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Fan Works
Anyone who has not gotten a headache contemplating the paradoxes of time travel has never really understood the concept.
— Sailor Pluto, A Fistful of Omake
Film — Live-Action
Dr. Emmett 'Doc' Brown: ...the encounter could create a time paradox, the result of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe! Granted that's a worst-case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to merely our own galaxy.
Marty McFly: Well, that's a relief.
Marty McFly: Well, that's a relief.
Literature
One of the major problems encountered in time travel is not that of accidentally becoming your own father or mother. There is no problem involved in becoming your own father or mother that a broadminded and well-adjusted family can't cope with. There is also no problem about changing the course of history... the course of history does not change because it all fits together like a jigsaw. All the important changes have happened before the things they were supposed to change and it all sorts itself out in the end.
"See? Five minutes before I shall place it there, it is there!"
His other colleague frowned at the cube. "But," he said, "what if, now that it has already appeared five minutes before you place it there, you should change your mind about doing so and not place it there at three o'clock? Wouldn't there be a paradox of some sort involved?"
"An interesting idea," Professor Johnson said. "I had not thought of it, and it will be interesting to try."
His other colleague frowned at the cube. "But," he said, "what if, now that it has already appeared five minutes before you place it there, you should change your mind about doing so and not place it there at three o'clock? Wouldn't there be a paradox of some sort involved?"
"An interesting idea," Professor Johnson said. "I had not thought of it, and it will be interesting to try."
If nature abhors a vacuum, nature loathes, abominates, and despises a paradox, and I haven't much stomach for them myself.
— Augustus, Tour of the Merrimack: The Myriad
Live-Action TV
Temporal Investigations Agent #1: You're not trying to claim a Predestination Paradox, are you? That you were always meant to go back in time?
Sisko: No, no, not at all.
Agent #1: Good.
Agent #2: We hate those.
Sisko: No, no, not at all.
Agent #1: Good.
Agent #2: We hate those.
— Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Trials and Tribble-ations"
My advice for making sense of temporal paradoxes is simple: Don't even try.
— Captain Kathryn Janeway Star Trek: Voyager
Tabletop Games
978.M41 - The Lost Waaagh!
The Ork Warlord Grizgutz, a noted kleptomaniac, launches his Waaagh! into the Morloq system. Whilst using warp-travel to reach their quarry, Grizgutz and his warband unwittingly travel through time and emerge from the shifting chaos of the Empyrean shortly before they set off. Grizgutz hunts down and kills his doppelganger, reasoning that this way he can have a spare of his favourite gun. The resultant confusion stops his Waaagh! in its tracks.
The Ork Warlord Grizgutz, a noted kleptomaniac, launches his Waaagh! into the Morloq system. Whilst using warp-travel to reach their quarry, Grizgutz and his warband unwittingly travel through time and emerge from the shifting chaos of the Empyrean shortly before they set off. Grizgutz hunts down and kills his doppelganger, reasoning that this way he can have a spare of his favourite gun. The resultant confusion stops his Waaagh! in its tracks.
— Warhammer 40,000, Codex: Orks (4th Edition)
Video Games
History abhors a paradox.
Snake, What have you done? You've changed the future!! You've created a time paradox!
— Colonel Roy Campbell, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
This next test may involve trace amounts of time travel, so, word of advice, if you meet yourself on the testing track, don't make eye contact. Lab boys tell me that'll wipe out time. Entirely. Forward and backward. So do both of yourselves a favor and just let that handsome devil go about his business.
— Cave Johnson, Portal 2
No matter what, you can't die, because would mean that I would cease to exist, right? But, I was here before when I was you. I'm so confused!
— Future You, World of Warcraft
Reverse-Flash: I ran a long way from the future to hurt you, Barry... But this timeline? It's all wrong...
The Flash: So go back to your own time, "Reverse-Flash"...
Reverse-Flash: You think I haven't TRIED?! Your Regime buddies killed one of my ancestors, and now I'm stuck in a paradox! I can never go home... But I can at least hurt YOU!
The Flash: So go back to your own time, "Reverse-Flash"...
Reverse-Flash: You think I haven't TRIED?! Your Regime buddies killed one of my ancestors, and now I'm stuck in a paradox! I can never go home... But I can at least hurt YOU!
Webcomics
I hate time travel.
Web Original
on the request of your grandfather, you went back in time using a time machine made by your grandfather to kill said grandfather with a knife given by you by the same grandfather in the present. so yeah, who are you again?
— Anonymous
So...uh, don't you ever worry 'bout paradox?
Naw, I've got a topical cream for that.
...What?
Naw, I've got a topical cream for that.
...What?
"Oh, no! I'm the team-killing fucktard!"
— Red vs. Blue, Church as he accidentally gets himself killed.
Western Animation
Future Shego: Listen, we don't have a lot of time. Ok, actually, we do. Well... we will.
Present Shego: When you want to make sense, just let me know.
Future Shego: Grab the Time Monkey.
Present Shego: Why?
Future Shego: You need the Time Monkey.
Present Shego: Can't I just use yours?
Future Shego: No, this is mine! OK, well, actually it's yours too. I mean, well, it's the one you're gonna to steal, so technically...
Present Shego: When you want to make sense, just let me know.
Future Shego: Grab the Time Monkey.
Present Shego: Why?
Future Shego: You need the Time Monkey.
Present Shego: Can't I just use yours?
Future Shego: No, this is mine! OK, well, actually it's yours too. I mean, well, it's the one you're gonna to steal, so technically...
— Kim Possible, "A Sitch In Time"
Cavendish: Wait a moment, where did you get that peach?
Dakota: Someone threw it at you earlier.
Cavendish: But that someone was me!
Dakota: I know.
Cavendish: But where did I get it?
Dakota: From me!
Cavendish: Yes, but where did you get it?
Dakota: Someone threw it at you earlier.
Cavendish: But that someone was me!
Dakota: I know.
Cavendish: But where did I get it?
Dakota: From me!
Cavendish: Yes, but where did you get it?
Dakota: Someone threw it at you earlier!
Cavendish: BUT THAT SOME—
[Smash Cut]
Dakota: Someone threw it at you earlier.
Cavendish: But that someone was me!
Dakota: I know.
Cavendish: But where did I get it?
Dakota: From me!
Cavendish: Yes, but where did you get it?
Dakota: Someone threw it at you earlier.
Cavendish: But that someone was me!
Dakota: I know.
Cavendish: But where did I get it?
Dakota: From me!
Cavendish: Yes, but where did you get it?
Dakota: Someone threw it at you earlier!
Cavendish: BUT THAT SOME—
[Smash Cut]
Kowalski: I never should have created this Chronotron. I had no idea. But Private! He understands! I'll go back in time and talk to Private! He'll stop me before any of this happens!
Screaming, Kowalski leaps into the now functioning Chronotron possibly back the other past, leaving Kowalski-A and Kowalski-B behind.
Kowalski-A: Yep, and that's how I got here.
Private: Huh. It's kind of ironic. If you hadn't created the Chronotron then you couldn't have gone back in time to tell yourself not to make it.
Kowalski-A: Fenneman's fellies! A paradox! I've got to make sure that I do invent the Chronotron! Skipper! I'll go back in time and talk to Skipper! He's the only hope for the universe!
Screaming, Kowalski-A jumps into the Chronotron possibly back to the other past, leaving Kowalski-B behind.
Kowalski-B: Yup. And that's how I got here.
Private: So... we're back to just one Kowalski?
Kowalski-B: Affirmative.
Screaming, Kowalski leaps into the now functioning Chronotron possibly back the other past, leaving Kowalski-A and Kowalski-B behind.
Kowalski-A: Yep, and that's how I got here.
Private: Huh. It's kind of ironic. If you hadn't created the Chronotron then you couldn't have gone back in time to tell yourself not to make it.
Kowalski-A: Fenneman's fellies! A paradox! I've got to make sure that I do invent the Chronotron! Skipper! I'll go back in time and talk to Skipper! He's the only hope for the universe!
Screaming, Kowalski-A jumps into the Chronotron possibly back to the other past, leaving Kowalski-B behind.
Kowalski-B: Yup. And that's how I got here.
Private: So... we're back to just one Kowalski?
Kowalski-B: Affirmative.
— The Penguins of Madagascar, "It's About Time"
Real Life
A paradox can be paradoctored.
