History Main / MeetYourEarlyInstallmentWeirdness

** TheTeaser from ''The Mickey Mouse Anniversary Show'' in 1968 had Mickey encountering the bug-eyed Mickey from ''WesternAnimation/PlaneCrazy''.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' had Mario/Luigi occasionally visit planets shaped like [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit]] versions of themselves.

** Since Mr. Game & Watch as a specific character originated in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'', created as a CompositeCharacter from the several unnamed characters from various UsefulNotes/GameAndWatch, he has a design that's different from the original UsefulNotes/GameAndWatch games. But in his stages Flat Zone and Flat Zone X, the original characters also appear in their original designs.

* In the earliest issues of ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'', Ben Grimm a.k.a. ComicBook/TheThing was lumpy and scaly, entirely humorless, and spoke in a slightly elevated tone reminiscent of Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'s monster. In the fiftieth issue of the Thing-centric team-up comic ''ComicBook/MarvelTwoInOne'', the rocky, [[BigApplesauce Noo Yawky]], DeadpanSnarker we all know and love traveled back in time to meet his earlier self. [[spoiler: He also undid the earlier Thing's transformation, but this turned out to be a separate timeline so he was unaffected in the present. [[ForWantOfANail The consequences of Ben doing this]], especially regarding the outcome of ''ComicBook/TheComingOfGalactus'', were explored in the hundredth issue.]]

* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' has one episode where the gang tries to recreate the events of very early episodes in the series. The gang gets confused when the plot requires Mac to be interested in having sex with female prostitutes, since he's an ArmoredClosetGay. They then recall that Mac was still interested in women back then.

* One recent cover of ''Arthur's Nose'', the very first ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' book by Marc Brown, shows the modern Arthur reacting with shock upon seeing his original, much more aardvark-like, incarnation.

* This is the premise of the short film ''[[https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rebooted+short+film&&view=detail&mid=45F36E8C16B5317308EC45F36E8C16B5317308EC&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Drebooted%2520short%2520film%26qs%3Dn%26form%3DQBVDMH%26%3D%2525eManage%2520Your%2520Search%2520History%2525E%26sp%3D-1%26pq%3Drebooted%2520short%2520film%26sc%3D2-19%26sk%3D%26cvid%3DB24F3CAB45FE487AA08951253EEF38E9%26ghsh%3D0%26ghacc%3D0 Rebooted]]'' as it features two versions of a Franchise/{{Batman}} {{Expy}} named Owl Guy meeting when the two issues of their respective comics are placed together in the real world: one is a light hearted costumed hero who relies on his physical abilities and very simple gadgets while the other is a DarkerAndEdgier antihero with advanced equipments who struggles to not become a killer. Modern Owl Guy mocks his Classic self's costume and clearly considers him unimpressive, while Classic Owl Guy is horrified that his Modern Self is tempted to kill while also noting how the action in the Modern world moves much faster than his. However the two are able to work together to stop a villain and become friends.

* ''Film/{{The Flash|2023}}'' sort of has this with Prime Barry Allen meeting his AlternateSelf who grew up with his mother Nora still alive. With his MotorMouth, AttentionDeficitOohShiny and CowardlyLion characterisation, Alternate Barry is essentially a powerless version of Barry from ''Film/{{Justice League|2017}}'' in comparison to the main universe Barry who acts more similar to the more mature version from ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague''.

* One issue of ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' has Miles Morales travel to the reality of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1967'' with the Peter Parker of ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012'', which at the time was the current cartoon, allowing the two different animated Spider-Men to meet. 2012 Spidey can't even hide his laughter when 1967 Spidey mentions his villain Dr. [[PunnyName Noah Boddy]] has escaped and in general seems to find the 1967 reality amusing. 1967 Spidey meanwhile finds his 2012 counterpart annoying and like Miles is baffled by his [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth wall breaking]] comments. Neither is especially impressed by how the other dresses either.

* ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC'' has Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/{{Batman}} briefly turn into their ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends''/[[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] selves. They were a lot nicer to each other and had a lot of HoYay (but counteracted with blatant HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday -ing). While it scared Franchise/SpiderMan and annoyed Batman, Superman found himself wistful.

* Issue 184 of ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Vol 2]] has the [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 classic]] and modern versions of Wonder Woman staring at one another in shock on the cover.

* For ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks'', the 1990 series "The Chipmunks Go To The Movies" did an episode that was a parody of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' called "Back to Our Future" in which the [[WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks 90s Chipmunks]] go back in time to meet the [[WesternAnimation/TheAlvinShow 1960s Chipmunks]] and try to stop them from quitting music and preventing the 90's chipmunks from being created. It was complete with a LimitedAnimation ArtShift. It even goes beyond the Chipmunks themselves by having the person responsible for the time travel be 1960's Chipmunks cartoon character Clyde Crashcup.

* A story in ''Adventures of Superman'' involved a righteous old journalist friend of Clark's writing a novel about a "Champion of the Oppressed" based on Superman. Inexplicably his character [[ArtInitiatesLife comes to life]], depicted like Superman in his Silver Age appearance with a desaturated, flatly shaded appearance like an old comic strip. Having the same [[DestructiveSavior heedlessly destructive]] attitude while fighting injustice with extreme prejudice as that era's Superman, he attracts military intervention while Clark, characterized as a pacifist trying to minimize collateral damage in his current arc, tries to talk down him and his author peaceably.

** ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' has the current Sonic, Tails and Eggman bumping into the versions of themselves from the 16-bit era. Classic Tails and Eggman can talk, but classic Sonic is TheVoiceless unlike modern Sonic who isfully voiced. Classic Sonic also lacks some of the abilities that modern Sonic has that modern players would normally expect, such as the air dash.

* In one issue of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' comic book, the Warner siblings hold a seance to summon the "spirit of old comedy," and end up bringing their old, silent, black-and-white selves from 1929 into the present. (Although, unlike most examples, those "early installments" don't really exist.)

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MightyMouse'' parody of ''Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', the role of Gilden Age Superman is taken by Supermouse, the SilentProtagonist proto-Mighty Mouse who appeared in seven cartoons before being reworked into the more familiar version.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' lets you use the styles of several games, including the original, reverting things to design styles not seen since the beginning. Even Super Mario Odyssey's 2D-mode sections have him in his modern, tweaked colors, but this will give the old red overalls with brown sleeves, as well as the original less-stylized mushroom.

** A third season episode had the older, teenage Enzo encountered a game containing Mainframe, in a strange homage to ''Series/{{The Prisoner|1967}}''. It was much cheesier and more in-line with the first episodes.

** The CouchGag for the season eleven episodes "Beyond Blunderdome" [[note]]The one where Homer partners with Creator/MelGibson to revise his latest film[[/note]] and "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses" [[note]]The one where Barney quits drinking after watching his birthday video and seeing how much of a loser he is when he's drunk[[/note]] have The Simpsons as they're currently drawn meeting their crudely-drawn counterparts from ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' and all ten of them freaking out.

** Then there's one of the WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror specials where Homer clones himself. One of the clones looks exactly like the Tracey Ullman-era Homer, who utters the line "Let's all go out for some frosty chocolate milkshakes!", in the Walter Matthau-esque voice he was known for having back then.
** The twenty-sixth season's Treehouse of Horror [[http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/09/10/simpsons-tracey-ullman-show-treehouse-of-horror/ features a segment]] parodying ''Film/TheOthers2001'' where the Simpsons meet ghostly versions of their original Creator/TraceyUllman-era selves.

* The ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "A Very Crappy Christmas" has the protagonists make their very own animated Christmas special, which turns out to be [[spoiler:the 1995 "Spirit of Christmas" pre-series short]]. Actual footage from the program is shown on in-universe displays.
* The 2012 ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2012}}'' cartoon had the Turtles briefly watch their [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 1987 counterparts]] from a [[PortalDoor dimensional window]]. Michelangelo describes them as dorks but Donatello notices the nice jumpsuit on April. A proper crossover occurs in the episode "Trans-Dimensional Turtles", where the 2012 and 1987 turtles team up to stop Krang from destroying the Ninja Turtle multiverse, also running into the [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage Mirage Comics Turtles]] at one point. The episode also comes complete with an ArtShift between 2D and CG animation.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' had the Titans meet their 2003 counterparts during some Comic-Con promo art... [[SelfDeprecation only for the old Titans to readily hand them their keisters]]. The two versions of Starfire get along with one another nicely though.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurtlesForever'', the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 Ninja Turtles]] meet the (somewhat exaggerated) [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 1987 Turtles]], and later, the [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage Mirage Comics Turtles]] as they were in the very first issue of the comic, which was grim-n-gritty taken so far past eleven that it loops around to parody[[labelnote:note]][[PoesLaw Which it was]], of ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}''[[/labelnote]]. The 2003 Turtles find their 1987 counterparts to be annoying and childish though eventually they accept them as brothers, but ironically find that their Mirage selves consider them to be sellouts and aren't really impressed with either of their counterparts which dissapoints 2003 Raphael who found himself enjoying the Mirage world.

* The Direct-to-Video film ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoVsTeenTitans'' involves the Titans crossing over with their 2003 incarnations, pitting them against each other until they have to settle their differences to defeat the 2003 and 2013 versions of Trigon. Except for the two versions of Robin, the Titans eventually come to admire their counterparts and accept their similarities and differences. The main conflict derives from the fact that the 2003 Titans consider they 2013 selves silly and jerks with Robin mockingly calling his counterpart "Bobblehead Robin", while the 2013 versions feel a desire to prove themselves as heroes and find their counterparts to be somewhat arrogant. This leads to the 2013 versions being happy when they encounter the even more childish Titans of ''ComicBook/TinyTitans'' and the incredibly serious Titans of the ''WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse'', which to them counts as proof that their aren't the baby Titans and their counterparts aren't as cool and serious as they think they are.

** Then there's one of the WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror specials where Homer clones himself. One of the clones looks exactly like the Tracey Ullman-era Homer, who utters the line "[[{{Catchphrase}} Let's all go out for some frosty chocolate milkshakes!]]", in the Walter Matthau-esque voice he was known for having back then.

* ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' features the heroes [[spoiler:using a time machine to retrieve the Infinity Stones from the timeframes of previous movies]], leading to many humorous moments where [[spoiler:they meet earlier versions of themselves, and don't always like what they see]]. [[spoiler:Steve, Tony, and Bruce all go back to ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', where Tony gets to see himself as a wise-cracking playboy with an Arc Reactor in his chest, Bruce is embarrassed by the out-of-control Hulk (and even moreso when he has to imitate him), and Steve is frustrated by his uptight younger self and considers the 2012-era costume dorky.]]
* ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' [[spoiler:has the Spider-Man of the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' encounter the two versions of himself from the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' by Creator/SamRaimi and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'' by Marc Webb]] to celebrate [[MilestoneCelebration almost 20 years of Spider-Man films]]. [[spoiler:Both MCU Peter and Webb-Verse Peter are shocked to learn that the original cinematic Spider-Man had organic webbing instead of web shooters, and they spend a moment asking questions about it out of both genuine curiosity to know how it works and jealousy due to how complicated making web fluid is for them. MCU Spider-Man is also surprised to learn that neither of his counterparts have the Avengers in their universes since both of their film series were made solely by Sony and therefore [[AdaptedOut lacked the rights]] to other Marvel characters, and briefly attempts to explain who they are before giving up. However despite these two moments, all three Spider-Men bond quickly and like each other for their differences as well as their similarities.]]

** ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' has the current Sonic, Tails and Eggman bumping into the versions of themselves from the 16-bit era. Classic Tails and Classic Eggman can talk but classic Sonic is TheVoiceless (both modern Sonic and Tails are fully voiced).

** In ''Max Payne 2'', where Max's appearance is based on his voice actor rather than the lead developer, Max can be heard rambling during a {{dream sequence}} that "I didn't used to look like this!"
** Much fun is had with Max's "constipated" expression from the first game.[[note]]Due to budget constraints, based on Sam Lake's own face, forever stuck in a squinting, smarmy grin during gameplay.[[/note]] The third game involves Max seeing a TV report about his recent exploits, including a facial composite... that comes out as a dead ringer for his "old" face. He is less than pleased.

* For ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks'', the 1990 series "The Chipmunks Go To The Movies" did an episode that was a parody of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' called "Back to Our Future" in which the [[WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks 90s Chipmunks]] go back in time to meet the [[WesternAnimation/TheAlvinShow 1961 Chipmunks]] and try to stop them from quitting music and preventing the 90's chipmunks from being created. It was complete with a LimitedAnimation ArtShift. It even goes beyond the Chipmunks themselves by having the person responsible for the time travel be 1960's Chipmunks cartoon character Clyde Crashcup.

* For ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks'', the 1990 series "The Chipmunks Go To The Movies" did an episode that was a parody of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' called "Back to Our Future" in which the [[WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks 90s Chipmunks]] go back in time to meet the [[WesternAnimation/TheAlvinShow 50s Chipmunks]] and try to stop them from quitting music and preventing the 90's chipmunks from being created. It was complete with a LimitedAnimation ArtShift. It even goes beyond the Chipmunks themselves by having the person responsible for the time travel be 1960's Chipmunks cartoon character Clyde Crashcup.