History Main / SuperPowerRussianRoulette

* In ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'', the surgeries and processes used to turn normal humans into Spartans killed and crippled over half of them.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Anyone who tries to use Devil Fruit is playing Russian Roulette with superpowers, certainly. Many of them give the user fantastic and powerful abilities that more than compensate the side effect that makes you unable to swim. Some -- mostly in the Paramecia subclass -- give you powers that are pretty useless (unless you want to use them as a performer), possibly embarrassing, and may even make the user physically deformed making him the subject of scorn and discrimination. The biggest problem is that there are illustrated catalogs that will let you identify ''some'' Devil Fruits, but quite a lot of them are unknown and thus what they do can only be discovered by using them. Paramecia fruits take this up to eleven since the only thing that defines a Paramecia fruit is that it's not a [[ElementalShapeshifter Logia]] or a [[{{Animorphism}} Zoan]]. The effects of a Paramecia can range from [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway useless]] to [[StoryBreakerPower storybreaking]]. Whitebeard's [[spoiler:(now Blackbeard's)]] Quake-Quake fruit for example can generate shockwaves powerful enough to ''break the world''. And some of the "useless" powers can turn out to be [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower very powerful]] if applied properly.
** Trying your luck with [[EvilKnockoff a SMILE artificial Devil Fruit]] scrambles the possibilities heavily and is much more likely to give you something outright troublesome. Since they only ''partially'' transform their consumers into animals, and the transformation is not always at will, they can end up with a whole mess of powers and mutations. Best case scenario, you get something perfectly under control, possibly able to be turned off and on at will, that only adds to your capacities. If you're not so lucky, you get the above ''without'' the slew of RequiredSecondaryPowers Devil Fruits usually give you, crippling its usage. Worst (and pretty common) case scenario, you end up with an incomplete animal partially merged with your body, one that probably has powers but also a mind of its own that may or may not cooperate with you. Playing powers roulette is a lot less appealing when one of the results amounts to having a wild animal that hates you as a siamese twin. [[spoiler:And as it turns out, even getting to roll for animals is the ''winning'' result, because otherwise all you get is damaged emotions; you still get SuperDrowningSkills, and all you get for them is being unable to feel angry or sad again, no matter how much it strains you. And the odds are very bad. ''90%'' of [=SMILEs=] are "duds" that give you no powers, only the permanent smile and inability to ever swim]].

** In ComicBook/StrikeforceMorituri, which takes place in a different continuity from the main Marvel universe, an alien race known as The Horde are attacking the Earth. Fortunately, a scientist has come up with a method which will alter certain compatible human beings, giving them enhanced physical abilities and a secondary superpower of some sort. Unfortunately, the extent to which you are enhanced and the superpower you get are completely random--oh, and also the human body is ultimately incapable of surviving the Morituri process and those subjected to it will be dead within roughly a year, give or take. Good luck!

* ''ComicBook/TheSavageDragon'' works on this trope. Some "freaks" are planet-wise threats while others might have sillier powers such as Dung, who had the ability to shoot feces at people.

* ''ComicBook/DialHForHero'' is a one-person Superpower Russian Roulette. Whenever the dial is used, you don't know what you'll end up as. It becomes a literal example when the Giant Boy got poisoned. Robby managed to turn back before dying, but he'll bite it for good if the dial ever transforms him into Giant Boy again.

* This is the case in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' with the Grey Wardens' Joining ritual. The prospective Wardens must willingly expose themselves to a special version of the Darkspawn Taint by drinking a mixture of Darkspawn blood, lyrium, and Archdemon blood. Many of the candidates immediately die horribly after drinking it. The survivors... aren't much better off in the long run.

** Those who draw the Black Queen get mutations that are not compatible with life. Their death is not always quick; for example, Praetorius has a corruption that starts at his right leg, is slowly spreading and will kill him once it reaches his chest.
** Those who draw the Joker become disfigured, ranging from a FateWorseThanDeath and [[BodyHorror hideous disfigurations]] to simply uncomfortable or mildy unsettling changes to their body or even, in some lucky scenarios, pretty mild ones that don't really impact their life aside for the prejudice against joker. However, some jokers can have some ace powers, often (but not always) super-strength.
** A really few lucky ones draw the Ace and get superpower, but even then, the chances of either drawing a useless power (called a Deuce) or one with some serious drawbacks are considerable.

** There are also normal superpowers that have side effects that prevent the user from living a normal life. Accord has the ability to conceive incredibly complex yet effective plans, but also got extreme OCD. Labyrinth can make other worlds "spread" from her mind into the real one, but having said worlds constantly popping up in her head make her low-functioning on her own, to the point where she sometimes needs to be prodded to eat. Bitch is [[TheBeastmaster a really good dog trainer]], but in order to better understand dogs she lost the ability to get the various subtleties of human interaction, so she comes off as literal-minded, unable to get sarcasm and aggressive to the point of being sometimes antisocial. Those are only examples.

* While ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' mostly makes use of SuperpowerLottery, there are people whose magic does seem to harm them, like Chameleon, who has her looks and intelligence decreasing and increasing,[[note]]The reason this fits here is that one cycle peaks while the other valleys. On one extreme, she's basically a nymph: a BrainlessBeauty prone to being taken advantage of (and she remembers all of it when her intelligence picks back up) On the other end, she's an InsufferableGenius hag who's extremely unpleasant to be around.[[/note]] the Dastard, who has a magical gift for stupid ideas, or Zora, who ages people (although she gets a moment of ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman).

** In ComicBook/StrikeforceMorituri, which takes place in a different continuity from the main Marvel universe, an alien race known as The Horde are attacking the Earth. Fortunately, a scientist has come up with a method which will alter certain compatible human beings, giving them enhanced physical abilities and a secondary superpower of some sort. Unfortunately, the extent to which you are enhanced and the superpower you get are completely random--oh, and also the human body is ultimately incapable of surviving the Morituri process and those subjected to it will be dead whthin roughly a year, give or take. Good luck!

* In ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'', the appearance of AlienSky divided those affected into two groups: Dolls, people transformed into {{Empty Shell}}s with [[{{Seers}} scrying]] abilities, and Contractors, super-powered sociopaths. If being [[TinMan emotionally inhibited]] and [[PowerAtAPrice paying the price]] isn't enough, there are Contractors with some defect, Moratorium. They gradually turn into superpowered zombies on par with worst of mediums.
* In ''Manga/AliveTheFinalEvolution'', one of two things happens to those affected by the force/virus involved in the series. Many people commit suicide immediately with disturbing cheerfulness, but some get superpowers (and typically end up as superpowered sociopaths)- the explanation is that they too desire death, but first are going to bring it on other people.
** The main characters also fall prone to those suicidal tendencies as well (especially early on in the series), but manage to fight back with ThePowerOfFriendship.
* Mermaid flesh in ''Manga/MermaidSaga'' is a SuperpowerRussianRoulette with impossibly high risks. Most of the time, eating it will lead you to die horribly or turn into a grotesque, mindless monster, which sucks. Some of the time, you acquire some semblance of immortality, but with horrible pain and disfigurement to go along with it, which also sucks. If you're ''really'' lucky like the two protagonists, you'll actually get real immortality... Which, as it turns out, [[WhoWantsToLiveForever still kinda sucks.]]
* In ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'', a human gaining powers from [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire blood]] runs a high risk of death or [[BodyHorror other unpleasantness]]. [[spoiler:Touhou Fuhai]]'s [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Human Modification Technique]] has similar, but even greater, risks. [[spoiler:Tsukune]] goes through both.
* In ''Anime/SpeedGrapher'', if you have the Euphoria virus in your body and you get a kiss from [[MysteriousWaif Kagura Tennouzou]], said virus will awaken and either kill you or give you superpowers. Bad thing, said powers are both related to your most hidden sexual fetishes ''and'' prone to cause you to go insane.

** Anyone who tries to use Devil Fruit is playing Russian Roulette with super powers, certainly. Many of them give the user fantastic and powerful abilities that more than compensate the side effect that makes you unable to swim. Some - mostly in the Paramecia subclass - give you powers that are pretty useless (unless you want to use them as a performer), possibly embarrassing, and may even make the user physically deformed making him the subject of scorn and discrimination. The biggest problem is that there are illustrated catalogs that will let you identify ''some'' Devil Fruits, but quite a lot of them are unknown and thus what they do can only be discovered by using them. Paramecia fruits take this up to eleven since the only thing that defines a Paramecia fruit is that it's not a [[ElementalShapeshifter Logia]] or a [[{{Animorphism}} Zoan]]. The effects of a Paramecia can range from [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway useless]] to [[StorybreakerPower storybreaking]]. Whitebeard's [[spoiler:now Blackbeard's]] Quake-Quake fruit for example can generate shockwaves powerful enough to ''break the world''. And some of the "useless" powers can turn out to be [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower very powerful]] if applied properly.

* [[BigGood Princess Hinoto]] from Manga/{{X1999}} is the most powerful psychic in her canon, having ''several'' {{psychic power}}s including DeflectorShields, TelePathy, TeleKinesis, [[DreamWeaver Dream Weaving]], [[{{Seers}} precognition]], etc. Problem is, [[GlassCannon her body is still the one of a human woman]], and she barely can hold on her massive powers. As a result she is blind, deaf, and crippled, and pretty much a recluse in her chambers.

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' has the Stand Arrows. They give [[FightingSpirit Stands]] to those wounded by them, but if you aren't strong-willed enough to handle it you'll die in the process. Even if you ''do'' get a Stand, there's no guarantee that it'll be a useful one; you might end up having to spend the rest of your life living on a telephone tower, or you might be cursed so that you'll die if anyone looks at your back (both examples from ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Diamond is Unbreakable]]''). And if you're feeling ''especially'' lucky, you can stab yourself or your Stand with the Arrow again and possibly get new powers...which might have the side-effect of making your Stand gain sentience on its own and make it even more uncontrollable.
* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'':
** The forbidden magic spell Death Streak works by unleashing unnatural black light that attacks a creature's body and soul, which in most cases (99.999%) results in [[OneHitKill instant death]] if used to its full potential. However, one in a million victims will survive and instead mutate into some sort of monster. [[spoiler:However, there are no known successful cases of someone turning into a monster by it, as it requires that your soul still remains afterwards. Even assuming your soul is strong enough to endure the spell, there's nothing stopping the spellcaster from [[YourSoulIsMine snatching up your vulnerable soul]] before the actual reconstruction happens.]]
** The Magic Beast Corps of the [[TheEmpire Eastern Empire]] developed a special drug meant to [[FusionDance fuse the demonic beast and its rider]] into a single MonsterKnight far stronger than either of them would be alone. However, the corps commander [[GloryHound Gladim]] [[EveryoneHasStandards prohibited use of it unless authorized]] because at its current stage of development before the Empire went to war with Tempest, the drug also runs the gauntlet of outright killing the recipient (10%), [[ForcedTransformation permanently turning them into a demonic beast]] from compatibility failure (20%), the rider or beast going completely insane (30%), and various other side-effects from the fusion (20%). Only about 20% of the test subjects actually reached a "complete" success for the fusion, and worse, once the drug is ingested it's impossible to stop the effects from reaching a conclusion. The less-than-1% of the corps that were "perfectly compatible" had already taken the drug and become his [[EliteMooks Chimera Knights]]. [[spoiler:When Gladim is [[GodzillaThreshold forced to order the Corps to take the drug]] ''en masse'' in order to stand up to the [[TheLegionsOfHell Black Numbers]], of the roughly 30,000 members: 10,000 die right away, 5,500 irreversibly transform into magical beasts, 5,000 transform into beasts and go insane, another 5,000 obtain a demon beast-man form only to go berserk too, 4,000 become demon beast-man soldiers, and 400 become new Chimera Knights. In other words, a third of the force died outright, another third had gone insane and were only good as decoys and suicide troops, and only a remaining third of them were even sane and combat-ready afterwards, without a single demon inflicting causalities. To add insult to injury, [[AllForNothing it still wasn't enough to the defeat the at-most 700 elite demons]].]]
* Downplayed in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' with the Beast Titan. While slightly larger than most other Shifters, the Beast Titan's uniqueness comes from having characteristics of a random animal. Some shown examples are far more dangerous than normal titans, such as crocodiles, birds, and even dinosaurs. On the other hand, some examples such as sheep and okapis are outright stated to be near useless for combat[[note]]Zeke's ape-like titan was specifically only particularly dangerous because of Zeke's own throwing skills and royal blood which allowed him some measure of control over pure titans[[/note]].

* In ''ComicBook/StrontiumDog'', the strontium-90 fallout has a roughly 70% fatality rate. Women who get a mild enough dose end up giving birth to {{mutants}}, but almost all of those babies just have various disfigurements or missing limbs. Only four characters actually end up with anything resembling powers, and one of those is a vampire.
* The radiation in ''Comicbook/JudgeDredd'' works in much the same way. A few mutants get {{psychic powers}}, but 99.9% of them just end up looking weird.
* ''Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk'': The Leader (who is also gamma irradiated, but his power is a highly developed mind) once set off a gamma bomb in a small city, in order to make more Hulks and Leaders, but 99.99% of the population just died of radiation poisoning. This is because only people who possess a certain genetic trigger inherited from a single common ancestor (or copied the trigger) can become gamma mutates.
* ''{{Comicbook/Empowered}}'' has the drug "Mayfly," which kills you 98% of the time, but the other 2% of the time gives you super genius abilities. [[YourDaysAreNumbered Then kills you in 48 hours anyway.]] The only Mayfly-user in the series, [[LittlestCancerPatient Manny]], managed to use those super-genius abilities to survive past 48 hours. He's declined to do anything in person since then, as his body is basically a giant tumor at this point.
* The Event in Creator/MilestoneComics (and its animated series ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock''). Some get incredible power with no downsides, others become bizarre-looking with comparatively little ability from it.
* Creator/GrantMorrison's run on ''Comicbook/NewXMen'' had a particular focus on this aspect of the mutant gene. Sure, control over the weather and the ability to phase have few downsides, and while uncontrollable eye-beams and demonic teleportation powers have their draw-backs, it's ''nothing'' compared to the kids who have multiple noses or transparent skin made of wax or limbs so huge they can barely lift them. They're not able to aid a society that hates and fears them. They're barely able to get to class each day.
** That is also a good description for the Morlocks. Mutants who are horribly disfigured that have to live in the sewers.
** A TearJerker example is Minnie Floyd, whose aging slowed and reversed, eventually de-aging to the point where [[DeathByDeaging the maternity ward's life support could not keep her alive]]. This "power" manifested at age 2.
** Another example from ComicBook/UltimateXMen is a boy who wakes up one day to find he has the incredible mutant power to "[[WalkingWasteland destroy organic matter]]". Such as his parents. And his friends. And people he runs into on the street. Eventually, he wanders into a cave where ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} is waiting for him, who tells him what happened, and is there to [[ShootTheDog help him]]. The kid tearfully notes that he might've been one chromosome away from being one of the X-Men.
** Another is Beak, who is mutated with bird traits--such as, yes, a beak, feathers, and brittle and hollow bones--but without the ability to actually ''fly''. All of the drawbacks, but none of the benefits. His grandson in a BadFuture had better luck since he ''could'' fly.
** There is a mutant named Longneck. That is his gimmick, having a longer than average neck. He's probably pretty upset.
** In general some Mutants are just far more lucky than others. For every Jean Grey, Wolverine or Domino who can do all sorts of amazing and profitable things with their powers, there are mutants who don't manifest something cool or even useful. There are mutants who just end up horrible monsters or walking disasters to be put down at the end of an issue.
* Also in Marvel there's the Power Broker, actually two villains; the first one acted as an agent for wrestlers in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation while himself working under the MadScientist Dr. Karl Malus, while the second recruited mercenaries while working under the ComicBook/RedSkull. In both cases, they subjected their clients to advanced technology that had a fifty percent chance of making them superhumanly strong; the other fifty percent of the time, it caused [[BodyHorror horrible physical mutations]] that left them invalid or worse. (The first one also gave them a drug that he claimed was necessary to stabilize their powers, but was actually an addictive substance that made sure they kept working for him. Eventually, he tried to use the technology on himself, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard and wasn't among the lucky ones.]])
* ''Comicbook/DialHForHero'' is a one-person SuperpowerRussianRoulette. Whenever the dial is used, you don't know what you'll end up as.
** It becomes a literal example when the Giant Boy got poisoned. Robby managed to turn back before dying, but he'll bite it for good if the dial ever transforms him into Giant Boy again.
* Creator/MarvelComics has ComicBook/TheInhumans, who take a dip in a fountain when they're the right age in order to determine which superpower they get. Some come out with immense powers while others might have more mundane abilities. While being disfigured isn't much of a problem (it happens... but it's normal enough that nobody in Attilan bats an eye at just another {{anim|orphism}}al-person or walking rockpile.) but you might end up with something destructive and uncontrollable. Worse, you don't know what your power will be until you first try it out. Black Bolt, the king, is of course a primary example, unable to ever speak lest his uncontrollable vocal powers nuke the whole area.
* ''Comicbook/TheSavageDragon'' works on this trope. Some "freaks" are planet-wise threats while others might have sillier powers such as Dung, who had the ability to shoot feces at people.
* ComicBook/NormanOsborn sought power and took part in a ritual known as the Gathering of the Five along with [[{{Comicbook/SpiderWoman}} Mattie Franklin]], Morris Maxwell, Cassandra Webb, and Gregory Herd. Each person receives a gift of power, insanity, knowledge, immortality, or death, although no one knows what he or she will get beforehand. He believed he killed Franchise/SpiderMan and thought he got what he wanted. It was actually a delusion as he actually acquired the gift of madness.
** That was nothing compared to what happened to Gregory Herd. Formerly a third-rate mercenary named Override, he hoped to gain whatever he got from the ritual to heal his wife and partner Anne, who had been critically injured in a battle during the ''Spider-Hunt'' storyline, where Norman's bounty on Spidey had every crook in the city after him. Gregory ended up drawing the death card, but instead of simply killing him outright, it turned him into a flaming undead thing that ''caused'' death, all while his body destroyed itself slowly from within. Taking the name Shadrac, he was taken in by a man named Dolan who claimed to possess all five of the gifts, and assaulted Osborn's base of operations, only to fail when opposed by Spidey, Iceman, and Mattie, who was now Spider-Woman. [[spoiler:(He did avoid his grim fate, however; after Dolan absorbed the Spindle itself and became far more powerful, Gregory was able to use his original powers as Override, nullified Dolan's powers and took over his body. When last seen, he had indeed been able to save Anne, and both were working for Hammerhead during the ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' storyline.)]]
* The White Event, connected to ''ComicBook/TheNewUniverse'', can be this, especially in later appearances. In an issue of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'', when the ComicBook/StarBrand of Universe-616 chose its next holder, it futzed up: it chose its holder, but its arrival obliterated the college town the holder lived in.
* In ''Comicbook/{{Uber}}'', only 1 in 5,000 humans carries the genetic marker allowing to enhance them safely, and even fewer people can be enhanced more than once, e.g. yielding just 3 "battleship" Ubers (12 enhancements) from screening the entire 3rd Reich. Those without the marker die rather messily. After the Nazi Ubers turned the tide at the Battle of Berlin, Stalin ordered that all of the Soviet soldiers who surrendered in Berlin and were subsequently freed by Allies' intervention were to undergo the enhancement without screening. This yielded enough "panzer" Ubers to dogpile a "battleship" Uber and severely wound him. [[spoiler: And also yielded "Katyusha" Maria, who became a variant "battleship" Uber.]]

[[folder:FanWorks]]
* ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'' has a morbid demonstration when [[spoiler: North Korea gives empowering substances to over half a million soldiers]]: 99% of recipients outright ''die'', and most of the remainder are just grossly mutated without further effects. Only six get notable superpowers.

[[folder:Live-Action Film]]
* ''Film/SkyHigh2005'': falling into toxic waste may give you superpowers or just kill you.

* In Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''Literature/CrystalSinger'', the adjustment to Ballybran's symbiotes follows more of a bell curve: a few die, a few attain the highly-enhanced senses needed to become a Crystal Singer, but most just end up with mild sensory enhancements and/or mild handicaps. Given all of the various support jobs the Guild needs filled, almost all fit somewhere in the Guild structure.
* Whatever is causing the super powers in ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' is probably also connected to the reason why [[OnlyFatalToAdults everyone over the age of 15 disappeared]] and the kids are now in a DomedHometown. Also, the most likely reason is the nuclear fallout and the [[CosmicHorror Gaiaphage]]. Overall, characters have gone insane, died, killed, been persecuted by the Human Crew, been tortured by Caine and Drake, and been horribly mutilated as a result of something changing the laws of physics. And of course most kids have really lame powers. Astrid can read people's potential or something like that, Duck can change his density, Bette could make her hands glow, an unnamed girl could go invisible only when she was very embarassed, Sam and Hunter started out with no control over their light/heat powers (with disastrous consequences), and Orc is now an IronWoobie. Think you can avoid all this by not developing powers? Think again. {{Muggles}} are often overlooked in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone). Unless you're lucky enough to be TeamNormal like Edilio, you are either a member of the [[PuttingOnTheReich Nazi-inspired]] Human Crew or a RedShirt in an AnyoneCanDie scenario.
* Really a defining trope for ''Literature/{{Citadel}}''. If you become one of the empowered you could gain the ability to fly, throw cars, or short out all power on a continental level. The distribution and scale is equal parts varied and unpredictable; as a result the Citadel faces each newly powered unsure if this is the day that they can't save.

** those who draw the Black Queen get mutations that are not compatible with life. Their death is not always quick; for example, Praetorius has a corruption that starts at his right leg, is slowly spreading and will kill him once it reaches his chest.
** those who draw the Joker become disfigured, ranging from a [[FateWorseThanDeath a fate worse than death]] and [[BodyHorror hideous disfigurations]] to simply uncomfortable or mildy unsettling changes to their body or even, in some lucky scenarios, prett mild ones that don't really impact their life aside for the prejudice against joker. However, some jokers can have some ace powers, often (but not always) super strenght.
** a really few lucky ones draw the Ace and get superpower, but even then, the chances of either drawing a useless power (called a Deuce) or one with some serious drawbacks are considerable.

** Even normal super powers are subject to this. While empowerment events are traumatizing by default, the trauma is often compounded by effects the power has on the user's psyche and the almost universal component of cruel irony linking the person, the event and the power together.

* While ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' is mostly SuperpowerLottery there are people whose magic does seem to harm them, like Chameleon who has her looks and intelligence decreasing and increasing[[note]]The reason this fits here is that one cycle peaks while the other valleys. On one extreme, she's basically a nymph: a BrainlessBeauty prone to being taken advantage of (and she remembers all of it when her intelligence picks back up) On the other end, she's an InsufferableGenius hag who's extremely unpleasant to be around[[/note]], The Dastard who has a magical gift for stupid ideas, or Zora who ages people (although she gets a moment of ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman).

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Promicin injections in ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'': Half of recipients get superpowers, the other half die, and out of the ones that get powers, a lot of them end up with ones that're hard or impossible to make practical use of (such as making other people that consume their saliva to rapidly lose weight, [[WeightLossHorror but also making it so that they're unable to stop losing weight and ultimately making them starve to death regardless of how much they eat)]] or just giving them a harmful power that they can't turn off (like [[WalkingWasteland constantly secreting deadly pathogens that kill all animal and plant life within a 100 foot radius]].
* ''Series/{{Alphas}}'': The villain of the second season develops a device that uses intense light pulses to trigger latent Alpha abilities, or cause fatal seizures, either result [[KillAllHumans works for him]].
* ''{{Series/Misfits}}'' is pretty much built around this concept. Most of the powers are downright BlessedWithSuck, others are [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] to show their suckiness, and some aren't so much powers as {{curse}}s.

* ''{{TabletopGame/Traveller}}'' Classic Double Adventure 3 ''Death Ship''. The accidental release of a combination of experimental combat drugs aboard a science ship kills most of the crew but gives some of them superhumanly high ability scores and insanity.
* In [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons AD&D 2]] [[PsychicPowers psionic]] rules, eligible characters may try to discover random wild talents in themselves. The success is far from guaranteed, but this check has also 4/100 chance that Wisdom, Intelligence, Constitution or all three drops to 3 (minimum for a human being) instead.
** In First Edition AD&D, ''all'' psionic powered characters were basically "wild talents." If using the psionics rules (which were optional), all player characters had a tiny chance (on the order of a couple percent) to be psionic. Being psionic was a curse as well as a blessing, though, because non-psionic characters were immune to most psionic attack modes.
* In one of the old D&D modules, one plane of existence basically causes this to magic. Some effects are truly beneficial like super strength or super senses. Some of them are deadly like spontaneously having your mouth and nose fuse to your face.
* Happens in {{TabletopGame/Warhammer 40000}}, where turning to the worship of Chaos leads to one of two possible ends (unless you die first); you either get turned into a Daemon Prince, or you get turned into a mindless heap of mutated flesh.
** Elaborated upon in the 2012 Codex Chaos Marines - Every time a character challenges (and defeats) a foe in single combat, the player gets to roll two dice to see what... 'gifts' the Chaos Gods grants them. Of which there is an equal chance of either ascending into Daemonhood, devolving into a quivering mound of hostile flesh, and everything in-between.

* Self-applied in DieOrFly superhero settings, such as ''TabletopGame/{{Aberrant}}'' or ''Paragons''. Given the sheer power, and the celebrity associated with such power, there are quite a few people who take suicidal risks to try and trigger their powers. This rarely works... but when it ''does'' work, it only draws more attention to the process...
* ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'' has a passing mention of one of the [[AncientConspiracy Dead Conspiracies]], the Vodyanoy. Apparently, Soviet scientists found out about the process of becoming a Sin-Eater and subjected political prisoners to experiments in inducing hypothermia and drowning in order to see who'd come back from their near-death experience with superpowers, even though the success rate was ''maybe'' .5%. And then they found out ''why'' it's a bad idea to use political prisoners in inhumane experiments that might end up giving them superpowers...
* ''TabletopGame/BigEyesSmallMouth'' (and by extension ''Tri-Stat [=dX=]'') has the Unknown Superhuman Power advantage. It means you give the GameMaster ''carte blanche'' to choose whatever advantages s[=/=]he wants and [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands reveal them to you over time]], but to make up for the loss of choice you receive a 50% bonus to whatever you put into USP (meaning if you pay 10 Character Points, the GM has 15 to spend).
* Depending of what Edition is being used, Wild Magic in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' can like this. The spell tap raw chaos to create very powerful effects, but they often don't work the way they're supposed to; you have to rely completely on chance for many of the strongest effect, and can't rely on them all the time. Wild Surges are the biggest risk, explosions of chaotic power that are almost detrimental, and in some cases, can cause cataclysms. (It is mentioned in one source that the Great Hornung, one of the leading experts in Wild Magic, disappeared forever due to a surge created by a ''Wildwind'', one of the most powerful of Wild Magic spells.

* Appears at first to be in effect in the game ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'', where most people infected by TheVirus turn into zombies while protagonist Alex Mercer becomes a PersonOfMassDestruction with [[ShapeShifter shapeshifting powers]]. [[spoiler: It turns out that the ''real'' Alex Mercer was killed when he intentionally released the virus. [[BecomingTheMask The virus itself then took his form and memories]] — [[AntiHero and another path]].]] Although [[spoiler: there are two seperate strains of TheVirus; Redlight (which is behind the zombies and is controlled by Elizabeth Greene) and Blacklight (which is, according to Mercer, ten times as lethal, and outright killed everyone in Penn Station).]]
* This also happens during ''VideoGame/{{inFamous}}'' to kick off the start of the game. The [[MacGuffin Ray Sphere]] empowers a few lucky "conduits", and everyone else within a few city blocks of blast ''dies'' in order to fuel those super powers. [[spoiler: Using it again to further supercharge your own abilities will drive you ''permanently'' across the MoralEventHorizon later on in the game.]] The sequel also shows that just because you're a Conduit doesn't mean that you're going to get a power that you'll like, as shown by [[spoiler:Bertrand, who gained the power to turn people into monstrosities and to transform into a massive monstrosity himself when he's angered.]]
* The case in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' with element zero and biotic powers. 60% have no reaction at all, 30% will have a negative reaction similar to radiation exposure, 10% will gain biotic powers.
* This is also the case in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' with the Grey Wardens' Joining ritual. The prospective Wardens must willingly expose themselves to a special version of the Darkspawn Taint by drinking a mixture of Darkspawn blood, lyrium, and Archdemon blood. Many of the candidates immediately die horribly after drinking it. The survivors...aren't much better off in the long run.
* The Wesker virus of ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' gives you [[LightningBruiser super strength, reflexes, speed]], and [[HealingFactor regeneration]], while not affecting your appearance, intelligence and personality, with the only visible effect being {{red|EyesTakeWarning}} [[HellishPupils cat-like eyes]] -- if you survive, which is VERY unlikely.
* Mutation in ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl''. You can get cool stuff like permanent stat increases, intrinsic resistances, complete immunity to poison or mental effects, breath weapons, increases to maximum HP or MP, or scales that raise your armor class. You can also get permanent stat ''loss'', intermittent temporary stat damage, start constantly screaming and attracting attention from all nearby monsters, or become too warped to fit into your armor.

* A minor example in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' is the Metronome power, which a few Pokémon, like Clefairy and Togepi, can learn. When used, it copies the effect of ''any'' other Pokémon attack, but is chosen ''completely'' at random. You could luck out and get something powerful like Fire Blast or Draco Meteor (or even something unique to a Legendary, like Sacred Fire or Psystrike) but it's just as likely that you'll get something pitifully weak like Sweet Scent or Constrict. (In fact, in the anime, Whitney had horrible luck with this move in her first battle with Ash - even though she won the battle - when her Clefairy ended up using Splash after being told to use Metronome, a move that literally does ''nothing''.) It's even possible for the user to accidentally knock itself out with Metronome, if it draws a move like Memento or Selfdestruct.

* Mutating in ''VideoGame/{{Cataclysm}}'' has a variety of possible results, which can be good (such as stat increases), a mixed bag (various anatomical alterations that make wearing clothes difficult, but come with other bonuses to make up for it) or just straight up bad (such as only being able to eat select types of food, or losing stats). If you have {{NPC}}s enabled, mutation is even riskier, since [[PowerUpgradingDeformation even positive mutations might scare away potential allies and make them hostile]].

* PlayedForLaughs in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' SuperheroEpisode: [[RadiationInducedSuperpowers Nuclear waste gives the Griffin family superpowers]] (albeit a pretty unimpressive one in Meg's case) which [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity they abuse for their personal gain]]. Sick of the Griffins' tyranny, Mayor Adam West [[MugglePower attempts to get his own powers]] through the same method [[DeconstructedTrope and contracts lymphoma]]. Though seeing how desperate they made West at least managed to make the Griffins [[HeelRealization see how terrible they were acting]].
* Pretty much the whole premise of ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex''. Thanks to the whole world having been seeded with nanites, anyone at any time could mutate into an EVO. While some [=EVOs=] just get superpowers (like the eponymous character), the vast majority get turned into mindless monsters - and of those who ''do'' maintain control of themselves, only about ''three'' in the whole show can pass for normal human ([[TheHero Rex]], [[DatingCatwoman Circe]], and [[BigBad Van Kleiss]]). And if you're an intelligent and obvious EVO, expect lots of FantasticRacism. [[SarcasmMode Fun, right?]]
** Even if you manage to avoid becoming a mindless monster, you're still quite likely to end up BlessedWithSuck. Van Kleiss is a {{humanoid abomination}} that must consume the nanites of other evos to survive, Circe is a WeirdnessMagnet, and Rex's PhlebotinumOverload is pure BodyHorror. Then there's people like Breach's ThinkingUpPortals powers [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity at the expense of their minds]].
*** It has been revealed so far that Rex, in addition to all the [[SarcasmMode Wonderful]] side affects of his powers has [[spoiler: a chronic condition that periodically gives him LaserGuidedAmnesia and, along with the BodyHorror, a SuperpoweredEvilSide in the form of a HumongousMecha thing as a consequence of a critical PhlebotinumOverload. At the start of the story, his MysteriousPast was that he was found with no memory in a totally destroyed area of town. What happened? ''Him,'' it turns out]].

** Anyone who tries to use Devil Fruit is playing Russian Roulette with super powers, certainly. Many of them give the user fantastic and powerful abilities that more than compensate the side effect that makes you unable to swim. Some - mostly in the Paramecia subclass - give you powers that are pretty useless (unless you want to use them as a performer), possibly embarrassing, and may even make the user physically deformed making him the subject of scorn and discrimination. The biggest problem is that there are illustrated catalogs that will let you identify ''some'' Devil Fruits, but quite a lot of them are unknown and thus what they do can only be discovered by using them. Paramecia fruits take this up to eleven since the only thing that defines a Paramecia fruit is that it's not one of the other types. The effects of a Paramecia can range from [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway useless]] to [[StorybreakerPower storybreaking]]. Whitebeard's [[spoiler:now Blackbeard's]] Quake-Quake fruit for example can generate shockwaves powerful enough to ''break the world''. And some of the "useless" powers can turn out to be [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower very powerful]] if applied properly.

* It is explained in [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/another-goddamn-magic-system this]] ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' tale that is it possible for anybody to become a Type-Blue (which is what they call a human who can cast spells) and there are many different ways of doing it, but no method of becoming a Type-Blue exists that will work for everyone. The speaker explaining this says that he became a Type-Blue by tampering with his own mind in ways that he doesn't recommend that other people try, and he knew several people who tried similar methods and failed or even died from it.

** The Magic Beast Corps of the [[TheEmpire Eastern Empire]] developed a special drug meant to [[FusionDance fuse the demonic beast and its rider]] into a single MonsterKnight far stronger than either of them would be alone. However, the corps commander [[GloryHound Gladim]] [[EveryoneHasStandards prohibited use of it unless authorized]] because at its current stage of development before the Empire went to war with Tempest, the drug also runs the gauntlet of outright killing the recipient (10%), [[ForcedTransformation permanently turning them into a demonic beast]] from compatibility failure (20%), the rider or beast going completely insane (30%), and various other side-effects from the fusion (20%). Only about 20% of the test subjects actually reached a "complete" success for the fusion, and worse, once the drug is ingested it's impossible to stop the effects from reaching a conclusion. The less-than-1% of the corps that were "perfectly compatible" had already taken the drug and become his [[EliteMooks Chimera Knights]]. [[spoiler:When Gladim is [[GodzillaThreshold forced to order the Corps to take the drug]] ''en masse'' in order to stand up to the [[TheLegionsOfHell Black Numbers]], of the 30,000 members: 4,050 die right away, 12,200 go berserk, 5,800 turn into demonic beasts, 7,400 become demon beast-man soldiers, and 550 become new Chimera Knights. In other words, only 13,750 of 30,000 were still sane and combat-ready afterwards, without a single demon inflicting casualities. To add insult to injury, [[AllForNothing it still wasn't enough to the defeat the at-most 700 elite demons]].]]

* Whatever is causing the super powers in ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' is probably also connected to the reason why [[OnlyFatalToAdults everyone over the age of 15 disappeared]] and the kids are now in a DomedHometown. Also, the most likely reason is the [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear fallout]] and the [[CosmicHorror Gaiaphage]]. Overall, characters have gone insane, died, killed, been persecuted by the Human Crew, been tortured by Caine and Drake, and been horribly mutilated as a result of something changing the laws of physics. And of course most kids have really lame powers. Astrid can read people's potential or something like that, Duck can change his density, Bette could make her hands glow, an unnamed girl could go invisible only when she was very embarassed, Sam and Hunter started out with no control over their light/heat powers (with disastrous consequences), and Orc is now an IronWoobie. Think you can avoid all this by not developing powers? Think again. {{Muggles}} are often overlooked in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone). Unless you're lucky enough to be TeamNormal like Edilio, you are either a member of the [[PuttingOnTheReich Nazi-inspired]] Human Crew or a RedShirt in an AnyoneCanDie scenario.

* PlayedForLaughs in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' SuperheroEpisode: [[ILoveNuclearPower Nuclear waste]] gives the Griffin family superpowers (albeit a pretty unimpressive one in Meg's case) which [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity they abuse for their personal gain]]. Sick of the Griffins' tyranny, Mayor Adam West [[MugglePower attempts to get his own powers]] through the same method [[DeconstructedTrope and contracts lymphoma]]. Though seeing how desperate they made West at least managed to make the Griffins [[HeelRealization see how terrible they were acting]].

** The Magic Beast Corps of the [[TheEmpire Eastern Empire]] developed a special drug meant to [[FusionDance fuse the demonic beast and its rider]] into a single MonsterKnight far stronger than either of them would be alone. However, the corps commander [[GloryHound Gladim]] [[EveryoneHasStandards prohibited use of it unless authorized]] because at its current stage of development before the Empire went to war with Tempest, the drug also runs the gauntlet of outright killing the recipient (10%), [[BalefulPolymorph permanently turning them into a demonic beast]] from compatibility failure (20%), the rider or beast going completely insane (30%), and various other side-effects from the fusion (20%). Only about 20% of the test subjects actually reached a "complete" success for the fusion, and worse, once the drug is ingested it's impossible to stop the effects from reaching a conclusion. The less-than-1% of the corps that were "perfectly compatible" had already taken the drug and become his [[EliteMooks Chimera Knights]]. [[spoiler:When Gladim is [[GodzillaThreshold forced to order the Corps to take the drug]] ''en masse'' in order to stand up to the [[TheLegionsOfHell Black Numbers]], of the 30,000 members: 4,050 die right away, 12,200 go berserk, 5,800 turn into demonic beasts, 7,400 become demon beast-man soldiers, and 550 become new Chimera Knights. In other words, only 13,750 of 30,000 were still sane and combat-ready afterwards, without a single demon inflicting casualities. To add insult to injury, [[AllForNothing it still wasn't enough to the defeat the at-most 700 elite demons]].]]

* BalefulPolymorph

* Once in ''Comicbook/IncredibleHulk'', the Leader (who is also gamma irradiated, but his power is a highly developed mind) set off a gamma bomb in a small city, in order to make more Hulks and Leaders, but 99.99% of the population just died of radiation poisoning. This is because only people who possess a certain genetic trigger inherited from a single common ancestor (or copied the trigger) can become gamma mutates.

** Another example from UltimateXMen is a boy who wakes up one day to find he has the incredible mutant power to "[[WalkingWasteland destroy organic matter]]". Such as his parents. And his friends. And people he runs into on the street. Eventually, he wanders into a cave where {{Wolverine}} is waiting for him, who tells him what happened, and is there to [[ShootTheDog help him]]. The kid tearfully notes that he might've been one chromosome away from being one of the X-Men.

* Promicin injections in ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'': Half of recipients get superpowers, the other half die, and out of the ones that get powers, a lot of them end up with ones that're hard or impossible to make practical use of (such as making other people that consume their saliva to rapidly lose weight, [[WeightLossHorror but also making it so that they're unable to stop losing weight and ultimately making them starve to death regardless how how much they eat)]] or just giving them a harmful power that they can't turn off (like [[WalkingWasteland constantly secreting deadly pathogens that kill all animal and plant life within a 100 foot radius]].

*** [[UpToEleven It goes beyond that even!]] It has been revealed so far that Rex, in addition to all the [[SarcasmMode Wonderful]] side affects of his powers has [[spoiler: a chronic condition that periodically gives him LaserGuidedAmnesia and, along with the BodyHorror, a SuperpoweredEvilSide in the form of a HumongousMecha thing as a consequence of a critical PhlebotinumOverload. At the start of the story, his MysteriousPast was that he was found with no memory in a totally destroyed area of town. What happened? ''Him,'' it turns out]].

* Promicin injections in ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'': Half of recipients get superpowers, the other half die, and out of the ones that get powers, a lot of them end up with ones that're hard or impossible to make practical use of (such as making other people that consume their saliva to rapidly lose weight, [[WeightLossHorror but also making it so that they're unable to stop losing weight and ultimately making starve to death regardless how how much they eat)]] or just giving them a harmful power that they can't turn off (like [[WalkingWasteland constantly secreting deadly pathogens that kill all animal and plant life within a 100 foot radius]].

* Promicin injections in ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'': Half of recipients get superpowers, the other half die.

* The White Event, connected to ''ComicBook/TheNewUniverse'', can be this, especially in later appearances. In an issue of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'', when the Starbrand of Universe-616 chose its next holder, it futzed up: it chose its holder, but its arrival obliterated the college town the holder lived in.