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Shifting was the usual name for Jenny Everywhere's ability to transmit both matter and information from one universe to another, for which reason she was known as the Shifter. Other beings who could perform the same trick sometimes also called themselves Shifters, although it was also used to refer to dimensional travellers in general. David Lowe once referred to shifting as “the kefizat haderech”.
Some types of interdimensional vessels, such as hyperships, could be used to shift artificially if one did not have personal shifting powers, in some cases by means of a dimensional shift engine. However, not all interdimensional vessels were described as “shifting”.
Nature
Variation
Some versions of Jenny Everywhere could shift themselves, physically to another universe, or mentally into the body of one of their counterparts in said other universes, at will in a split-second, (COMIC: The Late Shift) although others had trouble controlling how, when or where they would shift. (COMIC: My Bloody Valentine)
Physical shifting usually had telltale markers, but they varied from Shifter to Shifter and from world to world. Visually, Jenny could emerge wrapped in a rainbow (COMIC: Planet Pedro) or rainbow-like shifter energy, (PROSE: Pratfall, I Found Him On The Internet, COMIC: Jenny Everywhere in the House of Terror) gradually fade away, (PROSE: SCP-JEv) or merely blink into existence; (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere Meets The Crew Of The Copper-Colored Cupids, The Time of the Toymaker) she was once seen to disappear in what looked like an explosion (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere is Back for the First Time) or in a flash of light. (PROSE: The Grand Multiverse Hotel, Psychopomp) When Sven Allestädes shifted away and took people with him, each shifting person would leave behind a small pink cloud and a rising plume of yellow-greenish smoke, which took several seconds to dissipate. (COMIC: Enchanted)
Likewise a variety of sounds could be produced, including:
- ‘SHIFT!’, (COMIC: The Legend of Jenny Everywhere, Redistribution, Jenny Everywhere Meets The Crew Of The Copper-Colored Cupids, etc.) with variants such as a a “soft *shft* sound” (PROSE: Truth in Labeling)
- ‘POOF!’ (COMIC: Something Wasn't Right.)
- ‘BAMF!’, (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere is Back for the First Time)
- ‘SPLINK!’ (COMIC: Narcissist?)
- ‘WOMPH!’ (PROSE: The Grand Multiverse Hotel)
- ‘FZZZZZ!’ (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere and the Dark Bishop)
- ‘FOOOP’ (COMIC: Enchanted)
- ‘VwARP!’ (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere and the Master of Monsters)
Some Jennies' physical appearance and attire shifted subtly when they moved from one dimension to the next, as a form of disguise, although this was not universal. (PROSE: Paperback Writer, COMIC: Jenny Everywhere vs. the Drag-Racing Monkeys)
Shifting items
Some shifters, including some incarnations of Jenny Everywhere (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere in the House of Terror, PROSE: How To Steal Timeships & To Influence Time Lords) could shift items other than themselves, either summoning or banishing them. Some Jennies could use shifting at will to change clothes, or even put on make-up, instantly, even when this did not correspond to a change of dimension. (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere in the House of Terror, PROSE: How To Steal Timeships & To Influence Time Lords) On the other hand, for some Jennies, such as the one who travelled onboard the Wilson, shifting objects into their grasp was an exchange: they made an object they were already holding switch places with one in another universe. The change could be random, subconsciously-guided, or controlled with greater precision. (COMIC: The Jenny Everywhere Chronicles) The Jenny of the Discworld could summon objects to her close vicinity without actually having to touch them, enabling her to shift more sand into an hourglass without opening it. (PROSE: Pratfall)
Limitations
It was possible for people or items to be warded against teleportation, preventing Jenny Everywhere from shifting them against their will. (PROSE: Truth in Labeling)
A shifter alone was unable to shift into 5D Space: the power of five shifters had to be pooled to achieve this feat. (COMIC: Makeshift Multiverse) At least one Jenny Everywhere instinctively relied on the knowledge of her other selves to ‘aim’ in her shifting; when the Rifts epidemic cut her off from the telepathic network, she found herself unable to shift properly, ending up in random locations or in the middle of the Void. (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere Meets The Crew Of The Copper-Colored Cupids)
Although some shifters could exercise finer control, the default state of Jenny Everywhere's powers was that, when she shifted from one universe to the next, whichever possessions of hers she was currently touching would be shifted as well. This allowed her to keep her clothes, scarves and goggles when she shifted, but could be leveraged to incapacitate her: when wanting to keep Jenny tied up, Sizemore once tied her wrists together using her own scarf, meaning she could not simply shift away to free herself, as the bonds would be pulled along. (PROSE: Paperback Writer)
Shifting to, or through, the Overvoid was not impossible, but it was inadvisable; Jenny Everywhere herself, in at least one incarnation, had traumatic memories of once shifting through the Overvoid. (PROSE: The Hermetic Garbage of Jenny Everywhere)
According to one account, it was difficult, at least for some incarnations Jenny Everywhere, to abuse one's shifting powers to teleport within a single dimension instead of from one universe to another; while this could be possible with great strain, it greatly damaged the shifter, to the point of dying shortly after achieving the feat. (PROSE: Past Prologue) However, other accounts showed Jenny using her shifting powers to teleport over short distances with no issues, showing this was far from universal. (COMIC: New York Chaos, et alt.)
Side-effects
When people who weren't shifters themselves shifted for the first time, they would sometimes experience a feeling similar to being mildly inebriated or intoxicated. This wore off after a few minutes. (COMIC: Enchanted)
Shifter hangover was a condition which could occur as a result of excessive shifting in a compressed time-frame. It would last until the fabric of reality around the shifter healed. In the meantime, they would cause small glitches in reality around them, and be assailed by memories from other lifetimes. (PROSE: Morning After) A counterpart problem also existed; known as parallel bleed syndrome, it was an effect of too many incarnations of the same individual being in one place that would start to send echoes of the experience to other counterparts not involved in the event. Even dimensional travellers such as the Man With No Name, who did not otherwise have a psychic network with his other selves, and used a D-Jump device instead of innate shifting powers, could be affected. (COMIC: The Legend of Jenny Everywhere)
Transfer
In some cases, shifter abilities could be temporarily transferred to other individuals. Kim, Jenny Everywhere's vampiric roommate in one universe, could gain a temporary bond with other individuals from drinking some of their blood, and feel their location; when she drank Jenny's, she temporarily became linked to the mental network of Jennies Everywhere, and temporarily gained shifting powers herself, although this quickly faded. Kim found the experience very overwhelming and preferred not to have to do it, but kept a bottle of Jenny's blood stashed away for emergencies, with Jenny's consent. (PROSE: The Absquatulation of Jenny Everywhere)
Replication
Although there were many methods of interdimensional travel, some specifically replicated shifting powers like Jenny Everywhere's. These included the shift-guns built by one version of Laura Drake with Jenny's own help. (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere and the Master of Monsters)
Shifter energy
- See main article: Shifter energy
At least some Jenny Everywhere incarnations' shifting gave off large amounts of “shifter energy”, (COMIC: Makeshift Multiverse) or “shift energy”. (PROSE: Morning After) This energy, refined into a beam fired from a cannon, was one of the few things which could harm the Entity. It seemed to be tied into the life-force of each individual Shifter in some way, as it being entirely drained away could result in the death of the subject. (COMIC: Makeshift Multiverse)
Jenny understood shifter hangover as being caused by “burning through a lot of shift energy really fast”. (PROSE: Morning After)
It was possible to harness a shifter's dimension-transcending powers against their will, draining them of energy. For instance, Doctor Brain's Portal was an interdimensional portal which drew its power from a captured Jenny Nowhere. (COMIC: Meanwhile, On Earth)
Shifter energy was known to appear as a shimmering gold, (COMIC: Makeshift Multiverse) rainbow-coloured, (COMIC: Jenny Everywhere in the House of Terror, etc.) or green. (COMIC: Zed Vs. The Travel Agent)
Erroneous claims
In the Collapsed Cosmos, true shifting became impossible (even for Jenny) because the Multiverse had collapsed. However, teenagers on TikTok began claiming that they had cracked the secret of reality-shifting and could visit parallel universes to engage in romantic relationships with “a certain wizarding bad boy”. It was also rumoured that the CIA was experimenting with reality-shifting. Jenny Everywhere knew that all these claims were erroneous. (PROSE: The Hermetic Garbage of Jenny Everywhere)