Shapeshifting comes in a lot of forms (in every
pun-laden sense of the word). Most shapeshifters, however, stick to using a single concrete form at a time; this is true even if they swap shapes quickly during a
Shapeshifter Showdown, or when truly skilled shapeshifters
mix-and-match elements of their alternate form with their
normal human form.
Sometimes, though, a shapeshifter gets the idea that if more is better, why limit themselves to just
one shape at a time? Why not transform into all of their forms,
all at the same time, and become the
ultimate Shapeshifter Weapon?
Long story short,
It Got Worse.
This attempt at creating a unique
One-Winged Angel Super Mode will tend to
encounter a slight problem: Instead of
merging the best elements of their various forms into one sleek and awesome
Hybrid Monster, it will
literally combine and merge their various forms together, producing a chimeric
Biological Mashup that only an
Eldritch Abomination could appreciate. It may feature
one head from each form; all the arms, claws, paws, legs,
Combat Tentacles, fur, scales, and
Body Horror that goes along with them; a
half-dozen mismatched wings, and — like the proverbial cherry on top — the original head and/or upper torso of their
Shapeshifter Default Form.
Despite the patchwork nature of this form, it does still have
some advantages. Like the
power of intimidation, its
supermassive size, and an
Anatomy Arsenal stocked with every variety of
Breath Weapon known to man (
if not more), and can easily wipe out entire armies that approach anywhere within its
Instant Death Radius.
However, the drawbacks are just as significant: because
Monstrosity Equals Weakness, this form likely has
severe drawbacks over
the individual component forms, and it's likely to be
highly unstable or prone to
catastrophic failure. If the shapeshifter can't keep focus he may enter a
Superpower Meltdown where the
Loss of Identity causes the
body's components to attack each other, with the potential to become the
very goriest of
Shapeshifter Swan Songs.
Because of all the above drawbacks, this is sometimes used as a nasty
curse, typically a
Baleful Polymorph that
Mode Locks the victim. The independent body parts in this case are usually
Guardian Entities outside of the victim's control, but won't attack him or her. They may however respond to his or her emotional cues, like a gorgon's snake hair or an owner's pets.
The Shapeshifter Mashup is usually the penultimate step in the
Bishonen Line, right before a return to a humanlike appearance.
Compare and contrast
Fusion Dance, where a single character combines multiple transformations to create a new form, and
Partial Transformation, where the shapeshifter chooses to mix-and-match the various elements between two specific forms. This might be considered a gory way to demonstrate
Hybrid Overkill Avoidance.
Examples
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Anime and Manga
- In Bleach, the Arrancar Aaroniero Arruruerie has absorbed the powers of thousands of Hollows, and for his final attack in his released form he transforms into a monstrosity combining many of these powers.
- Raphaello in Bt'X exhibited traits of every living being it had absorbed.
- In InuYasha, recurring enemy Naraku frequently uses a mash-up form of the demons he's assimilated. This is especially true during his periods of weakness (something all half-demons go through regularly) since he's stuck as a giant mass of organs and tentacles, overdoing this trope to the point that he can't really move around.
- Mr 2 Bon Clay from One Piece once used a mash-up of the most ridiculous facial features he knew during his fight against Sanji, in an attempt to throw him off-guard with laughter. Unfortunately, 90% of said features are his.
- Aptom from Guyver can (quite graphically) absorb zoanoids into himself, gaining their individual power, form or if he wants to can combine the best traits from all those he has 'eaten' into one superior body.
Fan Works
Film
Literature
- Happens to Marco in Animorphs, "The Proposal" when he gets emotional over his dad's remarriage. He morphs a skunk/spider cross and a poodle/polar bear cross at various points.
- Ephaniah Grebe in Septimus Heap is a product of Shapeshifter Mashup. He was turned into a rat by a rogue Darke spell, and while the Witch Mother Morwenna Mould managed to revert part of the spell, he is now stuck in a half-rat-half-human body shape.
Toys
- Krahka attempts to become a fusion of the Toa Metru in BIONICLE, but she is unable to control their combined powers.
- Also done by the Makuta, on two occasions: first, he fused with three other characters, and ended up being a monstrous combination of their features (In the comics, books and his toy-form, at least. Subverted in The Movie, where they simply slapped wings to his pre-existing animation model.) The second example is his Alternate Universe-self, who merged with his entire Brotherthood, to become the only living Makuta.
Video Games
- A common theory about Metroid: Fusion is that the SAX's penultimate form is this.
- Kefka in Final Fantasy VI has a half dozen penultimate bosses who are all merged into a grotesque spire of amalgamated shapes.
- In Final Fantasy VII, Hojo's form in the second stage of his boss battle appears as nightmarish conglomeration of himself and his two minions from the first stage (to the extent that his limbs can still be targeted separately). By the third stage, he's got a full-on One-Winged Angel form going and looks human from the waist up again.
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's Scylla, as pictured above.
Web Comics
Western Animation
- Kevin of Ben 10 turns into one of those in the episode "Framed". During it, he has all the transformations Ben has due to draining energy from the Omnitrix in the previous season, 'and he can do Partial Transformation. After taking enough damage and after an insult, he's locked in said mashup form. The result is a conglomerate of all ten forms and his own hair...
- Invoked in an episode of Batman Beyond, where Terry's facing the genetic engineer responsible for the splicing craze, who's injected himself with the DNA of three forms to become an apex predator. Terry then injects him with a whole fistful of syringes, and... hoo boy.
- Alpha of Men In Black The Series is a former human who's taken to tearing parts of various aliens and grafting them to his own body to become a superior being. At his most benign, he's an old man that can sprout about a dozen tentacles on a second's notice. At his most extreme, it's impossible to tell that the thing you're looking at was ever a human.
