History Main / AlternateContinuity

* The ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'' episode states that all the movies, video games, alternate futures, and WhatIf episodes are all alternate timelines.

* [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness The]] [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny three]] [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaTheDragonKnight shows]] in the ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' franchise are treated as this when it comes to the films themselves, while the shows acknowledges the events of the movies, the movies ignore the events depicted in the series, such as the ''Legend of Awesomeness'' episode "Enter the Dragon" featuring Po master chi, while the third movie ignores this and treats the events of the movie as the first time Po masters chi. Meanwhile in "The Paws of Destiny" and "The Dragon Knight" has Po go from the Dragon Warrior to the Dragon Master, yet the fourth film still refers him as the Dragon Warrior despite getting a new rank in-between the events of ''3'' and ''4'' and the overall plot of the film is that Po having to give up his title as the Dragon Warrior in order to became the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace.

* [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness The]] [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny three]] [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaTheDragonKnight shows]] in the ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' franchise are treated as this when it comes to the films themselves, while the shows acknowledges the events of the movies, the movies ignore the events depicted in the series, such as the ''Legend of Awesomeness'' episode "Enter the Dragon" featuring Po master chi, while the third movie ignores this and treats the events of the movie as the first time Po masters chi. Meanwhile in "The Paws of Destiny" and "The Dragon Knight" has Po go from the Dragon Warrior to the Dragon Master, yet the fourth film still refers him as the Dragon Warrior despite getting a new rank in-between the events of ''3'' and ''4''.

* [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness The]] [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny three]] [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaTheDragonKnight shows]] in the ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' are treated as this when it comes to the films themselves, while the shows acknowledges the events of the movies, the movies ignore the events depicted in the series, such as the ''Legend of Awesomeness'' episode "Enter the Dragon" featuring Po master chi, while the third movie ignores this and treats the events of the movie as the first time Po masters chi. Meanwhile in "The Paws of Destiny" and "The Dragon Knight" has Po go from the Dragon Warrior to the Dragon Master, yet the fourth film still refers him as the Dragon Warrior despite getting a new rank in-between the events of ''3'' and ''4''.

* ''Fanfic/SpiderNinja'' is specifically stated to take place in a dimension that's part of the Spider-Verse and the [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles TMNT multiverse]]. This allows the author to write a [[GenderFlip female]] Peter Parker and make this universe's Spider-Man a member of the Hamato family [[InterspeciesAdoption via]] [[HappilyAdopted adoption]]. [[spoiler:Later chapters also reveal it's also a reality where the Kraang species was killed off by the war between the Skrulls and the Kree (though [[InSpiteOfANail the ooze still landed on Earth]]), Leatherhead is Doctor Curt Connors' [[CompositeCharacter Lizard form]], and the Chitauri Invasion happened in L.A. instead of New York.]]

* Cartoons based on movies like ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Jumanji}}'' seem to be in their own continuities rather than following the movies they were based on. ''WesternAnimation/AlienatorsEvolutionContinues'' is the one that follows the film it was based on.

* Similar to the Ghostbusters case above, ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'' is an Alternate Continuity from the movies. The movie actually exists in this universe and is the story of the MIB leaked by the Worms using a human suit and the name of Creator/LowellCunningham. The series even mentions Creator/WillSmith and Creator/TommyLeeJones as the actors playing K and L and shows them (in very accurate cartoon versions) on camera.

* ''Franchise/MenInBlack'' had at least two continuities. The [[Film/MenInBlack first movie]] ends with J neuralizing K and taking L as a new partner. At the beginning of [[Film/MenInBlackII the second]], we find L quit between movies, and the first third of the movie follows J trying to restore K's memories. In [[WesternAnimation/MenInBlack The Animated Series]], however, J, K, and L are all agents at the same time. There were a series of tie-in novels with J and L, but these could be slotted into the timespan between movies.

*** Granted, some fans do debate what exists where, and there really isn't a clear-clut consensus.

* ''Fanfic/SpiderNinja'' is specifically stated to take place in a dimension that's part of the Spider-Verse and the [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles TMNT multiverse]]. This allows the author to write a [[GenderFlip female]] Peter Parker and make this universe's Spider-Man a member of the Hamato family [[InterspeciesAdoption via]] [[HappilyAdopted adoption]].

*** The fourth movie ''Film/HighlanderEndgame'' (2000) is apparently in the continuity of the TV series, and also extensively references the BroadStrokes events of the first movie. But it contradicts the series in some notable ways, such as Duncan previously being married.

** ''Series/{{Highlander}}: The Series'' (1992-1998) is set in an Alternate Continuity to the movies, where there are still Immortals alive all over the world and nobody has won the Prize. Its protagonist is Duncan [=MacLeod=], another Immortal from the same clan. The series ''does'' consider the events of the original film to be canon in BroadStrokes (the second season premiere references Connor defeating the Kurgan in 1985) but it completely ignores ''Highlander II'' and, upon its release, ''Highlander III'' as well. The [[SpinOff spin-off]] series ''Series/HighlanderTheRaven'' (1998-1999), starring recurring character Amanda, is set in the same continuity, as is the animated webseries spinoff ''The Methos Chronicles'' (2001) which ties into the series canon as part of Methos's backstory. There was also a series of ten ''Highlander'' novels published from 1995 to 2000, which are set in the TV series continuity and are considered canon.

** ''Highlander: TheAnimatedSeries'' (1994-1996) is set in the far future and operates differently enough to be considered its own continuity, with immortals giving up their immortality at will and so on. The video game ''Highlander: The Last of the [=MacLeods=]'' (1995) is set in the same continuity.

* ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesXStrangerThings:'' The comic is non-canon but is set in-between season 2 and 3 of ''Series/StrangerThings'' while the TMNT side uses the [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage Mirage comics]] in style and look as it's basis.

* ''Film/Terminator3'' had the same thing with its own three book trilogy, which kept the third film events, naturally, but placed John and Kate in a different timeline than the one which led to the events of ''Film/TerminatorSalvation''.

This is ''not'' the same as an AlternateUniverse in that outside of {{crossover}}s and WhatIf scenarios, they generally ''don't'' interact with the "main" universe. An Alternate Continuity will ''become'' an AlternateUniverse if the characters do cross over. To explain, consider two works of speculative fiction wherein a cosmic entity threatens to destroy ''[[TheMultiverse the entire multiverse]]'': in one version of the story, the entire multiverse gets destroyed and every single possible universe is annihilated. But in the ''other'' version of the story, the threat is defeated and ''the entire multiverse is saved'' --every single alternate universe is spared. These two stories are obviously irreconcilable--you can't justify the contradiction by saying that they exist in [[AlternateUniverse alternate universes]], because you cannot "expand" any further than TheMultiverse--you cannot have a "multi-multiverse" wherein one multiverse is spared and the other is destroyed. Thus, you are forced to take the "meta"-way out and regard them as two completely separate, incompatible works of fiction which have no canonical or metaphysical relation to each other whatsoever. ''This'' is AlternateContinuity, and what distinguishes it from an AlternateUniverse.

* ''Fanfic/SonicXDarkChaos'' is basically this trope to the third season of ''Anime/SonicX''. According to WordOfGod, the events of the ''Dark Chaos'' backstory [[CanonWelding took place in canon too]]. However, there are several key differences in the canon timeline according to the author. Most notably, [[spoiler: Tsali's homeworld is never destroyed and he never becomes the Ultimate Weapon]] and Maledict doesn't get involved in the Metarex War at all due to the Demon Empire falling into an economic depression after his war with Cosmo's race (which in turn stops the Angels from invading the galaxy in retaliation). [[ForWantOfANail Thanks to these key differences]], the canon ''Sonic X'' events happened in the show rather than the events of ''Dark Chaos''.

This is ''not'' the same as an AlternateUniverse in that outside of {{crossover}}s and WhatIf scenarios, they generally ''don't'' interact with the "main" universe. An Alternate Continuity will ''become'' an AlternateUniverse if the characters do cross over.

* ''WebVideo/UnwantedHouseguest'': The comic book series is this. The first issue establishes Aberfoyle Manor as in a town, while the Youtube series sets it in the middle of the woods in an EldritchLocation.

* ''Fanfic/{{Spider-Ninja}}'' is specifically stated to take place in a dimension that's part of the Spider-Verse and the [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles TMNT multiverse]]. This allows the author to write a [[GenderFlip female]] Peter Parker and make this universe's Spider-Man a member of the Hamato family [[InterspeciesAdoption via]] [[HappilyAdopted adoption]].

** ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' brings in ComicBook/MilesMorales and a [[TheMultiverse Multiverse]] plot possibly acknowledging prior film continuities.

* The ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' comic books and newspaper comics suffer from Alternate Continuity in many ways. For instance, in 2009 Spider-Man was reintroduced as a single man for reasons unconnected with events in the comic book universe -- the writer did a reverse ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'' and went back ten years in time. A few months later it turned out to be AllJustADream. The newspaper Peter Parker is also ''much'' more handsome than the comic book one, although why that should be so is a good question.

* ''Franchise/TheSmurfs'' has currently four different continuities: the [[ComicBook/TheSmurfs comic books]], the [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 1980s cartoon show]], [[Film/TheSmurfs Sony Pictures' live-action film series]], and the [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs2021 2021 cartoon show]]. To tell apart the continuities, Greedy is the village chef in the 1980s cartoon show, while in the other continuities Chef, Baker, and Greedy are separate characters. For other notable differences, read [[http://smurfs.wikia.com/wiki/Smurfs_Comic_Book_Universe these]] [[http://smurfs.wikia.com/wiki/Smurfs_Animated_Universe four]] [[http://smurfs.wikia.com/wiki/Smurfs_Live-Action_Film_Universe separate]] [[http://smurfs.fandom.com/wiki/Smurfs_2021_Animated_Universe pages]] at the Smurfs Wiki. (Their stories in the ''ComicBook/JohanAndPeewit'' series could be considered a fifth continuity, since their Smurf Village is located in the Cursed Land instead of the Smurf Forest.) Sometimes for the sake of merchandise like the ''Smurfs Village'' game app, there would be mixing of characters from most if not all of these continuities.

* ''Fanfic/TokimekiPokeLiveAndTwinbee'' is this to the core series ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'' games as well as the ''VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestival'' and ''[[VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestivalAllStars ALL STARS]]'' mobile games, the Kirameki and Hibikino sagas of ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial'' and the ''{{VideoGame/TwinBee}}'' games, with some of the differences being that the story is darker at times on the ''LL!'', ''[=TokiMemo=]'' and ''Twinbee'' side of things while also being more lighthearted than certain points of the ''Pokémon'' games at times, ''Pokémon'' anime exclusive characters such as [[Anime/PokemonThePowerOfUs Risa and Margo]] existing alongside characters such as [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Hilda and Hilbert]], the establishment of a Pokémon Trainer's Club at Nijigasaki High thanks to Hilda which is nonexistent in ''SIF ALL STARS'' as well as the ''Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club'' anime and new characters such as Yoko Catherine Osaka White and Elesis "Ellie" Kashiwagi Kousaka who are exclusive to ''PokéLive!''. And excluding [[spoiler:Coco and Margo]], the other heroes/heroines are gay/lesbian or bi.

* The ''{{Franchise/Terminator}}'' franchise has several different continuities, to such an extent that even the original film isn't exempt from this. At this point it's so convoluted that it reaches near-''Highlander'' levels, not helped by the fact that all these sequels and reboots are essentially regurgitating the same plot repeatedly. Various explanations have been given throughout the years in order to reconcile the different timelines, [[{{Handwave}} usually]] as a result of a TimeyWimeyBall.

** The first four films --''Film/Batman1989'', ''Film/BatmanReturns'', ''Film/BatmanForever'', and ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' -- are generally treated as a single continuity, despite changes in actors, directors, and overall tone: each film has {{Call Back}}s to the previous one, and all four films have the same actors playing Alfred and Commissioner Gordon.
** ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' directed by Creator/ChristopherNolan is set in a different continuity: the first film ''Film/BatmanBegins'' was one of the first instances of a film being marketed with the term [[ContinuityReboot "reboot"]]. The trilogy depicts its incarnation of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman from beginning to end.
** The Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse is another alternate continuity, with its older and more seasoned Batman as a main character in films such as ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' and ''Film/JusticeLeague2017''.

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers''

* The ''Franchise/KamenRider'' franchise tends to weave back and for between Alternate Continuity and Shared Continuity. The Showa era (ranging from the original ''Series/KamenRider'' to ''[[Series/KamenRiderBlackRX Black RX]]'') were their own unified universe; ''Series/KamenRiderSkyrider'' was planned to be a ContinuityReboot but plans fell through and it was tied in with the other shows. The 1990s movie trilogy of ''Film/ShinKamenRiderPrologue'', ''Film/KamenRiderZO'', and ''Film/KamenRiderJ'' were also considered continuity reboots, but didn't go anywhere[[note]]Technically the movies were made in the Heisei era; the Showa era ended in 1989 during ''Black RX'', but because Creator/ShotaroIshinomori was involved in their creation they're classified as Showa stories[[/note]]. The Heisei Era Rider series from ''[[Series/KamenRiderKuuga Kuuga]]'' to ''[[Series/KamenRiderKiva Kiva]]'' were separate[[note]]''[[Series/KamenRiderAgito Agito]]'' was originally going to be an indirect sequel to ''Kuuga'', but the writers changed their minds and [[ShrugOfGod left it ambiguous]][[/note]] until ''[[Series/KamenRiderDecade Decade]]'' and the ''[[Series/KamenRiderDenO Den-O]]'' movies came out, not only creating a Shared Continuity along with the Showa Riders, but also creating Alternate Continuities for the Heisei Riders AND calling the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise an Alternate Continuity to the ''Kamen Rider'' franchise.

** On top of that, G3 and G3.5 are hard to reconcile. They did ''way'' more than change the animation style; Rainbow Dash gets not just a new actress but completely different way of speaking to the point of not seeming like the same character at all, and Cheerilee has gone from the leader of Unicornia to an apparently teenage earth pony from Ponyville with a sister who never existed before (and she too gets a new VA.) The main team contains a unicorn and a pegasus where before the three races lived in separate cities; if we take the "Newborn Cuties" web shorts into account, they've all known each other from the time they were were babies; they even got to ''watch Sweetie Belle being created.'' This is naturally at odds with not knowing about unicorns until Rarity accidentally teleported herself into Ponyville, or about pegasi until Star Catcher became ''[[HoYay very good]]'' friends with Skywishes and they eventually talked the somewhat xenophobic pegasi into coming out of the shadows. If you treat it as an alternate continuity, and say that Pinkie Pie's being unchanged - make no mistake, ''she's the only returning character who is unchanged'' - is a MythologyGag similar to Creator/PeterCullen playing [[{{Franchise/Transformers}} Optimus]] [[BigGood Prime]] in ''G1,'' the film series, and ''Prime'' despite those series clearly being unconnected, suddenly it all makes sense.