History Main / TaintedVeins

* ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'': Strader Pharmaceuticals illegally developed [[PsychoSerum super-drug]] causes the users to have bulging discolored veins as their bodies start breaking down as they die from the side-effects.

* ''Series/JessicaJones'': When [[Characters/MCUKilgrave Kilgrave]] receives his final power boost, his veins turn purple.

[[caption-width-right:330:[[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong Who'd have thought]] [[EmergencyTransformation putting]] an experimental clean energy source in your chest might have [[PowerDegeneration harmful]] [[HeroicRROD side effects]]?]]

See also VolcanicVeins for when they '''[[color:orange:glow]]'''. Compare VeinOVision, which is where a character has a power that makes them see the world this way. May involve a WoundThatWillNotHeal.

** ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'': When [[Characters/MCULoki Loki]] seemingly dies, his skin turns ash-grey and his veins become highly visible.

* ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'': When [[Characters/MCULoki Loki]] seemingly dies, his skin turns ash-grey and his veins become highly visible.

See also VolcanicVeins for when they '''[[color:orange:glow]]'''. Compare VeinOVision, which is where a character has a power that makes them see the world this way.

* ''Series/Batwoman2019''. A big deal is made over how a kryptonite bullet is the only thing that can penetrate the Batsuit, but when Tommy Elliot shoots Ryan Wilder with one, she's [[HeroicSecondWind still able to get to her feet again and kick his ass]]. At the end of the episode however, Ryan removes her bandage to examine the injury to find green pulsating veins are [[TheWoundThatWillNotHeal slowly working their way out from the wound]].

%%** Dark Willow.

** The Second Doctor was up against a "plague" that gave a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E6TheMoonbase moonbase crew]] tainted veins. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E5RevengeOfTheCybermen Eight years later]], the same tainted veins gave the Fourth Doctor a clue who he was up against.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Upon his DramaticUnmask in "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS8E5TheBells The Bells]]", Gregor is revealed to have plenty of these since Qyburn's experiments on him, many of them visible as Sandor cuts more of his armor away.

** In "[[Recap/SupernaturalS07E17TheBornAgainIdentity The Born-Again Identity]]", when Castiel is transferring Sam's Cage-match madness into himself, the transferral manifests as glowing red veins appearing on Sam, and moving through Cass's arm into him.
** In Season 11, black veins are a symptom of being infected and turned rabid by [[TheAntiGod the Darkness]]'s corruption.
more notably when [[spoiler:Castiel is possessed by the leviathans.]]

%%* ''Film/{{Demoni}}.''

* An episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' had Geordi get infected by a disease that covered him with [[VolcanicVeins invisible blue glowing]] veins. ItMakesSenseInContext.

** WebSite/SFDebris notes that if your veins start going weird (and especially on your forehead), you're screwed unless you're a main character.

* ''[[ComicBooks/RobinSeries Robin]]'': Strader Pharmaceuticals illegally developed [[PsychoSerum super-drug]] causes the users to have bulging discolored veins as their bodies start breaking down as they die from the side-effects.

* ''Literature/TheTrialsOfApollo'': After Apollo gets [[spoiler: scratched by a [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier eurynomos]]]] the infection that threatens to eventually kill him and raise him as a [[OurZombiesAreDifferent vrykolakas]], he slowly starts to get purple veins spreading all over his body. A sign that the infection is reaching its final stages.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII,'' this is one symptom of the Darkspawn corruption that finally kills [[spoiler: Wesley]].
** [[spoiler:And Bethany/Carver, if she dies in the Deep Roads.]] Or anyone who dies via the Taint, of course.

** Tony Stark's Palladium poisoning in ''Film/IronMan2'' caused grey veins around his arc reactor.

*** When Thor and Loki are zapped by the [[ShockCollar shock devices]] (which likely contain a neurotoxin) for long enough, they develop purple veins.
*** Banner, finding himself on an alien planet after two years as the Hulk, rants to Thor about how stressful this is to him. While he does, the veins of his face and neck briefly flush [[HulkingOut green]].

* Happens a few times in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', more notably when [[spoiler:Castiel is possessed by the leviathans.]]

* ''[[VideoGame/TrailsSeries The Legend of Heroes - Trails]]'':
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel IV'', after Rean defeats [[spoiler:Osborne]] in their final duel, [[spoiler:Ishmelga]] passes itself into Rean's body, slowly turning his body dark with red glowing veins. Valimar on the other hand, being [[{{Synchronization}} linked]] with Rean, gives a more not-so-pleasant sight.

* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', each time Samus absorbs a [[ToxicPhlebotinum Phazon Core]], her veins become more noticeable in reflections of her face; bigger, longer, bluer.

* Taken UpToEleven in ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Prototype 2}}''. Alex Mercer's and James Heller's bodies are covered in thick, pulsating red and black veins when they unleash their Blacklight-virus powers.
* In ''VideoGame/FarCry1'', seeing the veins in your arms turn dark is how you find out that you've been exposed to the mutagen.
* ''VideoGame/SkullGirls''' Painwheel has dark veins all over her body, thanks to the experiments that transformed her into her current state.
* It happens to Batman in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' after the Joker infects him with the Titan disease, the veins becoming more prominent and ''black'' across his face.
* This also happens to Batman again in ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries'' after Lady Arkham injects him with the same psychoactive drug other characters have been injected with prior to this. It makes the victim more aggressive, acting on impulses they would not act on otherwise. Naturally, this gets him into some trouble.
* If a character consistently favors magic in certain ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' games, the 'will lines' they develop resemble this.
* ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'': The Abomination, as seen in his skill slots. He has a stabilized flow of blight in his veins, and can deepen the veins to increase his resistances... or just cough up venom and spit it at his foes. Note that blight represents a combination of poison, venom, and acid all in one goopy package.
* An archaeologist affected by poison in ''Hidden Expedition 15: The Curse of Mithridates'' has creeping purple veins.

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': The character [[spoiler:Incubus]] is covered in abnormally enlarged, red-pink veins that make audible heartbeat noises, as is revealed when [[spoiler:he ends up taking off his robe during the Discordance of the Demiurges]]. TheRant implies this is a side-effect of using BlackMagic.

* TheStinger in ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}: The Doomstar Requiem'' shows Murderface's veins slowly turning black as the virus planted in him that will turn him into a traitor courses through his body. (Unfortunately this never pays out due to the show being ScrewedByTheNetwork.)

* In ''VideoGame/FarCry'', seeing the veins in your arms turn dark is how you find out that you've been exposed to the mutagen.

* In ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic]]'', ash-pale skin with blue veins signifies your character going completely darkside.

* Dark Willow on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
** Also Pete from the episode [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E4BeautyAndTheBeasts "Beauty and the Beasts"]]. Thanks to taking PsychoSerum, he transforms into a crazed monster [[HulkingOut whenever he gets angry]], complete with bulging, discolored veins all over him.

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': The character [[spoiler:Incubus]] is covered in abnormally enlarged, purple veins, as is revealed when [[spoiler:he ends up taking off his robe during the Discordance of the Demiurges]]. TheRant implies this is a side-effect of using BlackMagic.

* Owing to his tendency to forcibly insert himself right into the bloodstream and organs of his opponents to extract 'information', Armisael in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' causes this to both the Eva he's attacking and the pilot of the Eva. Let's just say that Rei's encounter with Armisael looked incredibly painful.

* In the animated adaptation of ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', Tiamat has red veins near her eyes when Freesia corrupts her using the Dark Essence.

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', ash-pale skin with blue veins signifies your character going completely darkside.
* Happens to Leon in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', during a [[AllJustADream dream sequence]] after he's infected with the ''Las Plagas'' parasite. Fortunately for him, he's able to find a cure before anything like that starts to happen for real.

* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}''' Painwheel has dark veins all over her body, thanks to the experiments that transformed her into her current state.

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* In ''Series/{{Wolfblood}}'' when a character is close to transforming into a wolf they get these along with SupernaturalGoldEyes.

** Tony Stark's Palladium poisoning in ''Film/IronMan2'' displayed these symptoms.