History Main / DiscardAndDraw

In VideoGames, this often happens when a character acquires a powerup that gives them a stat boost in exchange for losing strength in other areas. Your DiscOneNuke gets a powerup that allows it to carry you to the end of the game, but your character loses health and must keep themselves healed via potions or other AppliedPhlebotinum, for example. In RealTimeStrategy games, an upgrade may give your faction [[GlassCannon a boost in attack at the expense of health]], or [[ZergRush cheap/fast training units at the cost of losing some attack or armor]].

** The original [[Characters/SpiderWoman Spider-Woman]] (Jessica Drew) became immune to any toxin or disease after initial exposure. She sacrifices this power to save the life of Bill Foster (AKA Black Goliath/Giant-Man) who had terminal cancer. After, she muses that she had the power to potentially cure cancer but gave it up.

** The original [[Characters/SpiderWomanTitleCharacter Spider-Woman]] (Jessica Drew) became immune to any toxin or disease after initial exposure. She sacrifices this power to save the life of Bill Foster (AKA Black Goliath/Giant-Man) who had terminal cancer. After, she muses that she had the power to potentially cure cancer but gave it up.

* ''Literature/TheDaevabadTrilogy'': In the final book, [[spoiler:Alizayd the [[OurGeniesAreDifferent djinni]] trades away his [[PlayingWithFire innate fire magic]] to the primordial water spirit Tiamat as part of a deal and is granted [[MakingASplash some of her water magic]] in its place. It also permanently adds watery traits to his appearance -- an obvious link to Tiamat as an incentive not to back out of their bargain/]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': [[spoiler:After [[Characters/TheOwlHouseEdaClawthorne Eda Clawthorne]] succumbs to and recovers from her curse during the finale of season one, Eda loses access to her natural magic and, in turn, her title as the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles even while weakened. During season two, she starts learning how to use glyph magic from Luz, she comes to an agreement with the owl beast and gets the LightningBruiser powers of her new Harpy form, and she learns that she's still able to use Bard magic - though she's only able to create a WalkingWasteland effect with it]].

** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'': [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Dio Brando]] was reduced to a mere head at the end of [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Part 1]] but then returned in possession of [[spoiler:[[GrandTheftMe the body of Jonathan Joestar]]]]. This means he lost access to (or simply didn't bother using) most of his original vampiric powers, but in exchange --and, as revealed in later parts, thanks to a Bow and Arrow purchased by Enya-- he gained his iconic [[FightingSpirit Stand]]; [[TimeStandsStill The World]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'', when Ben puts the Omnitrix on for the first time in years, it changes shape and replaces the 10+ aliens he had before with a new set. The guy that made it eventually explains that the thing has sets of ten that it changes between because there are far too many different aliens in it to navigate through at once. In the GrandFinale, Ben self-destructs the Omnitrix to keep [[BigBad Vilgax]] from using it. He then forces [[EvilTwin Albedo]] to give him the more powerful Ultimatrix by activating ''its'' self-destruct sequence as well. Unlike Vilgax, Albedo doesn't call Ben's bluff because a) the Ultimatrix is on his wrist and b) he just saw Ben wasn't bluffing. Finally, ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien Ultimate Alien]]'' ends with the Ultimatrix being replaced by the new, perfected Omnitrix that carries over into ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse Omniverse]]''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' Season 1 finale, [[spoiler:[[ArcVillain Amon]] finally [[DePower de-bends]] Korra, leaving her bereft of her [[MakingASplash Waterbending]], [[DishingOutDirt Earthbending]], and [[PlayingWithFire Firebending]]. Just in time, her [[BlowYouAway Airbending]] block breaks, and she gives a [[EleventhHourSuperpower surprise gust of wind]] at an [[ThisCannotBe incredulous Amon]].]]

** In Season 4, Hawk Moth combines the Butterfly Miraculous with the Peacock Miraculous to become Shadow Moth, sometimes giving his victims Sentimonsters to help them. At the end of the season, however, [[spoiler:he trades the Peacock Miraculous to Félix in exchange for the 15 other Miraculous that he managed to steal from Ladybug, and in the following season he starts transferring their powers over to the villains through their Alliance rings, as well as sometimes using them for himself]].
* In the Season 4 finale of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Twilight [[spoiler:sacrifices her alicorn powers]] before unlocking [[spoiler:Rainbow Power]] to put Tirek back in his can.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': [[spoiler:After she succumbs to and recovers from her curse during the finale of season one, Eda loses access to her natural magic and, in turn, her title as the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles even while weakened. During season two, she starts learning how to use glyph magic from Luz, she comes to an agreement with the owl beast and gets the LightningBruiser powers of her new Harpy form, and she learns that she's still able to use Bard magic - though she's only able to create a WalkingWasteland effect with it]].
* Peridot was introduced into ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' with robotic 'limb enhancers' with a variety of powers (like shooting balls of energy, creating computer-esque screens, having the fingers form a sort of helicopter to let her escape, lifting heavy objects, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and making her look taller]]). The beginning of her HeelFaceTurn saw her losing them, but "Too Short to Ride" (after said HeelFaceTurn) gives her ExtraOreDinary powers.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'' shows that [[spoiler:the Diamonds]] had their powers reversed to do the opposite of what they did originally after they [[HeelFaceTurn turned good]]. [[spoiler:Blue traded the ability to make gems around her feel sad for the ability to generate clouds that make gems that touch them feel happy. Yellow traded the ability to shoot lightning bolts that disrupt gems' bodies for the ability to modify gems' bodies. And White traded the ability shoot EyeBeams that turn gems they hit into extensions of herself for the ability to channel other gems, letting them control her instead.]]

* In ''Fanfic/NineMinutes'', the ForWantOfANail is that during his fight against Crocodile, Luffy was so near to death that his Gum-Gum Fruit thought he was dead, reincarnating to a different fruit and leaving him BroughtDownToBadass. [[spoiler:After a BaitAndSwitch with the Metal Metal Fruit, Luffy ends up eating [[DeathByAdaptation Enel's]] Rumble Rumble Fruit.]]

** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'': [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Dio Brando]] was reduced to a mere head at the end of [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Part 1]] but then returned in possession of [[spoiler:[[GrandTheftMe the body of Jonathan Joestar]]]]. This means he lost access to (or simply didn't bother using) most of his original vampiric powers, but in exchange he gained his iconic [[FightingSpirit Stand]]; [[TimeStandsStill The World]].

*** Ichigo first gained active shinigami power by borrowing Rukia's pure shinigami reiatsu. When Byakuya de-powered Ichigo by removing Rukia's power from him, Urahara immediately helped Ichigo awaken his own native shinigami potential. Cue Ichigo ending up with a hybrid mixture of shinigami and hollow power that was far better than anything Rukia had been able to give him.
*** And a few arcs (and several real time years) later, [[spoiler: Ichigo loses all of his power and after a timeskip gains Fullbring; apparently this is Chad's power type]].[[note]]Fullbring is basically what happens when humans survive Hollow injuries and have kids, inheriting some kind of weird power. Since Ichigo's mother was infected by a Hollow ''test subject'', Ichigo and his sisters qualify.[[/note]]

*** [[spoiler: Now, not even a full arc later, he gets his Zanpakuto broken (thereby losing access to most of his shinigami powers) and soon after he gets it reforged into what is apparently the true form of his Zanpakuto, giving him two blades and as of yet unspecified new powers...which may be partly Quincy, based on his ancestry.]]

** Most hollows lose their HealingFactor when they evolve into Arrancars to boost their other abilities further. Ulquiorra is one of the few who didn't. [[spoiler:It's implied to be due to the unrelated fact Ulquiorra has a ''second'' release that more than makes up for it.]]

* ''VideoGame/DiceyDungeons'':
** The [[spoiler:Jester's]] "Magic Trick" LimitBreak lets them discard their hand and draw new cards.
** In the Inventor's ''Reunion'' episode, Tabula Rasa scraps all her other cards in exchange for new ones since they're replaced with random ones every time she breaks them.

* In ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'', the titular mech's OncePerEpisode finishing move is switched from [[CastFromHitPoints Hell and Heaven]] to [[DropTheHammer the Goldion Hammer]] because of the risk of serious harm.

*** Over the game's lifespan, most of the main character's party takes up new jobs due to pressing needs. In ''Shadowbringers'' Thancred goes from a Rogue to a Gunbreaker, Y'shtola goes from a Conjurer to a special "Sorceress" job (which can use both Black and White magic), and Urianger goes from an Arcanist to an Astrologian. Earlier in ''Stormblood'' Alisae went from an Arcanist, to a quick stint as a Gladiator (though using a magically conjured weapon) to settling into a Red Mage. And in ''Endwalker'', Alphinaud changes from his Arcanist-adjacent "Academian" job to the new healer job Sage.

* In Franchise/TheDCU, there's Guy Gardner. Once he lost his ComicBook/GreenLantern ring, he stole a yellow ring from his old bosses, the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Oans]]. The new ring got destroyed (while he was fighting to save the GL Corps, by the way). After spending time as a BadassNormal, he trekked into the jungle to find some alien SuperSerum which gave him new powers involving living armor and pulling swords out of his own body. Eventually, he got a new GL ring and rejoined the Corps, but first he spent time in "The Corpse," a black-ops section of the GLC with stealthier powers.

* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': John Stewart stopped being a Green Lantern for a while, but then became a Darkstar, lost that, was an awesome architect for a bit, and later a Green Lantern again.
* Seems to be something of a recurring theme with [[Characters/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyModern Drax the Destroyer]]. Every time he [[ResurrectiveImmortality is killed]], he comes back with new powers and physical attributes. First time: discard intelligence, draw enormous physical strength and size. Second time: discard size, strength, and powers, but draw high levels of intelligence and a one-shot, [[CripplingOverspecialization Thanos-killing aura]]. After dying during ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative'', Drax now seems less intelligent (like his [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014 film]] counterpart) but much stronger physically.
* Several characters, most notably [[Characters/MarvelComicsQuicksilver Quicksilver]], go through this in ''ComicBook/HouseOfM'' and its aftermath. Not every de-powered mutant was willing to stay that way, and some tried to replace their powers using the Terrigen Mists used by ComicBook/TheInhumans (that tended to go ''horribly.'' Most notably, Unus the Untouchable gets his force field back, all right: uncontrollable and ''too'' impenetrable, he suffocates as even air can't get through.) However, Quicksilver gained the ability to travel through time at will by vibrating his molecules at faster-than-light speeds.
** Using technology tended to go better, as the next volume of New Warriors was a team of former mutants using high tech to gain abilities usually totally unrelated to their old ones.
** Prodigy's power of temporarily copying the knowledge of anyone nearby was lost after he was [[DePower de-powered]], but the Stepford Cuckoos were able to restore the mental links to everything he'd previously absorbed, giving him [[TookALevelInBadass a level in badass]] overnight.
** ''ComicBook/XMen'': [[Characters/XMen90sMembers Jubilee]] was one of the numerous Mutants who lost their power after [[ComicBook/HouseOfM M-Day]]. While serving with the New Warriors, she took on the name "Wondra" and used advanced technology that granted her super strength. She was turned into a vampire during the ''ComicBook/CurseOfTheMutants'' storyline, granting her superhuman strength, speed, healing and the ability to turn into vapor. She has since been cured of her vampirism, regaining her original powers in the process; Quentin Quire used his Phoenix Shard to save Jubilee when M-Plate tried to kill her by tearing away a special medallion that protected her from the sun and tried to fry her.
* ''ComicBook/JokersLastLaugh'' featured a character called Multi-Man whose power was: upon death, come back to life with [[SuperpowerLottery an entirely random new power]]. The Joker kills him over fifty times to get him to have the right power to kick off a prison breakout. After that, with the prison stuck in a NegativeSpaceWedgie, a couple of ''good guys'' off him another dozen times to get him to roulette up a power that can get them out of here, eventually settling for the power to re-animate dead tissue so they can have [[PuppeteerParasite Mr. Mind]] use the corpse of the villain who created their current location so they can get out (they were intending for Multi-Man to manifest the power to undo the pocket dimension directly, and re-animating dead tissue had its limits when the subject was killed by a shot to the head). [[WhatTheHellHero He totally calls them on it]], which makes the whole thing a lot more palatable, and they offer him a reduced sentence as compensation for what he went through.
* ComicBook/LadyDeath had a habit of gaining and losing weapons in the Chaos! continuity. Her first sword, Darkness which was forged by Cremator, was lost for most of the ''Between Heaven And Hell'' arc. She regained it only for it to be snapped in two by one of Genocide's minions in Asgard. Fortunately, Brock was able to melt down the remains into a new sword called Nightmare. Unfortunately, Nightmare's bloodlust became too much for Lady Death to deal with and she discarded it leading to Purgatori claiming it. Cremator forged a new sword out of pure chaos energy for her called Apocalypse. During a fight with Morgana, her bond with Apocalypse was temporarily severed requiring Brock to yet again make a new weapon for her -- a short sword which [[MorphWeapon could transform into a chain with a scythe blade at the end]] called Scynister. During her time as the Avatar of Death she gained the Scythe of Eternity.
* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse,
** [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]] was permanently drained of her FlyingBrick powers as Ms. Marvel (and most of her memories) from prolonged contact with [[Characters/MarvelComicsRogue Rogue]], but later regained most of the memories and received even better powers due to experiments by the Brood, becoming Binary. As in, 'binary star' -- she tapped into a White Hole. Eventually, she lost those powers rebooting the sun and returned her back to Ms. Marvel levels with the additional ability to absorb energy and redirect it. Later, as Captain Marvel, she seems to have her powers as Ms. Marvel ''and'' Binary -- the latter only when she absorbs sufficient energy, and a generally higher baseline.
** This has happened to Rogue herself. Her power is to temporarily borrow others' powers, and gained Carol's long-term, before absorbing Sunfire's powers, similar to the powers Carol had in her Binary days, though on a lesser scale. Most recently as of this writing, she has permanently absorbed the powers of ComicBook/WonderMan; so, ''pretty'' close to the FlyingBrick powers she's most known for.
** [[Characters/MarvelComicsPsylocke Psylocke]] went from telepathic to telekinetic (while Jean did the opposite) and then to shadow powers. Her powers seem to be altered fairly frequently, never having the full range of PsychicPowers but instead being really good at ''whichever'' psychic ability she enjoys at the moment. Currently she's an exceptionally powerful all-round psychic ''and'' ComicBook/CaptainBritain, with the associated FlyingBrick powers.
** [[Characters/MarvelComicsAngel Warren Worthington III]]'s power set has undergone a number of changes over the decades. Originally, Warren started out as simply having wings that allowed him to fly. After he suffered an injury to these wings, he was transformed into Apocalypse's Horseman and gained techno-organic wings which fired poison tipped Feather Flechettes. He regained his organic wings and gained the ability to heal himself and others by mixing his blood with theirs. After some time, his metallic wings and the Archangel persona resurfaced. Following Psylocke killing him, his organic wings and healing powers returned. He also gained the ability to fire energy blasts from his hands and manifest a Laser Blade.
** While [[Characters/XMen60sMembers Polaris]] is known for having the power MagnetismManipulation like her father, for a time her powers were changed to [[EmotionEater absorbing negative emotions to increase her strength, endurance, height and mass]]. Her original powers eventually returned.

*** Another Spider-Woman, ComicBook/SpiderGwen, lost her powers dealing with her universe's version of [[Characters/SilkMarvelComics Cindy Moon]]. She used various isotopes to restore her powers temporarily, but forego them in favor of her universe's version of the Venom symbiote.
** [[Characters/BlackCatMarvelComics Felicia Hardy]] is largely known as a BadassNormal, but has gone through multiple iterations of being superpowered. Firstly, she made a deal with the Kingpin and was scientifically experimented upon, which gave her [[WindsOfDestinyChange the ability to induce bad luck in others]]. Then it turned out that she suffered PowerIncontinence, making her TheJinx even to her allies, so [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] asked ComicBook/DoctorStrange to DePower her. However, the magical ritual he used went a little awry, and left her with [[AnimalThemedSuperBeing cat-like physical powers]], including heightened agility and reflexes, low-level SuperStrength, infrared vision and [[WolverineClaws natural retractile talons in her fingers]]. Then the Chameleon accidentally hit her with a DePower ray whilst trying to zap Spidey, so she went back to relying on skill and a few key gadgets, such as clawed gauntlets, though she did get an exosuit from The Tinker that replicated those animalistic powers for a while. Then she decided this wasn't enough and made a bargain with Mr. Negative, resulting in her getting a cybernetic implant that brought back her original "negative probability induction powers" (and may or may not have gotten cyber-claws installed in her fingers in the process).
* In Marvel it seemed like this was the case when Speedball became Penance. Except his powers still had the same basic trigger: he needed to be happy. As Penance, the endorphin reaction from cutting himself with his suit made him ''high''. Once he's back to being Speedball, he now has both sets of powers.
* Another example is Mulholland Black from ''ComicBook/TheOrder2007''. She lost her mutant powers after M-Day, and was recruited into [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark's]] Fifty State Initiative and given an artificial version of her powers. Then when she was de-powered by the bad guys, it reactivated her original powers. [[spoiler: Or so she thought. It was really Stane rebooting Stark's tech-based powers, but more potent and less controlled.]]
* Christian Walker lost his superpowers before the beginning of ''ComicBook/{{Powers}}'', but later he [[spoiler:is chosen to become a Green Lantern-esque defender of Earth by an advanced alien race]].
* ComicBook/ResurrectionMan also has this in addition to well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin resurrecting]]. Every time he returns he has a different power of wildly varying usefulness For example take: Resurrected with: [[MindOverMatter Quantum telekinesis]], including sensory expansion on a near-cosmic scale , flight, molecular disintegration of targets, also includes an undefined resistance to 'reality warp'. Now compare that with: Resurrected with: [[GenderBender Is a woman.]] The [[BlessedWithSuck "catch"]] being that the power he gains would've prevented his previous death. Ex: he drowns, he can breathe water (or doesn't need to breathe all) when he revives.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsScarletSpider Kaine]], one of Peter's [[ComicBook/TheCloneSaga clones]], originally had strength, speed, agility and durability that exceeded Peter, [[{{Seers}} precognitive visions]], and the ability to burn a "Mark of Kaine" onto his enemies with his hands. During ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland'', Kaine was transformed into a monstrous spider-like creature with [[ProjectileWebbing organic webbing]] and greater strength. After he was returned to human form, Kaine retained these abilities [[BladeBelowTheShoulder along with the ability to release stingers from his forearms]], the ability to communicate with spiders and InnateNightVision. However, he has lost his spider sense. He would also later lose his stingers and night vision.
* Even [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] has a history with this trope. Perhaps the most well known instance is when he acquired the ComicBook/{{Venom}} symbiote which could disguise itself as any form of clothing and granted him a seemingly endless supply of webbing. Unfortunately, he had to discard it due to it being a sentient being that wanted to permanently bond with him. Another instance came during the [[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski JMS]] run in which he discovered he was a "totem" mystical being connecting the human and animal realms. This period saw Peter gaining organic web shooters, night vision, stinger-like weapons from his wrists and an increase in strength and speed. These powers were lost after ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' reset Peter's history. This isn't even mentioning the time he accidentally gave himself ''four extra arms'' or when he was one of many characters to be [[Characters/MarvelComicsCaptainUniverse Captain Universe]].