History Main / WithGreatPowerComesGreatPerks

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': [[EveryoneIsASuper 80% of the population in this world have some kind of superpower.]] However, unlike other superheroes works, most of the people have really mundane powers or powers that are not very strong. Having powers that are really strong and/or useful is somewhat rare. As a result, most people use their powers for personal mundane stuff. For instance, Izuku Midoriya's mom has the power to telekinetically lift small objects and pull them towards her, but her powers ae limited to objects no larger than a book. As such, it's not hard to see why she's content to just use her abilities to pick up her keys or other objects around the house.

* In the world of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', EveryoneIsASuper - or, at least, about 80% of the population. However, it's not nearly as common for someone to have really useful superpowers, or for someone to use those powers to become a professional superhero or supervillain. For instance, Izuku's mom, Inko, is a housewife, and as her power is simply to lift small objects without touching them, it's not hard to see why she's content to just use her abilities to pick up her keys.

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-999 SCP-999 - The Tickle Monster,]] who is encouraged to stay in its playpen, but is otherwise free to roam around the facility. SCP-999 is a 120-lb orange BlobMonster with sapience. Touching SCP-999 makes [[EmotionBomb its "victims" uncontrollably happy and laugh hysterically.]] SCP-999 loves to do this to people, also being a FriendToAllLivingThings.

** [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Peter Parker]], at first, only used his power to get back at his bullies and make money [[ProWrestlingIsReal through professional wrestling]]. It was only after a thief he could have stopped killed his uncle that he [[TropeNamer named]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility the opposite trope]] and started using his powers as a superhero.

** This is actually a point in the storyline "Alpha": a listless, ordinary teenager is granted superpowers by accident and, instead of being an actual hero, he becomes something of a media darling and a real {{Jerkass}} to boot.
** In a ''WhatIf'' storyline, Spider-Man becomes a celebrity and superstar when he decides that catching the robber (who would otherwise kill Uncle Ben) [[MoralPragmatist is a good PR move]], and ends up as a successful manager for supercelebrities wanting to jump the same bandwagon. Although this initially ends up benefitting several superpeople (the X-Men are no longer feared or hated), they suffer when serious threats show up, since the "heroes" don't have the training to stand up to them. Spider-Man in this timeline does [[InSpiteOfANail ultimately]] become a hero after ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} sacrifices his own life to save him.

* In ''ComicBook/SavageAvengers'', protagonist Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian actually calls out Spider-Man when the webslinger lays the "WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility" spiel on him. Conan gives a scoffing laugh and counters with "Great power comes great rewards!". He then [[TheReasonYouSuck essentially tells Spider-Man that his mantra makes him a fool]] and worse - [[ObliviouslyEvil an enabler of the "corrupt kings"]] of this rotted city (New York). Spider-Man's so taken aback by what the Cimmerian says that he could only mount a lame comeback. Conan himself lives by this trope and uses his Cimmerian strength and newly bonded symbiote to earn enough money to get good food, fine drink, and hot women while he waits for a new mission with the Savage Avengers.
* The entirety of ''ComicBook/ClanDestine''. The family lives a very wealthy, comfortable lifestyle and stays relatively quiet about their abilities. It's only when the youngest twins decide they want to become heroes that the family is exposed.
* ''Franchise/TheFlash'': There's a story where a man asks Flash if he ever realized the majority of superpowered individuals became villains instead of heroes, then corrects himself, instead saying they use their powers for their own benefits while living their lives out of the spotlight. Flash realizes that this actually makes a lot of sense.
* The third ''ComicBook/AntMan'', Eric O'Grady. A man of very few morals and willingness to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, O'Grady immediately steals the Ant Man armor for his own selfish plans, which include using his status as a "super-hero" to stalk women and facilitate his thievery.
* Flatman of the ''ComicBook/GreatLakesAvengers'', before he decided that he wanted more from life and became a superhero, made his living as party entertainer / Mr. Fantastic cosplayer. Apparently there is a surprising demand for people who can cosplay as heroes up to and including their powerset in the Marvel universe by rich people, and super-villains (which brings the occupational hazard of being heckled or occasionally outright attacked if the crowd is too unhinged).
* In ''ComicBook/LockeAndKey'', this was once the whole point of the [[CoolKey Keys]]: though they were once used as weapons during the American Revolution, they eventually become toys for the Locke family to amuse themselves with, and the attempts to re-weaponize them during the World Wars went so badly that one Locke ancestor altered Keyhouse so that adults can't remember magic, ensuring that the Keys would remain in the hands of innocents. Rendell Locke and his friends used them for nothing but fun, even putting on the best performance of ''Theatre/TheTempest'' his high school had ever seen. Unfortunately, Rendell sought to retain the magic of the Keys after he became an adult, accidentally unleashing one of [[EldritchAbomination the entities]] from behind the [[HellGate Black Door]] in the process - a threat that returns to haunt the Locke family in the present, forcing Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke to use the Keys to defend themselves alongside their usual MundaneUtility.
* The ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' story "On the Sidelines" introduces the Sideliners, superpowered people who ''don't'' become heroes or villains, but instead use their powers in their work -- ''e.g.'' a heat manipulator who's a glassblower, or a super-strong guy who works in construction.

** Peter Parker, at first, only used his power to get back at his bullies and make money [[ProWrestlingIsReal through professional wrestling]]. It was only after a thief he could have stopped killed his uncle that he [[TropeNamer named]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility the opposite trope]] and started using his powers as a superhero.

** Peter Parker, at first, only used his power to get back at his bullies and make money [[ProWrestlingIsReal through professional wrestling]]. It was only after a thief he could have stopped killed his uncle that he [[TropeNamer named]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility the opposite trope]] and became Spider-Man.

* In ''Rainbow Toes'', an ''[[Literature/TheOutsiders Outsiders]]'' fanfic that was removed from the internet years ago, had Ponyboy Curtis fall into this trope after a case of [[MagicGenetics hereditary]] {{Clownification}} made him into a permaclown with [[RealityWarper Reality Warping]] magical powers. After getting over the initial shock, he quickly found the perks of his situation and proceeded to just goof off.

Differs from MundaneUtility in that MundaneUtility is where a superpower can be / is used to enhance a character's everyday life, whereas with this trope that's ''all'' their powers are used for.

** Present Android 18 uses her powers only for personal gain and fun. She more often than not only cares about monetary gain, and hardly ever gets involved in the BlackAndWhiteMorality struggle. Future Android 18 is very much evil, taking this trope to a sociopathic extreme. After all, if you can blow up a city with a wave of your hand, [[AppealToForce you don't need to pay at the clothing store]].

** Peter Parker, at first, only used his power to get back on his bullies and make money [[ProWrestlingIsReal through professional wrestling]]. It was only after a thief he could have stopped killed his uncle that he [[TropeNamer named]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility the opposite trope]] and became Spider-Man.

** In a ''WhatIf'' storyline, Spider-Man becomes a celebrity and superstar when he decides that catching the robber (who would otherwise kill uncle Ben) [[MoralPragmatist is a good PR move]], and ends up as a successful manager for supercelebrities wanting to jump the same bandwagon. Although this initially ends up benefitting several superpeople (the X-Men are no longer feared or hated), they suffer when serious threats show up, since the "heroes" don't have the training to stand up to them. Spider-Man in this timeline does [[InSpiteOfANail ultimately]] become a hero after ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} sacrifices his own life to save him.

* In ''ComicBook/SavageAvengers'', protagonist Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian actually calls out Spider-Man when the webslinger lays the "WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility" spiel on him. Conan gives a scoffing laugh and counters with "Great power comes great rewards!". He then [[TheReasonYouSuck essentially tells Spider-Man that his mantra makes him a fool]] and worse - [[ObliviouslyEvil an enabler of the "corrupt kings"]] of this rotted city (New York). Spider-Man's so taken aback by what the Cimmerian says that he could only mount a lame comeback. Conan himself lives by this trope and uses his Cimmerian strength and newly bonded symbiote to earn enough money to get good food, fine drink and hot women while he waits for a new mission with the Savage Avengers.

* The third ''ComicBook/AntMan'', Eric O'Grady. A man of very few morals and willingness to lie, cheat, steal and manipulate in order to get ahead in life, O'Grady immediately steals the Ant Man armor for his own selfish plans, which include using his status as a "super-hero" to stalk women and facilitate his thievery.
* Flatman of the ''ComicBook/GreatLakesAvengers'', before he decided that he wanted more from life and became a super-hero, made his living as party entertainer / Mr. Fantastic cosplayer. Apparently there is a surprising demand for people who can cosplay as heroes up to and including their powerset in the Marvel universe by rich people, and super-villains (which brings the occupational hazard of being heckled, or occasionally outright attacked if the crowd is too unhinged).

* In ''Film/TheCovenant'', the four boys descended from the Salem witches don't really do much with their powers, except freak out some cops with a flying car, manifest a gust of air to get a panty shot from a girl at the bar, and other pointless things. Slightly justified in that, after their 18th birthday, magic becomes CastFromLifespan. They've known all their lives that magic is incredibly addictive, which has already lead to the protagonist's father looking 90 and hooked up to life support despite being in his 40s. Using magic to solve other people's problems would probably result in a very short life.

* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', rogues are loosely defined as [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual parahumans]] who are neither heroes nor villains, and generally either use their powers to turn a legal profit or just ignore their powers and try to live normally.

* An unnamed super in ''WebComic/GrrlPower'' uses his [[ExtraOreDinary ferrokinesis]] to gather up gold from so deep underground that miners would never gain access to it and make himself filthy rich. ARCHON keeps him under supervision for obvious reason, but he's smart enough to not cause hyperinflation so they mostly leave him alone.

** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] with Hank Pym, who is able to control ants, become a giant and shrink down to ant-size... and uses them ForScience until his girlfriend Janet Van Dine/The Wasp, convinces him to become more proactive.

* When Makoto in ''Anime/TheGirlWhoLeaptThroughTime'' discovers that she has the ability to, well, leap backward in time, she uses it almost entirely for things like singing karaoke for ten straight hours and having a dinner she likes instead of one she doesn't. On the other hand, the more significant the change she makes to the timeline, the more it tends to backfire on her dramatically. Both of the two other characters in the film who have experience with time travel separately say that it's a good thing that she used the ability almost exclusively for small things.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

-> ''"With great power comes great authority, but absolute power rocks absolutely."''

* In ''LightNovel/TheHeroWhoReturnedRemainsTheStrongestInTheModernWorld'', Daiki is determined to use the powers he got from saving the other world to make his life easier, initially trying to become a baseball star with his SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, and SuperReflexes. Unfortunately for him, his [[PowerIncontinence Sword Arts skill prevents him from using a bat as anything but a sword]], so he has given up on his childhood dream of reaching Koshien (the Japanese high school equivalent of the World Series). He doesn't mind at all when Farsight kicks in to give him a good look at Kaguya's breasts though.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation describes all manner of supernatural anomalies (called [=SCPs=]), alive or otherwise, and the ways in which they are contained and [[TheMasquerade hidden from the rest of humanity]]. A great many do not fit into this trope at all but have been treated as if they do by certain [[BunnyEarsLawyer very eccentric people in positions of authority.]] (See [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/the-things-dr-bright-is-not-allowed-to-do-at-the-foundation The Things Dr Bright Is Not Allowed To Do At The Foundation]]) The foundation also, in a more straight version of this trope, have kept a few supernatural entities [[MundaneUtility as company pets and tools.]] The [=SCPs=] that have free range of the facility (but NOT MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll) are:

* ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'' starts out trying to use his new superpowers this way, but it turns out that the ability to turn into a fruit-themed samurai has no MundaneUtility whatsoever, and in fact HilarityEnsues whenever he tries to use it to enhance his daily life.

* Many Stands in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'' are used for benign self-enrichment. For instance, Shigechi uses [[MicrobotSwarm Harvest]] to collect loose change all over town, and Tonio uses Pearl Jam to make [[FoodPorn delicious food]] that [[{{Panacea}} cures illnesses]][[note]] As long as you're willing to deal with the [[BodyHorror nasty side effects]][[/note]].

** Something akin to this was invoked, however, in a short story about Spider-Man as if Stan Lee had never existed. The moral becomes "With great power comes hot chicks and money from wrestling.".

* ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'' features this in spades; after three high-school guys are given [[MindOverMatter telekinetic powers]] by a mysterious artifact hidden at the bottom of a crater, they mainly use their newfound abilities to waste time in increasingly spectacular ways, from playing pranks on customers at a department store to playing football several thousand feet off the ground. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, a very nasty combination of AbusiveParents and bullying at school eventually turns one of them into a supervillain.]]

* ''[[http://www.dorkly.com/comic/62368/the-5-best-possible-uses-of-telekinesis The Five Best Possible Uses for Telekinesis]]''

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-261 SCP-261 - Pan-Dimensional Vending,]] a vending machine that is used mundanely, but needs permission from at least a level 2 personnel and only ten times a day. For varying prices of Yen, you can have a serving of a random snack food that is not usually produced in the confines of reality, but it's never guaranteed to be edible. An extended list of SCP-261’s products can be viewed [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/experiment-log-261-ad-de here.]]

** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] with Hank Pym who is able to control ants, become a giant and shrink down to ant-size... and uses them ForScience until his girlfriend Janet Van Dine/The Wasp, convinces him to become more proactive.

* In ''ComicBook/LockeAndKey'', this was once the whole point of the [[CoolKey Keys]]: though they were once used as weapons during the American Revolution, they eventually become toys for the Locke family to amuse themselves with, and the attempts to repurpose them during the World Wars went so badly that one Locke ancestor altered Keyhouse so that adults can't remember magic, ensuring that the Keys would remain in the hands of innocents. Rendell Locke and his friends used them for nothing but fun, even putting on the best performance of ''Theatre/TheTempest'' his high school had ever seen. Unfortunately, Rendell sought to retain the magic of the Keys after he became an adult, accidentally unleashing one of [[EldritchAbomination the entities]] from behind the [[HellGate Black Door]] in the process - a threat that returns to haunt the Locke family in the present, forcing Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke to use the Keys to defend themselves alongside their usual MundaneUtility.

* In ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'', the first thing Norah does after the transformation is appreciating the [[FrillsOfJustice dress]] that comes with it.
* An unnamed super in ''WebComic/GrrlPower'' uses his [[ExtraOreDinary ferrokinesis]] to gather up gold from so deep underground that miners would never gain access to it and make himself filthy rich. ARCHON keeps him under supervision for obvious reason, but he's smart enough to not cause hyperinflation so they mostly leave him alone.

* In ''Literature/AGiftFromEarth'' the hero discovers his psychic powers; he can control people's pupil sizes, making them lose interest and overlook him when he shrinks their glance. He uses his powers to lead a revolution, in the course of which he loses his virginity- in the dark. At the end, he realizes in his nervousness about sex he had previously made girls ignore him. However, he sees his power can also be used to expand pupils, making him an object of fascination to women. [[/folder]]

** Peter Parker, at first, only used his power to get back on his bullies and make money [[ProWrestlingIsReal through professional wrestling]]. It was only after a thief he could have stopped killed his uncle that he [[TropeNamer named]] [[ComesGreatResponsibility the opposite trope]] and became Spider-Man.

* While ''Literature/SuperPowereds'' mostly focuses on those who've taken [[ComesGreatResponsibility the alternative viewpoint]], it's shown that there are many Supers who choose to live an ordinary life. This is never shown as being wrong of them.

Opposite trope of ComesGreatResponsibility and WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity. Related to CutLexLuthorACheck and ChaoticNeutral (they tend to do whatever they want). The more benign SisterTrope to ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers.

* Many Stands in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'' are used for benign self-enrichment. For instance, Shigeshi uses [[MicrobotSwarm Harvest]] to collect loose change all over town, and Antonio uses Pearl Jam to make [[FoodPorn delicious food]] that [[{{Panacea}} cures illnesses]][[note]] As long as you're willing to deal with the [[BodyHorror nasty side effects]][[/note]].

* In ''ComicBook/SavageAvengers'', protagonist Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian actually calls out Spider-Man when the webslinger lays the ''WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility'' spiel. Conan gives a scoffing laugh and counters with "Great power comes great rewards!". He then [[TheReasonYouSuck essentially tells Spider-Man that his mantra makes him a fool]] and worse - [[ObliviouslyEvil an enabler of the "corrupt kings"]] of this rotted city (New York). Spider-Man's so taken aback by what the Cimmerian says that he could only mount a lame comeback. Conan himself lives by this trope and uses his Cimmerian strength and newly bonded symbiote to earn enough money to get good food, drink and women while he waits for a new mission with the Savage Avengers.

* In ''ComicBook/SavageAvengers'', protagonist Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian actually calls out Spider-Man when the webslinger lays the ''WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility'' spiel. Conan gives a scoffing laugh and counters with "Great power comes great rewards!". He then [[TheReasonYouSuck essentially tells Spider-Man that his mantra makes him a fool and worse - an enabler of the "corrupt kings"]] of this rotted city (New York). Spider-Man's so taken aback by what the Cimmerian says that he could only mount a lame comeback. Conan himself lives by this trope and uses his Cimmerian strength and newly bonded symbiote to earn enough money to get good food, drink and women while he waits for a new mission with the Savage Avengers.

In fiction it's very common that a character's life drastically changes after they get superpowers. The first thing most people do (after dealing with the person bullying them throughout act 1), is strap on their shiniest [[TheCape cape]] or nicest [[KickTheDog dog-kicking boots]] and become the local hero or villain.

Differs from MundaneUtility in that MundaneUtility is where a superpower can be / is used to enhance a character's every day life, whereas with this trope that's ''all'' their powers are used for.

** While only in the anime, Yamcha also uses his super human combat training to earn boatloads of cash playing professional baseball, between each crisis. Given his lackluster combat performance aside from early in ''Dragon Ball'', it's pretty much the only effective use of his training he displays. Still pretty stupid though, considering how much ''more'' money Mr. Satan makes as the reigning World Martial Arts Champion. Even Yamcha could take him in a fight if he wanted. Ostensibly none of the protagonists do this because they don't want to deal with living in the public eye, but if you are going to be a famous athlete anyways....
* In ''LightNovel/TheHeroWhoReturnedRemainsTheStrongestInTheModernWorld'', Daiki is determined to use the powers he got from saving the other world to make his life easier, initially trying to become a baseball star with his SuperStrength, SuperSpeed, and SuperReflexes. Unfortunately for him, his [[PowerIncontinence Sword Arts skill prevents him from using a bat as anything but a sword]], so he has give up on his childhood dream of reaching Koshien (the Japanese high school equivalent of the World Series). He doesn't mind at all when Farsight kicks in to give him a good look at Kaguya's breasts though.

* ''Franchise/TheFlash'': There's a story where a man asks Flash if he ever realized the majority of superpowered individuals became villains instead of heroes, then corrects himself, instead saying they use their powers for own benefits while living their lives out of the spotlight. Flash realizes that this actually makes a lot of sense.

* Flatman of the ''ComicBook/GreatLakesAvengers'', before he decided that he wanted more from life and became a super-hero, made his living as party entertainer / Mr. Fantastic cosplayer. Apparently there is an surprising demand for people who can cosplay as heroes up to and including their powerset in the Marvel universe by rich people, and super-villains (which brings the occupational hazard of being heckled, or occasionally outright attacked if the crowd is too unhinged).

* ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'' features this in spades; after three high-school guys are given [[MindOverMatter telekinetic powers]] by a mysterious artifact hidden at the bottom of a crater, they mainly use their newfound abilities to waste time in increasingly spectacular ways, from playing pranks on customers at a department store, to playing football several thousand feet off the ground. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, a very nasty combination of AbusiveParents and bullying at school eventually turns one of them into a super villain.]]
* ''Film/{{Hancock}}'' is this from the start and for most of the movie [[spoiler:until Ray finally convince him to use his powers for good as a superhero]].

* In ''Literature/WearingTheCape'' even the superheroes are working for big paychecks, and the more successful ones are idolized, with their own merchandise lines, fan-clubs, even TV shows fictionalizing their adventures. This doesn't mean they're ''all'' in it for the perks--just that a superhero career can be financially remunerative. The trope name is also used as an epigram for a chapter, along with the original.

* At the start of ''Series/NoOrdinaryFamily'' only the father wants to be a superhero. The mother uses her SuperSpeed to get her chores done and is more interested in the scientific implications. The son uses his super learning to get good grades in school and the daughter uses her telepathy to find out if a guy is a jerk.

** In [[Series/LukeCage2016 his own series]], Luke Cage starts out uninterested in being a hero, and uses his immense strength mainly to move furniture.

* Wiki/SCPFoundation describes all manner of supernatural anomalies (called [=SCPs=]), alive or otherwise, and the ways in which they are contained and [[TheMasquerade hidden from the rest of humanity]]. A great many do not fit into this trope at all, but have been treated as if they do by certain [[BunnyEarsLawyer very eccentric people in positions of authority.]] (See [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/the-things-dr-bright-is-not-allowed-to-do-at-the-foundation The Things Dr Bright Is Not Allowed To Do At The Foundation]]) The foundation also, in a more straight version of this trope, have kept a few supernatural entities [[MundaneUtility as company pets and tools.]] The [=SCPs=] that have free range of the facility (but NOT MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll) are:

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-261 SCP-261 - Pan-Dimensional Vending,]] a vending machine that is used mundanely, but needs permission from at least a level 2 personnel and only ten times a day. For varying prices of Yen, you can have a serving of a random snack food that is not usually produced in the confines of reality, but it's never guaranteed to be edible. A extended list of SCP-261’s products can be viewed [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/experiment-log-261-ad-de here.]]
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-294 SCP-294 - The Coffee Machine]] is placed in staff breakroom, but only level 2 personnel are allowed to operate it and it's monitered by two guards at all times. SCP-294 is a coffee dispenser capable of producing 12 ounces of any liquid at a time. '''Repeat: Any liquid. For free.''' This includes gold, alcoholic beverages, the blood of an extinct species of bird, "a cup of music", "my life story", "the best drink I've ever had", "something Cassy ([[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-085 SCP-085,]] a benevolent two-dimensional entity that only exists on paper) would like" and "the perfect drink".
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-368 SCP-368 - Paper Crane,]] a living oragami crane.

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-999 SCP-999 - The Tickle Monster,]] who is encouraged to stay in its play pen, but is otherwise free to roam around the facility. SCP-999 is a 120-lb orange BlobMonster with sapience. Touching SCP-999 makes [[EmotionBomb its "victims" uncontrollably happy and laugh hysterically.]] SCP-999 loves to do this to people, also being a FriendToAllLivingThings.

* An unnamed super in ''WebComic/GRRLPower'' uses his [[ExtraOreDinary ferrokinesis]] to gather up gold from so deep underground that miners would never gain access to it and make himself filthy rich. ARCHON keeps him under supervision for obvious reason, but he's smart enough to not cause hyperinflation so they mostly leave him alone.