History Main / ContagiousPowers

If a setting isn't insecure about changing its [[StatusQuoIsGod status quo]], or wants to change the dynamic from solo hero, to duo, or even PowerTrio and [[CastCalculus beyond]], then the {{Muggle}} supporting cast may catch Contagious Powers and these side characters will [[SuperEmpowering permanently gain powers]], going up to SuperWeight class.

* The ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' rarely have supporting characters who don't have one power or another. Johnny Storm's girlfriends either turn out to be [[ComicBook/SecretInvasion Skrulls2008]] or later become heralds of ComicBook/{{Galactus}}. Ben's girlfriend Sharon Ventura started out with powers but eventually turned into his DistaffCounterpart, becoming even more superhuman. They both dated Alicia Masters[[note]]Sort of. Johnny actually dated a Skrull spy named Lyja who was impersonating Alicia, then dated Lyja again as herself.[[/note]] who was mostly normal until her father the Puppet Master used her for his own means. She also dated the ComicBook/SilverSurfer for a time and was briefly given cosmic powers. Then we come to Reed and Sue. Their kids have godlike powers, their nanny was a sorceress who trained the ComicBook/ScarletWitch, and Reed's dad was eventually revealed to be a time traveler. Even ComicBook/DoctorDoom is not exempt from this. His adopted heir Kristoff ended up in a suit of PowerArmor similar to Doom. Wyatt Wingfoot is a friend of the family and the only one without powers, it seems. Despite that, he is still a BadassNormal who has gone toe-to-toe with supervillains.

* The ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' rarely have supporting characters who don't have one power or another. Johnny Storm's girlfriends either turn out to be [[ComicBook/SecretInvasion Skrulls]] or later become heralds of ComicBook/{{Galactus}}. Ben's girlfriend Sharon Ventura started out with powers but eventually turned into his DistaffCounterpart, becoming even more superhuman. They both dated Alicia Masters[[note]]Sort of. Johnny actually dated a Skrull spy named Lyja who was impersonating Alicia, then dated Lyja again as herself.[[/note]] who was mostly normal until her father the Puppet Master used her for his own means. She also dated the ComicBook/SilverSurfer for a time and was briefly given cosmic powers. Then we come to Reed and Sue. Their kids have godlike powers, their nanny was a sorceress who trained the ComicBook/ScarletWitch, and Reed's dad was eventually revealed to be a time traveler. Even ComicBook/DoctorDoom is not exempt from this. His adopted heir Kristoff ended up in a suit of PowerArmor similar to Doom. Wyatt Wingfoot is a friend of the family and the only one without powers, it seems. Despite that, he is still a BadassNormal who has gone toe-to-toe with supervillains.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan''. Whoo. At first it's only Peter with superpowers. Then pretty much everyone he knows gets superpowers of their own. It varies if those powers turn them into allies or more villains.

** Mac Gargan was introduced as a private eye for one issue before turning into the Scorpion.
** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' is a bigger offender. In the beginning, Spidey is the only character in the main cast with superpowers. By the 100s, the Human Torch, Kitty Pryde, and Iceman are all hanging out at his school, Harry Osborne transformed into the Hobgoblin, Mary Jane got experimental goblin powers from an evil Spider-Man clone, and mutantphobic Liz Allen was revealed to be Ultimate Firestar, a mutant [=superhero=] CanonImmigrant. And after Gwen Stacy dies, she comes back to life as the Ultimate version of ''Carnage''.

* ''ComicBook/ScoobyDooTeamUp'' has this happen to the WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo gang as a result of being part of the DC Universe and crossing paths with famous heroes. Shaggy and Scooby's {{Lovable Coward}}ice let them co-opt ComicBook/{{Sinestro}}'s yellow power ring (gaining Sinestro Corps uniforms in the process), Shaggy and Velma were made temporary deputy [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Marvels]] (with the [[WordsCanBreakMyBones Words of Power]] [[CatchPhrase "Zoinks!" and "Jinkies!"]], Scooby was possessed by ComicBook/TheSpectre, ComicBook/TheAtom loaned the whole team shrinking belts for a subatomic adventure...

This is typically done when the series gets a little older and writers are tired of one of the characters always playing the DistressedDamsel in HostageForMcGuffin situations. The solution to stale plots like those is to simply give the cast members in question their own fighting powers so as to bring them in line with the rest of the cast, sidestepping questions about how [[WhatMeasureIsANonSuper "mundanes" are useless]].

** Oddly enough, Clark, who already had [[FlyingBrick Speeding Brick]] powers and getting new ones each season, was gifted with [[Literature/TheDeadZone "Dead Zone" Visions]] for a single episode in the middle of Season 2 although it might be the artifacts rather than his innate ability. In [[DorkAge season 9]] he even gained two one-episode powers.

The opposite of the SidekickGlassCeiling and subversion of NeverBeAHero. {{Supertrope}} of SuperhumanTransfusion SexuallyTransmittedSuperpowers.

The opposite of the SidekickGlassCeiling and subversion of NeverBeAHero. {{Supertrope}} of SexuallyTransmittedSuperpowers.

* In the 90s ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' cartoon, Johnny was afraid this had occurred when he kissed this foxy redhead and she immediately burst into flame. Turned out she had some kind of mutant power she'd repressed due to accidentally burning her house down as a child.. Then played straight when she got extra powers from Galactus in order to become his herald.

The opposite of the SidekickGlassCeiling and subversion of NeverBeAHero.

* Happens a lot to the nearest and dearest of [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]]. Even if one discounts those who gained their powers from the same gamma blast that created the Hulk, or inherited gamma powers as his children, there's still ComicBook/BettyRoss, who was briefly turned into the Harpy, [[spoiler:then became Red She-Hulk, then had the two combine to become the 'Red Harpy']]; Doc Samson, who used the Hulk's own gamma energy to gain super strength; Bruce's cousin Jennifer Walters, who became ComicBook/SheHulk due to a blood transfusion; Rick Jones, who time-shared his body with Genis-Vell's Captain Marvel, was briefly a Hulk himself, then became A-Bomb, a blue version of the Abomination; ComicBook/AmadeusCho, who absorbed the Hulk from Bruce to become yet another Hulk, then became Brawn; [[spoiler:and Thunderbolt Ross, who became the first ComicBook/RedHulk.]]

* ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'' took this trope UpToEleven. It started with 4400 returned alien abductees, a few of which had superpowers. Then the government stops giving them superpower suppressant, and it turns out they ALL have superpowers. Then a scientist isolates the magical neurotransmitter behind it all, enabling him to synthesize a serum that can give ANYONE superpowers (though with a 50% risk of death). Then one guy, taking the serum, gains the power giving anyone around him superpowers (again, with a 50% risk of death for each person).

* ''Webcomic/AxeCop'' cranks this UpToEleven, as superpowers are ''literally'' contagious in that they seems to be spread through bodily fluids and various other ways diseases are spread. One character developed dog-related superpowers after being bitten by a dog. It wasn't even a radioactive or genetically engineered dog.

** This is justified similarly with ''ComicBook/IronMan'' and his supporting cast. Since the series revolves around suits of PowerArmor, all it takes is Tony Stark lending the suit out for one reason or another, or simply designing a new suit for them to wear. Usually this happened when Stark was unavailable or he was trying to protect his SecretIdentity. Over the years, [[ComicBook/WarMachine Jim Rhodes]] and Pepper Potts have both worn Iron Man armor '''and''' had their own suits designed for them. Conversely, you have Obadiah Stane and his son who were business rivals that simply stole Stark's designs.

** This is justified similarly with ''ComicBook/IronMan'' and his supporting cast. Since the series revolves around suits of PowerArmor, all it takes is Tony Stark lending the suit out for one reason or another, or simply designing a new suit for them to wear. Usually this happened when Stark was unavailable or he was trying to protect his SecretIdentity. Over the years, [[ComicBook/WarMachine Jim Rhodes]] and Pepper Potts have both worn Iron Man armor '''and''' had their own suits designed for them. Conversely, you have Obidiah Stane and his son who were business rivals that simply stole Stark's designs.