History Main / SuperWeaponAverageJoe

* ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'': The 2ed "Book of Magic" supplement had a "Jumped-Up Dabbler", a otherwise normal dude who had somehow acquired and gained (limited) control over an incredibly powerful magic item, as one of its villainous archetpes.

* Issue 13 of ''Comicbook/TheTransformers'' had [[BigBad Megatron]] getting locked in his alternate mode (as a gun) and being used by a random crook.

** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'': Agent Phil Coulson, a non-powered special agent, grabs a {{BFG}} that had been built by reverse engineering from the Destroyer Armor in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' and uses it against the BigBad. However, how "average" he is is [[BadassNormal up for grabs]], seeing as he works for ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}.

->''Think you're big and bad just because you just 'cause you stumbled across a BFG 9000? I can hear you now. "Oh yes, Drill Sergeant, Mama told me there'd be days like this. Bring 'em on, I'm ready to rock and roll!" That'll be just before you blow your own damn foot off.''

->Think you're big and bad just because you just 'cause you stumbled across a BFG 9000? I can hear you now. "Oh yes, Drill Sergeant, Mama told me there'd be days like this. Bring 'em on, I'm ready to rock and roll!" That'll be just before you blow your own damn foot off.

** The Three Heroes are equipped with Legendary Weapons start off with a massive lead in power over anyone else in the world but as time goes by they soon fall behind Naofumi. Naofumi works out that this is a combination of them failing to fully utilize their Weapon's power and not cultivating a strong team of their own.
** Naofumi realizes that [[spoiler:Tact]] is relying on his bloated level and stolen [[spoiler:Vassal Weapons]] in combat. If you can bypass that, he's actually easy to beat as he has almost no combat experience due to relying on that power.

* ''Anime/YoroidenSamuraiTroopers'', the very first enemy faced by the heroes looks like a Japanese-themed BlackKnight wielding a massive [[EpicFlail kusarigama with a spiked weight]]. After Ryo destroys him with his secret attack, it's revealed that 1) he was, at most, an EliteMook and 2) said kusarigama is the "Jakigama", the personal weapon of Shuten Doji, one of the strongest enforcers of the BigBad.

This is different from AmplifierArtifact and UpgradeArtifact in that the weapon doesn't necessarily enhance the wielder - they're still as weak and mortal as before, only wielding an extremely potent weapon. When the powerful weapon is given to a character as a last resort, see GivingTheSwordToANoob. Compare BiggerStick, which is about having superior weapons and equipment, and UnskilledButStrong, which is more or less the non-weapon version of this (in the sense that while a character is not a good fighter in terms of skill, they may nevertheless fight effectively through special abilities alone). If the super weapon is permanently attached it's probably BadassTransplant. May be a UniqueProtagonistAsset.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' has [[GangOfHats The Jokerz]] get hold of an experimental fighter aircraft. It is powered by an unstable reactor (which is why the pilots had to ditch it), meaning Terry has to get it back from them before it explodes.
[[/folder]]

* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Excalibur is '''the''' strongest [[EquippableAlly Demon Weapon]], and instantly usable by anyone without the (direct) need for compatibility like most have. The catch is that he's such an [[CloudCuckoolander insane]] [[{{Jerkass}} jackass]] that almost no one can put up with him, even for that much power. But Hiro, the only person we've seen that ''could'' stand him, instantly jumped from the DWMA's worst student to completely unbeatable once he partnered with Excalibur. [[spoiler:Then even Hiro rejected Excalibur [[MinorFlawMajorBreakup for sneezing too much]].]]

** Additionally, artefacts pretty much intentionally invoke this trope in third edition. Not only do they possess power beyond normal items, they're indestructable and have their own mental stats and (usually) greater knowledge of waht's going on in the setting than the player using them. A character with an artefact in hand is almost a completely different, and much more powerful, character.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', there's one [[{{Mook}} Koopa Troopa]] that realizes it can take the invincibility-granting starman powerup for itself. [[PlayerExclusiveMechanic Unfortunately,]] the powered-up Troopa is still vulnerable to [[KryptoniteFactor certain attacks]], unlike a star-powered PlayerCharacter.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Yukino Agoria from ''Manga/FairyTail'' is a stellar spirit mage, with two Golden Keys and [[spoiler: the legendary key of Ophiucus]], but without those three keys, she's completely harmless.

* In ''Film/RoboCop1987'', the criminal gang working for the BigBad is easily neutralized and arrested by the title cyborg. When they are later freed from jail, they are given military-grade anti-tank weapons and become a credible threat to the hero.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The wielders of the cursed artifacts in ''Series/FridayThe13thTheSeries''.
* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', any villain who isn't a [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual metahuman]] typically needs an extremely powerful high-tech weapon to pose a threat to the Scarlet Speedster.
[[/folder]]

* In ''[[Literature/TheIcewindDaleTrilogy The Crystal Shard]]'', the BigBad is a very weak wizard that finds a magical artifact that lets him summon demons and stuff, but eventually kills him for his incompetence, choosing to be buried indefinately than to live with him.
* In ''[[Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt The Two Swords]]'' by R.A. Salvatore a mundane orc comes to possess [[EmpathicWeapon Khazid'hea]] and goes on a killing spree. Up until he runs into Drizzt.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* The first "Supervillain" to grace the webcomic Average Joe appears to be nothing more than some punk who found a lost disintegrator gun, [[http://ajcomic.com/?p=493 flicked the setting up to 'Apocalypse']], and went on a [[http://ajcomic.com/?p=496 rampage]] [[http://ajcomic.com/?p=518 through]] [[http://ajcomic.com/?p=530 the city]]. Without the gun though, [[http://ajcomic.com/?p=547 he's nothing special]].

* In a mid-1980s issue of ''JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'', an alcoholic drifter's mind accidentally takes control of the super-android [[AllYourPowersCombined Amazo]] and threatens the world.

'''NOTE''': Only list cases where the character's power is clearly attributable to the weapon. If the character is tough regardless of the weapon they use, it's not this trope. If a character is simply ''accused'' of only getting by because of a power item, see YoureNothingWithoutYourPhlebotinum.

** The "[[Film/MarvelOneShots Marvel One-Shot]]" on the Blu-ray for ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', ''Item 47'', features a young OutlawCouple that found an alien arm cannon left over from the movie's battle and started robbing banks with it. [[spoiler:Since they know how to use it, Jasper Sitwell ends up recruiting them for ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}.]]

* In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', there's one [[{{Mook}} Koopa Troopa]] that realizes it can take the invincibility-granting starman powerup for itself. [[SubvertedTrope Unfortunately,]] the powered-up Troopa is still vulnerable to [[KryptoniteFactor certain attacks]], unlike a star-powered PlayerCharacter.

* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Excalibur is '''the''' strongest [[EquippableAlly Demon Weapon]], and instantly usable by anyone without the (direct) need for compatibility like most have. The catch is that he's such an [[CloudCuckoolander insane]] [[{{Jerkass}} jackass]] that almost no one can put up with him, even for that much power. But Hiro, the only person we've seen that ''could'' stand him, instantly jumped from the DWMA's worst student to completely unbeatable once he partner with Excalibur. [[spoiler:Then even Hiro rejected Excalibur [[MinorFlawMajorBreakup for sneezing too much]].]]

'''NOTE''': Only list cases where the character's power is clearly attributable to the weapon. If the character is tough regardless of the weapon they use, it's not this trope.

* ''Film/{{Laserblast}}''. A teenager acquires an alien laser gun. The problem? The medallion he has to wear to use the weapon turns him into an evil alien, and he goes on a rampage.

** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'':
*** Agent Phil Coulson, a non-powered special agent, grabs a {{BFG}} that had been built by reverse engineering from the Destroyer Armor in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' and uses it against the BigBad. However, how "average" he is is [[BadassNormal up for grabs]], seeing as he works for ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}.
*** Captain America [[AvertedTrope tries to]] call this on Iron Man, suggesting that the later relies too heavily on his [[PowerArmor high-tech suit of armor]]. Tony [[DeadpanSnarker immediately counters]] that he's still a [[GadgeteerGenius genius]] [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob billionaire playboy philanthropist]], then says everything special about the Captain [[SuperSerum came out of a bottle]][[note]]which, for the record, is equally untrue; the "bottle" ''magnified'' Steve's special-ness rather than creating it[[/note]].

** ''Film/IronMan'': Although Tony Stark is no pushover he's not exactly a ninja either, and early in the film is completely at the mercy or terrorists holding him in their cave. He builds a suit of powered armor and fights his way out quite easily.

* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Excalibur is '''the''' strongest [[EquippableAlly Demon Weapon]], and instantly usable by anyone without the (direct) need for compatibility like most have. The catch is that he's such an [[CloudCuckoolander insane]] [[{{Jerkass}} jackass]] that almost no one can put up with him, even for that much power. But Hiro, the only person we've seen that ''could'' stand him, instantly jumped from the DWMA's worst student to completely unbeatable once he partner with Excalibur. [[spoiler:Then even Hiro rejected Excalibur [[MinorFlawMajorBreakup for sneezing too much]]]].

* ''Manga/SoulEater'': Excalibur is '''the''' strongest [[EquippableAlly Demon Weapon]], and instantly usable by anyone without the (direct) need for compatibility like most have. The catch is that he's such an [[CloudCuckoolander insane]] [[{{Jerkass}} jackass]] that almost no one can put up with him, even for that much power. But the only person who ''could'' stand him, Hiro, instantly jumped from the DWMA's worst student to completely unbeatable [[spoiler:until even he rejected Excalibur for sneezing too much]].

* Crona from ''Manga/SoulEater'' is an excellent example. On hir own, xe is weak physically and so emotionally insecure that xe can barely even talk to other people on hir own. Literally 100% of Crona's power comes from Ragnarok, a demon sword made of black blood which was injected into Crona's body (give or take a few sword skills).