History Main / DoingInTheWizard

* In an unusual variant, the Literature/LordDarcy mysteries take place in a world where sorcery exists, yet the solution to his cases usually turns out to be non-magical. Indeed, Darcy must often prove the culprit used mundane methods so as to exonerate an innocent magician, thus doing in the wizard to ''save'' the wizard.

** The Joker is... an interesting case. We don't know how much of his backstory has changed because [[TheSpook we don't know what his new backstory actually is]]. While it's entirely possible that he still fell into a vat of toxic chemicals, it didn't bleach his skin or hair; he merely wears clown makeup over a GlasgowGrin (of [[MultipleChoicePast unknown origins]]), and said makeup appears to be for possible psychological purposes (a Mook compares it to warpaint).

** ''{{Earth X}}'' attempts to create a coherent MetaOrigin for the various superpowered races in the Marvel Universe such as Asgardians, {{mutants}}, and [[Comicbook/TheInhumans Inhumans]]. When it comes to the Asgardians, TheWatcher states that they were merely a race of [[AncientAstronauts ancient alien]] {{shapeshift|ing}}ers that [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith took on the forms of Norse deities in order to more easily interact with the primitive humans they encountered]].

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* Played with in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''. Terry recounts the rumors from his high school that a ghost is haunting it to Bruce, expecting him to reply that there's probably a rational explanation to it, because there's no such thing as ghosts. Bruce turns around and says he's ''met'' ghosts, demons, wizards, and aliens. He doesn't believe ''this'' case, he says, because it sounds too "high school". Terry eventually discovers that it's not a ghost behind the bizarre happenings, but rather a telekinetic teenager who essentially got his powers when a remote control short-circuited.

** Averted in "Midnight" when no explanation is given as to what the antagonist is, nor is the subject even brought up. It is just something that is attacking them. [[NothingIsScarier One of many reasons why this episode more than most is top quality terror.]]

Removing a [[MagicRealism relatively poetic]] or mystical element (or [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane possibility]]) and replacing it by way of {{retcon}} with a more "realistic" one, in a {{revision}}, sequel or other adaptation, or occasionally even just later in the same story. Thisf is pretty common in a fantasy-to-SciFi situation, probably because the two aren't too different in the outcome produced -- [[ScifiCounterpart a magical invisibility ring vs. a technological cloaking device]] are [[MagicFromTechnology functionally the same]]. However, it tends to disgruntle fans of the original, especially when the explanation is less satisfying than the mystery. Amusingly, if the answer is in {{technobabble}}, its "reality quotient" is [[VoodooShark just as silly]] as the initial explanation, even if certain [[BurnTheWitch anti-magic]] MoralGuardians may like technobabble better. It can also demand a whole sequence of [[ContrivedCoincidence coincidental oddities]], which (as observed by Creator/{{Aristotle}}) just makes it less convincing.

Removing a [[MagicRealism relatively poetic]] or mystical element (or [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane possibility]]) and replacing it by way of {{retcon}} with a more "realistic" one, in a {{revision}}, sequel or other adaptation, or occasionally even just later in the same story. This is pretty common in a fantasy-to-SciFi situation, probably because the two aren't too different in the outcome produced -- [[ScifiCounterpart a magical invisibility ring vs. a technological cloaking device]] are [[MagicFromTechnology functionally the same]]. However, it tends to disgruntle fans of the original, especially when the explanation is less satisfying than the mystery. Amusingly, if the answer is in {{technobabble}}, its "reality quotient" is [[VoodooShark just as silly]] as the initial explanation, even if certain [[BurnTheWitch anti-magic]] MoralGuardians may like technobabble better. It can also demand a whole sequence of [[ContrivedCoincidence coincidental oddities]], which (as observed by Creator/{{Aristotle}}) just makes it less convincing.

** The Joker didn't fall into a vat of toxic chemicals, he merely has a GlasgowGrin (of [[MultipleChoicePast unknown origins]]) and uses clown makeup for possible psychological purposes (a Mook compares it to warpaint).

** Bane doesn't use the chemical compound known as Venom to make himself stronger, he just really is that strong. Instead the mask gives him an anesthetic gas to cope with extreme physical pain.

Removing a [[MagicalRealism relatively poetic]] or mystical element (or [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane possibility]]) and replacing it by way of {{retcon}} with a more "realistic" one, in a {{revision}}, sequel or other adaptation, or occasionally even just later in the same story. This is pretty common in a fantasy-to-SciFi situation, probably because the two aren't too different in the outcome produced -- [[ScifiCounterpart a magical invisibility ring vs. a technological cloaking device]] are [[MagicFromTechnology functionally the same]]. However, it tends to disgruntle fans of the original, especially when the explanation is less satisfying than the mystery. Amusingly, if the answer is in {{technobabble}}, its "reality quotient" is [[VoodooShark just as silly]] as the initial explanation, even if certain [[BurnTheWitch anti-magic]] MoralGuardians may like technobabble better. It can also demand a whole sequence of [[ContrivedCoincidence coincidental oddities]], which (as observed by Creator/{{Aristotle}}) just makes it less convincing.

Another problem this trope might encounter is that, while fans only expect [[MagicAIsMagicA magic to have the same effect while used in the same way]], the audience may be less [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief willing to suspend disbelief]] when converted into [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness hard science]], unless it is prefaced with [[GreenRocks some kind of]] [[MinovskyPhysics pseudoscientific material]] [[{{Unobtanium}} specifically stated not]] [[{{Phlebotinum}} to follow standard physics]] (of course, doing this still keeps the stuff ''[[ClarkesThirdLaw technically]]'' magic, just not, you know, ''[[FunctionalMagic magic]]'').

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' has two completely ridiculous examples. The first is a mystical stone mask that turns its wearer into a vampire when exposed to blood, by grabbing their face with spikes; it's said to work by hitting key pressure points. The second series reveals that the mask was actually created by an advanced race of humanity that ''eats'' vampires. The second is when it is revealed that Stands (PsychicPowers personified) are created through a magical arrow forged from a meteor, which grants a Stand to anyone it hits. This arrow is later revealed to be not magical, but ''[[ILoveNuclearPower radioactive]]'', and grants Stands by mutating the target's DNA. Given that the entire franchise runs on the RuleOfCool, most fans just smile, nod, and wait for the next fight scene.

** Also the nature of the Arrows is left rather ambiguous as well (the [[BlindIdiotTranslation less-than-accurate]] translation certainly didn't help the subject), while [[spoiler:Polnareff]] claims it's an extraterrestrial virus that creates the effect of the arrows' material, it's made very obvious that they seem to have a will of their own and a more spiritual quality to them. The supernatural side is also present in Part 6, making the whole DoingInTheWizard controversial at best.
* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' explains that the Dead Sea Scrolls are essentially an [[ItMakesSenseInContext instruction manual left behind by]] AncientAstronauts.

* ''Anime/MazingerZ'' and ''Anime/GreatMazinger'': In the Mazinger versus Great General of Darkness, a prophet warns Boss and his gang -and later Kouji and his friends- about the inminent Mykene invasion. It turns out that [[spoiler:in reality he was Prof. Kenzo Kabuto, father of Kouji and Shiro, who knew about the Mykene due to reasons have nothing to do with prophecies.]]
** And in the episode 36 of ''MazingerZ'', [[spoiler:Baron Ashura pretended being]] a witch.

** Also semi-inverted in the case of Skypeia, though. As a proponent of the [[NietzscheWannabe New Era]] philosophy that denies dreams and romanticism, Bellamy attempts to do this by heckling the Straw Hats for believing in a flying continent, even providing an alternate explanation for why a ship might fall out of the sky. Naturally, he gets proven completely wrong, and while the Skypeian continent may have a "rational" explanation for its existence (in-universe, at least) that doesn't diminish the sense of discovery and adventure.

* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[spoiler: Kyuubey claims to be from a race of SufficientlyAdvancedAliens]]. Magic is still magic, though, more or less.

* When ''DragonBall'' gave way to ''Dragon Ball Z'', the stories took on more of a sci-fi tone. Goku's previously inexplicable talents (and his tail) were retconned as the product of his alien biology. His tendency to transform into a giant monster under the full moon was given a delightfully [[TechnoBabble preposterous]] "explanation" in terms of electromagnetic waves and hormones. Even Kami, who was for all practical purposes a god, was demoted to a strange visitor from yet another planet. Nevertheless, there were still plenty of fantasy elements, and the sci-fi aspect was downplayed in later stories.

* General comic book example: when DC jump-started the SilverAge by reinventing a number of their once-popular characters, they tended to replace mystical origin stories with scientific ones. For instance, the new GreenLantern got his powers from being a [[SpacePolice space policeman]] with an advanced technological weapon, rather than finding a magical lantern. This is probably largely because of the influence of Editor in Chief Julius Schwartz, who was also major editor in the field of prose science fiction.
* The early 1960s ''BlueBeetle'', Dan Garrett, gained superpowers from a magical beetle-shaped amulet from Ancient Egypt. The amulet later resurfaced in a storyline revealing that it was actually a long-lost bit of ImportedAlienPhlebotinum. Justified in that the alien race behind it, the Reach, have disguised many of their plans and weapons as "magic" so that no one would ask questions, while at the same time doing in wizards that could prove otherwise.
** Although while the scarab is not itself magical, Garrett did use magic to activate it.

* There was a period when ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' and his fellow Asgardians were actually SufficientlyAdvancedAliens whose exploits inspired Norse mythology, but who weren't actually gods. This has since been completely ignored.

** The [[Film/{{Thor}} film]] also makes the claim that magic and science are in fact one and the same, and Asgard seems to exist physically in another dimension or region of space.
*** ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' reiterates this, stating that Asgardians are just SufficientlyAdvancedAliens that early Europeans ''thought'' were supernatural beings. A character even claims that a Norse artifact was brought down from the heavens, at which point Agent Coulson corrects him and says it was brought down by aliens.
** ''{{Earth X}}'' attempts to create a coherent MetaOrigin for the various superpowered races in the Marvel Universe such as Asgardians, {{mutants}}, and [[TheInhumans Inhumans]]. When it comes to the Asgardians, TheWatcher states that they were merely a race of [[AncientAstronauts ancient alien]] {{Shapeshifter}}s that [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith took on the forms of Norse deities in order to more easily interact with the primitive humans they encountered]].

* With the ScarletWitch, ThePowersThatBe have forever been going back and forth on whether she's a literal witch or not. It's mutant probability-altering power! It's "Chaos Magic!" It's both! No, it's not! And on and on and on.
* In UltimateMarvel the origin of mutants powers was retooled as something that was scientifically made. SuperSerum instead of a evolution process.

** The mainstream version of Black Knight is a mystical knight with an enchanted sword from the time of King Arthur. The [[UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] Black Knight is a quadriplegic {{Cyborg}} with ArtificialLimbs and a suit of PoweredArmor.
** This is true of a lot of characters, since the Ultimate Universe is generally lighter on magic and mysticism than the mainstream MarvelUniverse. A good example is that {{Hawkeye}} refuses to believe Comicbook/GhostRider is actually from {{Hell}}, and instead thinks he's just a mutant who happens to have a flaming skull.

* The movie version of ''Film/{{Doom}}'' changed the monsters from demons to alien/mutants.

* The TwentiethCenturyFox ''Film/FantasticFour'' movies did away with DoctorDoom's sorcery abilities and PoweredArmor in favor of just making him a deformed businessman with [[ShockAndAwe electrical abilities]]. There's a reason Doom's "[[InNameOnly portrayal]]" in the films is so widely hated by the fans.

* In the film version of ''Film/{{Thor}}'', what would appear at first to be flat out magic used by what appear to be Norse gods, it is shown that they are actually just a shockingly human looking race of aliens from a distant planet, with technology so advanced that it appears as magic to Humans, and the Norse mythology was sprung from centuries ago when they visited Earth and people thought they were gods. A mixed example; Thor's hammer and Loki's magic are both explicitly called magic by Asgardians.
** Then again, that is how Norse mythology had explained it. After all, who's to say modern people aren't mistaking magic for science?

* In ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', TheJuggernaut is simply a mutant who was born with his abilities. In the comics, he gets his powers and armor from a mystical gem.
** The Phoenix is just Jean Grey's [[SplitPersonality alternate personality]], rather than a god-like cosmic entity. Though to be fair, the Phoenix originally ''was'' just Jean in the comics before it was {{Retcon}}ned into being a creature from space.

** Legend has it that Abdul Alhazred, the Mad Arab, was killed in broad daylight by an invisible monster. Most mythos material that draws stictly from Lovecraft runs with this, but AugustDerleth later expanded on it, explaining that that whole thing was simply a hoax to cover up his even more painful death by torture.

* In an unusual variant, the Literature/LordDarcy mysteries take place in a world where sorcery exists, yet the solution to his cases usually turns out to be non-magical. Indeed, Darcy must often prove the culprit used mundane methods so as to exonerate an innocent magician, thus DoingInTheWizard to ''save'' the wizard.

* Caleb Carr's ''The Legend of Broken'' mostly plays this straight. The "sorceror" Caliphestos is just a scholar, healer and proto-scientist (and hates being called a sorceror) and the Bane a tribe of goblin-elves is the product of inbreeding amomg people exiled for not matching up the the physical standards of the City-state of Broken. However it's hinted that the lost manuscript on which the story is based was written by Broken's founder bbased on dream visions and Caliphestos has a [[BondCreature seemingly supernatural rapport with the pantheress Stasi]] that's never really explained.
* Anne [=McCaffrey=]'s Dragonriders of Pern series begins with fire-breathing dragons, telepathy, and teleportation, all believed to be a form of magic. By the third book in the series, the dragons are genetically modified lizards with {{technobabble}} explanations for the telepathy and teleportation [[spoiler:and telekinesis that let the massive dragons fly with wings too small for their bodies]].

* SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/RoughDraft'' duology has the protagonist become into a superhuman being called a "functional", meeting other functionals with supernatural abilities. While parallel worlds are key to the duology, the nature of these powers are kept ambiguous for much of it. It's clear that ''someone'' is behind all this, but how this is done is not described. However, shortly before the end of the second novel, the protagonist claims that all this has to do with advanced knowledge of quantum physics. Why do functionals have these abilities? They "borrow" them from a parallel version of themselves that exists in a world where this is natural.
* Many people read ''Literature/TheTurnOfTheScrew'' has having this trope as an implied twist: the ghost story that comprises the entire plot is actually the hallucinations of the UnreliableNarrator.

** Fans complained about ''Silver Nemesis'' when Lady Peineforte's magic worked and was actually ''called'' magic. The show did an AuthorsSavingThrow a few episodes later in ''The Curse of Fenric'', claiming her powers had been derived from a [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens Sufficiently Advanced Alien.]]

* The AnimalPlanet movie ''Werewolves: Dark Survivors'' has this in spades, attempting to explain all the myths surrounding [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]] as a [[TheVirus derived strain of rabies]] which causes porphyria and other symptoms, with a few historical tidbits about berserkers for good measure.

* A ChristmasEpisode of {{Eureka}} has Taggart ''attempting'' to do in the ''Santa'', with chimney-climbing device, matter-shrinking ray (for storing the presents), and flying sleigh complete with holographic reindeer. (Though, according to Jack's [[UnreliableNarrator telling]] of the events of the night, he failed, and Santa actually exists in the universe. He could be making it up, but then, {{Eureka}} ''does'' share the same continuity with {{Warehouse13}}...)
** Taggart's motives were not actually DoingInTheWizard...instead, he was attempting to prove that Santa DOES exist...or could, anyway. More like Justifying the Wizard.
* {{Lost}} teased this for a bit. The show initially lacked sci-fi elements, instead apparently featuring an unseen "monster," supernaturally strong natives, the resurrected dead, polar bears created by a child's mind and a healing power that one character attributed to faith. The next seasons, however, revealed that the island was once occupied by an scientific organization known as the Dharma Initiative; said organization introduced bizarre and mysterious elements in its own right (such as a man living by himself in an underground bunker for god knows how long, repeatedly pushing a button on a computer terminal to save the world from an electromagnetic catastrophe) and was also shown to have ties to at least some of the show's mysteries, including the presence of the polar bears (which were brought to the island for research purposes) and Hurley's cursed numbers (which was the code for the computer terminal, as well as the serial numbers stamped on the bunker.) Fans naturally assumed it was behind the show's other mysteries as well. The walking dead appeared to be an illusion of this monster, who had some sort of relationship with the Dharma Initiative, the healing properties turned out to be due to an "energy pocket" similar to Uluru in Australia and the natives turned out to be ordinary people who lived in suburban-style homes. Then the show's final seasons flipped this around again. The Dharma Initiative was revealed to be just a recent chapter in the Island's history (and was itself largely demystified). People really could be resurrected on the island. The monster was a millennia-old man at war with his demigod brother. The source of the healing was a magic light that was also the source of all life and rebirth. The natives turned out to have an older, mystic sect that lived at a temple. Meanwhile, every devotee of science on the show was killed, and the lead's arc was portrayed as a transition from "man of science" to "man of faith."

* JoanOfArcadia plays with this (briefly) by suggesting Joan's visions [[spoiler: could be due to Lyme's disease]].
* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Mister Mxyzptlk was a teenager with MindManipulation abilities, rather than a [[RealityWarper Reality Warping]] [[GreatGazoo Imp from the Fifth Dimension]] like in the comics.

** ...At least in season one. Season 2 introduces TheFlash and finally grants [[spoiler: Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}} his powers]].

*** Also the premise of Scientology, and all three are proof that DoingInTheWizard does not always produce a more plausible--or less silly--explanation.

* The online novel ''JohnDiesAtTheEnd'' has malevolent living shadows, demons, and ghosts, all [[spoiler:actually the product of hostile extradimensional biotechnology]].

** This isn't helped by the fact that the GenreShift also brought about a ton of PlotHoles and makes one wonder how [[InsaneTrollLogic utterly]] [[ForSCIENCE mad]] the Great Beings are.

* This trope is played with heavily in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension''. The Technocratic Union is a group of [[MagiTek magical scientists]] who are attempting to do in the wizard, while Traditions are more "wizard-like" and try to [[DoingInTheScientist do in the scientist.]] In short, the Technocrats (at their best) push for a scientific, rational worldview and the Traditionalists (again, at their best) push for a mystical, spiritual one. Both of the major factions are, to a great degree, trying to influence human society into accepting their point of view in order to [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve solidify reality with their own vision]]. The irony in part stems from a serious case of NotSoDifferent and GreyAndGreyMorality.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' (the ultimate king of correcting itself) does this forwards and backwards. Fortune, who has luck based powers, causes every shot fired against her to miss (Hint: Don't stand next to her). It then explains much later that she merely has a "sufficiently advanced" bit of technology (that she didn't know about) which makes her ImmuneToBullets. This is demonstrated by the owner of the device shooting her in the chest, proving he controls the device and she is powerless. Shortly after this he tries shooting rockets at her, and she deflects them with her mind. Seems in this case, the wizard was NotQuiteDead.

** Metal Gear Solid, at least by the fourth game, is pretty consistent with respect to there being both magic (or, at least, very peculiar abilities obtained through training and practice) and technology. Most nanomachine based abilities either enhance innate abilities (Psycho Mantis and Vamp being the most blatant examples, as both have innate abilities that are cranked up to 11 by the nanomachines) or are abilities that have been studied or cultivated and passed on through nanomachines (Screaming Mantis). And pretty much every particularly questionable point can be summed up with the mantra ``Ocelot is a Dick who is screwing with us''
* Occurs often in the ''{{Wild ARMs}}'' games, where the villains or {{Precursors}} will {{Technobabble}} away magical events. Some of these are justified, and some are ridiculously silly.
* Used halfway; the ''MightAndMagic'' universe never attempted to explain away the Magic spells or the elves and such. On the other hand, it is implied that all the Gods are only {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s and the demons and devils (called Kreegans by themselves) are also aliens, who invade worlds through meteors (they extinguished the [[{{Hobbits}} halflings (hobbits)]] this way). There's a significant amount of lost technology behind every plot. Although, there are also actual demons which look almost identical to said Kreegans. They are only seen in ''Heroes Chronicles: Conquest of the Underworld''.

** So ''very'' {{egregious}} in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'', where main-character Claude is well-acquainted with science and technology, and tries to explain certain things away in scientific terms, ''only to fail miserably''. He gets better as time goes on (i.e. he learns to ''stop questioning everything'' and just accept that he's not that smart.)

* In the GoldenEnding of ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'', it is revealed that [[spoiler:Tezkhra isn't actually a god and the Watchers aren't actually angels/demigods/things; it's all just because Tez and his pals are SufficientlyAdvancedAliens]]. Magic is still magic, though. Probably.
* ''Actually'' an effect in the TypeMoon verse (FateStayNight, {{Tsukihime}} etc). As modern science develops more and more, [[TheMagicGoesAway magi gradually lose their powers]]. There's a reason why FateStayNight's Caster can canonically take on every living magi in the modern world and win: she's from [[GreekMythology the age of gods and miracles]], and science hasn't [[{{Nerf}} nerfed]] her magic. This is also why the three [[AlternateUniverse remaining]] [[AnatomyOfTheSoul true]] [[TimeTravel magics]] are so powerful: they are simply beyond modern science and so haven't been hit by this effect at all. [[Literature/FateZero At least one modern magi tried to point this out]], but his JerkAss teacher tore the research paper up, saying that only being 'pure blood', [[Literature/HarryPotter as it were]], mattered. [[SarcasmMode With a progressive attitude like that, no wonder everything's going to well.]]

* In ''QuantumConundrum'', you can shift to a dimension where everything falls up. Professor Quadwrangle jokes about the possibility that, instead of shifting to a dimension where the laws of gravity are inverted, you simply shift to a dimension where the mansion is upside down.

* ''UnicornJelly'' begins as a ''DungeonsAndDragons''-like world with witches who wield magic and fly on brooms, unicorns, elves, ogres, slimes, jellies, and other monsters. Eventually most or all of this gets explained away as being due to a combination of the physics and chemistry of the alien universe, BizarreAlienBiology, AncientConspiracy, SchizoTech, selective breeding and mutation, and [[MushroomSamba hallucinogenic plants]].
* ''TalesOfTheQuestor'' starts off using the word "Lux" as just the Racconans' technical term for their medieval-era world's ''Force Magic'' version of FunctionalMagic, complete with constant uses of terms like "spells," "magic," and "wizard." After over a hundred pages of this, the fundamentalist Christian author devoted a [[http://www.rhjunior.com/totq/00105.html text-heavy side arc]] to explaining that the force that looked like magic, acted like magic, sparkled like magic, was treated like magic, and frequently ''called'' magic wasn't ''really'' magic. [[http://www.rhjunior.com/totq/00426.html Another side arc]], much later in the comic's run, went further and showed the [[DownerEnding tragic consequences]] of Racconans referring to their magic-like powers as magic, implying that they weren't even going to use magic-related terminology anymore. The setting is a [[ShownTheirWork heavily researched]] fantasy setting with orcs, trolls, centaurs, elves, etc etc. Racconans are unique in that all of them can see the ebb and flow of the magical energy they call "lux". Most of them can [[MundaneUtility perform mundane tricks like lighting candles and levitating water]], and once in a while one has enough talent to be called a wizard. However, magical aptitude is extremely rare among humans, and most of the humans who claim to be wizards are charlatans [[HumanSacrifice or worse]]. Most false wizards claim that they get their power from gods or devils (and lux just doesn't work that way, which is why Racconans debate the use of the words "wizard" and "magic".) A human who [[CursedWithAwesome is born with the ability to channel lux]] [[HowDoIShotWeb will have no idea how to control his power]] without proper training, and is a danger to everyone around him. This makes most races very afraid of Racconans, because they associate them with human wizardry.

** Magic is also sometimes called the "etheric sciences". The conflict between technology and nature is actually a fairly big part of the series' cosmology and plot. Attempts by sciencey types to Do In The Wizard are what caused the general area of the Court to be split into the Court (science) and Gillitie Wood (nature), and the Annan Waters to be dug to keep the two seperate; though many on either side would like to believe the other entirely unnecessary, the bridge across the Annan Waters and the position of medium within the Court are acknowledgements that they're not mutually exclusive.

** In a way, [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-06-28 this]] strip, and the following one, [[DoingInTheWizard do in the wizard]]. Though not in the usual way.
* In an early ''FullFrontalNerdity'' strip, the players in Frank's most recent campaign discover that the 'origin of magic' is acually SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology and that benevolent aliens are responsible for channeling these 'miracles' to humans. [[NoJustNoReaction They react much as expected.]]

* ''ErrantStory'' does this in a WhamEpisode late in the comic. [[spoiler:It's revealed in an ApocalypticLog-style expository page that the Elven Creator Gods were actually SufficientlyAdvancedAliens whose entire species had coalesced into three "collectives" - superpowered [[EnergyBeing energy beings]]. After one of them died/disappeared and the others began to destabilize, they made the Paedagogusi, Dwarves, Elves and Trolls in a failed attempt to create a replacement collective and restore their stability.]] The whole setting changes in one page from HighFantasy to ScienceFiction.

** A rather long RunningGag in MSPaintAdventures was pumpkins disappearing, usually accompanied by some form of the phrase, "What pumpkin?" In Act 6 of {{Homestuck}}, it's revealed that the cause behind Jade's disappearing pumpkins was mostly caused by [[spoiler: Jake English fooling around with his transmaterializer too much]].

* ''Webcomic/WaywardSons'': The [[GreekMythology greek gods]] weren't gods, they were superpowered aliens.

* ''TheSalvationWar'' is all about this: Heaven and Hell being actual dimensions, Yahweh ("God") and Satan being actual beings, and angels and demons (including nagas, succubi, and harpies) being real, complete with 'powers'. However, these powers can be and are (at least with the demons) perceived, analyzed, (sometimes) understood... and ''countered''. In the case of Hell's demons, anyway. Although a number of angels were killed in ''Armageddon'', there is still far less information to analyze as of yet both in and out of universe.
* Shandala, the heroine of UrbanFantasy series ''BrokenSaints'', has a variety of PsychicPowers, most notably healing wounds with a touch and unleashing loads of MindRape on hostile persons, courtesy of her [[TheEmpath perpetual hyper-empathic state]]. In the GrandFinale, it is [[TheReveal revealed]] that [[spoiler:she was genetically designed and bred by her father to be in a perpetual hyper-empathic state, and then hit with a TraumaCongaLine to turn her into the ultimate conduit for the broadcast of emotion (esp. fear) part of his EvilPlan to collapse civilization.]]

* The ''SCPFoundation'' attempts to find scientific and rational reasons for how the various [[ArtifactofDoom objects]] they contain with [[{{Subverted}} minimal success]].

* In ''SuperFriends'', [[CaptainEthnic Apache Chief]] got his [[{{Sizeshifter}} Sizeshifting]] powers from stereotypical "[[MagicalNativeAmerican Apache magic]]". In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', Tye Longshadow (the teen Apache Chief) was born with a [[MetaOrigin metagene]] that activated after he was [[AlienAbduction experimented on by aliens]].

* ''TheFlightOfDragons'', where the main character got his mind stuck in a dragon and received a lecture about dragon-ness from an older one, upon which he deduced the dragon abilities of flight and firebreathing as possible due to hollow bones, empty spaces in the body for holding gas, and eating limestone (calcium carbonate) - which mixed with stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) produces hydrogen gas that is lighter than air, and ignitable with a spark from the scaly dragon tongue/roof of mouth.
** Unfortunately, hydrochloric acid ''actually'' reacts with limestone to produce carbon dioxide gas (and calcium chloride and water). It is possible to produce hydrogen gas by reacting various acids with with various metals (i.e. not metal compounds or ores) which might have been [[CriticalResearchFailure what the writers were thinking of]]. [[AWizardDidIt Unless]], [[ElementsDoNotWorkThatWay that's how chemistry works in that world]].

* Every episode of ''ScoobyDoo'' ends this way, with the ghost turning out to be someone like Old Man Edgars in a rubber mask. Sometimes a two-fold disguise for added punch. This trope is often subverted, however, in such movies as the Loch Ness Monster or the Cajun zombies (don't ask). In the latter the zombies and ghosts were all real, and in the former, though the shenanigans were the typical Scooby Doo villain, the ending implied that yes, there is a monster living in Loch Ness.
** The premise of ''Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island'' is that the gang goes searching to find just ''one'' haunting that is actually genuine, and they finally succeed; it feels justified because it acknowledges that all the previous hauntings have been fake. However, some of the 70's and 80's incarnations of the show had real ghosts all the time, most notably ''The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo,'' and many fans would say that this was CompletelyMissingThePoint of the show. But then again, there is the issue of certain divisive characters causing fans ''and'' writers to quietly sweep certain Scooby-Doo series under the rug, which accounts for writer forgetfulness.
* ''{{Futurama}}'' does this very frequently, including "Robot Hell", evil Robot Santa with aliens for elves, etc.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' underwent a reverse form of this, starting out a reasonably realistic depiction of late 1980s/early 1990s American working-class life (with only a few farcical touches) and gradually becoming a more "conventional" cartoon where anything could happen. The annual "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween specials (the first one airing in 1990, which was still quite early in the show's run) were arguably started as a way to bring in fantasy and science-fiction elements for one night at a time when the show didn't allow them otherwise.
* ''TransformersAnimated'' plays with this. While the [=AllSpark=] is shown to have an almost supernatural appearance, WordOfGod states that it operates on scientific principles (albeit principles neither human or Transformer has cracked). The Magnus Hammer is also given a vague origin. Primus exists as a god, but not many Cybertronians believe in him, save for the Church of Primus. WordOfGod states that older Cybertronians were primitive, and took billions of years to reach their current level of technology. Exactly who their creators are is a mystery, but it is heavily implied that they were SufficientlyAdvancedAliens that modeled Cybertron and its inhabitants (including beast-type robots) after their own world. Additionally, there are no Thirteen Primes in Transformers. Derrick Wyatt has also revealed on Formspring that the inner workings of Cybertron contain a "giant robot factory." Of course, a lot of this is writers giving their own, sometimes conflicting interpretation of what they didn't get to make canon, and comes together to get pretty confusing. ''{{Transformers}}'' is the work of far too many hands to consider ''anyone'' "god" enough to give absolute WordOfGod about how it all works.

* In ''WolverineAndTheXMen'', the Wendigo was ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}'s attempt at recreating ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's SuperSerum, rather than the product of an ancient Indigenous curse like it was in the comics.

* It is stated in ''IronManArmoredAdventures'' that Dormammu is a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien rather than a satanic DimensionLord like in the comics. DoctorDoom even claims that Dormammu's alien tech simply made him ''seem'' demonic.

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* ''Film/HouseOfDracula'' sweeps aside the supernatural elements of [[Film/TheWolfMan1941 The Wolf Man]]'s curse, gives it a TechnoBabble explanation and ultimately cures it.
* ''{{Ondine}}'' has [[spoiler: this as a TwistEnding. Ondine isn't really a selkie, just a really good swimmer. The "seal coat" is actually smuggled drugs, the "selkie husband" is a drug baron, her mystical song is actually a foreign pop song and that also means that Annie getting a replacement kidney is just pure coincidence]].

** In ''Film/{{X-Men First Class}}'', Azazel is just a satanic-looking mutant instead of an actual demonic being like in the comics. [[TheScrappy But since the comic version of Azazel is widely hated]], [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap this change actually went over WELL with fans]].

* In ''WolverineAndTheXMen'', the Wendigo was {{SHIELD}}'s attempt at recreating CaptainAmerica's SuperSerum, rather than the product of an ancient Indigenous curse like it was in the comics.

* The scientific method has done in a small army of wizards, djinn, dragons, and the like. For example, death certificates from pre-scientific England list such causes of death as comet, the king's evil (a real disease, but one thought to be specially curable by the touch of a king), and sorcery.

** ...At least in season one. It's been confirmed TheFlash will appear in season 2, and [[AllYourPowersCombined AMAZO]] has been hinted to appear as well.

* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' explains that the Dead Sea Scrolls are essentially a [[ItMakesSenseInContext ancient instruction manual left behind by]] AncientAstronauts.

** The series in general hints at the possibility of this for Christianity in general. The main antagonists are {{Eldritch Abomination}}s called "[[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angels]]" (created by said AncientAstronauts), and the [[AssimilationPlot Third Impact]] scenario contains a ''lot'' of gratuitous religious symbolism.

** ''{{Earth X}}'' attempts to create a coherent MeatOrigin for the various superpowered races in the Marvel Universe such as Asgardians, {{mutants}}, and [[TheInhumans Inhumans]]. When it comes to the Asgardians, TheWatcher states that they were merely a race of [[AncientAstronauts ancient alien]] {{Shapeshifter}}s that [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith took on the forms of Norse deities in order to more easily interact with the primitive humans they encountered]].

** The film also makes the claim that magic and science are in fact one and the same, and Asgard seems to exist physically in another dimension or region of space.

* It is stated in ''IronManArmoredAdventures'' that Dormammu is a SuficientlyAdvancedAlien rather than a demonic DimensionLord like in the comics. DoctorDoom even claims that Dormammu's alien tech simply made him ''seem'' demonic.

** The premise of ''Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island'' is that the gang goes searching to find just ''one'' haunting that is actually genuine, and they finally succeed; it feels justified because it acknowledges that all the previous hauntings have been fake. However, some of the 70's and 80's incarnations of the show had real ghosts all the time, most notably ''The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo,'' and many fans would say that this was CompletelyMissingThePoint of the show.

* Every episode of ''ScoobyDoo'' ends this way, with the ghost turning out to be Old Man Edgars in a rubber mask. This trope is often subverted, however, in such movies as the Loch Ness Monster or the Cajun zombies (don't ask). In the latter the zombies and ghosts were all real, and in the former, though the shenanigans were the typical Scooby Doo villain, the ending implied that yes, there is a monster living in Loch Ness.

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga'', [[spoiler: Ra's al-Ghul is ''not'' ageless and there are no Lazarus Pits: instead, the League of Shadows makes him ''appear'' ageless via a legacy of similar-looking figureheads, while the ''real'' head and TheDragon really have their places switched every time.]] It applies elsewhere in the saga as well:
** The Joker didn't fall into a vat of toxic chemicals, he merely has a GlasgowGrin (of [[MultipleChoicePast unknown origins]]) and uses clown makeup for possible psychological purposes (a Mook compares it to warpaint). Two-Face doesn't have dual personalities fighting for control and uses a coin to decide, but is instead a man driven mad with grief and rage and views chance as the only true morality.

* Officially, there are no magical "demons" in the Marvel Universe, and the beings perceived as demons are just interdimensional aliens who come from a plane that happens to resemble hell. ...but a lot of writers don't bother to cleave to this very closely and, depending on the series, just play the demons straight. Exacerbated by the fact that Mephisto loves to act like he's the real, literal devil, despite the ever-present footnote that he's technically not.