History Main / TheConstant

** The same idea occurs with all the other series of StarTrek as well, with a character from a preceding series showing up in the first episode of the new series (Picard in ''DeepSpaceNine'', Quark in ''[[StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'', Spock in [[Film/StarTrek the reboot]]. ''{{Enterprise}}'' due to taking place earliest in the continuity used Zefram Cochrane from ''[[StarTrekFirstContact Star Trek: First Contact]]'').

* In the ''DoctorWho'' two-parter "Human Nature"/"Family of Blood", Timothy Latimer is the Constant, making a brief appearance as an old man in the present after having played a major role as a boy in 1913.
** A more significant example comes during the last episode of the new Series 5, [[spoiler: where events are put into place that makes Amy Pond the constant for the entire universe.]]

* In the movie ''[[Anime/{{ptitlei015gc004kw4}} Pokémon]] 4Ever'', the young woman Sammy meets is an old woman 40 years later when he meets her after a time trip.

* Robert Crumb's ''Mister Natural'' once had an immensely satisfying meditation in the desert. It starts when he arrives in a desolate spot, spreads out his blanket and assumes the lotus position. Some indeterminate time later, construction workers arrive to build a road past him. He remains transfixed even when junk thrown from passing cars bounces off his head. Eventually a small town grows up around him, and after what appears to be years of development he is finally noticed as a policeman brusquely orders him to move, he is blocking the traffic. (Apparently the managed to [[FridgeLogic build the sidewalk under him]].) The guru's only answer is a [[BrownNote slowly rising hum]] that after a few panels causes the officer to flee in panic as the buildings around them crumble into dust. Once the location is back to its original state (you know, apart from the fact that the "sand" now consists of pulverized concrete, glass and asphalt) Mr. Natural stops humming, gets to his feet, stretches and yawns, declares "That was a good one!", rolls up his blanket and wanders off.

* In ''{{Inception}}'', the folks who enter dreams carry a "totem", a small personal item that they alone know the exact size and weight of, to help them remember if they are in reality or dream state if need be. For instance, lead protagonist Dom carries a top that will spin endlessly in a dream, but topple in reality [[spoiler: or "reality".]]

* In {{Inception}}, the folks who enter dreams carry "totems", personal items that they alone know the exact size and weight of, to help them remember if they are in reality or dream state if need be. For instance, lead protagonist Dom carries a top that will spin endlessly in a dream, but topple in reality [[spoiler: or "reality".]]

* In {{Inception}}, the folks who enter dreams carry "totems", personal items that they alone know the exact size and weight of, to help them remember if they are in reality or dream state if need be. For instance, lead protagonist Dom carries a top that will spin endlessly in a dream, but topple in reality [[spolier: or "reality".]]

* In {{Inception}}, the folks who enter dreams carry "totems", personal items that they alone know the exact size and weight of, to help them remember if they are in reality or dream state if need be. For instance, lead protagonist Dom carries a top that will spin endlessly in a dream, but topple in reality.

* In ''[[~The Time Traveler's Wife~]]'', Claire generally serves as Henry's Constant as he jumps around in time.

* In ''[~The Time Traveler's Wife~]'', Claire generally serves as Henry's Constant as he jumps around in time.

* In ''The Time Traveler's Wife'', Claire generally serves as Henry's Constant as he jumps around in time.

* The American Flag in ''{{Ultimates}}''. The newly thawed out Captain America is despondent over how different things are. Technology has advanced massively, his high school friends, fiance and army buddies are in their 80s and modern morality is completely different than the 1940s. That is until Nick Fury points out the American flag over a cemetery and comments that one thing hasn't changed.

* The old Hermit in ACanticleForLiebowitz, though his immortality is never explained.

[[AC:Art]]\\
An American artist once released a poster with a series of pictures showing how a patch of land developed over a hundred years from open prairie into a busy city. Through it all one thing remained: A slowly growing tree.

*** The long version is according to the antagonist, who is clearly trying to distract the heroes form their quest. The literal meaning is clear: Look under the inscription.

* In ''DayOfTheTentacle'', the same house exists for over 400 years, from the days of the FoundingFahers to the future where the tentacles have taken over the world, although it's much more metallic in the future. Also, many objects in the house can be found in more than one time period. This is often used by the main characters to affect one or more future time periods. For example, since only inanimate objects can be passed through the [[OurTimeMachinesAreDifferent Chron-O-John]], the only way to send a hamster to Laverne in the future is to put it in the [[HumanPopsicle freezer]], which is still around 200 years from now. Apparently, no one has bothered to look inside in all this time.

* In the movie ''[[Anime/{{ptitlei015gc004kw4}} Pokémon]] 4Ever'', the young woman Sammy meets is an old woman 40 years later when he meets her after a time trip.