History Main / DealWithTheDevil

* Matt Tremont justified working with Drew Blood by explaining that he had scene a ladder leading up to heaven through a light Blood had told him to look at and came to the realization that there was no God, that the closest thing to God was himself because he was the savior of Wrestling/CombatZoneWrestling but that [[DevilButNoGod the devil was in fact real]] because he realized in the same moment it was Blood.[[/folder]]

This trope includes both literal {{Magically Binding Contract}}s with a literal devil, and crooked deals between any corrupt exploiter (the Mephistopheles role) and a desperate pawn (the Faust role). The exploiter can be offering anything from some shiny new AppliedPhlebotinum to making a high school nerd [[InWithTheInCrowd popular]], to [[LeonineContract saving your life moments before death]]. Sometimes it has [[MadeOfTemptation no practical value whatsoever]]. But there is ''always'' a catch to a crooked deal like this, a ruinous price that the Mephistopheles will either ask or demand of the Faust as "payment" for their generous service. It could be ''anything'' -- their soul, their conscience, their sanity, their firstborn, their loved ones, their voice, their eternal servitude, or even [[ForWantOfANail something that seems completely innocent but with bad consequences]].

You know how it works. Want to be a [[{{Fiction 500}} trillionaire]], TakeOverTheWorld, gain [[ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow Omniscience]], or just to get back at that obnoxious JerkJock? Well travel down to [[AtTheCrossroads those crossroads]] and [[LouisCypher Mr. S]] will guarantee your wildest dreams, if you just sign on the dotted line with your own blood. This trope is OlderThanSteam, and does not even require the Abrahamic Devil; any {{trickster|s}} or evil deity [[EverybodyHatesHades roughly equivalent]] to {{Satan}} can be used. It reached its current version in the 16th-century legend of {{Faust}} selling his soul to Mephistopheles (who technically isn't ''quite'' exactly Satan or Lucifer, but still a high-ranking demon).

This trope includes both literal {{Magically Binding Contract}}s with a literal devil, and crooked deals between any corrupt exploiter (the Mephistopheles role) and a desperate pawn (the Faust role). The exploiter can be offering anything from some shiny new AppliedPhlebotinum to making a high school nerd [[InWithTheInCrowd popular]], to [[LeonineContract saving your life moments before death]]. Sometimes it has [[MadeOfTemptation no practical value whatsoever]]. But the key to this trope is that there is ''always'' a catch to a deal like this, a ruinous price that the Mephistopheles will either ask or demand of the Faust as "payment" for their generous service. It could be ''anything'' -- their soul, their conscience, their sanity, their firstborn, their loved ones, their voice, their eternal servitude, or even [[ForWantOfANail something that seems completely innocent but with bad consequences]].

This trope includes both literal {{Magically Binding Contract}}s with a literal devil, and crooked deals between any corrupt exploiter (the Mephistopheles role) and a desperate pawn (the Faust role). The exploiter can be offering anything from some shiny new AppliedPhlebotinum to making a high school nerd [[InWithTheInCrowd popular]], to [[LeonineContract saving your life moments before death]]. Sometimes it has [[MadeOfTemptation no practical value whatsoever]]. But the key to this trope is that there is ''always'' a catch to a deal like this, a ruinous price that the Mephistopheles will either ask or demand of the Faust as "payment" for the Mephistopheles' generous service. It could be anything -- their soul, their conscience, their sanity, their firstborn, their loved ones, their voice, their eternal servitude, or even [[ForWantOfANail something that seems completely innocent but with bad consequences]].

This trope includes both literal {{Magically Binding Contract}}s with a literal devil, and crooked deals between any corrupt exploiter (the Mephistopheles role) and a desperate pawn (the Faust role). The exploiter can be offering anything from some shiny new AppliedPhlebotinum to making a high school nerd [[InWithTheInCrowd popular]], to [[LeonineContract saving your life moments before death]]. Sometimes it has [[MadeOfTemptation no practical value whatsoever]]. He then asks for something -- often apparently innocent at first -- that means the total ruin of the Faust if delivered: soul, conscience, [[GoMadFromTheRevelation sanity]], first born, loved ones, voice, [[ForWantOfANail horseshoe nail]]...

# Turn to religion. While rarely used in fiction due to it being too quick a solution (and it failing having UnfortunateImplications), there are many cases when a saint or mystic claimed they (or someone they knew) sold their soul to the devil and were saved by Jesus or the Virgin Mary. In these cases, you merely consecrate yourself to him; the demon only literally gets the soul after death.

# Seem a little ''too'' anxious to sell your soul. (See the FrankZappa example below)

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1341245047035640000

[[quoteright:330:[[Disney/{{Hercules}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deal-with-the-devil_hercules_6551.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:"[[EverybodyHatesHades Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead.]]\\
[[FauxAffablyEvil Hi, how ya doin'?]]"]]

* The first page quote spoofs the fact that end-user licence agreements ''do'' make you click "I Agree" to a lot of legal TechnoBabble that most people don't bother reading and most who try don't understand. Subverted in that, for this exact reason, there's doubt over whether they're actually legally binding.

* Usury, aka taking loans. The lender and borrower will pledge into well, a Loan Contract. The lender will lend his money at first, but some time in the future force the borrower to pay back more. Interest is where the debt multiplies over time. If the borrowers can no longer pay back the interest, then bad things (bankruptcy, seizing your bankrupt assets as collateral, or even debt slavery) happen. For a more profound example, taking a desperate loan out from the mafia, a MorallyBankruptBanker, or comparable organization of {{Loan Shark}}s. You can get a huge loan, no questions asked, or even access to something else you need... but you'll will be forced to pay back a LOT more than you otherwise would, sometimes with your possessions, life, organs, or forced service.
** A similar practice is done by espionage agencies. They will tempt the mark into a "small" treason (such as releasing records on the number of pens needed to write embassy reports) that would not in itself hurt the country betrayed. Once that is done the handler will use that treason as a blackmail device. Another similar means is the infamous HoneyTrap. If you ever are a marine guard at an embassy and see a dazzlingly beautiful woman leaping on you for no apparent reason, take a chill. It is probably not because you are irresistibly handsome.
* [[DrugsAreBad Drug addiction]]. Somebody offers you an offer of a great pleasurable experience beyond normal human sensations. It is also a great opportunity to capitalize in for profit. The catch is, once you are in, you can't get out and will probably suffer long-term psychological and/or physical deterioration if you dare to deviate from the "contract", or sometimes forced to do tricks for him, with death being the only apparent exit. There's a reason why "wiser" drug dealers don't abuse their own drugs.

# Make a LogicBomb, [[GroundhogDayLoop infinite loop]], LoopholeAbuse, etc. For example, if the devil asks to give him your soul after death, you can wish for {{immortality}}. In the case of immortality, however, beware -- a truly crafty devil might pull a JackassGenie on you, either by [[AgeWithoutYouth conveniently forgetting about the "eternal youth" part]] or by [[TheUndead turning you into an undead abomination]].

** At least in the US and most other Common Law countries, this type of contract has a legal remedy because it's well-known no one reads them. Imagine what a pain it would be if you had to read these every time you rented a car, bought a cell phone, and so on. Now imagine the headache if a company did slip some truly odious language into the fine print somewhere and what a headache it could cause. This type of contract is called a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_form_contract standard-form contract, a contract of adhesion or a boilerplate contract]], and a court reserves the right to throw out any clauses in it which are deemed unreasonable or too odious. This is a rare exception to the general principle of, "Your signature means you read it all, understood it all, and accepted it." To date, there aren't known instances of someone challenging the Devil on the grounds that his contracts are boilerplate with unreasonable terms.

* {{Loan shark}}s. For a common example, taking a desperate loan out from the mafia, a MorallyBankruptBanker, or comparable organization of [[BlatantLies legitimate businessmen]]. You can get a huge loan, no questions asked, or even access to something else you need... but you'll will be forced to pay back a LOT more than you otherwise would, sometimes with your possessions, life, organs, or forced service.

--> "If the soul does not exist, eBay could not allow the auctioning of the soul because there would be nothing to sell. However, if the soul does exist then, in accordance with eBay's policy on human parts and remains, we would not allow the auctioning of human souls."

Note that [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils actual devils]] [[LawfulEvil always follow through with their end]], even if their end is a [[JackassGenie sinister bastardization of the terms]]. Thus always remember to ReadTheFinePrint and have an experience in law with you if you try to do this. We never see Mephistopheles simply take the soul and run like an amateur scammer; [[IGaveMyWord he gave his word]], [[MagicallyBindingContract put his name on the dotted line]] and made the wish come true. As icing on the cake, the Mephistopheles sometimes makes sure or just shows in reality that the gift is, in itself, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor detrimental to the life of the Faust and others around him in the first place]] - especially if there's a chance at {{irony}}, where [[GiftOfTheMagiPlot lacking their "soul", the element they gave up as payment, is the only thing that makes the gift worthless]].

* [[DrugsAreBad Drug addiction]]. Somebody offers you an offer of a great pleasurable experience beyond normal human sensations. It is also a great opportunity to capitalize in for profit. The catch is, once you are in, you can't get out and will probably suffer long-term psychological and/or physical deterioration if you dare to deviate from the "contract", or sometimes forced to do tricks for him, with death being the only apparent exit.

This trope includes both literal soul-for-gift deals with a literal devil, and crooked deals between any corrupt slimeball (the Mephistopheles role) and a desperate sucker (the Faust role). The corrupter can be offering anything from some shiny new AppliedPhlebotinum to making a high school nerd [[InWithTheInCrowd popular]], to [[LeonineContract saving your life moments before death]]. Sometimes it has [[MadeOfTemptation no practical value whatsoever]]. He then asks for something -- often apparently innocent at first -- that means the total ruin of the Faust if delivered: soul, conscience, [[GoMadFromTheRevelation sanity]], first born, voice, [[ForWantOfANail horseshoe nail]]...

* Drug addiction. Somebody offers you an offer of a great pleasure beyond normal human sensations. It is also a great opportunity to capitalize in for profit. The catch is, once you are in, you can't get out and will probably suffer long-term psychological and/or physical deterioration if you dare to deviate from the "contract", or sometimes forced to do tricks for him, with death being the only apparent exit.

* {{Loan shark}}s. For a common example, taking a loan out from the mafia, a MorallyBankruptBanker, or comparable organization of [[BlatantLies legitimate businessmen]]. You can get a huge loan, no questions asked, or even access to something else you need... but you'll will be forced to pay back a LOT more than you otherwise would, sometimes with your possessions, life, organs, or forced service.
** A similar practice is done by espionage agencies. They will tempt the mark into a "small" treason (such as releasing records on the number of pens needed to write embassy reports) that would not in itself hurt the country betrayed. Once that is done the handler will use that treason as a blackmail device. Another similar means is the infamous HoneyTrap. If you ever are a marine guard at an embassy and see a dazzlingly beautiful woman leaping on you for no apparent reason, take a chill. It is probably not because you are irresitably handsome.

* {{Loan shark}}s. For a common example, taking a loan out from the mafia or comparable organization of [[BlatantLies legitimate businessmen]]. You can get a huge loan, no questions asked, or even access to something else you need... but you'll be paying back a LOT more than you otherwise would, sometimes with your life, organs, or forced service.

You know how it works. Want to be a millionaire, TakeOverTheWorld, or just to get back at that obnoxious JerkJock? Well travel down to [[AtTheCrossroads those crossroads]] and [[LouisCypher Mr. S]] will guarantee your wildest dreams, if you just sign on the dotted line with your own blood. This trope is OlderThanSteam, and does not even require the Abrahamic Devil; any {{trickster|s}} or evil deity [[EverybodyHatesHades roughly equivalent]] to {{Satan}} can be used. It reached its current version in the 16th-century legend of {{Faust}} selling his soul to Mephistopheles (who technically isn't ''quite'' exactly Satan or Lucifer, but still a high-ranking demon).