History Main / SpinTheEarthBackwards

* In one episode of ''Anime/FireBall'', Gedächtnis claims Drossel is powerful enough to reverse the rotation of the planet and turn back time.

[[folder:Fanfic]]
* In one chapter of ''The New Adventures of WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', Perry the Platypus is warned that Dr. Doofenshmirtz might be planning to reverse the rotation of the Earth to change history. Considering his overall incompetence and the fact that his previous attempts to manipulate the Earth's rotation failed to work out as planned, this scheme would be doomed to failure even if we put aside the fact that it makes no scientific sense.
* In ''Death to Invisobill'', a ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' fanfiction, Vlad Plasmius uses an army of beings flying in the opposite direction to the planet's rotation to stop time. This is only the first step in a plan to reverse Earth's rotation and erase certain characters from existence.
* In the [[Franchise/XMen X-Men]] fanfic, ''The Blood & Tears Progression'', Wade is disappointed that time travel does not involve reversing the Earth's rotation. Or even a [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture DeLorean]] for that matter.
* In ''A gentleman and a lady'', a ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars'' fanfic, Emily experiences a humiliating moment and runs away, "as fast as she could, hoping beyond hope that she could run fast enough to rotate the Earth backwards so she could go back in time."
* In ''The Scarlet Speedster'', a fanfic set in [[Franchise/TheDCU the DCU]], the villainous Professor Zoom tries to use his Super Speed to reverse the rotation of the Earth, sending the planet back to the beginning of time. His end goal is to remake the Earth in his image.

[[folder:Film]]
* The first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie is well-known (and well mocked) for including this toward the end of the movie. Superman flies around the earth at absurd speed, and somehow this seems reverse the earth's spin and turn back time. Fans have rightly pointed out for years that this makes ''no sense whatsoever''. (However, according to WordOfGod, the scene [[AllThereInTheManual was misunderstood]]: it wasn't this trope at all. Superman was actually flying so fast that he went ''faster than light'', thus going backwards in time as per the rules of special relativity. The earth's rotation reversed because, from Superman's (and the viewer's) perspective, time was flowing backwards and we were watching it in reverse. (Of course, if that was ''truly'' the original intent of the scene, he wouldn't have needed to ''fly around the earth in the other direction to get it turning the right way again.'' It's best to just apply the MST3KMantra to a comic book movie from TheSeventies, where the UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks was only just ending.)
** This was also in the original director's cut of ''Superman II''. [[note]]Apparently, Donner had originally intended the "going back in time/spinning the earth backwards" ending for ''Superman II'', but for whatever reason, used it to solve the dilemma of the first film. The reason that it was in the Director's Cut was that that there was no realistic way to film a new ending (and using Richard Lester's ending would defeat the purpose of Donner's director's cut.)[[/note]]
** In a series of advertisements with Superman and Jerry Seinfeld hanging out together, Superman suggested doing this to keep Jerry's stereo from being destroyed by a mugger. Jerry asked him not to, saying that doing that seems to take the meaning out of everything they do together.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* Calvin of ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' did this as part of a Stupendous Man fantasy once, striking the Earth at a low angle to turn it backwards a full rotation so it'd be Saturday instead of Sunday, [[MundaneUtility thereby giving himself an extra day to shirk off his homework.]]
[[/folder]]

* The first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie is well-known (and well mocked) for including this toward the end of the movie. Superman flies around the earth at absurd speed, and somehow this seems reverse the earth's spin and turn back time. Fans have rightly pointed out for years that this makes ''no sense whatsoever''. (However, according to WordOfGod, the scene [[AllThereInTheManual was misunderstood]]: it wasn't this trope at all. Superman was actually flying so fast that he went ''faster than light'', thus going backwards in time as per the rules of special relativity. The earth's rotation reversed because, from Superman's (and the viewer's) perspective, time was flowing backwards and we were watching it in reverse. Of course, if that was ''truly'' the original intent of the scene, he wouldn't have needed to ''fly around the earth in the other direction to get it turning the right way again.'' It's best to just apply the MST3KMantra to a comic book movie from TheSeventies, where the UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks was only just ending.)

* Superman does this to.stop a missile hitting Gotham City in ''Theatre/HolyMusicalBatman'' and [[HurlItIntoTheSun Hurls It Into The Sun]].

** This was also in the original director's cut of ''Superman II''.
*** Meaning if Donner hadn't been fired, Superman would have used it [[Website/OverusedSciFiSillyScience twice in two movies.]]

* The first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie is well-known (and well mocked) for including this toward the end of the movie. Superman flies around the earth at absurd speed, and somehow this seems reverse the earth's spin and turn back time. Fans have rightly pointed out for years that this makes ''no sense whatsoever''. (However, according to WordOfGod, the scene [[AllThereInTheManual was misunderstood]]: it wasn't this trope at all. Superman was actually flying so fast that he went ''faster than light'', thus going backwards in time as per the rules of special relativity. The earth's rotation reversed because, from Superman's (and the viewer's) perspective, time was flowing backwards and we were watching it in reverse. Of course, if that was ''truly'' the original intent of the scene, he wouldn't have needed to ''fly around the earth in the other direction to get it turning the right way again.'' It's best to just apply the MST3KMantra to a comic book movie from TheSeventies, where the SilverAgeOfComicBooks was only just ending.)

* Spoofed in an episode ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad''. Upon learning that Hayley [[{{Elopment}} eloped]] with her boyfriend, Jeff, Stan angrily leaped into the sky and flew around the world to turn back time to the beginning of the episode. Turns out it was actually an ImagineSpot. Stan had actually hit his head when he leaped up. However, he believes he actually turned back time and that Francine is her own grandmother.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Fanfic ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

[[folder: Music]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Stan does this in an ImagineSpot in ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad''.

*** Meaning if Donner hadn't been fired, Superman would have used it [[OverusedSciFiSillyScience twice in two movies.]]

-->we sat on the frozen
-->school merry-go-round
-->slowly spinning under the
-->idea that if we turn
-->opposite of the Earth's rotation
-->we'll stop time and stare
-->at the stars, your hand
-->innocently and barely touching
-->my own, and the morning
-->will only come when we
-->decide the sun may rise

* The first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie is well-known (and well mocked) for including this toward the end of the movie. Superman flies around the earth at absurd speed, and somehow this seems reverse the earth's spin and turn back time. Fans have rightly pointed out for years that this makes ''no sense whatsoever''. However, according to WordOfGod, the scene [[AllThereInTheManual was misunderstood]]: it wasn't this trope at all. Superman was actually flying so fast that he went ''faster than light'', thus going backwards in time as per the rules of special relativity. The earth's rotation reversed because, from Superman's (and the viewer's) perspective, time was flowing backwards and we were watching it in reverse.

* "The Guardian," an episode of ''Series/{{Sliders}}'', has a slightly more plausible version of this trope. The main characters arrive on a parallel Earth that is spinning on its axis at a slightly different speed than in their original reality. Objective time is unchanged, of course, but the difference in the speed of rotation means that events on this Earth are "behind," so that it appears to be 1984, rather than 1996 (present day). For example, Quinn attends his father's funeral, which took place, from his perspective, in 1984.

* MightyMorphinPowerRangers had this a couple times, though since we see it from the perspective of the villains' base on the moon, it's unclear if the Earth rotating backwards is the cause of the time-reversal, or an effect. Though [[AWizardDidIt it was magically-induced]] both times, so...

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]
* In one episode of ''Anime/FireBall'', Gedächtnis claims Drossel is powerful enough to reverse the rotation of the planet and turn back time.

[[AC: Fanfic]]
* In one chapter of ''The New Adventures of WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', Perry the Platypus is warned that Dr. Doofenshmirtz might be planning to reverse the rotation of the Earth to change history. Considering his overall incompetence and the fact that his previous attempts to manipulate the Earth’s rotation failed to work out as planned, this scheme would be doomed to failure even if we put aside the fact that it makes no scientific sense.
* In ''Death to Invisobill'', a ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' fanfiction, Vlad Plasmius uses an army of beings flying in the opposite direction to the planet’s rotation to stop time. This is only the first step in a plan to reverse Earth’s rotation and erase certain characters from existence.
* In the [[Franchise/XMen X-Men]] fanfic, ''The Blood & Tears Progression'', Wade is disappointed that time travel does not involve reversing the Earth’s rotation. Or even a [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture DeLorean]] for that matter.
* In ''A gentleman and a lady'', a ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars'' fanfic, Emily experiences a humiliating moment and runs away, “as fast as she could, hoping beyond hope that she could run fast enough to rotate the Earth backwards so she could go back in time."

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC: Literature]]

-->opposite of the Earth’s rotation
-->we’ll stop time and stare
-->at the stars, your hand

* In ''When the World Stood Still'', by Johnston [=McCulley=], a war rages between the United States and Japan. Despite the possibility that peace can be brokered, the peace-hating commander of the American army, Captain Godwin, vows that, come sunrise, he will give his men the order to attack. Professor Selester decides to deal with the situation in the most straightforward way, by stopping the rotation of the Earth so that sunrise does not occur. He succeeds in stopping the planet’s rotation, which leads to great chaos.

* In the poem, "The Place Where Time Stands Still," by Eleanor Haley, the narrator attempts to slow down and stop the rotation of the Earth, so that it remains summer forever, and her daughters don’t have to grow up.
* The satirical essay, "Additional Questions Rep. Louie Gohmert Should Ask During Congressional Hearings," by Jeff Johnson, references this form of time travel. One of the important questions that should be addressed is whether Muslim people could band together and run in the opposite direction to the Earth’s rotation, reversing it and sending the planet back in time. It is suggested history could be changed by going back to the [[Main/TheSixties Sixties]] and influencing president JFK.
* In "Remarkable Incident in the Middle of Next Week: Anticipatively Communicated," a writer is upset that he is always falling behind, in all aspects of his life, including his work. He doesn't blame himself, however, but the world itself. He believes days pass by too quickly. As he puts it: "It is not my fault, but that of this ceaseless spinning orb of ours that will not give one a moment’s breathing time." He wishes the world would stop spinning so he could make up for falling behind and one day wakes up to find the planet has stopped spinning, making it perpetually night where he lives. The issue is eventually resolved, the Earth begins to rotate again and day follows night the way it should. [[spoiler: The whole adventure was probably just a dream, though.]]
* ''[[Literature/TheIncredibleWorldsOfWallyMcdoogle My Life as a Human Hairball]]'', by Bill Myers, features a story within a story that uses this form of time travel. In the short story, [=RetroRunt=], a supervillain, ties rockets to the planet and uses them to reverse Earth’s rotation, causing time to run backwards.

[[AC: Live-Action TV]]

* In one episode of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', the twins gain super powers by making a wish on a shooting star. After they find being superheroes is more trouble than it’s worth, they decide to reverse the rotation of the planet to go back in time to the point they made their wish. Unfortunately, they go too far into the past. [[spoiler:In the end, their adventures turn out to have probably [[AllJustADream been a dream]].]]
* "The Guardian," an episode of ''Series/{{Sliders}}'', has a slightly more plausible version of this trope. The main characters arrive on a parallel Earth that is spinning on its axis at a slightly different speed than in their original reality. Objective time is unchanged, of course, but the difference in the speed of rotation means that events on this Earth are "behind," so that it appears to be 1984, rather than 1996 (present day). For example, Quinn attends his father’s funeral, which took place, from his perspective, in 1984.

[[AC:Newspaper Comics]]

[[AC:Web Comics]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]
* In one of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'''s Quailman imagine spots, the villain plans to eliminate weekends by speeding up the rotation of the Earth. Quailman uses his machine to slow down the Earth's rotation to add a third day to the weekend, which he calls "Funday". Speeding up the Earth's rotation would have no effect on the number of days in a week (unless you define a week 1/52 of a year, in which case it would ''increase'' the number of days per week, because it would make the days shorter without affecting the year). Maybe Doug fell asleep through astronomy class.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/AlmostNakedAnimals'', Duck increases the rotation of the Earth, which causes time to speed up. As a result, everyone ages more rapidly. Eventually, Earth’s rotation is reversed, which turns back time.

* Depressingly subverted in a ''SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' comic in reference to the Superman example.

[[FridgeLogic ...wait,]] ''[[BigWhat WHAT?]]''

* In the [[Franchise/XMen X-Men]] fanfic, ''The Blood & Tears Progression'', Wade is disappointed that time travel does not involve reversing the Earth’s rotation. Or even a [[Film/BackToTheFuture DeLorean]] for that matter.

* Calvin of ''CalvinAndHobbes'' did this as part of a Stupendous Man fantasy once, striking the Earth at a low angle to turn it backwards a full rotation so it'd be Saturday instead of Sunday, [[MundaneUtility thereby giving himself an extra day to shirk off his homework.]]

* In the HGWells short story "The Man Who Could Work Miracles", the protagonist, Fotheringay, realizes that all of his wishes come true. To gain more time, he wishes that the Earth to stop rotating, which causes all objects on Earth being hurled off the ground without control, destroying everything. Fotheringay survives because he wished he'd land safe, and seeing the destruction, he commands a return to the time before he had his power.

* In one of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'''s Quailman imagine spots, the villain plans to eliminate weekends by speeding up the rotation of the Earth. Quailman uses his machine to slow down the Earth's rotation to add a third day to the weekend, which he calls "Funday". Ironically, speeding up the Earth's rotation would realistically ''increase'' the number of days in a week, because it would make the days shorter without affecting the year. Maybe Doug fell asleep through astronomy class.

* The satirical essay, "Additional Questions Rep. Louie Gohmert Should Ask During Congressional Hearings," by Jeff Johnson, references this form of time travel. One of the important questions that should be addressed is whether Muslim people could band together and run in the opposite direction to the Earth’s rotation, reversing it and sending the planet back in time. It is suggested history could be changed by going back to the sixties and influencing president JFK.
* In "Remarkable Incident in the Middle of Next Week: Anticipatively Communicated," a writer is upset that he is always falling behind, in all aspects of his life, including his work. He doesn't blame himself, however, but the world itself. He believes days pass by too quickly. As he puts it: "It is not my fault, but that of this ceaseless spinning orb of ours that will not give one a moment’s breathing time." He wishes the world would stop spinning so he could make up for falling behind and one day wakes up to find the planet has stopped spinning, making it perpetually night where he lives. The issue is eventually resolved, the Earth begins to rotate again and day follows night the way it should. [[spoiler: The whole adventure was probably just a dream, though]].
* ''[[Literature/TheIncredibleWorldsOfWallyMcdoogle My Life as a Human Hairball]]'', by Bill Myers, features a story within a story that uses this form of time travel. In the short story, RetroRunt, a supervillain, ties rockets to the planet and uses them to reverse Earth’s rotation, causing time to run backwards.

* In ''When the World Stood Still'', by Johnston McCulley, a war rages between the United States and Japan. Despite the possibility that peace can be brokered, the peace-hating commander of the American army, Captain Godwin, vows that, come sunrise, he will give his men the order to attack. Professor Selester decides to deal with the situation in the most straightforward way, by stopping the rotation of the Earth so that sunrise does not occur. He succeeds in stopping the planet’s rotation, which leads to great chaos.