Line #52 Main/SomethingForEveryone


1	%%%
2	%%
3	%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
4	%%
5	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
6	%%
7	%%%
8
9	->'''Lister:''' What did you see?\
10	'''The Cat:''' Oh, just some gorgeous chunk of loveliness!
11	-->-- ''Series/RedDwarf'', "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonIVCamille Camille]]"
12
13	An artifact or entity appears different depending on the observer. It will reflect or emulate specific traits that depend on what the effect is meant to achieve (desire, fear, revulsion, covetousness), more than on the object itself or the observer's expectations. However, the observer's mind will usually play a role in what he or she sees. The object or entity will almost always have a "true form" that might be seen if the effect is dispelled.
14
15	When this is in play, if Bob casts a {{Glamour}} spell that is intended to make him irresistably attractive to everyone who sees him, Alice may see him as Creator/OrlandoBloom, while the FaceHugger sees him as [[Film/{{Alien}} Second Officer Kane]]. In the case of an ArtifactOfAttraction, instead of having an innate power to make people want it specifically, it may simply ''imitate'' every observer's most personally coveted object. [[Literature/HarryPotter Lord Voldemort]] will see it as the PhilosophersStone, [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Gollum]] will see it as the One Ring, and so on.
16
17	This trope also applies in cases that aren't about desire or attraction. Perhaps the effect makes a monster ''terrifying'', by explicitly [[InvokedTrope Invoking]] WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes for whoever encounters it.
18
19	Note that an observer may or may not see anything remotely representative of the object in question, as the appearance-shifting effect is intended to convey a particular quality. It is the effect, not the object itself, that does the legwork of matching that quality to an observer.
20
21	Compare and contrast AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder, in which an observer typically sees ''something'' genuinely representative of the artifact or entity in question, but filtered through the observer's expectations or assumptions, especially if the thing doesn't ''have'' a "true form" to begin with. The observer is, in a way, seeing an honest representation of the thing in question; it's just not really the true form.
22
23	See also EmpathicShapeshifter, which is where the thing's form ''literally'' changes based on the observer; AFormYouAreComfortableWith, which is when this happens specifically to avoid freaking out the observer (or just [[GoMadFromTheRevelation driving them insane]]); and LieToTheBeholder, which is a targeted form of AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder that causes only ''some'' observers to see the illusion. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with TasteTheRainbow.
24	----
25	!!Examples:
26
27	[[foldercontrol]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30	* The Illusion Card from ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' has this effect, taking a form to each viewer depending on what frightens them the most or what they desire. For example, Sakura saw her mother, allowing the card to have a strong hold over her, while Tomoyo, anticlimactically, merely saw a food item because she was hungry.
31	* ''Manga/FrankenFran'': Fran is asked by the girls of a school to [[AllMenArePerverts make their boyfriends less horny]]. She does so by [[spoiler:creating a huge pheromone-emitting mass of flesh that causes any man to see a crowd of naked and horny women.]] Naturally, this works too well, with the boys spending every spare minute having sex with the thing, so the girlfriends complain to Fran. She shows them what she did, and the girls promptly start beating it up with anything at hand, to Fran's confusion.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Comic Books]]
35	* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Galactus appears as a member of whatever species looks at him, probably to {{Retcon}} his [[HumanAliens human appearance]] into the realm of plausibility.
36	* ''ComicBook/NewMutants'': Creating illusions of her target's greatest fear or desire is the signature mutant power of Mirage. She can't really control ''what'' they see, only whether she wants to attract or scare them with it.
37	* ''ComicBook/{{Nodwick}}'': Near the end of the print comic, the villains create a new type of undead called a 'Masque' and unleash it on the heroes. Anyone who looks at it see a deceased parental or mentor figure they trust implicitly (Rowan sees her father, Nodwick sees the old president of his union, Piffany sees the abbess at the SaintlyChurch where she was raised, and Arthax sees the archmage who first taught him wizardry) and are left unable to fight. Fortunately for our heroes, Rowan's pet dragon Orville either isn't fooled or sees one of his parents (his species of dragon is ''extremely'' territorial, and attack and kill even close family as adults) and responds by flambéing the undead monster.
38	%%* Elizabeth Chandra in ''ComicBook/RisingStars''.
39	* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'':
40	** Morpheus appears as a cat for cats or Bast and appears human for humans. Desire, on the other hand, works like the AppleOfDiscord naturally.
41	** Morpheus has some control over this. He appears to the Martian as a horrible monster (because that is what their God of Dreams looks like) but then switches to a less frightening form.
42	** In descriptions it's directly stated that Desire will look whatever you desire the most, whether that is man, woman or something else. Making it appear an attractive, androgynous human just helps the reader to keep track of the character.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
46	* ''WesternAnimation/IceAgeContinentalDrift'': The siren fish project an image of whatever the victim loves to lure them in: each of the heroes sees their love interest (real of imaginary, in Sid's case), Sid's grandma sees a Chippendales sloth with a PornStache, and Scrat, of course, sees his acorn. Cut to reality, where Scrat is now trying to bury the siren into the ground, blissfully unaware of what's really happening.
47	* In the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' feature-length film ''The End of Evangelion'', [[spoiler:the multiple avatars of Rei/Lilith who appear to guide each individual human through the transition into Instrumentality have the ability to appear in the form of someone that individual loves. There are several shots of cast members getting a last look at/embrace from what appears to be someone they care for, right before bursting into LCL]]. There is one notable exception: [[spoiler:Aoba Shigeru, the AirGuitar-playing {{Bridge Bunn\|ies}}y who only sees a swarm of naked Reis and promptly freaks. The writers have said this was because Aoba was a nihilist who cared for no one]].
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Literature]]
51	* In ''Literature/TheAncientOne'', there's a swamp with water that lures people in by smelling like their favorite things, but it's really an extremely dangerous pool of acid.
52	* ''Literature/ArciaChronicles'': The primordial deities known as the "Great Dragon" and the "Great Eagle" can take on [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith humanoid forms]], but they cannot control their appearance. Instead, each person sees them wearing different faces familiar to themselves: specifically, the Great Eagle's human form always looks like his vis-a-vis' greatest pain, while the Great Dragon takes the shape of the greatest mystery in their lives. When Roman encounters them both in book four, the Great Eagle wears the face of his late father Asten, whom he both loved and respected, while the Great Dragon takes on the form of the wandering mage Uann, who mentored Roman in magic, set him on the path to save the world, and disappeared without a trace in book two.
53	* ''Literature/CiaphasCain'': During a raid on a Slaaneshi cult, the madam uses her magic to project an image the soldiers won't shoot at. Cain sees Amberley and is about to shoot another soldier in a jealous rage (also motivated by the soldier addressing "Amberley" by the wrong name, i.e., his own girlfriend's), but is distracted long enough for Jurgen to approach and his AntiMagic effect to reveal the madam as a frumpy older woman, who Cain shoots on the spot.
54	-->''"Impersonating an Inquisitor is a capital offense."''
55	* Verra, a goddess from the ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'' novels, ''sounds'' different to different people. When she speaks, each witness hears her say something that's relevant to them.
56	* The second half of the ''Literature/{{Firekeeper}}'' series of novels gives us the Meddler, a godlike trickster. Lacking a corporeal body, he creates a form through the minds of those around him. The end result is that every person sees him differently. Most saw him as a local man. Others, such as Firekeeper's wolf partner Blind Seer, saw another wolf like himself.
57	* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', the LovePotion Amortentia smells like all the smeller's favorite smells (Harry smells treacle tart, broomstick varnish, and Ginny's perfume, while Hermione smells like parchment, cut grass, and [[WordOfGod Ron's hair]]) and the polyjuice potion has a different consistency depending on who it turns you into (Crabbe and Goyle's looks like mud; Harry's is gold; we don't see what Bellatrix's looks like, but it apparently tastes terrible). In addition, Boggarts appear as one's worst fear, Dementors cause victims to experience their worst memories, and the Mirror of Erised reflects one's greatest desire. Yeah, Rowling loves this trope.
58	* The AppleOfDiscord in the ''Literature/{{Illuminatus}}'' appears to you as your heart's desire.
59	* In the ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'' series, TV news reports in Purgatory customize themselves to the interests of whomever is watching them. Not simultaneously, though -- two observers watching the same set at the same time see the same broadcast. While the channels are certainly subjective (the news includes interviews and crowd shots which didn't happen in the real world), nobody uses anybody else's set to watch the news, so the sets can just be pre-tuned rather than sensitive to the watcher.
60	* The "Holy Grail" in ''Literature/TheMistsOfAvalon'' appears as a chalice which creates food -- whichever food one person likes most.
61	* Pretty Poison, a succubus from the ''Literature/{{Nightside}}'' novels, appears as everyone's hottest sexual fantasy come to life.
62	* In the ''Photon'' novels, the nature of the contest between the Interstellar Alliance and the Arrians is eventually revealed to be a [[spoiler:larger-scale version of a CosmicChessGame being played out between two beings from the ''previous universe'' whose battle had ended up destroying everything. The chess game played itself out as a reasonably non-violent way to ensure they didn't wind up breaking it all again]]. The appearance of these two beings, as revealed in the novel ''In Search of Mom''? Just like the viewer, right down to gender.
63	* In ''Literature/{{Weaveworld}}'', the villain Shadwell, who considers himself the world's greatest salesman and schmoozer, is given an enchanted jacket by the sorceress Immacolata. The jacket can produce from its pockets the object [[YourHeartsDesire most desired]] by whatever client Shadwell is trying to make a deal with.
64	* Subverted in ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'': The titular Wizard appears differently to each supplicant, depending on what will impress them most. However, Dorothy eventually finds that each appearance is an illusion using various special effects to ensure that no one guesses his true nature.
65	* In the ''Literature/WorldsOfPower'' {{novelization}} of ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'', [[BigBad the Plutonium Boss]] uses the "worst fear" version. The image each player of the game sees is something they fear most.
66	* [[BigBad The Lone Power]] from the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' series supposedly looks different to everyone. To Nita, he usually looked like a good looking but cruel [[EvilRedhead red-haired man]].
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
70	* Subverted in ''Series/{{Angel}}''. The big bad, Jasmine, uses magic to make herself awesome in the eyes of others; otherwise, she appears as a gross slimy thing. Connor, supposedly a good guy, thinks there's nothing wrong with the gross slimy thing (he wasn't brainwashed) because that's what he grew up with. Gross.
71	* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', [[spoiler:the Vorlons look to any given person like their cultural equivalent of [[AngelicAliens an angel]]]]. Londo, however, sees nothing at all -- since his people, the Centauri, were [[spoiler:fostered by the Shadows instead]].
72	* In the new ''Series/DoctorWho'' series, psychic paper has whatever you're expecting written on it. This apparently works even on electronic locks.
73	* ''Series/RedDwarf'' has [[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonIVCamille Camille]], a green blob who appears as a person's "perfect partner". For Kryten, Lister and Rimmer, she appears as a feminine counterpart to the viewer. For the Cat, she appears as... [[ScrewYourself the Cat]]. The [[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVIPsirens Psirens]] use a similar power to suck people's brains out with straws.
74	* The ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' episode "Satan, Darling" has a DreamSequence in which Roseanne meets the Devil's Advocate, who looks like her [[EvilCostumeSwitch in red]]. It claims: "I take on whatever form your subconscious chooses to give me. I almost came as a hamburger."
75	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
76	** The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E21ThePerfectMate The Perfect Mate]]" has a "gift" which is being transported to end a war. Said cargo turns out to be a deeply empathic metamorph who can become any man's ideal mate.
77	** In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', when Sisko and Dax first land on a "planet" inside the wormhole, it appears as a stormy, rocky wasteland to him and a beautiful, sunny glade to her.
78	%%** The salt-vampire monster in the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E1TheManTrap The Man Trap]]".
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Toys]]
82	* The "[[https://biosector01.com/wiki/Zone_of_Nightmares Zone of Nightmares]]" from ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' forces anyone who enters it to confront whatever they fear most.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Video Games]]
86	* In ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'', [[spoiler:the titular character appears to everyone she seduces as their ideal dream girl]].
87	* In the obscure 1990s PC game ''Commander Blood'', the much-coveted Ondoyants appear as sexually attractive to everyone.
88	* It's possible that the Shadow Thurible in ''VideoGame/DontStarve'', as well as the literal {{Nightmare Fuel}} that fuels it, has this affect on the player characters. However, while the Thurible smells like different things that most likely attract the different characters, the raw Fuel seems to have different properties of things that may frighten them.
89	* ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'' features berries that taste like whatever the eater most fondly remembers eating.
90	* Hinted at in an overhead conversation in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2''. A human, a turian, and a salarian at a bachelor party are watching an [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe asari]] stripper, and each one finds a different part of her attractive.
91	* The monsters of ''Franchise/SilentHill'' appear as appropriate dark reflections of a person's psyche.
92	* In ''VideoGame/StardewValley'', stardrops taste different for everyone. For the player, it's whatever they have set as their favorite thing.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Webcomics]]
96	* ''Webcomic/ValAndIsaac'': [[https://val-and-isaac.tumblr.com/post/626530511463038977 One strip]] has Minnow find one such object (actually an [[LuringInPrey anglerfish's lure]]), seeing it as a LostEpisode of her favorite show. Then Isaac steps in.
97	-->Uh, Minnow? You might wanna let go of [[WellDoneSonGuy that photo of my dad saying "I'm proud of you, son."]]
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Web Original]]
101	* ''Website/SCPFoundation'':
102	** [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-056 SCP-056]] always changes itself into a "better" version of whatever is viewing it, to the point that they can't even find out its natural form via remote observation because it just turns into a more expensive camera.
103	** [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-959 SCP-959]] appears as whatever would distress the viewer the most. [[BadPowersGoodPeople He's a really nice guy]].
104	* ''Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos'': The original concept of Slender Man had his face look different to everyone, with him only appearing as TheBlank in photographs due to GlamourFailure. However, the faceless version of him ended up proving so iconic that it just became his regular appearance.
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Western Animation]]
108	* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'', the titular mice are placed into a sophisticated maze, including a room with a hologram meant to distract them by showing them whatever they most wanted to see. After unsuccessfully trying to find a secret area of the maze and coming full circle, Pinky states that [[GeniusDitz what he most wants to see is a map of the maze]], causing one to appear in front of them.
109	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'': In the episode "[[Recap/RenAndStimpy1x05MaroonedUntamedWorld Marooned]]", a giant alien tentacle monster appears to Ren as a female chihuahua in order to trap him. To Stimpy, the tentacle appears as a bag of kitty litter, so he looks perplexed when Ren starts to caress it and talk romantically to it.
110	[[/folder]]

Context Main / SomethingForEveryone