History Main / Transmutation

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Alchemy, the process by which transmutation is induced in this universe, is a science rather than a mystic art. Alchemy follows the Law of EquivalentExchange and the sequence of transmutation follows is as follows:

* The inspiration for the alchemist's goal of turning lead to gold might have been inspired by the process of turning a similarly dull gray metal (zinc) into a shiny golden alloy (brass).

** ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Maxima has the ability to alter inorganic matter. She has [[MundaneUtility used]] to [[GorgeousGarmentGeneration alter her clothing for special occasions]].

** [[LadyOfWar Thena]] is also skilled in matter manipulation, though not to the same extent as Sersi.
* ''ComicBook/FirestormDCComics'': Every Firestorm has this ability. The first Firestorm cannot affect organic matter, but the Jason Rusch incarnation does not have this limitation.
* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Dr. Alchemy possesses the PhilosophersStone, which can transmute any object into another.

* ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': The hero Element Lad and the villain Cosmic King both have the ability to change chemical elements into other elements.
* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' has Shimmer, a member of the Fearsome Five, who can transmute any element or compound into another. The change only lasts for a few minutes and she can only affect materials within a radius of three feet.

* ''ComicBook/TheEternals'': Sersi's special ability is matter rearrangement and she is the only fifth level adept (the highest level possible among Eternals) in that discipline. It is said that [[TheDreaded even Prime-Eternal Zuras, the mightiest of all Eternals, fears her because of this]].

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': At first it seems that Grey's Transformation Magic can only be used to shapeshift. It's later revealed that she can transform objects and alter magics themselves by converting elemental spells into a different attribute. Gauche guesses that because she can transform other objects and magic, she doesn't actually have Transformation Magic. Grey later uses her magic to reassemble Gauche's body tissue by transforming the giant sword he was stabbed with, making it plausible that her magic isn't merely transformation. Owen notes that he's never seen such a magic that changes structure before, and names it Transmutation Magic.

** Comprehension - Understanding the inherent structure and properties of the atomic or molecular makeup of a particular material to be transmuted.
** Deconstruction - Using energy to break down the physical structure of the material so as to make it more malleable.
** Reconstruction - Reforming the material into a new shape.

* ''ComicBook/TheEternals'': Sersi's special ability is matter rearrangement and she is the only fifth level adept (the highest level possible among Eternals) in that discipline. [[TheDreaded It is said that even Prime-Eternal Zuras, the mightiest of all Eternals, fears her because of this.]]
* ''ComicBook/FirestormDCComics'': Everyone Firestorm has this ability. The first Firestorm could not affect organic matter but the Jason Rusch incarnation did not have this limitation.
* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Dr Alchemy possesses the Philosopher's Stone which can transmute any object into another.

* ''Literature/SpinningSilver'': The law of the Staryk [[TheFairFolk Fair Folk]] is that "a power claimed and challenged and thrice carried out is true." Miryem claims she can "turn silver into gold", referring to her success in business, but trading the Staryk's silver coins up to an equal number of gold coins empowers her to literally transmute silver into gold in the [[LandOfFaerie Staryk realm]], even though she's an otherwise non-magical human.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}''. The Transform power can change one element into another, such as turning base metals into gold.

** 1st Edition Advanced D&D compatible supplement ''The Dragon Tree Spell Book''. The spell Transubstantiation is used by dragons to change one chemical element to another. One standard use is to change various substances to gold and adding it to their treasure. In one case, a dragon changed a stone bridge into hydrogen while its enemies were standing on it. It then cast a lightning bolt into the hydrogen cloud, causing the cloud to explosively combine with atmospheric oxygen.

** ''TabletopGame/GURPSSupers''. The Alter superpower allows one element or compound to be changed to another.
** ''GURPS Magic''. Transform spells can change one substance (element or compound) into another.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': Applies to the Transmute spell, which turns iron ore into silver, and silver ore into gold.

* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'': The Goblin Alchemist's Transmute ability instantly kills an enemy unit and gives gold depending on its cost. It can only be used on weaker creeps and has a long cooldown period, though.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': The [[ShowWithinAShow story being told]] in "A Hearth's Warming Tail" features the main character, Snowfall Frost, attempting to transmutate a lump of coal into gold. She almost succeeds until the ringing of bells out in the street breaks her concentration.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': The WholeEpisodeFlashback "Them's the Breaks, Kid" shows that Raine developed a Bard spell as a teenager that allowed them to alter the chemical makeup of drinks by using the sound waves from whistling. [[MundaneUtility They primarily used it to improve the flavor of drinks]]. [[spoiler:This also allows them to [[PretendToBeBrainwashed fake their brainwashing]] by using it to neutralize the effects of Terra's mind controlling tea, disguising the whistling by making it look like they're simply blowing on the hot drink to cool it off.]]

* Brand-new elements are created in particle accelerators by slamming pure samples of lower elements into each other. For the most common and stable example, Technetium (atomic number 43), Molybdenum-98 (atomic number 42) is blasted with neutrons, becoming the highly-radioactive Molybdenum-99, which quickly decays into Technetium-98 when that extra neutron converts into a proton. Higher-numbered elements may use multiple elements as their sources, such as Nihonium (atomic number 113) being created by slamming Bismuth (atomic number 83) with Zinc (atomic number 30).

* ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'': Kuuga's Dragon, Pegasus, and Titan forms allow him to temporarily transmute objects items of a certain shape into weapons suited to his forms. High tier Guronji also have this ability.

** Most spellcasting {{class|AndLevelSystem}}es have some use of the School of Transmutation, which includes spells like ''[[ForcedTransformation baleful polymorph]]'' and ''[[TakenForGranite flesh to stone]]''. Spells that transmute substances can be specific (e.g.: ''transmute metal to wood'') or general (e.g.: ''polymorph any object'', which can turn almost anything into almost anything), but most can be {{Dispel|Magic}}led or [[NoOntologicalInertia have a limited duration]].

** Most spellcasting {{class|AndLevelSystem}}es have some use of the School of Transmutation, which includes spells like ''{{baleful polymorph}}'' and ''[[TakenForGranite flesh to stone]]''. Spells that transmute substances can be specific (e.g.: ''transmute metal to wood'') or general (e.g.: ''polymorph any object'', which can turn almost anything into almost anything), but most can be {{Dispel|Magic}}led or [[NoOntologicalInertia have a limited duration]].

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': Transmutation is integral to the "Art of Lying to the Face of God", or magic. The Red Art of Dominion empowers a practitioner to convince the universe that one form of physical matter is actually another form, like creating fruit out of thin air. The White Art of Division can transform the self, like [[DimensionalTraveler traveling across dimensions]]. Combined, they can achieve effects like a BalefulPolymorph.

* ''Franchise/TheFlash'': Dr Alchemy possesses the Philosopher's Stone which can transmute any object into another.

* ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperheroes'': The hero Element Lad and the villain Cosmic King both have the ability to change chemical elements into other elements.

SubTrope for {{Shapeshifting}}. One of the main characteristics of the PhilosophersStone. Serves as a SuperTrope to MidasTouch and TakenForGranite.

* ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}'': Atom Eve [[SwissArmySuperpower is very versatile with her power of matter transmutation]]. As long as she knows how something is made up, she can change it into something else and since she was created with a deep understanding of chemistry and molecular structure, her abilities are only limited by her imagination. She can change living and non-living matter, make atoms obey her will, create new atoms and form complex forms of life out of non-living matter, fly, create force-fields, shape energy to make any object she can visualize, turn intangible by passing her atomic particles through the spaces between the atoms of the object through which she is moving and augment normally unhealthy food such as cakes into nutritious foods. One major downside of her ability is that any unused atoms are absorbed into her body, which are then removed as waste. She has claimed that when she uses her powers a lot she has to "go to the bathroom" six or seven times a day.

* The inspiration for the alchemist's goal of turning lead to gold might have been inspired by the process of turning a similarly dull gray metal (zinc) into a shiny golden one (brass).

* ''Xombi'': David Kim has limited transmutation abilities due to the {{Nanomachines}} in his body.

* ''Manga/EdensZero'': Drakken Joe's [[MagicByAnyOtherName Ether Gear]] allows him to transmute objects.

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': At first it seems that her Transformation Magic can only be used to shapeshift. It's later revealed that she can transform objects and alter magics themselves by converting elemental spells into a different attribute. Gauche guesses that because she can transform other objects and magic, she doesn't actually have Transformation Magic. She later uses her magic to reassemble Gauche's body tissue by transforming the giant sword he was stabbed with, making it plausible that her magic isn't merely transformation. Owen notes that he's never seen such a magic that changes structure before, and names it Transmutation Magic.

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': At first it seems that Grey's Transformation Magic can only be used to shapeshift. However, it's later revealed that she can transform objects and alter magics themselves by converting elemental spells into a different attribute. Gauche guesses that because she can transform other objects and magic, she doesn't actually have Transformation Magic.

* ''Literature/SpinningSilver'': The law of the Staryk [[TheFairFolk Fair Folk]] is that "a power claimed and challenged and thrice carried out is true." Miryemclaims she can "turn silver into gold", referring to her success in business, but trading the Staryk's silver coins up to an equal number of gold coins empowers her to literally transmute silver into gold in the [[LandOfFaerie Staryk realm]], even though she's an otherwise non-magical human.

* ''ComicBook/{{Firestorm}}'': Everyone Firestorm has this ability. The first Firestorm could not affect organic matter but the Jason Rusch incarnation did not have this limitation.

* ''BoBoiBoy'': Gopal has the ability of molecular manipulation, which allows the wielder to change the molecular structure of one object into another based on the wielder's imagination. Gopal's powers were initially thought to be simply [[FoodBasedSuperpowers changing objects into food]] since Gopal is a BigEater.