History Main / PsychoElectro

[[folder:Real Life]]
* TruthInTelevision: Several members of the law enforcement community. Witness the staggering number of excessive force incidents involving tasers.
** ''[[MemeticMutation "Don't tase me, bro!"]]''
** This is a result of the widespread belief that a taser is a harmless device that does no real damage. As it turns out, while less lethal than a firearm, it's still a dangerous weapon to be only used at utmost need.
* Possibly [[TropeMaker originated]] with UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla, famous for his studies of electricity and for pioneering mad science as we know it today.
** Take a look at [[http://gcoinc.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/tesla.jpg this picture]] and you might want to reconsider that "possibly" part.
[[/folder]]

* The users of Tesla weapons in the ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' series. Especially the Shock Trooper from the original Red Alert, who would declaim deranged BondOneLiner catchphrases such as "Extra crispy!", "Lights out!" and "Fully charged!" Soviet commander Moskvin from Red Alert 3 is a former Tesla Trooper, and tends to be very aggressive and erratic, with unpredictable mood swings.

* As the article quote implies, ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' use this trope in the fourth game, with Lightning spells being within the domain of Chaos magic, the "hey, let's burn the world to ashes" spell school. Which is an association inherited from Magic: The Gathering, as the schools in Heroes IV are equivalent to the five colors in Magic. Master of Magic has the same thing (with lightning spells coming, again, from the Chaos school) with both ''Master of Magic and Heroes IV'' also subverting the trope by having the lightning-using creatures belonging to each game's equivalent to M:TG's blue magic.

* UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla in ''Series/{{Sanctuary}}'', a gleefully sociopathic vampire who fell asleep in Edison's electric chair. Yes, really.

''[[TheStinger These people have gone]] [[JustForPun ec-static with the powers they've conducted,]] [[AxCrazy aren't exactly grounded]] [[LackOfEmpathy and may get a jolt out of doing]] [[MoralEventHorizon revolting things, whether it hertz others or not.]] Indeed, sometimes they [[JumpingOfftheSlipperySlope Jump Off the Slippery Slope]] [[ForTheEvulz for a simple surge of enjoyment,]] [[MultipleReferencePun and as such should never be left in charge.]] [[HurricaneOfPuns Notably, most of them go with the current, do watt they do best and sometimes,]] [[StartOfDarkness with a shocking past from their childhood's ohms as the driving spark,]] [[PungeonMaster they run down the wire and]] [[DeadlyEuphemism pull the plug]] [[AndYourLittleDogToo on a few puppies.]] [[StealthPun Suffuse to say,]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity their power has corrupted them]] [[BroughtDownToNormal and is reason enough to have them]] [[KarmicDeath put in the chair.]]''

** The ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' villain Electro is normally a very {{downplayed|Trope}} version of this trope. However, he went crazy after the ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan (actually [[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]] in Peter's body, at that time) experimented on him. [[PowerIncontinence He can no longer control his powers]] (to the point of accidentally frying his ally/lover) and has frequent nightmares of Spider-Man torturing him.
** The Electro of ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' is very psychotic, unhinged, and paranoid, unlike his original Marvel counterpart where he was (at the time, anyway) just your basic thug with electricity powers.
** Max Dillon's sucessor as Electro, Francine Frye, is a much bigger case, a MonsterFangirl that soon after getting electric abilities gave a KissOfDeath to Max in order to absorb his power.

* In ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'', King Ghidorah is empowered by electricity, which he can control to create devastating thunderstorms of apocalyptic proportions. During the FinalBattle at Boston, Ghido's [[HyperCompetentSidekick right head]] bites into a power substation, absorbing the electricity and allowing him to fire a massive barrage of lightning from his wings that would make Palpatine either proud or green with envy.

%%* Megatron of ''Anime/TransformersCybertron''.

* Shrapnel from the ''{{Transformers}}'' series, who [[VerbalTic repeats the last word of every sentence]] and is generally insane, insane.
** For that matter, Megatron/Galvatron in ''Anime/TransformersCybertron''. He can shoot lightning from his hands, like Shrapnel. Or a Sith Lord.
** In the comic books, Thunder and Lightning deluded themselves into believing they were gods.
** Then there's the villain Overload, who's just a great big sentient ball of electricity with a floppy disk for a face.

* {{Averted|Trope}} with Nue from ''Manga/AirGear''; while he ''does'' have a thing for the macabre (calling out Kogarasumaru in the middle of a graveyard, anyone?) he's far from being villainous, and he and his team members support Ikki and company later on in the story.
* Luck Voltia, lightning magic user from ''Manga/BlackClover'', was never a bad guy. But even after becoming less overtly bloodthirsty and more of a team player, the kid is still downright mental. His nickname, "Cheery Berserker," is appropriate. His favorite hobby is antagonizing fellow Black Bull, [[HotHead Magna Swing]], who Luck considers to be his best friend, into trying to kill him. For fun.

* She doesn't actually have electrical ''powers'', but Shion Sonozaki from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' might still count with her, um, ''enthusiastic'' taser usage.

* Averted in ''Manga/SoulEater'', where Harvar d'Eclair is one of the more stoic characters. Fellow lightning-related Weapon Marie Mjolnir, however, doesn't really count.
** As her fight with [[spoiler:Justin]] pointed out why she's a Death Scythe, Marie is more LightningBruiser, the lightning being related to speed rather than shocking people.
* Megatron of ''Anime/TransformersCybertron''.

* If we are talking tazers then ''Manga/TheWorldGodOnlyKnows''' Kanon Nakagawa should come to mind: As a result of her neurosis, she, in her early stages, zaps Keima when ever he crushes her little self-esteem by ignoring her. When she is that way she is amazingly creepy.
* Both used and subverted in ''Manga/ZatchBell'' Gash is about as gentle as you can imagine but his twin brother Zeon is extremely violent and vengeful (and is shown using ElectricTorture in the manga).

* A tragic example from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'' is Surge the Tenrec, a deliberately-engineered EvilCounterpart to Sonic. While outwardly brash and cruel, she was originally just a normal person before Doctor Starline kidnapped her and turned her into a cyborg, using his HypnoRay to wipe her previous personality and memories while implanting a false personality and IrrationalHatred of Sonic. when Surge finds all of this out, on top of the fact that he didn't even bother to keep a record of who she used to be, she becomes [[OmnicidalManiac rather upset]].

* In ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'', Shinji uses lightning attacks and is a manipulative, psychotic jerkass.
* In Fanfic/TheRainsverse, Chroma's alicorn powers are heavily lightning-themed, and she is a paranoid BloodKnight.

* In ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainKnightOfTheOrangeLily'', Specter somehow has a SplitPersonality named "Easter" that is capable of using lightining abilities. Notably, Specter is known to be a sadist -- albeit WordOfGod reveals that this is the Season 2/3 Specter so he's not as villainous as before -- but Easter is somehow even ''more'' unhinged with how he seems to be deatched from reality, takes being electrocuted as being part of an orgy and is obsessed with hearts. This is later revealed to be that Easter is actually a ''living'' lightning botl from a car Specter passed through prior to meeting with Gladion and later stops acting psychotic.

* This is how {{VisualNovel/Tsukihime}} villain Michael Roa Valdamjong is portrayed in ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood: Actress Again''. It's somewhat subverted though as he's a lot more calm than most psychopaths.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'':
** Although lacking actual superpowers, [[spoiler:Manfred von Karma and his infamous stun gun scene]].
** Then there's [[spoiler:Gant somehow ''striking himself with lightning'' when he's losing]].
** The imagery returns in ''Trials & Tribulations'', when [[spoiler:Dahlia Hawthorne kills her ex-boyfriend with, of all things, a high-voltage wire.]]

* Lightning is the element of choice for Hasta, the resident {{Blood Knight}}/{{Psycho For Hire}} of ''VideoGame/TalesOfInnocence''.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'':
** Sheena Fujibayashi failed to form a pact with the summon spirit of Lightning in her backstory and it flips out and causes much destruction, as opposed to the other elemental summon spirits who just didn't give you the pact and left.
** Problem was that Volt didn't speak English. Or Tethe'allan. But mainly English. Volt speaks a language few other characters speak in the game and interprets nearly everything as a threat.
** There's also Kvar, the electricity-based [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Grand Cardinal]], who is the most sadistic of the lot and also [[spoiler:responsible for the death of Lloyd's mother]].
** And the other lightning-user, [[WellIntentionedExtremist Yuan]], while not exactly crazy per se, tends toward the cold and somewhat erratic.

* Lightningbending is the secondary ability of Firebenders in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. In the original [=ATLA=], it's a complete subversion as it requires a kind of emotional clarity and detachment (which can be calmness, such as with Iroh, or cold-heartedness, as with Azula and Ozai) which allows one to separate and focus the necessary energies. [[spoiler:Azula's ability to continue shooting lightning even after her VillainousBreakdown is probably due to a combination of familiarity, the significant power boost provided by Sozin's Comet, and having great clarity in terms of ''really'' wanting to kill Zuko and Katara.]]

* Livewire (pictured) from ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. She has electrical powers and isn't very sane.
* The appropriately named "Lightning" (along with his sound-based brother "Thunder"), from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'', though he comes across more as a PsychopathicManchild since wasn't aware of the destruction he caused.
** In the comic books, Thunder and Lightning deluded themselves into believing they were gods.
** Then there's the villain Overload, who's just a great big sentient ball of electricity with a floppy disk for a face.
* Electric Eel from ''WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}''.
* From ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' we have Stormy, a witch with [[ThemeNaming powers based on lightning]], who is the most unstable villain of the whole series.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' Quintessence manifests itself as lightning, and Nerissa, wielder of this power since her days as a Guardian, went corrupted by her power and insane, in contrast to Will, her successor as a Guardian and wielder of the same power who does her utmost to NOT end like her.

* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'', Akira Otoishi is an unrepentant killer and robber who can channel the power of [[CityOfAdventure Morioh]]'s electrical grid into his [[FightingSpirit Stand]], Red Hot Chili Pepper.

** In the very first book, [[spoiler: the Entropy Curses that are ripping peoples' hearts out]] are powered by the energy in thunderstorms. And sex. In this case, the thunderstorms were just big, huge natural batteries that were conveniently around, a power source to be tapped into, the nature of the rituals themselves was blood magic. And Harry harnessed the power of the storm as well to get rid of [[spoiler: the toad demon that Victor Shadowman summoned.]]

* The Rakasha in Creator/RogerZelazny's ''Literature/LordOfLight'' are pure energy beings represented by constantly shifting pillars of lightning. They are also arrogant, egocentric, and pathological gamblers.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
** In ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', the cloned Dark Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth uses mass mind control on most people, and Force Lightning on the rest. [[http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/286/blz23.jpg He is very unstable]].
* The Electro-priests which show up in the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' novel Soul Drinker. They're techpriests who have their entire bodies covered in electoos (basically, tattooed circuits laid under a person's skin). They chant litanies before going into battle to drive themselves into a ''Berseker Mode'' and turn into living fonts of electricity. They actually slice the hands clean off of a fully-armored Space Marine. With their bare hands.