History Main / MakeThemRot

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'':

* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' has the infamous Scarlet Rot, which does a lot of DamageOverTime quite quickly, and is known in the lore to drive its victims to madness. [[spoiler:Malenia, the Blade of Miquella, is incredibly dangerous because she has made herself a vessel of the rot, which is best expressed in the second phase of her BossBattle]].

** ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': The villain Carrion can cause organic matter to rot with a touch.

* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': This is a standard power of {{Grim Reaper}}s because all things eventually decay and die. It can also be used by nercomancers. During ''Looming Shadow'', [[spoiler: Eric steals Reno Grade's Senescence ''necra podesta'' and thereby gains the power to decay physical objects.]]

** There are spells like [[https://scryfall.com/card/khc/91/putrefy Putrefy]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/ddk/20/decompose Decompose]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/csp/63/krovikan-rot Krovikan Rot]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/mm3/146/abrupt-decay Abrupt Decay]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/rav/78/brainspoil Brainspoil]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/uds/67/rapid-decay Rapid Decay]], among others. Most work by destroying creatures or cards within the graveyard.

%%* ''VideoGame/UtawarerumonoItsuwariNoKamen'': [[spoiler: Kuon]] has this ability as part of her arsenal [[spoiler: whenever she's in [[SuperMode Witsuarnimetea mode]]]].%%ZCE. What's the ability?

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-073 SCP-073]], better known as the biblical Cain, [[WalkingWasteland withers all plant matter in a small radius around himself]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' introduces a MagicalIncantation that makes everything in the surroundings ''"Wither and decay"'', and [[spoiler: gives Cassandra a WoundThatWillNotHeal after she tries to snap Rapunzel out of it.]] It's called the [[EvilCounterpart Reverse Incantation]].

* Several real-life venomous animals -- such as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitis_arietans puff adder]] and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_recluse_spider brown recluse spider]] -- contain a large amount of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytotoxicity cytotoxins]] in their venom, i.e. they're toxic on a '''cellular''' level. Symptoms of cytotoxic envenomation include localized necrosis, where cells simply '''die''' around the site of the venomous bite, leaving a nasty-looking patch of what is effectivelly rotted tissue. In the specific case of the brown recluse spider, the condition is called [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loxoscelism loxoscelism]].

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-073 SCP-073]], better known as the biblical Cain, withers all plant matter in a small radius around himself.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' has a [[BadPowersGoodPeople rare heroic example]], where [[CatGirl Cat Noir]]'s Cataclysm ability causes anything it touches to crumble to dust. As a hero, he doesn't use it on people, except when he's BrainwashedAndCrazy (and almost on first time out, when he didn't know any better).

Compare PlagueMaster and EnemyToAllLivingThings. Contrast FertileFeet.

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': Judge Mortis is one of the four dreaded Dark Judges who periodically break into the reality of MegaCity One. He has the power to induce instant mortification and decay in anything he touches.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'': The BigBad Mandrake fires arrows tipped with a special poison that rots plants and can instantly kill (and fully decay) an animal.

* ''Franchise/TheDCU'': The Franchise/{{Batman}} villains Clayface III (Preston Payne) and Clayface V (Cassius "Clay" Payne) could make the bodies of living creatures melt by touching them. Clayface VI (Dr. Peter Malley) could make them melt without touching them.

** ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' : The villain Carrion can cause organic matter to rot with a touch.
** ''ComicBook/XMen'': Wither has the power to decay any organic material his skin comes in contact with. PowerIncontinence leaves his power permanently on. Especially heartbreaking is when the majority of mutants in the world lose their ability, Wither mistakenly believes he has too. He grabs the wrist of the girl he is in love with and her hand withers away. Clearly, he should have tested it first... He eventually left the institute and fell in love with Selene, who was immortal and couldn't be affected by his power, before [[spoiler:being killed off by Elixir. For a while, anyways.]]

* ''Series/TheGifted'': Reed Strucker begins developing this power in season two, which had previously been suppressed by his father's experimental treatments.

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[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''TabletopGame/SeventhSea'': [[GratuitousGerman Zerstoerung]], the lost sorcery of Eisen, consisted mainly of these powers.

* ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'': The Occultist class has a skill, "Bloody Pox," which is upgraded to the BlackDeath as its capstone. [[TechnicallyLivingZombie Its flavor text states that the organs of the afflicted are rotting, and the pain and fever drives them insane.]]

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'': [[HairTriggerTemper Pannacotta Fugo]]'s Stand, Purple Haze, creates a flesh eating virus in the capsules on its knuckles. When the capsule is cracked open, the virus spreads and any living thing within the range will be infected and rot away. [[PersonalityPowers The Stand is said to be a representation of Fugo's violent side]], [[GodzillaThreshold and is only called upon as a last resort]].

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'': [[HairTriggerTemper Pannacotta Fugo]]'s Stand, Purple Haze, creates a flesh eating virus in the capsules on its knuckles. When the capsule is cracked open, the virus spreads and any living thing within the range will be infected and rot away. [[PersonalityPowers The Stand is said to be a representation of Fugo's violent side]], [[GodzillaThreshold and is only called upon as a last resort]].

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'': [[HairTriggerTemper Pannacotta Fugo]]'s Stand, Purple Haze, creates a flesh eating virus in the capsules on its knuckles. When the capsule is cracked open, the virus spreads and any living thing within the range will be infected and rot away. [[PersonalityPowers The Stand is said to be a representation of Fugo's violent side]], [[GodzillaThreshold and will not pull it out unless no other plans of attack work]].

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'': [[HairTriggerTemper Pannacotta Fugo's]] Stand, Purple Haze, creates a flesh eating virus in the capsules on its knuckles. When the capsule is cracked open, the virus spreads and any living thing within the range will be infected and rot away. [[PersonalityPowers The Stand is said to be a representation of Fugo's violent side]].

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'': [[HairTriggerTemper Pannacotta Fugo's]] Stand, Purple Haze, creates a flesh eating virus in the capsules on its knuckles. When the capsule is cracked open, the virus spreads and any living thing within the range will be infected and rot away. The Stand is said to be a representation of Fugo's violent side.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1430770867060345000
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

* ''Manga/MedakaBox'': Emukae Mukae has this as her minus, Raff-Rafflesia. She can make things rot by touching them. She can control the intensity and way things decompose, but she [[WalkingWasteland can't turn it off]]. Later she learns to do it "wirelessly".

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Baraggan Louisenbairn's [[BreathWeapon Respira]] causes everything it touches [[RapidAging to age rapidly]]. Stone crumbles, spells fade away and flesh rots.
* ''Manga/{{Sola}}'': Matsuri Shihou has this power, and as long as she makes direct physical contact she can make nearly anything, from metal and stone to flesh and bone, rapidly decay.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': [[TheHeavy Tomura Shigaraki]]'s "Decay" Quirk [[PowerIncontinence can't be turned off]], but only works if he touches something with all five fingers. [[spoiler:When it first activated it hadn't completely materialized, so instead of disintegrating objects to dust it forcibly tore them apart [[LudicrousGibs into bloody chunks for living beings]] (as was the case with his family).]] After he goes through training, personal revelations, [[spoiler:and physical augmentation, his Decay Quirk improves to the point anything that touches something that's ''already'' decaying will also decay, he can launch it as a wave capable of destroying buildings, and he doesn't even need to touch it with all his fingers anymore. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking He also can finally choose to turn it off, allowing him to hold things without worrying about breaking something he doesn't want to]]]].
* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'': [[HairTriggerTemper Pannacotta Fugo's]] Stand, Purple Haze, creates a flesh eating virus in the capsules on its knuckles. When the capsule is cracked open, the virus spreads and any living thing within the range will be infected and rot away. The Stand is said to be a representation of Fugo's violent side.

* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'': Sesshomaru's ultimate sword, Bakusaiga, instantly rots any organic material it cuts. The rotting effect spreads, so the only way to survive it is to cut off the affected parts.
* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Chirizuka Kaiou is a spirit born from dust that can rapidly corrode things, [[WalkingWasteland including everything around it]] and whatever is hit by [[BlowYouAway gusts of wind]] from his fan. It doesn't cause living thing to actually rot until the power spreads through their whole body, which will be reversed [[NoOntologicalInertia if Kaiou is defeated quickly]], but the victim will still be incapacitated and in pain in the meantime. Significantly powerful ayakashi [[NoSell are simply immune to its effect]].

%%* ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'': DK is a minor villain who has this as his power.
* ''ComicBook/{{DP7}}'': Dennis "Skuzz" Skuzinski's acidic skin makes everything he touches rot or burn away, including his clothes.
* ''Franchise/TheDCU'': The Franchise/{{Batman}} villains Clayface III (Preston Payne) and Clayface V (Cassius "Clay" Payne) could make the bodies of living creatures melt by touching them. Clayface VI (Dr. Peter Malley) could make them melt without touching them.

* One horror comic has a story where the protagonist is saved from death after being given the ability to age things to dust at his touch. He drains their lifespans into himself in order to keep himself young and vital. After circumstances cause him to kill the woman he loves with his touch (as well as age his entire mansion to a husk just from touching the doorknob with his ungloved hand), he finds a place to sit and wait until things catch up with him and he goes to dust as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'': The BigBad Mandrake fires arrows tipped with a special poison that rots plants and can instantly kill (and fully decay) an animal.

* ''Film/SilentHill'': The Janitor, Collin, is forced to crawl on his stomach, dragging himself forward. Everything that his hands come into contact with turns to a decayed mess, swarming with roaches. He's too slow to directly harm any of the film's human characters, but the wave of pestilence that follows him is dangerous on its own.

* ''Literature/ShadowOps'' has random people manifesting powerful magical powers. On rare occasions one of these powers is Negramancy, the power to accelerate entropy. When it is used, objects crumble to dust in seconds and living things start to rot and decay. The power is casually called Witchcraft or Black Magic and its use is prohibited under the penalty of death.
* ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'': Freddy does this to the main characters in the first story of ''The Nightmares on Elm Street: Freddy Krueger's Seven Sweetest Dreams''.

* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': This is a standard power of {{Grim Reaper}}s because all things eventually decay and die. It can also be used by nercomancers. During ''Looming Shadow'', [[spoiler: Eric steals Reno Grade's Senescence ''necra podesta'' and thereby gains the power to decay physical objects.]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'': ''Vampire of the Mists'' features the FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Jander getting transported into the Land of Mists, a plane cobbled together by dark powers that torment the various powerful lords and supernatural beings caught inside it for their own pleasure. Jander uses various things, including growing a garden, to distract himself from the curse of being a vampire, so the dark powers decide to screw with him by making it so that his touch will cause plant life to wither and die.
* ''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'': The daemon Slyte has the power to make people rot away into desiccated mummies with a touch, and its mere presence tarnishes silver. [[spoiler:Carl Thonius]] inherits these powers after becoming the daemon’s vessel, and uses them to kill Jader Trice while Slyte itself kills Orfeo Culzean.
* ''Literature/LilithsBrood'': The Oankali aliens have innate powers of {{Biomanipulation}}, which they can also use to make organic matter decompose. They [[ThouShaltNotKill refuse to kill]] and have much more efficient ways to neutralize living enemies anyway, but it's handy for breaking through wooden doors.
* ''Literature/ForestKingdom'': This is the power of the sword Wolfsbane, one of the Infernal Devices. It literally rots its way through whatever it hits, and consequently is the only thing that can really kill the Beast in book 3 (''Down Among the Dead Men'').

* A VillainOfTheWeek named Clive Yorkin has this ability in ''Series/TheFlash2014''. He can use it to kill people by making them decay at accelerated rates and can turn anything he touches to dust.

* ''VideoGame/BreathOfFire'' sometimes features attacks that inflict the "rotting" condition on an ally. For one full turn they get a decent boost to their attack stat, but turn into a zombie in the next turn and start automatically attacking their allies.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': Starting in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', Ermac's body begins to rot, since [[spoiler:Shao Kahn is now dead and he needs his magic to keep his human look]].
%%* ''VideoGame/UtawarerumonoItsuwariNoKamen'': [[spoiler: Kuon]] has this ability as part of her arsenal [[spoiler: whenever she's in [[SuperMode Witsuarnimetea mode]]]].%%ZCE. What's the ability?
* ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'': Kan-Ra is a victim of this trope after a botched assassination of a Babylonian king, having been rotting for hundreds of years per punishment and is still trying to slow down the process. He... [[BodyHorror doesn't]] [[NightmareFace look pretty]], to say the least.
* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'': The Wither status effect is inflicted by Wither Skeletons and [[BonusBoss the Wither]]. It turns the affected player's hearts black -- [[InterfaceScrew making it hard to see their remaining health]] -- and steadily drains health. Unlike Poison. which cannot drain past the final hit point, Wither ''can'' kill, and if it does so it gives the [[HaveANiceDeath death message]] "(player) withered away".
* ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'': The Occultist class has a skill, "Bloody Pox," which is upgraded to the BlackDeath as its capstone. [[TechnicallyLivingZombie Its flavor text states that the organs of the afflicted are rotting, and the pain and fever drives them insane.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters'': The Dry Spell Spirit from episode 16 can suck water out of his victims, leaving them as rotten mummies.

* ''WesternAnimation/BikerMiceFromMars'' featured a one-shot villain named Corroder Cody in the episode "The Masked Motorcyclist", who had the power to make anything made of metal melt just by touching it.

* ''[[Manga/BlueExorcist Ao No Exorcist]]'' has Astaroth, the King of Rot, and his kin. He has yet to make an appearance himself but his "pet", the Impure King, was a major antagonist.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'': [[HairTriggerTemper Pannacotta Fugo's]] Stand, Purple Haze, creates a flesh eating virus in the capsules on its knuckles. When the capsule is cracked open, the virus spreads and any living thing within the range will be infected and rotting away. The Stand is said to be a representation of Fugo's violent side.

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-734 SCP-734]] is an otherwise-normal baby whose cells cause others' living cells to rot away, starting with skin flaking off and eventually causing flesh and bone to be "eaten away". The Foundation uses his blood as a weapon and has plans to train him as a TykeBomb when he grows up.

*
''WesternAnimation/Visionaries'' featured the villain Darkstorm who was given a Staff of Decay by the wizard Merklynn.

* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Chirizuka Kaiou is a spirit born from dust that can rapidly corrode things, [[WalkingWasteland including everything around it]] and whatever is his by [[BlowYouAway gusts of wind]] from his fan. It doesn't cause living thing to actually rot until the power spreads through their whole body, which will be reversed [[NoOntologicalInertia if Kaiou is defeated quickly]], but the victim will still be incapacitated and in pain in the meantime. Significantly powerful ayakashi [[NoSell are simply immune to its effect]].