History Main / UnstableGeneticCode

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
** After being fatally shot, [[spoiler:William Birkin]] in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' injects himself with a syringe that contains the G-virus, which at first causes his wound to heal almost instantly. But [[BodyHorror it doesn't stop there]].
** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', this is a seemingly unintended side-effect of the C-virus. While it can regenerate tissue, considerable regeneration of tissue in the same area can cause genes to break-down and result in spontaneous mutation. [[AdaptiveAbility Usually in some manner to counteract the threat causing the damage]]; the instability is that it's impossible to predict how a J'avo will mutate. Even the Complete Mutation process, which transforms a J'avo into an entirely new species of B.O.W., is a random pick procedure.

* In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', this is what leads to [[spoiler:Zamasu's]] defeat, due to fusing with someone who was mortal, while himself was immortal, his body becomes very unstable. Combined with his now imperfect immortality, the results aren't pretty.

* The Deviants, and therefore, the Skrulls, in the MarvelUniverse were originally this.
* ''Comicbook/XMen'': This was the explanation used for Toad's initial pathetic Quasimodo-like appearance and "abilities". When it was corrected, he suddenly TookALevelInBadass and [[RetCanon turned into a sleek, cocky and dangerous acrobat molded in the likeness]] of Creator/RayPark.

* In ''ComicSTrip/SafeHavens'', Samantha has messed with her DNA so many times it's now unstable, causing her to randomly change at inopportune times.

* In ''[[Literature/{{Doom}} Doom: Endgame]]'', this describes the Newbies in a nutshell. All sentient life aside from humans and Newbies take thousands of years to evolve, languishing with MedievalStasis. Humans develop blindingly fast, able to progress from sailing ships to inter-system star ships in a mere five centuries. The Newbies managed to advance from hunter-gatherers to a force able to destroy the Fredworld in half that time. They evolve so fast that the dead one found on Fredworld fears he's now a different species after a forty year separation from his kind. When Fly finally tries to kill him, the Newbie starts evolving new organs to reroute around the damage caused by the bullets. When Fly and Arlene catch up to them on Skinwalker, the Newbies have become microscopic and have infected a human fleet. This becomes the Newbie's downfall, they drag the soul of a Newbie into the computer simulation and the processing speed accelerates the evolution until it disappears from the dimension.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E2PlanetOfEvil "Planet of Evil"]] has a scientist get unstable DNA by being infected with anti-matter. Which [[VoodooShark is even sillier]].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment "The Lazarus Experiment"]]: A scientist alters his own DNA to become young again but it becomes unstable, causing him to start changing from a human into a monster and back again. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by medical student Martha.

* "Hazmat" in ''VideoGame/MarvelNemesisRiseOfTheImperfects''. He has unstable DNA (a "living mutation") due to injections of untested immunization vaccines.
* After being fatally shot, [[spoiler:William Birkin]] in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' injects himself with a syringe that contains the G-virus, which at first causes his wound to heal almost instantly. But [[BodyHorror it doesn't stop there]].
* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', this is a seemingly unintended side-effect of the C-virus. While it can regenerate tissue, considerable regeneration of tissue in the same area can cause genes to break-down and result in spontaneous mutation. [[AdaptiveAbility Usually in some manner to counteract the threat causing the damage]]; the instability is that it's impossible to predict how a J'avo will mutate. Even the Complete Mutation process, which transforms a J'avo into an entirely new species of [=B.O.W=], is a random pick procedure.
* The point of the [[spoiler:Ultimate Being]] in the first ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve'' game. It would be able to take over the world as it could change its DNA at will to overcome any resistance.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Eevee is said to possess this in its Pokedex entry. It has eight different evolved forms, each of different [[ElementalRockPaperScissors types]]... and counting (it started with only three)!
** Ditto's DNA is also said to be unstable, but regularly malleable. This is apparently what lets it [[DittoFighter shape itself into any other Pokemon]], and [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction breed with any Pokemon capable of it]].
* The [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Zerg]] of ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' have this trait, along with a hyperactive metabolism that can rapidly replace most of a particular creature's body. Background details in ''{{VideoGame/Starcraft II|WingsOfLiberty}}'' explain that a Zerg organism is essentially composed entirely of highly mutable stem cells of two types: "Type A" that experience rapid mutations, and "Type B" that hunt them down and destroy them. The surviving Type A cells go on to create the next generation of Type B, leading to evolution at a cellular level that quickly spreads through the entire organism. Combined with their psychic HiveMind, this leads to the rapid "mutations" that serve zerg forces as in-game upgrades and unit production. Then there's the Primal Zerg introduced in ''Heart of the Swarm'', who are the Zerg who never left their homeworld of Zerus and are not part of the Hive Mind; their cells are just as mutable, but they mutate by fighting, killing, and devouring each other, with the winners [[CannibalismSuperpower absorbing desirable traits from their prey]].

** More generally, an unstable genetic code is one of the [[SideEffectsInclude long-term side effects]] of splicing with [[AppliedPhlebotinum ADAM]], which is the reason it's so physically addictive (and why [[PsychoSerum most of its users eventually go insane]]).

* Beast Boy from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' is stated to have this. Apparently, this came from him getting sick as a kid in Africa and the (experimental) cure for which threw his genetic code out of whack, turning him green and granting him the ability to turn into animals.
* Agent 57 from ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' explains how he can change shape in "The Spy Who Stayed In With A Cold." He ran into a molecular fragmenter with his tea trolley which left his molecular structure unstable allowing him to change into different things, but when he gets a bad cold it upsets his electrolyte balance, thus causing him to change into things he did not intend.

* ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks'': Dr. Paradigm was injected with "unstable DNA" early on, resulting in his periodic transformations into a humanoid piranha.

* Actually, each DNA duplication results in a significant amount of mutations, though for humans the rate per nucleotide (a 'letter' of the code) is much smaller than for bacteria... But since humans have so much DNA, the actual rate of mutation puts bacteria to shame.
* Technically speaking, it's what sexual reproduction is about. The point is to mix-and-match genes from the parents in hope that result would be something better. It works (usually), and it's why animals more complex than amoebas reproduce this way, not asexually.

FridgeLogic may come into play about the specific wording used, which would imply ''[[InvoluntaryShapeshifter random and uncontrolled]]'' shapeshifting. As this is not usually the case, something like "''malleable'' genetic code" might be more appropriate.

-->-- ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''

* ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' radio show described the Haggunenons this way. (They didn't appear in the books, which replaced the Haggunenon subplot with one involving Disaster Area.) To elaborate, it is stated that when reaching for sugar for their coffee, they may spontaneously evolve into something with far longer arms, but which is incapable of drinking coffee.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', various planets - especially Death Worlds - tend to have monstrous creatures as one-offs and adaptive mutations. Subverted at times when it's actually Chaos magic mutating them; played straight at other times, ESPECIALLY with the Tyranids.

* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': In the episode "Double Helix", a high-school teacher activated the introns in his DNA. This resulted in a map growing on his back, which he is intended to follow.

* Beast Boy from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' is stated to have this. Apparently, this came from him getting sick as a kid in Africa and the (experimental) cure for which threw his genetic code out of whack, turning him green and granting him the ability to turn into animals.

* Technically speaking, it is what about sexual reproduction is. The point is to mix-and-match genes from the parents in hope that result would be something better. It works.

* In the ''Film/ResidentEvil'' movie, the protagonists see a horrifying monster eating a dead body:

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E2PlanetOfEvil "Planet of Evil"]] has a scientist get unstable DNA by being infected with anti-matter. Which [[StuffBlowingUp is even sillier]].

** Ditto's DNA is also said to have an unstable, but regularly malleable. This is apparently what lets it [[DittoFighter shape itself into any other Pokemon]], and [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction breed with any Pokemon capable of it]].

* Actually, each DNA duplication results in significant amount of mutations, though for humans the rate per nucleotide (a 'letter' of the code) is much smaller than for bacteria... But hell, humans have DNA of such a length, that actual rate of mutations puts bacterias to a shame

->''"The Haggunenons of Vicissitus Three have the most impatient chromosomes of any life form in the Galaxy. Whereas most races are content to evolve slowly and carefully over thousands of generations, discarding a prehensile toe here, nervously hazarding another nostril there, the Haggunenons would do for Charles Darwin what a squadron of Arcturan stunt apples would have done for Sir Isaac Newton. Their genetic structure, [[{{Technobabble}} based on the quadruple sterated octohelix]], is so chronically unstable that, far from passing their basic shape onto their children, they will quite frequently evolve several times over lunch."''