History Main / HeroicHost

* The ComicBook/BlueBeetle scarab is a semi-sapient piece of alien tech that is essentially weaponized PoweredArmor: it bonds to a host and encases them in a supremely powerful suit of exo-armor... whilst simultaneously [[MindRape taking over their mind and turning them into a slave-warrior of the scarab's creators]]. Fortunately for the Blue Beetle, ''his'' scarab was damaged before bonding with him, allowing him to retain control.
* ''ComicBook/CaptainUniverse.'' Different in that that entity bonds with a different person each time, until recently.
* In ''ComicBook/CreatureTech'', an alien parasite rips Dr. Ong's heart out, then attaches itself to his chest and serves as a replacement heart. It also provides him with several extra limbs, skills in hand-to-hand combat (the thing can learn kung-fu by watching movies), and when Ong gets really upset, teleportation powers.
* ''ComicBook/DarkHawk'' is a young man who literally [[FallingIntoTheCockpit stumbled onto alien tech]].
* The ComicBook/{{Ghost Rider}}s are humans possessed by Spirits of Vengeance, who use the powers of Hell to fight evil.
* In ''ComicBook/IronMan'', War Machine had at one point Eidolon Warwear, which was basically living technology.
* Creator/DCComics' [[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Jonni_Thunder_(Earth-Two) Jonni Thunder]]: timeshare with an alien energy-being.
%%* Creator/MarvelComics' ''{{Sleepwalker}}.''

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** ComicBook/SpiderMan was this during his time with the symbiote, though for most of their time together, he didn't even realize it was in the passenger seat.

* Toxin from Creator/MarvelComics, due to having one of {{The Symbiote}}'s bonded to him whilst trying to use it to do good.
* The artifacts from the Creator/TopCowProductions universe: The ComicBook/{{Witchblade}}, ComicBook/TheDarkness, and The Angelus. The Darkness and Angelus are opposing ancient powers that inhabit human vessels, granting them powers, while their child, the Witchblade, is a sentient gauntlet that forms a symbiotic relationship with its host, also granting them powers.
* One of the most famous examples is the Phoenix Force from ''ComicBook/XMen'', when hosted by ComicBook/JeanGrey (mostly -- aside from insanity induced by Mastermind), [[ComicBook/RachelSummers Rachel Grey]] (completely), the Phoenix Five (pre SanitySlippage), Hope Summers (completely, but briefly), and Quentin Quire (for a decidedly given value of 'heroic').

* ''Severed Ties'' (1992): A desperate scientist injects himself with a reptile based regeneration serum to return his arm count to two, which worked out fairly well as long as one didn't mind the mouth, or teeth, or eyes ... and fed it.

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/MenInBlack MIB: The Series]]'', when a Symbiote attaches to you the upside is nigh immortality via healing/rejuvenation, rubberman-like expansion tied to an epic shapeshifter baggage, varying amounts of shapeshifting for yourself, on and off again ability to breathe fire, and a "lay on hands"-ish ability to heal others. the downsides, however, are that you could get attached to an annoying Symbiote and you have 20 hours before you [[IdentityAbsorption merge]] [[FusionDance permanently]].

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', Ichigo's Hollow powers are the result of [[spoiler:the remnants of the proto-arrancar White that had infected his mother Masaki being passed on to him at birth. These remnants merged with Ichigo's natural Shinigami powers which he inherited from his father and became his Zanpakuto Zangetsu.]]

* Blending with a symbiote in ''Series/StargateSG1'' can result in this: the human (or other creature) gains greatly increased healing abilities, a near-perfect immune system, and an elongated lifespan. They also get the sum total of all the knowledge of the symbiote. The downside? They have to share their body and mind with another intelligent creature. The Tok'ra believe that equal sharing of the body between symbiote and host is the proper way to do this, and only take unwilling hosts in extreme circumstances. The [[BigBad Goa'uld]] [[PuppeteerParasite do not share such morals]].

* [=Sasquatch=], from ''ComicBook/AlphaFlight'', originally thought he was that way due to gamma rays (''a la'' [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]) but it turned out he opened a doorway into another dimension, through which a Great Beast was able to come through and bond with him.

[[caption-width-right:350:Eat your heart out, John Carpenter.]]

%%** And Innovators in the ''Franchise/ShiningSeries'' in general count.

* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'': [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne Nocturne]] has [[spoiler:Lucifer]] inject the main character with a parasitic demon called a magatama near the start of the game, transforming him into a half-demon.

** ComicBook/SpiderGwen becomes this after losing her original spider bite-induced powers, with the only way she could get them back (and save her friend Harry Osborn in the process) being to create and bond with her universe's version of the Venom symbiote. While this led to a stretch where she had to deal with uncontrollable rage due to the symbiote amplifying her anger over an attack on her father, she was eventually able to work through it and become her heroic self again while still bonded to it.

* [[Manga/{{Devilman}} Akira Fudo]] from ''Anime/DevilmanCrybaby'' is currently the vessel of Amon, who is one of the -- if not the most powerful demon out there. However, he's able to retain his humanity throughout and fights to defend humans, unlike [[spoiler:Miko (whose personality worsened, even if it was temporary and never really got too far) and Moyuru (who eventually defected to the demons' side)]].

* [[Manga/{{Devilman}} Akira Fudo]] from ''Anime/DevilmanCrybaby'' is currently the vessel of Amon, who is one of the — if not the most powerful demon out there. However, he's able to retain his humanity throughout and fights to defend humans, unlike [[spoiler:Miko (whose personality worsened, even if it was temporary and never really got too far) and Moyuru (who eventually defected to the demons' side)]].

* Toxin from Creator/MarvelComics, due to having one of {{The Symbiote}}'s bonded to him whilst trying to use it to do good.
* One of the most famous examples is the Phoenix Force from ''ComicBook/XMen'', when hosted by ComicBook/JeanGrey (mostly - aside from insanity induced by Mastermind), [[ComicBook/RachelSummers Rachel Grey]] (completely), the Phoenix Five (pre SanitySlippage), Hope Summers (completely, but briefly), and Quentin Quire (for a decidedly given value of 'heroic').

** Alex Mercer survived the Blacklight Virus and got powers from it. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Or so it seems.]] It turns out it's not that he survived but that the virus ''is'' him. The guy 'hosting' him was also a ''complete bastard'' - so spectacularly evil that the flesh-eating super-virus that ate him was an improvement.]]

Different types seen include: Vermiform invertebrates ParasiteZombie causing,[[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampirism]], AdaptiveArmor, ArtificialLimbs, {{Clingy Costume}}s, bystanders, and villains.

** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'', [[spoiler:it's revealed that Ethan was revived by the Mold after getting killed by Jack Baker, thanks to his consciousness surviving through the Mold out of sheer willpower. Even though he doesn't know this until the end, the Mold made him a RevenantZombie and a [[TokenHeroicOrc heroic B.O.W.]] for fighting the [[AristocratsAreEvil House Lords]] and the GreaterScopeVillain to save his family and avenge the lost innocent lives.]]

This is when a ViralTransformation works smarter and YoureNothingWithoutYourPhlebotinum can actually be true; for the more holistic transformation see FusionDance. Compare with TheSymbiote as it is a similar "other being causes SuperEmpowering" trope. Also compare PowersViaPossession, WillingChanneler, and ProHumanTranshuman; contrast SuperhumanTransfusion, SymbioticPossession, and TranshumanTreachery.

This is when a ViralTransformation works smarter and YoureNothingWithoutYourPhlebotinum can actually be true; for the more holistic transformation see FusionDance. Compare with TheSymbiote as it is a similar "other being causes SuperEmpowering" trope. Also compare PowersViaPossession, WillingChanneler; contrast SuperhumanTransfusion and SymbioticPossession.

* The artifacts from the ''Top Cow'' universe: The Comicbook/{{Witchblade}}, ComicBook/TheDarkness, and The Angelus.

Different types seen include: [[Vermiform invertebrates ParasiteZombie causing]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampirism]], AdaptiveArmor, ArtificialLimbs, {{Clingy Costume}}s, bystanders, and villains.

Different types seen include: Vermiform invertebrates [[ParasiteZombie causing]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampirism]], AdaptiveArmor, ArtificialLimbs, {{Clingy Costume}}s, bystanders, and villains.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Parasites Lost", Fry gets infected with worms. These worms make Fry stronger, smarter, and healthier. The Planet Express crew [[FantasticVoyagePlot travel into Fry's body to get rid of the parasites]], then Leela stops them because she likes the new Fry better. [[StatusQuoIsGod And then Fry removes the parasites anyway]] because he wants to know that Leela likes ''him'' and not what the parasites made him into.

* One of the most famous examples is the Phoenix Force from ''ComicBook/XMen'', when hosted by Jean Grey (mostly), Rachel Grey (completely), the Phoenix Five (pre SanitySlippage), and Quentin Quire (for a decidedly given value of 'heroic').

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Harry intermittently functioning as a willing host of the Phoenix Force. In the sequel, he [[spoiler: discovers that he can actively use the fragment of the Phoenix inside him as more than just a DefenseMechanismSuperPower. One round of BreakTheCutie too many, however, leads to him snapping and becoming the Dark Phoenix.]]

* Downplayed in ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy''. In the sidestory, "Let the Devil In", Bakugou already had powers before meeting Venom and is quite the {{Jerkass}}, but he ultimately uses his powers to fight for good, even if some of his motivations are less than heroic.

* Downplayed in ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy''. In the sidestory, "Let the Devil In", Bakugou already had powers before meeting Venom and is quite the Jerkass, but he ultimately uses his powers to fight for good, even if some of his motivations are less than heroic.