Lovecraftian Superpower: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
Where [[Stock Super Powers]] meets [[Body Horror]].
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Usually, when you gain some special ability, it will manifest in some fairly conventional forms. [[Pure Energy|Energy blasts]], [[Psychic Powers]], [[Nigh Invulnerability|steel skin]], [[Elemental Powers|control over different forms of matter]] and varieties of [[Magic]] are all relatively common.
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]]
The name originates from classic scifi/horror writer Mr. [[H.P. 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 [[omake]] at the end of Shippuden episode 110 strongly implies that [[Eye Scream|his eyes are empty sockets]]
*** 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 ½]]'' the character of Pantyhose (
* 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 ''[[King of Thorn]]'', infection by [[The Virus|Medusa]] can grant this to those with [[Heroic Willpower|sufficient willpower]]. The good news: you can make all your dreams into reality! The bad news: by having them explode out of your body like chestbursters. [[Body Horror]] doesn't begin to cover it.
* Xam'ds in ''[[Xam'd: Lost Memories]]''. Even the most subdued use of their powers involves transforming an arm into a grotesque alien appendage or blade.
* Alucard from ''[[Hellsing]]'', when he takes on worthy opponents.
* In ''[[Akira]]'', Tetsuo manifests this trope in the Olympic Stadium when Colonel Shikishima tries to neutralize him; the flesh around the stub where Tetsuo's arm was fried off by the orbital laser shoots out in a massive bloody tentacle that attacks the Colonel. [[It Gets Worse|But then]], later in the scene, Tetsuo gets shot by Kaneda's laser weapon. You see, Tetsuo is in so much pain that this trope suddenly combines with [[Superpower Meltdown]]. Naturally, Tetsuo's Lovecraftian Superpower Meltdown is just as bad as you can imagine it.
* 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-Force
** In the ''[[X-Men: Evolution]]'' series, the character who inspired him, Spyke,<ref>[[Atop the Fourth Wall|Because poor literacy is kewl]]</ref>
** 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.
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** 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-Force]]'', Sluk, (and when we say "short lived", we mean "he was already dead when his team was introduced") had ''creepy [[Shaped Like Itself|tentacle]] [[Buffy-Speak|things]]'' growing from his face and tentacular feet and hands. His teammates secretly hated him for a few reasons. One was that he was only handy in close combat situations and it was difficult to get him into the right spots a lot of the time. Another was that he wasn't exactly Mr. Personality. But mostly they didn't like him because he just looked really, really weird.
* ''[[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.
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* 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 ''[[North 40]]'' deals with what happens when some kid reads the [[Tome of Eldritch Lore]] in a small town's library, triggering a [[Mass Super-Empowering Event]] of this type. The lucky ones get abilities like invulnerability, super-strength, and [[Animal Eye Spy|the ability to see through an animal's eyes]]. The ''other'' ones, however, get the ability to make man-powered killing machines, see through any photograph of themselves with their "new eyes" (which [[Eye Scream|look like fanged maws]]), or just plain all purpose [[Body Horror]].
* 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 ''[[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]].}}▼
== Literature ==▼
* Corrupted spellcasters in ''[[The Banned and the Banished]]'' are linked to animals, but the link is always perverse in some way. The first in the series gives birth to man-eating spiders, and they scale up from there all the way to twins who grow pustules that explode into rats. The only one who initially avoids this {{spoiler|transforms into any animal he wears the skin of}}, and he later {{spoiler|skins and wears one of the protagonists}}.▼
* In books by [[Clive Barker]], villains ([[Dark Is Not Evil|and otherwise]]) tend to have these.▼
** In [[Abarat|The Abarat Quintet]], the Prince of Midnight, Christopher Carrion, has the ability to distill his nightmares in physical form. They come out of tubes set in his skull and into a tank around his neck, cavorting in the fluid he breathes. On command, they can grow to many times their size and attack.▼
*** 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 with Granny|Carrion's grandmother]] {{spoiler|and his eventual killer}}. [[Nightmare Fuel|The things she can do with needles...]]▼
* 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|Mind Raped]] by [[Fallen Angel|fallen angels]] ([[It Got Worse|and sometimes]] [[Not Brainwashed]]) and have the ability to transform into a [[One-Winged Angel|demonic form]]. These forms are often a bit disturbing, the best example being the one who transforms into a giant mutated praying mantis. That bleeds praying mantises.▼
* Oddly enough, the kindly, feminine protagonist of ''Confessions of Super-Mom'' has a Lovecraftian power--her warped right hand constantly leaks a mysterious living fluid. She can blast it from her hand with incredible force as a way of knocking people over or making holes in weak objects, and she discovers that it can also be [[Mundane Utility|used as a stain remover]].▼
* 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)]] ends up with a long, dangerous whip where his arm should be.▼
▲== Fan Fiction ==
▲* In the [[Touhou Project]] story [[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 ==
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** ''[[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 the Banished]]'' are linked to animals, but the link is always perverse in some way. The first in the series gives birth to man-eating spiders, and they scale up from there all the way to twins who grow pustules that explode into rats. The only one who initially avoids this {{spoiler|transforms into any animal he wears the skin of}}, and he later {{spoiler|skins and wears one of the protagonists}}.
▲* In books by [[Clive Barker]], villains ([[Dark Is Not Evil|and otherwise]]) tend to have these.
▲** In ''[[Abarat|The Abarat Quintet]]'', the Prince of Midnight, Christopher Carrion, has the ability to distill his nightmares in physical form. They come out of tubes set in his skull and into a tank around his neck, cavorting in the fluid he breathes. On command, they can grow to many times their size and attack.
▲*** 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 with Granny|Carrion's grandmother]] {{spoiler|and his eventual killer}}. [[Nightmare Fuel|The things she can do with needles...]]
▲* 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.
== 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).
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** 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 [[2000 AD]] strip ''[[Slaine]]'' (being a fusion of Celtic mythology, Robert E Howard novels and the good old fashioned, classic 2000 AD, punk aesthetic) has its eponymous hero (an appropriate fusion of Cuchulainn and Conan, with a punk aesthetic) warp-spasm similarly.
== 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.
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* ''[[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
** The core rules have the Phantasmal Killer spell, which essentially makes your foes see something they consider the scariest thing ever approaching them. If it works, the victim dies of fright.
*** 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.
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** ''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
** 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,
** 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]]".
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** The fourth clause of the Contract of Mirrors allows [[Changeling: The Lost|changelings]] to turn a limb into a weapon, their skin into bark, etc.
* Fomori have this and [[The Corruption]] as pretty much their entire schtick in [[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]: sure, you can get [[Super Strength]], but you're gonna look like a ''reeeally'' ugly Hulk for the rest of your life. Or that convenient [[Nigh Invulnerable|armor]] power you just got takes the form of a thick, chitinous exoskeleton that covers your entire body. It doesn't stop there and Storytellers are often encouraged to go further down the [[Humanoid Abomination]] route. [[Justified Trope|Justified]] by the fact that Fomori get their powers from being fused to a [[Eldritch Abomination|Bane]] on a physical and spiritual level, and that for each Power Point they get at creation, they must take on an equivalent Taint to balance it out.
* 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 with Suck]] powers are to transform into an inhuman, grotesque, powerful form.
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* 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: 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].
== Video Games ==
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* 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.
* ''[[BioShock (series)|BioShock]]'
** 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 (video game)|Prototype]]'' has the main character capable of significantly altering his own body, allowing him to grow everything from claws to [[Combat Tentacles]] to better destroy absolutely everything around him... or he can ''eat someone'' to steal their appearance and blend into a crowd. Combine this with [[Super Strength]], [[Super Speed]], and [[Nigh Invulnerability]], and you've got one very scary [[Villain Protagonist]] on your hands.
** 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 as We Know It|it's not pretty.]] After it activates, even in his human form, he has disturbing looking patches of alien flesh on his body.
* 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 (video game)|''Scott Pilgrim'' video game]], Todd has [http://paulrobertson.mechafetus.com/toddingram_freakout_a.gif this attack].
** It's a [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[Akira]]''. [[Body Horror|Is there any wonder?]]
* ''[[Baldur's Gate]]''. In Shadows of Amn, the main character eventually gains the power to transform into the Slayer, a giant demonic creature with huge claws that's nearly unstoppable. Unfortunately, there are [[Blessed with Suck|side effects]].
* ''[[Dead Space (series)|Dead Space]]'': Unitologists believe that the power of the Marker will allow them to become a new, immortal form of life... [[Gone Horribly Right|and they're not wrong]]. It just so happens that this "immortality" involves losing your mind and having your body transmuted into a specifically-formed zombie with no purpose than to harvest biological matter to propagate your species.
* 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: A Promise Unforgotten]]''{{'}}s Desco naturally comes with quite a few of these.
* 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 ''[[Skullgirls]]''. She is an [[Eldritch Abomination]] who normally looks like she would possess this kind of thing but in reality, she's a [[Voluntary Shapeshifter]] with the ability to assume the form of any of the other fighters and use their powers in battle. Ms. Fortune is a sort-of example (her power comes not from the ability to mutate herself to fight but her undying body and nigh-infinite [[Healing Factor]], though she can do things that fit such as ensnare opponents in her muscle fibers).
==
* The Cubi in ''[[Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures]]'' can reshape their back wings into [[Combat Tentacles]] with razor-sharp ends that can cut rock.
* ''[[The Non-Adventures of
* 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 from Down Below]]'' have [[Combat Tentacles]] that can form [https://web.archive.org/web/20130912005940/http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=41 just] [https://web.archive.org/web/20130912005236/http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=44 about][https://web.archive.org/web/20130911224135/http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=46 anything!] And also [https://web.archive.org/web/20130911235054/http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=85 a gun].
* 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.
* ''[[Ruby Quest]]'', quite literally, in the form of "the treatment". Apparently a universal panacea ({{spoiler|even for death}}), it causes ongoing mutations and loads of [[Body Horror]], which give its victims powers as a result (for instance, {{spoiler|a third eye with some sort of true seeing in Ruby's case}}). Apparently the use of it also {{spoiler|allows a [[Cosmic Horror]] called "Cjopaze" into this world}}, though [[Mind Screw|that's never made quite clear]].
* 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 (animation)|Men in Black]]'' cartoon, due to grafting alien body parts onto himself. Whenever he looks like an ordinary human, you can bet he's really seconds away from sprouting tentacles.
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{{quote|{{spoiler|'''Kenny's dad:''' God, this must be the fiftieth time this has happened.}}
{{spoiler|'''Kenny's mom:''' Fifty-second.}} }}
== [[Real Life]] ==
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