History Main / AFormYouAreComfortableWith

* It's predictable that demons in ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' are actually monstrous, but it's revealed at the same time that even [[MagicalGirlfriend Belldandy]] isn't as human as she normally appears. [[IfItsYouItsOkay Keiichi decides he doesn't care.]]
** To be fair, he's only seen one demon's true form, which causes him to [[GoMadFromTheRevelation nearly lose his mind seeing it]], and it did make him consider what Belldandy actually looked like. It also appears that gods and demons don't have too much control over how they look, considering that Skuld is stuck looking like a kid, much to her chagrin. Apparently the forms that gods and demons appear in to humans are a 3-dimensional translation of their true 10-dimensional bodies.

* Shinigami in ''Manga/SoulEater'' is in appearance a Lighter and Softer version of your classic {{Grim Reaper}}-type being. He states at one point he took on this look (and associated {{Cloudcuckoolander}} persona) in order to recruit children to his school, as his true form kept scaring them away. Thus he [[InvokedTrope invoked]] DontFearTheReaper. When he loses said persona, it is an indication that he's either truly [[LetsGetDangerous angry]] or simply tired of his staff mucking around.

* Backfires on ''Anime/SpacePirateMito'', a small childlike alien who uses a high tech [[MobileSuitHuman "Mail Suit"]] to look like an adult human woman. She tries to re-use the suit after accidentally revealing her true form to her half-human son Aoi hoping it will convince him to call her "Mom" again, but now that he knows the truth Aoi finds the suit even more disturbing than her true form.

* ''ComicBook/ConanTheBarbarian'': In ''Conan the Slayer'', a hideous-looking sea witch desires to breed with Conan, so she uses a glamour spell to look like a beautiful nymph in order to seduce him. It doesn't work because he already knew what she looked like beforehand.

* ''ComicBook/{{Fantomas}}'': In one issue, the thief/hero tries to steal a unique duck-billed dog. It turned out to be an alien sent to Earth to study humanity, who ''tried'' to take the form of a dog to go unnoticed, but something went wrong with the process. At the end of the story it changes into an eagle instead, this time more successfully.

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsGalactus Galactus]] and other Creator/MarvelComics "higher plane of existence" beings look humanoid to us, but that's just our filter. Most of them "wear" temporary bodies when visiting the material universe, made to order for them by a being called Antropomorpho. Despite this trope, they're almost always shown in the same individual forms.
** Galactus, however, doesn't have such a temporary body. Instead, his own form looks different to different viewers; for instance, a Skrull sees him as Skrull-like. (Galactus's original form as a mortal being in the universe preceding our own, however, was indeed humanoid.) One issue featured a scene where humans and dozens of aliens gazed upon him at once, the frame was filled with smaller images representing what each of them saw him as. Galactus's range isn't limited to the humanoid; [[ComicBook/TheUnbeatableSquirrelGirl Squirrel Girl]]'s squirrel companion Tippy-Toe confirmed that Galactus looks like "a regular guy" -- by her standards, that is; he's momentarily drawn as a five-hundred-foot-long squirrel.

--> '''John:''' Aisha can't see the horns?\\

'''Lucifer:''' Because I know you like them. ''[Brandishes his forked-tongue mockingly]''

-->'''Thanos:''' Do you really have to take that shape?
-->'''Death:''' Lesson learned, Thanos of Titan. I am Death. I am not of comfort.
* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': When, after being exposed to the Terrigen Mist, Kamala Khan receives a vision of someone or something calling themselves "faith". The form they appear in? Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Captain America. This surely tells us something about the [[{{fangirl}} girl]].
** Immediately afterwards, as her shapeshifting abilities manifest, she subconsciously turns ''herself'' into a clone of Carol Danvers in her old Ms. Marvel costume. This reflects Kamala's own insecurity and her wish-fulfillment, but she quickly finds that she feels incredibly uncomfortable, and soon learns to fight crime as herself.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'':

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': In one comic, a Mola-Mola mind-melds (well, heart-melds) with Spongebob and takes the form of a Krabby Patty.
-->'''Krabby Patty!Mola-Mola:''' Don't eat me.\\
'''Spongebob:''' You ate me first!

* In ''Fanfic/TheMythOfLinkAndZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', a fanmade novelization of the titular game, the Sheikah are established to learn combat from their ancestors, who adopt the form of Sheik, through the use of a SpiritWorld. The spirits are not incomprehensible for human minds, but adopting the form of Sheik gives the Sheikah a face and a voice from whom to learn, and the spirits of the Sheikah are aware that this is more effective.

* Deconstructed in ''Series/Supergirl2015''/''Series/TheFlash2014'' crossover ''Fanfic/CallMeKara''. Jeremiah lets J'onn know that's he's alright with J'onn taking on the appearance of Hank Henshaw despite the fact that Jeremiah only knew the man as a villain, as he knows that his shape-shifting Martian friend finds it more comfortable.
* In the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' story ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8688354/1/Crucible Crucible]]'', a star, if not reincarnating as a living being, will usually appear in the form of a loved one of whoever was looking at them.
** The bare-faced Turian called The Trickster, meanwhile, appeared just like that but had hinted that he had many other forms. One of them was a Batarian deity with 8 arms and blue tatoos when he came to get the soul of a dying Batarian girl. Another form of his was Jane's [[spoiler:father, Sam Shepard]]. He took that form again to take away her soul and ease her pain at the beginning of the second game.

[[folder:Film -- Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie2TheSecondPart'': Parodied. When introducing herself to her captives, Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi shows her ability to take any form by turning from a horse to a {{Starfish Alien|s}}. ComicBook/{{Batman}} is disgusted and asks for her to change back to the former.

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'', the Specialists talk to the ressurected David in the form of the Blue Fairy from ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'', whom David was searching for earlier in the film.

* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': Gozer first takes the aspect of an androgynous human, then an aspect of the Ghostbusters' choosing.

* ''Film/Lifeforce1985'': The space vampires took human form by probing the minds of the astronauts for suitable shapes. The human explorers, who presumed they were dealing with HumanAliens, decided to take them to Earth for further study. Their ''real'' forms are those hibernating bat-like creatures found inside the alien spacecraft, which are only shown in their full glory when the female vampire visits Carlson in his dreams, and when [[spoiler:the second male vampire is killed at the end.]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':

** In ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'', the Supreme Intelligence's avatar looks different to everyone who interfaces with it, taking the appearance of someone close to them -- to Vers, it takes the form of an older woman with green eyes, but she seems to not recognize her. [[spoiler:It's later revealed that this is based off of Dr. Wendy Lawson, AKA Mar-Vell, whom Vers was close with before becoming a Kree.]]

* ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'': [=SkyNet=] takes the form of Dr. Serena when she debriefs Marcus in his role as her UnwittingPawn. To add extra creepiness to the "kindness", she offers to switch her appearance into that of John Connor or Kyle Reese as she is having both killed mere floors below. Needless to say, this was not a successful persuasive tool. Oh, and her [[RedEyesTakeWarning eyes turned red]] like a Terminator's do.
* ''Film/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'': Played by laughs. Liliandil is a star that transforms into a beautiful woman.

'''Edmund & Caspian:''' ''(hastily)'' No!

* ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'': Victor Stone/Cyborg uses his former self wearing his GCU jacket as avatar whenever he ventures in the digital world.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E8LetsKillHitler "Let's Kill Hitler"]]: The TARDIS does this when communicating to the Doctor how much time he has left to live. It's even PlayedForLaughs, when the first form the TARDIS uses is the Doctor himself, he says, "Oh no, no, no, no, no. Give me someone I like." The interface turns into Rose, Martha and Donna, but this just makes the Doctor feel guilty. It settles on Amelia Pond -- as in, Amy as a child before her various Doctor-related traumas.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor "The Name of the Doctor"]]: The Doctor admits that having travelled in time more than any other Time Lord in history, long-term exposure to the background radiation of the Time Vortex has rendered his "true form" as a NegativeSpaceWedgie woven within the fabric of the universe. This is revealed to be the "corpse" held within his tomb, rather than the actual physical body of his final incarnation.

** In the 50th anniversary special [[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor "The Day of the Doctor"]], the sentient superweapon known as the Moment appears as the Bad Wolf version of Rose Tyler, since it knows she is someone the Doctor trusted. Except he hasn't met her yet.

** Done by the TARDIS as a TakeThat against Clara in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E9Hide "Hide"]], where the holographic interface specifies it took the form Clara has in the highest esteem, which is Clara herself.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E7ThePyramidAtTheEndOfTheWorld "The Pyramid at the End of the World"]]: The Monks, RealityWarper aliens who look like tall, cadaverous forms in tattered red robes, claim they chose that form for the benefit of humanity. When an American military officer points out that they look like corpses, they respond that they see humans as corpses due to [[WeAreAsMayflies their short lifespans]].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E9ItTakesYouAway "It Takes You Away"]]: When speaking to the Doctor alone, [[spoiler:the Solitract]] takes the form of a talking frog, telling her that it finds the form delightful as it once delighted [[spoiler:Grace]].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E1E2Spyfall "Spyfall"]]: The Kasaavin, mysterious extradimensional aliens, take glowing humanoid forms. [[InvertedTrope However]], they claim that the forms are to ''mock'' humanity instead.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS39E6FluxChapterSixTheVanquishers "The Vanquishers"]], the personification of Time takes the form of Swarm when speaking to him. The Doctor mocks the blatant ego-appeal, [[HypocriticalHumor only to change her mind when Time takes her form.]]
** In [[Recap/DoctorWho2022CENThePowerOfTheDoctor "The Power of the Doctor"]]

-->'''Investigator''': ''(points to himself)'' Calculus. ''(points to Holden)'' Amoeba.

--->'''Crichton:''' I don't...[[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm understand any of this]].
--->Cut to '''Ex-Girlfriend:''' There's nothing to understand. It's not a science, John.
--->Cut to '''Schoolteacher:''' It's an art.
--->'''John:''' [[AnalogyBackfire You failed me in Art.]] Not to mention [=3rd=] grade English ''and I still do not understand the proper use of a COMMA!''

** Both the Ancients and the Ori use this trope. The series even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it stating that the Ancients used to be human-like beings anyway, so taking our form is as natural to them as breathing. If they still breathed, that is. Similarly to the [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Q Continuum]] example below. During his time in the plane of the Ancients, Daniel precieved it as "A Form You Are Comfortable With" -- specifically, a homely American diner that Daniel had gone to as a kid. Interestingly, [[spoiler:Anubis]] appears as an overweight guy, which is definitely meant to trick Daniel, as [[spoiler:Goa'uld always take beautiful hosts]] (his true form would be [[spoiler:a small snake]]).

** Every time a member of the Q Continuum visits the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration USS Enterprise]]'', [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine the Deep Space 9 station]], or the ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager USS Voyager]]'', this trope occurred. Often, the Q in question would make some sort of snarky remark about having to wear a meatbag suit while doing it. Q joked in one appearance that he should have chosen a female body to deal with Picard after seeing how easily his current love interest manipulated him. Though Q doesn't quite get it right on his first appearance.
--->'''Q:''' ''(appearing in guise of an Elizabethan sea captain)'' I present myself to thee as a fellow ship captain, [[AntiquatedLinguistics that thou mayst better understand me]].

*** Inverted in-universe during the brief period [[TheExile Odo]] was a solid. When the Great Link locks Odo into his familiar humanoid form as a punishment, it's stated that they ''could'' have made him look more realistically human--or, more likely, Bajoran--they simply ''didn't''. Odo speculates that this was probably meant to emphasize to the solids how ''[[AllOfTheOtherReindeer different]]'' Odo is.

---->''"Well! Since no one seems to care for any corn, we'll have to proceed ''ahead of schedule.''"''

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime2021'': In episode 8 Ba'alzamon, the BigBad, appears in a dream looking like he did in earlier episodes -- with burning eyes and mouth and covered by gray shriveled skin -- and gets an arrow in the eye. Then he pushes the arrow and the skin into the wounded eye and changes into what Elan Morin Tedronai looked like 3000 years earlier.
-->There, that's better. Hard to have a real conversation otherwise.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}''

'''Flemeth:''' (''laughs'') Perhaps I ''am'' a dragon?

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E13FamilyReunionAndFarewell "Family Reunion]] [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E14FamilyReunionAndFarewellPartII -- and Farewell"]], [[spoiler:Emperor Palpatine's]] hologram appears as his younger, unscarred self from before [[spoiler:his battle with Mace in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'']], and his personality matches. It's implied here and in ''Literature/{{Thrawn}}'' that this is the hologram he uses for official appearances, but when people don't cooperate, the hologram switches to his true form and he drops the friendly act.

** [[Recap/TheVentureBrosS2E5TwentyYearsToMidnight "Twenty Years to Midnight"]]: {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d and {{Subverted|Trope}}. Dr. Jonas Venture Sr. appears through a portal, saves the day, then turns to leave. All bystanders are understandably surprised, as the man is apparently BackFromTheDead after decades. Dr. Thaddeus Venture begs his father to stay: he has so many unanswered questions, not to mention so many lingering DaddyIssues. The visitor sheepishly admits he's not Thaddeus' returned father, but an alien tasked with saving the Earth, and he merely took the form of the elder Dr. Venture because it would be familiar. As the alien explains he didn't want to upset anyone, Dr. Venture (now very upset) makes it clear that this is A Form He Is ''Not'' Comfortable With.

'''Dr. Venture:''' Why... you... SON OF A BITCH! Do you know what you just put me through?! What the fuck were you thinking?! What kind of fucked up planet are you from that you think showing up as my ''dead [[ClusterFBomb fucking]] father'' is supposed to make me feel any better?!\\
'''Alien:''' Okay, take it easy-\\

** The alien is so indignant at Dr. Venture's ingratitude that irritably reveals its true form just to prove a point. The audience [[DiscretionShot doesn't see]] what the alien looks like, but the [[ReactionShot other characters do]]. Sure enough, they are utterly horrified.

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'': [[spoiler:Miss Martian is a White Martian. Since White Martians are pretty hideous by human standards she uses her shapeshifting powers to look like an attractive young green-skinned humanoid. She based her humanoid form along with her ''entire personality'' on broadcasts of an old television show, ''Hello Megan!'', since she hated her lonely life on Mars. As far as she is concerned, her "disguise" ''is'' her true self, so this is actually more a case of a form ''she'' is comfortable with.]] While the Team is momentarily creeped out by her NightmareFuel true form, they get over it quickly.
-->'''Kaldur'ahm''': Did you really think we would be so shallow?

* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': {{God}} Him/Her/It/none-of-the-above-self appears to the Fantastic Four as Creator/JackKirby. Or ''is'' Jack Kirby. It's not clear.

* ''Literature/TheUnexploredSummonBloodSign'' has a slightly predatory variant. The [[EldritchAbomination White Queen]] is not mortal, but she shapeshifts to match the age of her LoveInterest, regardless of how many years it's been since they last met. The form(s) she takes when she's afraid or angry are much less human.

'''Alien:''' There! ''[sarcastically]'' THAT would have been better? If I showed up like THAT out of nowhere?! Look at you! You practically [[BrownNote crapped your pants!]] Except for him -- [[BringMyBrownPants he crapped his pants]]!\\

** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d and {{subverted|Trope}}. Dr. Jonas Venture Sr. appears through a portal, saves the day, then turns to leave. All bystanders are understandably surprised, as the man is apparently BackFromTheDead after decades. Dr. Thaddeus Venture begs his father to stay: he has so many unanswered questions, not to mention so many lingering DaddyIssues. The visitor sheepishly admits he's not Thaddeus' returned father, but an alien tasked with saving the Earth, and he merely took the form of the elder Dr. Venture because it would be familiar. As the alien explains he didn't want to upset anyone, Dr. Venture (now very upset) makes it clear that this is A Form He Is ''Not'' Comfortable With.

** The alien is so irritated by Dr. Venture's ingratitude that he testily agrees to reveal his true form just to prove a point. The audience [[DiscretionShot doesn't see]] what the alien looks like, but the other characters do. Sure enough, they are utterly horrified.

'''Alien:''' There! ''[sarcastically]'' THAT would have been better? If I showed up like THAT out of nowhere?! Look at you! You practically [[BrownNote crapped your pants!]] Except for him -- [[BowelBreakingBricks he crapped his pants]]!\\
'''Ned:''' ''[sadly]'' Boom-boom.

* For most of ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheSpiralCity'', the Sower (the comic's equivalent to {{God}} - yes, He somehow exists in Doraemon's world) appears as a rampaging monster who can shape-shift into [[BigCreepyCrawlies a giant stag beetle]] and [[TheGreatSerpent a humungous serpent]]; in the Sower's final appearance, he's revealed to be benevolent by rescuing Nobita from a pit, and then transforming himself into a boy around Nobita's age to converse with the latter.

* ''Series/Lucifer2016'': Lucifer's true form is close to the prototypical BigRedDevil, with exposed red flesh and glowing red eyes. However, his "human" appearance is a handsome dark-haired man. Of course, that was his ''original'' form, but when he was banished to Hell his self-loathing grew to the point that he began to see himself as a monster hiding under a veneer of civility. Due to the [[PsychoactivePowers way angels work]], that became true.

* ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsMovieIIANewGeneration'': The BigBad Dark Heart spends most of the movie in the form of a human boy other than his red cloud form. Said form is [[BecomingARealBoy what he permanently ends up taking on]] once he undergoes a HeelFaceTurn in the end.

* ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsMovieIIANewGeneration'': The BigBad Dark Heart spends most of the movie in the form of a human boy other than his red cloud form. Said form is what he permanently ends up taking on once he undergoes a HeelFaceTurn in the end.

* In ''ComicBook/AdamLegendOfTheBlueMarvel'', the Watcher turns into a black man in order to talk to the title character. Humorously, the Watcher only did so because [[SarcasmBlind he misinterpreted Blue Marvel's joke]] about finding a white man on the moon.
* In ''[[ComicBook/ConanTheBarbarian Conan the Slayer]]'', a hideous-looking sea witch desires to breed with Conan, so she uses a glamour spell to look like a beautiful nymph in order to seduce him. It doesn't work because he already knew what she looked like beforehand.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Earth X}}'', it is revealed (as part of a broader MetaOrigin for all the superpowered races in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse) that the Asgardians from ''[[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]]'' are simply {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s who used [[{{ShapeShifting}} shapeshifting]] abilities to make themselves ''look'' like Norse deities.
* In ''ComicBook/EightBillionGenies'', the genies appear as tiny floating toddlers with etherial, wispy bodies. In reality, they resemble [[spoiler:glowing trees/coral with hundreds of branches, each end tipped with a prismatic ball]].
* In the Creator/NeilGaiman iteration of ''ComicBook/TheEternals'', the Dreaming Celestial takes on Sersi's form to communicate with Makkari. After he complains that it's kind of creepy having the Celestial's voice come out of her mouth, the Celestial puts its face on her body, which Makkari finds even creepier.
* {{God}} Him/Her/It/none-of-the-above-self appears to the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' as Creator/JackKirby. Or ''is'' Jack Kirby. It's not clear.
* In one issue of ''ComicBook/{{Fantomas}}'', the thief/hero tries to steal a unique duck-billed dog. It turned out to be an alien sent to Earth to study humanity, who ''tried'' to take the form of a dog to go unnoticed, but something went wrong with the process. At the end of the story it changes into an eagle instead, this time more successfully.
* A [[SuccubiAndIncubi cubi's]] true form in ''ComicBook/FinePrint'' can get rather [[{{Cthulhumanoid}} Lovecraftian]] and have adverse effects on humans who see them, so they cover it in layers of {{Glamour}} to interact with people properly. When a person sees past their glamour and sees cupids or cubi under their human disguises, this usually means that they are ideal candidates for making deals. When Merryl accidentally shows her divinity to Lauren, she becomes genuinely worried that she would bleed from her eyes (which eventually does happen) and spontaneously combust, questioning if she is a demigod when it doesn't happen right away.

* ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}''; John's original dealing with his long-term enemy Nergal dealt with this. His summoning demanded Nergal appear in a form pleasing to the human senses. So Nergal took over the body of a little girl. Then it got worse.
* In ''ComicBook/HellblazerRiseAndFall'', it's implied that John sees Lucifer as a FlamingDevil because that's how he pictures him, [[AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder everyone else confusing him for a normal human.]]

* The ''ComicBook/MartianManhunter'', [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifter]] extraordinaire, avoids using his "true" Martian appearance to avoid frightening people. Miss Martian, similarly, goes for a [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe cute, green-skinned humanoid form]] because her original form makes J'onn's Martian appearance look like a cute cuddly teddy bear in comparison.

* When [[{{God}} the Source]] appears to ''ComicBook/ThePhantomStranger'' in the New 52, it's in the form of ... a terrier. Apparently said entity has a strange sense of humor.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Powers}}'', the aliens who direct the Millennium Corps appear to Walker in human forms, most commonly those of Zora and Retro Girl. A subversion in that Walker has made it clear that he is ''not'' comfortable with them taking on the shapes of his dead friends and lovers.
* Variation: In ''ComicBook/PropositionPlayer'', Bill the Angel of The Lord claims he uses that name because were he to speak his ''real'' name, the sky would rupture, the oceans turn to blood, a thousand virgins die, etc., etc. Given that he's a bully and leg-breaker for the forces of Heaven, it's not certain whether he's sincere or just being an egocentric jerk.
* When ''ComicBook/RedSonja'' finally meets Death in a fever dream, Death appears as Sonja-but-more-so: ten feet tall in chainmail bikini with a skull motif. Death intends it as a tribute to Sonja's service by delivering so many lives to her.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Xavin deliberately shapeshifts into the form of a human teenage boy when he first meets Karolina, believing that it's something that she'd be comfortable with. When she's shocked by his appearance, s/he figures that her parents prepped her for him/her arriving in his/her natural Skrull form (really, she's surprised at the fact that her parents promised her hand in marriage to him/her.) When Karolina reveals that she's a lesbian, Xavin takes the form of a human teenage woman, a form which s/he stays in most of the time when around Karolina. For the few times when Xavin thinks it's more helpful to be in a male form, Karolina does not interact romantically with him/her ("If you were a girl right now, I'd kiss you.")

* This happens all the time in ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989''.
** When done by Dream:

* In Marvel's ''ComicBook/SecretWarsII'' CrisisCrossover, the Beyonder (a non-corporeal CosmicEntity) has to take a physical form when he comes to Earth. His initial form is a bizarre humanoid patchwork consisting of bits from the many heroes and villains he met in the original ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|1984}}''. After some experimentation, he settles on a superficially modified version of Captain America's body.
* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', the goddess Aurora looked like whatever those who saw her imagined her to look like. To Knuckles, she looked like an echidna.
* In one ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' comic, a Mola-Mola mind-melds (well, heart-melds) with Spongebob and takes the form of a Krabby Patty.

* In the ''ComicBook/{{Storm}}'' comics the living planet Pandarve appears in several forms, most often something the hero would recognize from millions of years ago on Earth, such as Alice (from Alice in Wonderland), Medusa, and Marilyn Monroe.

* One time-travel adventure for ''ComicBook/TomStrong'' sees him encounter one his recurring enemies, the Pangean, who generally takes the form of a giant slime mold (who at this point, is roughly the size of a small country). Reasoning that Tom would rather speak to a biped, he splits off a part of his biomass, forming it into a shape resembling a green man wearing 17th century style clothing so that they can communicate more easily.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': While the Olympians almost always manifest as human and at human scale when interacting with people they are usually giants compared to people, as seen when [[ComicBook/WonderGirl Cassie]] first visited Olympus in [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Volume 2]] and Poseidon in particular doesn't bother trying to look particularly human, generally choosing a teal skinned giant merman form pre-Flashpoint and an EldritchAbomination in ''ComicBook/WonderWoman2011''. There's also the fact that they are generally in more than one place at a time with multiple manifestations, particularly their Greek ones vs their Roman ones. Other Greek gods are less choosy about their forms, with Ares and Aphrodite's fear god children in particular generally choosing unsettling forms, either humanoid forms with writhing snakes for hair and non-human limbs or as [[ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth monstrous dogs with their skulls exposed]].

* In ''Fanfic/BreathOfTheWild'', a fanmade novelization of the titular game, the Sheikah are established to learn combat from their ancestors, who adopt the form of Sheik, through the use of a SpiritWorld. The spirits are not incomprehensible for human minds, but adopting the form of Sheik gives the Sheikah a face and a voice from whom to learn, and the spirits of the Sheikah are aware that this is more effective.

* In ''Literature/{{Dragonvarld}}'', [[MeaningfulName Draconas]] is the the designated guy for to do this on behalf of his entire species. He's a dragon inside, and can use their magic, but generally looks like a normal human, so can be sent among humans without fuss.

''[off-screen [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm light]] and [[HellIsThatNoise sound]]]''\\

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Literature/AlmostNowhere'': The [[EldritchAbomination anomalings]] don't have bodies in the conventional sense so they interact with humanity via "shades" which mostly look human but can be almost anything with a floating sphere and a talking dog both having shown up on screen.

* On ''Website/DeviantArt'', there is this prose piece titled "God Drinks Black Coffee". The main character meets God on the sidewalk in the form of a woman.
%%* In ''Literature/{{Phaeton}}'' the aeons are implied to be this.
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': On Parents' Day, [[HumanoidAbomination Carmilla's]] father showed up looking like a charismatic dad of Hispanic ancestry. He's actually the [[EldritchAbomination demon Gothmog, child of Shub-Niggurath]]. In his first appearance, he looked like a giant mass of flesh and slime and eyes and tentacles.
* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', [[spoiler:Scion is actually the avatar of a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien, who deliberately chose an appearance that would appeal to human ideals of worship.]]

** On [[Literature/IQ another occasion]], Q takes Picard and Data to the Q Continuum itself, but the unfiltered sensory perception of the Continuum makes Data ''shut down''. Picard, by contrast, readily perceives it as looking like a Dixon Hill holo-novel in NYC.

** On another occasion, Q takes Picard and Data to the Q Continuum itself, but the unfiltered sensory perception of the Continuum makes Data ''shut down''.

-->'''Thasian:''' I have taken [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence my form from centuries ago]], so that I may communicate with you.

* ''Comicbook/MsMarvel2014'': When, after being exposed to the Terrigen Mist, Kamala Khan receives a vision of someone or something calling themselves "faith". The form they appear in? Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Captain America. This surely tells us something about the [[{{fangirl}} girl]].

* Literature/HarryPotter still appears like an ordinary human in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9512698/17/Master-of-Death-and-What-it-Means Master of Death and What it Means]]'', but before using "a drop of his power" as the Master of Death, he warns Comicbook/TheAvengers not to look because he wasn't meant to be seen by mortals and [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm their minds won't be able to comprehend it]].

* In the ComicBook/GreenArrow storyline ''ComicBook/{{Quiver}}'', Hal (during his time as the Spectre) is forced to do this twice for Oliver Queen, first into his Green Lantern costume and then the second time into his normal pilot's uniform.

* [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagged]] in ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'''s TimeTravelEpisode "Angels in America". When Tabitha is sent back in time, an angel named Raphael appears to her and keeps changing between forms of her friends in each timeline she visits. At one point, he weaponizes this by revealing his true form to the town sheriff (and thankfully,[[UnrevealAngle not to the viewer]]) so that Tabitha can sneak a wanted family out of the diner, leaving the sheriff [[NightmareFace paralyzed with blood coming from his eyes.]]

* On ''Series/Lucifer2016'', Lucifer's true form is close to the prototypical BigRedDevil, with exposed red flesh and glowing red eyes. However, his "human" appearance is a handsome dark-haired man.

'''Alien:''' There! ''[sarcastically]'' THAT would have been better? If I showed up like THAT out of nowhere?! Look at you! You practically [[BrownNote crapped your pants!]] Except for him -- [[BowelBreakingBricks he crapped his pants]]!