History Main / ImprovisedGolems

->''This is a golem made out of the remains of a collapsed mineshaft, complete with broken support-beam arms and legs, and the howling souls of the miners who died trapped inside it. Also, a pissed-off zombie canary. It just goes to show that some people will make a golem out of ''anything''."''

* On some servers, the wizard player-characters that appear as antagonists in ''SpaceStation13'' are capable of animating chemical compounds into golems. While golems made of ammonia or salt are possible, [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs given the nature of the game]] you're more likely to encounter golems made of pure methamphetamine or thermite-based incendiary compounds.

* There's an [=DnD=] adventure in the {{Planescape}} setting where the players face a person with the ability to create golems out of objects at hand.

* The necromancer in ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} II'' is all over this. Aside from insta-summonable earth, blood and fire golems, he can also make metal golems out of any equipment, which then takes on the enchantments and traits of their raw materials.

* The old TSR comic book superhero game ''TabletopGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' had superpowers that could be used this way. Animate Matter: Solid would allow a character to manipulate homogenous solid matter (even things like adamantium if the power was strong enough), and there was a power that would allow similar effects with machines (including doing things with functional machines, which was explicitly disallowed with Animate Matter).

* The golem guy in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone apparently has the ability to create golems out of whatever material is handy. Not that that does him the slightest bit of good against Paul (who ''looooves'' fighting golems, since [[ActualPacifist they're not alive]]) or John (who takes out a dozen mud golems almost without thinking about it). And yes, the various floor-material golems he'd placed in Gothmarik Citadel fell to bits once he was removed from the scene—much to Paul's disappointment.

* [[PerdidoStreetStation Judah]] [[PunnyName Low]] from ChinaMieville's ''Literature/IronCouncil'' can make golems out of anything. [[UpToEleven Even time]].

Closely linked to [[SummonMagic summoned creatures]], although in this case its only really the 'binding force' that has been summoned/created.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* The horror anthology ''The Sleep of Reason'' features a writer in a creative slump creating a golem out of manuscript pages, forcing it to write her next book. She eventually destroys it and writes it by herself [[spoiler: by turning ''herself'' into a golem]].

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

* The ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' spell "Animate Objects" works like this in 2nd and 3rd edition. In contrast to creating an actual golem, which takes weeks of work and hugely expensive materials, the spell allows the caster to make a candlestick or rock sprout arms and legs and do its master's bidding. They're short-lived constructs, fragile and usually not great at fighting. On the other hand, the incident where a a BigBad was slain by a table makes for a great story to tell the grandkids.
* ''MutantsAndMasterminds'' as the Animate Objects power which offers this explicitly, although part and parcel to it is that the objects do not actually gain any kind of humanoid form. Rather, you get the situations of tables rocking themselves across the room, carpets slithering, millstones rolling...

* The {{Gurps}} supplement ''GURPS Magic Items 3'' includes rules for creating golems out of any material the GM allows, including garbage and Bakelite.

* ''HitmenForDestiny'' has a Maythorn [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/thorsby/destiny/series.php?view=archive&chapter=41098 experiment]] by starting with Play-Doh. It's loyal, but since it can't hear instructions and is from an ultra-weak material, it kills itself by trying to move.
* ''TheBeastLegion'' has [[http://www.thebeastlegion.com/characters/the-shadow-nexus/gorgorath/ Gorgorath]] who fits into this category. After being crushed his soul & body remains were linked to a giant suit of armor.

* In a ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', they use Play-Doh to make a bride for the Golem Of Prague.

* ''Film/{{Ghostbusters}}'', of course. Throughout the game, you'll have to contend with the likes of Book Golems, Coal Golems, Black Slime Golems, a Kitchen Golem (in the very first level, natch), and Graveyard Golems.

* Golems in ''{{Vindictus}}'' instantly assemble a body out of surrounding debris when cast. Notably, if there isn't enough junk lying around, the golem must limp or crawl around until it can assimilate enough for a proper body.

* The necromancer in ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} II'' is all over this. Aside from insta-summonable earth and blood golems, he can also make metal golems out of any equipment, which then takes on the enchantments and traits of their raw materials.

* Corona of ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaViVid'' has her Creation spell, which allows her to instantly build her golem Goliath from out of the ground.

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* In a ''{{Simpsons}}'' Treehouse of Horror episode, they use Play-Doh to make a bride for the Golem Of Prague.
[[/folder]]

* [[Blog/ThingsMrWelchIsNoLongerAllowedToDoInAnRPG Mr. Welch]] has used this several times, such as creating [[MundaneUtility animated balloon animals]] and even Tequila Golems.
* In the WhateleyUniverse story "Christmas Elves", a somewhat desperate Hekate goes into serious magical debt (in terms of promised ''future'' sacrifices) to turn a jeep, a fighter jet, and a bunch of spare parts into improvised "metal golems" once her captives manage to break free and start rampaging through the Syndicate base where they were being held. (It doesn't really help much.)

-->'''Bennett''': The results were devastating.\\
'''Spoony''': I bet they ''were''.

* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', at a point when everyone's living in one crowded apartment among the heaps of stuff from their previous larger house, the guys manage to piss off Gwynn (again), and she uses her magic to create the humanoid Clutter Monster from all the random stuff lying around to punish them.

* ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' has many types of golems, from cloth (giant stuffed animals) to metal (including soft, hard, and acid), to--as Sizemore is discussing with Bogroll in the page image--crap.

* ''{{Minecraft}}'' allows players (and sometimes [[EldritchAbomination Endermen]]) to build Snow Golems out of blocks of snow and Iron Golems out of blocks of iron, topped off with pumpkins for heads.

* In the ''CounterMonkey'' episode "The Age of Manure", there's a story about a race of "majic dogs" [sic] with magical poop. A mad wizard named Hinsty David decides to try building a golem out of the stuff, presumably as a prank.

* In ''JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell'' Strange creates several impromptu golems over the course of the book. He makes horse-shaped sand golems to tow a ship, animates a set of stained glass to put out a fire, and when the fire destroys them simply creates golems of water to throw themselves directly on the fire. It's mentioned that the Raven King used to create a huge golem out of ravens.

* DominicDeegan shows us a [[http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2010-03-10 Improvised snow golem]]

* Yuuri in ''KyouKaraMaou'' sometimes summons improvised golems when he's channeling the demon king.

Crafting a proper {{Golem}} takes takes time, effort and often magical runes. However, in a pinch, many bad guys can take whatever is at hand, make it into a useful shape, and sent it off against their enemies. Things like water, sand, dirt, snow may be used, often illustrating that the creator can easily make more if they are destroyed.

Crafting a proper {{Golem}} takes takes time, effort and often magical runes. However, at a pinch, many bad guys can take whatever is at hand, make it into a useful shape, and sent it off against their enemies. Things like water, sand, dirt, snow may be used, often illustrating that the creator can easily make more if they are destroyed.

->''This is a golem made out of the remains of a collapsed mineshaft, complete with broken support-beam arms and legs, and the howling souls of the miners who died trapped inside it. Also, a pissed-off zombie canary. It just goes to show that some people will make a golem out of anything."''

* ''Erfworld'' has many types of golems, from cloth (giant stuffed animals) to metal (including soft, hard, and acid), to--as Sizemore is discussing with Bogroll in the page image--crap.

* In the Lord Zedd era of ''MightyMorphinPowerRangers,'' as well as the Kamdor episodes of ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive,'' the MonsterOfTheWeek is arguably this, with everyday objects being brought to life by the BigBad, turned into monsters, and sent to attack. Sometimes they get to be careful and smart about the choice of object, but sometimes it's a spur-of-the-moment monster creation, so you get... killer inner tubes, purses of doom with weapons made from whatever items happened to be inside, and evil brick walls. In fact, since Kamdor was usually on the move instead of sitting back in a castle, monsters were ''usually'' made in an "Oh, crap, Rangers might get the MacGuffin. Let's see, what's the nearest blue object - ah! That purse/amplifier/camera/etc!" moment. However, a computer monster was part of a {{plan}} Zedd ''wishes'' he could have thought of.