Body-swapping, or "Freaky Friday" Syndrome, can be explained as either some form of super-power, or as a state of phenomena. The definitions behind this can vary as well. Simply put, it relates to a set of circumstances wherein an individual's mind or consciousness is supplanted from their body and placed into the body of another. Often this works as a tandem affect, with the mind of the secondary host being placed inside the body of the primary host. In occult circles, the act of body-swapping is similar to that of possession or even mind-control. It may also refer to the act of physically displacing an entire organism from one locale to another, while another organism is undergoing the same experience, from the opposite origin point, taking the place of the first organism at the same locale.
The most common form of body-swapping appears to be the act of switching minds between two host forms. This is usually conducted as a deliberate act by one who wishes to take control of the body of another. Like possession, the displaced mind is in full control of the host's form, but may not have access to that person's innate personality or memories. Reversing the situation depends on numerous variables as well, but usually operates under circumstances similar to that which prompted the body-swap to begin with.
In Television[]
- Angel: Carpe Noctem: Marcus Roscoe swaps bodies with Angel.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Witch: Witch Catherine Madison creates a spell that swaps bodies with her own daughter, Amy.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: This Year's Girl: Faith Lehane uses a mystical device that causes her to swap bodies with Buffy Summers.
- Charmed: Freaky Phoebe: Sorceress Imara switches bodies with Phoebe Halliwell.
- Cleopatra 2525: While imprisoned awaiting execution, the mutant Clown Creegan lured Helen Carter close to him and used a small device to switch their bodies, leaving Hel's mind trapped within his imprisoned form. [1]
In Comics[]
- Journey Into Mystery 57 - A Martian switches bodies with a human, but the man's dog sniffs out the difference.
- Oz: Heart of Magic 1 - The Wizard supplants Dorothy Gale's body. Dorothy's mind is in a blue humanoid body.
- Oz: The Wizard 1 - The Wizard takes possession of Dorothy Gale's body. Dorothy's mind is transplanted into a new blue humanoid body.
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen: Superman employed an Exchange Ray that would allow Jimmy Olsen to switch places with the Kandorian Van-Zee so that Jimmy could visit the miniaturized bottled city of Kandor. [2]
- Zombie Tramp Vol 3 7: Zombie Tramp's body is being destroyed, so she displaces her mind into the bodies of chickens being prepared as food. She also takes full possession of the Chicken Chicas plant manager.
- Zombie Tramp vs. Vampblade 1: Zombie Tramp uses sorcery to place her essence inside of Vampblade. Rather than reforming the host body in her own image however, she maintains Vampblade's form, while Vampblade's mind is housed inside of Zombie Tramp's body.