History Main / DrunkWithPower

Often found in the WorkCom. See DrunkOnTheDarkSide for the [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity superpower equivalent]]. When it occurs due to elevated expectations and wedding-related stress, see {{Bridezilla}}.

** Actually, this is a partial aversion, Hawkeye starts acting authoritarian and in the way he normally despises officers' behaving...but it's clear that it's because he's discovering the real problems and headaches of command in the absence of Potter and incapacity of Burns. As CO he can't afford to only look at his own problems any more, he has to consider the needs of the unit...and suddenly he finds himself doing the stuff he hated in previous COs.

* Considering our past record,humanity can easily suffer this

--> ''TheSimpsons Movie''

* Number 5 of [[CodenameKidsNextDoor the KND]] has this ''any''' time she gets power. This includes very tiny things, for example; gaining control of her father's thermostat turned her into a fire powered demon that would even attack her own friends to stop them from turning it down (though in this case, they need to do so to stop her house from litterally erupting). Though the two times we've seen this, she was secretly bitter for something.

!!Examples

* Happens in TheFlintstones live action movie after Fred gets a promotion.
* A variant is used in WoodyAllen's ''Bananas''. After overthrowing the government, the rebel leader begins to make absurd demands, such as changing the nation's language to Swahili and having all underwear worn on the outside. One of his underlings observes, "[[IncrediblyLamePun He's gone mad with power]]!"

* Marla Karuw in StarTrekTheGenesisWave, who eventually succumbs to megalomania after being appointed regent of Aluwna. She was formally in prison, but was pardoned and given power in a desperate attempt to save Aluwnan civilization during the crisis.

* There's also Prime Minister Kinchawn of Tezwa in StarTrekATimeTo.
* In RobertEHoward's ConanTheBarbarian story "The Phoenix on the Sword," after Thoth-amon recovers his RingOfPower.

* Subverted with John in {{Farscape}} once he can make wormhole weapons. He even lampshades the possibility by saying "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" after the knowledge is unlocked. However, he manages to stay on track and not go power crazy during the standoff and after [[spoiler:he wakes up from his HeroicBSOD after shutting down the weapon]] he's still his old self.

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[[quoteright:330:[[GreenLantern http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gl49_7927.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330: [[AtopTheFourthWall Whoa...a]] ''[[{{Understatement}} bit]]'' [[AtopTheFourthWall of an overreaction there, Hal.]] ]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* A particularly dark example can be found in MassEffect 2, where [[spoiler:Ronald Taylor]] assumes command after the original captain of his ship is killed during an emergency landing on an unexplored planet. When it is found that local food is harmful to humans, he institutes a rationing regime with the emergency supplies and exiles anyone who won't comply. Although some of his unpleasant decisions are arguably justifiable, he gradually becomes a CompleteMonster, [[spoiler: even going so far as to sabotage rescue attempts in order to prolong his command.]]
** Err, not quite. Actually,[[spoiler: He finds out that the natural plant-life on the planet is edible, but has a nasty effect on human brain chemistry that essentially reduces anyone who eats it for long enough to the intelligence of a child. He assassinates all the other surviving senior officers, keeps all the food from the ship to himself, and turns the female crew into his own private harem. When the men start realizing what is happening, they attack Taylor, but by this point they aren't smart enough to really use any sort of strategy, and the ship's defense mechs force them out into the woods.]]
[[/folder]]

* In ''{{Discworld}}'' novel ''The Fifth Elephant'', [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything Copper Who Doesn't Do Anything]] Fred Colon finds himself the most senior officer in the Watch after Vimes, Carrot, and Angua all go to {{Uberwald}} for the book's A-plot. The normally laid-back Sgt. Colon almost immediately snaps under the pressure and becomes the authoritarian and paranoid ''Captain'' Colon, firing and demoting people left right and centre and causing the rest of the Watch to go on strike.

* ''MagicalProjectS'' eimi the hall guardian of her school is constantly enforcing the rules( even outside school or when close of dangerous situations) to the point that when she gets superpowers she still enforces the school rules

** Err, not quite. Actually,[[spoiler: He finds out that the natural plantlife on the planet is edible, but has a nasty effect on human brain chemistry that essentially reduces anyone who eats it for long enough to the intelligence of a child. He assassinates all the other surviving senior officers, keeps all the food from the ship to himself, and turns the female crew into his own private harem. When the men start realizing what is happening, they attack Taylor, but by this point they aren't smart enough to really use any sort of strategy, and the ship's defence mechs force them out into the woods.]]

* Rocko in ''RockosModernLife'' is left in charge of the comic book store while the boss is away. Brainwased by the boss's massage chair, he becomes greedy and ill-tempered, and even starts to ''look'' like him.

* In "The Old Man And The Lisa", Mr. Burns loses all his money and Lenny is the new boss of the power plant. Even though he isn't used to the job at first and we don't get to see him doing his job, Mr. Burns returns as owner of the plant and Smithers says "Lenny's reign of terror has come to an end".

Wrong. Doing this is exactly the best way to create TheUmbridge.

* Played perfectly in an episode of ''HomeImprovement'', where Wilson becomes the director of a previously laid-back production of Romeo and Juliet at the school and morphs into TheUmbridge very quickly.

-> '''''"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely."'''''
-> '''''"But it also rocks absolutely."'''''

-> '''Kevin''': What are you all staring at? Do you think I've gone mad, mad with power? Well you're RIGHT. Perkins, from now on you work under your your desk. (hits desk) I said under your desk, man....Don't bother me, worm. I would have you fired if I had a little *more* power. I've gone mad with my *moderate* amount of power."
-->''The Kids in the Hall''

* In the Mickey MouseWorks short "Sandwich Makers", Goofy is put in charge of a sandwich shop with Mickey and Donald as workers. Goofy eventually takes his "How To Be In Charge" book seriously and grows mad with power as 'captain', calling his fridns yeomen and throwing them in "the brig" (storage closet).

* In an episode of [[WaysideSchool Wayside]], Myron gets tagged it and becomes the most powerful person on the playground. The end results aren't pretty.

* In "The Old Man And The Lisa", Mr. Burns loses all his money and Lenny is the new boss of the power plant. Even though he isn't used to the job at first and we don't get to see him doping his job, Mr. Burns returns as owner of the plant and Smithers says "Lenny's reign of terror has come to an end".

* ''{{Bleach}}'': Ever since [[spoiler: Aizen]] entered his [[spoiler: ultimate super long hair form thing]] he's been doing increasingly cocky things such as [[spoiler: destroying the previously stated to be indestructible Kototsu effortlessly]] and upon reaching [[spoiler: the real Karakura Town, he began ''randomly slaughtering passerbys.'' Keep in mind, most of which ''can't even see him.'']]
** [[spoiler: Actually, they can see him just fine. Aizen's mere presence is killing people who do not have any spiritual powers or awareness. But hopefully this will be his downfall, as most of the Bleach fans are screaming [[WhyWontYouDie WHY WONT YOU DIE ALREADY]]?!]]