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12[[quoteright:250:[[Webcomic/SparklingGenerationValkyrieYuuki https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_supergb_2534.jpg]]]]
13[[caption-width-right:250:From an [[{{Muggle}} ordinary teen boy]] to MagicalGirl]]
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15A character [[GenderBender needs to undergo a complete physical sex change]], usually through magic or AppliedPhlebotinum, in order for them to access their powers. Typically, this motivates them to choose a sex transformation they wouldn't otherwise want. With many examples, the character [[SexShifter changes back to their original sex]] when their powers are dormant, especially if they're a HenshinHero. Others have powers that are always "on", which leaves them transformed persistently, [[{{Metamorphosis}} often permanently]].
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17This trope gives a new twist to the classic [[ClarkKenting secret identity]], as the character not only has to face [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility the responsibility of having great power]] but also the hardships of living as a new gender.
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19Might be used to deliver AnAesop about how being yourself is greatly empowering.
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21----
22!!Examples:
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24[[foldercontrol]]
25
26[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
27* Zig-zagged in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Matsuri's male-to-female transformation itself has no notable effect on his existing combat abilities--Reo's analysis showed a small DiscardAndDraw effect, but not one that was ever plot-relevant. However, because Matsuri's powers are [[SoulPower spiritual]] in nature, his mother finds a way to use his female ''identity'' as a bizarre form of mental training. Matsuri [[GenderBenderAngst dislikes being a girl]], so [[ThirdLawOfGenderBending doing feminine things]] causes him mental stress, and overcoming that makes him more powerful. Just by changing from {{fundoshi}} to girls' underwear and getting used to it, Matsuri is able to handily defeat an enemy as strong as a previous one that completely overwhelmed him.
28-->'''Matsuri''': I'm not a girl just for show!
29* An instance occurs in ''Anime/{{Bakugan}}'', which features [[spoiler:Masquerade]], who is really a gender-bent form of [[spoiler:Alice]]. It's an odd case, however, because it's also a case of a JekyllAndHyde scenario - [[spoiler:Alice]] is completely unaware of any actions she commits as [[spoiler:Masquerade]], and the two interact in [[spoiler:Alice's]] psyche numerous times, proving they have separate consciousnesses. Eventually, the two commune with one another, and [[spoiler:Masquerade]] fades away into [[spoiler:Alice's]] psyche, while the latter retains access to the former's Bakugan partner [[spoiler:Alpha Hydranoid]] and abilities.
30* An interesting variant in ''Manga/BirdyTheMighty''; where the protagonist doesn't really turn into a female superheroic version of himself, but is instead forced to be [[FusionDance fused]] with a female {{Human Alien|s}} superheroine after she accidentally destroyed his original body. As a result, the two actually are separate characters, but [[SharingABody share the same body]] and can switch between their respective appearance according to the situation.
31* In ''Manga/FushigiYuugiGenbuKaiden'', Rimudo has the ability to switch between male and female forms. He usually stays male, but his Celestial Guardian abilities are only available when he's in his female form.
32* Souji Mitsuka from ''Literature/GonnaBeTheTwinTail'' doesn't just change genders whenever he becomes Tail Red, he actually goes from a teenager to a prepubescent child, thus inverting the OlderAlterEgo trope.
33* In ''Literature/{{Kampfer}}'', Natsuru Senou was chosen to become a Kämpfer. Thanks to this, Natsuru gains great strength and fighting abilities. On the other hand, it's apparently a rule that Kämpfers can only be girls, so any boys that are chosen transform into girls when their powers activate.
34* ''Manga/LifeWithAnOrdinaryGuyWhoReincarnatedIntoATotalFantasyKnockout'': When Tachibana becomes a woman, his new form takes AttractiveBentGender [[CharmPerson to the point of being a literal superpower]], able to elicit marriage proposals from men just by standing there and, at one point, causing an entire gang of bandits to take ''themselves'' out due to fighting over him.
35* ''Manga/MagicalGirlKakeru'' is about a boy in middle school who accidentally gets MagicalGirlWarrior powers meant for his younger sister, which turn him female while in use, and becomes the youngest member of a magical girl team. In a twist, these abilities are powered by femininity, initially making Kakeru barely any stronger than when he was male. To be able help out, he has to spend long stretches of time still in female form, [[ThirdLawOfGenderBending dressing and acting like a girl]] under his teammates' tutelage.
36* ''Manga/MagicalGirlOre'' {{Gender Flip}}s the usual trend by making the heroine turn into a very toned man when she activates her powers, though one still in a [[FrillsOfJustice frilly pink mini dress]]. It's eventually revealed that other girls have made that same gender-bending contract, and her crush [[LovesMyAlterEgo falls in love]] with ''him'' during a RescueRomance.
37* ''Manga/MagicalTrans'' is about a ClubStub whose president invented [[SupernaturalPhone a phone app that transforms people into]] {{Magical Girl}}s, even boys like Minami. In a twist, the transformation gives Minami massively boosted physical abilities, but there is NoAntagonist to use them against (until Kaiserk shows up, and even [[HarmlessVillain she treats their "fights" as more of a hobby]]). He uses the app [[SecondLawOfGenderBending because he likes turning into a cute girl]], and even gets an option to [[WillfullyWeak turn off the superpowers]] so he doesn't use them by accident.
38* ''Mahou Shounen Majorian'' is about two boys given MagicalGirl powers by aliens. Their sexualities become pretty confused in short order. Especially since one of them thinks GirlsHaveCooties in response to being the [[ResentfulOutnumberedSibling only boy in a household of bossy older sisters]].
39* ''Ore to hero to Mahou Shoujo'' is about a man whose TransformationTrinket was supposed to turn him into a HenshinHero, but ended up turning him into a pint-sized MagicalGirlWarrior due to a mixup with a wand trinket. Later chapters show that the other trinket is in active use by a musclebound man in armor, causing the main cast to shudder at the thought of a little girl being his alter ego. [[spoiler:It was another man; the girl who needed the original trinket shows up separately as an opposing force.]]
40* ''Manga/MissKuroitsuFromTheMonsterDevelopmentDepartment'' has two examples: Yuuto / Magia Zwart is a guy who turns into a MagicalGirl. His partner, who is always female, is annoyed that he becomes [[MostCommonSuperpower bustier]] than she is.
41* ''Anime/PrettyCure''
42** {{Subverted}} with Itsuki Myoudouin from ''Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure'': [[{{Bifauxnen}} She looks and dresses like a (pretty) boy]] and has a Cure form just as girly as the others. However, Itsuki not only fully identifies as female, she's actually much more feminine than she presents herself, but thinks [[RealWomenDontWearDresses a masculine front is needed to show strength]] as the HeirToTheDojo. Working as a Cure made her realize otherwise. Considering that her designated nemesis is an AmbiguouslyGay guy with a penchant for fashion, this might be a stealth [[GayAesop queer aesop]].
43** Although Phantom from ''Anime/HappinessChargePrettyCure'' already has powers, he spent one fight transformed into an EvilKnockoff of Cure Lovely. "Cure Unlovely" has the same hairstyle and a vaguely-similar outfit to Lovely, but otherwise looks like a female version of Phantom.
44* ''Anime/SailorMoon'':
45** The Sailor Starlights are a subversion and inversion in the 90s anime. They're male most of the time and transform into females to use their Sailor Guardian powers, but it's eventually shown the latter were their original forms--their princess is surprised to see they've chosen male civilian forms. In the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]] they were female the whole time, merely dressing as boys while in their civilian identities.
46** The French dub tries to [[HideYourLesbians cover up]] Sailor Uranus loving another woman by [[ShesAManInJapan changing the character]] from an [[{{Bifauxnen}} androgynous woman]] to an [[{{Bishonen}} androgynous man]] who turns female to become a Sailor Guardian.
47** Guardians of Order's ''Sailor Moon'' tabletop RPG (released in 1998) establishes this as a trait of male Sailor Guardians, with one author playing Yuuichirou as "Sailor Nebula". Why? The writers got their wires crossed regarding the Starlights, believing them to be guys whose female forms are an aspect of their Sailor Guardian powers.
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50[[folder:Asian Animation]]
51* ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'': Played with. In [[Recap/BoBoiBoyS1E5WithGreatPowerComesACatch episode 5]], Probe's SuperMode gets activated while the robot is DisguisedInDrag. He turns into "Super Mrs. Probe", changing from purple to a [[PinkIsFeminine pink, lady-themed]] battle robot. He doesn't seem intimidating at first, but he can launch a MacrossMissileMassacre from his handbag, shoot kitchen knives, and wield a giant spiked rolling pin, among others.
52--> '''Adu Du:''' Hey, what's wrong with you?!
53--> '''Super Mrs. Probe:''' Um, sorry. Mommy's still stuck in character!
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56[[folder:Comic Books]]
57* Back in the late 70s/early 80s, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica would occasionally fight a villainess named the Vamp, whose power was transforming into a telekinetic, distinctly male caveman with a giant head. This form was named Animus, in a nod to [[UsefulNotes/CarlJung Carl Jung's]] theory that women have an unconscious masculine side named the animus.
58* ''ComicBook/{{Cybersix}}'' inverts this trope, with the titular ArtificialHuman being female, but crossdressing for her secret identity.
59* The HERO Dial in ''ComicBook/DialHForHero'' will, very rarely, turn a man into a female hero or a woman into a male hero; in the case of "Shocking Suzi", formerly Joe, he lost the dial before he could turn back and remained a superpowered woman for the rest of his life. Though he was also slowly losing his powers, meaning he'd eventually be just a regular woman.
60* ''ComicBook/GreatLakesAvengers'': Goodness Silva, AKA "Good Boy", is a teenage girl whose super-power is the ability to turn into her [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom "fursona"]], a hulking blue ''male'' wolf-man.
61* In Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Promethea}}'', one of the former Prometheas was a male comic book artist called Bill Woolcott.
62* In ''ComicBook/TheSavageDragon'', the power to turn into Mighty Man, a [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] {{Expy}}, passed on to Ann Stevens, a nurse who becomes a tall, blond, male superhero when she taps her wrists together (a transformation method that's a nod to another [[ComicBook/CaptainMarvelMarvelComics Captain Marvel]]).
63* Mantra from ''ComicBook/TheUltraverse''. Originally a male warrior, he gained magical powers after his soul was transferred into the body of a woman.
64* From Philippine comics, ''ComicBook/ZsazsaZaturnnah'' is an effeminate homosexual and the proprietor of a small town beauty salon. He has a huge spiky stone that physically transforms him into a superhuman woman whenever he ingests it and shouts the word "Zaturnnah!". His female form is [[WonderWomanWannabe similar in both powers and appearance to Wonder Woman]] (as well as to ComicBook/{{Darna}}, another notable Filipina superheroine, whose stone-swallowing transformation was parodied by Zsazsa's character).
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67[[folder:Fan Works]]
68* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/42886410/chapters/107742141 Living your best life]]'' is a ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fic where due to seeing MagicalGirls as his ideal heroes, Adrien can use the Black Cat Miraculous to become the magical girl Chat Noire.
69* Unlike in the games where the powerup can only be used on Toadette, transforming her into a Peach-like form called Peachette, many fan depictions of the Super Crown powerup will portray it instead as having the ability to turn ''anyone'' regardless of gender, [[{{JustForFun/Bowsette}} into a Peach-like form, especially Bowser.]]
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72[[folder:Literature]]
73* In the book ''Literature/GeeksGirlsAndSecretIdentities,'' the protagonist discovers that his town's superhero, Captain Stupendous, recently died and passed his powers onto his crush, Polly, who now transforms into Supendous' male superhero form. Eventually [[spoiler:the aliens who gave Stupendous his powers show up and give Polly a new, female form]].
74* In ''Literature/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'', not all magical girls are female in civilian form. La Pucelle is actually a young boy named Souta Kishibe. He's secretly a magical girl fanboy and jumped at the chance to become a real magical girl. He turns into a [[OlderAlterEgo teenage girl]] when he becomes La Pucelle.
75* ''Literature/NemesisSeries'' plays with this trope, Danny Tozer is a very closeted trans girl who is still presenting as male to most of the world. However, she happens to be present when the world's greatest superhero Dreadnought dies, his last action to [[BequeathedPower pass his powers on to her]] - one of the side effects of this power is for it to turn you into your idealised version of yourself which shifts Danny's body to match her gender identity (previous holders of the mantle of Dreadnought had all been cis guys who just got taller or regrew lost digits). Unfortunately her parents are massively transphobic and do not react well to this revelation.
76* ''Literature/OtoXMaho'' is a story about a boy named Kanata that becomes bound by a MagicallyBindingContract to become a MagicalGirl. It's a bit of a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] since despite getting the outfit, he remains physically male, though [[DudeLooksLikeALady he looks so feminine and has such long hair]] that it's hard to notice. The only case where he'd end up [[GenderBender turning into a girl for real]] is as punishment for breaking contract, i.e. when he ''stops'' being a MagicalGirl.
77* The protagonist of ''Literature/PrincessHolyAura'' starts off as a man in his mid-30s, who - owing to the nature of the powers - needs to turn into a 15-year-old girl to utilize them. In order to maintain TheMasquerade, he starts needing to use that form in everyday life, too.
78* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': It's a central premise -- in the TheVerse, mutants have about a 1 in 3 to 1 in 6 chance of being Exemplars, and thus having what's called a BIT -- Body Image Template. Long story short, in Generation 1, these mutants have an idealized shape they associate with themselves, which can be just about anything -- including the "wrong" gender. The majority of the stories revolve around a clique of students who had a GenderBender during their origin stories, and are part of Poe Cottage -- a dorm designed to hide this fact (as well as other LGBI students) from the study body at large.
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81[[folder:Manhwa]]
82* Inverted in ''Manhwa/PhDPhantasyDegree'', where the set of RingOfPower MacGuffin allows the user to switch their gender, but decreases their power greatly.
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85[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
86* In the ''New World of Darkness'' fan game ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'', it's possible for a player character's to have been male before their transformation. However, [[SecondLawOfGenderBending this is not necessarily a source of embarrassment]], since the transformed state is an idealized version of the person in question, so any Princess who gender bends when transforming [[SupernaturallyValidatedTransPerson is probably transgender in the first place]]. However, they can't just stay transformed permanently because most Nobles don't have that as an option (and the ones that do use the magic that drives them insane).
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89[[folder:Video Games]]
90* It is possible that this will happen in ''VideoGame/AgeOfConan''. If her female character is of the [[spoiler:Herald of Xotli]] class, she will transform into a male demon.
91* ''VideoGame/{{Espgaluda}}'' series: The heroes are already powerful psychics, but gender-changing makes them into ''even more powerful'' psychics.
92* [[spoiler:Milton]] from ''VideoGame/FableIII'' is male; however, if the hero is female, [[spoiler:Milton]] will swap genders when he assumes the hero's form, as well as gaining the power of a Hero.
93* In a disturbing variation, beauty-obsessed {{bishonen}} Morpheus from ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor Resident Evil: Dead-Aim]]'' seemingly changes gender when he mutates into an incredibly powerful Tyrant-esque mutant, with an obviously feminine voice, face and figure. The virus that mutated him is even called the T+G-Virus. He gains super strength, speed, agility and electricity powers, but that electricity is produced by two organs on his chest that look like breasts. There is absolutely no reason for him to gain organic CombatStilettos though. [[BodyHorror Considering what previous TG-Virus test subjects turned out like]], Morpheus got off lucky with his new good looks and powers [[spoiler:until he sustains too much damage and his HealingFactor [[BlobMonster goes out of control...]]]]
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96[[folder:Visual Novels]]
97* ''VisualNovel/MaxsBigBustACaptainNekoraiTale'' has its [[VisualPun tit]]ular character Max changed from a man into a particularly buxom woman near the beginning of the story, and later on it's discovered s/he has electrical powers as well. Two other characters ([[spoiler:Amber and Holly]]) get given their own elemental powers later on when they also get turned into similarly buxom women, but they do not count for this trope as both were already female.
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100[[folder:Web Comics]]
101* Elliot from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' acquires a spell that allows him to turn into a [[MostCommonSuperpower voluptuous]] [[FlyingBrick superheroine]]. Note that he is already pretty powerful due to his SupernaturalMartialArts and occasional cases of this trope. He also isn't too bothered by the gender-changing aspect: hanging out with Tedd has made him used to that sort of thing, and besides, ''superpowers!''
102** It does ''somewhat'' bother him, which ends up being pointed out when he notices every subsequent spell he gets seems to involve making him female for some reason. Tedd theorizes the original "become a superheroine" spell was influenced by external factors to specify "female", that he's not really fine with this, and that all of his subsequent spells are on some level attempts to correct the initial mistake...but get stuck on the "turn female" part and thus doomed to failure because changing gender still bothers him. However, much later on he starts changing his tune to the extent that [[spoiler: [[OppositeSexClone his sister/duplicate, Ellen,]] questions whether he even has a gender identity in the first place.]]
103** Discussed and deconstructed with Magus, who comes from another dimension where magic is common. Men are associated with having more powerful magic since they are physically stronger, and thus many biological females [[spoiler: including Magus]] who want to pursue battle magic change their default sex through magic. Terra (the alternate universe version of Tedd) is the exception to this rule, and she and Ashley have questioned Magus on whether it's truly the male form that gives someone more powerful magic or if that's just a gender stereotype. [[spoiler: However, Magus himself seems to truly identify as a man, such that even in spirit form he is clearly masculine.]]
104* In ''[[Webcomic/JillTrentScienceSleuth Jill Trent, She-Sir Science Sleuth]]'', when [[AppliedPhlebotinum Femavium]] interacts with the spinal fluid of a man, the result is a transformed woman with super powers that seem to vary according to the recipient. Jill gains "girl-brain cells with the proportional density of 58 girls." Another character gains "the flexibility of 45 ballerinas."
105* Played with in ''Webcomic/MagicalBoy'': Max's MagicalGirl transformation does not make him change sex because he's a UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} boy who has not transitioned medically. However, it does put him in a hyper-feminine outfit, and even destroys his chest binder. As Max is very anxious about his gender, partly because [[WantedAGenderConformingChild his mother is very unsupportive]], this flat-out traumatizes him at first. As he gets better control of his power, he manages to make his transformed outfit more masculine.
106* Thanks to a SecretLegacy from his Japanese immigrant mother ''Webcomic/MagicalGirlNeil'' starts transforming from an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent to an Oni-fighting MagicalGirlWarrior on his 16th birthday. He is, needless to say, not particularly thrilled by this. Underscoring his unconventional nature, his primary ability consists of the ability to summon a variety of household appliances which he uses as bludgeons or projectiles as the situation requires.
107* ''Webcomic/SparklingGenerationValkyrieYuuki''. The protagonist is an average male OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent chosen to become a [[MagicalGirl Valkyrie.]] However due to the fact that all Valkyries are female, he got transformed into a female to access those powers. He gets two new identities: one as a female version of his other self, and the other as an idealized MagicalGirl version of that new self.
108* Exposure to Virus-X gave the T-Girls of the RemixComic version of ''Webcomic/JetDream'' low-level super powers (enhanced agility, strength, and endurance). Their exposure was accidental, but a voluntary procedure for recruiting new T-Girls is also described.
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111[[folder:Western Animation]]
112* Like the comic it's based on, ''WesternAnimation/{{Cybersix}}'' inverts this; the title character's secret identity is the one she crossdresses for.
113* ''WesternAnimation/SheZow'''s protagonist, a 12-year-old boy named Guy Hamdon, discovers the superheroine [=SheZow=]'s ring of power inherited from his late Aunt Agnes; then subsequently puts it on and transforms into a female costumed crime-fighter by uttering the phrase "You Go Girl!"
114* {{Downplayed|Trope}} on ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': [[BigFun Amethyst]] fights in wrestling matches as "the Purple Puma", using her VoluntaryShapeshifting to become a larger, beefy man. For the most part this is just a PaperThinDisguise so her teammate wouldn't learn about her career. Amethyt has mostly the same powers in any form, but at least once Amethyst turned into the Purple Puma for an actual fight (it's also an attack in ''VideoGame/AttackTheLight''). The fact that she switches gender is pretty much incidental[[note]]Incidentally, she has also transformed into a male police officer, Steven, Greg, and [[ShowWithinAShow Dogcopter]] at various times. However, these are more gags than instances of transforming for power.[[/note]], and given how Crystal Gem [[NoBiologicalSex biology]] and [[NonHumanNonbinary culture]] works, she didn't really have a gender or biological sex ''to'' flip in the way humans understand the term.
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