Lovecraftian Superpower: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
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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.
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* In ''[[Bleach]]'' the 9th Espada Aaronerio has resurrection.
** {{spoiler|Aizen during his fight vs Ichigo gets a gruesome transformation with the skin of his face ''splits'' in half}}
* 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.
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== Comic Books ==
* [[X-Force|The Spike]]'s mutant ability allows him to fire bone spikes out of his body. The film version has him shooting huge spikes out of his wrists. His teammate Phat can fill himself up with extradimensional gunk, growing to qroteque proportions but increasing his strength and durability exponentially.
** 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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*** 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)]] ends up with a long, dangerous whip where his arm should be.
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** ''[[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
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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 ''[[Rune Quest]]'', Chaos Features (powers granted by exposure to "primal Chaos") often have a physical side effect like
* 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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** That and his ability to spray blood from his wrists with such force he [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]]''.
* ''[[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...
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* 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 [http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=41 just] [http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=44 about][http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=46 anything!] And also [http://grim.snafu-comics.com/index.php?comic_id=85 a gun].
* The Infernomancer from [[Dominic Deegan]] fits this trope, best seen [http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-11-09 here] and [http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-11-10 here.]
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== 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"]].
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