History CerebusSyndrome / Webcomics

* ''Webcomic/ForestHill'' began as a SliceOfLife story about a family moving to a new town but ended up turning into a story about the uncovering of a conspiracy of pedophiles. The author of the comic has said that [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants they didn't originally plan for the comic to go in this direction]] when they started the comic. The reason why author did this is because they realized that [[KnightOfCerebus Benni's]] violent and possibly sexual behavior could be a sign that he was being abused, and [[PlotTumor this plot ended up taking over the whole comic.]]

* Parodied in [[http://www.checkerboardnightmare.com/retro/20051010.shtml this]] ''Webcomic/CheckerboardNightmare'' strip.

* ''Dub This!'' Seriously, check it out. Quirky anime in-jokes and satire quickly falls to melodrama by the buckets.

* ''Webcomic/CollegeRoomiesFromHell'' engaged Cerebus Syndrome with "The Adversary", a six-month arc that played [[{{Satan}} the Devil]] (previously a minor comic relief character) as a terrifying threat, and the ButtMonkey's (previously humorous) romantic woes as heartbreaking. It is not universally liked.

* ''[[http://www.martianwarmachine.ca Equinox, Defender of the Horde]]'' started out as a light-hearted romp, but progressively became darker and more drama-prone; at the same time, the female lead turned into a MarySue while the (deliberately silly) titular character faded into the background.

** Then comes Rain's sister Kellen and [[TraumaticHaircut Chapter 25:]] [[BreakTheCutie Wings.]]

* ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'' started out as a episodic comedy {{webcomic}} about a taxi driver and his psychotic bear friend, but once the Ninja Mafia is introduced it ends up as a long but still hilarious tale of deception, murder, demons and ninjas.

* ''{{Webcomic/Sonichu}}'' sort of counts. It was never ([[{{Narm}} intentionally]]) funny, but quickly derailed into Chris-Chan's [[PsychoticManchild horrible]] WishFulfillment over the course of the series, topping it off in issue 10 where he bloodily murders four people [[DisproportionateRetribution just for parodying him and his electric hedgehog]] [[DesignatedHero "heroes"]]. [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids All in a comic supposedly intended for kids]].

* ''[[http://inklingstudioshub.deviantart.com/gallery/59844196/Swageon-and-Glacigeon?set=59844196&offset=48 Swageon and Glacigeon]]'' started off as a ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' WidgetSeries that mixes the series with montage parodies, but later on the series became alot more serious, with a lot more character deaths including [[spoiler: the death of the main protagonists.]] [[TropesAreNotBad Doesn't stop the comic from being good though.]]

* ''[[http://z11.invisionfree.com/WOAM/index.php?showtopic=603 Oak Fable]]'' [[TakeThat parodies]] Ceberus Syndrome by setting a new record in how quickly comedy circums to drama: It takes effect in ''the second issue.''

** The post-ContinuityReboot comic appears to have returned the comic to its roots (or close enough to it) - after a whopper of an arc that ''started'' with the X-Box robots (characters who, up til this point, had been played entirely for laughs) going rogue and killing Lilah, and ended with Ethan getting KilledOffForReal. ''In a comic that used to be nothing but silly video game humor!''

* ''[[http://scoobandshagtalk.tumblr.com Scoob and Shag]]'' started out as a nonsensical weekly gag comic. Then the two got lost in the woods, ran into Kermit the Frog, stumbled into a spooky mansion, and the whole thing turned into a bizarre MegaCrossover thriller/''shonen'' manga pastiche.

* ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}!'' started out as a GagStrip that eventually gained a plot. It still remained comedic, though, never getting more serious than an AffectionateParody.

* ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'' has been accused of this, leading to InternetBackdraft. While the comic has always been more character-based than gag-based (except for the actual gag strips), everything post-[[DramaBomb miscarriage]] has swung a lot more to the dramatic than pre-miscarriage.

* ''Webcomic/LearningWithManga'' is a comedic spin on the serious story of ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' in the first place, with the whole "destruction of humanity" thing being brushed under the carpet for a HeroicComedicSociopath abusing her power as [[NoFourthWall the protagonist]] to bully and [[PsychoLesbian (sexually) harass her (mostly female)]] Servants. The comic proper invokes this trope ''and'' [[PlayedForLaughs plays it for laughs]]... to some extent. In Chapter 77 of ''Even More'', FBI Assassin finally fulfills her promise that the strip would shift into a serious battle manga that was made ''a year ago'', as [[CasualDangerDialogue Jeanne points out]], by having an unknown new Lancer impale the protagonist with a spear. The promised change doesn't take, and it's just setup for more BlackComedy since more "fighting" is just par for course.

** Probably the height of Homestuck's Cerebus Syndrome, though, happened when Bro Strider's terrible parenting, which initially had been played entirely for laughs, was retroactively acknowledged to have been seriously abusive and psychologically damaging to Dave.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' quickly develops several intricate story arcs during the second and third acts, and by the time the BigBad is revealed in Act 4, the series has gotten much, ''much'' darker and more dramatic than when it first started. Though, it hasn't lost its sense of humor ''entirely'' - the DiscOneFinalBoss [[MemeticMutation IS A DOG WEARING SUNGLASSES]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' quickly develops several intricate story arcs during the second and third acts, and by the time the BigBad is revealed in Act 4, the series has gotten much, ''much'' darker and more dramatic than when it first started. Though, it hasn't lost its sense of humor ''entirely'' - the DiscOneFinalBoss [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110220213522/mspaintadventures/images/e/e3/02929.gif is a dog wearing sunglasses.]]

** A MAJOR VILLAIN IS A DOG WEARING SUNGLASSES

* ''[[http://scoobandshagtalk.tumblr.com Scoob and Shag]]'' started out as a nonsensical weekly gag comic. Then the two got lost in the woods, ran into Kermit the Frog, stumbled into a spooky mansion, and the whole thing turned into a bizarre MegaCrossover conspiracy thriller/''shonen'' manga pastiche.

* ''Webcomic/Rain'' starts out as a somewhat typical slice-of-life school comedy. This slowly starts changing around Chapter 6: Fallen Angel, though only in that at this point, the relationship drama is at a high point, with school really just being a backdrop.

* ''[[http://inklingstudioshub.deviantart.com/gallery/59844196/Swageon-and-Glacigeon?set=59844196&offset=48 Swageon and Glacigeon]]'' started off as a ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' WidgetSeries that mixes the series with montage parodies, but later on the series became alot more serious, with alot more character deaths including [[spoiler: the death of the main protagonists.]] [[TropesAreNotBad Doesn't stop the comic from being good though.]]

* ''Webcomic/AndShineHeavenNow'' underwent this, although it is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in this case: the creator intended her comic to lead to the [[{{Hellsing}} darker canon manga]].