History Main / InTheirOwnImage

How this is done can vary. They can try to go back to the beginning of time, or a foundational event in the timeline, because their mere presence or actions will cause ForWantOfANail to its logical extreme. Lacking access to such a thing, designating a point in time at which the world will start to revolve around the subject will suffice. They can seek to gain a powerful artifact that can alter the world as they like and go from there. They can be a GodhoodSeeker aiming to use their powers to make the world they want. Or they can go full-on OmnicidalManiac and make a new world for themselves from scratch.

** This turns out to be the overarching scheme of 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.

* ''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.]]

** [[ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour Ultimate Reed Richards]], a.k.a. The Maker, [[AdaptationalVillainy set out to do this]] after the destruction and restoration of the Ultimate universe in ''ComicBook/UltimateInvasion''. The heroes assume he's trying to destroy & remake [[PrimeTimeline Earth-616]], but in reality, he just wanted to be left alone with an entirely new world to call his own. He succeeds, and creates a copy of Earth-616 known as Earth-6160 [[NobleDemon after offering his fellow universal outcast Miles Morales a place in it]], which he declines. He doesn't appear to have anything too nefarious planned for the new world, but he [[MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight spitefully kills the spider that would have bit his universe's Peter Parker]].

* At the end of ''Anime/TransformersCybertron'', this becomes Galvatron's goal. He seeks to send the multiverse ending Black Hole into overdrive to destroy everything, using the Omega Lock and Cyber Planet Keys to survive the end of the universe, then rebuild it as he sees fit.
* [[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]].

* ''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]] and [[KillTheGod gods]], 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]].]]
* This is the plan of the the BigBad Pucci in ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' part 6; to reset the universe and create a world where everybody knows their own destiny (also, the Joestars won't exist, but that's more AvengingTheVillain).

** This is why ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} seeks the [[FormulaicMagic Anti-Life Equation]]. With it, he can wipe out free will all around and [[WorldOfSilence 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".
** 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.
** 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/LegionOfSuperHeroes, most notably).

** Sise-Neg from a ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange''. Note that Sise-Neg is "genesis" spelled backwards.
** 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.
** [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]], aka The Maker, [[AdaptationalVillainy set out to do this]] after the destruction and restoration of the Ultimate universe in ''ComicBook/UltimateInvasion''. The heroes assume he's trying to destroy & remake [[PrimeTimeline Earth-616]], but in reality he just wanted to be left alone with an entirely new world to call his own. He succeeds, and creates a copy of Earth-616 known as Earth-6160 [[NobleDemon after offering his fellow universal outcast Miles Morales a place in it]], which he declines. He doesn't appear to have anything too nefarious planned for the new world, but he [[MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight spitefully kills the spider that would have bit his universe's Peter Parker]].
* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': 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.
** 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 SealedEvilInACan at worst.]]
** ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'': This is what this version of Eggman plans to do once he conquers the world and creates his Eggman Empire. Utterly despising how "filthy" and "irregular" the world is, Eggman, as the [[InsufferableGenius greatest genius that has ever lived]], feels that it's his duty, his ''destiny'' to mold it into his image of perfection by eliminating what he deems as imperfections, including [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill free will]].

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'': In ''Ghosts of the Past'', the sequel, this is revealed to be the motivation behind [[spoiler: Surtur]], the original Dark Phoenix, going Dark Phoenix in the first place. He also genuinely believes that this would be better, since he sees the universe as it is now as a chaotic hell-hole.

* ''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.

* ''Fanfic/UndocumentedFeatures'': In ''Twilight'' arc ([[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.

* ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': Thanos was already mad enough to think [[InsaneTrollLogic killing off half the universe so the other half would thrive without killing the whole from overpopulation]] was a swell idea, but at least he left it at that. However, when he realizes people are trying to ''undo'' things and there is a remote chance they might succeed at it, he cracks ''just'' a little more. As a result, he decides he's going to just push the ResetButton on everything so no one has anything to mourn, and what life comes after can be steered away from what he thought would be disaster, showered in enough resources to thrive... and he'd make sure they'd be ''thankful'' for it this time.
* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'': [[BigBad Voller]] essentially plans to [[MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight do this to modern history]]. [[spoiler: Upon assembling the [[MacGuffin Antikythera Mechanism]], he and his followers fly a bomber plane through a time portal with the intent to travel back to 1939 in order to [[KillAndReplace kill and replace Hitler]], and then lead Nazi Germany to win UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and eventually [[TakeOverTheWorld conquer the world]].]]

* In the ''Literature/TheCrewOfTheCopperColoredCupids'' story ''[[https://thecrewofthecoppercoloredcupids.wordpress.com/2020/11/18/the-fall-of-the-consistency-palatium/ The Fall of the Consistency Palatium]]'', this is stated by [[spoiler: Mandragora]] as his plan for after he destroys the Multiverse — although he's more interested in becoming all-powerful and omniscient for its own sake, and creating a new cosmos afterwards appears to be an afterthought).
* 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/SonicTheHedgehogInTheFourthDimension'', a band of imaginary beings, the Mythos creatures, were facing FantasticRacism. They attempted this in order to live in the "real" universe (where the rules didn't allow for their existence), and finally have a place to call home. [[spoiler: Instead, a compromise was agreed upon, and they could freely inhabit half of Fourth Dimension, the plane of existence that they were just being persecuted in and fighting for complete control of before. The dimension is basically an infinite stretch of floors, corridors and offices, so this could have been proposed earlier if the leaders of each faction weren't so stubborn, though it's unclear if the Mythos creatures actually came from that dimension.]]
* Played with in ''Eric'' by Terry Pratchett. The not-really-evil conjurer demands Rincewind make him live forever, which means starting at the beginning of creation..... [[ItMakesSenseInContext Mayonnaise ensues.]]
* When [[TheChessmaster Grand Admiral Thrawn]] from the ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' books ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'' first tried to recruit Fallen Jedi Joruus C'boath in order to use C'baoth's MindControl talents to reestablish TheEmpire, C'boath wasn't interested. It turns out C'baoth is the petty, ControlFreak sort of tyrant who wants to control every thought and aspect of the lives of his subjects, and being the leader of a galaxy wide Empire is incompatible with that. Thrawn, catching on fast, then suggests a downplayed version of this trope: Thrawn proposes that he can kidnap Leia's children and give them to C'baoth so C'baoth can shape them how he pleases, and through them, mold the rebirth of the Jedi Order so it can be become C'baoth's personal vision for the Jedi. C'baoth agrees, but later [[MagikarpPower his mind control abilities grow so much from constant use]] that C'baoth decides that he ''can'' rule a galaxy wide empire his way after all...
* Literature/{{Swellhead}} plans to reshape the world entirely from his own imagination.
* 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]].

* Tao Zant in ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'' planned to [[spoiler:use the Evil Will to destroy and remake everything on a ''universal'' scale.]]

--->"''[[LampshadeHanging Remake it in my image]], better than Dad ever could. I'm thinkin'... Hmmm... Fire-breathing dragons? Sassy talking robots. I might give humans another chance if they know their place and... worship me.''"

* ''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.

[[folder:Professional wrestling]]

* "The World Famous" Wrestling/{{Kana|koUrai}} has been accused of having such ambitions since 2010 when she wrote a "manifesto" in Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri's SMASH on [[WellIntentionedExtremist how to save Joshi]], but in December 2014 she actually announced plans to "reform" the REINA promotion after fighting, and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney weaseling]] her way to the REINA World Women's and World Tag Team titles.
* Amber Rodriguez literally set out to do this to professional wrestling after returning from the army, striving to give every last wrestler she came across a makeover, willingly or otherwise. She adopted the title "[[RedBaron Mad Esthetician]]" [[AppropriatedAppellation with pride]] and started taking beauty classes to live up to it.

* 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.

* ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'': SHODAN, after having the player fight off the Annalids, tries to take control of the hyperspace module to rewrite the universe to her specifications.
* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' this is [[MadScientist Father Elijah]]'s EvilPlan. He wanted to use the Sierra Madre's FogOfDoom to get revenge on the [[TheFederation New California Republic]] by cleansing the Mojave Wasteland of all life and then using its technology to build a new nation from the ground up, [[WeCanRuleTogether potentially with your help]].

** Ganondorf (aka Ganon), the recurring BigBad of the franchise, plans to reshape Hyrule into his ideal kingdom. Said-kingdom is a land of darkness with evil running rampant across the land, as evidenced by the existence of the Dark World[[note]]Which is stated to be what Hyrule would look like if Ganon succeeded.[[/note]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast''.
*** This is most prevalent in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', where Ganondorf admits he hates Hyrule's inhabitants for being peace-loving and weak under "insufferable" light, and plans to correct that by taking over the world, crush all opposition to his rule, and making life a [[TheSocialDarwinist constant struggle for survival]]. Of course, since nearly everyone opposes his rule, Ganondorf would need to go full OmnicidalManiac to achieve his dreams.

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' this is what makes Dagoth Ur an existential 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.]]
* ''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.]]
* ''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.]]
** ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'': Count Bleck's goal is to use the Chaos Heart to erase all worlds and create new, perfect ones in their place, free of war and sadness. [[spoiler:Or so he claims. That's actually a lie to motivate his minions, and he simply wishes to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy everything for good]], having come to see existence as pointless [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds after losing his love Timpani]]. [[TheStarscream Dimentio]], on the other hand, manipulated Bleck and the heroes alike so that he could claim the power of the Chaos Heart for his own and remake reality as he sees fit.]]
* ''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.

* 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.]]

** ''VideoGame/SonicBoom: Rise of Lyric'': [[BigBad Lyric's]] EvilPlan is to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy all organic life on the planet]] and rebuild it into a robotic world under his control, feeling he can't trust anything non-robotic after he was forced to convert himself into a {{cyborg}} to stay alive after contracting a fatal disease:
--->'''Lyric''': Technology is the only thing you can trust. Which is why I'm going to rid this world of all organic lifeforms - and rebuild it, piece by robotic piece.

--->'''Infinite''': We move forward with the plan?\\
'''Eggman''': Of course! When it's complete, the Resistance will be erased. The world will be nothing but ashes, from which a glorious Eggman Empire will rise!

--->'''Erazor''': I will remake this world and this reality in my own image!

** 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/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 ''[[TookALevelInBadass Bowser's]]'' plan, believe it or not, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]]. Bowser didn't want to ''destroy'' any galaxies however, he just wanted to create one of his own. But that wasn't enough, he then wanted to use it as the capital of his new space empire, which lead to a battle that destroyed it ''and'' the original universe until the Lumas reset it, causing him to try his plan again a different way because the Lumas never recreate the Mario universe the same way twice.

* In ''VideoGame/EndlessSpace'' and its [[VideoGame/EndlessSpace2 sequel]], this is the ultimate goal of the Horatio. An unhinged but brilliant {{narcissist}}, Horatio created [[CloneArmy an entire race in his own image]] which now seeks to beautify the galaxy by populating it with the most perfect thing in existence: Horatio.

* Sarda the Sage attempted this in ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'' but inadvertently beat himself to the punch when he [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/12/30/episode-496-a-wizard-did-itto-himself/ sent White Mage there ahead of himself]].

* ZigZagged in ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons''. [[spoiler:Jagganoth's]] ultimate goal is revealed to be this, with a twist: [[spoiler:Jagganoth considers the current Universe to be too full of pain and suffering to be worth keeping, [[ShellShockedVeteran having suffered too much of it himself]], and wants to destroy it all and reforge it into a new, more perfect form free of oppression, violence and suffering. Once he's ascertained the new world is peaceful and good -- in other words, the exact ''opposite'' of him -- [[NoPlaceForMeThere he intends to kill himself so no trace of the taint that created him remains]].]]

* ''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.

* In ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'', 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, planning to use their combined power to wipe out all reality so that he can rebuild it to his choosing.
* In ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'', the Brain once went back in time to make a world ruled by mice. He succeeded, but changed his mind when he ended up with a world full of Pinkies.
* ''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 only the strongest, most athletic people as survivors. [[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.
* 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.]]
* This was always Lord Garmadon's ultimate goal in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'', conquer Ninjago and turn into into his own image.

** 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 to head towards the very beginning of time itself and work from there to reshape reality, a far cry from his original hobby of going back to steal objects no one would ever miss.
** After being taken over by Brainiac, Luthor asks what the plan is [[AndThenWhat after]] analyzing and destroying all worlds. When it turns out he doesn't have one, Luthor suggests they rebuild them on their own terms, and Brainiac acquiesces. As a result, Superman's IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight appeal fails miserably.

-->'''Tengu Shredder''': What a pleasure it will be to [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming hear the screams]] when I remake the world in my own image.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheJimmyTimmyPowerHour'' special had Professor Calamitous planning to use Jorgen's powers to do this after their FusionDance. By creating the Big Bang Bomb, its detonation would unravel the fabric of time, letting the magic Calamitous now commands reshape the aftermath "in [his] own, glorious image!"
* ''WesternAnimation/{{ReBoot}}'': When he's not trying to use a portal to escape to the Supercomputer, Megabyte is trying to conquer Mainframe and rebuild it as Megaframe. In "Infected," while inside the Principal Office, he explicitly says that he will rebuild the system in his own image.
* 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.
* 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.
* In the season three finale of ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'', [[spoiler:after Skeletor takes [[YinYangBomb the powers of Grayskull and Havoc]], he becomes [[OneWingedAngel Cosmic Terror Skeletor]] and travels to [[TheExactCenterOfEverything the Heart of the Universe]] to use his cosmic power to remake the universe in his image. We see some of the planets he works is power over, as they become covered in rocky spikes and have his skeletal face plastered over them]].
* After having spent most of the series being a mostly offscreen GreaterScopeVillain, when Horde Prime from ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' becomes an active force, he turns out to be an incredibly extreme immortal narcissist endeavoring to remake the universe in his image. His main lieutenants are a multitude of brainwashed clones of himself connected through a HiveMind and for whom IndividualityIsIllegal, to the degree that any signs of deviation are punishable by MindRape. His method of dealing with the rebels against him is implanting mind-control chips that fasten to their central nervous system, with said chips not only giving him control over them, but also implanting a slavish devotion to him as well. He also spreads a CultOfPersonality about himself that casts him and the order he has created in conquered territories ([[GalacticConquerer most of the known galaxy]]), as perfect, pristine, and invincible. The only reason he didn't instantly wipe Etheria out at the end of the penultimate season is because of the chance that the LostSuperweapon in the planet would give him the chance to take one final step and actually make the entire universe a reflection of himself.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{ReBoot}}'': When he's not trying to use a portal to escape to the Supercomputer, Megabyte is trying to conquer Mainframe and rebuild it as Megaframe. In "Infected," while inside the Principle Office, he explicitly says that he will rebuild the system in his own image.

* ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': Thanos was already mad enough to think killing off half the universe so the other half would thrive without killing the whole from overpopulation was a swell idea, but at least he left it at that. However, when he realizes people are trying to ''undo'' things and there is a remote chance they might succeed at it, he cracks ''just'' a little more. As a result, he decides he's going to just push the ResetButton on everything so no one has anything to mourn, and what life comes after can be steered away from what he thought would be disaster, showered in enough resources to thrive... and he'd make sure they'd be ''thankful'' for it this time.

* ''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.

* This is ''[[TookALevelInBadass Bowser's]]'' plan, believe it or not, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]]. Bowser didn't want to ''destroy'' any galaxies however, he just wanted to create one of his own. But that wasn't enough, he then wanted to use it as the capitol for his new space empire, which lead to a battle that destroyed it ''and'' the original universe until the Lumas reset it, causing him to try his plan again a different way because the Lumas never recreate the Mario universe the same way twice.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':

** ''[[VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries Sonic and the Secret Rings]]'': The Erazor Djinn's ultimate plan, once he's acquired the [[MacGuffin seven World Rings]], is to remake the world of the Literature/ArabianNights in his image, and then move on to Sonic's world and repeat the process. He even states as such during the final boss.

* 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".
* 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.
* Sise-Neg from a ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'' story in the MarvelUniverse. Note that Sise-Neg is "genesis" spelled backwards.
* 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.
* ''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.

* 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/LegionOfSuperHeroes, most notably).

* In ''Ghosts of the Past'', sequel of ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', this is revealed to be the motivation behind [[spoiler: Surtur]], the original Dark Phoenix, going Dark Phoenix in the first place. He also genuinely believes that this would be better, since he sees the universe as it is now as a chaotic hell-hole.
* In ''Fanfic/FallenKing'', Pegasus's ultimate goal is to rewrite the world according to his rules.

* 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.

** ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'': Count Bleck's goal is to use the Chaos Heart to erase all worlds and create new, perfect ones in their place, free of war and sadness. [[spoiler:Or so he claims. That's actually a lie to motivate his minions, and he simply wishes to [[Omnicidal destroy everything for good]], having come to see existence as pointless [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds after losing his love Timpani]]. [[TheStarscream Dimentio]], on the other hand, manipulated Bleck and the heroes alike so that he could claim the power of the Chaos Heart for his own and remake reality as he sees fit.]]

** ''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]].

* This is ''[[TookALevelInBadass Bowser's]]'' plan, believe it or not, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]]. Bowser didn't want to ''destroy'' the galaxy however, he just wanted to create one of his own. But that wasn't enough, he then wanted to use it as the capitol for his new space empire, which lead to a battle that destroyed it ''and'' the original galaxy until the lumas reset it, causing him to try his plan again a different way because the lumas never recreate the Mario galaxy the same way twice.

* This is ''[[TookALevelInBadass Bowser's]]'' plan, believe it or not, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]]. Bowser didn't want to ''destroy'' the galaxy however, he just wanted to create one of his own. But that wasn't enough, he then wanted to use it as the capitol for his new space empire, which lead to a battle that destroyed it ''and'' the original galaxy until the lumas reset it, causing him to try his plan again a different way because the lumas never recreat the Mario galaxy the same way twice.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheJimmyTimmyPowerHour'' special had Professor Calamitous planning to use Jorgen's powers to do this.

So things aren't going too well for you. Maybe you want to turn over a new leaf. Maybe you want to start your life anew. Instead, maybe you don't want to half-ass it, you want to make all life anew. Or, you could just be a CardCarryingVillain. This trope is when a character gets the bright idea to go back to the beginning of time, or a foundational event in the timeline, because their mere presence or actions will cause ForWantOfANail to its logical extreme. Lacking access to such a thing, designating a point in time at which the world will start to revolve around the subject will suffice.

Usually the result is some form of VillainWorld.

[[folder: Professional wrestling]]

* 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"]].

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

%%If you have time, please take time to put examples in alphabetical order. This page Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings should help you with that.

* At the end of ''Anime/TransformersCybertron'', this becomes Galvatron's goal. He seeks to send the multiverse ending Black Hole into overdrive to destroy everything, using the Omega Lock and Cyber Planet Keys to survive the end of the universe, then rebuild it as he sees fit.
** Collecting all 108 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.

* 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".

* * ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'': This is what this version of Eggman plans to do once he conquers the world and creates his Eggman Empire. Utterly despising how "filthy" and "irregular" the world is, Eggman, as the [[InsufferableGenius greatest genius that has ever lived]], feels that it's his duty, his ''destiny'' to mold it into his image of perfection by eliminating what he deems as imperfections, including [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill free will]].

* ''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.]]

* 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."

* This is ''[[TookALevelInBadass Bowser's]]'' plan, believe it or not, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 its sequel]].
* ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'': SHODAN, after having the player fight off the Annalids, tries to take control of the hyperspace module to rewrite the universe to her specifications.

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' this is what makes Dagoth Ur an existential 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.]]

* ''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 only the strongest, most athletic people as survivors. [[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.

* 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/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/TheJimmyTimmyPowerHour'' special had Professor Calamitous planning to use Jorgen's powers to do this.

* 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.
* In ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'', the Brain once went back in time to make a world ruled by mice. He succeeded, but changed his mind when he ended up with a world full of Pinkies.

* In ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'', 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, planning to use their combined power to wipe out all reality so that he can rebuild it to his choosing.

So things aren't going too well for you. Maybe you want to turn over a new leaf. Maybe you want to start your life anew. Instead, maybe you don't want to half-ass it, you want to make all life anew. Or, you could just be a CardCarryingVillain. This trope is when a character gets the bright idea to go back to the beginning of time, or a foundational event in the timeline, because their mere presence or actions will cause ForWantOfANail to its logical extreme.

* "The World Famous" Wrestling/{{Kana|koUrai}} has been accused of having such ambitions since 2010 when she wrote a "manifesto" in Wrestling/YoshihiroTajiri's SMASH on [[WellIntentionedExtremist how to save Joshi]] but in December 2014, she actually announced plans to "reform" the REINA promotion after fighting, and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney weaseling]] her way to the REINA World Women's and World Tag Team titles.