Power Degeneration: Difference between revisions

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Imagine [[The Disease That Shall Not Be Named|cancer]], that slow insidious death that kills you from the inside, but which is also intrinsically ''you;'' it is a body eating itself, and unable to heal. Now imagine that cancer can grow faster whenever you do what you're best at: dancing, painting, coding software, kayaking. This is what happens to characters with Power Degeneration.

The causes can vary. It may be that the process used to make the [[Cloning Blues|Clone]], [[Half Human Hybrid]] or genetically enhanced character with [[Super Soldier]] powers had an [[Clone Degeneration|inadvertent]] (or intentional) [[Flawed Prototype|design flaw]] (or "birth defect") that slowly [[Cast From Lifespan|reduces their lifespan]], limiting their lives to years or ''months.'' Other times it's related to having somehow gained [[Stock Super Powers]]. Maybe it was thanks to [[Psycho Serum]], or the machine/amulet that gave them their powers was broken. Lastly, the powers may just inherently damage the body when used, either as a mystical [[Equivalent Exchange|price]] or because they are not designed for human use (or rather, the body wasn't given the [[Required Secondary Powers]] to handle using the primary ones). Whatever the case, the result is the same: acute [[Heroic RROD|"hardware failure"]] as the body tears itself up from the inside. If they're lucky, they won't cause a [[Superpower Meltdown]] that takes out the city.

The causes can vary. It may be that the process used to make the [[Cloning Blues|Clone]], [[Half-Human Hybrid]] or genetically enhanced character with [[Super Soldier]] powers had an [[Clone Degeneration|inadvertent]] (or intentional) [[Flawed Prototype|design flaw]] (or "birth defect") that slowly [[Cast From Lifespan|reduces their lifespan]], limiting their lives to years or ''months.'' Other times it's related to having somehow gained [[Stock Super Powers]]. Maybe it was thanks to [[Psycho Serum]], or the machine/amulet that gave them their powers was broken. Lastly, the powers may just inherently damage the body when used, either as a mystical [[Equivalent Exchange|price]] or because they are not designed for human use (or rather, the body wasn't given the [[Required Secondary Powers]] to handle using the primary ones). Whatever the case, the result is the same: acute [[Heroic RROD|"hardware failure"]] as the body tears itself up from the inside. If they're lucky, they won't cause a [[Superpower Meltdown]] that takes out the city.

This last case might be survivable, provided the powers [[Power At a Price|only hurt the owner when used.]] But it often happens that merely possessing them accelerates the process of aging or the decay. By not using their [[Super Mode]] or magic powers they can live normal lives... but [[The Call Knows Where You Live]], so this is rarely an outright option.

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* Rapid aging is a common representation: gray hairs, wrinkled skin and other signs of aging are surprisingly tame compared to some of the rest.

* Signs of frailty and illness, much like those seen in [[This Is Your Brain On Evil]].

* The character gets a [[Lovecraftian Superpower]] or two as their body is [[The Corruption|corrupted from the inside]]. This may be followed by going [[One Winged Angel]], but [[Shape Shifter Mashup|the transformation]] never goes up the [[Bishonen Line]]. These powers are the "blessed" in [[Blessed With Suck]]. And death.

* The character gets a [[Lovecraftian Superpower]] or two as their body is [[The Corruption|corrupted from the inside]]. This may be followed by going [[One-Winged Angel]], but [[Shape Shifter Mashup|the transformation]] never goes up the [[Bishonen Line]]. These powers are the "blessed" in [[Blessed With Suck]]. And death.

* The [[Body to Jewel|body crystallizes]], develops [[Volcanic Veins]] or [[Tainted Veins]], slowly falls apart (limbs falling out, extremities disintegrating) or somehow visibly and inhumanly shows itself dying.

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See also [[Clone Degeneration]], [[Harmful Healing]], and [[Cast From Hit Points]]. Contrast [[Fuel Meter of Power]].

== Anime and Manga ==

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** Shion in the second season is typically in a wheelchair due to his remuneration. {{spoiler|He eventually dies from using his power to copy the entire ''planet''.}}

* Tsukune, in ''[[Rosario to Vampire]]'', erodes a little bit of his ''soul'' every time he uses his superpowers.

* As a [[Half Human Hybrid|half-demon]] with an [[Unstoppable Rage]] [[Super Mode]], [[Inuyasha]] will eventually get stuck in that form unless he keeps the sword Tessaiga by his side at all times. All things considered this works well in his favor since the sword also gives him many powerful attacks his [[Unstoppable Rage]] couldn't match.

* As a [[Half-Human Hybrid|half-demon]] with an [[Unstoppable Rage]] [[Super Mode]], [[Inuyasha]] will eventually get stuck in that form unless he keeps the sword Tessaiga by his side at all times. All things considered this works well in his favor since the sword also gives him many powerful attacks his [[Unstoppable Rage]] couldn't match.

* Whenever ''[[Naruto]]'' releases enough of the power of the Kyuubi, an aura surrounds him that actually eats away at his body. Due to the super-regeneration that the Kyuubi also grants him, his cells are forced to split ahead of their biological schedule to overcome the damage - basically super-aging to heal himself, shortening his lifespan in the process. Earlier on, Tsunade also demonstrated such regeneration.

** Also it was revealed that the Mangekyo Sharingan {{spoiler|causes blindness after extended use.}}

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* Genesis in ''[[Final Fantasy VII]] [[Crisis Core]]'' has a defect in his creation, and slowly gets white hair and has his red jacket go ashy throughout the game. (I'm guessing his jacket is like a mood ring for his health.) As the game goes on Genesis' copies show the same degeneration.

** The same thing also happens to Angeal and his copies, including {{spoiler|Lazard}}.

*** {{spoiler|Beating the shit out of Genesis's [[One Winged Angel]] form results in him getting better.}}

*** {{spoiler|Beating the shit out of Genesis's [[One-Winged Angel]] form results in him getting better.}}

* ''[[Metroid]] Prime 3: [[The Corruption|Corruption]]'' has this happen to Samus.

* Happens to Shiki in ''[[Tsukihime]]'' where using his magic eyes that can see death stresses his brain from it attempting to understand what it's not supposed to. In addition to repeated use of his eyes, merely having them is hinted to have permanent effects that will lower his lifespan.