History Main / TheTransmogrifier

Though commonly targeted at individuals, this power can be extended to just about anything, and used in a variety of ways: targets can be transformed into [[{{Objectshifting}} inanimate items]], [[{{Animorphism}} lowly animals]], [[{{Transflormation}} plantlife]], [[MakeMyMonsterGrow giant monsters]], or even into beneficial shapes; they can be [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever grown]], [[IncredibleShrinkingMan shrunk]], [[RapidAging aged]], [[FountainOfYouth regressed]], expanded or contracted - the list goes on and on. These powers could involve magic, super-science, or even a very specific form of [[RealityWarper reality-warping]].

The possible reasons for this vary: maybe transforming others is literally all they can do; maybe they're still learning how to use their other powers; or maybe they're fully capable of using other abilities - and might do just that if pressed - but ultimately find transforming people [[ItAmusedMe more amusing than doing anything else]].

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Recurring foe Masque has the ability to change the form of anyone he touches. He's quite angry that it doesn't work on himself early on, as he has an ugly, warped appearance. He liked twisting the forms of others in [[BodyHorror horrific ways]] until they were driven mad. When he finally resurfaced in ''Xtreme X-Men'', his powers now worked on himself but he still enjoyed using his powers to twist the forms of others (for example, he turned Callisto's arms into collections of CombatTentacles).

* Of all [[OurMagesAreDifferent the Workers]] featured in ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', Transformation Workers are the rarest and arguably the most dangerous: their sole power is to transform their victims in almost any way - into other human beings, into animals, or into inanimate objects. People who are transformed into animals can be reverted to normal by the Worker responsible, but those who've been changed into objects are dead from the word go. [[spoiler: The big twist of the first book in the series is that Cassel is a Transformation Worker that's been brainwashed into thinking that he's AMuggleBornOfMages; his brothers have been secretly using him as an assassin, employing the {{Objectshifting}} trick to eliminate targets without leaving evidence.]]
* In ''Literature/LadyMyLifeAsABitch'', Terry the homeless man has the power to transform people into dogs. Unfortunately, [[PowerIncontinence he doesn't have the ability to control it to any degree]], and it usually activates when he's angry at someone - as is the unfortunate case with the main character. [[spoiler: Worse still, he can't reverse it. By the time Sandra meets him, he's accidentally transformed his mother, father, wife, and daughter - and all four have died or run away since then, [[BlessedWithSuck leaving him a friendless alcoholic tramp]].]]
* The goddess Juno of {{Creator/Ovid}}'s ''[[Literature/TheMetamorphoses Metamorphoses]]'' likes to use transformations to punish her husband Jupiter's lovers/rape victims. Among other things, Callisto was transformed into a bear and Io into a cow. In another case, Lucina (goddess of childbirth), was ordered by Juno to prevent the birth of one of Jupiter's illegitimate children but was tricked and ridiculed by the maid Galanthis - who in turn thereafter had to live as a cat or weasel. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Transformations are the major theme in the epic]].
* In ''Literature/{{Monster}}'', the mysterious CrazyCatLady [[BigBad Lotus]] is capable of many powerful feats of magic thanks to her connection to [[CosmicKeystone the Stone]]. However, her favoured method involves transforming individuals into other species: her house is populated by numerous cats, and all of them were previously other life-forms, including nosy neighbours, elephants, and even a dragon - which can still breathe fire, incidentally; her two human minions, Ed and Ferdinand, used to be a horse and a cow; finally, her EvilPlan is to [[spoiler: transform the entire human race into cats so that the Stone can't use human beings to correct the balance of the universe.]]
* The eponymous child-hating villains of ''Literature/TheWitches'' are capable of many magical feats, but their preferred one involves transforming their victims in some way. Part of this is due to the need for secrecy: if they simply killed children, it'd draw too much attention, while transforming them would make it both untraceable and impossible for the families of the victims to admit to. Among other things, they have turned children into chickens, [[TakenForGranite statues]], porpoises, even characters in a painting, and American witches are supposedly known for turning kids into hot dogs. And of course, the Grand High Witch's EvilPlan is to turn England's children into mice... though she's more than capable of frying people to death with her magic - [[BadBoss as one unfortunate witch finds out]].
* In the ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' series - in which each character has a unique and specific magical Talent - Trent has the Talent of transforming people reversibly, which he can use for benevolent or harmful purposes. Most prominently, he has a habit of turning his enemies into trees - not fish, as the MaliciousSlander claims.

* The [[HotWitch demigod witch]] Circe of Myth/ClassicalMythology was renowned for transforming people she didn't like into animals - or worse: she turned the nymph Scylla into a monster [[GreenEyedMonster out of jealousy]], transformed Picus into a woodpecker [[DisproportionateRetribution for refusing her advances]], and famously reduced several members of Odysseus's crew to pigs. In some versions of the story, her island is infested with various beasts - all of them former explorers who found themselves on the receiving end of her bad mood.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' adventure ''The Coriolis Force''. The Enchantress' plan is to transform four people into elemental monsters, she has a habit of transforming innocent people into slavering monsters and using them to ambush the heroes, and if she captures the heroes she may turn one of them into a toad.
* Ork Warphead Zogwort of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' is renowned for his signature move, "The Zogwort Special," which transforms any affected units into Squigs. In the lore, he uses this ability ''all the damn time,'' to the point that his [[CloudcuckoolandersMinder Minderz]] often ended up being [[PowerIncontinence accidentally transformed]] during the night before Zogwort finally snapped his leash and became a Freebooter; even today, he still travels with a large number of squigs, all former enemies remade into his pets.

** In the first game, Mumbo Jumbo can use his magic powers to transform Banjo into various forms - including pumpkins, candles, termites, bees, octopi, walruses, washing machines crocodiles, and even tanks and dinosaurs - provided Banjo and Kazooie bring him Mumbo Tokens.

* Bane the Druid of ''VideoGame/BloodOmenLegacyOfKain''. As the Guardian of the Pillar of Nature, he has the power to influence nature in various ways, from directing the minds of animals to controlling plants. However, ever since [[StarterVillain Nupraptor]] drove his fellow Guardians mad, Bane has become obsessed with ''distorting'' nature, and such, uses his ability to transform the world around him in various ways. In his escalating madness, he's teamed up with Dejoule the Energist and Anarcrothe the Alchemist to create [[{{Mordor}} Dark Eden]], and under his influence, the area's magical field transforms anyone in its path into hideous mutants - except, of course, for vampires. Furthermore, because Kain's immune to all Bane's usual tricks, his ''sole'' tactic in the boss battle is to transform the ground beneath his feet into water, [[KillItWithWater a deadly ability]] when used against [[WeaksauceWeakness Kain]].
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3'', the "sorcerer-scientist" [[PsychopathicManchild Dr Stanislaus Braun]] has given himself administrator privileges over [[{{Dreamville}} the Tranquillity Lane simulation]], making him essentially [[VirtualRealityWarper a virtual reality god]]. However, having gotten bored with doing all the work himself, he most commonly uses this ability to transform his victims so they can better fit in with the sick games he has ''you'' perform. Among other things, he regresses you to childhood, is implied to have regressed and aged residents throughout the neighbourhood, has turned [[spoiler: James]] into a dog, and even transforms Timmy into a garden gnome. For added horror, it's not known if ''any'' of the residents still retain their original appearance after [[LotusEaterMachine two hundred years of imprisonment in the simulation]] - and wouldn't be able to tell you anyway as Braun has complete control over their memories as well.

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* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'': Morpholomew ([[Characters/LiloAndStitchExperiments Experiment]] 316) is a little red blob-like alien who can change an organism's appearance to that of someone else's, the only limits being that he must have seen the intended person or a visual depiction (like a photograph) of them before he can transform the organism and his target's voice is unaffected. Lilo uses him to change into her crush Keoni Jameson and then a [[{{Crossover}} visiting]] [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong Jake Long]] (in his human form) to enter a skateboarding competition, but as she learns the hard way, she does ''not'' gain their skateboarding skills and she needs Morpholomew to change back into her normal form (as he gets captured by Gantu).

'''PLEASE NOTE: for a character to apply for this designation, they have to have the power of transformation as a specialty, a preference, or their sole ability. A character who has this power but uses it only occasionally compared to other abilities ''does not count.'' '''

* Giorno Giovanna's stand, Golden Experience, from ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'' can infuse whatever it touches with life energy. Used on inanimate objects, they temporarily transform into living animals, and though he has no further control over them he manages to use this to great effect.

* In ''Literature/LadyMyLifeAsABitch,'' Terry the homeless man has the power to transform people into dogs. Unfortunately, [[PowerIncontinence he doesn't have the ability to control it to any degree]], and it usually activates when he's angry at someone - as is the unfortunate case with the main character. [[spoiler: Worse still, he can't reverse it. By the time Sandra meets him, he's accidentally transformed his mother, father, wife, and daughter - and all four have died or run away since then, [[BlessedWithSuck leaving him a friendless alcoholic tramp]].]]

* In ''Literature/{{Monster}},'' the mysterious CrazyCatLady [[BigBad Lotus]] is capable of many powerful feats of magic thanks to her connection to [[CosmicKeystone the Stone]]. However, her favoured method involves transforming individuals into other species: her house is populated by numerous cats, and all of them were previously other life-forms, including nosy neighbours, elephants, and even a dragon - which can still breathe fire, incidentally; her two human minions, Ed and Ferdinand, used to be a horse and a cow; finally, her EvilPlan is to [[spoiler: transform the entire human race into cats so that the Stone can't use human beings to correct the balance of the universe.]]

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'': Mumbo Jumbo can use his magic powers to transform Banjo into various forms - including pumpkins, candles, termites, bees, octopi, walruses, washing machines crocodiles, and even tanks and dinosaurs - provided Banjo and Kazooie bring him Mumbo Tokens.
* ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'': Mumbo Jumbo gets PromotedToPlayable here, and the magic he uses in [[{{Prehistoria}} Terrydactland]] allows him to embiggen a scrawny Triceratops child at his mother's behest. Meanwhile, the role of "shaman who transforms Banjo and Kazooie" has been taken by Humba Wumba.

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3,'' the "sorcerer-scientist" [[PsychopathicManchild Dr Stanislaus Braun]] has given himself administrator privileges over [[{{Dreamville}} the Tranquillity Lane simulation]], making him essentially [[VirtualRealityWarper a virtual reality god]]. However, having gotten bored with doing all the work himself, he most commonly uses this ability to transform his victims so they can better fit in with the sick games he has ''you'' perform. Among other things, he regresses you to childhood, is implied to have regressed and aged residents throughout the neighbourhood, has turned [[spoiler: James]] into a dog, and even transforms Timmy into a garden gnome. For added horror, it's not known if ''any'' of the residents still retain their original appearance after [[LotusEaterMachine two hundred years of imprisonment in the simulation]] - and wouldn't be able to tell you anyway as Braun has complete control over their memories as well.

Though commonly targeted at individuals, this power can be extended to just about anything, and used in a variety of ways: targets can be transformed into [[{{Objectshifting}} inanimate items]], [[Animorphism lowly animals]], [[{{Transflormation}} plantlife]], [[MakeMyMonsterGrow giant monsters]], or even into beneficial shapes; they can be grown, shrunk, aged, regressed, expanded or contracted - the list goes on and on. These powers could involve magic, super-science, or even a very specific form of [[RealityWarper reality-warping]].

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Recurring foe Masque has the ability to change the form of anyone he touches. He's quite angry that it doesn't work on himself in his early appearances, as he has an ugly, warped appearance. He liked twisting the forms of others in [[BodyHorror horrific ways]] until they were driven mad. When he finally resurfaced in ''Xtreme X-Men'', his powers now worked on himself but he still enjoyed using his powers to twist the forms of others (for example, he turned Callisto's arms into collections of CombatTentacles).

* In ''Literature/LadyMyLifeAsABitch,'' Terry the homeless man has the power to transform people into dogs. Unfortunately, [[PowerIncontinence he doesn't have the ability to control it to any degree]], and it usually activates when he's angry at someone - as is the unfortunate case with the main character. [[spoiler: Worse still, he can't reverse it. By the time Sandra meets him, he's accidentally transformed his mother, father, wife, and daughter, and all four have died or run away since then, [[BlessedWithSuck leaving him a friendless alcoholic tramp]].]]

* In ''Literature/{{Monster}},'' the mysterious CrazyCatLady [[BigBad Lotus]] is capable of many powerful feats of magic thanks to her connection to [[CosmicKeystone the Stone]]. However, her favoured method involves transforming individuals into other species: her house is populated by numerous cats, all of them previously other life-forms, including nosy neighbours, elephants, and even a dragon - which can still breathe fire, incidentally; her two human minions, Ed and Ferdinand, used to be a horse and a cow; finally, her EvilPlan is [[spoiler: transform the entire human race into cats so that the Stone can't use human beings to correct the balance of the universe.]]
* The eponymous child-hating villains of ''Literature/TheWitches'' are capable of many magical feats, but their preferred one involves transforming their victims in some way. Part of this is due to the need for secrecy: if they simply killed children, it'd draw too much attention, while transforming them would make it both untraceable and impossible to admit to. Among other things, they have turned children into chickens, [[TakenForGranite statues]], porpoises, even characters in a painting, and American witches are supposedly known for turning kids into hot dogs. And of course, the Grand High Witch's EvilPlan is to turn England's children into mice... though she's more than capable of frying people to death with her magic - [[BadBoss as one unfortunate witch finds out]].

* Baba Yaga from the ''Literature/WildCards'' universe can use her saliva to irreversibly turn people into some chairs, sofas, church pews and other sitting implements, all of them made of some material that lies between flesh and wood. The process is apparently incredibly painful and the victims are alive and aware for a brief amount of time in their new form.

* Bane the Druid of ''VideoGame/BloodOmenLegacyOfKain''. As the Guardian of the Pillar of Nature, he has the power to influence nature in various ways, from directing the minds of animals to controlling plants. However, ever since [[StarterVillain Nupraptor]] drove his fellow Guardians mad, Bane has become obsessed with ''distorting'' nature, and such, uses his ability to transform the world around him in various ways. In his escalating madness, he's teamed up with Dejoule the Energist and Anarcrothe the Alchemist to create [[{{Mordor}} Dark Eden]], and under his influence, the area's magical field transforms anyone in its path into hideous mutants - except, of course, for vampires. Furthermore, because Kain's immune to all Bane's usual tricks, his ''sole'' tactic in the boss battle is to transform the ground beneath his feet into water, [[KillItWithWater a deadly ability]] [[WeaksauceWeakness when used against Kain]].
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3,'' the "sorcerer-scientist" [[PsychopathicManchild Dr Stanislaus Braun]] has given himself administrator privileges over [[{{Dreamville}} the Tranquillity Lane simulation]], making him essentially [[VirtualRealityWarper a virtual reality god]]. However, having gotten bored with doing all the work himself, he most commonly uses this ability to transform his victims so they can better fit in with the sick games he has ''you'' perform: among other things, he regresses you to childhood, is implied to have regressed and aged residents throughout the neighbourhood, has turned [[spoiler: James]] into a dog, and even transforms Timmy into a garden gnome. For added horror, it's not known if ''any'' of the residents still retain their original appearance after [[LotusEaterMachine two hundred years of imprisonment in the simulation]], and wouldn't be able to tell you anyway as Braun has complete control over their memories as well.

Though commonly targeted at individuals, this power can be extended to just about anything, and used in a variety of ways: targets can be transformed into [[{{Objectshifting}} inanimate items]], [[BalefulPolymorph lowly animals]], [[{{Transflormation}} plantlife]], [[MakeMyMonsterGrow giant monsters]], or even into beneficial shapes; they can be grown, shrunk, aged, regressed, expanded or contracted - the list goes on and on. These powers could involve magic, super-science, or even a very specific form of [[RealityWarper reality-warping]].

* In ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', [[CuteWitch Lulu the Fae Sorceress]] has a major spell called "Whimsy", which gives her the ability to temporarily [[BalefulPolymorph "polymorph" enemies into a harmless critter]] (usually a squirrel, occasionally also penguins or cats depending on the cosmetic skin she uses) where they can still move around, but are completely incapable of attacking or using their abilities. Her [[LimitBreak ultimate ability]], "Wild Growth", also causes [[MakeMyMonsterGrow herself or an ally to rapidly grow in size]], additionally increasing their health and allowing them to go on disruptive rampages.

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* The TropeNamer, of course, is the transmogrifier of ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' fame. It takes the appearance of a cardboard box. Calvin uses it first to turn himself into a tiger, then to turn his evil clones into worms. Later on, he develops a portable version of it that he and Hobbes use to prank each other. It even saves his life once when he's falling out of the sky and he uses it to turn himself into a light particle!
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* In ''Literature/{{Monster}},'' the mysterious CrazyCatLady [[BigBad Lotus]] is capable of many powerful feats of magic thanks to her connection to [[CosmicKeystone the Stone]]. However, her favoured method involves transforming individuals into other species: her house is populated by numerous cats, all of them previously other life-forms, including nosy neighbours, elephants, and even a dragon - which can still breathe fire, incidentally; her two human minions, Ed and Ferdinand, used to be a horse and a cow; finally, her EvilPlan is [[spoiler: stop the Stone from correcting the balance and transform the entire human race into cats.]]

* The [[TropeNamer Trope Namer]], of course, is the transmogrifier of [[ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes Calvin and Hobbes]] fame. It takes the appearance of a cardboard box. Calvin uses it first to turn himself into a tiger, then to turn his evil clones into worms. Later on, he develops a portable version of it that he and Hobbes use to prank each other. It even saves his life once when he's falling out of the sky and he uses it to turn himself into a light particle!

'''PLEASE NOTE: for a character to apply for this designation, they have to have have the power of transformation as a specialty, a preference, or their sole ability. A character who has this power but uses it only occasionally compared to other abilities ''does not count.'' '''

* In ''Literature/LadyMyLifeAsABitch,'' Terry the homeless man has the power to transform people into dogs. Unfortunately, [[PowerIncontinence he doesn't have the ability to control it to any degree]], and it usually activates when he's angry at someone - as is the unfortunate case with the main character. [[spoiler: Worse still, he can't reverse it. By the time Sandra meets him, he's accidentally transformed his mother, father, wife and daughter, and all four have died or run away since then, [[BlessedWithSuck leaving him a friendless alcoholic tramp]].]]

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout3,'' the "sorcerer-scientist" [[PsychopathicManchild Dr Stanislaus Braun]] has given himself administrator privileges over [[{{Dreamville}} the Tranquillity Lane simulation]], making him essentially [[VirtualRealityWarper a virtual reality god]]. However, having gotten bored with doing the all the work himself, he most commonly uses this ability to transform his victims so they can better fit in with the sick games he has ''you'' perform: among other things, he regresses you to childhood, is implied to have regressed and aged residents throughout the neighbourhood, has turned [[spoiler: James]] into a dog, and even transforms Timmy into a garden gnome. For added horror, it's not known if ''any'' of the residents still retain their original appearance after [[LotusEaterMachine two hundred years of imprisonment in the simulation]], and wouldn't be able to tell you anyway as Braun has complete control over their memories as well.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' adventure ''The Coriolis Force''. The Enchantress's plan is to transform four people into elemental monsters, she has a habit of transforming innocent people into slavering monsters and using them to ambush the heroes, and if she captures the heroes she may turn one of them into a toad.

* During the ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' holiday events (Halloween, Wintersday, and Canthan New Year), there will always be an NPC that transforms players into a relevant disguise (Mad King Thorn for Halloween, Grenth or Dwayna for Wintersday). In-universe this is not a common ability and is usually only accomplished through drinking tonics. The ability of these NPCs to transform players is representative of their power.

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* In the ''Series/BlackMirror'' episode "[[Recap/BlackMirrorUSSCallister USS Calister]]", game designer [[PsychopathicManchild Robert Daly]] has [[VirtualRealityWarper complete control]] over his copy of the VR MMO ''Infinity''; however, because he prefers to roleplay being a starship captain rather than play god, he mainly uses this power to painfully transform any of his clone [=NPCs=] that dare rebel. Among other things, Nannette [[TheBlank has her face erased]], Shania is transformed into an alien monster, and several others rebellious characters have been transformed during the backstory and abandoned throughout the simulation until Daly feels like getting them involved with the game's narrative again; Daly has even gone so far as to [[BarbieDollAnatomy erase the genitals]] of ''all'' his [=NPCs=] for the sake of a wholesome setting! Generally speaking, he doesn't use other powers or techniques unless he's ''really'' pissed off and [[MindRape wants to torture someone until they break]].