History Main / TheGimmick

* Black Magic started out as a simple mat technician, then became the EvilForeigner Lord Henry Norman, the became the dance battler {{Wrestling}}/NormanSmiley, then went to being the cowardly screaming Norman who was forced into WCW's hardcore division and would dress in the home team uniforms of the cities he wrestled in.

* Black Magic started out as a simple mat technician, then became the EvilForeigner Lord Henry Norman, the became the dance battler Norman Smiley, then went to being the cowardly screaming Norman who was forced into WCW's hardcore division and would dress in the home team uniforms of the cities he wrestled in.

* MonsterRancher differentiates itself from other MonsSeries in that you can create monsters to raise by "unlocking" them from [=CDs=] or [=DVDs=] that you already own.

* NeroWolfe was best known for solving cases while never leaving his house. His narrator, Archie Goodwin, did all of the relevant legwork; the combination of the the Hard Boiled-styled detective and the very [[DefectiveDetective Defective]] GreatDetective was the gimmick of the series as a whole.

* {{Batman}}'s gimmick in the [[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]] is either his detective skills, or his sheer intellect.

* Brodus Clay gimmick was based on his real life job as a body guard but then he became a giant dancing DiscoDan and the only living, breathing Funkasaurus in captivity.
* Daniel Bryan started off as a bland vanilla midget but then won money in the bank, burnt his bridges and degraded into an insane TedBaxter who hates goats and the word yes.
* K-Quick/Ron "The Truth" Killings was just a wrestling rapper but then was betrayed by John Morrison and became an insane conspiracy theorists who talks to people who are not really there and hates all you all little Jimmies. He also developed a fear of heights and spiders. He was also the bad toothed Pretty Ricky but most fans would rather forget that one.
* The Rock's gimmick was speaking in third person at all times and comically overselling.
* The Undertaker's gimmick has switched between being a grave digging zombie, the evil in hearts of all men, a wrestling biker, and the last outlaw. Through it all, the gimmick of being unbeatable at Wrestlemania has been his only constant.
* The One Man Gang's gimmick was {{squash| match}}ing {{jobber}}s, then he reappeared from an over seas trip to get in touch with his Deepest {{Darkest Africa}}n roots, becoming a {{pretty fly for a white guy}} Akeem the African dream.

** Most Batman villains are like this to either a small extent (Catwoman is fond of going after Cat related valuables) or a huge extent (the Riddler as previously mentioned). Appropriately, Two Face can't seem to decide whether his theme is opposites or the number two. Maybe he should just flip for it.

* The One Man Gang reappeared from an over seas trip to get in touch with his African roots, becoming a {{pretty fly for a white guy}} Akeem the African dream.
* Albert was one half or T&A, then became the disgustingly hairy A-Train, then went to Japan where he became the star Giant Bernard then returned the the US in an Akeem like fashion as Lord Tensai. He then tagged with the Funkasaurus and became {{disco dan}} Sweet Tea.

* Brodus Clay's gimmick became a giant dancing DiscoDan and the only living, breathing Funkasaurus in captivity.

** The Riddler, in some versions, is actually an interesting case, in that his gimmick is also explicitly his motivation and downfall: His superiority and inferiority complexes are such that he has to leave clues, to prove that he's smarter then everybody else.

* The Rock's gimmick was speaking in third person at all time and comically overselling.

[[AC:ProfessionalWrestling]]

* The leprechaun Hornswoggle original gimmick was to the a [[FastballSpecial projectile]] for the fighting Irishman Finley. After he got popular he became more of a prankster that lives under the WWE rings.

** SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker provides an example of how far you can go without going outside your Gimmick: outside of the SilverAge, he defines the human version of the CompleteMonster MonsterClown. Within the SilverAge and SilverAge styled settings, he's merely a prankster VillainousHarlequin.

* [[JakeRoberts Jake "The Snake" Roberts]], whose gimmick was being a CompleteMonster. And having a snake.

** TheJoker provides an example of how far you can go without going outside your Gimmick: outside of the SilverAge, he defines the human version of the CompleteMonster MonsterClown. Within the SilverAge and SilverAge styled settings, he's merely a prankster VillainousHarlequin.

* Prolific in the late '80s and early '90s [[{{WWE}} WW]][[strike:[[{{WWE}} F]]]][[{{WWE}} E]], when every character would be gimmicky. See WrestlingDoesntPay for examples.

* MonsterRancher differentiates itself from other MonsSeries in that you can create monsters to raise by "unlocking" them from [=CDs=] or [=DVDs=] that you already own.

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* [[JakeRoberts Jake The Snake]], whose gimmick was being a CompleteMonster. And having a snake.
** However, he may end up being just as well known for his born-again Christian gimmick in the 90s, as it led to Steve Austin delivering his Austin 3:16 promo, and the Attitude Era at large.

* Jake The Snake, whose gimmick was being a CompleteMonster. And having a snake.

* Most {{Super Team}}s have a gimmick as well.

** TheJoker provides an example of how far you can go without going outside your Gimmick: outside of the SilverAge, hedefines the human version of the CompleteMonster MonsterClown. Within the SilverAge and SilverAge styled settings, he's merely a prankster VillainousHarlequin.

* Jake The Snake, whose gimmick was being a CompleteMonster.

** TheJoker, outside of the SilverAge, defines the human version of the MonsterClown (within the SilverAge and SilverAge styled settings, he's merely a VillainousHarlequin).
*** The Joker also provides an example of how far you can go without going outside your Gimmick: compare the Joker of TheDarkKnight with the SilverAge versions.

** Most Batman villains are like this to either a small extent (Catwoman is fond of going after Cat related valuables) or a huge extent (the Riddler as previously mentioned).

** TheRiddler, in some versions, is actually an interesting case, in that his gimmick is also explicitly his motivation and downfall: His superiority and inferiority complexes are such that he has to leave clues, to prove that he's smarter then everybody else.

* Batman's gimmick in the JusticeLeague is either his detective skills, or his sheer intellect.

** The Joker, outside of the SilverAge, defines the human version of the MonsterClown (within the SilverAge and SilverAge styled settings, he's merely a VillainousHarlequin).

** The Riddler, in some versions, is actually an interesting case, in that his gimmick is also explicitly his motivation and downfall: His superiority and inferiority complexes are such that he has to leave clues, to prove that he's smarter then everybody else.
** Most Batman villains are like this to either to a small extent (Catwoman is fond of going after Cat related valuables) or a huge extent (the Riddler as previously mentioned).

* Most [[SuperTeam SuperTeams]] have a gimmick as well.

* NeroWolfe was best known for solving cases while never leaving his house. His narrator, Archie Goodwin, along did all of the relevant legwork; the combination of the the Hard Boiled-styled detective and the very [[DefectiveDetective Defective]] GreatDetective was the gimmick of the series as a whole.

<<|CharacterizationTropes|>>
<<|CharactersAsDevice|>>
<<|{{Villains}}|>>

Some notable Gimmicks:
!!ComicBooks

!!ProfessionalWrestling

!!{{Literature}}
* NeroWolfe was best known for solving cases while never leaving his house. His narrator, Archie Goodwin, along did all of the relevant legwork; the combination of the the Hard Boiled-styled detective and the very [[DefectiveDetective Defective]] GreatDetective was the gimmick of the series as a whole.

<<|{{Villains}}|>>