History Main / FatalMacGuffin

'''As this is a DeathTrope, all Spoilers will be unmarked ahead. Beware.'''

''Franchise/IndianaJones'' has this as a recurring theme. The MacGuffin [[IndexOfTheWeek of the Week]] is nearly always lethal for whoever ends up with it. This is seen in all four movies, video games, comic books and even the [[Series/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles prequel TV series]]. Each has a MacGuffin everyone (including Jones) is after which in the end turns out to be an ArtifactOfDoom.

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': The Orb's energy is so intense that anyone who tries to hold it in their bare hands ends up getting vaporised. Ronan is able to work around this by embedding the stone in his hammer, providing a safe medium to channel its powers into himself.

* The Holy Grail turned out to be this in the Arthurian legends, as when Sir Galahad drank from it, he AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence.

* In ''VideoGame/IndianaJonesAndTheFateOfAtlantis'', it's discovered that {{Atlantis}} not only exists but contains a machine that will allegedly turn humans into living gods. The machine doesn't work, and Atlantis is littered with the horribly mutated remains of people who learned this the hard way. Klaus Kerner, TheDragon, throws himself into a pool of lava after the machine turns him into a stunted Minotaur-like creature, and the BigBad Hans Ubermann turns into some sort of energy being but promptly dissipates into nothingness. Indy himself can suffer this fate if the player is unsuccessful in goading Ubermann into using the machine on himself instead.

* In ''VideoGame/IndianaJonesAndTheFateOfAtlantis'', it's discovered that {{Atlantis}} not only exists but contains a machine that will allegedly turn humans into living gods. The machine doesn't work, and Atlantis is littered with the horribly mutated remains of people who learned this the hard way. Klaus Kerner, TheDragon, throws himself into a pool of lava after the machine turns him into a stunted Minotaur-like creature, and the BigBad Hans Ubermann turns into some sort of energy being but promptly dissipates into nothingness.

''Franchise/IndianaJones'' has this as a recurring theme. The MacGuffin [[IndexOfTheWeek of the Week]] is nearly always lethal for whoever ends up with it. This is seen in all four movies, video games, comic books and even the [[Series/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles prequel TV series]]. Each has a MacGuffin everyone including Jones is after which in the end turns out to be an ArtifactOfDoom.

* The Sankara stones in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' are not lethal to most people, but Mola Ram discovers that their sacred touch burns him, [[spoiler:which causes him to plummet to his doom when he tries to catch one while hanging off a cliff.]]. Indy himself gives up the stone to the village that originally owned it rather than returning it to a museum for his "fortune and glory."

** In #12, the [[McNinja Ismaili assassin]] have temporarily disposed of Indy and his allies and attempt to seize the Fourth Nail (the fourth nail forged for the crucifixion of Jesus, and intended to be driven through his heart, but stolen by a gypsy) from its gypsy guardian. She tells them "Then take it. For I, too, am certain that you will receive ''precisely'' what is coming to you!" The assassins seize the nail from the altar and all of the lights go out. By the time Indy and his friends arrive, the four assassins are dead--each one with spiked through the heart--and the nail is back on the altar. Indy decides to leave it there.

* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' the Holy Grail does in fact grant eternal (or at least much extended) life, and healing for the sick and wounded. However, as a test of character, it's kept in a room full of wildly varied cups and those on a grail quest must choose one among them and drink from it. Choosing ''poorly'' will result in the drinker aging several thousand years in a few seconds and decaying away into dust. Also, any attempt at removing the true Grail from the premises will result in an earthquake that will make it impossible to leave the place the grail is kept. [[spoiler:Elsa plummets to her death when she refuses to give up trying to retrieve the grail. Indy almost suffers the same fate, but is saved when his father, who's ''life'' has been spent pursuing the grail, tells him to let it go.]]
* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'' has knowledge as the treasure of the ancient kingdom. Indy just does what the skull wants and returns it to its fellows. Spalko asks to be given everything they know. [[spoiler:It ends...[[YourHeadAsplode poorly]]...for her.]] The kingdom is also full of the regular kind of treasure, but it ends up being just as lethal for [[spoiler:Mac]], the only one who takes any of it.

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': One of the 5th season's episodes " A Hole in the World" concerns a sarcophagus which contains the essence of a ancient demon called Illyria who once ruled part of the Earth centuries ago, and is successfully resurrected in the body of Fred Burkle with the help of Knox one of her worshippers whose affection for Fred results in him choosing her as the only one "worthy" of serving as a vessel to his goddess.

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'' turns the trope on its head. At the end of the first act, protagonist Shay Cormack discovers that the MacGuffins being sought by the Brotherhood cause nothing but disaster. He spends the rest of the game [[spoiler: trying to ''stop'' the Brotherhood from acquiring any more of them]].