History Main / InTheirOwnImage

* In the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' animated series, Apocalypse steals Cable's time travel device in the far future, and travels to a temporal center called the Axis of Time. He kidnaps psychics from all eras in history, and then uses their combined power to wipe out all reality so he can rebuild it to his choosing.

* In the Corwin part of ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber'' series, the [[spoiler:[[BigBad evil half-brother, Brand,]]]] seeks to re-create the universe to [[spoiler:his]] own image by [[spoiler:re-drawing the Pattern.]]

* Subverted in the 2nd Dragonlance trilogy, the Twins set, when Tasslehoff ends up in the future, and manages to get to a pivotal point in time to avert said future. [[spoiler: He makes Raistlin, who is altering the timelines, discard his plan to become a god by convincing Raistlin that Raistlin, even as a god, will NEVER be able to create life.]]

%%* Tao Zant in ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'' had a similar goal, but on a ''universal'' scale.

%%* This is Brajira's ultimate goal in ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger''.

* In Franchise/TheDCU's CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime'', Hal Jordan as Parallax tried to go back to the big bang and reboot the universe the way he wanted it. This resulted in another CosmicRetcon and a partial ContinuityReboot to several DC series (Hawkman and ComicBook/{{Legion Of Super-Heroes}}, most notably).

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' this is what makes Dagoth Ur a threat. [[spoiler:He is ''already'' slowly but surely warping Mundus into a reflection of his own broken mind due to deluding himself into thinking Mundus is '''his''' dream rather than the Dream of Anu. And the power he gained from the Heart of Lorkhan is making his delusion real. This is the true nature of the Corprus and the Ashblight -- both are manifestations of Dagoth Ur's remaking the Anu's Dream into his own nightmare.]]

* In Franchise/TheDCU's CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'', Hal Jordan as Parallax tried to go back to the big bang and reboot the universe the way he wanted it. This resulted in another CosmicRetcon and a partial ContinuityReboot to several DC series (Hawkman and ComicBook/{{Legion Of Super-Heroes}}, most notably).

* [[BigBad Bagramon]] of ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' wants to remake both the human world and the Digital World in his image in an event that he calls D5. D5 is short for [[GratuitousEnglish Dimension Deletion and Deadly Destruction Day]].

* In ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', [[spoiler:this seems to be the goal of Kriemhild Gretchen, the enormously powerful Witch that Madoka will become if she falls into despair. The implications are horrifying enough to overlap with OmnicidalManiac, because her desire is ultimately to swallow up the Universe into the chaotic Labyrinth that exists within herself, which she believes to be a paradise because it is free of suffering. Thankfully, she is destroyed by the protagonist's wish, which triggers the destruction and reconstruction of the Universe, but in a way more akin to an EndOfTheWorldSpecial]].

* In an issue of ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'' the Leader goes back to make everyone a gamma freak (they'll turn out Leaders, Hulks, or Abominations) and Hulk & the Avengers go back to stop him.
* Sise-Neg from a ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'' story in the MarvelUniverse. Note that Sise-Neg is "genesis" spelled backwards.

* The Anti-Monitor did this in ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths after his original plans to destroy all universes were defeated by superheroes. He is stopped again, but random changes (most notably the elimination of all Parallel Earths) happened as a result.
* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'': [[spoiler:Zeus]] plans to destroy the earth as it stands and kill of all but a handful of humans who will be subjugated and forced to commit scheduled human sacrifices to him as he has decided that his [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly fading power due lack of worshipers]] means that humanity can't be trusted to worship him without the removal of their free will or out of any sense of loyalty or gratitude.
* This is why ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} seeks the Anti-Life Equation. With it, he can wipe out free will all around and turn everyone into his faithful, worshipping slaves. And from there, he can get to using them as slave labor to tear down all there is and rebuild it "in the image of his soul".

* Fanfic version: In the ''Fanfic/UndocumentedFeatures'' arc ''Twilight'' ([[Literature/{{Twilight}} no relation]]), [[Myth/NorseMythology Loki]] sneaks into the building containing the supercomputer [[Manga/AhMyGoddess Yggdrasil]], planning on reprogramming it to grant him infinite cosmic power. However, Urd stops him.

* Subverted in the 2nd Dragonlance trilogy, the Twins set, when Tasslehoff ends up in the future, and manages to get to a pivotal point in time to avert said future. [[spoiler: He makes Raistlin, who is altering the timelines, discard his plan to become a god by convincing Raistlin that Raistlin, even as a god, will NEVER be able to create life.]]
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', [[GodOfEvil the Dark One]] would do this if it ever got free. During their final battle, it torments [[TheChosenOne Rand]] by showing him two possibilities it might realize -- the first is a dystopian hellscape ruled by [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Forsaken]], and the second ''seems'' normal enough... until it's revealed that the entire human race have had their sense of right and wrong and empathy removed, turning them into heartless sociopaths just like the Dark One itself. In both cases, history was rewritten so that no one realized anything was wrong. [[spoiler: The second vision was so bad that Rand produced a world where ''he'' did this, by making it so that the Dark One had never existed. Except it turns out that the Dark One is necessary for free will, so that everyone in Rand's "perfect" world was only eternally good and happy because he'd essentially brainwashed them to be like that. Cue MyGodWhatHaveIDone]].
* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' has The Prophecy, or rather the ''two'' prophecies, which are to some degree compatible (due to vague, cryptic, figurative language) up to a particular event. When this event (the meeting of Belgarion and the Maimed God Torak) occurs, they disagree on the outcome, and diverge wildly from there. It's implied that outcome of this even will rewrite all of history so that the prophecy with the correct prediction of the battle is ''spot on''. Among other things, if Torak wins, Belgarion's "aunt" Polgara will become Torak's bride, and despite how much she hates and despises him now will have always loved him unreservedly. The Prophecies are implied to be living, sentient entities, not just a collection of sayings, which makes this example fit the trope even better.

* This is Brajira's ultimate goal in ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger''.
* Tao Zant in ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'' had a similar goal, but on a ''universal'' scale.
* ''Series/StargateSG1'': After the heroes unlock the Dakara Superweapon and use it to wipe out the Replicators, they [[NiceJobBreakingItHero promptly lose control of it]] to [[BigBad Anubis]], who plans to use it to wipe the galaxy clean of life and repopulate it in a manner more to his liking.

* ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series:
** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'': Grodus gives us the page quote. He seeks to use the treasure behind the Thousand Year Door and wield the [[spoiler:Shadow Queen's power for his own ends. He fails to realize that EvilIsNotAToy]]
** While Count Bleck of ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' is an OmnicidalManiac / WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds after losing [[spoiler:his love, Timpani (Tippi), [[TheStarscream Dimentio]] seeks to wield the power of the Chaos Heart to destroy all realities, then re-create them in his likeness]].
* In ''VideoGame/Wizard101'', Morganthe's ultimate goal is to learn the Song of Creation and use its [[RealityWarper Reality Warping]] powers to remake the Spiral in her own image.

* ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'': The Dark Voice, who turns out to be named Amon, the BigBad, is a fallen Xel'Naga that believes that the Endless Cycle is filled with torment and suffering and aims to bring an end to it. While this might make him sound like a DarkMessiah, and his worshippers believe in this, a protoss that entered his mind claims that his intentions are anything but noble. He only seeks to kill everything in the universe, even his own followers, and reshape it into his own image
* This is the point of the Reasons in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne''. Each Reason holder seeks to re-create the world according to their guiding philosophy. The only one who attempts this and fails is [[spoiler: Yuko Takao]], who believes that her God will tell her the Reason, failing to realize that she is meant to come up with it herself. However, the MC can still unlock it as an available ending. It's worth mentioning that her motivation is relatively unselfish compared to the others: [[spoiler: she's only trying to undo her mistake by restoring the world to the way it was.]]
* Cyrus, leader of ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'''s Team Galactic, attempts to use the [[OlympusMons Legendary Pokémon]] of Time and Space in order to remake the universe in his image, [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill without "spirit"]].
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' series, this is the final resolution of any AI that goes Rampant -- to escape the heat death of the universe and shape the one that follows. To quote Durandal, "Escape would make me a god."
* ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'': [[BigBadDuumvirate Gol and Maia's]] EvilPlan amounts to this; by cracking open the [[TheCorruption Dark Eco]] silos, they'll be able to use the massive amounts of Dark Eco within to remake the world as they see fit.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': Master Xehanort's ultimate goal is to trigger a second Keyblade War, then use the power of Kingdom Hearts to wipe out the current worlds and remake them in his image of [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil balance]].
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'': Whereas [[spoiler:Princess Hilda]] is a WellIntentionedExtremist who wants to use Hyrule's Triforce to save the dying world of Lorule, [[BigBad Yuga]] wants to use it to remake Lorule in his own image.
* ''VideoGame/SpiderManEdgeOfTime'':
** A key factor in Sloan's plan. By traveling back in time to the 1970s, he founds Alchemax years before it was supposed to be established, remaking the company in his image.
** The Alchemax CEO, aka [[spoiler:Peter Parker 2099]], takes it even further, planning to harness the quantum energy of the incoming TimeCrash to assume control of the timestream and remake the universe in his image. He's actually a WellIntentionedExtremist, as a key part of this plan is undoing Peter Parker's mistakes, such as [[MyGreatestFailure the deaths]] of Uncle Ben and [[ILetGwenStacyDie Gwen Stacy]], but Spider-Man 2099 argues against him doing so, because he's [[NoManShouldHaveThisPower trying to harness power no human should have]].
* ''VideoGame/Pirate101'': At first, many characters believed [[BigBad Kane]] to be an [[WellIntentionedExtremist Extreme]] KnightTemplar whose goal was simply to get rid of piracy. During the second part of Valencia, it's revealed that this was not the case, as Kane wants to get rid of ''everything completely'' by destroying the Spiral and reforming it into what he considers perfection.
* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime'': [[spoiler:This is ultimately the plan of Doctor Nefarious Tropy. After Neo Cortex is defeated by Crash and calls it quit, Nefarious reveals himself and ends his alliance with him. He explains that while Cortex is content with ''just'' ruling space and time, he would rather start from scratch. Using the rift generator, Tropy plans to "wipe the slate clean" by rebooting the entire timeline and rebuilding to his liking, with him as the only god, of course.]]

* This was the goal of [[BigBad Maltruant]] in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'', who planned to go back in time to the universe's creation and sabotage the SufficientlyAdvancedAliens responsible for it.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJimmyTimmyPowerHour'' special had Professor Calamitous planning to use Jorgen's powers to do this.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' had Billy stranded back in time and fall in love with a cavewoman. [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything When we get back to the present, everyone looks and acts like Billy.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': In the episode "Time and Punishment", Gosalyn hitches a ride with a TimeMachine into a BadFuture where [[GoneToTheFuture her disappearance]] caused Darkwing to become increasingly extreme in his fight against crime, not only destroying all the bad guys but turning all of Saint Canard into a totalitarian nightmare where AllCrimesAreEqual. When he obtains the time machine, he contemplates going back to the start of history and issuing the death penalty from the get go, or even going to the Paleozoic period to drill respect for the law into the new land-based lifeforms.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'': In the Ninja Tribunal story arc, this is the Tengu Shredder's ultimate goal, and he admits as such:
-->'''Tengu Shredder''': What a pleasure it will be to [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming hear the screams]] when I remake the world in my own image.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MajorLazer'' time-traveling villainess Lady Rothschild goes to the Garden of Eden with the goal of killing Eve and becoming "The Mother of Humanity". When Major Lazer shows up to stop her, she proposes killing Adam and to offer Major Lazer the title of humanity's baby daddy.

* [[BigBad Bagramon]] of ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' wants to remake both the human world and the Digital World in his image in an event that he calls D5. D5 is short for [[GratuitousEnglish Dimension Deletion and Deadly Destruction Day]].

* ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'': The entire purpose of Dr. Eggman's [[CosmicRetcon Genesis Wave]] technology is this. Using the [[MacGuffin Chaos Emeralds]], he can reshape all of reality and the universe to his liking.

* In an issue of ''Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk'' the Leader goes back to make everyone a gamma freak (they'll turn out Leaders, Hulks, or Abominations) and Hulk & the Avengers go back to stop him.
* Sise-Neg from a ''Comicbook/DoctorStrange'' story in the MarvelUniverse. Note that Sise-Neg is "genesis" spelled backwards.
* In Franchise/TheDCU's CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'', Hal Jordan as Parallax tried to go back to the big bang and reboot the universe the way he wanted it. This resulted in another CosmicRetcon and a partial ContinuityReboot to several DC series (Hawkman and Comicbook/{{Legion Of Super-Heroes}}, most notably).

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

* In ''FanFic/FallenKing'', Pegasus's ultimate goal is to rewrite the world according to his rules.
* ''FanFic/RosarioVampireBrightestDarkness Act III'': This is what Kiria's EvilPlan ultimately boils down to: by using the [[TimeTravel Chrono Displacement spell]] and the [[PsychoSerum Blackheart serum]], he plans to change the outcome of the [[GreatOffscreenWar Battle of Kahdaln]], which forced the monsters to set up TheMasquerade in the first place, in favor of the monsters using Tsukune's [[SuperpoweredEvilSide inner ghoul]], as well as use other Blackheart-infected monsters to wipe out all of the Dark Lords and any other powerful beings who could possibly pose a threat to him, effectively creating a world where monsters rule, humanity is extinct, and Kiria himself is the greatest, most powerful monster of them all. Unfortunately for Kiria, the plan fails and he gets killed because, in the case of Ghoul!Tsukune, EvilIsNotAToy.

* ''Videogame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime'': [[spoiler:This is ultimately the plan of Doctor Nefarious Tropy. After Neo Cortex is defeated by Crash and calls it quit, Nefarious reveals himself and ends his alliance with him. He explains that while Cortex is content with ''just'' ruling space and time, he would rather start from scratch. Using the rift generator, Tropy plans to "wipe the slate clean" by rebooting the entire timeline and rebuilding to his liking, with him as the only god, of course.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** This turns out to be the overarching scheme of {{ComicBook/Darkseid}}: Attempting to discover the Anti-Life Equation, he intends to use it [[OmnicidalManiac to first destroy reality itself]], then commandeer the re-creation process and rebuild reality in his image, hoping to create a universe of perfect order and obedience.

** One-off villain Lord Chronos tried this using his time-travel suit, a far cry from his original hobby of going back to steal objects no one would ever miss.

** In the finale season, [[spoiler:[[Characters/SupernaturalGods Chuck/God]]] threatens to remake the whole of reality from scratch after he's finished [[ApocalypseHow/ClassX5 dismantling]] the rest of TheMultiverse and then the main universe. Unlike most examples, he's actually the original creator of the already-existing version of reality]].

** In the finale season, [[spoiler:[[Characters/SupernaturalGods Chuck/God]]] threatens to remake the whole of reality from scratch after he's finished [[ApocalypseHow/ClassX5 dismantling]] the rest of TheMultiverse and then the main universe. Unlike most examples, he's [[spoiler:actually the original creator of the already-existing version of reality]].

** In the finale season, [[spoiler:[[[[Characters/SupernaturalGods Chuck/God]]] threatens to remake the whole of reality from scratch after he's finished [[ApocalypseHow/ClassX5 dismantling]] the rest of TheMultiverse and then the main universe. Unlike most examples, he's [[spoiler:actually the original creator of the already-existing version of reality]].

* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'': Regardless of all of their {{Motive Rant}}s about justice, it's clear that this is the endgame of each version of Zamasu; by [[KillAllHumans wiping out all mortals]], they'll [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans create]] ''[[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans their]]'' [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans own vision of paradise]]. It's especially blatant with [[spoiler:Goku Black and Future Zamasu; they constantly go on about how they're doing the gods' justice and making a new world "by gods, for gods," and since they're the only ones left in Future Trunks' timeline, it basically translates to their new world being "by Zamasu, for Zamasu."]] In the [[Manga/DragonBallSuper manga]], [[spoiler:Fusion Zamasu]] takes it even further when he completely drops the "justice" angle and declares his intent to slaughter ''everyone'' across every timeline who ''isn't'' a version of himself, god and mortal alike. [[spoiler:Infinite Zamasu takes this to extremes; by becoming one with the Future Trunks timeline, he succeeded in creating a multiverse where only Zamasu exists...because [[GeniusLoci he]] ''[[GeniusLoci is]]'' [[GeniusLoci the multiverse]].]]

* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'': Regardless of all of their {{Motive Rant}}s about justice, it's clear that this is the endgame of each version of Zamasu; by [[KillAllHumans wiping out all mortals]], they'll [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans create]] ''[[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans their]]'' [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans own vision of paradise]]. It's especially blatant with [[spoiler:Goku Black and Future Zamasu; they constantly go on about how they're doing the gods' justice and making a new world "by gods, for gods," and since they're the only ones left, it basically translates to their new world being "by Zamasu, for Zamasu."]] In the [[Manga/DragonBallSuper manga]], [[spoiler:Fusion Zamasu]] takes it even further when he completely drops the "justice" angle and declares his intent to slaughter ''everyone'' across every timeline who ''isn't'' a version of himself, god and mortal alike. [[spoiler:Infinite Zamasu takes this to extremes; by becoming one with the Future Trunks timeline, he succeeded in creating a multiverse where only Zamasu exists...because [[GeniusLoci he]] ''[[GeniusLoci is]]'' [[GeniusLoci the multiverse]].]]

** Collecting all OneHundredAndEight Code Crowns allows anyone to do this to the Digital World. When Taiki gets all of them, the zones merge and everyone who died over the course of the series is purified and given a second chance at life. Bagramon modified the Code Crowns so that he could remake the human world as well.

* ''Videogame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime''[[spoiler:This is ultimately the plan of Doctor Nefarious Tropy. After Neo Cortex is defeated by Crash and calls it quit, Nefarious reveals himself and ends his alliance with him. He explains that while Cortex is content with ''just'' ruling space and time, he would rather start from scratch. Using the rift generator, Tropy plans to "wipe the slate clean" by rebooting the entire timeline and rebuilding to his liking, with him as the only god, of course.]]

* One ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutron''[=/=]''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddParents'' special had Professor Calamitous planning to use Jorgen's powers to do this.

* In ''Literature/SonicTheHedgehogInTheFourthDimension'', a band of imaginary beings, the Mythos creatures, were facing FantasticRacism. They attempted this in order to finally live in the "real" universe and have a place to call home. [[spoiler: Instead, a compromise was agreed upon, and they could freely half of Fourth Dimension that they were just being persecuted in before, as the dimension is basically an infinite stretch of floors, corridors and offices.]]

* This is why ComicBook/Darkseid seeks the Anti-Life Equation. With it, he can wipe out free will all around and turn everyone into his faithful, worshipping slaves. And from there, he can get to using them as slave labor to tear down all there is and rebuild it "in the image of his soul".

** He and Dr. Wily actually succeed in this during near the end of ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'', but Sonic and Mega Man defeated them and undoes this trope. [[Spoiler: Unfortunately, Eggman stubbornly wrecks Sonic's chances of a complete fix in their universe, but the CosmicRetcon doesn't do too much except for rewriting history at best and unleashing a SealEvilInACan at worst.]]

* ''VideoGame/Pirate101'': Kane, BigBad of the game, was at first believed to be an [[WellIntentionedExtremist Extreme]] KnightTemplar whose goal was simply to get rid of piracy by most of the characters, until it's revealed in the second part of Valencia that he wants to get rid of ''everything completely'' by destroying the Spiral and reforming it into what he considers perfection.

* ''WesternAnimation/ActionMan2000'': [[BigBad Dr. X]] plots to "test" humanity to create what he called [[MasterRace Neo-Humanity]]. His so-called tests were effectively to [[EvilutionaryBiologist to kill off those were not the most physically capable humans]] and leave on the strongest, most athletic. [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist His ultimate goal]] was to take these most physically capable and inject them with his DNA, turning them into clones of himself while using their bodies as extensions of his mind, making him the most literal example of this trope.