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{{trope}}
[[File:
Usually, when you gain some special ability, it will manifest in some fairly conventional forms. [[Pure Energy|Energy blasts]], [[Psychic Powers
▲Where [[Stock Super Powers]] meets [[Body Horror]].
For the less lucky, however, such new talents will have a [[Squick|disturbing]] biological component. They find themselves able to sprout [[Combat Tentacles|thrashing razor-tipped tentacles]], drool highly corrosive acid saliva, or extrude venomous thorns from their flesh. Alas, for these people have been [[Blessed
▲Usually, when you gain some special ability, it will manifest in some fairly conventional forms. [[Pure Energy|Energy blasts]], [[Psychic Powers|psychic powers]], [[Nigh Invulnerability|steel skin]], [[Elemental Powers|control over different forms of matter]] and varieties of [[Magic]] are all relatively common.
The name originates from classic scifi/horror writer Mr. [[
▲For the less lucky, however, such new talents will have a [[Squick|disturbing]] biological component. They find themselves able to sprout [[Combat Tentacles|thrashing razor-tipped tentacles]], drool highly corrosive acid saliva, or extrude venomous thorns from their flesh. Alas, for these people have been [[Blessed With Suck]] and granted a [[Squick]][[Crunchtastic|tastic]] [[Lovecraftian Superpower]].
A subtrope of [[Bad Powers, Bad People]], usually, possibly because [[Magic Is Evil]]. May be a useful side-effect of [[The Virus]] or [[The Corruption]]. Often manifests as [[Combat Tentacles]], [[You Are Who You Eat|cannibalistic]] and [[Body Horror|horrific]] [[Shapeshifting]] (sometimes [[Partial Transformation|partial shapshifting]]), [[Bloody Murder]], or a [[Bee-Bee Gun]], and is likely [[Power Incontinence|not quite controllable]]. Can overlap with [[One-Winged Angel]] and [[Shapeshifter Mashup]], and usually counts as a [[Super-Trope]] of [[Spider Limbs]].
▲The name originates from classic scifi/horror writer Mr. [[HP Lovecraft]], whose characteristic creations often seemed equal parts Nightmare Fuel and biology textbook.
▲A subtrope of [[Bad Powers, Bad People]], usually, possibly because [[Magic Is Evil]]. May be a useful side-effect of [[The Virus]] or [[The Corruption]]. Often manifests as [[Combat Tentacles]], [[You Are Who You Eat|cannibalistic]] and [[Body Horror|horrific]] [[Shapeshifting]] (sometimes [[Partial Transformation|partial shapshifting]]), [[Bloody Murder]], or a [[Bee-Bee Gun]], and is likely [[Power Incontinence|not quite controllable]]. Can overlap with [[One-Winged Angel]] and [[Shapeshifter Mashup]], and usually counts as a [[Super-Trope]] of [[Spider Limbs]].
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* Mushizo of ''[[Ninja Scroll]]'' is a deformed hunchback with a hornet's nest growing straight out of his back.
** A few of the characters from the series are worthy of mention as well, such as a swordsman who has a hideous parasitic worm living in his stomach that attacks and kills anyone that is about to kill its host.
* Likewise, Shino and the Aburame clan in ''[[Naruto]]'' turn their bodies into living hives for their Kikkai insects, but are portrayed much more sympathetically, and with only a few tiny holes in their cheeks as the only visible indicator of their trait (they wear rather concealing clothing, so any further changes are unseen).
** The [[
*** His eyes are [https://web.archive.org/web/20140603222017/http://images.wikia.com/naruto/images/f/fa/Shino_Eyes.jpg seen from the side] in episode 149 of Part I. The manga says nothing either way.
** Heck, a lot of ninjas are like this. Kimmimaro's blood limit is to weaponize his ''bones'' stands out as pretty freaky. But then there is any ninja who can use the 2nd level of the curse seal, that transforms their body into some monstrosity. Or Juugo, the original source of the curse seal, whose abilities are basically shifting his body into whatever the situation at hand calls for. Kakuzu passes into this territory as well, given that he is partially made of freely-controllable string and artificially extends his life by using his opponents like organ banks whenever something grows too old to work, plus there's those... ''things'' that he can create out of the string.
** Orochimaru transformed himself into a humanoid-snake like being who can extend his body to bizarre lenghts(including his neck and tong), puke swords, eat large objects, body surf and do other nightmarish things. {{spoiler|Also, his real form is a big snake made of other snakes with his human head on the end.}}
* The aliens in ''[[Parasyte]]''.
* [[Eldritch Abomination|Awakened Beings]] in ''[[Claymore]]'' tend to start sprouting tentacles to rip people apart with. That's [[Up to Eleven|only the beginning]] of the [[Body Horror]] here, though...
* Mentuthuyopi from ''[[Hunter X Hunter]]'', one of the elite Chimera Ants, has the ability to mutate his own body. There is seemingly no limit to the number of bodyparts or amount of distortion. He does some really cool stuff with this, too; his period as a centaur-thing was impressive.
* ''[[Inuyasha]]'': This is
* In ''[[Ranma
* In ''[[Speed Grapher]]'', one of the Euphorics<ref>(people with disturbing sexual fetishes turned into super powers)</ref> is a dentist who can make lots of tentacles made out of dental instruments sprout out of his back. Because backs sprouting tentacles and dental tools weren't terrifying enough on their own.
* ''[[Guyver]]'' tends to invoke this trope, especially with the first activation of the eponymous suit.
* In ''[[
* Xam'ds in ''[[
* Alucard from ''[[Hellsing]]'', when he takes on worthy opponents.
* In ''[[
* In ''[[Bleach]]'' the 9th Espada Aaronerio has resurrection.
**
* Almost everyone from the Demon World in ''[[Wicked City]]'' has some kind of
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' gives us a lot of the angels, but especially [[The Virus|Bardiel and Armisael]], though [[Fusion Dance|Israfel]]'s dance of death is also pretty bad. And, ahem, the entirety of the Instrumentality.
* All the devilmen in ''[[Devilman]]'' gain their powers through [[Demonic Possession]] and [[Body Horror]]. [[It Got Worse|It gets worse]] the more a demon takes over a human host or [[Mix and Match Critter|several merge]] into one body.
* ''[[Angel Sanctuary]]'': So, so much. Rosiel's powers are exclusively this, and a few others get in on the act too.
* [[Chaotic]]'s Stelgar: though originally a very spiny starfish [http://chaotic.wikia.com/wiki/File:Stelgar01.png and slightly creepy], his new look [http://chaotic.wikia.com/wiki/File:Stelgar.png.png makes his old look seem cute and snuggly] ▼
* ''[[Magic the Gathering]]'' sometimes does this with cards like Unstable Mutation and some of the versions of Unholy Strength feature frightful assymetry. Other cards, like Fallen Angel, involve sacrificing creatures to pump them up.▼
** Or there's the direct route, via [http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193492 Eldrazi Conscription].▼
== Comic Books ==
* ''[[X
** In the ''[[X-Men: Evolution]]'' series, the character who inspired him, Spyke,<ref>[[Atop the Fourth Wall
** And of course, there's Wolverine's claws. Which are bone knives that slice through his forearms and hands everytime they extend. [[Good Thing You Can Heal|Good Thing He Can Heal]] indeed.
*** It still stings like hell, though.
*** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vQ2RVqJCNM This] video parodies the problems that result from having the claws without the [[Good Thing You Can Heal|healing factor]].
** Predating the Spike is the even more Lovecraftian Marrow, whose bone growths were originally uncontrollable, random, and disfiguring. She would tear them out periodically to use as melee weapons, healing the wounds left behind with her [[Healing Factor]].
** As well as the rest of [[The Morlocks]] living in the sewers.
** And then there's Tusk, who was exactly like this, but also with little Mini-Me sort of things that could jump out of the pods on his back, for some reason.
** A former X-Man with the charming name of [[Xtreme Kool Letterz|Maggott]] had two parasitic slugs that ''crawled out of his belly'' and could eat anything. He spent most of his childhood nearly starving to death until his primary digestive system (the slugs) emerged.
** Johnny Dee of the 198 isn't a mutant, but his internalized parasitic twin is. It extends poison tentacles from his gut, and makes mind-controlling zombie dolls of anyone whose DNA it eats.
* One short-lived member of ''[[X
* ''[[Generation X]]'' foe Emplate had mouths on his hands that let him cannibalize mutant bone marrow.
* [[Spider-Man]] has on at least one occasion turned into a literal multi-limbed arachnid-humanoid creature. Even normal Spider-Man, in those incarnations where the [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|sticky white silk]] he shoots from his hands is organic, arguably counts.
** Or the time when he fights Miss Arrow. Or, really, just her entire being. Bonus points for being a Lovecraftian horror in the FIRST place, madam.
** Minor Spidey villain the Squid can grow multiple tentacles and spew black ink from his skin.
* The Bride of Nine Spiders from ''[[Immortal Iron Fist]]'' can summon hordes of spiders from her chest.
* Milder example in ''[[Fantastic Four]]'': The Thing looks like a giant rock hulk.
* The various 'Symbiotes' in the [[Marvel Universe]] all have this, to varying degrees. Most noticeable is Carnage, a psychopathic serial killer whose symbiote tends to turn into a cloud of barbed tentacles whenever it feels like it. Also, the reason his suit is red is that it's made up of the Venom symbiote mixed with Cletus Cassidy's blood.
** Of course, in the ''Spider-Man: Web of Shadows'' videogame, Spider-Man's old 'Black Suit' symbiote also has the potential to turn into this, if you buy all its upgrades. Waves of writhing, black tentacles covering half a city block is just the beginning...
* ''[[
** And perhaps one of the tamest. At least Bruce maintains a totally humanoid form. There are a number of gamma mutates who aren't ''nearly'' so lucky...
* Top Cow seems to be fond of this. With two parts of their Triarchy, ''[[Witchblade (Comic Book)|Witchblade]]'' and ''[[The Darkness]]'' fitting the description. [[Combat Tentacles]] being just the start for both powers. The third of them, [[Light Is Not Good|the Angelus]], is more of a [[Holy Hand Grenade]].
* It's possible that [[Green Lantern|Guy Gardner]]'s [[Shapeshifter Weapon|Warrior powers]] weren't supposed to invoke this trope, but the terrible '90s art on his [[Nineties Anti-Hero|solo series]] made his transformations deeply squicky.
* Most of the characters from [[Grant Morrison]]'s run on the ''[[Doom Patrol]]''.
** Perhaps most emblematically, Freak. A parasitic tentacle beast lives in her body. While she has total control over its tendrils... ''ick''.
*
* In the [[Marvel Universe]], the Celestial experiments on proto-humans that created the Eternals and mutants also created the Deviants. While the Eternals are superhumans with the ability to manipulate energy, the Deviants look like horrible monsters straight out of Lovecraft's works. Fortunately, [[Dark Is Not Evil|most of them aren't that bad]] and just want to live in peace.
* [[Deadpool]] was an attempt to replicate Wolverine's healing factor that went wrong. Deadpool's healing factor comes from the fact that his entire body is made of cancerous tumors that are constantly being destroyed and rebuilt.
** Actually, ''Deadpool''{{'}}s healing factor comes from having Wolverine's DNA injected into himself. The cancer was killing him already, and they thought the healing factor would cure that. Unfortunately, the healing factor applied to his body
* The first three issues of ''Generation Hope'' dealt with the manifestation of the powers of Kenji Uedo, the fifth new mutant since M-Day. His power is a sort of "techno-organic" shapeshifting, but that doesn't quite convey [http://marvel.wikia.com/Kenji_Uedo_(Earth-616)/Gallery how very Lovecraftian they can be].
* The miniseries ''[[
* In ''[[The Umbrella Academy]]'' series, The Horror is pretty much the embodiment of this. He's said to have several monsters hidden under his skin. Whether or not they're from space or another dimension or something else has yet to be stated. However, according to some people in universe, they're horrible and disgusting.
* In the ''[[Touhou Project]]'' story ''[[
** In the same fanfic, {{spoiler|Yuuka Kazami is capable of shapeshifting her own body into all kinds of horrid, twisted forms, all with a floral theme. This isn't just vine tentacles and root claws either. She can actually turn herself into Kaiju-sized plant monstrosities and weaponize every single part of her body. This power of Yuuka is justified in that she's actually an [[Eldritch Abomination|Elder God]], albeit a very weakened one.}}▼
== Film ==▼
* Engineers from ''[[Tokyo Gore Police]]'' are genetically modified humans who sprout weapons from injuries they receive. For example, the first one in the film grows a bio-mechanical chainsaw after his arm is cut off.
* [[David Cronenberg]] uses this a lot:▼
** Seth Brundle in ''[[The Fly]]'' gains the ability to wallcrawl, super strength, and even vomit a corrosive enzyme to dissolve food (or enemies). Unfortunately, he gained these abilities when he accidentally fused his genes with a fly, and slowly mutates into a grotesque giant insect/human hybrid. [[Blessed
** ''[[The Brood]]''. While Psychoplasmics isn't ''necessarily'' a superpower, the ability to birth homunculi from your traumatic memories who end up subconsciously doing your bidding might be considered useful, if fucked up.
** ''[[Videodrome]]'', where Max ([[Unreliable Narrator|probably]]) gets mutable flesh and a giant mouth in his stomach, which can apparently create hand grenades.▼
* In ''[[District 9]]'', Wikus is exposed to alien fluid which slowly transforms him (starting with his arm) into one of the aliens. This gives him both an alien's strength and the ability to operate their weapons.▼
* Generally the [[Big Bad
== Literature ==
* Corrupted spellcasters in ''[[The Banned and
* In books by [[Clive Barker]], villains ([[Dark Is Not Evil|and otherwise]]) tend to have these.
** In ''[[Abarat
*** Leeman Vole is a man who enjoys growing insects. [[Nausea Fuel|On and in his own body]].
*** Leotho is a boy with a [[Involuntary Shapeshifting|ravenous beast form]]. He works for Carrion in return for the antidote, which he needs continual doses of to remain human.
*** Don't forget [[Complete Monster|Mater Motley]], [[Never Mess
* A number of Jokers from the ''[[Wild Cards]]'' series. One that particularly pops to mind is Bloat. And Mother. And Ti Malice.
* The Denarians from ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' are often [[Mind Rape
* Oddly enough, the kindly, feminine protagonist of ''Confessions of Super-Mom'' has a Lovecraftian
* Another heroic example: Bes from ''[[The Kane Chronicles]]'', whose trademark attack is scaring the crap out of his enemy by warping his face hideously.
* Drake from ''[[Gone (novel)|Gone]]'' ends up with a long, dangerous whip where his arm should be.
▲== Fan Fiction ==
▲* In the [[Touhou Project]] story [[Imperfect Metamorphosis (Fanfic)|Imperfect Metamorphosis]], the resident [[Blob Monster]] qualifies. {{spoiler|Rin Satsuki was just a young Kirin with an interesting native power, and gained the power to [[Mega Manning|absorb other people and use their abilities in turn]], thanks to Eirin's experiments. At the cost of her own body. It's without saying that she [[Gone Horribly Wrong|really doesn't take that well]].}}
▲** In the same fanfic, {{spoiler|Yuuka Kazami is capable of shapeshifting her own body into all kinds of horrid, twisted forms, all with a floral theme. This isn't just vine tentacles and root claws either. She can actually turn herself into Kaiju-sized plant monstrosities and weaponize every single part of her body. This power of Yuuka is justified in that she's actually an [[Eldritch Abomination|Elder God]], albeit a very weakened one.}}
▲== Film ==
▲* Engineers from ''[[Tokyo Gore Police]]'' are genetically modified humans who sprout weapons from injuries they receive. For example, the first one in the film grows a bio-mechanical chainsaw after his arm is cut off.
▲* [[David Cronenberg]] uses this a lot:
▲** Seth Brundle in ''[[The Fly]]'' gains the ability to wallcrawl, super strength, and even vomit a corrosive enzyme to dissolve food (or enemies). Unfortunately, he gained these abilities when he accidentally fused his genes with a fly, and slowly mutates into a grotesque giant insect/human hybrid. [[Blessed With Suck]] indeed.
▲** ''[[The Brood]]''. While Psychoplasmics isn't ''necessarily'' a superpower, the ability to birth homunculi from your traumatic memories who end up subconsciously doing your bidding might be considered useful, if fucked up.
▲** ''[[Videodrome]]'', where Max ([[Unreliable Narrator|probably]]) gets mutable flesh and a giant mouth in his stomach, which can apparently create hand grenades.
▲* In [[District 9]], Wikus is exposed to alien fluid which slowly transforms him (starting with his arm) into one of the aliens. This gives him both an alien's strength and the ability to operate their weapons.
▲* Generally the [[Big Bad|Big Bads]] from the movies of [[Resident Evil (Film)|Resident Evil]] gain this through [[The Virus|the T virus]].
== Live Action TV ==
* In
** Vampires can also be considered to have this, as they have a hideous [[Game Face]] that makes them stronger, and it's implied that, with age, the [[Game Face]] can't be changed back, but they get a massive power boost.
* In one of the ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' online novels, one man's superpower was to involuntarily grow spikes; he accidentally killed his wife this way, and then everyone in the van he was being transported to prison in (except for a guard who could turn into liquid).
** And then, of course, there's volume 3 Mohinder, who {{spoiler|uses his own serum to grant him Spider Man-style powers, with the side-effect of growing scales over his skin}}.
** Maya could cry toxic tears.
** In another graphic novel, there was a character who breathed out chlorine gas instead of carbon dioxide.
* Pathfinders in ''[[
** Aside from the Corlata's ability to shapeshift in a particularly gruesome way, one of them apparently had the power to exude an explosive fluid from his hands.
** The Halosians can animate their vomit into a seperate entity.
** When starved, Delvians produce venomous buds from their skin and exhale clouds of paralysing spores.
** E'Alet, the villain from "A Prefect Murder", could [[Bee-Bee Gun|grow swarms of mind-controlling sgabba flies inside his skull and emit them.]]
== Mythology ==
* The warp-spasm of Cuchulainn from [[Celtic Mythology]] is all this. Think the [[Incredible Hulk]], [[wikipedia:Cuchulainn#The Cattle Raid of Cooley|only uglier]].
** Longrunning [[
== Tabletop Games ==
* A feature of ''The Dreadful Secrets of Candlewick Manor'', a supplement for ''[[Monsters and Other Childish Things]]''. The more powers you have, the more creepy other people find you and the less you can pass for normal. (In the original game, you have a [[Mons|mon]] companion. In ''Candlewick Manor'', you have an eerie power which (usually) manifests physically, or else mentally or psychically.)
* Sorcerers in the game ''Sorcerer'' who have Parasite demons commonly have this kind of power.
* Many of the mutations Chaos champions gain in ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]'' and ''[[Warhammer
** Hell, an eye or emu's leg is nothing compared to the grotesque explosions of tentacles (with breasts and tongues if we're talking about Slaanesh)that you can get stuck with!
** Chaos Marauders, at least in their [[MMORPG|Age of Reckoning]] manifestation, use Chaos energies to spontaneously mutate their limbs into a variety of crablike claws and similar weapons.
** In fact, a persistent danger to Chaos champions is that their gods will [[Blessed
* ''[[GURPS]]'' lists the Battle Jaw, Tentacle Transplant and Ripsnake as potential body modifications, which can come as quite a shock to the unsuspecting.
** ''[[GURPS]] [[Celtic Mythology]]'' also includes the above mentioned warp-spasm. All Fomorians [[Half Human Hybrids|and their descendants]] also receive a [[Red Right Hand]] that gives them the ability to horrify opponents.
* ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''
** The core rules have the Phantasmal Killer spell
*** And then ''[[Planescape]]'' got a story of some wizard who had a bright idea to cast ''this'' on Ethereal plane, where any vision generated via illusion/phantasm has a small chance of becoming quite real - sometimes under the caster's command, sometimes not. The point is, a critter with powers resembling this spell is still around... unlike that wizard.
** The Alienist is very explicitly Lovecraftian, as it involves abandoning their sanity, summoning [[Eldritch Abomination|outsider beings]], and modifying their bodies with otherworldly effects. Appeared in ''Player's Option: Spells&Magic''
*** 3e version in ''Tome and Blood'' turned from "mad stuff from beyond" toward "excessive tentacle fetish" interpretation of "Lovecraftian", but still.
** ''Book of Vile Darkness'' There's also the Vermin Lord (who gets covered in bugs) and the Cancer Mage (how does "Sentient Tumour" sound as a superpower?).
** ''Lords of Madness'' adds the Fleshwarper (grafts for all!). You can also take Abberant feats, which improve your body while making you look really messed up.
** There are also ''two'' versions of the Pseudonatural Creature template. As well as a Half-Farspawn template. Both of which add tentacles to an existing creature(although, the first is more of a template for creatures native to Lovecraftian dimensions that happen to bear some resemblance to their Material Plane equivalents, rather than a modification).
** Special mention should be made of the 3.0 ''Song and Silence'' Prestige Class "Fang of Lolth", who slowly gives over the body to an image preferred by the above-mentioned Spider-Queen. Unhinged jaws, bug-eyes, hairy limbs, ''extra'' limbs. This starts when someone uses in an unintended way one of magical items produced by her priestesses.
** Another notable one is called the Warshaper, which basically involves taking a character that can change shape in some way, and going nuts with it. Sprouting claws, horns, mouths and spikes at will, being able to double the length of limbs for better reach. Growing more limbs, all of the above at once...
** The ''Expanded Psionics Handbook'' doesn't have anything explicitly aberrant (besides illithids), but many of the powers available to the psychic warrior involve sprouting claws and spitting acid. One of the higher-level abilities, Form of Doom, makes the psychic warrior's body stronger and faster, "complete with an ooze-sleek skin coating, [[Combat Tentacles|lashing tentacles]], and a [[Primal Fear|fright-inducing countenance]]".
**
** The ''[[Pathfinder]]'' campaign setting offers sorcerers different bloodlines. One of them, the Aberrant bloodline, gives the practitioner slightly 'wiggy' anatomy (which gets progressively more so as he gets higher in level). Starts out with the ability to spit acid, ends with Abberant Physiology, in which your characters so messed up, he's immune to critical hits.
*** The Vivisection Alchemist's recommended Discoveries are things like tentacles, parasitic twins, Tumor Familliars, and vestigial arms. And their base skillset [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|is focused on making]] [[Petting Zoo People|furries]] from animals who piss them off.
** A ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' 4e special is the spellscarred multiclass feature, which has all kinds of nasty [[Body Horror]] powers. Including unhinging your jaw to take a bite out of your enemies, bleeding on your sword to make it blister with plague, and creating a rope of flesh that binds you to your target so they can't escape you.
** ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]''
* In ''[[
** Don't forget what Tzimisce can do with their Vicissitude, which allows them to sculpt themselves or others into [[The Blob|slimy pus-heaps]] or powerful [[Mutants|mutant monsters]], as they see fit. One sourcebook played up the Lovecraftian connections by making it a parasitic virus from the Umbra. [[Canon
** A few of the [[Prestige Class|bloodlines]] in the successor game, ''[[Vampire: The Requiem]]'', have similar abilities. Take [[Circus of Fear|the Carnival]], whose special Discipline ranges from contortion tricks to merging with another vampire to form a hybrid. Or the [[I'm a Humanitarian|Noctuku]], who alter their flesh so they can absorb more blood and better digest vampiric flesh. Or the Norvegi, who lack fangs but make up for it by producing bony spines that allow them to feed through their fingers. Or...
* The ''[[New World of Darkness]]'' Cherion Group thaumatechnology from ''[[
** The reality deviant worshippers in ''Second Sight'' get a whole ''section'' of [[Body Horror]]-themed features and rituals.
** [[Geist: The Sin Eaters
** And then there's the Centimani of ''[[Promethean: The Created]]'', Prometheans who turn their back on [[To Become Human|the Great Work]] and embrace [[The Dark Side|Flux]]. They can buy all sorts of twisted mutations, from tentacles to extra organs to the ability to turn into a puddle of sentient liquid.
*** Similarly, the [[I Love Nuclear Power|Zeky]] get a ''whole'' bunch of unwholesome Transmutations based around atomic energy and its side effects. Three words: Mind. Control. Tumor.
** [[Mage: The Awakening
** The fourth clause of the Contract of Mirrors allows [[Changeling: The Lost
* Fomori have this and [[The Corruption]] as pretty much their entire schtick in [[
* In the Glorantha setting of ''[[
* In ''[[Cthulhu Tech]]'', Tagers and their Nyarlathotep-worshiping counterparts, the Dhohanoids, manifest a [[Guyver]]-style ability to transform into [[Eldritch Abomination|Eldritch Abominations.]]
* Nightbane. A Palladium horror dark fantasy, where your [[Blessed
* ''[[Exalted]]'' has a fair number of horrors with these abilities. Chimera Knacks for Lunars, some of the freakier Yozi charms for Infernals, the Abyssals and their freaky undeath powers...and let's not even get into a discussion of the Wyld. (With the Broken-Winged Crane expansion, Infernals can even literally turn into a [[Cthulhu Mythos|shoggoth]].)
* You can learn the Celtic "warp-spasm" in ''[[Scion]]''. The picture that accompanies it shows someone in the middle stages of transformation, and it isn't pretty (he's effectively turning into a mutant crow).
* One of the many consequences of taking high levels of Taint in White Wolf's ''[[Aberrant]]''. Low-level aberrations might include glowing eyes or bulging muscles, while the higher levels of aberration include becoming too hideous to view or having an entire vestigial body. Made worse by the fact that the game's sister series, ''[[Trinity]]'', implies that all super-humans in the setting will eventually fall prey to the higher-level aberrations.
▲* ''[[Chaotic]]''{{'}}s Stelgar: though originally a very spiny starfish [http://chaotic.wikia.com/wiki/File:Stelgar01.png and slightly creepy], his new look [http://chaotic.wikia.com/wiki/File:Stelgar.png.png makes his old look seem cute and snuggly]
▲* ''[[Magic:
▲** Or there's the direct route, via [http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193492 Eldrazi Conscription].
== Video Games ==
* The viruses and the Las Plagas parasites from ''[[Resident Evil]]'' usually spawn such mutations in those they infect. Even villains who don't go full-on [[One-Winged Angel]] tend to have giant claws and [[Combat Tentacles]].
** As Albert Wesker, who himself gained quite a few of these powers, revealed, this was the ultimate intention of the plague; to transform select humans into superpowered monsters and kill all others.
* The hero of [[FPS]] ''[[The Darkness]]'', Jackie Estacado, sprouts a pair of snapping serpentine demon-heads from his shoulders, as well as producing dark tentacles to impale foes and destroy walls as needed.
* In the first ''[[Baten Kaitos]]'' game, {{spoiler|Geldoblame}} is transformed into a hideous deformed monstrosity after {{spoiler|infusing himself with the power of Malpercio}}. [[Jiggle Physics]] are involved, which is as [[Squick|unpleasant]] as it sounds.
* ''[[
** Most of the other plasmids, which are injected into yourself in order to [[Lego Genetics|rapidly modify your genetic structure]], combine this with [[Elemental Powers]].
* Similarly to ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]'' and ''[[Warhammer
* ''[[Prototype (
** That and his ability to spray blood from his wrists with such force he [https://web.archive.org/web/20090707094227/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/789-Prototype can fly around like an Emo Peter Pan.]
* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 3'' has The Pain, who is technically covered in hornets. He attacks by spitting hornets that burrow into Snake's flesh unless removed.
* Yuri and other Harmonixers (except Shania) in ''[[Shadow Hearts]]'' fuse with various demons, including [[Cosmic Horror
* The Spines and Thorns powersets from ''[[City of Heroes]]/[[City of Villains]]''.
** However, judicious selections in the character creator can turn ''any'' powerset into a Lovecraftian power.
* ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' has this in Blue Mages and the backstory's precursor experiments toward creating the Blue Mage. The original experiments included grafting monstrous appendages and material to people, which gave them power but either drove them insane, or transformed them into flan (spell-casting blobs) or soulflayers (read: D&D's mindflayers with the serial numbers barely filed off). When they attempted to just graft a portion of a monster's magic and spirit to the experiments' subjects, they created the first viable blue mages, but even then, a Blue Mage gains their power from assimilating their opponents, and if one pushes too far, has the risk of becoming a soulflayer as well. Which brings some [[Fridge Logic]] [[Nightmare Fuel]]. Just imagine how many players have unlocked Blue Mage on any given server...
** In fact from the combination of the danger of their powers, and the risk of being killed by allies who believe they're close to the turning point, it's said that there has never been a blue mage who died of natural causes.
* Saki of ''[[Sin and Punishment]]'', as a result of absorbing [[Mysterious Waif|Achi's]] blood ({{spoiler|she turns out to be an [[Eldritch Abomination]], incidentally}}), gains the ability to transform into a really scary-looking [[Kaiju]] that can teleport, shoot giant lasers out of its claws, and grow to such immense size that it is fully capable of battling ''entire planets''. As long as he's paired with Airen, he can control it. [[Super-Powered Evil Side|If not...]] [[The End of the World
* The ''[[Soul Series]]'' has a couple of examples. The various forms of Nightmare have a [[Red Right Hand|horribly disfigured and mutated arm]], and Abyss, the ultimate form of Zasalamel...[[Body Horror|yeah.]]
* In the [[Scott Pilgrim (
** It's a [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Dead Space (
* Some lucky Infected in ''[[Left 4 Dead]]'' gain considerable powers, at the expense of their... human appearance. May not apply because you can't "Choose" to become a special infected, but the theory is there anyway.
* Being what amounts to a [[Cute Monster Girl|cute little girl with an eldritch tentacled horror attached to her back]], ''[[Disgaea 4:
* Nero Chaos in ''[[Tsukihime]]'' is a magus whose entire body consists of the loosely drafted together biomass of 666 wild animals, beasts and legendary monsters that he can either send out in their true form or, more in tune with this trope, use partially, such as generating black tentacles, fangs, claws and such out of his flesh.
* ''[[The King of Fighters]]'': Being a direct and very obvious [[Shout-Out]] to Tetsuo,
* Subverted with Double, from ''[[
==
* The Cubi in ''[[Dan and
* ''[[The Non
* Harp's Bane and {{spoiler|Gravehouse}} in ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20180818124428/http://www.necessarymonsters.com/ Necessary Monsters]'' both have rather [http://www.necessarymonsters.com/2009-07-16-106 unsettling transformations]{{Dead link}}.
* ''[[Shadowgirls]]'', which has ''literal'' Lovecraftian powers (like "turn into living shadow" or "become a snake-monster made of light").
* Alcolla in ''[[Reliquary]]'' becomes an angel, [[Our Angels Are Different|but not the attractive kind]]: [http://reliquary.comicgenesis.com/d/20090629.html She looks more like an undead shadow creature].
* Vorte from ''[[Hitmen for Destiny]]'' can puke up a sticky liquid and use "deadly headspikes". Also at some point {{spoiler|Bianca grows a tentacle on her back}}.
* Nergal demons in the fancomic ''[[Grim Tales
* The Infernomancer from ''[[Dominic Deegan]]'' fits this trope, best seen [https://web.archive.org/web/20130509005412/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-11-09 here] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20130316100702/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-11-10 here.]
== Web Original ==
* Pretty much ''everything'' in ''[[Mortasheen]]'' that has a power of any sort.
* [[Lovecraft Lite|Squid Kid]] in the ''[[Metro City Chronicles]]'' can make indestructible tentacles sprout out of her back at will. When she leaves them out for too long, she starts turning all amorphous and inky looking.
* Shadowspawn of the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'' is an [[Eldritch Abomination]] from outer space who [[Dark Is Edgy|generates tentacles of shadow and darkness]] that can drain the life out of people. In addition, Shadowspawn itself is a [[Clingy Costume]] that is slowly devouring the human being it has engulfed. When it finishes eating its current "host", it will move on to another host.
** Dagon, another [[Eldritch Abomination]], has fused itself with a human being whose body was transformed into the spitting image of a ''Dungeons and Dragons'' mind flayer. The tentacles that have replaced his mouth are not just for show; they can inject a rotting poison into his victims.
** The Swarm can transform herself into a horde of carnivorous cockroaches. The very thought of having this power has driven her stark raving mad. She's not a cannibal serial killer. Similarly, Hive can transform himself into a swarm of wasps, but has taken it a lot better than The Swarm has and uses his powers to fight crime.
** Bloodstone of the Sinister Circle is a [[Whatevermancy|"hemokinetic"]]. That is, he has telekinetic control over blood. His usual first move in any fight with a hero is to gather up some nearby blood to use as a weapon, and he [[Complete Monster|gathers it from any nearby innocent bystander]] who is unfortunate to be close enough to become an unwilling donor.
* ''[[
* Carmilla in the ''[[Whateley Universe]]'', since she literally is a [[Cosmic Horror]]: one of her grandparents is Shub-Niggurath, on on her mother's side she's directly related to Cthulhu and the Deep Ones. And you thought ''your'' family was freaky. She's got the [[Combat Tentacles]] and wierd shapeshifting down. In one story, she split her face open to reveal what it looked like inside, and scared a superhero so bad he wet himself.
** A lot of Whateleyites have such powers, due to the Mythos nature of the universe, not to mention plain(!) old mutations. Tennyo's is subtle, but she's no longer remotely human due to channeling the spirit of an ancient construct designed to destroy (or
== Western Animation ==
* The Big Bang from the ''[[Static Shock]]'' animated was practically an area-of-effect [[Green Rock]] that simultaneously gave all nearby characters varying superpowers. The Metabreed was a gang of these characters who banded together specifically because they were the unfortunate characters stuck with
** Mind you, Shiv doesn't ''always'' have his energy projections deployed, so he could pass as normal by simply dyeing his hair. He likely stays because he's [[Ax Crazy]] and being with the Breed lets him slice and dice.
* This is pretty much standard issue for EVOs in ''[[Generator Rex]]''. The level of freakiness ranges from "cactus guy with vine whips" to [[Eldritch Abomination|"If there are words to describe that thing, I don't want to know what they are"]].
* In ''[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien]]'', Osmosians have the power to absorb matter and energy and use it to transform their bodies. Absorbing energy has the nastiest effects and warps [[Body Horror|body]] ''and'' [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|mind]].
* Alpha from the ''[[Men in Black (
* ''[[South Park]]'' features {{spoiler|Kenny, who has Type IV [[Immortality]] thanks to his parents constantly attenting Cthulhu cult meetings for the beer. Whenever he dies, his mom always gives birth to a new Kenny and puts him in bed. [[Snap Back|And no one else remembers that he had died.]]}}
{{quote|
{{spoiler|'''Kenny's mom:''' Fifty-second.}} }}
== [[Real Life]] ==
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* Bombardier beetles can spray a jet of boiling acid from their abdomens.
* Starfish feed by moving their stomachs out through their mouths and over whatever they're eating. [[Asteroids Monster|They also clone themselves when they lose a limb.]]
* Most (if not all species) of octopi can: strangle and crush enemies or prey with their tentacles, paralyze them with potent toxins from their beak-like mouthparts, or change their coloring at will. Some species can even change their texture and limb orientation so they look like harmless seaweed or fish. It's like ''[[Prototype (
** The mimic octopus can mimic twelve species, one of them being a venomous snake.
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