History Main / AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength

* In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', this is at least one of the reasons Bruce Banner has hidden in a remote corner of India -- because [[PowerIncontinence the Hulk's strength is uncontrollable when he gets angry]]. He's even tried to kill himself to stop it.

* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', this is at least one of the reasons Bruce Banner has hidden in a remote corner of India -- because [[PowerIncontinence the Hulk's strength is uncontrollable when he gets angry]]. He's even tried to kill himself to stop it.

* The plot of ''Comics/KingdomCome'' with all its {{Nineties anti hero}}es is essentially when [[BewareTheSuperMan super powered people stopped fearing]] what they [[MoralEventHorizon might become]] if not careful and decided to ride the edge of [[HeWhoFightsMonsters hero and villain]] ([[labelnote:*]]Some could also argue this being the point TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks itself which ''Comics/KingdomCome'' was a deconstruction of[[/labelnote]]).

* Meliodas from ''Manga/NanatsuNoTaizai'' has a problem with using his full powers and actual weapons on the grounds that he is too powerful for anyone to handle and has an aversion to killing. [[spoiler:Case-in-point and what he considers [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failure]], he completely destroyed the Danafor kingdom in the past when he let his wrath get the better of him]].

** Also see the League's horror while in the alternate dimension at the Justice Lord's actions in "[[Recap/{{Justice League s 2 e11-12 A better world}} A Better World]]", which is an example of when they lose that fear.

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!!!Examples

[[AC:{{Anime/Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]

* ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}''. ComicBook/{{Cyclops}}, DependingOnTheWriter , which is why Professor X says he put Scott in charge of the first group: he applies the same caution and restraint to the other's abilities that he does to his own.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''Film/TheIronGiant''. How the giant views his [[DefenseMechanismSuperpower inadvertent]] [[SuperPoweredEvilSide reactions]] to guns.
* In ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', Elsa freaking out about her Ice powers and obsessively trying to control them is what causes her running away (which is what jump starts the main conflict)

-->'''Lucius:''' ''"This is too much power for one person"''
-->'''Bruce:''' ''"That's why I gave it to you. Only you can use it."'''
* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', this is at least one of the reasons Bruce Banner has hidden in a remote corner of India - because [[PowerIncontinence the Hulk's strength is uncontrollable when he gets angry]]. He's even tried to kill himself to stop it.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

* In The Literature/EarthsChildren series Jondalar is afraid of the strength of his emotions, so he has trained himself to not get too attached to anyone. (In the backstory he had severely injured another man when the other man had caught Jondalar getting emotionally attached to a woman who it was culturally taboo for him to connect with.) This changes once he meets Ayla

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In "Let He Who Is Without Sin...", Worf tells how, when growing up on Earth, he accidentally killed a classmate during a soccer game. He was devastated by guilt, and the incident taught him that humans are more fragile than Worf. Ever since, he has been mindful to restrain himself in the company of others.

[[AC:{{Light Novels}}]]

[[AC:{{VideoGames}}]]

* In ''[[VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic]]'' this is where Nadia Grell starts. She's probably the most powerful telekenetic the galaxy's seen in a generation. However, she is the first and ''only'' known Force Sensitive of her species. As a result, no one knew how to train her or how to help her control her abilities. [[PowerIncontinence Rocks, trees, and other objects tended to explode if Nadia got too happy, too sad, too angry.]] Subverted, however, when the Consular gets to take her on as their padawan and finally teach her how to use what she has; after that, Nadia looks forward to ''testing'' her abilities and seeing what their limits might be.

[[AC:{{Webcomic}}s]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' after Vaarsuvius realizes how far reaching the Familicide spell was he/she has a HeroicBSOD made of MyGodWhatHaveIDone and this, saying something along the lines of "This is the ultimate power I spent most of my life looking for? How many other innocents did I kill whose only sin was loving a stranger?"

[[AC:Web Original]]
* Literature/WhateleyUniverse: A common theme for the protagonists, especially Phase and Tennyo. Ayla's worries are mostly misplaced, though his powers are quite dangerous and (especially early on) prone to PowerIncontinence; Billie, on the other hand, is a genuine PersonOfMassDestruction and is all too aware that she could kill people simply by getting angry enough that she begins emitting hard radiation.

[[AC:{{WesternAnimation}}]]

[[AC: RealLife]]

* Many police and security personnel have to be tasered before they are authorized to carry and use a taser on others, in order to know what exactly it is they are doing.

* ''StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In "Let He Who Is Without Sin...", Worf tells how, when growing up on Earth, he accidentally killed a classmate during a soccer game. He was devastated by guilt, and the incident taught him that humans are more fragile than Worf. Ever since, he has been mindful to restrain himself in the company of others.

* [[Literature/WhateleyUniverse: A common theme for the protagonists, especially Phase and Tennyo. Ayla's worries are mostly misplaced, though his powers are quite dangerous and (especially early on) prone to PowerIncontinence; Billie, on the other hand, is a genuine PersonOfMassDestruction and is all too aware that she could kill people simply by getting angry enough that she begins emitting hard radiation.

* {{DCAU}}. [[Characters/{{DCAU-JusticeLeague}} Flash]] and [[Characters/DCAUSupermanTheAnimatedSeries Superman]] have this bad and it is used to {{Handwave}} why their powers seem brought down so that the League is about equal.

** Flash's is more hinted at as he is shown and hinted at being able to go faster than he does, which is also the cause of his ObfuscatingStupidity (see his [[Characters/{{DCAU-JusticeLeague}} character write up]]}.

* {{DCAU}}. [[Characters/{{DCAU-JusticeLeague}} Flash]] and [[Characters/{{DCAU-SupermanTheAnimatedSeries}} Superman]] have this bad and it is used to {{Handwave}} why their powers seem brought down so that the League is about equal.

** In ''Westernanimation/JusticeLeague'', see Superman's dream in "[[Recap/{{JusticeLeagueS2E5And6OnlyADream}} Only A Dream]]", in fact Superman's personal version is the cause of the [[TropeNamer original]] WorldOfCardboardSpeech

-->-- '''[[Characters/{{Bleach Gotei 13 Squads 8-13}} Hisagi Shuuhei]]''', ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''

** It's implied to be ''part'' of the meaning behind Squad 3's theme of "Despair" as given by [[Characters/{{Bleach Gotei 13 Squads 1-7}} Izuru Kira]]

** In ''Westernanimation/JusticeLeague'', see Superman's dream in "[[Recap/{{Justice league s 2 e5-6 Only a dream}} Only A Dream]]", in fact Superman's personal version is the cause of the [[TropeNamer original]] WorldOfCardboardSpeech

* ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}''. Cyclops, DependingOnTheWriter , which is why Professor X says he put Scott in charge of the first group: he applies the same caution and restraint to the other's abilities that he does to his own.
* Bruce Banner has this attitude about the Hulk, also a possible interpretation of Hulk's quote from 'ComicBook/{{World War Hulk}}'

* The golden age GreenLantern feels this way about his ring after seeing the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in an{{Elseworld}} story to the point where he put away [[TenMinuteRetirement his ring for a time]].

* When Lina Inverse of ''TheSlayers'' learns what her secret spell, Giga Slave, really is about (it is about requesting intervention of an unpredictable, chaotic creator overdeity who may destroy the world on a whim), she goes through a period of being afraid of her own knowledge. This is, however, temporary and in the fifth season, she is once again ready to cast Giga Slave.

* The plot of ''Comics/KingdomCome'' with all its {{Nineties anti hero}}es is essentially when [[BewareTheSuperMan super powered people stopped fearing]] what they [[MoralEventHorizon might become]] if not careful and decided to ride the edge of [[HeWhoFightsMonsters hero and villain]] ([[labelnote:*]]Some could also argue this being the point TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks itself which ''Comics/KingdomCome'' was a deconstruction of[[/labelnote]).

* Part of the HandWave for why MegaMan and X lose almost all of their upgrades in between consecutive games; they have the potential to be unstoppable in power, and they know it all too well. The latter is also a pacifist by his upbringing.

* Many police and security personnel have to be tasered before they are authorized to carry and use a taser on others, in order to know what exactly it is they are doing.

* In Film/{{Frozen}} Elsa freaking out about her Ice powers and obsessively trying to control them is what causes her running away (which is what jump starts the main conflict)

* In the Avengers, this is at least one of the reasons Bruce Banner has hidden in a remote corner of India - because [[PowerIncontinence the Hulk's strength is uncontrollable when he gets angry]]. He's even tried to kill himself to stop it.

* In the Avengers, this is at least one of the reasons Bruce Banner has hidden in a remote corner of India - because the Hulk's strength is uncontrollable when he gets angry. He's even tried to kill himself to stop it.

The reason for this fear is what keeps it an interesting bit of character struggle [[labelnote:*]]it's ''usually'' moral or sanity based, being between what they are capable of and what they can see properly allowable of themselves[[/labelnote]], as does how it may or may not be [[CharacterizationMarchesOn resolved]] or [[StatusQuoIsGod not]]. Expect a WorldOfCardboardSpeech at one point or another.

In Conflict based story telling a great way to [[{{Foil}} contrast]] a protagonist from an antagonist seeking [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide "Ultimate]] [[DrunkWithPower Power"]], or a fellow protagonist with the same power, but lacking the fear, embracing it [[labelnote:*]]if it's a fellow protagonist expect them to also fill one or more of the following: HotBlooded, some kind of AntiHero, SlowlySlippingIntoEvil, TokenEvilTeammate, or [[PowerLevels just not]] [[SuperWeight earth shatteringly powerful]], though it could even be a StartOfDarkness[[/labelnote]].

The reason for this fear is what keeps it an interesting bit of character struggle ([[labelnote:*]]it's ''usually'' moral or sanity based, being between what they are capable of and what they can see properly allowable of themselves[[/labelnote]), as does how it may or may not be [[CharacterizationMarchesOn resolved]] or [[StatusQuoIsGod not]]. Expect a WorldOfCardboardSpeech at one point or another.

In Conflict based story telling a great way to [[{{Foil}} contrast]] a protagonist from an antagonist seeking [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide "Ultimate]] [[DrunkWithPower Power"]], or a fellow protagonist with the same power, but lacking the fear, embracing it ([[labelnote:*]]if it's a fellow protagonist expect them to also fill one or more of the following: HotBlooded, some kind of AntiHero, SlowlySlippingIntoEvil, TokenEvilTeammate, or [[PowerLevels just not]] [[SuperWeight earth shatteringly powerful]], though it could even be a StartOfDarkness[[/labelnote]).