Line #138 Main/PowerDegeneration


1	%%%
2	%%
3	%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
4	%%
5	%%%
6
7	%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1627252330095645100
8	%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
9	%%
10	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/Thor2014 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/janethor.png]]]]
11	[[caption-width-right:350:"The transformation neutralizes the effects of the chemotherapy. [...] But not the cancer. Because cancer is just another part of me now."]]
12	%%
13	%% Caption selected per above IP thread. Please do not replace or remove without discussion in the Caption Repair thread:
14	%% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1404492079030138900
15	%%
16	->''"Your trip to the sun exposed you to critical levels of stellar radiation, more raw energy than your cells are able to process efficiently. Apoptosis has begun. Cell death. There can be only one outcome, even for you."''
17	-->-- '''Dr. Quintum''', ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman''
18
19	Imagine cancer, that slow insidious death that kills you from the inside, but which is also intrinsically ''you;'' it is a body eating itself, and unable to heal. Now imagine that cancer can grow faster whenever you do what you're best at: dancing, painting, coding software, kayaking. This is what happens to characters with Power Degeneration.
20
21	The causes can vary. It may be that the process used to make the Clone, HalfHumanHybrid or genetically enhanced character with SuperSoldier powers had an [[CloneDegeneration inadvertent]] (or intentional) [[FlawedPrototype design flaw]] (or "birth defect") that slowly [[CastFromLifespan reduces their lifespan]], limiting their lives to years or ''months.'' Other times it's related to having somehow gained superpowers. Maybe it was thanks to PsychoSerum, or the machine/amulet that gave them their powers was broken. Lastly, the powers may just inherently damage the body when used, either as a mystical [[EquivalentExchange price]] or because they are not designed for human use (or rather, the body wasn't given the RequiredSecondaryPowers to handle using the primary ones). Whatever the case, the result is the same: acute [[HeroicRROD "hardware failure"]] as the body tears itself up from the inside. If they're lucky, they won't cause a SuperpowerMeltdown that takes out the city.
22
23	This last case might be survivable, provided the powers [[PowerAtAPrice only hurt the owner when used]]. But it often happens that merely possessing them accelerates the process of aging or the decay. By not using their SuperMode or magic powers they can live normal lives... but TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive, so this is rarely an outright option.
24
25	The former scenario is usually incurable; it's so hard to FindTheCure that an entire series can be based around it. The reason is that the clone, hybrid or [[DesignerBabies GM baby]] would have to fundamentally alter themselves to not be what they are, either by fixing the flaw or [[BecomeARealBoy becoming plain]] [[{{Muggle}} humans]]. This can involve finding a geneticist who can make a gene therapy capable of repairing their DNA, a magic ritual that rids them of their human/non-human half, or somehow completely excising what separates them from baseline humanity and being BroughtDownToNormal. These people have a very good reason for [[IJustWantToBeNormal wanting to be normal]].
26
27	While the character is afflicted with Power Degeneration, their body will also visibly decay in one or more stylized ways.
28	* Rapid aging is a common representation: gray hairs, wrinkled skin and other signs of aging are surprisingly tame compared to some of the rest.
29	* Signs of frailty and illness, much like those seen in ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil.
30	* The character gets a LovecraftianSuperpower or two as their body is [[TheCorruption corrupted from the inside]]. This may be followed by going OneWingedAngel, but [[ShapeShifterMashup the transformation]] never goes up the BishonenLine. These powers are the "blessed" in BlessedWithSuck. And death.
31	* The [[BodyToJewel body crystallizes]], develops VolcanicVeins or TaintedVeins, slowly falls apart (limbs falling out, extremities disintegrating) or somehow visibly and inhumanly shows itself dying.
32
33	Faced with all that, is it any wonder some characters choose to use a less than savory alternatives to extend their life? They might [[TouchOfDeath steal]] the LifeEnergy of others, discover YouAreWhoYouEat, or transfer their sickness/symptoms onto others.
34
35	See also CloneDegeneration, HarmfulHealing, PossessionBurnout and CastFromHitPoints. Subtrope of BlessedWithSuck. Contrast FuelMeterOfPower and PowerUpgradingDeformation.
36
37	----
38	!!Examples:
39	[[foldercontrol]]
40
41	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
42	* As incomplete {{Dhampyr}}, the Schiff in ''Anime/BloodPlus'' need the blood of a vampire queen to stabilize, otherwise they [[BodyToJewel turn to crystal]]. Yes, ''crystal.'' The ailment is called the Thorn.
43	* This happens to almost every character in ''Manga/CeresCelestialLegend'' whose ten'nyo powers are awakened, aside from the heroine and a few who get killed in other ways before their powers can kill them. It seems like they live longer the stronger their powers are, but actually ''using'' said powers seems to shorten their lifespan considerably.
44	* ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' has an interesting variation of this. When Chrono uses his powers, he doesn't suffer any sort of decay -- ''[[BeastAndBeauty Rosette]]'' does, as they're powered by her soul. [[YourDaysAreNumbered In the best circumstances, she's only expected to live until thirty]]. Since Chrono has a BodyguardCrush on her, he's not really happy about this.
45	* Some of the Contractors of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' fall under this. People whose 'remuneration' is irreversible can only use them a limited number of times. Most notably, this includes the shape-shifter who grows older every time she uses her power, eventually dying from old age because of it, and [[spoiler:Amber, who could reverse or stop time]], but [[MerlinSickness became younger]] every time she used it, eventually [[DeathByDeaging fading from existence altogether]].
46	** Shion in the second season is typically in a wheelchair due to his remuneration. [[spoiler:He eventually dies from using his power to copy the entire ''planet''.]]
47	* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', humans can acquire the ability to see people's names and lifespans [[CastFromLifespan at the cost of half their own life]].
48	* In ''Manga/DGrayMan'', anyone with a parasite-type Innocence tends to have a much shorter than average life expectancy, even outside of the whole "constantly fighting freaky-ass monsters" issue. Considering that this includes the hero, it's no wonder he's TheWoobie.
49	* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', King Piccolo claimed that [[CastFromLifespan his lifespan shortens]] when he uses his full power or produces an egg. We never really see this since Goku takes him out shortly after he does the former and the latter is his last act before dying. He'd also eliminated that issue shortly before his death, as he had wished for eternal youth.
50	** In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' this happens to Fusion [[spoiler: Zamasu]]. One of his components had CompleteImmortality thanks to the Super Dragon Balls, but one was mortal ([[spoiler:thanks to using his wish to switch bodies with Goku]]). When fused, his immortality was downgraded from 'completely invincible' to 'you just have to hit him really really hard'. And as the heroes start landing hits hard enough to affect him, his healing factor goes out of control and starts replacing damaged body parts with monstrous gelatinous purple versions.
51	* [[spoiler:Lucy]] gets a particularly horrific version of this late in the manga of ''Manga/ElfenLied''. Using her vectors results in [[ArtisticLicensePhysics entropic backlash]] that causes her body to melt.
52	* In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', using the Philosopher's Stone [[spoiler:for GrandTheftMe causes alchemical degeneration of the new body. This process is slow, but increases in speed [[BodySurf the more times you've done it]]. Hohenheim, who's been more sparing, was able to stay in his current body for at least twenty years without much visible decay, while Dante had her bodies starting to degenerate after mere months.]]
53	* ''Manga/GakuenAlice'' has Persona, whose "Mark of Death" Alice is able to rot and eventually kill anything he touches, including himself. He uses 10 or so {{power limiter}}s to keep his ability under control, and if he removes even one of them, his own Alice will infect him.
54	* As a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-demon]] with an UnstoppableRage SuperMode, Manga/InuYasha will eventually get stuck in that form unless he keeps the sword Tessaiga by his side at all times. All things considered this works well in his favor since the sword also gives him many powerful attacks his UnstoppableRage couldn't match.
55	* In ''Anime/{{K}}'', anyone chosen to be a King must constantly keep a sense of balance and mental stability in order to maintain control over their immense power. Failure to do so will result in a literal SwordOfDamocles falling on them and killing them and everyone else around them. This happened to [[spoiler: Mikoto]] after the murder of one of their friends. As a result of their loss of power, their hand started becoming charred black and their Sword decaying. Eventually, [[spoiler: after killing Tatara's murderer, another King, their Sword of Damocles almost falls on them (which would have triggered a SuperPowerMeltdown) if not for Reisi's MercyKill.]]
56	* In ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', V-Type microbes allow the infected to [[spoiler: communicate with Vajra]], but they are also slowly kill their brains. Now there are medications which, while not able to heal it, can strongly slow down the process and give the infected more time to live, but [[spoiler: Sheryl refuses to use them as she needs a stronger Vajra link for the good guys to win...]]
57	* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', when Midoriya first acquires [[SuperStrength "One for All"]], he can't regulate it [[spoiler:because he kept thinking of it like a trump card, which led to his body not being able to get used to it]]. Every time he uses it at full power (which is every time [[spoiler:at first]]), he tears muscle and breaks bone. At one point, he injures his hand so severely that even Recovery Girl can't help him fully recover, leaving the hand permanently warped and scarred.
58	** It turns out that Midoriya is one of the lucky ones. [[spoiler:During a discussion with the shades of the former holders of One For All, they reveal to him that the Quirk weighs down heavily on the body of a holder if they already possess a Quirk of their own. Only one holder of One For All died of natural causes, Hikage Shinomori, at the age of ''40'', with literal cracks appearing on his body beforehand -- and he only held the Quirk for 18 years. All Might held it without issue for much longer because he was Quirkless, which may be why he chose the similarly Quirkless Midoriya to succeed him rather than anyone who already had a Quirk, like Togata.]]
59	* Yoite of ''Manga/NabariNoOu'' pretty much defines this trope.
60	* Whenever ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' releases enough of the power of the Kyuubi, an aura surrounds him that actually eats away at his body. Due to the super-regeneration that the Kyuubi also grants him, his cells are forced to split ahead of their biological schedule to overcome the damage -- basically super-aging to heal himself, shortening his lifespan in the process. Earlier on, Tsunade also demonstrated such regeneration.
61	** The Mangekyo Sharingan causes progressive vision loss and eventual blindness. The only way to avoid this is by replacing them with the eyes of another Mangekyo Sharingan wielder, ideally a blood relative, [[spoiler:as Sasuke did with Itachi's and Madara did with Izuna's]]. A notable exception to this rule is [[spoiler:Obito, who despite using his single Mangekyo's [[IntangibleMan unique ability]] constantly for over a decade seemed to suffer no obvious vision loss compared to how Kakashi using the companion eye's ability for comparatively less time commented on how he was going near-sighted in that eye]], though it's implied he found a loophole via [[spoiler:the flesh grafts of Hashirama Senju, which provide a HealingFactor]].
62	** Danzo's [[spoiler:Sharingan-covered arm]] experiences this when he utilizes its ability to escape death. Each usage causes one of the [[spoiler:Sharingan to go visibly blind]]. He checks them periodically in battle to see how many uses he has left.
63	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', [[spoiler:the PsychoSerum steroids that Hody Jones and his gang took to power themselves up had the downside of cutting their lifespan down by a large amount. In this case, it caused accelerated aging to the point that a short while after their defeat they're seen as ancient and decrepit old fishmen too powerless to do anything.]]
64	* Tsukune, in ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'', erodes a little bit of his ''soul'' every time he uses his superpowers.
65	* Suffering from this is a major issue for numerous characters in ''Manga/SnowWhiteAndSevenDwarfs''. For Ken, using his ability causes an accumulation of poison, bringing him closer to death each time, and for Souichi and Souji Ushio, they respectively [[RapidAging de-age and age rapidly]] thanks to usage of their powers.
66	* Black Star from ''Manga/SoulEater'' has his soul slowly eaten away at whenever he uses Tsubaki's Demon Blade mode. When Black Star's soul wavelength attack on Kid fails, Sid explains that it is because his current inferiority complex about his strength has weakened his soul. We see just how well Black Star gets over this, when following Arachne's Kishin transformation his soul wavelength becomes strong enough to hold back the witch's insanity, aiding Soul and Maka's musical intervention.
67	* Grove in ''Literature/VampireHunterD'' is in the latest stages of this. His repeated use of his astral projection power has wasted his body away to almost nothing.
68	* In ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'', the {{Cat Girl}}s Narya and Erya undergo an experimental procedure to enhance their luck in battle. Unfortunately, it turns out that there's some sort of [[EquivalentExchange conservation of luck]] mechanic in play, and their good luck is balanced out by catastrophic bad luck, causing them to become sick and die. A sort of equal and opposite reaction. Considering that the person who invented the procedure is [[spoiler: [[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy Sir Isaac Newton]]]], he really should have seen it coming.
69	* In ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}'' it is an inevitability that all who are equipped with and use a Witchblade or Cloneblade will eventually but gradually crack and crumble into ash. To make things worse, it is impossible to remove a Witchblade without slicing off your hand and wrist with it.
70	** Note that nobody actually tries this in the show, and it's possible even taking the hand off wouldn't save you.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Comic Books]]
74	* ''Franchise/TheDCU'':
75	** In the alternate universe presented in ''ComicBook/BatmanHolyTerror'', the Commonwealth tried to replicate ComicBook/TheFlash's SuperSpeed powers. Only two of the test subjects got useful speed powers, but one of them is prone to exploding and then reconstituting himself, while the other, just a kid, has ended up with accelerated aging and is likely to die within a few weeks.
76	** ''ComicBook/FirestormDCComics'': The original Killer Frost gets ice powers that she eventually learns are causing her to age at a vastly increased pace. She... doesn't take the reveal well, with the resulting rampage resulting in her death when she tries to drain Firestorm of his inner heat.
77	** ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': At one point, Wally West a.k.a. Kid Flash starts slowing down with each use of his powers. However, during the tail-end of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', ComicBook/{{Firestorm\|DCComics}} is able to save him in the nick of time from the Anti-Monitor's energy blast, but the blast ends up saving him from his degeneration, though sticking him at "speed of sound" running levels -- which suits him just fine as he takes up the mantle of the Flash.
78	** ''ComicBook/GreatTen'': Immortal Man-In-Darkness is a pilot bonded to the Dragonwing, an extremely advanced [[LivingShip living fighter plane]]. Each flight of the Dragonwing takes a year off of the pilot's life. The government doesn't have a problem finding willing pilots -- piloting the Dragonwing is considered a great honor, and there are plenty of pilots waiting in reserve ''eager'' for their chance even though they know the price.
79	** ''ComicBook/AMindSwitchInTime'': If people transformed by villain Euphor use their powers until overexerting themselves, their bodies start degrading until dissolving into pure energy.
80	** ''ComicBook/Robin1993'': Strader Pharmaceuticals develops a drug that's meant to give the user super-strength but has the unfortunate side-effect of slowly breaking down their bodies, killing them horrifically and painfully.
81	** ''ComicBook/Superboy1994'': Due to Agenda's experiments, ComicBook/{{Superboy}}'s powers start failing him along with his body, with his use of them rapidly increasing the rate at which his body is falling apart. After realizing what's going on, he still uses them to rescue those stranded in a storm until he can't move any further. He spends the next several issues of his own book and ''ComicBook/SuperboyAndTheRavers'' non-active on a table, and then in a HealingVat while his body falls apart and scientists scramble for a way to save him.
82	* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'':
83	** In one ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' storyline, Cap's SuperSerum actually breaks down and starts taking his body with it.
84	** During ''ComicBook/DarkReign'', [[ComicBook/CaptainMarvelMarvelComics Carol Danvers]] has this issue to the point that her energy powers cause her to just [[SuperPowerMeltdown explode]].
85	** In one ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' storyline, the powers of the Fantastic Four turn out to be examples of this; the same exposure to cosmic radiation that gave them their powers is slowly killing them. Subverted later when it turns out that the degeneration was caused by a kind of overload from having the powers of their parallel universe counterparts covertly transferred into them. They're healed by having the excess powers restored to their rightful owners.
86	** ''ComicBook/GenerationX'': Chamber has an explosive power that blew off his jaw and upper chest prior to joining the team. Using his power slowly widened the explosive area, he near literally had part of his face and chest "on fire". Averted in that his body is technically a dead husk already and his mutation actually turned him into an {{Energy Being\|s}} that's animating it [[HowDoIShotWeb but has no idea how to reconstruct it]].
87	** ''ComicBook/NewXMenAcademyX'': Gentle can temporarily increase his muscle mass to gain [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]-level strength, but the strain on his body causes him seizures. His power is held in check somewhat by vibranium tattoos, but since his powers get stronger with every use, eventually the tattoos won't work and and his powers will kill him.
88	** In ''[[ComicBook/HouseOfM Son of M]]'' and ''ComicBook/SilentWar'', it's established that [[GreenRocks terrigen crystals]] can give superpowers to non-[[ComicBook/TheInhumans Inhumans]], but they're unstable. Depowered mutants get uncontrolled versions of their powers they might survive, but humans have an inevitable mortality.
89	** ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': The process that transformed Mac Gargan into the Scorpion was a risky and experimental one. The radiation treatment and gene therapy made him more powerful, but it also messed up his own genetics. The reason he keeps wearing his suit is because the suit helps prevent his body from further degenerating. The Venom Symbiote was also able to arrest the damage during Gargan's stint as Venom.
90	** ''ComicBook/Thor2014'': Every time Jane Foster transforms into Thor, all poisons are purged from her body, which unfortunately includes the chemotherapy drugs she needs to treat her cancer. Effectively, she dies a little more each time she picks up the hammer, but refuses to stop protecting the world as Thor even as it kills her.
91	** The ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' iteration of Venom had a symbiote that's more of a parasite than truly symbiotic. Eddie Brock has two choices: consume other people's life force, or have his own consumed by the symbiote. He goes with option A.
92	** Due to the poisonous nature of Adamantium, ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s skeleton and claws slowly kill him on those occasions when his mutant powers are disabled. And he can't use the claws, either, for obvious blood-loss-from-the-hands reasons.
93	** ''ComicBook/XMan'': Nate Grey suffers from an intentional version throughout the vast majority of his series, since he was created by the ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' version of Mister Sinister as a weapon to kill Apocalypse, and Sinister didn't want said weapon hanging around once it had done its job -- hence the genetic flaw which leads to frequent cases of PsychicNosebleed, one or another of his powers switching off, and potentially a burn-out that would take out half the planet. In the end, he gets a genetic brand that stabilizes his powers.
94	** In the alternate universe presented in ''ComicBook/XMenForever'', it's revealed that mutantkind isn't the much-ballyhooed [[EvolutionaryLevels next step of human evolution]], but something of a dead end -- their mutant powers are slowly killing them in a process called "Mutant Burnout" that will kill them by age 50.
95	** Synch has the ability to [[PowerCopying copy the abilities of any nearby mutant]], but only when nearby. When he's brought back after death in ''ComicBook/XMenTheKrakoanAge'', something about the resurrection process enhanced his abilities so now he can use any ability he's ever copied regardless of proximity, but doing so makes him age rapidly.
96	* Every time Monster Girl from ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}'' uses her power (to change into a superpowered monster), she gets younger. It's eventually determined that it's due to her body being reconstructed incorrectly.
97	* Creator/WarrenEllis developed a pulp-style detective character named ''Simon Specter'' who invented a drug that would enhance his intelligence and perception speed for approximately 12 hours, followed by a 24-hour crash and the loss of a week of his body's lifespan.
98	* In ''ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}}: Team Achilles'', one antagonist has SuperEmpowering as one of his abilities, but the people he empowers eventually burn out and die.
99	* This trope is the entire premise of ''ComicBook/StrikeforceMorituri''. Human volunteers went through a dangerous process to earn superpowers so they could combat {{Alien Inva\|sion}}ders. Catch is, the process was guaranteed to kill them sometime within the next year after gaining their powers -- in some cases, mere days after.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
103	* [[OriginalCharacter Spinel]] from ''Fanfic/CleavesCutsAndCracks'' suffers from a severe case of this. Everytime she uses her powers, her gem crack worsens. Pushing even further causes her body to fall apart.
104	* In the ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' fanfic ''DNA'', Ash Ketchum suffers this from his [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]] powers. He has two months to live the last time we see him.
105	* In ''Fanfic/TheOneWithTheAngelicFace'', after the vampire Angelus is physically separated from the now-human Angela, the gang determine that Angelus is now becoming a pure vampire demon, which grants him increasingly greater strength (albeit with minor 'issues' like having trouble reverting to his human features on occasion), but with the cost that he will eventually become a pure demon and be unable to exist on this plane.
106	* The main character of the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5932238/1/Pariah Pariah]]'' suffers from this. [[spoiler:Whenever she uses her biotics it inflames the tissue of her lungs, causing her to cough blood. In the second to last chapter, she performs a LastStand and uses her biotics until she's curled up and ''choking on her own necrotic lung tissue.'']] [[TakingYouWithMe She killed the bastards, though]].
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
110	* ''WesternAnimation/AllStarSuperman'': After getting a lethal level of solar exposure from flying too close to the sun, Superman gets a massive power up... and will eventually [[spoiler:turn into an {{Energy Being\|s}}]].
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
114	* In ''Film/GhostRiderSpiritOfVengeance'', Roark is the Devil's avatar, but as he is a mere human, his body is [[PossessionBurnout slowly breaking down]]. Use of his powers accelerates the breakdown, like when half of his face rots after turning Carrigan into [[WalkingWasteland Blackout]]. He compares himself to a flamethrower made of paper mache. The Devil's plan is to transfer his essence into Danny, a HalfHumanHybrid who would be able to better handle his power.
115	* ''Film/TheGoldenVoyageOfSinbad''. Prince Koura ages considerably (at least a decade) each time he uses his powers of black magic.
116	* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
117	** In ''Film/IronMan2'', continuing use of the Iron Man suit accelerates Tony's palladium poisoning. Tony's got one of the worst cases ever. ''Living'' is ''killing him''. Either take the palladium arc reactor out of his chest and die of cardiac failure or leave it in and watch his body wither away as it poisons his bloodstream. JARVIS points this out without hesitation.
118	** ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'': After being diagnosed with cancer, Jane Foster seeks out Mjolnir as a last-ditch effort to cure her. While it gives her the power of Thor and makes her healthy while she's using it, the transformation puts a massive strain on her body that's only worsening her condition.
119	* In ''Franchise/StarWars'', excessive use of the dark side of the force, particularly [[ShockAndAwe force lightning]] had this effect on Darth Sidious, turning him from a relatively healthy if somewhat elderly man into a decrepit monster with winkled grey sagging skin, rotten teeth, and burning yellow eyes. That particular instance was due at least in part to Windu blocking the lightning right next to Sidious' face, reflecting some lighting into his face and damaging it.
120	* ''Film/XMen1'': Magneto builds a machine that can turn humans into mutants, which he tests on Senator Kelly and grants him RubberMan powers. Unfortunately, the mutation is completely unstable and Kelly literally melts alive shortly after he manages to escape.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Literature]]
124	* In the ''Literature/{{Croak}}'' series, the BigBad learns the hard way that overusing their ultimate power degrades the body.
125	* In ''Dagger-Star'' by Elizabeth Vaughan, Ezren Silvertongue gets infused with a massive amount of WildMagic. Not only is the magic [[PowerIncontinence difficult to control]], but it is described by some mages as "eating away at him" and will eventually kill him. Even when he doesn't use it, his health slowly declines. In the next book ''White Star'', the heroes put AntiMagic chains around each arm, which relieve his symptoms, but the magic turns out to be too powerful and it builds up until the chains are destroyed. In the next book ''Destiny's Star'', [[spoiler:Ezren releases all of the wild magic to deal with the bad guy, and it turns out the wild magic was sentient and just wanted to be free]]. Ezren comes out of the experience restored to full health.
126	* Bean from the ''Literature/EndersShadow'' series has a genetic enhancement that gives him super intelligence because his brain continues to learn and develop at a the fast pace of a young child's brain. The problem is that his body also keeps growing, putting him on a course to suffer from giantism and die of heart failure as a young adult.
127	* ''Literature/TheFinalReflection'' features a [[spoiler:Klingon]] assassin who was modified to be four times faster than normal. This causes him to age 64 times faster, so he has to be stored in cryo-suspension between missions. Making things worse, the excessive cryo tends to blank his memory, so he basically has no identity or past.
128	* In ''Literature/FlowersForAlgernon'', [[spoiler:the operation that turned mentally challenged Charlie into a super-genius is only temporary. In the second half of the story, his intelligence rapidly deteriorates until he is at least as impaired as he was when he started out. To make matters worse, there's a good chance that his mind will keep on deteriorating until he dies -- after all, that's what happened to the mouse they tested it on]].
129	* The premise of ''[[http://goldmage.elcenia.com/index.shtml Goldmage]]'' is that each colour of mage pays a price for using their power. For example, red mages gain complete knowledge of people they touch, but the more people they do that to, the more they forget everything else, even their own names in the end. Gold mages are the only ones who don't visibly deteriorate, but will eventually just [[CastFromLifespan drop dead early]] from using their powers.
130	* In ''Literature/JadeCity'', jade grants a suite of superpowers to people in physical contact with it, but requires years of training and exposure therapy to handle safely. If someone carries more than they can handle (which is any at all, for most people), they can become addicted to the sensation and go insane from "the itches" -- one proficient jade user bit off a bit more than she could chew and ended up flaying her own arms with a cheese grater.
131	* ''Literature/KilnPeople'' revolves around the various effects of "dittoes", golem-like copies of individual humans that only last for 24 hours but can have their memories downloaded into the original. As their time starts to run out their bodies begin turning back into clay. Note that they can be preserved by stuffing them into a fridge. The hero's girlfriend does this with a fresh copy [[SexBot in case he gets lonely]].
132	* The dilemma in the book series ''Magic or Madness.'' Either you use your magic and die at a young age (somewhere between your teen years and maybe age 45 at the outside if you're sparing about it, you die when the magic runs out), or you don't use it and go insane.
133	* A minor superhero in ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'' is mentioned to have undergone this. His powers slowly killed him and drove him insane, driving him to attack his old team-mates, while his previously invisible forcefield degenerate, becoming weaker, blue and tainted with ozone.
134	* Using a Soulcasting fabrial in ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' apparently transforms your body into living stone. Or causes vines to grow on you, or causes you to slowly dissolve into smoke, depending on what you regularly soulcast things into. Radiant Soulcasters so far do ''not'' exhibit this effect.
135	* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': The genetically engineered super-soldier Sgt. Taura has incredible strength and fast reflexes, but was not made to last. She was deliberately engineered to have a short lifespan and die quickly once she started showing serious signs of age. The Fleet doctor has slowed her metabolism and bought her a few more years.
136	* 18-year-old Janie in the books ''Wake'' and ''Fade'' by Lisa Mc Mann. Janie has the ability to see other people's dreams. Unfortunately, she can [[PowerIncontinence barely control it]]. In ''Fade'', one of the longest living "Dream Catchers", as people with that ability are called, leaves Janie a journal. Apparently, Janie will [[spoiler: lose her eyesight and the use of her hands by the age of 24. She will only be able to see in dreams.]]
137	* Male channelers (read: magicians) in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. The male half of One Power, ''saidin'', was tainted by the [[BigBad Dark One]], so that now all the male channelers unavoidably will go mad. The few that survive the madness and avoid being caught then start [[BodyHorror rotting while alive]]... [[spoiler:That is, until Rand manages to cleanse the ''saidin''.]]
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
141	* A male nurse on ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'' had the ability to cure genetic defects in utero, but random mutations appeared in his own DNA.
142	* Cordelia in ''Series/{{Angel}}'' was being slowly and painfully killed by her prophetic visions. Humans are incapable of hosting the visions for long without dying. For her, the solution was to turn her part demon. The upgrade came with other perks; [[spoiler:being DemonicallyPossessed by one of the PowersThatBe was not one of them.]]
143	* At the end of Season 4 of the new ''Series/DoctorWho'', [[spoiler: Donna is given the consciousness of a Time Lord, but the strain is too much for a human brain and it starts killing her, so the Doctor has to wipe her memory of all the time they spent together and leave her on Earth]].
144	* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'':
145	** Mohinder's transformation in Season 3.
146	** [[spoiler:Hiro]]'s powers give him a brain tumor.
147	* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
148	** ''Series/KamenRiderAgito'': Kamen Rider Gills has this as a consequence of being a failed candidate to become Agito. He dies from his degeneration, revives, dies from it ''again'', then eventually resurrects a second time with his powers stabilized enough to prevent degeneration from killing him a third time.
149	** ''Series/KamenRider555'': Nearly all powers come with degeneration in this series. By default the Orphnochs have only a few years to live after getting their powers. The Faiz Driver cuts it down to a few months, the Kaixa Driver cuts it down to a few ''seconds'' for all but a lucky few. The Delta Driver doesn't cause accelerated degeneration, [[PsychoSerum but it has other drawbacks.]] The Orphnochs are desperately searching for the mythical Orphnoch King because he's the only thing that can cure degeneration.
150	** ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'': The Zeronos Driver has a roundabout way of causing this, as each transformation erases the user from a random other person's memories. The mechanics of time travel in the series are such that things only exist because they're remembered, so erasing everyone's memories of you will cause you to cease to exist. The BigBad has a similar ability involving ripping out chunks of his own history to summon monsters, causing him to become steadily more physically and mentally unstable as he ceases to exist in more and more time periods.
151	** ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'': Kivat the 2nd can make anyone into Kamen Rider Dark Kiva, giving them the powers of a vampire king, but a normal human will die from the strain of a single transformation, with the biggest BadassNormal of the setting managing three. His son Kivat the 3rd can presumably do the same thing, since they're otherwise equal in power, but he's comfortably partnered with a dhampir who can safely use his power as the titular Kiva.
152	** ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': During the final quarter of the series, Graphite willingly infects himself with the Gamedeus virus in order to gain Gamedeus's powers. Even though Graphite himself is a living virus, Gamedeus is so much worse that Graphite's left riddled with TaintedVeins and increasingly compromised health, although his power level in battle does also skyrocket as he'd hoped.
153	** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'': This happens to anyone who uses the Demons Driver, although the rate at which it happens to each user is inconsistent and multiple incompatible explanations for why it happens are offered throughout the series. One explanation claims that ''any'' Driver would cause degeneration in a human user, and it only doesn't affect the main trio because they're the biological children of a powerful demon lord. Whatever the reason, by the end of his tenure, the first Demons user is outwardly in his mid-late 20s but has the health of an 80-year-old man.
154	%%* ''Series/KyleXY'', in general.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
155	* Happens to a human prize fighter in an episode of ''Series/LostGirl'' -- it's said that the Fae-derived serum that allows him to [[HulkingOut Hulk Out]] will cause his internal organs to explode if he hulks out one more time.
156	* In ''Series/MutantX'', Gabriel Ashlocke is the first of the so-called "[[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual New Mutants]]" (all mutants are called "New" in the show, for some reason). Unlike the others, he has ComboPlatterPowers from all four of the categories (elemental, feral, molecular, psionic) and is insane to boot. However, as revealed by Adam, his body is slowly breaking apart due to all these powers together. Ashlocke's final attempt to save himself involves awakening an ancient sorceress, but the interference of the titular team results in Ashlocke exploding and taking his base with him.
157	* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': The episode "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S1E4BloodBrothers Blood Brothers]]" has a scientist accidentally develop a serum that appears to give people (and monkeys) a HealingFactor (a monkey took a dose of cyanide without a problem). His brother, the CorruptCorporateExecutive, refuses to reveal the miracle to the world but [[ProfessorGuineaPig uses it on himself]] to cure a hereditary disease. However, the scientist then realizes that [[spoiler:the serum doesn't give you healing powers after all but merely forces the cells to use up all their energy on healing, leaving behind a withered husk. His brother is destined to spend the rest of his days on life support.]]
158	* In ''Series/{{Sanctuary}}'', John Druitt's [[TeleportationSickness teleportation causes his cells to break down]], and is also responsible for the brain damage that [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity turned him into a homicidal maniac]]. It was later revealed that he had actually been possessed by an {{Energy Being\|s}}, and that's what drove him insane. Though, the more often he uses his power, the more control it has over him, so this might be a double subversion.
159	* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', any human who uses an [[UpgradeArtifact Ancient Repository]] gains all the knowledge of the most advanced species ever to walk the galaxy, as well as some [[HealingHands nifty extras]] if they stick it out long enough. However since human minds [[EvolutionaryLevels aren't advanced enough to handle it]] this comes at the cost of overclocking their brain to the point of rapid mental degeneration and death. It's implied that anyone other than Jack wouldn't have survived even a few days. Daniel had Merlin's consciousness downloaded into him, but Merlin specifically gauged the amount of information he imparted so that a human mind could handle it. Besides, Daniel has [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascended]] before and came back, same as Merlin.
160	* A variation with Rodney in ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. Instead of having knowledge downloaded into his brain, his brain gets overclocked by a different Ancient means. And yes, he also learns HealingHands, {{Telepathy}}, and MindOverMatter abilities, and is able to tell Carson how to save him at the last moment. After this, he's back to his old annoying self and stuck with discoveries and inventions that he made while near-Ascended but way beyond even his understanding.
161	* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': Late in season 7, Odo discovers that he's been infected with the deadly Morphogenic Virus afflicting the other Changelings. Worse still, "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E22TackingIntoTheWind Tacking Into The Wind]]" reveals that shapeshifting only accelerates the disease's progression, and as Odo has been helping Kira and Garak in their efforts alongside the Cardassian resistance, he's had to assume dozens of different shapes over the past few weeks - leaving him a flaking heap of BodyHorror by the start of the episode. Of course, [[{{Determinator}} Odo being Odo]], he refuses to let his imminent death keep him from work, and continues shapeshifting until he has to be hospitalized.
162	* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
163	** In late Season 6 and early Season 7, WellIntentionedExtremist Castiel has taken on a multitude of souls from Purgatory and powered himself up enough to kill Raphael and stop him from re-starting the Apocalypse. However, Castiel gets DrunkOnTheDarkSide and declares himself the new God. As he goes on a smithing rampage, his vessel begins to decompose, and Death remarks that he is not God but a mutated angel. Eventually, Castiel reaches out to Sam and Dean for help to return the souls inside him to Purgatory. They succeed, but they don't count on the Leviathans staying inside Castiel.
164	** In Season 9, Dean takes on the Mark of Cain, which gives him enough power to kill Abbadon, but it causes him to become violent and eventually become a demon. He's restored but the mark causes him to struggle with sanity most of Season 10.
165	* ''Series/TheXFiles'': The teenage {{Super Speed}}sters in the episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS07E05Rush Rush]]" have a decent number of RequiredSecondaryPowers, but their bodies are still gradually breaking down from the stress. An X-ray of one shows the sort of damage normally found in people who've played professional football for 15 years.
166	[[/folder]]
167
168	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
169	* Chaos magic, an alternate form of spellcasting in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons 3.5'' -- that can coexist with the standard form of spellcasting -- is incredibly flexible and can become ridiculously powerful when used well, is limited by [[CastFromHitPoints self-inflicted nonlethal damage that only full rest can remove with every spell cast]] and carries a huge price in the form of an inherent risk to fail every cast (even when MinMaxing to death, it's hard to reduce this chance under 1/20), and every failed spell has a chance to permanently apply a random harmful condition to the caster, eventually resulting in [[DeaderThanDead a form of death no one can be brought back from]]. A chaos caster tends to be a CrutchCharacter for this reason : ridiculously powerful and versatile at first but gets weaker and weaker with each stage of corruption, and with a high chance to die for good before the rest of the party.
170	* The ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=108827 Unstable Mutation]] grants the enchanted creature a significant power spike... that becomes less significant every turn, and after three, it actually starts to get weaker. The lethal aspect of this trope comes in when you realize that the [=-1/-1=] counters will eventually reduce Toughness to 0, and unlike Power 0, creatures with 0 toughness ''die.''
171	* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'': When embodied in a Vessel, the Golaenu have access to various powerful abilities known as Reprisals. However, each Reprisal irreparably erodes the Vessel's integrity, eventually causing it to [[DefeatEqualsExplosion catastrophically fail]].
172	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'', one character class is "Juicers", who wear a drug-injection rig and whose lifespan is about five years. Also, Crazies are people who have had their brains rewired to gain psychic powers but eventually lose their sanity.
173	* Chaos Dwarves from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' can use magic thanks to their allegiance to the dark god Hashut. However, dwarves are not magical creatures and were never intended to use magic; as such, Chaos Dwarven sorcerers will [[TakenForGranite find their bodies slowly turning to stone]] the more they use their powers. Eventually, after succumbing completely, the sorcerer's petrified body will be taken to their capital, where similar "statues" line the streets.
174	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''
175	** Psykers get a double-shot of awfulness: not only does the act of using their powers leave the potential of letting a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Warp daemon]] take over their body and open a Warp Rift with their mind, but many of the granted abilities take a severe toll on the body, leaving them exhausted, injured through strain and sometimes dead from the brain [[YourHeadAsplode literally tearing itself apart]]. How to avoid this and still be a functioning psyhic? Heavy [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul cybernetic augmentation]], or "soul binding" which tends to do things like [[EyeScream pop your eyeballs]] and kill all your emotions. All things considered though, this is a small price to pay to potentially be an incredibly powerful being in [[CrapsackWorld an unbelievably brutal and unforgiving galaxy]].
176	** The Thunder Warriors' augmentations gave them incredible power. A single Thunder Warrior is to a squad of Space Marines what a Space Marine is to an Imperial Guard squad. Their augmentations also drastically reduced their lifespans. It's not clear whether this was a flaw or an intentional expiration date the Emperor added to ensure that the powerful but unstable Thunder Warriors wouldn't outlive their usefulness.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179	[[folder:Video Games]]
180	* ''Franchise/BlazBlue'':
181	** It's revealed in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'' that Ragna's fake Azure Grimoire (which is really a piece of the [[EldritchAbomination Black Beast]]) will consume him if he unleashes its full power too often. This is probably why he was so reluctant to use it in ''Calamity Trigger''. [[spoiler:Given how liberally he uses his, one has to wonder if Terumi was already consumed by his own Azure Grimoire (confirmed equally counterfeit in ''Chronophantasma'').]]
182	** Due to the abundance of seithr in the modern age, the use of ars magus and ars armagus has its own risks as well -- some of the worst including outright physical collapse (wherein the body disintegrates completely and the soul is absorbed into the Boundary through the nearest cauldron). Not only does Terumi use this to liquidate the Kagutsuchi NOL branch in ''Continuum Shift'', [[spoiler:but opening every cauldron in the world during the climax of ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueChronophantasma Chronophantasma]]'' does this on a worldwide scale, with a very small fraction of the pre-Doomsday population surviving even after Kushinada's Lynchpin is activated]].
183	* In ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireDragonQuarter'', Ryu links with the Dragon Odjn. This grants Ryu the power to change into an nigh invincible draconic being but each use of his dragon powers brings Ryu closer to death (represented by the D-Counter). Even worse, the D-Counter still rises throughout the game even if Ryu never uses his powers.
184	* ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'':
185	** Genesis has a defect in his creation, and slowly gets white hair and has his red jacket go ashy throughout the game. As the game goes on, Genesis' copies show the same degeneration. [[spoiler:Beating the shit out of Genesis's OneWingedAngel form results in him getting better.]]
186	** The same thing also happens to Angeal and his copies, including [[spoiler:Lazard]].
187	* The Grey Wardens of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' are required to drink the poisonous blood of darkspawn during their initiation rite; if they survive, this makes them better able to fight the darkspawn (and able to sense them at a distance). However, some recruits die during the initiation, most recruits suffer from nightmares and increased appetite, and all Grey Wardens have shortened lifespans: "thirty years to live, give or take" from the time of initiation. The Wardens don't tell new recruits about any of this, because [[IDidWhatIHadToDo they believe almost nobody would join if they knew, and that their mission of protecting the world from the darkspawn is more important than their lives]]. [[spoiler:The ''actual'' truth is worse. Thirty years, give or take, isn't how long it takes for the Taint to kill them -- it's how long it takes for the Taint to turn them into ghouls. Any Warden that lives too long is doomed to become just another mindless creature of the Blight.]]
188	* In ''VideoGame/ExaPico'', Third Generation Reyvateils suffer from this due to their human bodies not being capable of withstanding the Towers' energy coursing through them. Therefore, they can live up to 20 years without applying a trimestral dose of life extending medicine, and even then, if their partners aren't keeping tabs on administrating said medicine in a timely manner past a certain age, it's possible they won't get past their 40s.
189	* "Charged" creations in the ''VideoGame/{{Geneforge}}'' series are infused with so much energy that they constantly lose health each round. In exchange, they're significantly more powerful than the normal versions and cost only a little more [[{{Mana}} essence]].
190	* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'':
191	** This happens to Samus; the more bosses she defeats, the larger her Phazon generating tumor grows, to the point where once you [[spoiler:reach Phaaze and are forced into permanent hypermode]] ''the gunship no longer acknowledges her as Samus''.
192	** The other hunters succumb to this under the hand of Dark Samus. All of them (Samus included) are affected by Phazon infestation but only Samus manages to stave off its mind-decaying effects long enough to end the war. The others succumb to it and turn antagonistic towards Samus, forcing her to put down her former allies.
193	* The ''{{Franchise/Nasuverse}}'' must like this trope because it also happens to Shirou in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' in all three routes from using magic above his level, particularly in Heaven's Feel when [[spoiler: he gets Archer's arm grafted onto him. Interestingly, rather than merely physical corruption there is also mental corruption, and he starts to lose memories and the ability to form coherent thoughts.]]
194	* It's revealed in ''{{VideoGame/NOISZ}}'' that the [[MacGuffinTitle NOISZ]] you've used the entire game consumes your soul from usage. [[spoiler: The NOISZ Beasts suffered a similar fate due to theirs being [[FlawedPrototypes Flawed Prototypes]].]]
195	* In ''VideoGame/PhantomBrave'' the power that originally banished [[BigBad Sulphur]] called "Psycho Burgundy" will kill its user if it's used too often as it burn it user's soul.
196	* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'': In Tira's ending in ''Soulcalibur IV'', Nightmare's body can no longer withstand its own power. Tira clings to him, tearfully begging him not to leave her alone. [[spoiler:He doesn't.]]
197	* The True Runes of the ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' series are an unusual case. If they aren't used, the Runes halt the aging of their bearers, rendering them effectively immortal. However, the True Runes are the PiecesOfGod in this setting, and are understandably difficult for mere mortals to control. With some of the more volatile True Runes, such as the Rune of Punishment and the Sun Rune, insanity and death are almost inevitable. It doesn't help that the Runes seem to have minds of their own, and seem to somehow manipulate their Bearers into situations where they ''have'' to use the Runes' power.
198	* Happens to Shiki in ''{{VisualNovel/Tsukihime}}'' where using his magic eyes that can see death stresses his brain from it attempting to understand what it's not supposed to. In addition to repeated use of his eyes, simply having them shortens the user’s lifespan to the point that they will eventually be forced to gouge them out if they want to avoid dying young.
199	* Deathwing's skin in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' is split open by his inability to contain his power, which threatens to destroy him entirely. He solves this by riveting plates of the strongest metal he can find directly onto his body to keep it in one piece, and as one might expect, is in constant agony. By the time of the FinalBattle with him in ''Cataclysm'', the combination of getting those plates ripped off by the heroes, getting shot with an ArtifactOfDoom, and his ensuing VillainousBreakdown causes him to effectively ''melt'' into a raging monstrosity whose head and neck still ''looks'' draconic, but is now sporting CombatTentacles made of molten liquid from his misshapen body.
200	[[/folder]]
201
202	[[folder:Webcomics]]
203	* Ysengrin from ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' suffers from a somewhat logical version of this: He has the power to control wood and spends all his time with his body encased inside man-shaped armour made from animated wood. As a result his natural body has atrophied from disuse, to the degree that he is barely able to move outside the wooden armour. In addition, the PowerAtAPrice nature of borrowing one of [[TheTrickster Coyote's]] powers means his body shakes uncontrollably at times.
204	* [[spoiler:The main characters]] in ''Webcomic/{{Panthera}}''. Their SuperSerum was developed from a failed attempt at a cancer cure, and while it granted them awesome VoluntaryShapeshifting, it also basically turned their entire bodies cancerous. They only have a couple years to live, unless they can find or invent a cure.
205	* [[DeadpanSnarker Colin]] from ''Webcomic/TwoKeys'' appears to suffer from this. Whenever he [[spoiler:uses magic]] he ends up getting the BlackEyesOfCrazy and [[BloodFromTheMouth blood starts pouring from his orifices]]. It's implied that his [[PowerTattoo sigils]] are used to [[spoiler: facilitate his magic]] as well as [[TheFettered seal]] in his [[spoiler:powers]] in some way. [[MysteriousPast It's still unclear why]].
206	[[/folder]]
207
208	[[folder:Web Original]]
209	* In the ''Podcast/RedPandaAdventures'', this is why none of the government super-soldier programs wanted [[spoiler:Mr. Amazing]].
210	* This happens to Sans in the penultimate episode of ''WebAnimation/{{Glitchtale}}'' Season 2 "Animosity" where using his Special Attack "[[WaveMotionGun Gaster Blastermination]]" a second time against Betty to counter the first attempt she stole with Rhabdophobia caused the Determination in his body to make him melt enough for him to die shortly after overpowering Betty.
211	[[/folder]]
212
213	[[folder:Western Animation]]
214	* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', the main characters get superpowers. However, the powers will eventually kill them if they overuse them. Unfortunately, they're using them obtusely, and the TeenGenius who discovers the side effects and can reverse it becomes a [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]-like figure.
215	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'':
216	** Bruce Wayne spent most of his life training to become a BadassNormal vigilante. All of [[DentedIron the wear and tear]] that comes from that has caught up with him in his old age: any physical exertion exhausts him, he requires medication for a heart condition, and he needs a cane to walk around thanks to an old leg wound.
217	** "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS1E5TheWinningEdge The Winning Edge]]" shows that Bane's super-steroid Venom causes this. A lifetime of Venom use has left Bane a comatose and broken man dependent on Venom and hooked up on life support 24-7.
218	** "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS1E8Heroes Heroes]]" shows three scientists who gained superpowers in a FreakLabAccident. It turns out that their transformations are slowly killing them and driving them insane.
219	* All the clones in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' easily dissolve from too much excessive power use. That's because they were [[ReplacementGoldfish stepping stones]] to the Perfect Clone. Danielle, the one before the Perfect Clone gets lucky as Danny eventually stabilizes her.
220	* The ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' episode "[[Recap/DarkwingDuckS2E11GoingNowhereFast Going Nowhere Fast]]" has Darkwing gain SuperSpeed as a result of being hit with a time-accelerating weapon by Negaduck. When he uses his newfound power, he does everything at a faster rate, including [[RapidAging aging faster]].
221	* In ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'', Prince Keldor failed a SecretTestOfCharacter when he tried to take the power of Grayskull and was cursed with [[TheDarkSide the power of Havoc]]. The Havoc ate away his left arm and left a SkeletalAppendage and would continue to consume him little by little if left unchecked. Keldor spent ten years in a stasis shell to try and heal, reawakening to try and take the power of Grayskull in a desperate attempt to undo the damage. Eventually he choses to ''embrace'' the power of Havoc, stabilizing his condition so his life is no longer at risk, but is mutated by the power into Skeletor.
222	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
223	** Aang's Avatar State kept him sealed in an ice cocoon for 100 years. This drained his long-term vitality, and he died when he was only 66.
224	** Korra experiences a form of paralysis and difficulty using Bending after Zaheer captures her and tries to poison her by implanting a liquid metal into her bloodstream. She remains physically impaired following the battle and even after she is detoxified. It continues to worsen her strength until she encounters Toph Beifong, the inventor of Metalbending, and she's able to draw out the hidden traces of metal that even skilled Metalbenders could not, rendering Korra perfectly healthy.
225	* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'': After fusing with a broken Glitch, Bob's overuse of his new powers would eventually result in total fragmentation (aka death). This is shown as Bob becoming transparent and staticy. Bob is able to delay the process by consuming extra energy shakes to hold himself together. This problem gets fixed when Bob separates from Glitch.
226	[[/folder]]
227
228	[[folder:Real Life]]
229	* Doping: you get better in sport, break records, win the love of the crowds... and overexert your body while developing drug addiction and shortening your lifespan. Enjoy your glory.
230	** Blood doping, which is the process of removing some of your blood, allowing your body to make more, and then injecting the blood back into your body. Why? Well, more blood means more oxygen is carried from your lungs to your limbs, which lets you push yourself harder. Oh, but it greatly increases your chances of a heart attack or other painfully destructive type of infarction. Have fun and be safe!
231	%% * Anabolic steroids.
232	* Exhibition shooter Ed [=McGivern=] developed arthritis in his hands -- perhaps age-related, but pulling triggers several million times couldn't have helped.
233	* Performing at impressive levels in any of a multitude of activities takes its toll on the body. Running is bad for knees, boxing leads to brain damage, rock musicians lose their hearing, studying contributes to eye problems, having a great sex life means exposure to awful diseases, and mountain climbers plummet to their doom... it's hard to be awesome without harming yourself in some way.
234	[[/folder]]
235

Context Main / PowerDegeneration