Shapeshifter Baggage: Difference between revisions

* In Kenichi Sonoda's ''[[Cannon God Exaxxion]]'', the [[Robot Girl]] sidekick can shapeshift into a [[Cool Bike|hoverbike]]. She stores the excess mass needed to change in her breasts.

* Averted in the ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' manga. Envy, despite [[No Biological Sex|its]] lithe and feminine physique, is very heavy, and as a result, makes very deep footprints and can break a steel fence after a short fall. This is noticed by the main characters and clues them in on the size of [[One-Winged Angel|Envy's true form...]]

* The first chapter of [[Mai-chan's Daily Life]] shows that Mai's [[Healing Factor]] is fueled by organic matter. In this case, a butchered chicken stuffed into her [[Body Horror|abdominal cavity]].

* The [[Pokémon]] Ditto can change into 'mons of any size, but the [[Pokémon (anime)|anime]] once subverted it with a Ditto that couldn't change size.

** Similarly, the censors are mollified by having [[My Suit Is Also Super|uniforms]] made of "unstable molecules" for most shapeshifters, either heroic or villainous. The example springing most easily to mind is Rahne "Wolfsbane" Sinclair, of the original [[New Mutants]] class, whose skintight school uniform shifts into a ''collar'' when she turns into her [[Cute Monster Girl|wolfoid]] and wolf-forms. A collar that is so small that it doesn't even distort the fur around her neck, but is so comfortable that she has never, ever mentioned its existence.

** Rahne was frequently 'sartorially challenged' in the early comics she appeared in. Yet more than once changed from plain clothes to super uniform between panels.

*** Based on the comics (unless this changed recently); unlike other shapeshifters, Mystique can't change mass and has to keep a generally human form. It's even suggested that she can remain in her Raven Darkholme form indefinitely because there's no change in mass, while trying to keep the same mass in a larger form is a strain that keeps her from using such forms for long. Given her [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|age and experience]], however, that sort of 'strain' is a relative term. In her solo series of comics, she demonstrated an incredible creativity with the use of her powers despite the limits she had compared to most other shapeshifters. Among the feats she performs is flattening out to avoid taking damage by an explosion, [[One-Winged Angel|assuming a monstrous form]] by ''sprouting a second face and pair of arms'' in order to quadruple wield (though she specifically mentions that doing so was ''very'' dangerous to her health, brain, and a massive strain to her powers), faking a glass vial being broken in her hand, faking the effects of a lethal virus, smuggling items in a "flesh pocket" in her stomach, and pointing out that since she mimics all her clothing too, she's technically naked all the time.

* Slightly (and disgustingly) avoided by Big Bertha of the [[Great Lakes Avengers|Great Lakes... um, at the moment, Initiative]]. It's not explained where the extra mass comes from when going from supermodel Ashley Crawford into I-stop-traffic-the-hard-way Big Bertha. But after the heroics are done, she does have to expel the extra mass... by ''vomiting'' it back out. She doesn't like it any more than you do.

* [[The Incredible Hulk]]: Where does all that sudden biomass come from? And where does it go?

** In the first Hulk movie (Not the one with Norton), Every time Banner is seen returning to human form, we see steam emanating from him and water dripping from every pore of his body, slicking his hair to his head and soaking the [[Magic Pants]] to him. Presumably the excess mass is created by rapid cell division (That's where it comes from for normal humans, after all) and when he calms down, the cells are turned into steam/water and are shed thusly. Wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen in a Marvel movie.

* The [[Star Wars]] [[Extended Universe]] features the Shi'ido, a species of shapeshifters who are nosy about the affairs of others, but keep to themselves when it's time to be sociable. Evidently, the problem of changing mass (one "encyclopedia" style book includes an excerpt from the logs of Senior Anthropologist Hoole, who describes how, studying a world of creatures about a meter tall, he saved a pair of them from a storm by transforming into a Wookie and using his greater mass in this form to hold them down) is one that they learn to overcome around age 150, but ''how'' they overcome it doesn't come up, apparently.

* [[Honey I Shrunk the Kids]] attempts to answer this question, but in fact [[Voodoo Shark|just raises further questions]] with its explanation. Reducing empty space does not reduce mass, after all. [[Nightmare Fuel|One shudders to think what it must be like to weigh 120 pounds at a quarter of an inch tall.]]

** This doesn't seem to explain how shapeshifting into something smaller works, though. Where does the extra mass go? The Nevernever? If so, how is it protected from some nasty spider-goblin thing that probably wants to eat it?

*** According to the official RPG, that's exactly what happens. The [[Literary Agent Hypothesis|margin notes from Harry and friends]] specifically mention this as a good adventure hook.

* Steven Erikson's [[Malazan Book of the Fallen]] has this feature for both Soletaken and D'ivers (single- and multiform shapeshifters, respectively). Depending on which one of these beings you encounter, you might be up against a grown man who can become a hawk and fly away... Or something that can become one or more dragons. At least the undead shapeshifter can't become living...

* Katherine Kerr's [[Deverry]] series, despite being magic based, required Dweomer workers who change shape to retain their mass. Making them quite large birds.

* The Doctor from ''[[Doctor Who]]'' changes size between regenerations, and it's never even brought up where the extra mass goes when changing his form.

** In "The Daemons" the alien Azal creates vast amounts of heat whenever it changes size.

** In "The Lazarus Experiment", Professor Richard Lazarus exposes himself to a de-aging device which mutates him into a giant, life-force devouring monster. However, despite the radical change in size, it's stated that he hasn't actually gained any mass and thus his body is highly unstable.

* At first ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' kept it fairly reasonable. The series first "shapeshifter" was really a [[Master of Illusion]]. In the fourth volume they introduce a genuine shapeshifter, whom [[Mega Manning|power thief]] Sylar promptly snacks on. At first, Sylar only used his shapeshifting power to shapeshift into people of roughly the same size and weight as him (and also still wore the same clothes before and after shifting). However, after a few episodes, Sylar is able to shapeshift ''his clothes'', and also turns into a kid.

* In ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'', shapeshifters are shown to shed their old skins whenever they take on a new form. This only covers half the issue, though.

 

 

== Tabletop Games ==

* White Wolf's ''[[Werewolf: The Forsaken]]'' takes time out in a supplement to explain the deep mechanics of Uratha (werewolf) biology. Among the various points is the fact that Werewolves don't actually shift shapes... they swap shapes. Uratha meta-biology has all five of a Werewolf's forms existent at all times; one in the physical world, and four stored as spiritual energy templates in the Werewolf's aura. As a result, beings that can see Auras perceive Werewolf auras as being intensely bright and dense, with the light brightening or dimming based on the size of the physical form. That means the aura is brightest in Urhan (normal wolf) form, and dimmest in Gauru (Man Wolf Death machine).

** Although, if you're paying attention to the aura while in the presence of an eight foot tall enraged evolutionary monstrosity honed for violence... one might question your priorities.

 

 

* The spirit channelers of the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' series change their body shape and size to what the channeled spirit looked like when they were alive. Many mechanics of channeling, including the question where the extra mass comes from (or goes to) go unexplained in the series.

** Channeling is tantamount to [[A Wizard Did It|magic]], mind you.

* When fighting Gandrayda in ''[[Metroid Prime]] 3: Corruption'', she transforms into multiple characters you've already fought over the course of the game. Most of what she transforms into is sensibly around her own size, with the notable exceptions of Ghor and his ''ginormous'' powered-armor, and the massive Berserker Lord. Her scan page states that how she can change size so drastically is unknown.

** X-Parasites also tend to do this while mimicking creatures. Most creatures of roughly human to twice human size will require just one X, despite the X only being about the size of a basketball. Some other creatures, like certain [[Space Pirates]], will require two or more ([[Elite Mooks|Golden Pirates]] have ''five'' for some reason) and bosses will generally have a larger Core-X surrounded by smaller X, showing at least a semblance of realism.

*** On the subject of [[Metroid]], where exactly does Samus stuff her body when she goes Morph Ball?

**** This is at least [[Lampshaded Trope|lampshaded]] in [[Metroid Prime]], where one of the scans in the Phazon Mines reveals that the pirates attempted to copy morph ball technology, but... well, the results weren't pretty.

** Also, whenever Alex uses his non-shapeshifting powers (like super-strength or clinging to walls), there's an effect that seems to imply mass is being expended. We see a similar effect when he's gliding. This seems to imply that he's "burning" the extra mass, keeping himself from getting too heavy.

** Try standing on a vehicle - most cars and other vehicles will be unable to move, and even ''tanks'' are slowed down by his weight. Using thermal vision, Alex is also far, far warmer than other humanoid entities (such as civilians, soldiers, etc.). Whether this is to make him easier to see and control for the player or yet more suggestion that he has much more mass is unknown.

*** Even better: Ever tried shoving someone right next to a deformable object/terrain? What should been a shove that pushes someone moderately, if you miss, can dent cargo containers, vehicles, even a military base exterior fortification wall!

* ''[[Project Eden]]'' has rats that transform into monsters over twenty times their original size, then then turn into a small splash of green goo when they die.

* In ''[[Halo]]'', the Flood has a pure form (which aren't based on an individual infected being) which can change its shape for various functions. Interestingly, the mobile form is quite small and light, but it can change into a large "tank" form in a few seconds which is significantly more massive, and its shooter form should be losing mass as it shoots, but it has no effect on its ability to change again.

* Averted in ''[[Mega Man X]]'' with Axl, he has a copy chip that allows him to transform into any Reploid he has a genetic sample from, as long as said reploid is aproximately the same size as him, however it's played straigth with all the other new generatioin reploids (from wich Axl is a prototype),some of which can {{spoiler|shapeshift into the 8 bosses, and Sigma}}, all of whom are of different sizes.

* The ''[[Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (animation)|Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers]]'' episode "Dale Beside Himself" features the Fleeblebroxians, a roughly mouse-sized alien race that can transform into anything with ease, for example a dragon the size of a small dog and several hundred times the mass of a chipmunk. This can hardly be explained by the fact that they consist of "unstable molecules".

* Imp from ''[[She-Ra: Princess of Power|She Ra Princess of Power]]'' routinely took on forms that required an outside energy source to perform their function (and more energy than he could reasonably produce naturally) and he was never shown having to recoup what was lost. Notable examples are being a lit candle, two types of rocket complete with jet propulsion, flame thrower powerful enough to start a forest fire, and a laser rifle.

* On ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]'', every fairy suffers from this. Let's just say "[[A Wizard Did It]]" and move on.

** The same fairies that regularly POOF! things into existence? The baggage is one of the least [[Egregious]] things about them.

 

== Real Life ==

 

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