History Main / DealWithTheDevil

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deal_7145.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Sign here, and here. Oh, don't worry about that, [[BlatantLies the soul consumption clause is never exercised]]."]]

!!Following pages have their own examples:

!!Examples:

* DealWithTheDevil/{{Advertising}}

* DealWithTheDevil/ComicBooks

* DealWithTheDevil/FolkloreAndFairyTales

* DealWithTheDevil/{{Music}}

* DealWithTheDevil/{{Theatre}}

You know how it works. [[GetRichQuickScheme Want to be a]] [[Fiction500 billionaire]], TakeOverTheWorld, gain [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity infinite power]], or just get back at that obnoxious JerkJock? Well, mosey on down to [[AtTheCrossroads those crossroads]] and [[LouisCypher Mr. S]] will [[YourHeartsDesire guarantee your wildest dreams]], if you just sign on the dotted line with your own blood. This trope doesn't even require the Abrahamic Devil; any [[TheTrickster trickster]], [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]], or evil deity [[EverybodyHatesHades roughly equivalent]] to {{Satan}} can be used. It reached [[TropeCodifier its current version]] in the 16th-century legend of Myth/{{Faust}} selling his soul to {{Mephistopheles}} (who technically isn't ''quite'' exactly Satan, but still a high-ranking demon). The basic story is far, far older, however, with Sanskrit and Sumerian tales of craftsmen making deals with demons for superlative skill, making this OlderThanDirt.

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 whatever the service, whatever the offer, '''there is always a price.''' This price can be anything -- the Faust's soul, their conscience, [[BabyAsPayment their firstborn]], their loved ones, their voice, their eternal servitude, or even [[ForWantOfANail something that seems completely innocent]] -- but whatever the price, it's something that will render the Faust a lot worse off when it is paid, if not bring them to complete ruin.

'''Cooper:''' Touchy.

[[folder:Recorded And Stand-Up Comedy]]
* Bill Hicks had a notorious comedy routine in which he accused bands that endorsed anti-drug messages of [[UnusualEuphemism doing this]]. Sort of. [[spoiler:"SUCK SATAN'S COCK!"]]

* In ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'', Alastor, [[TheDreaded one of Hell's most powerful demons]], offers a deal to Charlie, the hotel's owner, complete with the outstretched hand and ominous music and lighting. Subverted in that Charlie is the [[AntiAntiChrist daughter of Lucifer himself]] and if she learned anything from her old man, it's not to take deals. She subsequently uses her position as Princess of Hell to officially 'command' Alastor to help her [[ItAmusedMe for as long as he feels like it]], which Alastor considers 'fair enough' without the handshake.

** At the end, Gonzo appears in an explosive flash holding a piece of paper similar to the offered contract. Kermit asks if it's the contract, but Gonzo reveals it's something worse: ''[[ShockinglyExpensiveBill the bill from the special effects department!]]'' Cue everyone, Cooper included, letting out a BigNo

* PlayedForLaughs in the Music/AliceCooper episode of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', Cooper acts as an agent for the devil, offering a contract that will give the muppet who signs it anything they want. Gonzo is ecstatic, but can't find a pen. ("I'll sell my soul for a pen! No, I have other plans for that.") Miss Piggy goes through with the deal for great beauty, but is turned off by what Cooper considers beautiful. After giving Piggy a refund, Cooper radios the devil to report...

** Then the trope gets one last joking when Gonzo appears in an explosive flash just before the ending. Kermit thinks Gonzo made the deal, but Gonzo reveals he has something even worse: ''[[ShockinglyExpensiveBill the bill for all the special effects]]''! Everyone (Cooper, Kermit, and the Monsters on stage) basically unites in an, "Oh no!"

* PlayedForLaughs in the Music/AliceCooper episode of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', Cooper acts as an agent for the devil, offering a contract that will give the muppet who signs it anything they want. Gonzo is ecstatic, but can't find a pen. ("I'll sell my soul for a pen! No, I have other plans for that.") Ms. Piggy goes through with the deal for great beauty, but is turned off by what Cooper considers beautiful. After giving Piggy a refund, Cooper radios the devil to report...

# [[FemalesAreMoreInnocent In comical versions, if the devil is female]] -- usually [[MinionWithAnFInEvil some apprentice demon who always fails]] -- of course she will be insanely sexy or cute (according to EvilIsCool, EvilIsSexy, HotAsHell and CuteMonsterGirl rule), [[InterspeciesRomance so why not ask her to become your girlfriend or wife]]? Of course, MostWritersAreMale, so it's extremely rare to see a female protagonist do this with a male devil.

* The protagonist of ''Manhwa/{{Priest}}'', Ivan Isaacs, makes a deal with the demon Bethael/Belial which involves giving up half his soul.

->''"Well, Cuphead and his pal Mugman,\\
They like to roll the dice.\\
By chance they came 'pon Devil's game,\\
And gosh, they paid the price, paid the price...\\
And now they're fighting for their lives\\
On a mission fraught with dread.\\
And if they proceed but don't succeed,\\
Well... the Devil will take their heads!"''
-->-- '''Cuphead's opening theme''', ''[[VideoGame/{{Cuphead}} Cuphead]]''

* DealWithTheDevil/AnimatedFilms

->''"''Well, Cuphead and his pal Mugman,\\

Well... the Devil will take their heads!''
"''

->''"Well, Cuphead and his pal Mugman
They like to roll the dice
By chance, they came 'pon (the) Devil's Game
And gosh, they paid the price
Paid the price
And now they're fighting for their lives
On a mission fraught with dread
And if they proceed but don't succeed
Well
The Devil will take their heads

-->-- '''Don't Deal with the Devil song''', ''[[VideoGame/{{Cuphead}} Cuphead]]''

->''"History has proven a thousand times that no man has ever gained from a bargain with The Dark, yet cowards and fools continue to try, and The Dark never turns them away."''
-->-- '''The Mayor''', ''[[VideoGame/{{Myth}} Myth: The Fallen Lords]]''

You know how it works. [[GetRichQuickScheme Want to be a]] [[Fiction500 billionaire]], TakeOverTheWorld, gain [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity infinite power]], or just get back at that obnoxious JerkJock? Well, mosey on down to [[AtTheCrossroads those crossroads]] and [[LouisCypher Mr. S]] will [[YourHeartsDesire guarantee your wildest dreams]], if you just sign on the dotted line with your own blood. This trope doesn't even require the Abrahamic Devil; any [[TheTrickster trickster]], [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]], or evil deity [[EverybodyHatesHades roughly equivalent]] to {{Satan}} can be used. It reached its current version in the 16th-century legend of Myth/{{Faust}} selling his soul to {{Mephistopheles}} (who technically isn't ''quite'' exactly Satan, but still a high-ranking demon). The basic story is far, far older, however, with Sanskrit and Sumerian tales of craftsmen making deals with demons for superlative skill, making this OlderThanDirt.

** 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, say, a $10,000 USD cancellation fee for your cell phone contract. 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.
* Usury, aka taking loans. The lender and borrower will pledge into well, a Loan Contract. The lender will lend his money at first so you can immediately use it, 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 pill. It is probably not because you are irresistibly handsome.
* [[DrugsAreBad Drug addiction.]] Somebody offers you a great pleasurable experience beyond normal human sensations. It is also extremely profitable, and you'll get rich quick in no time. 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", all the while society hunts you down. You will sometimes be forced by your dealer to do tricks for him, with death being the only apparent exit. There's a reason why "wiser" drug dealers don't [[GettingHighOnTheirOwnSupply get high on their own supply.]]
* General rule of thumb, making a deal with organized crime (commonly TheMafia) is basically this.
* 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[[note]]An October 2014 study found that, in order to read all the [=EULAs=] a typical person would encounter in a given year, it would take ''74 days''[[/note]]. Subverted in that, for this exact reason, there's doubt over whether they're actually legally binding.
* Creator/BabeRuth said that he would give a year of his life to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium. Sure enough, he hit the home run. One has to wonder...
* Technically a subversion, but when ''Creator/MarleneDietrich'' still lived in Germany, some high ranking Nazi officials offered her a whopping amount of money to star in their propaganda films. Thankfully, she [[ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules turned them down,]] and eventually immigrated to the US, where she helped work against the Nazis.

* [[DrugsAreBad Drug addiction.]] Somebody offers you 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", sometimes forced to do tricks for him, with death being the only apparent exit. There's a reason why "wiser" drug dealers don't [[GettingHighOnTheirOwnSupply get high on their own supply.]]

Of course, the devil ''has'' been in this business since day seven. Therefore, the only way the villain of the piece can expect to get out of the "accounts receivable" column is by [[HellHasNewManagement getting moved into the "owner's equity" column.]]

Sometimes this trope is [[PlayingWithATrope played with]] by having the devil-analogue purchase something other than the seller's soul, such as a term of service ([[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil indentured]] or otherwise), their [[RapidAging youth]], their [[CreativeSterility creativity]], etc.