgetting how to be human. Mentioned also that the human/reasoning side becomes less powerful the longer they're in Werewolf form, while the senses fade in human form.

* ''{{Lost}}'': Happened to The Man in Black twice. First, [[spoiler: after killing Jacob he got Mode Locked in [[IncrediblyLamePun Mode Locke]]]]. He could still change back to the [[spoiler:Smoke Monster form, but couldn't assume other human forms anymore]]. Then, [[spoiler: the removal of the Island's cork in the Finale took that ability away as well, Locking him in a mortal body as opposed to the invulnerable Smoke form, allowing the Heroes to kill him.]]

* In ''{{Exalted}}'', if a Lunar Exalted's [[BattleAura anima banner]] gets too intense, the Lunar will be Mode Locked to a handful of his most iconic forms.
* ''ArsMagica''. Using Muto Corporem spells is potentially dangerous. If a mage spends a month in the shape of an animal, they will start to act and think like that animal. Eventually they could lose their human personalities altogether.

* Ben in ''{{Ben 10}}'' has this happen to him a lot, since he's basically got a BlackBox [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum from outer space]] [[ClingyMacGuffin permanently attached to his wrist]]. Even leaving aside that when he uses it, it turns him into the alien he chooses (or the one ''it'' chooses instead) until the timer runs down, then turns him back human until it powers up again, there have been a number of Mode Lock incidents, generally involving a weaker alien such as Grey Matter or Ditto.

*** Its all a matter of perspective. Hulk would love to be mode-locked and never turn into Banner again. Banner would love to be free of the Hulk, but at this point [[GenreSavvy knows better]]. Both absolutely hate the idea of being mode-locked as the other.

* This is part and parcel of [[MagicAIsMagicA the rules of shape shifting]] in ''{{Animorphs}}''; stay in a morphed form too long (around 2 hours), and you'll get stuck in it (this is called ''nothlit''). Tobias gets stuck in red-tailed hawk form early in the series. He still manages to be useful to the team, though, and he eventually gets the ability to become human again, although the hawk becomes his default form from that point on: If he stays human for longer than two hours, mode lock applies again and he loses his ability to morph at all.
** Besides the intervention of a RealityWarper (which is how Tobias got his ability to morph back), the only other known way to escape being a nothlit is if your animal form undergoes a natural metamorphosis. Once this happens (like when Cassie was stuck as a caterpillar but became a butterfly), your biological clock is reset and you have 2 more hours to change back.

* On ''{{Angel}}'', during the Pylea arc, Angel in the other dimension would get stuck in the "super" version of his vampireness. The whole demon would emerge, instead of him just vamping out whenever he wanted. He would be stuck as the ''Van-tal'' for a really long time, until he could calm down.
** Its heavily implied that the Van-tal demons were the original progenitors of the Vampire race. Which would mean that, by definition, vampires are themselves demons ''always'' mode-locked in a human body.

* In ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'', Amy the witch turned into a rat and couldn't turn back for 3 seasons. She was never really quite the same...

* Leader units in TransformersWarForCybertron get to inflict this on opponents as an ability, known as [[LethalJokeItem Disruption.]] In addition to causing damage, it forces anyone in robot mode into vechicle mode and vice versa, for a set period of time. This can be either pointless or deadly, given that the opponent has weapons in both forms but also can't access all of their abilties. A [[GlassCannon Scientist]] without his jet form will '''not''' last long.

** The original ''{{Transformers Generation 1}}'' comics introduced Nucleon late in the run, to [[MerchandiseDriven tie in with the toy line's introduction of the non-transforming Action Masters]]. Nucleon strengthens a Transformer immensely, but, among other nasty potential side effects, always renders them unable to transform. Understandably, [[PsychoSerum most users wind up wishing they'd never touched the stuff.]]
** The ''{{Transformers Generation 1}}'' cartoon, specifically the episode "The Autobot Run," had the Transfixatron, a weapon that trapped most of the Autobots in their vehicle modes (all land-based, all unarmed), making them very vulnerable to the Decepticons. Later episodes would imply that Mode Lock could also be the result of heavy damage, and the Headmasters were automatically stuck in vehicle mode anytime their partners (who transformed into their heads) weren't around.

** Don't forget the episode Forever Phantom, in which one of Jack's weapons zaps Danny and [[TheBlank Amorpho]], forcing the former to stay in his ghost form and the latter to stay in Danny's human form...even though Amorpho still manages to (with difficulty) shift a bit more before being cured. [[ItsALongStory It's a long story.]]

!!Examples

* Keiki from TheTwelveKingdoms is mode-locked in his beast form per orders of {{The Evil Prince}}ss Joei, as a part of her plan to usurp Youko's throne.

* Akko-chan, from {{Himitsu No Akko-chan}} usually had to use the mirror to switch back as well, causing problems when she would temporarily misplace it.

[[folder:Comics]]

* Willhelm Hauf wrote a story "Halif the Stork" where you need a formula to transform, but will forget it if you laugh.

* In the novel ''Prospero's Children'' by Jan Siegal, a sorceress with the ability to turn into a wolf would use her form to hunt humans for sport. One day she met a wizard who cursed her to remain in wolf form permanently until she could repent for her evil ways. After several years, she sought out the wizard so that she could show him that she had changed, but the wizard no longer had the power to change her back.

* In MalazanBookOfTheFallen Treach, the Tiger of Summer, a [[VoluntaryShapeshifter Soletaken]] [[PhysicalGod Ascendant]] is said to be stuck in his tiger form for at least last 500 years and becoming little more than crazed, mindless beast.

* Two examples from NetHack:

* In ElGoonishShive, Grace and her brothers could each shapeshift [[HalfHumanHybrid partially]] or [[{{Animorphism}} fully]] into whatever animal's DNA was thrown in with their human DNA. Since the brothers were a threat [[HeelFaceTurn at the time]], Grace hoped they wouldn't be able to turn back to normal if they were hit with Tedd's transformation gun. They dropped that plan when all it did to Grace was give her new forms she could shapeshift to.

* In the ''[[EarthseaTrilogy Earthsea]]'' books by UrsulaKLeGuin, wizards who spend too much time shapeshifted into animal forms can forget their humanity, especially when distracted by the animal's power of ''{{flight}}'' or ability to [[DolphinsDolphinsEverywhere freely range the oceans.]]

*** Seems to have happened to Kevin yet again in ''AlienForce'', since now he's part concrete, metal, diamond, and other stuff.

* Inverted in ''[[{{ptitleruava5by}} Dragon's Winter]]'' when Karadur is locked in his human form (he's a dragon shapechanger). Later in the novel, Hawk is also so locked. Her alternate shape should be [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin rather easy to guess]].

----

** This may be due to a recurring "you become what you do" theme that seems fairly consistent with regard to the Valar and Maiar. [[YMMV It may]] have something to do with why the Valar themselves increasingly become shut-ins on their own island as well, though the text does not explicitly state so. If so, the entire existence of the Valar and Maiar within Eä can be seen as a progressively restrictive [[ModeLock Mode Lock]] as time moves on.

** This may be due to a recurring "you become what you do" theme that seems fairly consistent with regard to the Valar and Maiar. This may have something to do with why the Valar themselves increasingly become shut-ins on their own island as well, though the text does not explicitly state so. If so, the entire existence of the Valar and Maiar within Eä can be seen as a progressively restrictive [[ModeLock]] as time moves on.

* In ''{{Visionaries}}'', the title characters are futuristic knights who can [[ShapeShifting transform]] into animals. During the episode "Lion Hunt", one of the Visionaries gets stuck in animal mode.
* An episode of ''TheMask: The Animated Series'' featured a gypsy fortune-teller that tricked Stanley into giving her the Mask which she then used to power another magic Mask that gives enormous powers. She then discards the Mask thinking it's now useless and Stanley puts it on... only The Mask is stuck in the form of a sterotypical Scot (complete with kilt). He then gradually obtains the rest of his forms (starting with the most useless ones, as The Mask himself lampshades).