History Main / FesteringFungus

* ''Literature/WhatMovesTheDead'', a retelling of ''Literature/TheFallOfTheHouseOfUsher'', puts particular focus on fungi as a symbol of the house's decay. The lands surrounding the house of Usher harbor an exceptional abundance of mushrooms, while the house itself constantly has attention drawn to its infestation of mold and fungi. The worst of it inhabits the tarn beside the house -- the water is so stagnant with fungus that it's almost gelatinous, and a Sickly Green Glow sometimes emanates from under its surface. [[spoiler:Worst of all, the tarn is ''sentient'', and [[ParasiteZombie gradually overtakes the body and mind]] of any creature that comes in contact with it, whether fish, hare, or human.]]

* ''Film/Gaia2021'': There's a fungal infection in the forest in which the film is set, which may or may not be the work of "God". It prefers ''homo sapiens'', causing [[spoiler:small fungal growths to bloom on their body, eventually fully converting them to a MushroomMan]].

* ''Film/Gaia2021'': There's a fungal infection in the forest in which the film is set, which may or may not be the work of "God." It prefers ''homo sapiens'', causing [[spoiler:small fungal growths to bloom on their body, eventually fully converting them to a MushroomMan]].

* The king in ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993'' the movie became this due to the [[DevolutionDevice Devo-Chamber]], being turned into an enormous, city-wide fungus that chokes the city. It's worth noting despite that his horrifying transformation he managed to keep [[CreepyGood his sapience and good nature]] and that he subtly helps the Mario Brothers through the film in order to defeat Koopa.

* ''WebVideo/RatsSMP'': After the explosion of the Boiler Room, a deadly invasive species of warped fungus begins to grow in the Mansion, concentrated at first in the garden, then in the destroyed Boiler Room as Owen decides to plant a mushroom to get rid of the bug infestation there. Inhaling its spores in large amounts is deadly to rats and humans, granting long-lasting Slowness and later Wither effects, the latter of which can be lethal; even inhaling too much of the fumes in which the fungus is burnt can kill in three days. So far, it has (directly or indirectly) claimed the lives of many of Scott's unnamed family members[[note]](same creator as the one in New Life, different character)[[/note]] [[spoiler:and one of Owen's; [[BrooklynRage Shelby]] is the only known survivor of prolonged exposure to the fungal spores, because she consumed an antidote to the Wither effects while she could, while Will is perceived to be a TyphoidMary for never showing any symptoms while carrying around a dried mushroom for weeks, despite no one being affected by the spores while in their presence.]]

* ''WebVideo/RatsSMP'': After the explosion of the Boiler Room, a deadly invasive species of warped fungus begins to grow in the Mansion, concentrated at first in the garden, then in the destroyed Boiler Room as Owen decides to plant a mushroom to get rid of the bug infestation there. Inhaling its spores in large amounts is deadly to rats and humans, granting long-lasting Slowness and later Wither effects, the latter of which can be lethal; even inhaling too much of the fumes in which the fungus is burnt can kill in three days. So far, it has (directly or indirectly) claimed the lives of many of Scott's unnamed family members[[labelnote:*]](same creator as the one in New Life, different character)[[/labelnote]] [[spoiler:and one of Owen's; [[BrooklynRage Shelby]] is the only known survivor of prolonged exposure to the fungal spores, because she consumed an antidote to the Wither effects while she could.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'': ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has creatures called "[[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Spore_carrier Spore Carriers]]" and "[[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Spore_plant_(Fallout:_New_Vegas) Spore Plants]]" as the result of experimenting with genetically altered spores. They're found in Vault 22 and, in the DLC, Zion Valley and Big MT, where they were originally created. [[FridgeHorror Worst of all]] is how you can find "Runts" in Vault 22 as well as baby carriages covered in spores. [[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Vault_22_terminal_entries Terminal entries]] in Vault 22 states that the spores technically kill the host and reanimates the body to spread more spores but relies heavily on the reservoir hosts to be social animals for maximum dispersal. In ''VideoGame/Fallout2''[='s=] starting village, two [[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Spore_plant_(Fallout_2) spore plants]] can be found growing in gardens that suggest they either were cultivated deliberately or grew there as very belligerent weeds. Whether these also originated from the Big MT research facility, or evolved separately and just LOOK like the Mojave Wasteland version, is unclear.

* ''LetsPlay/RatsSMP'': After the explosion of the Boiler Room, a deadly invasive species of warped fungus begins to grow in the Mansion, concentrated at first in the garden, then in the destroyed Boiler Room as Owen decides to plant a mushroom to get rid of the bug infestation there. Inhaling its spores in large amounts is deadly to rats and humans, granting long-lasting Slowness and later Wither effects, the latter of which can be lethal; even inhaling too much of the fumes in which the fungus is burnt can kill in three days. So far, it has (directly or indirectly) claimed the lives of many of Scott's unnamed family members [[spoiler:and one of Owen's; [[BrooklynRage Shelby]] is the only known survivor of prolonged exposure to the fungal spores, because she consumed an antidote to the Wither effects while she could.]]

* Byrus from Stephen King's ''Literature/{{Dreamcatcher}}'' looks like a red mold and grows across any surface it's exposed to, whether inanimate or living. Internal exposure can result in the growth of a fatal parasite called a byrum (or more colloquially a "shit weasel"), [[spoiler: but most never reach that level, and many of the infected have a good chance of survival]].

* ''Literature/TheFungus'' by Harry Adam Knight (author of ''Literature/{{Carnosaur}}'' and ''Literature/{{Slimer}}''). The book concerns the takeover of the world by genetically engineered fungi. The [[https://img.sfbook.com/books/large/the-fungus.jpg cover]] for the original Star paperback features a man enduring something similar to the page image up above, with various fungi growing out of his nose and mouth.

* ''Literature/OldMansWar'' by John Scalzi features an evidently sentient slime mold which wipes out an entire human colony off-screen. When the Colonial Defense Forces arrive to investigate, several of the soldiers are killed when the mold suddenly [[OrificeInvasion leaps off of the walls into their mouths]] before [[BodyHorror releasing a corrosive substance inside of them.]]. Notably, they are not only ''not'' the villains of the story, but in fact only show up in one chapter, as part of a montage of scenes explaining the wide variety of life in the galaxy and how dangerous settling the galaxy or serving in the CDF can be.

* Creator/DeanKoontz's ''Literature/TheTaking'' has bizarre self-repairing mushrooms in the tavern restroom. They also grow out of the eye sockets of several reanimated corpses in the local church. There are also tumorous-looking pale fungi attached to various surfaces in buildings and walking around town on insect legs. These ones [[spoiler:eat souls]].
* Creator/RobertWestall's ''Literature/UrnBurial'' has ''harka'', a fungal mould created by the Attock which primarily infects the females of species and kills young developing in the womb. In adults it just eats away their flesh and [[StrippedToTheBone strips them down to the bone.]] The only way of killing it is to [[HurlItIntoTheSun teleport the infected into stars.]]

* ''Series/TheFutureIsWild'': The last segment, set in Earth 200 million years in the future, showcases the slithersucker, a slime mold that can adopt the shape and color of a fruit so that [[TrojanHorse it will be eaten]] by a passing megasquid, a terrestrial squid the size of an elephant ([[ItMakesSenseInContext squids fill the niche of mammals by that time]]). The slithersucker escapes digestion and divides in two group of cells: one moves to the "noses" of the Megasquid, the other to its brain. The one in the brain [[PuppeteerParasite takes control of the Megasquid's actions]], moves it around to a suitable location and then makes it "sneeze" to facilitate the dispersion of the cells in the respiratory system of the Megasquid, while the cells in the brain are [[SuicideMission ultimately eliminated]] by the Megasquid's inmune system once dispersion has been completed. This is inspired by modern day fungi that infect snails and arthropods, as detailed in the Real Life section. However, in spite of their name, slime molds are not a fungus -- nor are they even a monophyletic group, and their natural behaviour is not parasitic in the slightest, unlike fungus'.

* Like the video game that inspired it, ''Series/TheLastOfUs'' takes place in a world where mutant coryceps fungus has transformed most of the world's population into zombie-like creatures covered in fruiting growths. The big difference to the game is that the fungus is spread through bites (via fast-growing tendrils) rather than spores.

* ''Series/TheXFiles'': These things are in the spotlight of "[[Recap/TheXFilesS04E11ElMundoGira El Mundo Gira]]". The guy who is infected is spreading the fast-growing deadly fungus to everything he touches.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'': The mod ''VideoGame/{{Thaumcraft}}'' features Taint, which covers the ground in toxic slime, melts trees into goo and turns any mobs that die from the poison into Tainted versions of themselves that either spread the Tainted Land biome or just attack untainted mobs. Tainted Land also features its own unique monsters, like swarms of stinging bugs or large tentacles that grow from the ground.

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* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'': The Circle of Spores {{Druid}} subclass has the Fungal Infestation mechanic that allows them to serve as TheMinionMaster, infecting and reanimating dead foes as zombie allies.

* ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'': The Filth is already some [[TheCorruption incredibly]] [[BodyHorror nasty stuff]], but its fungal form, created when terrestrial fungi were infected, takes it to the next level. This stuff has started evolving rapidly, producing bug-like crawlers, {{blob monster}}s, and even hulking humanoid forms that all spread the fungus, as well as infecting apes and turning them into monsters. You first encounter it in Transylvania, where it has overrun a good portion of the Shadowy Forest, and again in Tokyo, where a cargo ship from the Congo carrying the stuff wound up causing a ''second'' Filth outbreak in the city on top of the one created by the subway bombing.

* On ''WesternAnimation/AsToldByGinger'', a plumber discovers a rapidly spreading mold growing behind the tiles when he removes a tile in Mrs. Foutley's bathroom. The house has to be fumigated in order to get rid of it, and the Foutleys have to temporarily vacate the house, only being allowed to take one treasured possession. [[spoiler:Ginger chooses her diary.]] Mrs. Bishop's already fairly low opinion of the Foutleys gets even lower, although Mrs. Foutley is told that the mold was likely there when they moved in (so it doesn't have anything to do with her housekeeping skills/lack thereof.)

** In "Eclipse Lake", Luz gets sick with an illness called the common mold. When it has subsided, Luz has a variety of fungi growing on her head, wondering whether it's permanent or not before quickly running as it crumbles off.
** In "Watching and Dreaming", [[spoiler:Belos fuses with the Titan's heart, and waves of MeatMoss rapidly begin spreading out from the epicenter of the isles. Unlike his previous goo-like appearance, this infection looks more like a hyper-aggressive fungus or lichen, if fungi and lichens were sentient and covered in eyes.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS5E3RiseAndShineWaitingFungusAmongUs "Fungus Among Us"]] features a rapidly-spreading fungus known as the "Ick", which can encapsulate a person's body in mere minutes, causing them either to break out in severe rashes, or in [=SpongeBob=]'s case, be [[BodyHorror extremely deformed]] and spew out excess green pus.

* ''WebOriginal/HamstersParadise'' has the shroomors, a fleshy, fungus-like lifeform that grows on decaying carcasses and is spread by scavenging animals. The twist is that it's actually a ''free-living cancer'' that descended from a type of transmissible tumor of the AlwaysChaoticEvil sapient race called the Harmsters, that was responsible for their extinction via ZombieApocalypse.

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* En from ''Manga/{{Dorohedoro}}'' has the ability of "Mushroom", his smoke grows mushrooms of various sizes and can transform basically anything into said fungus. He can then also use these mushrooms to fight, with devastating results.
* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'', {{the sociopath}}ic [[MadDoctor doctor]] of Passione, Cioccolata, possesses a [[FightingSpirit Stand]] known as Music/GreenDay, that releases mold spores which eat away at a person's flesh rapidly. The caveat is, Cioccolata needs to be at a high enough elevation for the effects of the spores to be completely lethal to those below him.
* In the story "Mold" from the ''Manga/JunjiItoKyoufuMangaCollection'', the protagonist finds his house becoming rapidly overrun by a strange fungus after letting his old science teacher's family rent it. As it turns out, said science teacher had a passion for mycology, and created a super-fungus [[spoiler:that eventually consumed him and his family some time before the protagonist returned home. Shortly after finding their bodies in a room that was sealed by mold-induced warping before the door rotted off, the protagonist succumbs to the mold as well.]]
* ''Manga/JoujuuSenjinMushibugyou'': the Anthill arc features the Fungus Garden, a room normally found in real life anthills where ants gather dried wood to feed fungi and regulate the temperature and humidity of the whole nest. Since this nest was made by giant bugs and heartless bugmen, the nourishment for the fungi consist in people, with horrible, fungi-covered dried carcasses all over the place. Everything is made worse by the sight of a poor farmer who's still barely alive but so consumed by the fungal matter that he can only weakly drag himself forward.
* In the episode "The Sound of Rust" of ''Manga/{{Mushishi}}'', A fungus-like rust infects a girl's vocal cords, and whenever she speaks, rust spreads like lichen across her village, and even on the [[BodyHorror skin of the other villagers]]. The girl becomes a pariah to her people due to her connection with the plague.
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Kinoko Komori of Class 1-B has the Quirk "Mushroom", which allows her to grow mushrooms anywhere and everywhere. Despite her cutesy appearance, she's one of the more dangerous members of 1-B, taking down a chunk of 1-A (including [[LivingShadow Tokoyami]], one of the heavier hitters in that class) during a training exercise. Her Quirk can also be used as crowd-control, [[spoiler:which is the reason she is one of the few students to put in a frontline of the villa raid team during the war between the Heroes and the Paranormal Liberation Front.]]
* Episode 229 of ''Manga/{{Naruto}} Shippuden'' titled, "Eat or Die! Mushrooms from Hell!" had multicolored mushrooms called "Moulding Mushrooms" overtake the ship on which the team is sailing. Upon being eaten, the mushrooms sprout from the eater's skin and influence their actions. This is probably yet another "The Voice in the Night"/''Film/{{Matango}}'' {{Homage}}.
* ''Anime/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'' prominently features "The Sea of Corruption", a toxic jungle of [[FungusHumongous giant]], mutant plants and fungi that exude clouds of noxious spores that infest and kill any normal plants, animals and people they come into contact with. [[spoiler:In the manga version it's actually inverted towards the end as it's revealed that the Sea of Corruption was genetically engineered to clean up the radioactive fallout and other pollutants left behind by the apocalyptic war known as the Seven Days of Fire and restore Earth's environment. The reason it's dangerous to "humans" is because they've also been genetically modified to be slightly radiotrophic in order to survive in the irradiated, post-apocalyptic wasteland. In truth, the fungus isn't trying to "infest" people, it's trying to "purify" them. It's simply an unfortunate oversight that it does this by tearing them apart on a cellular level in order to get at all those nasty radionuclides their bodies are saturated with.]]
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', after Luffy got sent to Amazon Lily, he finds several shrooms called "Body Mushroom" and eats much of them for a snack. The mushrooms instantly knock him unconscious and they grow over his body, but with help from [[AmazonBrigade The Kujas]], the mushrooms were quickly removed.
* In ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'', Aimaru can use a special Gourmet Mold fungus to track down certain delicious ingredients by following the trail of said mushroom. It also acts as a {{Foreshadow}} for [[spoiler: Joie's real powers, which allows him to brainwash people by using a special fungus to alter them, as well as using said fungus to rot his opponents to death.]]

* '''Website/TaerelSetting'': The Umvera Kin'toni Clan ( https://taerel.com/wiki/index.php/Taerel:Umvera_Kin%27toni_Clan ) grow a form of fungus from wounds on their bodies. They embrace the fungus that in time, kills them by clogging their arteries. This fungus sometimes would grow so large or in such an inconvenient place that they would lose some of the functionality of their bodies. Some would end up being unable to walk, talk, lift things, or even see as some of the fungus prevented them from being able to do so.