...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Reverse Polarity
- 744 statements
- 144 feature instances
- 89 referencing feature instances
Reverse Polarity | type |
FeatureClass | |
Reverse Polarity | label |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity | page |
ReversePolarity | |
Reverse Polarity | comment |
When a major obstacle in a Science Fiction show is resolved purely through the judicious application of Techno Babble, the characters have successfully Reversed the Polarity. It seems that every futuristic gadget or space ship subsystem performs some miraculous function if only you route the power through it backwards. Urban legend has it the expression originated on Doctor Who. In reality, the phrase "Reverse the Polarity" can be traced back at least as far back as the 1898 The War of the Worlds sequel Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss. However, it was popularized by Doctor Who, as Jon Pertwee asked the writers for a simple piece of Technobabble he could reliably deliver. The version most associated with the Third Doctor is "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow", although he only said it once during his time as the Doctor and once in a multi-Doctor special. A type of Applied Phlebotinum, Reversing the Polarity is the be-all end-all technical solution for any problem. Usually only thought of at the very end of the show ("Captain... we could reverse the polarity of the positron toilet and send a stream of charged crap particles toward the Romulans, rather than away..."). It always works. Always. Of course, you can "reverse the polarity" (of the electron flow) in real life—just put the battery in the other way round. Doesn't quite have the same effect, though. Most simple powered toy vehicles, electric toothbrushes and other devices that rely on a spinning electric motor will simply run backwards while more complex electronics with a DC power supply may even break or fry the device in question. This is why most "complex" devices nowadays are equipped with diodes, which keep the current from flowing backwards if the polarity is reversed, preventing damage to the main circuitry. Still, Don't Try This at Home, kids! Don't even bother trying it with Mains power either: Alternating current means the polarity is already being reversed, 100 or 120 times a second depending on country. You'll notice that it doesn't make your hairdryer or vacuum cleaner go backwards. Reversing the polarity on a car is also possible—some vintage cars, particularly British ones, are positive-ground, while negative-ground has been the standard worldwide since The '60s, so if you want to put a modern MP3-compatible stereo in your '59 Morris Minor a car polarity swap is a must. Besides, it makes the characters in question look a lot less like brilliant scientists when they are (basically) sighing and asking the technician, "Did you plug it in the wrong way again? I mean, seriously. Red cable is positive. How hard can it possibly be to remember?" You can't reverse electrical polarity with neutrons, though, because they're electrically neutral (this is where the name comes from), although if we're getting technical, they do have a magnetic polarity. However, if the neutrons are flowing somewhere, reversing the polarity might refer to changing the direction of flow, since all "polarity" really means is that something has two distinguishable ends (poles). In case of a flow, there's the "source" end and the "mouth" end - so reversing the polarity would mean you're forcing the flowing matter to flow backwards. And Knowing Is Half the Battle. Closely related to the Forgotten Superweapon. Also see Technobabble and Revive Kills Zombie. Compare to Tim Taylor Technology and Had the Silly Thing in Reverse. |
|
Reverse Polarity | fetched |
2024-05-10T05:45:43Z | |
Reverse Polarity | parsed |
2024-05-10T05:45:43Z | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to Antimatter: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to ApocalypseHow: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to AppliedPhlebotinum: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to FilkSong: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to HanlonsRazor: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to InJoke: Not an Item - CAT | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to ItMakesSenseInContext: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to Lunacy: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to MirrorMoralityMachine: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to MissionControl: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to PoorlyDisguisedPilot: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to Robeast: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to Turok2SeedsOfEvil: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to YinYangBomb: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to justifiedtrope: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingComment |
Dropped link to lampshadehanging: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
Reverse Polarity | processingUnknown |
Turok2SeedsOfEvil | |
Reverse Polarity | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
Reverse Polarity / int_11859033 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_11859033 | comment |
At least Narbonic's Genre Savvy Dave Davenport knows he's appealing to the Theory of Narrative Causality: "Sometimes it helps, for some reason". | |
Reverse Polarity / int_11859033 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_11859033 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Narbonic (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_11859033 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_12ffd3e9 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_12ffd3e9 | comment |
In Megas XLR due to some wire changes, a weapon Coop uses accidentally gives the enemy reflective shielding. Then when he teleports the stabilizer out of the enemy robot it "reverses the polarity" of the shield making the opponents weapons hit itself. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_12ffd3e9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_12ffd3e9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Megas XLR | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_12ffd3e9 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_14d341dc | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_14d341dc | comment |
Star Trek Online actually has a skill called "Reverse Shield Polarity" that causes energy weapons to increase the shields instead of damaging them. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_14d341dc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_14d341dc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek Online (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_14d341dc | |
Reverse Polarity / int_16404929 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_16404929 | comment |
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. In the second season episode "The Minus-X Affair", THRUSH scientist Lillian Stemmler is developing a pair of drugs. One ("Plus-X") heightens the senses of the recipient to an almost superhuman degree. The other ("Minus-X") is intended to incapacitate its victims. And how is Minus-X made? Obviously: In "The Moonglow Affair", Solo and Kuryakin are poisoned with deadly radiation from a THRUSH ray gun. To cure them, substitute agent April Dancer must obtain the ray gun so that UNCLE scientists can reverse the polarity and shoot our heroes with it again. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_16404929 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_16404929 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_16404929 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_18d31711 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_18d31711 | comment |
Hawkman: In "The Twenty Third Dimension", Hawkman's "quazer" is converted into a Dimension Ray by reversing its polarity. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_18d31711 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_18d31711 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Hawkman (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_18d31711 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_1aa9d9f4 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_1aa9d9f4 | comment |
Batman (1966): In the season 1 episode "Better Luck Next Time," Batman reverses the polarity on his belt communicator in order to create an ultrasonic signal to drive away a tiger. In the season 2 episode "The Bird's Last Jest," Batman reverses the polarity on two electric cables leading into a pool. This causes the metallic chest containing Chief O'Hara to levitate out of the pool instead of shocking him. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_1aa9d9f4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_1aa9d9f4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Batman (1966) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_1aa9d9f4 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2221ecbd | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2221ecbd | comment |
CSI: NY: Used realistically in the season 1 finale, "What You See Is What You See," had Mac actually "reverse the polarity" to show Stella the color-changing ink used by the counterfeiters. Adam does it again in season 5's "The Triangle" to show Lindsay how a magnetic device used in an armored car heist works. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_2221ecbd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2221ecbd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
CSI: NY | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2221ecbd | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2250e67e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2250e67e | comment |
Star Trek: Enterprise: Justified in the pilot when they reverse the polarity of magnetic latches to get a structure to come apart. Used almost word for word by Malcolm Reed in the episode "Harbinger" when he reverses the polarity on the plasma coils to knock out an alien. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_2250e67e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2250e67e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek: Enterprise | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2250e67e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_227431b6 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_227431b6 | comment |
Subverted in Runaways: Victor Mancha (who is being held captive by the aforementioned group) attempts to escape by threatening Gertrude York with a remote that has had its "polarity reversed". The other Runaways scoff at the idea. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_227431b6 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_227431b6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Runaways (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_227431b6 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_23c46139 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_23c46139 | comment |
In Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, Lena stops a core reactor from reaching critical mass and exploding by reversing the polarity: | |
Reverse Polarity / int_23c46139 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_23c46139 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_23c46139 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_27777760 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_27777760 | comment |
Eureka solves a lot of problems this way. Blatantly and explicitly so in the season 3 finale, where Carter must reverse the polarity of a device causing a magnetic anomaly that threatens the whole world, before it gets blown up by the Martha drone sent by Zane and Fargo. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_27777760 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_27777760 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Eureka | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_27777760 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_279cd0b8 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_279cd0b8 | comment |
In the Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures episode "DNA Doomsday", Hadji reverses the polarity of a DNA blob monster, turning it into mush. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_279cd0b8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_279cd0b8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_279cd0b8 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28b2079a | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28b2079a | comment |
At the end of Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Angela's anti-Protopet weapon turns the Protopet into a giant monster. When she attempts to figure out what went wrong, Clank points out that the battery is in backwards. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28b2079a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28b2079a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_28b2079a | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28fe1376 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28fe1376 | comment |
In Fringe, a device which creates wormholes had its polarity reversed, which, of course, reversed the flow of the wormhole! | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28fe1376 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_28fe1376 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Fringe | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_28fe1376 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2967d4d6 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2967d4d6 | comment |
The Death of Luthor: Supergirl finds an alien world whose atmosphere has been crystallized by the beams of a hostile spaceship. After trashing the robots who were manning the ship, Kara restores the atmosphere to normal by studying their equipment and flipping a switch which causes the crystallized air to dissolve. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2967d4d6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2967d4d6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Death of Luthor (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2967d4d6 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2b132158 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2b132158 | comment |
Buck Rogers. Did it way more than Star Trek ever did, too. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2b132158 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2b132158 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Buck Rogers (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2b132158 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2c9b0bb4 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2c9b0bb4 | comment |
On Moonlighting David and Maddie once claimed to have reversed the polarity of the viewers' TV sets, so they can register applause in order to vote on one of two ideas to make the show better. Maddie's idea was insightful drama, meaningful dialogue, and intelligent plots. David's was fanservice. Guess which won. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2c9b0bb4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2c9b0bb4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Moonlighting | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2c9b0bb4 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2d311a08 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2d311a08 | comment |
In an episode of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, "Enter The Fly", one of Shredder's evil schemes failed because Baxter Stockman "forgot to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow". This is also how Donatello Deus Ex Machina's just about every other episode once all of the hilarity and wacky hijinks have been taken care of. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_2d311a08 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2d311a08 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2d311a08 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e3e7ac2 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e3e7ac2 | comment |
Justice League: In "Secret Origins", Batman saves the day by "reversing the ion charge" on an alien ship (this also appeared on the first episode of Challenge of the Superfriends, and very similarly). | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e3e7ac2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e3e7ac2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Justice League | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e3e7ac2 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e86bae9 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e86bae9 | comment |
In Ikaruga, polarity reversing is a gameplay mechanic. White polarity absorbs white bullets, and does double damage to black targets. Black polarity does the opposite. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e86bae9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e86bae9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ikaruga (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2e86bae9 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2ee0e9f2 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2ee0e9f2 | comment |
Paul Chuckle is always using this in ChuckleVision. At one point he reverses the polarity of a UV light (which helps plants grow) to shrink his brother Barry. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2ee0e9f2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_2ee0e9f2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
ChuckleVision | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_2ee0e9f2 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31a48e8e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31a48e8e | comment |
The Outer Limits (1963): In the episode "The Borderland", during the experiments to reach the other dimension, the scientists reverse the polarity of a magnetic field in order to send objects to the other side and reverse them. A series of preliminary orders from the lead scientist to the technicians readying the reversal (that sound more like a magical incantation than technobabble) leads up to a final, dramatic "Polarity... REVERSE!" | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31a48e8e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31a48e8e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Outer Limits (1963) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_31a48e8e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31ea2c8f | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31ea2c8f | comment |
Spoofed in Kyle XY, when Josh tells a drunken Kyle to sober up by "reversing the polarity of his liver". Kyle goes offscreen, vomits, and comes back sober, saying that he took Josh's advice. It's hard to say whether he was joking or not. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31ea2c8f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_31ea2c8f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Kyle XY | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_31ea2c8f | |
Reverse Polarity / int_32e21aa | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_32e21aa | comment |
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter: The group enter Hive via an air intake, which requires easing themselves between the blades of a giant turbine. Wesker sees what they are doing and orders "reverse polarity" on the turbine so they will be sucked back into it. Saying "reverse the airflow" or "reverse the turbine" would have made more sense, so it's likely just a nod to this trope in sci-fi. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_32e21aa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_32e21aa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_32e21aa | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3381cfbc | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3381cfbc | comment |
Power Rangers Dino Fury: "Crossed Wires" — The Rangers find Sleep Devices that have caused people to fall asleep. The Blue Ranger dismantles one by bypassing the capacitor, while the Green Ranger has trouble and instead causes a deeper sleep in the Black and Gold Rangers. The Blue Ranger then realizes he needs to reverse the polarity to wake the two rangers up, and teaches the Green Ranger how electronic circuits work in the process. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3381cfbc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3381cfbc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Power Rangers Dino Fury | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_3381cfbc | |
Reverse Polarity / int_366dfee3 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_366dfee3 | comment |
In Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, Gerti disables the amusement park ride in the opening by reversing the polarity, justifying it by saying that the ride works using electromagnets. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_366dfee3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_366dfee3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_366dfee3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_36ee2abe | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_36ee2abe | comment |
Paranoia adventure "'The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues''. The Maxwell-Effect Moleculokinesic Field Device is basically a Pyrokinesis gun (e.g. it acts like a flamethrower). 50% of the time it fires at reverse polarity and freezes the target. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_36ee2abe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_36ee2abe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Paranoia (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_36ee2abe | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c52349b | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c52349b | comment |
The Earthwar Saga: Since Chameleon Boy has been frozen into his real form by one space pirate's ray gun, Superboy grabs the weapon, reverses the controls and shoots his teammate, successfully breaking his shapeshifter mode lock. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c52349b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c52349b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Earthwar Saga (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c52349b | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c53ffa8 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c53ffa8 | comment |
Pops up in the Rush song "Vital Signs". A tired mind become a shape-shifter/everybody need a mood lifter/everybody need reverse polarity |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_3c53ffa8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c53ffa8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Rush (Band) (Music) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_3c53ffa8 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3ddddb25 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3ddddb25 | comment |
One of the Shen Gong Wu artifacts in Xiaolin Showdown is the Reversing Mirror, whose primary purpose is to invert the effects or qualities of other Shen Gong Wu. The demonstration show it making the Two-Ton Tunic as light as a feather, and it becomes prominent in one episode for being used with a shrinking Wu to enlarge objects. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3ddddb25 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3ddddb25 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Xiaolin Showdown | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_3ddddb25 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f5f4ea2 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f5f4ea2 | comment |
In Austin Powers in Goldmember, the tractor beam used by Goldmember and Dr. Evil to pull an asteroid to Earth has "Do not reverse polarity" written on a low-tech-looking panel. When Dr. Evil, having turned good, does reverse the polarity, the beam destroys the asteroid instead of sending it to Earth. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f5f4ea2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f5f4ea2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Austin Powers | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f5f4ea2 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f633fb4 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f633fb4 | comment |
This is #4 of Cracked's 6 Sci-Fi Movie Conventions (That Need to Die). | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f633fb4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f633fb4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Cracked (Website) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_3f633fb4 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_41645a44 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_41645a44 | comment |
Space Cases: Catalina is having some trouble with the concept from her textbook. "Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow? What's that all about?" Aren't shout outs fun? Later in the episode, she sarcastically suggests reversing the polarity as a solution to their problem... and is shocked to find out that it actually is a legitimate solution. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_41645a44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_41645a44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Space Cases | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_41645a44 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_423ca36c | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_423ca36c | comment |
In Young Frankenstein, Frederick reads from his Doctor Frankenstein grandfather's book How I Did It: Some fans justify it in that, being at the end of the journal, we don't hear all of it. It can be assumed that the previous Doctor Frankenstein's experiment failed and that he eventually figured out the solution, which was revealed in the excerpt. In other words, he had something plugged in backwards. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_423ca36c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_423ca36c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Young Frankenstein | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_423ca36c | |
Reverse Polarity / int_42ffb88e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_42ffb88e | comment |
SCP Foundation, SCP-674 ("The Exposition Gun"). When a Foundation doctor tested SCP-674 by firing it at a TV show or movie featuring the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series, Spock reversed the polarity of a phaser and shot him with it, killing him. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_42ffb88e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_42ffb88e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
SCP Foundation (Website) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_42ffb88e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_43a9c333 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_43a9c333 | comment |
In the Cowboy Bebop episode "Honky Tonk Woman": | |
Reverse Polarity / int_43a9c333 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_43a9c333 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Cowboy Bebop | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_43a9c333 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_442f6a6e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_442f6a6e | comment |
Rhythm of War: In this book, Navani discovers how to invert the polarity of any of the three Light by singing the corresponding "opposite tone" (the exact musical inverse of that Light's native tone). This "inverse Light" violently annihilates the corresponding true Light (much like matter and anti-matter), making it capable of utterly and irreversibly annihilating creatures of Investiture such as spren and Fused. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_442f6a6e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_442f6a6e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Rhythm of War | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_442f6a6e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_44fe781e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_44fe781e | comment |
Neon Genesis Evangelion: In episode 13, a continuously evolving Grey Goo gets into NERV headquarters by hitching a ride on one of the EVAs. They then form themselves into an organic supercomputer, which starts to hack into the Magi supercomputers that run the headquarters. To prevent them from resulting in the self-destruction of the Magi, Ritsuko has to open them up, climb inside one of them, and reprogram it from the inside. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_44fe781e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_44fe781e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Neon Genesis Evangelion | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_44fe781e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_468bebb0 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_468bebb0 | comment |
Discworld: Subverted in one of the fiction-chapters of The Science of Discworld. After the Roundworld is transformed into a snowball (Ice Age), the Dean proposes (after four glasses of sherry) to "get Hex to reverse the thaumic flow in the cthonic matrix of the optimized bi-direction octagonate" to fix it. The Archchancellor replies that he would prefer a non-gibberish opinion. There's a spell called the "Rite of Ashk Ente" which summons Death to you, in order to partake in his wisdom. Alberto Malich thought that if the spell makes Death go to you, then performing it backwards would make Death go away. However, he soon finds out that there is another way to consider the spell backwards: sending you directly to Death (which, oddly enough, worked out pretty well for him). |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_468bebb0 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_468bebb0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Discworld | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_468bebb0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_48cf61a6 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_48cf61a6 | comment |
Superfriends 1973/74 episode "The Shamon U". Professor Shamon reverses the polarity on his giant electromagnet to repel the Batmobile instead of attracting it. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_48cf61a6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_48cf61a6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Superfriends | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_48cf61a6 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ad83ee | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ad83ee | comment |
Thaddius, a raid boss in World of Warcraft, is a Frankenstein's Monster Expy who uses electric attacks. During the fight, each character is randomly assigned a negative or positive polarity. Players from each group must immediately converge on opposite sides of the boss or they will cause significant damage to anyone nearby with the opposite polarity. Thaddius causes a Polarity Shift every 30 seconds, which again randomly assigns the negative or positive charges. This requires players to quickly reorganize or risk a Total Party Kill. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ad83ee | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ad83ee | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
World of Warcraft (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ad83ee | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ff762 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ff762 | comment |
The Torchwood radio play "Lost Souls" plays this trope entirely straight, with the world saved from disaster by reversing the polarity of the positron flow. CERN apparently approved the science, and the impression is the writer was delighted to have found a context where the phrase actually made sense. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ff762 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ff762 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Torchwood | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_49ff762 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4be3aedd | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4be3aedd | comment |
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: In the episode "Opposites Attract", the magnet-themed monster did this trick to sabotage the Rangers' weapons. He could also cause a "polarity switch" for individual people and Angel Grove as a whole. What this actually meant apparently involved a Screen Shake and some storm effects. In a later episode, Zordon commands Billy to reverse the polarity of a cloud. To make it rain. And it works. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_4be3aedd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4be3aedd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_4be3aedd | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4c095a1f | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4c095a1f | comment |
In the very last episode of The Transformers, "The Rebirth, Part 3", the heroes derail Galvatron's plan and bring about a new Golden Age on Cybertron by reversing the polarity of Galvatron's rocket thruster. And in "Call of the Primitives", Grimlock manages to stop Tornedron, an energy-eating being, by reversing his energy polarity (by throwing a switch). |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_4c095a1f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4c095a1f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Transformers | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_4c095a1f | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4da3b0a9 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4da3b0a9 | comment |
The Amazing Spiez!. In "Operation The 50 Ft. Hacker" a device called the Super Soaker Supersizer has its polarity reversed to return Megan and Davey to normal size. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4da3b0a9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4da3b0a9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Amazing Spiez! | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_4da3b0a9 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4dd54482 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4dd54482 | comment |
In Ben 10: Alien Force, this is required to get Ben's hand back from the Null Void after Sunder separates it from the rest of his body. Ben 10: Ultimate Alien's episode "The Eggman Cometh" featured doctor Animo who used a Devolution Device to turn chicken into Pterodactyl-like creatures, then admitted under intimidation by Gwen that this trope is the way to fix everything. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4dd54482 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4dd54482 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ben 10: Alien Force | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_4dd54482 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4eae5334 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4eae5334 | comment |
Return to the Forbidden Planet has an audience participation moment when it's necessary to Reverse the Polarity of the Klystron Generator. A highly dangerous procedure. The UK touring version of the show included a large neon sign saying "Do Not Reverse Polarity" as part of the set. The cast would also mingle with the audience before the show began, giving instructions on how to perform the polarity reversal procedure. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_4eae5334 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_4eae5334 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Return to the Forbidden Planet (Theatre) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_4eae5334 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_510974b4 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_510974b4 | comment |
Subverted in the Founding Zombies episode of Johnny Test. When Johnny uses a ray gun to bring the town's Founding Fathers back to life, Susan (or Mary) attempt to stop them by "reversing the polarity" of the gun. However, because they weren't completely alive, it did nothing. Johnny then had them "reverse the reverse polarity thing" to bring back their mothers and "save" the day. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_510974b4 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_510974b4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Johnny Test | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_510974b4 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5189271b | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5189271b | comment |
In Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Dr. Frankenstein's journal explains that the practically immortal monster can be killed by attaching him to the machine that gave him life and "changing the poles". | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5189271b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5189271b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_5189271b | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5194d3ce | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5194d3ce | comment |
In Pokémon: Jirachi: Wish Maker, Butler makes a machine that is supposed to create a live Groudon from its fossilized remains. When the machine creates an enormous evil monster instead, he is able to make the machine destroy Groudon by simply reversing the direction of the fossil and the levers. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5194d3ce | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5194d3ce | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Pokémon: Jirachi: Wish Maker | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_5194d3ce | |
Reverse Polarity / int_51c25c5f | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_51c25c5f | comment |
Toon supplement Tooniversal Tour Guide, "Atomic Monster Theater" setting. Professor Doug Graves can reverse the polarity of his portable razor and create a vibration to drive a Giant Potato Bug back into its cave. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_51c25c5f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_51c25c5f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Toon (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_51c25c5f | |
Reverse Polarity / int_52eb7183 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_52eb7183 | comment |
Irregular Webcomic!: Serron suggests reversing the polarity of something. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_52eb7183 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_52eb7183 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Irregular Webcomic! (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_52eb7183 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_53dc3731 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_53dc3731 | comment |
Atomic Robo's solution for sending the Vampires back to the Vampire Dimension is to reverse polarity on the experiment that accidentally brought them into our world. Unfortunately, he finds that the machine does not have a "reverse" option. Robo considers this almost criminally negligent with the sort of ludicrous science they get up to at Tesladyne, and declares that the feature is to be strict company policy from then on. Lampshade, thou art hung. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_53dc3731 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_53dc3731 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Atomic Robo / Comicbook | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_53dc3731 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_54a7dc07 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_54a7dc07 | comment |
Space: 1999: in "Black Sun", the Bergman invents an innovative protective shield which reverses the 'pressure' of the Black Sun, instead of just negating it. How reversing differs from negating is not explained. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_54a7dc07 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_54a7dc07 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Space: 1999 | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_54a7dc07 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_56d5d9cc | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_56d5d9cc | comment |
Black Lightning (2009): A scientist suggests destroying the Nanocatalyst by looping the wires. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_56d5d9cc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_56d5d9cc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Black Lightning (2009) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_56d5d9cc | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5a3aebc1 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5a3aebc1 | comment |
Lucas in Dinosaur Island (2014) claims, amongst other Technobabble, that reversing the polarity of the magic crystal the heroes found is one of the things that will help them escape the island. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5a3aebc1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5a3aebc1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Dinosaur Island (2014) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_5a3aebc1 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5eb17c63 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5eb17c63 | comment |
IQ in the James Bond Jr. cartoon also reverses the polarity all the time. He once took control of the bad guy's helicopter with a simple remote control and some polarity reversal. One episode had James himself perform probably the most ludicrous variation ever: In the beginning of the episode, James berates IQ for not fixing his digital watch which for some reason has started counting backwards. Later, James is locked in a room with a doomsday device set to go off. What does he do? He uses some pieces of wire to connect the watch to the device's timer and lo and behold, the watch starts working normally and the timer starts counting backwards. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_5eb17c63 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_5eb17c63 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
James Bond Jr. | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_5eb17c63 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_607f6b7 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_607f6b7 | comment |
Reversing the polarity of energy sources was one of the many plot convenient things Penny's computer book could do on Inspector Gadget. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_607f6b7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_607f6b7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Inspector Gadget | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_607f6b7 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_614a1bf1 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_614a1bf1 | comment |
Early in Rhyme and Reason, in one of her trademark Techno Babble fits, Gadget talks about tracking burglars with sound using reverse-polarity speakers. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_614a1bf1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_614a1bf1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Rhyme and Reason / Fan Fic | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_614a1bf1 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_64a41059 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_64a41059 | comment |
In Superman II, Superman reverses the chamber that takes away Kryptonian powers. Instead of taking away the powers of the person inside the booth, it removes the powers from the three Kryptonians (Zod, Ursa and Non) standing around outside with Lois and Lex Luthor while he was safe inside. Lex Luthor even comments that "He switched it...". | |
Reverse Polarity / int_64a41059 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_64a41059 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Superman II | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_64a41059 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_699c1e80 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_699c1e80 | comment |
In the She-Hulk graphic novel, when it becomes obvious that the damage done to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier can't be repaired in time to prevent it from crashing, a scientist tries to cushion it by reversing polarity on the underside tractor beams, turning them into repulsor beams which push against the ground rather than pull from it. (Even so, it's not a very soft landing, but at least he prevents the core from rupturing.) | |
Reverse Polarity / int_699c1e80 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_699c1e80 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
She-Hulk (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_699c1e80 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_69fa7496 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_69fa7496 | comment |
Disney Ducks Comic Universe: A Carl Barks comic is the earliest recorded use of this as technobabble, dating all the way back to March 1961 (US #33) in "Billions in the Hole". | |
Reverse Polarity / int_69fa7496 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_69fa7496 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Disney Ducks Comic Universe (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_69fa7496 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6c3b0503 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6c3b0503 | comment |
It turns this is the way to reconnect Clockwerk's body in Sly 2: Band of Thieves. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6c3b0503 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6c3b0503 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Sly 2: Band Of Thieves (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_6c3b0503 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6d564c8 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6d564c8 | comment |
In Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich, Sky King gets his jetpack to work and saves the day after Bullet tells him to reverse the polarity on his neutrino pack (in other words the battery is in backwards). Bullet is from the future and knew this from reading the Sky King comic books written after Sky King got his jetpack to work, but causality sucks anyway. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6d564c8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6d564c8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Freedom Force (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_6d564c8 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6f734712 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6f734712 | comment |
In Smallville, a villain with magnetic powers pushes a car at Clark Kent. Clark catches the car, then uses a live wire to electrify it. Somehow, this causes the villain's "repel" to change to "attract", and he's pulled into the car and defeated. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6f734712 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_6f734712 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Smallville | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_6f734712 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_70814599 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_70814599 | comment |
Stargate SG-1: Lampshaded when Carter's analogue on the parallel show Wormhole X-treme! attempts to solve all problems by reversing the polarity. Carter did actually get her homemade naqadah reactor working by reversing the polarity of a trinium plate in "Learning Curve". "Reversing the polarity" sounded more professional than "aw shit I put it in backwards". And in "200", during a Star Trek parody, Mitchell as The Captain asks Carter to reverse the polarity in an overly dramatic manner. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_70814599 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_70814599 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Stargate SG-1 | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_70814599 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_73d7930f | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_73d7930f | comment |
In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Sword of Kahless", Worf suggests reversing the polarity to get past the force field protecting the title object. Dax says, "That helped a little". | |
Reverse Polarity / int_73d7930f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_73d7930f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_73d7930f | |
Reverse Polarity / int_74e18aae | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_74e18aae | comment |
Used to defeat energy-eating giant square stompy robot in Kronos (1957). | |
Reverse Polarity / int_74e18aae | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_74e18aae | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Kronos (1957) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_74e18aae | |
Reverse Polarity / int_799145cf | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_799145cf | comment |
Keychain of Creation has Misho point out the implausibility of this: "SOL DAMNIT THAT SHOULDN'T DO ANYTHING EVEN IF IT IS POSSIBLE!" | |
Reverse Polarity / int_799145cf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_799145cf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Keychain of Creation (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_799145cf | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a12fa31 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a12fa31 | comment |
After Peach was accidentally transformed into a baby in an episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Mario and Luigi got her back to her true age by reversing the flow of the Fountain of Youth. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a12fa31 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a12fa31 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a12fa31 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a8e5c7e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a8e5c7e | comment |
In The Transformers: The Movie, the heroes' ship is targeted by Decepticon missiles. Kup's solution is to reverse the polarity, like he did against the Shrikebats of Dromedan. Hot Rod is afraid it will tear the ship apart; instead, it repels the missiles. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a8e5c7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a8e5c7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Transformers: The Movie | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_7a8e5c7e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7c48915b | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7c48915b | comment |
Used in Gunnerkrigg Court, here. Annie is trying to fake a Relationship-Salvaging Disaster, and her lack of tech-savvy shows. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7c48915b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_7c48915b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Gunnerkrigg Court (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_7c48915b | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8125b468 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8125b468 | comment |
Batman: In "How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?", to stop the Joker's Solar Mirror from melting Gotham City, Batman must reverse the polarity of the Master Electrodes powering it by hitting them simultaneously with Batarangs. Seriously. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8125b468 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8125b468 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Batman (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_8125b468 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_81692f99 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_81692f99 | comment |
According to the Star Trek d6 RPG sourcebooks, reversing the polarity in different ways on the main deflector array can create a low power phaser, force someone out of warp, and allow you to basically do ANYTHING you could think of. The Main Deflector Array; Swiss-Army Weapon of the Federation. In fact players are encouraged to come up with Techno Babble explanations for whatever it is they are trying to do. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_81692f99 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_81692f99 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_81692f99 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_84bb0f7e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_84bb0f7e | comment |
Batman: The Movie: "If I could just... reverse the polarity... send out waves... of super-energy!" Highly effective on torpedoes until... "Confound it! The battery is dead!" | |
Reverse Polarity / int_84bb0f7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_84bb0f7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Batman: The Movie | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_84bb0f7e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_85a5a3b9 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_85a5a3b9 | comment |
Transformers: Prime uses this as the Autobots' method of blowing up Megatron's space bridge. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_85a5a3b9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_85a5a3b9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Transformers: Prime | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_85a5a3b9 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_86814e56 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_86814e56 | comment |
Referenced in Final Fantasy VI. One of the final bosses uses an attack named 'R. Polarity' to reverse the characters. Characters in the front rank of the party are switched to the back, and vice-versa. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_86814e56 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_86814e56 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Final Fantasy VI (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_86814e56 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8d8157e0 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8d8157e0 | comment |
Reversing the polarity of the Lexx's main drive causes an EMP of sufficient power to fry any circuits on or near the ship. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8d8157e0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8d8157e0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Lexx | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_8d8157e0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8df5521b | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8df5521b | comment |
Superman In War World, Superman destroys the eponymous weapon-satellite by reprogramming its computers and redirecting its defense-systems in on itself. In Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, Lena stops a core reactor from reaching critical mass and exploding by reversing the polarity: The Death of Luthor: Supergirl finds an alien world whose atmosphere has been crystallized by the beams of a hostile spaceship. After trashing the robots who were manning the ship, Kara restores the atmosphere to normal by studying their equipment and flipping a switch which causes the crystallized air to dissolve. The Earthwar Saga: Since Chameleon Boy has been frozen into his real form by one space pirate's ray gun, Superboy grabs the weapon, reverses the controls and shoots his teammate, successfully breaking his shapeshifter mode lock. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_8df5521b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8df5521b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Superman (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_8df5521b | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8e82c366 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8e82c366 | comment |
A particularly memorable from The Real Ghostbusters occurs when some ghosts get their hands on a proton pack — the standard Ghostbuster weapon — and try exacting some revenge. With the Ghostbusters busy elsewhere, it falls to the Ghostbusters' secretary Janine to corral the ghosts. She does this by using tools at hand and no formal technical training whatsoever to reverse a second proton pack's polarity so it will neutralize the ghost's weapon. Then, with a small twist of a screwdriver, she re-reverses the polarity and uses the pack to capture the disarmed ghosts. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8e82c366 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8e82c366 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Real Ghostbusters | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_8e82c366 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8f866e5c | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8f866e5c | comment |
In episode 17 of the Sakura Wars (2000), Kohran puzzles over how to make Iris's kohbu properly handle her vast spirit energies, and comes up with an idea that, among other things, reverses the flow of her spirit energy through the regulator crystal. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8f866e5c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_8f866e5c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Sakura Wars (2000) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_8f866e5c | |
Reverse Polarity / int_90a3a7f4 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_90a3a7f4 | comment |
In the Kim Possible episode "Clean Slate", reversing the polarity on a memory-enhancement device causes it to erase Kim's memories. The device adapted to switch heroes and villains between good and evil is even called the "Reverse Polarizer". |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_90a3a7f4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_90a3a7f4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Kim Possible | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_90a3a7f4 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9464279d | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9464279d | comment |
In Out of Order (2003), you need to reverse the polarity of your music player by swapping two wires around. This makes the device play music backwards, uncovering some backmasked messages. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9464279d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9464279d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Out of Order (2003) (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_9464279d | |
Reverse Polarity / int_94a2558f | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_94a2558f | comment |
Spy Kids: In the first Spy Kids movie, the heroes force a Heel–Face Turn of the titular Spy Kids robots by reversing their alignment polarity. He does this by inverting the binary code. While it probably would stop the robots from attacking, they would be more likely to crash then turn good. Of course, you can Never Say "Die" in a kids film, so... In Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, Gerti disables the amusement park ride in the opening by reversing the polarity, justifying it by saying that the ride works using electromagnets. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_94a2558f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_94a2558f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Spy Kids | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_94a2558f | |
Reverse Polarity / int_976efc02 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_976efc02 | comment |
Similarly, the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 once attempted to shake an alien monster off the satellite with a polarity-reversal maneuver; theirs involved an actual car battery and jumper cables. Also, the alien liked it. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_976efc02 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_976efc02 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Mystery Science Theater 3000 | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_976efc02 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_97abe183 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_97abe183 | comment |
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: This is the solution to many a kink in Jimmy's machines, whether it makes sense or not. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_97abe183 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_97abe183 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_97abe183 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_987ae287 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_987ae287 | comment |
In Cars 2, Holley says this while trying to escape a death trap in the Big Bentley clock tower. On one hand, they at least keep it grounded in reality: once reversed, the only effect is the clock's motor and gear system running in reverse. On the other hand, she does it by shocking the motor with a Taser... | |
Reverse Polarity / int_987ae287 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_987ae287 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Cars 2 | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_987ae287 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_98a7c132 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_98a7c132 | comment |
Shows up in the second G.I. Joe miniseries. Apparently, "reversing the polarity" of a pair of antennae just involves making the tips touch. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_98a7c132 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_98a7c132 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
GIJoe | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_98a7c132 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7088bc | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7088bc | comment |
Star Trek: The Original Series In the episode "That Which Survives", Spock orders Scotty to reverse the polarity of a "magnetic probe"; Scotty responds with an incredulous "reverse polarity?!" In the episode "The Doomsday Machine", what finally gets the malfunctioning transporter to work is when Spock tells Scotty to "try inverse phasing", which is literally the exact same thing as reversing the polarity. Likewise, in the episode "Obsession", Spock did this by "cross-circuiting to B". Still the same thing. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7088bc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7088bc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek: The Original Series | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7088bc | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7a61a | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7a61a | comment |
In Sonic the Comic Tails states lines involving this a few times, which is unusual since he isn't a child genius in Fleetway's continuity. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7a61a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7a61a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Sonic the Comic (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_9a7a61a | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9be94553 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9be94553 | comment |
The Herculoids episode "Revenge of the Pirates". Zok does it with his laser Eye Beams to neutralize a force field. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9be94553 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9be94553 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Herculoids | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_9be94553 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9c33b8ab | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9c33b8ab | comment |
In Sliders Season 2, Episode 3: Gillian of the Spirts, Quinn (via a spirit medium, the titular Gillian) instructs Arturo how to fix the timer by reversing the polarity. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9c33b8ab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9c33b8ab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Sliders | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_9c33b8ab | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9e7f27c6 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9e7f27c6 | comment |
The Atom: In "The House of Doom'', the Atom reverses the polarity of a miniature nuclear battery to turn it into a Self-Destruct Mechanism. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9e7f27c6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_9e7f27c6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Atom (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_9e7f27c6 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a04c736b | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a04c736b | comment |
Kemren the "Purple Mage" in Thieves' World generated mana by means of waterwheels. It gave him a lot of extra power, but running those waterwheels backwards was enough to beat him. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a04c736b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a04c736b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Thieves' World | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_a04c736b | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a29544ab | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a29544ab | comment |
In Apollo 13, the crew reverses the polarity of the power link between the Command Module and the Lunar Module in order to get enough power to restart the Command Module systems for reentry. Unlike most examples, this was a real-life necessity, as the LM's power link was intended to power the LM from the Service Module until separation, and reversing the polarity allowed the command module to draw power from the LM. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a29544ab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a29544ab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Apollo 13 | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_a29544ab | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a4ff8e01 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a4ff8e01 | comment |
In Fate/Grand Order, characters with Madness Enhancement that are subjected to something that would give it to them again are instead more lucid than normal. This happens to: Caligula in Lostbelt 5.2. Artemis afflicts him with Lunacy, but since it was her influence as Diana that drove him insane to begin with, being subjected to it again restores his clarity. Brynhildr in Summer 5. A summer swimsuit form changing her class to Berserker stabilized her Yandere behavior toward Sigurd, and they're able to date mostly normally. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_a4ff8e01 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a4ff8e01 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Fate/Grand Order (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_a4ff8e01 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a698aa86 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a698aa86 | comment |
Ghostbusters: It happened in The Real Ghostbusters all the time, and probably plenty of other cartoons where people tinker with electronics. A particularly memorable from The Real Ghostbusters occurs when some ghosts get their hands on a proton pack — the standard Ghostbuster weapon — and try exacting some revenge. With the Ghostbusters busy elsewhere, it falls to the Ghostbusters' secretary Janine to corral the ghosts. She does this by using tools at hand and no formal technical training whatsoever to reverse a second proton pack's polarity so it will neutralize the ghost's weapon. Then, with a small twist of a screwdriver, she re-reverses the polarity and uses the pack to capture the disarmed ghosts. In another episode where the Ghostbusters are trapped in an old movie studio and about to be blasted with their own packs, Ray reverses the PKE Meter to send signals to ghosts. It causes ghosts of the studio's hero characters to appear and save the day. In an episode of Extreme Ghostbusters, the team was faced with a ghost that multiplied whenever the proton packs were used against it. They overcame this by converting them into electron packs. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_a698aa86 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a698aa86 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ghostbusters (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_a698aa86 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a825da3e | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a825da3e | comment |
Magic: The Gathering made a card for "Reverse Polarity"—any damage taken so far that turn from artifacts is retroactively added to your health total. Lampshaded, but most certainly not explained, in that the picture shows a mace acting as a Healing Shiv. Subsequently, they made "Reverse THE Polarity" for the Doctor Who Universes Beyond set, with a picture of - of course - Jon Pertwee. The Yu-Gi-Oh! card game has a similar card: Rainbow Life. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_a825da3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a825da3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Magic: The Gathering (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_a825da3e | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a895e9d3 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a895e9d3 | comment |
Excursion Funnels in Portal 2 can be configured to pull things towards them rather than push them away by reversing the arms. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a895e9d3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_a895e9d3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Portal 2 (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_a895e9d3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ac7adc37 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ac7adc37 | comment |
Forbidden Planet: Commander Adams orders a subordinate to "Stand by to reverse polarity" during the initial landing on Altair 4, apparently referring to flipping the engines from "push forward through space" to "push back against gravity". Until an earlier example is found, this 1956 film may be the first time the trope was used. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ac7adc37 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ac7adc37 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Forbidden Planet | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_ac7adc37 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b5a2b326 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b5a2b326 | comment |
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind makes a reference to this trope in a certain mage's notes: | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b5a2b326 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b5a2b326 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_b5a2b326 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b633b466 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b633b466 | comment |
Space Quest V: The Next Mutation has you "reverse the phase polarity of the interface grid" multiple times throughout the game. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b633b466 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_b633b466 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Space Quest V: The Next Mutation (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_b633b466 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_bb3fde3d | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_bb3fde3d | comment |
In Danny Phantom, Danny uses reverse polarity on the Fenton Thermos to close a ghost portal. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_bb3fde3d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_bb3fde3d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Danny Phantom | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_bb3fde3d | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c2e08381 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c2e08381 | comment |
Uchuu Senkan Yamato: This was how they got the drill-missile to unscrew itself out of the barrel of the Wave-Motion Gun. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c2e08381 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c2e08381 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
UchuuSenkanYamato | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_c2e08381 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c43df4d8 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c43df4d8 | comment |
Lampshaded in Doctor Who fan webcomic The 10 Doctors. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c43df4d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c43df4d8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Doctor Who | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_c43df4d8 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c68c0000 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c68c0000 | comment |
In issue 52 of Star Wars (Marvel 1977), the heroes barely escape from the Empire's superweapon of the week, an ersatz Death Star called The Tarkin. When it tries to fire on the Millennium Falcon, it suddenly explodes. Leia reveals that she switched at couple of wires to reverse the polarity modes of the cannon's fire controls. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c68c0000 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c68c0000 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Wars (Marvel 1977) (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_c68c0000 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c72c2d06 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c72c2d06 | comment |
Star Wars Rebels: In "Double Agent Droid", Chopper gets remote-hacked by an Imperial specialist. Hera pays him back by sending a massive burst of energy down the signal that he was using to control Chopper, blowing up his ship. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c72c2d06 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c72c2d06 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Wars Rebels | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_c72c2d06 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c75d67d | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c75d67d | comment |
Strangely enough used in Person of Interest, which normally takes the trouble to get its tech right. Apparently this is all you need to do to turn a speaker into a microphone. While any speaker can in fact be used as a crude microphone (Yamaha NS-10 speakers are often reversed into kick drum microphones in recording circles), all you have to do is plug them into a recording device. No "polarity reversing" is necessary, which is good, because speakers and microphones are alternating-current devices with no fixed polarity. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c75d67d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c75d67d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Person of Interest | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_c75d67d | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c7a52ee3 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c7a52ee3 | comment |
In an episode of Extreme Ghostbusters, the team was faced with a ghost that multiplied whenever the proton packs were used against it. They overcame this by converting them into electron packs. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c7a52ee3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c7a52ee3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Extreme Ghostbusters | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_c7a52ee3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c829f544 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c829f544 | comment |
One of the villains in the second Firebird Trilogy book is trying to find out how to forcibly reverse the polarity of a telepath's epsilon field. When a reversed-polarity epsilon carrier is superimposed on a normal carrier through mental access, it releases a massive surge of psychic energy, temporarily boosting both psychics to stunning levels of power. The titular Lady Firebird turn out to have a mutation that gives her a naturally reversed epsilon carrier. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c829f544 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_c829f544 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Firebird Trilogy | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_c829f544 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cb6abef3 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cb6abef3 | comment |
In The Avengers (2012), the phrase "reverse the polarity" is used by Tony Stark in a less unacceptable context — Stark is giving Captain America instructions to slow down a turbine engine/motor. As discussed above, reversing the polarity on a basic DC motor will reverse the direction of its rotation, which has the immediate effect of slowing its motion. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cb6abef3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cb6abef3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Avengers (2012) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_cb6abef3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cc7a2cf1 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cc7a2cf1 | comment |
One of the earliest television uses was in a 1965 episode of My Favorite Martian. Martin tries it as he repairs the transmitter that works with his antennae. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cc7a2cf1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cc7a2cf1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
My Favorite Martian | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_cc7a2cf1 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cda35b0d | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cda35b0d | comment |
Son of Flubber features a rain machine that does not work until they reverse the polarity. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cda35b0d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_cda35b0d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Son Of Flubber | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_cda35b0d | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d0c31ab | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d0c31ab | comment |
Star Trek: Generations: Data literally uses the phrase "reverse the polarity" when he opens a magnetic door by attenuating his axial servo. Of course, reversing the polarity on a magnetically controlled door would open it. Go figure. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d0c31ab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d0c31ab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek: Generations | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d0c31ab | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c3aa1 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c3aa1 | comment |
In Ghostbusters (1984), the Ghostbusters defeat Gozer by crossing the energy streams from their proton packs. This, we are informed, will "reverse the particle flow through the gate." Naturally it works. This is an echo of Egon's earlier warning that crossing the streams would cause "total protonic reversal", which presumably means protons flipping to a negative charge (perhaps indicating that they're creating antimatter). | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c3aa1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c3aa1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ghostbusters (1984) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c3aa1 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c8c60 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c8c60 | comment |
Ghostbusters (2016) has a similar case that is better explained — there is a portal releasing paranormal energy, so the Ghosbusters decide to do a "total protonic reversal" on that to make the breach work the opposite way, sucking the ghosts in like one of their traps. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c8c60 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c8c60 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ghostbusters (2016) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d14c8c60 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d2d6de50 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d2d6de50 | comment |
Ocean's Thirteen has Rusty dismissing Basher's technobabble by saying, "Becomes magnetized, reverse polarization, I know." | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d2d6de50 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d2d6de50 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Ocean's Eleven | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d2d6de50 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d56cafaf | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d56cafaf | comment |
Power Rangers RPM: "Ranger Blue" — Flynn can't morph due to a bug in his morpher that has led to an energy buildup. While Dr. K is unable to work out a solution, Flynn realizes that he can discharge the energy by simply morphing with his activator chip in backwards. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d56cafaf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d56cafaf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Power Rangers RPM | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d56cafaf | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5b9ab68 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5b9ab68 | comment |
In Time Chasers, the time machine normally goes forward in time; reversing the polarity causes it to go backward in time. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5b9ab68 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5b9ab68 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Time Chasers | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5b9ab68 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5ddd6c1 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5ddd6c1 | comment |
This once happens in Pokémon: The Series's English dub when Team Rocket tries to get hold of two Luvdisc, and then reverse the polarity to get rid of all of the love in the world. This being Team Rocket, it's pretty much an Affectionate Parody of the trope. The original version just has them wanting the Luvdisc captured for an ongoing Team Rocket project. In Pokémon: Jirachi: Wish Maker, Butler makes a machine that is supposed to create a live Groudon from its fossilized remains. When the machine creates an enormous evil monster instead, he is able to make the machine destroy Groudon by simply reversing the direction of the fossil and the levers. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_d5ddd6c1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5ddd6c1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Pokémon: The Series | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d5ddd6c1 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d880e828 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d880e828 | comment |
Dota 2 has a literal Reverse Polarity spell, which sucks opponents in and stuns them. This spell is used by a nonmagical rhino warrior from a tribal society. How or why Magnus can "alter the properties of matter" is not explained, although it's implied that his horn has something to do with it. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d880e828 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d880e828 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Defense of the Ancients (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d880e828 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d88c6466 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d88c6466 | comment |
Subverted in one of the fiction-chapters of The Science of Discworld. After the Roundworld is transformed into a snowball (Ice Age), the Dean proposes (after four glasses of sherry) to "get Hex to reverse the thaumic flow in the cthonic matrix of the optimized bi-direction octagonate" to fix it. The Archchancellor replies that he would prefer a non-gibberish opinion. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d88c6466 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d88c6466 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Science of Discworld | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d88c6466 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d9c602eb | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d9c602eb | comment |
South Park spoofs this (spoilered for squick, not actual plot spoilers): Cartman tries to "make Butters gay" by putting Butters' dick in Cartman's own mouth and taking a picture while he sleeps. Kyle and Stan tell Cartman that it makes him gay, and that he has to put his dick in Butters' mouth to reverse the gay polarity. Hilarity Ensues as while he doesn't succeed (and eventually realizes the others were messing with him), it does get Butters sent to a gay cure camp. Also used in the episode "Cancelled", when Jeff Goldblume tries to reverse the polarity of the satellite in Cartman's asshole to figure out where the video is being sent. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_d9c602eb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_d9c602eb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
South Park | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_d9c602eb | |
Reverse Polarity / int_df7f5776 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_df7f5776 | comment |
Self-inflicted in Casino Royale (1967) when a henchman with a crude battery-powered pacemaker is unplugged by Joanna Pettet's character. He frantically reconnects himself and gets the leads wrong, running backward at high speed. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_df7f5776 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_df7f5776 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Casino Royale (1967) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_df7f5776 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e1e213b4 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e1e213b4 | comment |
In The New Adventures of Superman, reversing the polarity of an electric charge transferred the powers of the episode's villain (and some other guy) back to Superman... After they got them from him through an electric shock. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e1e213b4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e1e213b4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The New Adventures of Superman | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_e1e213b4 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2083a6 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2083a6 | comment |
In War World, Superman destroys the eponymous weapon-satellite by reprogramming its computers and redirecting its defense-systems in on itself. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2083a6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2083a6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
War World (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2083a6 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2f18fa | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2f18fa | comment |
Brian May's custom-made guitar, Red Special, was made with Burns Tri-Sonic pickups that May had re-wound with reverse polarity. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2f18fa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2f18fa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Brian May (Music) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_e2f18fa | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e3eeaed8 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e3eeaed8 | comment |
In one episode of Silversun, channeling the Star Runner's neutrino scanners allows Zandie to shoot down an entire pulsar to save Pancha's life. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e3eeaed8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e3eeaed8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Silversun | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_e3eeaed8 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e6267766 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e6267766 | comment |
Star Wars Legends: In the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan uses the Force to "temporarily reverse the polarity of the electrodrivers in [Grievous'] mechanical hands," forcing them to open and drop his and Anakin's lightsabers. He later uses the same trick on Anakin's artificial hand. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e6267766 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e6267766 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Wars Legends (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_e6267766 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e765361d | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e765361d | comment |
Yaeger has to do this to the Gravity Engine in The Mercury Men to put the moon back in its proper orbit. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e765361d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_e765361d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Mercury Men (Web Video) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_e765361d | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eeac804a | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eeac804a | comment |
In Emergency!, there is a factory worker with his arm caught in a feeding hopper of a machine and Dr. Brackett is rushing over to have it amputated to save his life. However while he is en route, the paramedics come up with a better idea: they work with the factory's engineers and rewire the machine to make the hopper work in reverse to free the worker instead. Just as Dr. Brackett arrives, the modification is finished and they are able to free him instantly. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eeac804a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eeac804a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Emergency! | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_eeac804a | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ef076a36 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ef076a36 | comment |
Star Trek: Voyager: In the episode "Drone", Janeway and Seven of Nine thought they could fry a Borg tractor beam by reversing the polarity of Voyager's phaser banks; it looked on-screen like it was about to work, and instead their own phaser array was knocked out. In a variation of this trope, Voyager worked around a cloud of warp field-dampening neutron radiation by simply "inversing" the warp field. ("Fair Haven") Memory Alpha records at least five instances in which this order was given on the show. In three instances, it was helpful; in two, it was not. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_ef076a36 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ef076a36 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek: Voyager | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_ef076a36 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eff51eac | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eff51eac | comment |
In Transformers Victory, Braver invents a device that can detect Decepticon brainwaves. During the inevitable battle, he is able to drive them off by actually reversing the polarity. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eff51eac | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_eff51eac | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Transformers Victory | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_eff51eac | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f01bf6e2 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f01bf6e2 | comment |
Early on in Lux, Jax figures out how to reverse the polarity of the "motivator" fabrials that mimic the powers of Epics. Reversing the polarity always causes a motivator to produce an effect that is in some way the opposite of that motivator's normal effect, but what the "opposite" of any given effect turns out to be can vary from the obvious (inverting a motivator that attracts water causes it to repel water, inverting a motivator that grants Super-Speed causes it to slow time around the user) to borderline Moon Logic (inverting a motivator that lets you see an object's entire volume instead of just its surface creates a motivator that converts three-dimensional objects to two-dimensional drawings). | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f01bf6e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f01bf6e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Lux | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_f01bf6e2 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f0841a69 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f0841a69 | comment |
Reversed polarity is apparently how the anomaly-locking device on Primeval works. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f0841a69 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f0841a69 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Primeval | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_f0841a69 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f367511c | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f367511c | comment |
The Yu-Gi-Oh! card game has a similar card: Rainbow Life. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f367511c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f367511c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Yu-Gi-Oh! (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_f367511c | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f3c3ca42 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f3c3ca42 | comment |
In The Tick Vs Reno, Nevada, Arthur is asked to reverse the polarity on a fish magnet. He finds two cables, blue and red, and a box with two similar a big label saying "Observe Correct Polarity. Use AC current", and two colored sockets. Arthur puts the cables in the wrong sockets, which seems to work, despite the obvious AC current issue. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f3c3ca42 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f3c3ca42 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Tick | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_f3c3ca42 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f42befdb | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f42befdb | comment |
In Captain Underpants, when Melvin has accidentally fused himself with a robot and his own snot, George suggests putting the batteries of the Combine-o-tron in backwards. Melvin scoffs at his suggestion and decides to spend six months building a Separatron, but Melvin's parents try switching the batteries at the end of the book and it works (though Melvin and Mr. Krupp suffer a "Freaky Friday" Flip). | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f42befdb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f42befdb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Captain Underpants | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_f42befdb | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f5dc7ca | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f5dc7ca | comment |
One of the many reasons why Fantastic Four (2005) was criticized was its wham-tastic use of this trope. Reed is constantly spouting technobabble, and quite literally, his plan to return the Four to normal is to reverse the polarity of the cosmic rays that gave them their powers. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f5dc7ca | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f5dc7ca | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Fantastic Four (2005) | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_f5dc7ca | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f7558a18 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f7558a18 | comment |
An episode of the Men in Black: The Series had a super-power giving device. How do you undo its effects? To paraphrase: | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f7558a18 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_f7558a18 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Men in Black: The Series | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_f7558a18 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fc0e7530 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fc0e7530 | comment |
In Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip, all that takes to turn Mandark's stupid dystopia into Dexter's brilliant utopia is to reverse the polarity of the Neurotomic Protocore from negative to positive, with a button. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fc0e7530 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fc0e7530 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Dexter's Laboratory | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_fc0e7530 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fdfd6055 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fdfd6055 | comment |
Brynhildr in Summer 5. A summer swimsuit form changing her class to Berserker stabilized her Yandere behavior toward Sigurd, and they're able to date mostly normally. | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fdfd6055 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_fdfd6055 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Yandere | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_fdfd6055 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ff9ab17f | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ff9ab17f | comment |
Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode "The Naked Now". Near the end of the episode the Enterprise crew needs an extra minute so they can repair their engines in order to escape an incoming object. Wesley Crusher reverses the power leads on the ship's Tractor Beam to turn it into a repulsor beam to push off another ship and give them the time they need. In the episode "Time Squared", Lt. LaForge and Lt. Cmdr Data must literally reverse the polarity of a shuttlepod's power supply in order to activate its internal systems. Even adjusting the flow of power must be done in reverse from what they're used to. Of course, this is due to the shuttle being from six hours into their future. As they approach the moment when the shuttle was thrown back in time, the shuttle (and the 'Future' Picard) begin to respond normally. |
|
Reverse Polarity / int_ff9ab17f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ff9ab17f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Star Trek: The Next Generation | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_ff9ab17f | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ffa85c82 | type |
Reverse Polarity | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ffa85c82 | comment |
In the first Spy Kids movie, the heroes force a Heel–Face Turn of the titular Spy Kids robots by reversing their alignment polarity. He does this by inverting the binary code. While it probably would stop the robots from attacking, they would be more likely to crash then turn good. Of course, you can Never Say "Die" in a kids film, so... | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ffa85c82 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
Reverse Polarity / int_ffa85c82 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
Spy Kids | hasFeature |
Reverse Polarity / int_ffa85c82 |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.