With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Difference between revisions

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Sometimes, the creators of the super being realize the error while in the prototype phase and will [[Sealed Evil in A Can|seal the subject away]], hoping everyone just forgets about them. [[Gone Horribly Wrong|This never works.]] Often, the [[My Hero Zero|first subject]] to undergo the process -- or a single subsequent subject -- will [[Phlebotinum Rebel|turn out okay]], so on top of all the various other issues that the treatment has, it's usually their job to clean up the mess made by subsequent failed attempts. If it's a [[Science Is Bad]] story, the sponsors of the program are likely to just keep pumping out nutty prototypes hoping they'll eventually make one that is ''not'' insane.
Sometimes, the creators of the super being realize the error while in the prototype phase and will [[Sealed Evil in A Can|seal the subject away]], hoping everyone just forgets about them. [[Gone Horribly Wrong|This never works.]] Often, the [[My Hero Zero|first subject]] to undergo the process -- or a single subsequent subject -- will [[Phlebotinum Rebel|turn out okay]], so on top of all the various other issues that the treatment has, it's usually their job to clean up the mess made by subsequent failed attempts. If it's a [[Science Is Bad]] story, the sponsors of the program are likely to just keep pumping out nutty prototypes hoping they'll eventually make one that is ''not'' insane.


If all else fails, it'll seem like it happened just to make the [[Aesop]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1st_Baron_Acton#Catholicism_and_Lord_Acton "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"] appear in the story.
If all else fails, it'll seem like it happened just to make the [[Aesop]] [[wikipedia:John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton#Catholicism and Lord Acton|"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"]] appear in the story.
[[Karmic Death]] is a frequent end for not only the subject, but the scientists who created him/her/it.
[[Karmic Death]] is a frequent end for not only the subject, but the scientists who created him/her/it.


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* In ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'', Ralph (who lost the manual to his supersuit) meets a filthy rich old man who ''kept'' his manual and knew everything the suit could do. The guy used his suit to become rich and crush his enemies like bugs, and the aliens finally took the suit away. The old man thinks it's a good thing Ralph doesn't have the manual. At the end of the story, the old man gives the Lord Acton pagequote and says, "I wonder if he had a suit too."
* In ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'', Ralph (who lost the manual to his supersuit) meets a filthy rich old man who ''kept'' his manual and knew everything the suit could do. The guy used his suit to become rich and crush his enemies like bugs, and the aliens finally took the suit away. The old man thinks it's a good thing Ralph doesn't have the manual. At the end of the story, the old man gives the Lord Acton pagequote and says, "I wonder if he had a suit too."
* A major plot arc in ''[[Babylon 5]]'' that was mostly abandoned (but still hinted at) with Andrea Thompson's departure was the Psi Corps' attempt to solve the frequent insanity that accompanied telekinetic powers.
* A major plot arc in ''[[Babylon 5]]'' that was mostly abandoned (but still hinted at) with Andrea Thompson's departure was the Psi Corps' attempt to solve the frequent insanity that accompanied telekinetic powers.
* At some point in ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'', the Doctor's companion, Donna Noble, {{spoiler|somehow gains every bit of knowledge and power that the Doctor has.}} The Doctor, unfortunately, is forced to give Donna a complete mind wipe of her entire knowledge of the Doctor/the TARDIS/the entire time she was on the show because {{spoiler|being ''the Doctor Donna'', as the Ood called her,}} will slowly turn her so mad that it will kill her. This circumstance means that the Doctor can never see Donna again, as she will remember everything and go batshit insane with power and die.
* At some point in ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the Doctor's companion, Donna Noble, {{spoiler|somehow gains every bit of knowledge and power that the Doctor has.}} The Doctor, unfortunately, is forced to give Donna a complete mind wipe of her entire knowledge of the Doctor/the TARDIS/the entire time she was on the show because {{spoiler|being ''the Doctor Donna'', as the Ood called her,}} will slowly turn her so mad that it will kill her. This circumstance means that the Doctor can never see Donna again, as she will remember everything and go batshit insane with power and die.
** Not really. It's not going insane with power that would kill her, it's that humans are physically unequipped to handle a Time Lord mind. Donna was still physically human but with a Time Lord consciousness, and it was going to literally burn her brain out in very short order, certainly before she had time to go mad with power.
** Not really. It's not going insane with power that would kill her, it's that humans are physically unequipped to handle a Time Lord mind. Donna was still physically human but with a Time Lord consciousness, and it was going to literally burn her brain out in very short order, certainly before she had time to go mad with power.
** A better example would be the Doctor himself. Despite having, essentially, the power of a god, he mostly averts this trope. Except [[Doctor Who (TV)/NS/Recap/S4 E16 The Waters of Mars|that one time when he was pushed a bit too far]], lost it spectacularly, and became, briefly, an example of this trope.
** A better example would be the Doctor himself. Despite having, essentially, the power of a god, he mostly averts this trope. Except [[Doctor Who/NS/Recap/S4 E16 The Waters of Mars|that one time when he was pushed a bit too far]], lost it spectacularly, and became, briefly, an example of this trope.
* In the ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'', Steve Austin adapted to his bionic replacements very well, remaining well-integrated and with his reasonably decent moral sense intact. Not everyone else who was given/forced to take bionics did as well, Jaimee Summers was plagued with amnesia and mental troubles, another bionic man went the 'crazy with power' route as well. The implication was that power didn't necessarily go with madness...but it easily could.
* In the ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'', Steve Austin adapted to his bionic replacements very well, remaining well-integrated and with his reasonably decent moral sense intact. Not everyone else who was given/forced to take bionics did as well, Jaimee Summers was plagued with amnesia and mental troubles, another bionic man went the 'crazy with power' route as well. The implication was that power didn't necessarily go with madness...but it easily could.
* In the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] episode "Earshot," Buffy is contaminated by a telepathic demon. This has only happened to one other person, and it caused him to go insane and live as a hermit. Buffy is heading the same way when the Scoobies undo the effects.
* In the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] episode "Earshot," Buffy is contaminated by a telepathic demon. This has only happened to one other person, and it caused him to go insane and live as a hermit. Buffy is heading the same way when the Scoobies undo the effects.
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* It's never made quite clear whether the powers of the Awake from [[Don't Rest Your Head]] are an outcome of their madness and insomnia or the cause of them, but one thing is for sure: the madder you become, the greater is your power. The more you use your power, the madder you become. It's a slippery slope, and it ends with you [[Fate Worse Than Death|turning into]] [[Eldritch Abomination|a Nightmare]].
* It's never made quite clear whether the powers of the Awake from [[Don't Rest Your Head]] are an outcome of their madness and insomnia or the cause of them, but one thing is for sure: the madder you become, the greater is your power. The more you use your power, the madder you become. It's a slippery slope, and it ends with you [[Fate Worse Than Death|turning into]] [[Eldritch Abomination|a Nightmare]].
* Justified in ''[[Exalted]]''. After their defeat, the Primordials leveled the Great Curse against the Exalts, making them progressively insane. The madness of the Solars was the canonical reason for the Usurpation and the Sidereals decided to kill the Solars thanks to the Great Prophecy and their own Great Curse. The Solars, as the leaders of the Divine Rebellion against the Primordials, were cursed the most. The Dragon-blooded shock-troopers were cursed the least with the Lunars and Sidereals coming in between.
* Justified in ''[[Exalted]]''. After their defeat, the Primordials leveled the Great Curse against the Exalts, making them progressively insane. The madness of the Solars was the canonical reason for the Usurpation and the Sidereals decided to kill the Solars thanks to the Great Prophecy and their own Great Curse. The Solars, as the leaders of the Divine Rebellion against the Primordials, were cursed the most. The Dragon-blooded shock-troopers were cursed the least with the Lunars and Sidereals coming in between.
** There's an even more direct example in [[Elemental Embodiment|Elementals]]. When an Elemental reaches Essence 10, it becomes a [[Instant Awesome Just Add Dragons|Greater Elemental Dragon]], an entity of ''immense'' destructive power (possibly greater even than the most powerful [[Our Demons Are Different|Demons]]). All Greater Elemental Dragons to date have been utterly insane, to the point where they've needed to be imprisoned behind some of the most powerful safeguards in Creation (the Gardullis, Greater Dragon of Fire, is imprisoned within the Sun itself). It's speculated that this is because Elementals were simply never designed to be capable of coping with that level of power.
** There's an even more direct example in [[Elemental Embodiment|Elementals]]. When an Elemental reaches Essence 10, it becomes a [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons|Greater Elemental Dragon]], an entity of ''immense'' destructive power (possibly greater even than the most powerful [[Our Demons Are Different|Demons]]). All Greater Elemental Dragons to date have been utterly insane, to the point where they've needed to be imprisoned behind some of the most powerful safeguards in Creation (the Gardullis, Greater Dragon of Fire, is imprisoned within the Sun itself). It's speculated that this is because Elementals were simply never designed to be capable of coping with that level of power.
** Also justified by [[Word of God]] for the Primordials themselves, most of whom are a) kind of crazy and b) have [[Crippling Overspecialisation]] written into their very beings. They have these traits because for most of their existences, they had been simply too powerful to face consequences to their actions, with even their weak points way outside the power level of anything not prohibited from fighting them. [[Wham Episode|And then the Exalted came into play]].
** Also justified by [[Word of God]] for the Primordials themselves, most of whom are a) kind of crazy and b) have [[Crippling Overspecialisation]] written into their very beings. They have these traits because for most of their existences, they had been simply too powerful to face consequences to their actions, with even their weak points way outside the power level of anything not prohibited from fighting them. [[Wham! Episode|And then the Exalted came into play]].
* This phrase goes some way to defining ''[[Warhammer 40000]]''. They've even got a [[Tagline]] for the game that goes: "Only the insane have the strength to prosper. Only those who prosper can judge what is truly sane." At least some of the Chaos forces admit it - "Sanity is for the ''weak.''"
* This phrase goes some way to defining ''[[Warhammer 40000]]''. They've even got a [[Tagline]] for the game that goes: "Only the insane have the strength to prosper. Only those who prosper can judge what is truly sane." At least some of the Chaos forces admit it - "Sanity is for the ''weak.''"
** Even Chaos is very, very thankful that The Outsider is still self-trapped in his box on the outskirts of the galaxy. We only know he's there because the Tyranids [[Oh Crap|give it a hundred light-years of space to itself]].
** Even Chaos is very, very thankful that The Outsider is still self-trapped in his box on the outskirts of the galaxy. We only know he's there because the Tyranids [[Oh Crap|give it a hundred light-years of space to itself]].
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* Giygas, the [[Big Bad]] from ''[[Earthbound (Video Game)|Earthbound]]'', becomes so powerful in the end of the game that he is unbeatable save for one specific trick. On the other hand, his mind is completely shattered, so he attacks randomly while [[Talkative Loon|babbling nonsense.]]
* Giygas, the [[Big Bad]] from ''[[Earthbound (Video Game)|Earthbound]]'', becomes so powerful in the end of the game that he is unbeatable save for one specific trick. On the other hand, his mind is completely shattered, so he attacks randomly while [[Talkative Loon|babbling nonsense.]]
** In ''[[Earthbound (Video Game)|Earthbound]]'''s sequel, ''[[Mother 3 (Video Game)|Mother 3]]'', {{spoiler|Giygas's "protege" Porky, after gaining the power to travel through time and effective immortality--living for thousands of years--has gone from a mere rotten brat to an insane, murdering [[Psychopathic Manchild]] and [[Evil Overlord]] bent on destroying everyone in the world but himself.}}
** In ''[[Earthbound (Video Game)|Earthbound]]'''s sequel, ''[[Mother 3 (Video Game)|Mother 3]]'', {{spoiler|Giygas's "protege" Porky, after gaining the power to travel through time and effective immortality--living for thousands of years--has gone from a mere rotten brat to an insane, murdering [[Psychopathic Manchild]] and [[Evil Overlord]] bent on destroying everyone in the world but himself.}}
* In ''[[The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]'', several of the bosses Link faces off with have become corrupted by their possession of darkly powerful artifacts. A number of these, such as Darbus the Goron and Yeta the Yeti, were otherwise mild-mannered, friendly characters; the artifacts in question would grant their bearers extreme power and strength, but rob them of their sense and personality.
* In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]'', several of the bosses Link faces off with have become corrupted by their possession of darkly powerful artifacts. A number of these, such as Darbus the Goron and Yeta the Yeti, were otherwise mild-mannered, friendly characters; the artifacts in question would grant their bearers extreme power and strength, but rob them of their sense and personality.
** The Triforce itself isn't evil, but it does grant the wishes of those who touch it as a whole, or its parts, whether they are good or evil.
** The Triforce itself isn't evil, but it does grant the wishes of those who touch it as a whole, or its parts, whether they are good or evil.
* Phazon has this effect in the ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' trilogy, causing many normally gentle creatures to mutate and go insane. It becomes much more prominent in Prime 3 when it drives the other hunters insane.
* Phazon has this effect in the ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' trilogy, causing many normally gentle creatures to mutate and go insane. It becomes much more prominent in Prime 3 when it drives the other hunters insane.
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* In ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' Aang can enter the Avatar State, channeling the power of all his previous incarnations. You'd think channeling all those former Avatars would make him calm, wise and experienced, but no... Instead he gets all [[Glowing Eyes of Doom|incandescent]] and frags everything in sight. However, true mastery of the Avatar State includes being able to control it, {{spoiler|which he finally manages to achieve in the series finale}}.
* In ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' Aang can enter the Avatar State, channeling the power of all his previous incarnations. You'd think channeling all those former Avatars would make him calm, wise and experienced, but no... Instead he gets all [[Glowing Eyes of Doom|incandescent]] and frags everything in sight. However, true mastery of the Avatar State includes being able to control it, {{spoiler|which he finally manages to achieve in the series finale}}.
** In the series finale, {{spoiler|after being made Fire Lord, Azula}} ''loses it''. {{spoiler|In an inversion, it's because she's ''losing'' power and she knows it - her friends had shown themselves insufficiently scared of her and defied her, and her dad appointed her Fire Lord right before turning the position into "irrelevant figurehead". Paranoia of further betrayals if she didn't instill fear in everyone around her, and insecurity that no one (especially her [[Missing Mom|mother]]) truly loved her for who she was caused her to finally snap.}}
** In the series finale, {{spoiler|after being made Fire Lord, Azula}} ''loses it''. {{spoiler|In an inversion, it's because she's ''losing'' power and she knows it - her friends had shown themselves insufficiently scared of her and defied her, and her dad appointed her Fire Lord right before turning the position into "irrelevant figurehead". Paranoia of further betrayals if she didn't instill fear in everyone around her, and insecurity that no one (especially her [[Missing Mom|mother]]) truly loved her for who she was caused her to finally snap.}}
* In ''[[The Spectacular Spider Man]],'' three [[Super Villain|Supervillains]] become as such when they get bonus mental instability with their powers. Electro and Doctor Octopus each suffer a [[Freak Lab Accident]]. Electro gets [[Power Incontinence|volatile]] [[Psycho Electro|electricity]]-based powers, then [[Freak Out|freaks out]] at his loss of humanity. Doctor Octopus' [[Artificial Limbs|robotic arms]] are [[Hollywood Cyborg|fused]] [[Unusual User Interface|to his spine]] during a massive electromagnetic [[Lightning Can Do Anything|shock]], which causes an [[Not-So-Harmless Villain|extreme]] [[Mad Scientist|personality change]]. The Green Goblin ''claims'' that he suffered no blackouts and no change in personality from his [[Psycho Serum]], but he may be in denial considering that he actually keeps acting crazy and speaking in rhymes while he's hovering above the prison in season 2 while no one can hear him.
* In ''[[The Spectacular Spider Man]],'' three [[Super Villain|Supervillains]] become as such when they get bonus mental instability with their powers. Electro and Doctor Octopus each suffer a [[Freak Lab Accident]]. Electro gets [[Power Incontinence|volatile]] [[Psycho Electro|electricity]]-based powers, then [[Freak-Out|freaks out]] at his loss of humanity. Doctor Octopus' [[Artificial Limbs|robotic arms]] are [[Hollywood Cyborg|fused]] [[Unusual User Interface|to his spine]] during a massive electromagnetic [[Lightning Can Do Anything|shock]], which causes an [[Not-So-Harmless Villain|extreme]] [[Mad Scientist|personality change]]. The Green Goblin ''claims'' that he suffered no blackouts and no change in personality from his [[Psycho Serum]], but he may be in denial considering that he actually keeps acting crazy and speaking in rhymes while he's hovering above the prison in season 2 while no one can hear him.
** In the case of Doc Ock it wasn't so much a case of the new powers messing with his brain, but rather stripping away his inhibitions.
** In the case of Doc Ock it wasn't so much a case of the new powers messing with his brain, but rather stripping away his inhibitions.
** More recently, John Jameson was infected by alien spores, which made him super massive, super strong, and essentially a [[Flying Brick]] without the flying, but, over time, messed with his head, making him filled with rage and aggression. After Venom threw him into a rage (making him think the one messing with him was Spiderman), Spidey was able to purge the spores from his system, making his body return to normal, but he was severely addicted to the power, and had to be admitted to an insane asylum. The effect was made more evident due to John having a cell right next to the now completely insane Electro, who babbles on about how [[That Man Is Dead|he has no more human identity]].
** More recently, John Jameson was infected by alien spores, which made him super massive, super strong, and essentially a [[Flying Brick]] without the flying, but, over time, messed with his head, making him filled with rage and aggression. After Venom threw him into a rage (making him think the one messing with him was Spiderman), Spidey was able to purge the spores from his system, making his body return to normal, but he was severely addicted to the power, and had to be admitted to an insane asylum. The effect was made more evident due to John having a cell right next to the now completely insane Electro, who babbles on about how [[That Man Is Dead|he has no more human identity]].
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* At least those rumors about the cause of Catherine the Great's death were just an urban legend.
* At least those rumors about the cause of Catherine the Great's death were just an urban legend.
* One of the Oldest Ones In The Book, the [[Trope Namer]] for [[The Berserker]]. Old Norse warriors used to get hopped up on drugs resembling PCP to enhance their combat prowess. Such warriors knew they would not survive the battle though, and as such carried out their death rituals before ingesting the drugs. It's said that a bear-sarker needed to be hacked physically apart before he'd stop. When he did, though (and survived), he was extremely tired and dazed - again, much like someone coming off a drug trip.
* One of the Oldest Ones In The Book, the [[Trope Namer]] for [[The Berserker]]. Old Norse warriors used to get hopped up on drugs resembling PCP to enhance their combat prowess. Such warriors knew they would not survive the battle though, and as such carried out their death rituals before ingesting the drugs. It's said that a bear-sarker needed to be hacked physically apart before he'd stop. When he did, though (and survived), he was extremely tired and dazed - again, much like someone coming off a drug trip.
** One possible etymology of the word is "bear-sark", sark meaning "shirt", and it is suggested that berserks traditionally wore clothes made of bearskin in battle. Alternatively, it may be ''bare''-sark, meaning they rushed at the enemy ''[[Full Frontal Assault|shirtless]]''.
** One possible etymology of the word is "bear-sark", sark meaning "shirt", and it is suggested that berserks traditionally wore clothes made of bearskin in battle. Alternatively, it may be ''bare''-sark, meaning they rushed at the enemy ''[[Full-Frontal Assault|shirtless]]''.
* Some studies have shown that those with higher IQs are more prone to mental illness.
* Some studies have shown that those with higher IQs are more prone to mental illness.
** Many serial killers are [[The Silence of the Lambs|highly intelligent people]]. For example Edmund Kemper has an IQ of 136 and Andrey Chikatilo being a very educated man and an avid reader (It's quite possible that he was only staging schizophrenic-like madness to avoid death sentence, as it looks quite overacted).
** Many serial killers are [[The Silence of the Lambs|highly intelligent people]]. For example Edmund Kemper has an IQ of 136 and Andrey Chikatilo being a very educated man and an avid reader (It's quite possible that he was only staging schizophrenic-like madness to avoid death sentence, as it looks quite overacted).
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[[Category:Horror Tropes]]
[[Category:Horror Tropes]]
[[Category:With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]
[[Category:With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]
[[Category:Trope]]
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