History Main / ArtifactDomination

* Also from [[MarvelUniverse Marvel]]; the Darkhold is a TomeOfEldritchLore penned by [[EldritchAbomination Chthon]] to serve as a foothold in Earth's dimension after his banishment from it. Anyone who uses it risks becoming enslaved to Chthon's purposes.
* Long ago the [[MarvelUniverse Skrull]] brought the Resurrection Stone to earth. The consciousness of the gem is malevolent and seeks to bring chaos to the universe while feeding on sentient beings' desire for immortality. Ultimately, no mortal being can withstand such power. Entire civilizations have been destroyed by the madness it brings with it.

* DCComics also has the Heart of Darkness; a black crystal that can grant its host fearsome mystical powers. The cost? Said host almost always becomes a flesh puppet to the evil spirit within the diamond: Eclipso.

* The TropeCodifier is probably the One Ring from ''LordOfTheRings''. Once the property of the ultimate evil Sauron, The One Ring was built to rule over ninteen other rings of power given to the kings of the other races of Middle Earth. In this, Sauron hoped to control and rule all of the peoples of Middle Earth. Sauron poured a great deal of his own power into the ring, and in doing so imbued it with a piece of his soul. As a result, anyone coming near the ring would be tempted to claim its power for themselves. it would also make anyone who was in contact with it for any length of time paranoid, cruel and greedy. it also made them very selfish, especially when it came to the ring. The One Ring is sentient, containing Sauron's soul. It wants to be returned to Mordor and used to resurrect its master. The ring can be used to grant invisibility and it lengthens the lifespan of its owner.

* The ''SleepyHollow'' season 2 episode "Root of All Evil" centers around one of the thirty pieces of silver given to Judas to betray Jesus. Whoever possess the coin is compelled to seek revenge for any transgressions, no matter how sleight. It forces a woman to shoot up the bank where she works after being passed over for promotion, another man kills his father whom he resents for pressuring him into the family business and it sends one of the protagonists on a mission to kill the person she believes is responsible for the death of her mother.

* The demonic sword Soul Edge from the ''SoulSeries'' of fighting games. The sword invades the mind of its wielder and turns it into its host body, removing his self-consciousness and turning him into a bloodlusting machine whose only goal is to offer the souls of those he slay to the sword. The sword's influence can also affect the user's physical appearance in varying degrees, the most common effect being a demon-looking deformed arm.

* WorldOfWarcraft

* Dan Ketch became the second GhostRider when he found (then-dead) Johnny Blaze's old motorcycle and touched the gas cap, becoming possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance.

* True to some extent of all magical equipment in TabletopGame/ThirteenthAge. Magical items all have some degree of personality, and at very least impose personality quirks on their wielders. These effects are significantly exacerbated if an adventurer wears too many magic items, and gamemasters are [[PowerAtAPrice encouraged to make things complicated for players trying to make this trade-off]]...

* True to some extent of all magical equipment in TabletopGame/ThirteenthAge. Magical items all have some degree of personality, and at very least impose personality quirks on their wielders. These effects are significantly exacerbated if an adventurer wears too many magic items, and GMs are [[PowerAtAPrice encouraged to make things complicated for players trying to make this trade-off]]...

* Common in ''{{Warehouse13}}'', the very first artifact Myka and Pete saw was an Aztec bloodstone that brainwashed a museum worker into trying to kill the president. Several more popped up through the series, some were complete mind control, others would gradually turn their user evil the more they were used.
* On ''{{Angel}}'' there are a few.

An item of power, usually magical (or "[[ClarkesThirdLaw magical]]") in nature, exerts some kind of mind control on its user. This is usually attached to a curse placed upon the item by its original owner, however it can be within the purview of a LivingWeapon, an EmpathicWeapon or a TalkingWeapon to do this on its own. The object may also be acting as a SoulJar, or the "can" of SealedEvilInACan and whatever is in it wants out. Oftentimes associated with an ArtifactOfDoom, and perhaps its capacity to posses its users is exactly what makes it "...of Doom". This can also be the result of MisappliedPhlebotinum or an imperfect understanding of the object by the characters using it. Whatever the case using, possessing or in some cases just being near the object allows it to exert mind control over sentient beings. This is usually in the form of a compulsion to act a certain way, ranging from general behavior influences (compulsion to commit certain acts like theft or murder, or act good/evil) or outright command to take a specific set of actions to lead to the object's desired outcome. Conversely, this may also reference an instance where touching an item leads directly to some kind of possession by an entity inhabiting the object.

* In ''[[VideoGame/FatalFury Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture]]'' Laocorn Gaudeamus first touches the Armor of Mars and is transformed from a good, if a little meek, businessman into a power-mad megalomaniac bent on finding the rest of the pieces of the armor and posses the power of Mars, the God of War. With each new piece he grew more powerful and more insane until he'd united them all and [[spoiler: unwittingly summoned Mars himself to Earth]].

** There can only be one Orange Ring of Avarice, because anyone who experiences its power becomes irrevocably rapacious; seeing to posses its power exclusively. It makes them incredibly greedy and gluttonous, desiring to own all they survey.

* The ''SleepyHollow'' season 2 episode "Root of All Evil" centers around one of the thirty pieces of silver given to Judas to betray Jesus. Whoever posses the coin is compelled to seek revenge for any transgressions, no matter how sleight. It forces a woman to shoot up the bank where she works after being passed over for promotion, another man kills his father whom he resents for pressuring him into the family business and it sends one of the protagonists on a mission to kill the person she believes is responsible for the death of her mother.

** It was found 2500 years later by the Stoor Hobbit Déagol while on a fishing trip with his cousin Sméagol. The two of them fought over the ring at its insistence until Sméagol murdered Déagol. Sméagol was changed by the Ring’s influence over several centuries into the creature known as Gollum. Gollum, after being exiled from his home, sought shelter far beneath the Misty Mountains. There he and it remained for nearly five hundred years, until the Ring abandoned him and fell off his finger. Later, when he discovered Frodo Baggins was in possession of the ring, he tracked Frodo down. Even after being captured and forced into service by the hobbit and his friend Samwise Gamgee, Gollum was driven by his desire to posses the ring once more. He enacted several plans to try and have Frodo and Sam killed so he could again posses it.

** Though he never possessed the ring, Boromir felt its call and desired to posses it. He even tried to steal it from Frodo, threatening the hobbit with his sword until he realized he was under the influence of the ring's evil.

*** The Axe of the Emperors will attempt to posses any user, gradually turning them into a lawful evil ogre with a constant compulsion to slay other ogres.

*** The Book With No End seeks to posses its users to seek world domination.

*** The Hand and Eye of Vecna seek to posses their owners to further Vecna's goals, including summoning him (now a demigod) back to the prime material plane.

*** The Orbs of Dragonkind are all possessed by spirits of ancient and powerful dragons who will seek to turn their owners into dragons and posses them. If successful the dragon's soul takes up residence in the new body and the person's soul is lost forever.

** Frostmourne, the blade of the Lich King. Frostmourne held a fragment of Ner'zhul's power and was ejected from his prison on the Frozen Throne to be found by one powerful enough to free him. Eventually the legend of the blade was discovered by Arthas Menethil, crown prince of Lordaeron who sought to posses its power to help his people who were under constant attack from the undead Scourge army. Upon discovering the blade, Arthas was undeterred by the warning carved into its pedestal: "Whomsoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit." Under Frostmourne's influence Arthas tried to murder his best friend Muradin Bronzebeard. He then returned home and murdered his own father. After that he killed his mentor, the legendary paladin Uther the Lightbringer when confronted over his deeds. He then became a champion of the Lich King, betraying and murdering his friends and allies and ultimately destroying his own kingdom by turning it into a festering, plague-ridden land of the undead. Finally Arthas destroyed the Lich King's prison, donned the possessed Armor of Dominion and became the Lich King; which was what Frostmourne wanted all along.

** After consuming The Skull of Gul'Dan Illidan Stormrage transformed into a powerful malevolent demon. This led his brother to banish him from the forests, and eventually led to his joining the Burning Legion, having his power amplified by Sargeras, and eventually trying to claim the throne of Outland.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-708 SCP-708 ("The Big Orange Forklift")]]. Anyone who sits in SCP-708 and starts it up is subject to its mental effects. If the person has no violent inclinations then they will be obsessed with using SCP-708 to lift other objects. If they have violent tendencies they will use SCP-708 as a weapon against anyone or anything they can see.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-708 SCP-708 ("The Big Orange Forklift")]]. Anyone who sits in SCP-708 and starts it up is subject to its mental effects. If the person has no violent inclinations than they will be obsessed with using SCP-708 to lift and lower other objects. If they have violent tendencies they will use SCP-708 as a weapon against anyone or anything they can see.

* Common in ''Series/Warehouse13'', the very first artifact Myka and Pete saw was an Aztec bloodstone that brainwashed a museum worker into trying to kill the president. Several more popped up through the series, some were complete mind control, others would gradually turn their user evil the more they were used.

* Common is ''Series/Warehouse13'', the very first artifact Myka and Pete saw was an Aztec bloodstone that brainwashed a museum worker into trying to kill the president. Several more popped up through the series, some were complete mind control, others would gradually turn their user evil the more they were used.

* Common in ''Series/Warehouse13'', the very first artifact Myka and Pete saw was an Aztec bloodstone that brainwashed a museum worker into trying to kill the president. Several more popped up through the series, some were complete mind control, others would gradually turn their user evil the more they were used.

* In ''[[FatalFury Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture]]'' Laocorn Gaudeamus first touches the Armor of Mars and is transformed from a good, if a little meek, businessman into a power-mad megalomaniac bent on finding the rest of the pieces of the armor and posses the power of Mars, the God of War. With each new piece he grew more powerful and more insane until he'd united them all and [[spoiler: unwittingly summoned Mars himself to Earth]].

** The Jewel of Four Souls, which was formed when a powerful miko locked her own soul into an endless battle with a multitude of demons in order to contain them after her death. Initially regarded as a DismantledMacGuffin, a single shard of the Jewel gives demons [[AmplifierArtifact enormous power]]. Even those with good intentions are [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil inevitably corrupted]] by shard use. [[spoiler:Then it's revealed to have a [[SentientPhlebotinum malevolent will]] of its own, making it not only the [[ManBehindTheMan Man Behind The]] BigBad but, in fact, the BiggerBad.]]

* In ''{{Grimm}}'' the Coins of Zakynthos have the effect of causing the person who holds them to have delusions of grandeur and of great power, and also a murderous drive to keep them away from others who might try to take them. We see Sean Renard fall victim to them and have dreams of mass adoration from the public, and later old film reels reveal they had ties to Nazi Germany.
* ''{{Supernatural}}'' is no stranger to cursed/haunted artifacts.

** The amulet of the Lord of the Nightosphere in turns its wearer into a giant demon and imbues them with magical powers, but also changes their alignment from whatever it previously was to ChaoticEvil (the D&D alignment name is explicitly invoked in dialogue).

** After consuming The Skull of Gul'Dan Illidan Stormrage transformed into a powerful malevolent demon, crossing the MoralEventHorizon from WellIntentionedExtremist to CompleteMonster. This led his brother to banish him from the forests, and eventually led to his joining the Burning Legion, having his power amplified by Sargeras, and eventually trying to claim the throne of Outland.

[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]
* In ''[[FatalFury Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture]]'' Laocorn Gaudeamus first touches the Armor of Mars and is transformed from a good, if a little meek, businessman into a power-mad megalomaniac bent on finding the rest of the pieces of the armor and posses the power of Mars, the God of War. With each new piece he grew more powerful and more insane until he'd united them all and [[spoiler: unwittingly summoned Mars himself to Earth]].
* ''Manga/InuYasha'':

[[AC:CardGames]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

** The Indigo Tribe is shown to take violent criminals and chain them to their staves until the Indigo light forces them to become loyal and compassionate servants.
** There can only be one Orange Ring of Avarice, because anyone who experiences its power becomes irrevocably rapacious; seeing to posses its power exclusively. It makes them incredibly greedy and gluttonous, desiring to own all they survey.

[[AC:{{LiveActionTelevision}}]]

** In one of the most heartbreaking examples, [[spoiler: Fred]] touches Illyria's sarcophagus and is slowly converted into Illyria, an EldritchAbomination from ancient history. [[spoiler: Fred's]] body is completely taken over by Illyria, who also absorbs her memories and destroys her soul. Though declaring there is no more of [[spoiler: Fred's]] soul in her, Illyria reverts to [[spoiler: Fred]] for her parents and Wesley.

** The next episode had The Apple of Discord, an item which turned whoever held it into the absolute worst version of themselves.

*** Flynn Carsen gets hold of it next and laments his life of sacrifice, saying that with his knowledge he should be [[AGodAmI a god]].

* In ''{{Grimm}}'' the Coins of Zakynthos have the effect of causing the person who holds them to have delusions of grandeur and of great power, and also a murderous drive to keep them away from others who might try to take them. We see Sean Renard fall victim to them and have dreams of mass adoration from the public, and later old film reels reveal they had ties to Nazi Germany.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{TabletopGames}}]]

** The TropeNamer is [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons The AD&D 2nd Edition]] ''Book of Artifacts'' which lists "Artifact Domination" as a bad side-effect of many of the entries contained therein.

*** The Monocle of Bagthalos has a chance to make the user remember every misdeed they've committed against everyone in their life and compel them to make amends.

[[AC:{{VideoGames}}]]
* WorldOfWarcraft

* Pieces of Reaper technology in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series have the same, albeit weaker indoctrination effect as functioning Reapers themselves: any living being that spends prolonged periods of time in their vicinity is imbued with the Reaper agenda and, knowingly or unknowningly, starts advancing their goals.