History Main / PowersViaPossession

* Voodoo magic is supposed to work this way, as the faithful are "ridden" by the loa they summon.

** It's unclear how much control some of the others have. It's been suggested that the Predator's (Love Entity) status as StalkingIsLove CompleteMonster is because its attracted to "broken" hosts (since the Sapphires see their role as being to "fix" love), but then accepts the host's own severely flawed interpretation of what love is. Nicole Morrison, the host of the Hope Entity Adara, seemed a lot calmer and more forgiving, but still basically Nicole Morrison.

A StockSuperpowers trope. The character gets superpowers via allowing themselves to be possessed or via channeling spirits (usually ghosts) through them, via which they can access the [[IKnowKungFu skills and abilities the ghosts had in life]] or new powers that the ghost possesses via dint of, well, being a ghost such as unearthly wailing, freezing touch, moving things around like a poltergeist.

* Used in ''{{The Order of the Stick}}'' story arc where Vaarsuvius makes a {{Deal with the Devil}} to get "ultimate arcane power". This is accomplished by splicing the souls of three deceased epic wizards to his own, giving him access to their full selection of spells for as long as he can maintain the necessary concentration.

* Avatars can do this in ''[=~Avatar: The Last Airbender~=]''. It's the premise behind the Avatar state, but Aang was also once possessed by a sea spirit that allowed him to transform into a giant monster made of seawater.

** In season 4, [[spoiler: Cordelia]] is granted magics powerful enough to make her stand against ''Willow Rosenberg'' in a magical duel, due to [[spoiler: her mystical pregnancy with Jasmine.]]

* MarvelComics' Captain Universe is all about this trope.
* This is {{Deadman}}'s stock in trade in TheDCU.
** Except he did the possessing. When he was still dead...

** Fourth Edition applies this to Barbarians, whose main gimmick is using nature spirits to go into raging trances.

[[ISeeDeadPeople Of course, this requires the ability to see and talk to the ghosts in the first place.]]

* Jack Hyland, a student in ''GunnerkriggCourt'' was [[GadgeteerGenius good enough]] at things like bypassing security measures. Possession by an [[RealityWarper imaginary]] spider quickly turned into MadScientist with understanding of [[{{Magitek}} ethereal sciences]] on par with adult specialists in this area. And gave him stock magic powers growing from [[InvisibleToNormals ethereal vision]] to flight. On the bad siide, he constantly acted as if on really heavy psychostimulants (excitable, mood whiplashes, ''[[TheInsomniac never sleeps]]'') and thus barely survived a few months of this "fun". [[spoiler:And now that the spider got squashed, [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=797 it's all gone]].]]

* Late in the ''KingdomHearts'' series, it's revealed that Sora has superpowers because [[spoiler: He's possessed by the heart of the Keyblade Master Ventus]]. He later gains power upgrades by re merging with [[spoiler:Roxas and Xion]], parts of him that split off for a while and gained their own skills during that time.

* In ''PS238'', one of the children is a medium who can see ghosts and allow them to posses her to gain their knowledge. If the person had superpowers in life, she can get access to those as well.
* MarvelComics Captain Universe is all about this trope.
* This is Deadman's stock in trade in TheDCU.

* The Collector General [[spoiler: actually (just the channel for) a Reaper, Harbringer]] in ''MassEffect 2'' will often take control of one of his flunkies, transforming it from a mild inconvenience into a burning, supercharged biotic monster who will constantly advance to blast you in the face. Worst of all, it doesn't seem to take much out of him. Kill one avatar and he'll possess any surviving Collector in short order.