History Main / PowerCrutch

* Lady Liberty from the Force of July in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders The Outsiders]]''. The Outsiders thought her energy blasts came from her torch and disarmed her. It turned out her power was internal and the torch just helped her focus it.

* In ''Webcomic/JupiterMen'', Jackie's SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability are activated when she drains power from electronics via touch. But since electronics and exposed wiring aren't always available, Nathan provides a self-charging battery to provide on-demand power. But this battery is also finite and needs at least five minutes to fully recharge, meaning that she's BroughtDownToNormal during this time unless she can find another power source.

* Many people who are less proficient in wielding [[AppliedPhlebotinum Shinsu]] in ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' use item called wands (though they come in many different forms) to make up for it.

Contrast its inversion, PowerLimiter. They are not mutually exclusive, however; some characters may have [[PowerIncontinence uncontrollable powers]] that they need some device that limits their power AND allows them to control it reliably.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'':

** After Accelerator suffers brain damage from [[TisOnlyABulletInTheBrain surviving a headshot]], he has to use a battery powered transmitter to link to a HiveMind to control his powers.

Without the Power Crutch, the character will find it difficult, if not impossible to use his or her powers. The Power Crutch may be filling in the RequiredSecondaryPowers that the character somehow lacks. Characters who use Power Crutches may eventually learn to use their abilities without them. The power user, or sometimes others, may even mistake the Power Crutch for the ''source'' of his powers-- though it isn't. Often, especially in sequential works like comics, a Power Crutch will be revealed (or retconned) to have been a MagicFeather all along.

A Power Crutch is some object which enables a character to use his or her superpowers, or at least assists in their use. It differs from a MagicFeather in that the Magic Feather is a placebo, while the Power Crutch is not. A Power Crutch has some in-story justification for why it works.

* In the ''VideoGame/XCom'' series, the Psi-Amps work this way: the abilities of the human psychics are their inner abilities, but they need these devices (and in the second game, an implant) to manifest them, unlike psychic aliens, who can mind-blast you without gadgetry.
* ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' has Psi Amps used the same way, although they have many more applications than just telepathy.
%%* Protoss Psi blades from ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' seem to work like this. As do Ghost "invisibility suits".

** Sol Badguy of the series is a good example of someone using both a PowerLimiter and a PowerCrutch. As a FlawedPrototype, Sol need to wear his headband full of [[AppliedPhlebotinum Gear-suppressor cells]] to keep himself from both [[PowerIncontinence loosing control of his powers]] and [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity his mind]], but alongside the headband he uses the Fireseal sword, one of several Anti-gear weapons (that [[GadgeteerGenius he himself created]]) that act as magical focci.

* ''Videogame/DevilMayCry5:'' V's cane has no power by its own, but as it's made of demonic metal, it's a good conduit for him to channel demonic energy.

* The ''Literature/{{Empirium}}'' Trilogy: Humans who can use one of the seven types of elemental magic can only use their power by channeling it through a metal focus that they forged themselves. The two [[TheChosenOne Chosen Ones]], the Blood and Sun Queens, are the only exceptions.

* The running theme of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is a ComingOfAgeStory with the context of children being forced to mature by a universe propagating process that presents itself as a MMORPG where they hopefully can ascend into godhood. Over the course of their session they're supposed to find artifacts that grant access to abilities related to their mythological roles in completing their quests that they're meant to become able to use on their own as experience using them grows.

* Aoyama of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' was born with a birth defect that causes his navel laser to uncontrollably leak out and hurt him. To fix this, he uses a special belt that allows him to control the laser and use it as a proper superpower.

* In ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'', [[BigBad Gai Amatsu/Kamen Rider Thouser]]'s main gimmick is his weapon, the [[MeaningfulName Thousand Jacker]], which gives him the ability to steal/copy powers from anyone with a Progrise Key, which he can use whenever he wants afterwards. This is to cover up Thouser's otherwise woefully short list of abilities, as the suit doesn't have any special abilities outside of [[MightyGlacier enhanced durability and strength]], nor does it provide a buffer to Gai's [[UnskilledButStrong poor combat learning skills]].

* Many people who are less proficient in wielding [[AppliedPhlebotinum Shinsoo]] in ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' use item called wands (though they come in many different forms) to make up for it.

* ''Literature/TheEmpiriumTrilogy'': Humans who can use one of the seven types of elemental magic can only use their power by channeling it through a metal focus that they forged themselves. The two [[TheChosenOne Chosen Ones]], the Blood and Sun Queens, are the only exceptions.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Naruto relies on a shadow clone to help form the [[EnergyBall Rasengan]], since he lacks the fine control skills necessary to give it the proper [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spin]]. He's overcome this after the TimeSkip, but still requires a clone to make the more powerful variations. By the end of the series, he's overcome that challenge as well.

* {{Manga/Naruto}} relies on a shadow clone to help form the [[EnergyBall Rasengan]], since he lacks the fine control skills necessary to give it the proper [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spin]]. He's overcome this after the TimeSkip, but still requires a clone to make the more powerful variations. By the end of the series, he's overcome that challenge as well.

* In ''[[ComicBook/MageTheHeroDiscovered Mage]]'', Kevin Matchstick's baseball bat Excalibur is one of these. If Excalibur gets more than a few yards away from Kevin, his powers conk out.

* Issac Mendez, the psychic painter from ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' originally needed to get high on heroin in order to use his precognitive abilities. Even after he learned to do without, it was still easier for him to see the future while high.
** His paintings do become more focused while sober though. When he's sober he can actually focus on a certain person's future, such as Claire or Hiro. On heroin though, he has a tendency to paint the future totally at random.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'', this is a type of focus.

* Protoss Psi blades from ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'' seem to work like this. As do Ghost "invisibility suits".

* Sol Badguy of the GuiltyGear series is a good example of someone using both a PowerLimiter and a PowerCrutch. As a FlawedPrototype, Sol need to wear his headband full of [[AppliedPhlebotinum Gear-suppressor cells]] to keep himself from both [[PowerIncontinence loosing control of his powers]] and [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity his mind]], but alongside the headband he uses the Fireseal sword, one of several Anti-gear weapons (that [[GadgeteerGenius he himself created]]) that act as magical focci.

Without the Power Crutch, the character will find it difficult, if not impossible to use his or her powers. Characters who use Power Crutches may eventually learn to use their abilities without them. The power user, or sometimes others, may even mistake the Power Crutch for the ''source'' of his powers-- though it isn't. Often, especially in sequential works like comics, a Power Crutch will be revealed (or retconned) to have been a MagicFeather all along.

* After Accelerator of ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' suffers brain damage from [[TisOnlyABulletInTheBrain surviving a headshot]], he has to use a battery powered transmitter to link to a HiveMind to control his powers.

* The running theme of ''Webcomic/Homestuck'' is a ComingOfAgeStory in the context of children being forced to mature by a universe propagating process that presents itself as a MMORPG where they hopefully can ascend into godhood. Over the course of their play through they're supposed to find artifacts that grant them abilities related to their mythological roles in completing their quests that they're meant to become able to do on their own as experience using them grows.

* Happens to [[spoiler:[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Accelerator]]]] in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' after he suffers from brain damage and has to use a battery powered transmitter to link to a HiveMind to control his powers.
* {{Manga/Naruto}} relies on a shadow clone to help use the [[EnergyBall Rasengan]], since he lacks the fine control skills necessary. He's overcome this after the TimeSkip, but still requires a clone to make the more powerful variations. By the end of the series, he's overcome that challenge as well.

* In the last book of the ''Literature/{{Harry Potter|and the Deathly Hallows}}'' series, wandmaker Ollivander explains that wizards and witches can channel magic through just about anything to cast their spells such as an ordinary stick. Without such a crutch, a person's magic will have uncontrolled and unpredictable results -- a wand is needed to properly focus the magic into spells. To get the best results they need to use wands that are suited to them. Since a wand is to some extent an EmpathicWeapon, it will only work perfectly for someone it likes. The wand choosing ceremony in a wand shop makes sure that this is the case for the customer's wand. Since wands also like to be owned by the strongest wizard/witch possible, they will also switch their loyalties to people who claim them by defeating their previous owners in a contest of magic or strength. For example: Hermione can't use Bellatrix's stolen wand very well because she never actually defeated her in such a contest; she remarks that it still feels like a piece of Bellatrix herself.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': In ''The Eye of The World'', Egwene mistakes Moiraine's staff for an enchanted object. Moiraine corrects her, saying that using it just helps her concentrate.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', people who use human magic tend to need a magical object or scrolls to cast spells. The Magus can do it without using one, but it hurts a lot and one too many spells kills him.