Basic Trope: A
Big Bad assumes a monstrous form for combat.
- Straight: The human Emperor Evulz sprouts horns and demonic wings.
- Exaggerated: Evulz escalates from one form to the next again and again and again, eventually becoming larger than the Earth and uglier than a Lovecraftian bowel movement.
- Downplayed: Evulz grows somewhat taller and more muscular, and his face distorts a bit
- Justified:
- The human appearance was just a disguise, and it would only get in the way during a fight.
- Evulz can shapeshift, and has a form that's better at combat than his current form. Why not use it?
- Evulz has a dangerous Psycho Serum that is only to be used in an absolute emergency. This is an absolute emergency.
- Inverted:
- Subverted: Clipped Wing Angel.
- Double Subverted:
- The Clipped Wing Angel was just the first stage of the transformation. The second stage means business!
- "Besides, dragons are so much cooler."
- Parodied:
- The One-Winged Angel form looks utterly ridiculous. Even the heroes double over in laughter.
- The Big Bad literally transforms into a one-winged angel.
- Zig Zagged: He reveals his new form. It's a cute little animal. The animal starts to tear the party apart. It shows a weakness to carrots. It Turns Red...
- Averted: Emperor Evulz kicks plenty of ass as a human.
- Enforced: "What says This Is the Final Battle better than our villain turning into a twenty-foot tall demon?"
- Lampshaded: "Puny do-gooders, BEHOLD MY TRUE FORM!!!"
- Invoked: Evulz knows he needs more power and downs the mutagen sample.
- Exploited: ???
- Defied:
- Discussed: "Don't let your guard down. When the going gets tough, fellows like these tend to turn into devils and sprout wings."
- Conversed: "Have you noticed how often villains have scary alternate forms?"
- Deconstructed: Evulz downs the mutagen sample, sprouts Combat Tentacles, and shortly thereafter dies of organ failure from having his biology so abruptly rearranged.
- Reconstructed:
- Played For Laughs: Emperor Evulz turns into a Waddle Dee.
- Played For Drama: Emperor Evulz's willingness to sacrifice his humanity for power is portrayed with appropriate gravitas.
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One-Winged Angel