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[[quoteright:289:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screwonhead.jpg]]

->''"There are two histories, one that is told and one that isn't. I, UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln, do order that America's strangest, most secret histories will only be recorded in one book. These are the adventures of the Amazing Screw-On Head."''

An Eisner-award winning one-shot comic book by ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' creator Mike Mignola about a Victorian robot who works as a secret agent for President UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln, who has the ability to place his head onto different robot bodies for whatever occasion suits him.

First published in 2002, it was later adapted into a 2006 pilot episode for the [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci-Fi Channel]] by Creator/BryanFuller, creator of ''Series/DeadLikeMe'', ''Series/{{Wonderfalls}}'', and ''Series/PushingDaisies'', with Creator/PaulGiamatti as the title character. The pilot was not picked for a series.

You can watch the pilot [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbsDvGtTRWU here]].

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!!''The Amazing Screw-On Head'' provides examples of:

* AdaptationExpansion: The TV Pilot gives a much more detailed back story than the comic.
* AffablyEvil: Emperor Zombie is nothing but unfailingly polite and friendly to his colleagues to the extent that he unintentionally makes things awkward when he thinks he accidentally insulted the age of his two elderly henchwomen. He's so upbeat most of the time, that the times he does something heinous come off as legitimately shocking.
* AlternateHistory: The premise is of Screw-On Head's secret exploits under, at least, UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln.
* AmbiguouslyGay: Emperor Zombie:
-->'''Zombie:''' I hear you're a demigod. That must be fantastic for you.\\
'''Demigod:''' I don't know about fantastic...\\
'''Zombie:''' I do!
* AnachronismStew: RuleOfCool is in full effect here, as is RuleOfFunny.
* AnimatedAdaptation: Contrary to most animated adaptations of Mignola's work, this one retains Mignola's own art style, with a ''lot'' of [[{{Chiaroscuro}} blacks]]. It's also slightly {{Animesque}} due in part to its animation being handled by Korean studio Creator/DRMovie.
* BattleButler:
** Emperor Zombie as well (or Mr. Zombie, as he is called when the demigod shows up). [[spoiler:He was the Amazing Screw-on Head's original butler.]]
** Mr. Groin takes up the mantle in the present, being the one to incapacitate Ricky and later assisting Screw-on Head in the battle with the demigod.
* BlackComedy: It's a comedic tale with zombies and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. It's pretty much a given.
* BossBattle: Scharnhorst (the guy with the flamethrower) is an ImmuneToBullets supersoldier who almost single-handedly takes out Zombie's QuirkyMinibossSquad. It takes some questionable physics to defeat him.
-->'''Scharnhorst:''' MAKE WAY FOR SCHARNHORST!
* CensorShadow: Used for when the werewolf and Patience turn back to human.
* {{Chiaroscuro}}: Mignola's trademark style, which is adapted surprisingly faithfully in the animated pilot.
* {{Eagleland}}: Parodied and played for laughs.
-->'''Head:''' America is counting on me Mr. President, and by America, I mean The World.\\
'''Head:''' All really intelligent people should be cremated, for the sake of national security!
* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies: Emperor Zombie. It's in his name, and he's literally a walking corpse. He doesn't have a hunger for brains and is very articulate unlike most examples though.
* EvilIsNotAToy: Subverted. Gung the Magnificent tries to tell Zombie the Demigod is too dangerous to summon, when it shows up, it's really kind of shy, and gladly accepts Zombie as its [[TheDragon second in command]].
* EvilIsPetty: Emperor Zombie has a [[LampshadeHanging self-described]] "petty vengeance fetish" against Screw-on Head's butlers.
* EvilLaugh: Zombie unleashes one when he becomes able to read the Scroll Of Gung -- but ends up giggling uncontrollably.
-->'''Emperor Zombie:''' There... there's actually a little joke in here -- Gung was ''funny''!
* EvilTastesGood:
-->'''Emperor Zombie:''' ''You'' let ''me'' down. You went on and on about how sweet the candy was, then told me not to put it in my mouth and got mad at me when I did.\\
'''Screw-On Head:''' If by "candy" you mean "ancient forbidden evil" then, yes, I told you not to put it in your mouth.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The Museum of Dangerous Books and Papers.
* FanDisservice: One of Zombie's elderly henchwomen is a werewolf, who fought off a group of soldiers in her wolf-woman form. Upon resuming her human form she was covered only by a CensorShadow.
%%* GeekyTurnOn: Zombie gives us a villain variation with Patience.
* HighTurnoverRate: Head's Manservants. This is due to Emperor Zombie's petty vendetta against any butler that Mr. Head hires.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Head answers directly to UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln.
%%* HistoricalInJoke: The Homestead Act.
* HurricaneOfPuns:
-->'''Lincoln:''' Groin's just looking out for your behind, Head, you can't keep him at arm's length!
* LargeHam: [[WorldOfHam Everyone]] but especially the Demigod.
* LettingTheAirOutOfTheBand: When Emperor Zombie discovers the [[SealedEvilInACan legendary jewel]] he's been seeking is actually a moldy old turnip.
* LosingYourHead: The main character, true to his name, screws and unscrews his head from multiple mechanical bodies. When not in battle, he's mostly just a talking head.
* MoodWhiplash:
-->'''Emperor Zombie:''' ''[[[LargeHam Dramatically]]]'' Here it is! Bangang Pagro-Esh... the Left Eye of Nog... the jewel worshipped by the wizards of Mu and the black priests of Atlantis, finally passed down to Gung the Magnificent who was chosen by the ''GODS'' to conquer the world with it! And now, it's mi...\\
''[suddenly notices what he's holding]''\\
'''Emperor Zombie:''' Ew! It's not a jewel, it's a dirty old piece of crap!
* NighInvulnerability: Mr. Dog is shot multiple times and doesn't even flinch.
* NinjaZombiePirateRobot: It's an AlternateHistory story starring a steampunk robot with interchangeable bodies fighting against his zombified former butler, whose cohorts include an elderly werewolf woman, a cannibal, and a gun-wielding ape. It lives and ''breathes'' this trope.
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The werewolf old woman and her cannibal partner. [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg And a monkey.]]
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Patience by virtue of being an immortal vampire. The same can apply to Screw-on Head who knew her back when she was still mortal and Emperor Zombie, who was the one who turned her into a vampire in the first place.
* SealedEvilInACan: The Demigod that Emperor Zombie seeks to summon.
* ShootingSuperman:
** Imperial German soldiers do this to the werewolf woman. Happens later in the same scene where Ricky and the other woman try shooting Scharnhorst.
** Subverted with Mr. Dog. Zombie shoots him, realizes he's bulletproof, and promptly has the Demigod crush him.
* SkywardScream:
** Head attempts one of these when Zombie abducts Patience.
--->'''Screw-On Head:''' DAMN YOU, MR. MANIFO -- excuse me. DAMN YOU, EMPEROR ZOMBIE!
** And [[CallBack once again]] when Patience abducts Mr. Dog by impaling him with an anchor:
--->'''Screw-On Head:''' DAMN YOU, PATIENCE!
* SteamPunk: Robots, flamethrowers, and airships abound.
* WolfMan: One of Emperor Zombie's elderly henchwomen can turn into a giant wolf-like creature at will.
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