History BewareTheSuperman / LiveActionTV

* ''Franchise/KamenRider'' has it's own [[BewareTheSuperman/KamenRider separate page]] about it

* ''Franchise/KamenRider'': Even for a series that is about {{Henshin Hero}}es riding in motorcycles, Kamen Riders are not just about being nebulous defenders of humanity, even the seemingly heroic Riders can go overboard with their sense of justice or simply corrupted by absolute power ultimately would end up developing [[HeWhoFightsMonsters a mindset making them no different]] than the monsters they fight.
** ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'': Tsukasa Kadoya, the titular Rider of the series' very existence is feared around the AR Worlds, to the point that every residing AR World Rider revile him as the "Devil". This is due to the fact that Tsukasa had a history with [[spoiler:Dai-Shocker, and was originally its Great Leader]]. Matters not helped by the fact that he is called the "Destroyer of Worlds".
** ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'': [[TheCaligula Ohma Zi-O]], the future self of [[TheHero Sougo Tokiwa]], is the Overlord of Time who not only has TimeMaster powers, but also wields the power of all 20 Heisei Riders in his disposal [[spoiler:(and later on extending to Showa and Reiwa Riders)]] and having brought the entire world to its knees as he rules over the Bad Future with an iron fist. Even to this day, Ohma Zi-O stands out as one of, if not, the most powerful Rider [[spoiler:and ''Kamen Rider'' villain overall]] in existence.
** ''Series/KamenRiderOutsiders'': [[spoiler:[[TheComputerIsYourFriend Zein]] is an {{artificial intelligence}} that represents all the worst traits of every heroic Riders]] under the guise of a BenevolentAI that encourages [[KnightTemplar despotic tendencies]] of its followers to protect the world, and therefore deconstructing the concept of Kamen Riders in general. Matters not helped by the fact that much like Decade and (Ohma) Zi-O, [[spoiler:Zein has access to all Rider powers through the namesake Rider to assert its dominance against evil.]]

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** Simone from [[ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer the comics]], as a ''vampire'' slayer. In "Slaypire", her goal is to turn Slayers into vampires.
** Faith believed she was better than other people because she's a Slayer.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E22SpaceSeed Space Seed]]" and ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', Khan and the Augments were genetically engineered superhumans created by a cabal of scientists; their enhanced abilities [[DrunkWithPower resulted in enhanced ambition]], leading to them betraying their creators and launching a worldwide conflict in which rival warlords fought one another while treating normal humans like slaves. Their defeat led to [[NoTranshumanismAllowed laws restricting the genetically enhanced]] in Federation society, which nearly ends the career of [[spoiler:Dr. Bashir (whose parents had him illegally enhanced)]] on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''.
*** ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' eventually shows that the real problem with the Augments is the process was defective: The changes made to their brains that gave them greater intelligence also made them emotionally unstable and poorly equipped to deal with the consequences of physical and intellectual superiority to other people. The results were... unfortunate.
** A number of other examples show up in the series, going back to Gary Mitchell in [[Recap/StarTrekS1E3WhereNoManHasGoneBefore the second pilot]]:
--->'''Kirk:''' You were a psychiatrist once. You know the ugly, savage things we all keep buried, that none of us dare expose. But ''he'll'' dare. Who's to stop him?
* Creator/JMichaelStraczynski likes this trope. His ''Series/BabylonFive'' series has the [[MutantDraftBoard Psi-Corps]], the result of a SuperRegistrationAct that only served to unite telepaths in a monstrous organization with the creed that [[FantasticRacism "mundanes" are expendable]].
* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' the fear of this trope coming into effect is partly the motivation of the Company. They fear that if allowed to go unchecked, superpowered people will cause destruction and chaos. This fear is later revealed to have been brought about by a case of this trope; [[spoiler:Linderman and a bunch of other people with powers decided to work together as a team to help the world, only for several members of the group to betray the others and use their powers for evil. The Company arose to prevent such an incident from happening again]].
* The whole plot of ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' is based around a group of super-powered teenagers that are forced to contend with other super-powered people who are bound to abuse their powers. This is stated from the very first episode and becomes a point of conflict when Kelly scorns Seth for selling powers due to the chaos that would ensue.
* The Nietzscheans of ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' brought about the fall of the multiple galaxy-spanning Commonwealth. Their precise motivations aren't so clear.
** In a twist, it becomes clear fairly early on that Neitzscheans aren't so superior physical or mentally to the average human, in part because ''most of humanity'' is genetically modified in some way or the other. One should beware the superman, but more because [[AGodAmI he thinks he is a superman than because he is one]].
** According to the background material, the Nietzscheans had legitimate concerns, especially after the Magog invasion and the resultant treaty, which gave the Magog a number of border worlds, most of which were settled by Nietzscheans. To these übermenschen, this was not only a betrayal of them by the Commonwealth but appeasement (see UsefulNotes/WorldWarII for how well that worked historically). Their goal was to replace the "weak" government with a powerful Nietzschean Empire with the Drago-Kazov pride as the imperial dynasty. Thanks to Dylan, that was not meant to be, although it's implied that the empire would've quickly collapsed on itself through infighting, given their tendency toward ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'':
** The Earth-2 Metropolis is terrorized by Clark Luthor (Ultraman), an acknowledged vigilante and murderer.
** The [[SuperRegistrationAct Superhero Registration Act]] story arc is caused by certain people convincing the government that superheroes will all become this trope if left unchecked.
** This also happens in season 9, in the BadFuture where Clark has failed to stop Major Zod from turning the sun red and giving his troops artificial superpowers from the stolen sunlight.
* On ''Series/Supergirl2015'', exposure to Red Kryptonite makes Kara into a berserk PersonOfMassDestruction, attacking people and destroying everything in her way. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone She's overcome with remorse as the people of National City now fear her]].
* Series/ArrowVerse crossover ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'' features an alternate reality where the Nazis took over the world and heroes like [[Series/{{Arrow}} Green Arrow]], Series/{{Supergirl|2015}} and [[Series/TheFlash2014 the Flash]] are Nazis as well. The Dark Arrow in particular serves as the current Fuhrer during the start of the event.
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', it's revealed in 2013's "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor The Name of the Doctor]]" that the central character's title of "The Doctor" is his self-imposed promise ''never'' to succumb to this type of behavior, but rather to be "Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up. Never give in." (As he puts it in the next story, "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor The Day of the Doctor]]".) In several stories, he does temporarily break that promise, and ''always'' when he has no companion serving as a MoralityPet. He always comes back to his best self, but usually at a cost.

** The [[spoiler:[[UnPerson War Doctor]]]], of "The Name of the Doctor" and 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor", was an extended example of this happening to him. Happily, the ending of the latter reveals that [[spoiler:he and his other lives later managed to save Gallifrey rather than destroy it]].

* In ''Series/{{Powers}}'' the original purpose of Kaotic Chic was to raise awareness of how reckless Powers could be. Unfortunately they [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope end up proving]] to be [[KnightTemplar just as, if not more, dangerous]].
* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': One of the series' main themes. Superheroes, just like normal human characters in this world, are at best individuals dealing with serious issues and at worst are villains DrunkWithPower.
** Homelander is the most obvious example of this since he is actually a twisted SupermanSubstitute.
--->'''Homelander:''' Go ahead. Release it. Let's light this candle, huh? I mean, sure, I'll lose everything, but then... I'll have nothing to lose. First, I'll take out the nerve centers -- White House, Pentagon -- then any domestic defense capabilities, and then critical infrastructure -- like cellular, Internet, that kind of thing... and ''then''... well, I think then... [[PersonOfMassDestruction I'll just wipe New York off the fuckin' map.]] [[ForTheEvulz For fun!]] I'll even throw in Des Moines and that little cousin-fucker hick town that [[WonderWomanWannabe Maeve]]'s from, cause why not? See, Starlight, [[{{narcissist}} I'd prefer to be loved]]. I would, but if you take that away from me... Well. Being feared is A-one okey-doke by me. So. Go ahead, partner. ''Do it.'' [[{{Beat}} (...)]] No? You don't want to do it? ''Well then I would have to say that you have absolutely '''no''' fucking leverage because '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis I. AM. THE HOMELANDER.]]''''' And I ''really'' can do whatever the fuck I want.
** Billy Butcher invokes the trope as justification for his hatred of all "supes", most prominently expressed during the group therapy scene. How much of it is genuine and how much is just an excuse he uses to deal with personal trauma is left for the viewer to decide.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E73ItsAGoodLife It's a Good Life]]", Anthony Fremont is a six year old boy [[RealityWarper who can wish up anything he wants]], and [[{{Telepathy}} can also read people's minds]]. Thus everyone has to do and put up with whatever he wants, and they better say, and think, they like it or he'll [[MindRape violate their minds]] and/or [[BodyHorror bodies]], or send them into [[ReleasedToElsewhere "the Field"]].
* The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' explores these themes in its TV shows as well:
** ''Series/WandaVision'' shows that, ever since the events of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', there has been a lot of paranoia about superpowered beings, and that this heavily informs Director Hayward's distrust of Wanda Maximoff. It also shows us what happens when a superhero with RealityWarper powers has a [[HeroicBSOD complete mental breakdown]]. The residents of [[EldritchLocation Westview, New Jersey]] are [[AndIMustScream fully aware of what Wanda has done to them]], and they are absolutely ''terrified'' of her.
** In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', this is the reason Baron Zemo is opposed to the existence of superpowered beings, as he believes that anyone who seeks and gains superpowers has an inherently supremacist mindset. [[spoiler:With this mindset, he executes the HYDRA scientist who recreated the super-soldier serum and smashes all the vials of serum he could find. He's soon proven right after John Walker takes the last vial of the serum and ends up killing a defenseless man in cold blood in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses.]] While he concedes that the super-soldier serum never corrupted Steve Rogers, he also notes that there has been no one like him since.

** ''Series/KamenRiderOutsiders'': [[spoiler:[[TheComputerIsYourFriend Zein]] is an {{artificial intelligence}} that represents all the worst traits of every heroic Riders]] under the guise of a BenevolentAI that encourages [[KnightTemplar despotic tendencies]] of its followers to protect the world, and therefore deconstructing the concept of Kamen Riders in general. Matters not helped by the fact that much like Decade and (Ohma) Zi-O, Zein has [[spoiler:access to all Rider powers through the namesake Rider to assert its dominance against evil.]]

* ''Franchise/KamenRider''

** ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'': Time travelers from the year 2068 saw firsthand how terrifying Ohma Zi-O is since he has the power of all 19 of the Heisei Riders that preceded him, coupled with his [[TimeMaster control over time itself]]. The time travelers in question, starting with Tsukuyomi, go back 50 years into the past and meet Sougo Tokiwa, a young man who sets out to become a King, confirming that he is destined to become Ohma Zi-O. Geiz Myokoin, another denizen from the future, is dead set to take out Sougo before he could become Ohma Zi-O. In the finale, [[spoiler:Sougo manages to defy his fate of becoming the tyrannical ruler, by becoming Ohma Zi-O for one time only to defeat [[BigBad Swartz]], who spent most of the series manipulating him to take the Overlord's powers for himself.]]
** ''Series/KamenRiderOutsiders'': [[spoiler:Kamen Rider Zein is the embodiment of one. Matters not helped when Zein, an authoritarian artificial intelligence, enlisted one [[Series/KamenRiderDenO Yuto Sakurai]] to transform into the Rider itself part of its modus operandi to eliminate all ''Rider'' villains to [[OrderIsNotGood bring order]] to humanity. The first thing Yuto does as Kamen Rider Zein is [[CurbStompBattle beating]] [[Series/KamenRiderDrive Tenjuro Banno]] [[CurbStompBattle within an inch of his life]] using [[Series/KamenRiderExAid Ex-Aid Muteki Gamer]]'s Hyper Critical Sparking before skewering the MadScientist to death using [[Series/KamenRiderSaber Xross Saber's]] Haou Xross Sei Retsuzan, demonstrating Zein's full might over anyone who dare to oppose its pursuit of a [[WorldOfSilence world without malice]]. To the point that Ecole, a Foundation X executive overseeing Project Outsiders, who just happened to be nearby observing the fight is both amazed and ''trembling in fear'' at the same time.]]

** ''Series/KamenRiderOutsiders'': [[spoiler:Kamen Rider Zein is the embodiment of one. Matters not helped when Zein, the artificial intelligence, enlisted one [[Series/KamenRiderDenO Yuto Sakurai]] to transform into the Rider itself part of its modus operandi to eliminate all ''Rider'' villains to [[OrderIsNotGood bring order]] to humanity. The first thing Yuto does as Kamen Rider Zein is [[CurbStompBattle beating]] [[Series/KamenRiderDrive Tenjuro Banno]] [[CurbStompBattle within an inch of his life]] using [[Series/KamenRiderExAid Ex-Aid Muteki Gamer]]'s Hyper Critical Sparking before skewering the MadScientist to death using [[Series/KamenRiderSaber Xross Saber's]] Haou Xross Sei Retsuzan, demonstrating Zein's full might over anyone who dare to stand in its way. To the point that Ecole, a Foundation X executive overseeing Project Outsiders, who just happened to be nearby observing the fight is both amazed and ''trembling in fear'' at the same time.]]

--->'''Homelander:''' Go ahead. Release it. Let's light this candle, huh? I mean, sure, I'll lose everything, but then, I'll have nothing to lose. First, I'll take out the nerve centers--White House, Pentagon--then any domestic defense capabilities, and then critical infrastructure--like cellular, Internet, that kind of thing--and then, well, I think then. [[ForTheEvulz I'll just wipe New York off the fucking map for fun.]] I'll even throw in Des Moines and that little cousin-fucker hick town that [[WonderWomanWannabe Maeve]]'s from, cause why not? See, Starlight, [[{{narcissist}} I'd prefer to be loved]]. I would, but if you take that away from me, well, being feared is A-one okey-doke by me. So. Go ahead, partner. Do it. No? You don't want to do it? Well, then, I would have to say that you have absolutely no fucking leverage because I am the Homelander. And I really can do whatever the fuck I want.
** Billy Butcher invokes the trope as justification for his hatred of all "supes", most prominently expressed during the group therapy scene. How much of it is genuine and how much is it just an excuse he uses to deal with personal trauma is left for the viewer to decide.

** In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', this is the reason Baron Zemo is opposed to the existence of superpowered beings, as he believes that anyone who seeks and gains superpowers has an inherently supremacist mindset. [[spoiler:With this mindset, he executes the HYDRA scientist who recreated the super-soldier serum and smashes all the vials of serum he could find. He's soon proven right after John Walker takes the last vial of the serum and ends up killing a defenseless man in cold blood in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses. If one considers moments after the target killed his best friend to be " in cold blood"]] While he concedes that the super-soldier serum never corrupted Steve Rogers, he also notes that there has been no one like him since.

** In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', this is the reason Baron Zemo is opposed to the existence of superpowered beings, as he believes that anyone who seeks and gains superpowers has an inherently supremacist mindset. [[spoiler:With this mindset, he executes the HYDRA scientist who recreated the super-soldier serum and smashes all the vials of serum he could find. He's soon proven right after John Walker takes the last vial of the serum and ends up killing a defenseless man in cold blood in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses.]] While he concedes that the super-soldier serum never corrupted Steve Rogers, he also notes that there has been no one like him since.

** Simone from the comics, as a ''vampire'' slayer. In Slaypire, her goal was to turn Slayers into vampires.

** In [[Recap/StarTrekS1E22SpaceSeed "Space Seed"]] and ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', Khan and the Augments were genetically engineered superhumans created by a cabal of scientists; their enhanced abilities [[DrunkWithPower resulted in enhanced ambition]], leading to them betraying their creators and launching a worldwide conflict in which rival warlords fought one another while treating normal humans like slaves. Their defeat led to [[NoTranshumanismAllowed laws restricting the genetically enhanced]] in Federation society, which nearly ends the career of [[spoiler: Dr. Bashir (whose parents had him illegally enhanced)]] on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''.
*** ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' eventually shows that the real problem with the Augments is the process was defective: The changes made to their brains that gave them greater intelligence also made them emotionally unstable and poorly equipped to deal with the consequences of physical and intellectual superiority to other people. The results were...unfortunate.

* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' the fear of this trope coming into effect is partly the motivation of the Company. They fear that if allowed to go unchecked, superpowered people will cause destruction and chaos. This fear is later revealed to have been brought about by a case of this trope; [[spoiler: Linderman and a bunch of other people with powers decided to work together as a team to help the world, only for several members of the group to betray the others and use their powers for evil. The Company arose to prevent such an incident from happening again]].

** The Superhero Registration Act story arc was caused by certain people convincing the government that superheroes would all become this trope if left unchecked.
** This also happened in season 9, in the BadFuture where Clark had failed to stop Major Zod from turning the sun red and giving his troops artificial superpowers from the stolen sunlight.
* On ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'', exposure to Red Kryptonite makes Kara into a berserk PersonOfMassDestruction, attacking people and destroying everything in her way. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone She's overcome with remorse as the people of National City now fear her.]]
* Series/ArrowVerse crossover ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'' features an alternate reality where the Nazis took over the world and heroes like [[Series/{{Arrow}} Green Arrow]], Supergirl and the Flash are Nazis as well. The Dark Arrow in particular serves as the current Fuhrer during the start of the event.
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', it's revealed in 2013's "The Name of the Doctor" that the central character's title of "The Doctor" is his self-imposed promise ''never'' to succumb to this type of behavior, but rather to be "Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up. Never give in." (As he puts it in the next story, "The Day of the Doctor".) In several stories, he does temporarily break that promise, and ''always'' when he has no companion serving as a MoralityPet. He always comes back to his best self, but usually at a cost.
** The Tenth Doctor's turn as the "[[AGodAmI Time Lord Victorious]]" in 2009's "The Waters of Mars" has him attempt to change a fixed moment in time -- one that's crucial to the history of humanity in the larger universe -- to save doomed lives, justifying it on the basis of being the LastOfHisKind. The problem is that changing a fixed moment threatens the universe with a RealityBreakingParadox, and in the end that's only prevented via [[spoiler: a woman's suicide]]. The resultant changes his actions manage to make are all for the worse, and he doesn't fully redeem himself until the next story, "The End of Time"... which is also his last, not counting "The Day of the Doctor" set earlier in his timeline.
** The [[spoiler:[[UnPerson War Doctor]]]], of "The Name of the Doctor" and 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor", was an extended example of this happening to him. Happily, the ending of the latter reveals that [[spoiler: he and his other lives later managed to save Gallifrey rather than destroy it]].
** Over the course of 2015's Series 9, the Twelfth Doctor becomes increasingly frustrated with his nigh-immortality meaning he ultimately loses everyone he comes to care for and others besides. He becomes increasingly desperate to protect his companion Clara Oswald and to save others no matter how risky the means are, resulting in him [[spoiler: immortalizing a human girl, Ashildr]] -- which causes him trouble down the line. This sets up the Series 9 finale "Hell Bent", in which he becomes TheUnfettered WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds in the wake of captivity, torture, and [[spoiler: the death of Clara]]. Said spoilered event is another fixed moment in time that he attempts to undo, arguing DudeWheresMyReward with regard to all he's done for others at one point. Perhaps because he follows the "Never give up. Never give in" part of his credo a little '''too''' well this time, in the climax he revises it to "Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends" as he returns to his best self with a little help from [[spoiler: a MindRape that made him forget Clara ever existed]].
** In fact the Twelfth Doctor would realise in the novelization of his GrandFinale that the only Doctor not to have engaged in this was the [[GrumpyOldMan selfish, irritable old man]] that was the First Doctor.
* In ''Series/{{Powers}}'' the original purpose of Kaotic Chic was to raise awareness of how reckless Powers could be. Unfortunately they [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope ended up proving]] to be [[KnightTemplar just as, if not more, dangerous.]]
* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': One of the series' main themes. Superheroes, just like normal human characters in this world, are at best individuals dealing with serious issues and at worst are villains {{drunk with power}}.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E73ItsAGoodLife It's a Good Life]]" Anthony Fremont is a six year old boy [[RealityWarper who can wish up anything he wants]], and [[{{Telepathy}} can also read people's minds]]. Thus everyone has to do and put up with whatever he wants, and they better say, and think, they like it or he'll turn them into some [[EldritchAbomination ungodly horror]], or send them into [[ReleasedToElsewhere "the Field."]]

** ''Series/WandaVision'' shows that, ever since the events of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', there has been a lot of paranoia about superpowered beings, and that this heavily informs Director Hayward's distrust of [[ComicBook/ScarletWitch Wanda Maximoff]]. It also shows us what happens when a superhero with RealityWarper powers has a [[HeroicBSOD complete mental breakdown]]. The residents of [[EldritchLocation Westview, New Jersey]] are [[AndIMustScream fully aware of what Wanda has done to them]], and they are absolutely ''terrified'' of her.
** In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', this is the reason Baron Zemo is opposed to the existence of superpowered beings, as he believes that anyone who seeks and gains superpowers has an inherently supremacist mindset. [[spoiler:With this mindset, he executes the HYDRA scientist who recreated the super-soldier serum and smashes all the vials of serum he could find. He's soon proven right after [[ComicBook/USAgent John Walker]] takes the last vial of the serum and ends up killing a defenseless man in cold blood in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses.]] While he concedes that the super-soldier serum never corrupted Steve Rogers, he also notes that there has been no one like him since.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': One of the series' main themes. Superheroes, just like normal human characters in this world, are at best individuals dealing with serious issues and at worst are villains [[DrunkOnPower drunk on power.]]