History Main / BizarreHumanBiology

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Quirks have vastly changed the nature of what it means to be human. Not only do most people have some sort of awesome superpower that is tied to some sort of physical mutation (Bakugo sweats nitroglycerin that he can detonate at will, Jiro has organic earphone jacks that she can plug into objects to enhance her hearing or amplify her heartbeat as an attack, Iida has engines in his legs), there are also a lot of physical mutations that seem entirely unconnected to the power. Tokoyami has a bird's head (his power is a LivingShadow), Kirishima has razor-sharp teeth (his power is SuperToughness), and YouGottaHaveBlueHair is even more prominent than normal for anime.

* Italy's IdiotHair in ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' is shown in the comic to be an "erogenous zone". It's unclear if the note was referring to his scalp reacting to the hair being pulled, or if he has actual feeling in the hair, but the fandom tends to run with the latter, and usually applies the same principle to the other curl-bearing nations. At least one fic goes to the logical extreme of the hairs being sensitive and has one bleed when severed. Also, Norway's curl actually floats around, detached from his head.
* Souther ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS or however you want to romanize it]]) in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' has ''situs invertus totalis'' (see '''Real Life''' section below) -- which means that Kenshiro's first attempt to defeat him fails utterly. Because all of Souther's organs are inverted in his body, so are the pressure points that Kenshiro's Hokuto Shinken style relies on. When Kenshiro learns Souther's secret during their second battle, the Holy Emperor's fate is sealed.

* The ComicBook/UltimateMarvel version of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Mr. Fantastic's]] body is an infinitely extensible fluid-filled sack containing, in place of an alimentary canal and other organs, just a squishable bolus of microbes that perform all metabolic functions. It's definitely ArtisticLicenseBiology, though fans chalk it up to RuleOfCool and leave it at that.
* ComicBook/PlasticMan is inorganic after his OriginStory; this actually makes him immune to [[{{Brainwashed}} Brainwashing]], since his brain itself is apparently plastic.
* Post-Extremis, it was revealed that [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] had managed to change how his insides were organized.

* ComicBook/{{Mystique}} is a shapeshifter who has occasionally been shown as able to rearrange her internal organs, grow a face on the back of her head, or even grow additional arms.

* [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 Batgirl's]] blood chemistry is so unusual that the government scientist ordered to analyze it thought he was being pranked. This despite the fact that, according to his analysis, she's entirely human from a genetic standpoint. [[RiddleForTheAges The series never explains this,]] nor does it explain her seemingly superhuman prowess beyond a vague "gift" inherited from [[ComicBook/LadyShiva her mother]], despite the before mentioned lack of any superhuman genetics.

* ''Fanfic/DiariesOfAMadman'': Navarone ends up as this due to various magical experiments. A backfiring spell results in him gaining pegasus wings, and an EmergencyTransformation results in him gaining several plant-like characteristics.

* In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/10696920/chapters/23692221 Mission's end, mission's beginning]]'', about one in a thousand human males have a mutation referred to as Rutgers XY- [[{{Hermaphrodite}} the development of female reproductive organs alongside the typical (and functional) male equipment]], theorised to have been deliberately introduced to the human genetic code during the [[Franchise/StarTrek Eugenics Wars]] to allow the supermen to breed with [[HomosexualReproduction each other]] or [[TrulySingleParent themselves]] without having to involve inferior specimens. Not all males actually develop said organs fully, and those that do won't necessarily menstruate, but ([[MisterSeahorse as demonstrated by one James T. Kirk]]) that doesn't automatically mean they're infertile. It's still not as weird as some of the BizarreAlienBiology from the franchise itself.
* Speaking of MisterSeahorse, there is the... ''concept'' of Omegaverse. More details can be found on that page, but the least {{Squick}}y explanation is this trope applied to BizarreAlienSexes.
* ''Fanfic/FracturedSunlight'': One of Sunset's first challenges after being transformed into a human was when she got a period. [[ShownTheirWork Ponies don't have those]], so she literally thought she was dying.
* By virtue of being a HalfHumanHybrid, Ryuuko gets both this trope and BizarreAlienBiology, as seen in a series of [[PhotoComic photo comics]]; ''Sleep'', ''Stasis'', and ''Untitled''. Regular humans don't hibernate but Ryuuko, in this case, does and, when she does, she's AsleepForDays. As we learn in ''Stasis'', her "hibernation spells" are involuntary and, when she goes into them, it's an AndIMustScream situation.

* Human soldiers from ''Literature/OldMansWar'' have their [[BrainUploading brains downloaded]] into genetically engineered bodies that have green photosyntesizing skin, cat eyes and nano-bots instead of blood.
* In Creator/AlanDeanFoster's Tipping Point Trilogy, body modification has become basically as easy as getting a haircut. PowerPerversionPotential is rampant.

* In ''Literature/TheBleedingMan'', no one can figure out how the titular character keeps bleeding, or how to stop it.
* In Creator/GregEgan's novel ''Distress'', one CrazySurvivalist has loaded himself up with so much BioAugmentation to survive any possible apocalyptic scenario that he doesn't even have DNA in his cells anymore. He can also digest tire rubber in a pinch.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor's companions, as a result of exposure to the Time Vortex, are altered on a genetic level. Results include altered white blood cells and RippleEffectProofMemory.

* VermillionLies have a song entitled "Long Red Hair", about a pair of ConjoinedTwins born joined at the hair.

* In ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve'', the protagonist Aya possesses a more benign/passive form of the "evolved" strain of mitochondria serving as the franchise' BigBad, which are not only ''a self-aware HiveMind'' that can [[BodySnatcher hijack their "hosts"]] and act like TheVirus, they possess actual superpowers, which include SpontaneousHumanCombustion and BodyHorror transformations!

* The people of Yharnam from ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' end up turning into werewolves and monsters due to [[spoiler:experimenting with alien blood they found deep in the catacombs under Yharnam]]. The fact that the people of Yharnam were so accepting with the drinking and injection of blood in the first place implies that the humans of this world are vampiric in nature.
* ''VideoGame/SakuraWarsSoLongMyLove'' reveals late in the game that [[spoiler:Gemini Sunrise was born with two hearts, one of which is tiny and non-functioning. When she was conceived, she was actually originally meant to be born as a set of twins, but she was the only one to be born, having absorbed her twin sister ''in utero''. This secondary heart would go on to serve as the core of Gemini's SplitPersonality[=/=]EvilTwin Geminine.]]
* A plot-point in the final mission of ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', titled "Situs Inversus". One of 47's final targets, [[spoiler:ICA Training Director Erich Soders]], was born with the titular condition, causing all of his internal organs to be mirrored. He also requires a heart transplant, and the rarity of his condition has made getting a right-sided replacement heart very difficult. This has made him to desperate enough to resort illegal and immoral means to obtain a replacement heart in time, ultimately causing him to [[spoiler:betray the ICA by selling confidential Agency client and operative information to [[TheIlluminati Providence]]]]. His condition also means that if you find and destroy the donor heart, the hospital will not be able to find another heart in time, thus dooming the target to a slow but inevitable death.
* ''VideoGame/DontStarve'' characters have bones in their hair, [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dont-starve-game/images/c/c2/Wilson_lightning_strike.png visible if they get struck by lightning]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Hellp}}'' some people get random non-human features after they die. Can be as small as a weird eye color or as big as an extra set of limbs, and anything in between. Also, everyone has a WoundThatWillNotHeal which doesn't kill them, even though it's possible to die of physical trauma in this version of Hell.
* In ''Webcomic/QuantumVibe'' when Seamus is originally introduced he has some physiological abnormalities due to a botched [[LongevityTreatment rejuvenation]], gigantism combined with a metabolic disorder that made him morbidly obese, nerves in his hair, and the ability to fart at will. He had most of the problems fixed during the Luna arc, though he's still pretty tall.

Maybe the character was born a {{Mutant}}, or belong to a HumanSubspecies, or have gone far enough up the EvolutionaryLevels as part of the [[GoalOrientedEvolution goal of evolution]], or underwent ''extensive'' BioAugmentation of the essentially permanent kind... Or perhaps they were even created as an ArtificialHuman from the get-go. The bottom line is, this human character's biology, while not [[BizarreAlienBiology technically alien]], cannot be considered "normal human" by any stretch of the term, be it due to having extra organs (duplicate or not), wildly different biochemistry, abnormal nutritional requirements, or even possessing completely new cellular organelles.

* ''VideoGame/DontStarve'' characters have bones in their hair, [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dont-starve-game/images/c/c2/Wilson_lightning_strike.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/287?cb=20140430112307 visible if they get struck by lightning]].

* Mystique, Raven Darkholme is a shapeshifter. She has on occasions been shown able to rearrange her internal or grow a face on the back of her head, or even grow additional arms.

[[folder:Fan Work]]

* Italy's IdiotHair in ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' is shown in the comic to be an "erogenous zone". It's unclear if the note was referring to his scalp reacting to the hair being pulled, or if he has actual feeling in the hair, but the fandom tends to run with the latter, and usually applies the same principle to the other curl-bearing nations. At least one fic goes to the logical extreme of the hairs being sensitive and has one bleed when severed. Also, Norway's curl actually floats around, detached from his head.

* ''FanFic/DiariesOfAMadman'': Navarone ends up as this due to various magical experiments. A backfiring spell results in him gaining pegasus wings, and an EmergencyTransformation results in him gaining several plant-like characteristics.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Quirks have vastly changed the nature of what it means to be human. Not only do most people have some sort of awesome superpower that is tied to some sort of physical mutation (Bakugo sweats nitroglycerin that he can detonate at will, Jirou has organic earphone jacks that she can plug into objects to enhance her hearing or amplify her heartbeat as an attack, Iida has engines in his legs), there are also a lot of physical mutations that seem entirely unconnected to the power. Tokoyami has a bird's head (his power is a LivingShadow), Kirishima has razor-sharp teeth (his power is SuperToughness), and YouGottaHaveBlueHair is even more prominent than normal for anime.

"So sex is basically snot and blood and rear end gravy and worms all thrown into a big sweaty bowl that can result in a baby, which cost on average $28,000 a year. Any questions?"

** Some people who are double-jointed, less than 30%, also have issues with depressants(pain killers, anaesthesia etc.). This can take many forms but common ones are higher tolerances, increased rates of metabolism and even immunities.

* Humans in the MarvelUniverse are very different from RealLife humans thanks to the Celestials' experiments on their ancestors. All humans possess the potential to manifest superpowers if the right conditions are met. Different subspecies have different triggers:
** Eternals and Deviants are born with their powers: Eternals get immortality and the ability to manipulate cosmic energy (at the cost of constantly needing to vent off heat), and the Deviants get BodyHorror.
** Comicbook/TheInhumans were further messed up by Kree experiments, and now manifest random powers and mutations through exposure to Terrigen Mist in a process called terrigenesis. People descended from Inhumans who mated with baseline humans also have a chance of undergoing terrigenesis or dying.
** Mutants usually manifest their mutations at puberty, though a rare few manifest their mutations at birth. This is apparently due to an extra gene dubbed the X-gene. Certain outside conditions seem to be able to cause the X-gene to manifest more often in the human population -- the detonation of the atomic bombs during World War II triggered a rise in mutant birthrates. It's also implied that every mutant is actually a RealityWarper who unconsciously alters reality in a different way.
** Baseline humans usually never manifest powers on their own, but exposure to certain (usually life-threatening) conditions can cause them to appear.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Humans, as well as all other living species in TheVerse, possess "midi-chlorians", mysterious organelles which have some intricate connection to the Force.
** [[FanWank It's a bit more complicated than that.]] The [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends old expanded universe]] has gone back and forth over what the role of Midi Chlorians actually are, though [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse the new Expanded Universe]]'s current stance is that midi-chlorians act as a go-between for the [[LifeEnergy Living Force]] and the [[SentientCosmicForce Cosmic Force]].

* Humans from ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' are a race of beings descended from the Furtive Pygmy, who created mankind by sharing fragments of the Dark Soul. Because of this, mankind has an inherent link to the dark, with "Humanity" implied to be fragments of the dark soul watered down over the years and maintaining mankind's human characteristics. When the first flame starts to fade, mankind becomes marked with the darksign, a curse that leaks Humanity out of humans [[spoiler:cursed onto mankind when Gwyn branded the pygmys with fire in hopes of controlling the Dark]] and turning them into the Undead, unable to die and slowly wasting away until they become Hollows. An alternative title for "the Age of Dark" is even called "the Age of Man."

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Humanity in ''Franchise/Ben10'' might seem weak compared to some other species in the series, but they have some unique qualities to them. One is that they're one of the few species who are [[WitchSpecies able to use mana and magic]], although a few others are capable of it as well. Their other, more unique trait is that they can interbreed with any other intelligent species. ''Any.'' This includes things like Pyronites, who are literally lava people who live on a freaking sun. Nobody knows how or why they're capable of this, but a good chunk of humanity has at least some alien ancestry.
** However, it turned out that [[spoiler:the supposed child of a human and a Pyronite encountered in the show was actually a full human who had some experiments done on him to infuse him with Pyronite DNA, then given FakeMemories of his parentage to cover up the existence of the group who experimented on him. So while a human and Pyronite offspring may be possible in theory, it probably isn't in practice]].
[[/folder]]

* Even ignoring people with Devil Fruit powers, and those who are just {{Gonk}}s, apparently humans in the world of ''Manga/{{One Piece}}'' can grow to gigantic size (case in point: Blackbeard is 11 feet tall. Gecko Moriah, the tallest non-giant character, is around 22 feet). It may not be that common, but nobody seems to think it's worthy of comment, either. We also see explicitly human characters who have simian facial features and even ''grow horns'', apparently totally naturally. And various other "nonhuman" races like Giants and Fishmen are referred to as "tribes" and can interbreed with humans, implying [[HumanSubspecies they're very closely related]]. And apparently willpower and just general power have an effect on biology too; Ace's mom held her pregnancy in for ''years'' through sheer willpower to protect him from people seeking to end his bloodline, and [[spoiler:one of the post-timeskip Admirals]] states he hasn't eaten in ''three years'' because it's too big a hassle, but he's apparently no worse for the wear.

* The title character from ''Anime/SkullFaceBooksellerHondaSan'' can do the typical anime SweatDrop and BloodFromTheMouth, despite ''being a skeleton.''

* Even ignoring people with Devil Fruit powers, and those who are just {{Gonk}}s, apparently humans in the world of ''Manga/{{One Piece}}'' can grow to gigantic size (case in point: Blackbeard is 11 feet tall. Gecko Moriah, the tallest non-giant character, is around 22 feet). It may not be that common, but nobody seems to think it's worthy of comment, either. We also see explicitly human characters who have simian facial features and even ''grow horns'', apparently totally naturally. And various other "nonhuman" races like Giants and Fishmen are referred to as "tribes" and can interbreed with humans, implying they're very closely related. And apparently willpower and just general power have an effect on biology too; Ace's mom held her pregnancy in for ''years'' through sheer willpower to protect him from people seeking to end his bloodline, and [[spoiler:one of the post-timeskip Admirals]] states he hasn't eaten in ''three years'' because it's too big a hassle, but he's apparently no worse for the wear.