Retroactive continuity
Retroactive continuity , or retcon for short, [1] [2] is a literary device in which established facts in a fictional work are adjusted, ignored, or contradicted by a subsequently published work which breaks continuity with the former. [3] There are various motivations for applying retroactive continuity, including: To accommodate desired aspects of sequels or derivative works which would otherwise be ruled out; To correct and overcome errors or problems identified in the prior work since its publication; To change how the prior work should be interpreted; To match reality, when assumptions or projections of the future are later proven wrong. [Note 1] Retcons are used by authors to increase their creative freedom, on the assumption that the changes are unimportant to the audience compared to the new story which can be told. For instance, by retroactively setting a prior story in a parallel universe, departed popular characters can be reintroduced. More subtly, a minor plot point might