History Main / MarkedChange

* Fanart of the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' series often depicts Clan leaders (the highest-ranking Clan members, who have received [[CatsHaveNineLives eight additional lives]] and a new name to reflect their rank) with a star on their forehead. This does not occur in the series itself.

[[folder:Film]]
* Rachael in ''Film/TheRageCarrie2'' has a perfectly ordinary tattoo of a thorny rose. When she goes for the big rage scene, the tattoo spreads itself all over her body from head to toe, leaving her with the image of a thorny vine curling around her body.

* In ''Film/{{Nightbreed}}'', as Boone metamorphoses, various swirling patterns form blackened grooves in his skin.

A classic shorthand for indicating that somebody has activated their SuperMode, tapped into their True Potential, or otherwise just got a lot more powerful: Basically, a {{Badass}}-looking pattern appears on their skin, often glowing. Is related to GlowingEyesOfDoom, and the two are often seen together. This is not necessarily an indication of heroism or villainy. The trope has appearances about even on either side. Sometimes, it's a case of a character being pushed too far.

** Tsunade, Medical Ninja and {{Tsundere}} extraordinaire, has a small diamond marking on her forehead where she keeps an insane amount of chakra carefully stored. [[http://read.mangashare.com/Naruto/chapter-169/page014.html When she releases the seal, it expands into a spiraling pattern,]] and foreshadows the can of whoopass that she is about to open.

* Susan Sto Helit, of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', has a birthmark on her face from where ''her father'' was slapped by [[TheGrimReaper the skeletal incarnation of Death]]. The thin red marks, as of bony fingers, become visible when she is angry, embarrassed or otherwise flushed, so they aren't ''precisely'' marks of {{Bad Ass}}itude -- but she's a FragileFlower in a Pratchett novel (within the larger category of the British comic fantasy), so rendering her moderately upset is pretty much the same thing; she's about to win.

** His OldMaster, Dohko, had a Tiger tattoo exhibiting the exact same comportment

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', as Raven is getting close to fulfilling her destiny of bringing her demon father into the world, she begins to break out in glowing body markings.

* ''Comicbook/XMen'' character Rachel Summers had tattoos put on her face when she was forced to work as a Hound -- a hunter of other mutants. She telekinetically hides them most of the time, but when she's angry or stressed, she gets distracted and they show up again. Making her look more than a little intimidating. Which is appropriate given [[http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3976/phoenixnukeii5.jpg the level of destruction she's capable of]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Aang has ordinary tattoos, but they glow blue along with his [[GlowingEyesOfDoom eyes]] when he goes into the Avatar State.

* Damien in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': His stripes start glowing when he's really pissed.

* The [=PROCEED=] girls in ''SoltyRei'' get red glowing FacialMarkings when they access their special abilities.

** In Fable 3, when charging for a flourish attack, different glowing patterns (depending on the clothing worn) appear. This is additional to tattoos which begin to glow in [[GoodColorsEvilColors different colours]] as you decide upon your moral alignment
* The more colossi you kill in ''ShadowOfTheColossus'', the more black marks appear on Wander's body. This is ''[[TheCorruption not good.]]''
* [[{{Okami}} Amaterasu]]. While she does have red body markings almost at all times, they become twice as elaborate when she reaches full power via CombinedEnergyAttack.

* MarvelComics' ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'' character Rachel Summers had tattoos put on her face when she was forced to work as a Hound -- a hunter of other mutants. She telekinetically hides them most of the time, but when she's angry or stressed, she gets distracted and they show up again. Making her look more than a little intimidating. Which is appropriate given [[http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3976/phoenixnukeii5.jpg the level of destruction she's capable of]].
* The madder incarnation of ''ShadeTheChangingMan'' would have swirls and concentric circles appear on his face and hands when activating his madness powers.

* In ''TheReturnOfHanuman'', Maruti's mouth and cheeks occasionally turn pink to resemble Hanuman to mark that he becomes more powerful.

* The protagonist of ''ShadowMan'' gains additional tattoos as he gains powers.
* In ''LuxPain'' this happens when Atsuki uses sigma.

* In ''{{Solatorobo}}'', it's difficult or even nigh-impossible to see in the game itself, but [[http://www.giantbomb.com/solatorobo-red-the-hunter/61-30423/concept-art/52-418825/5/51-1759781/ this spoilerific piece of concept art]] reveals that Red's [[spoiler:Dahak-fused Trance form]] has TronLines, whereas [[spoiler:his unfused Trance form]] and normal, basic form do not.

* The markings of Ranmaru's arm in ''{{Tokko}}'' grow as his symbiote-granted abilities do.

* Invisible unless you look at it up close but in ''{{Gundam 00}}'', if you perchance happen to fight a Gundam that goes trans-am, the GN particle channels light up briefly before the entire unit is flooded with GN particles and it lays the smackdown on you.
** Even worse, in ''GundamUnicorn'', once it activates the NT-D system, you KNOW it is about to kill you.

* In ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'', Akito gets a weird, glowing pattern all over his body when he activates his mysterious Boson Jump ability. Later, others who demonstrate the ability gets similar patterns, and when a character who lacks the potential attempts to perform one, a glitchy, broken version of the marks fade in and out.

* Takeru when he goes into his ED form in ''ThisUglyYetBeautifulWorld''.

* in MagicTheGathering, [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=205035 Liliana Vess]]. In the midst of her magical mayhem, the demonic pacts carved into her skin often show forth (as shown in the link; the rest of the time, she's just a beautiful human woman).

* Dio's Guild mark in ''LastExile'' appears on his forehead as his [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday 17th birthday]] looms closer. After he undergoes [[spoiler: The Rite of the Covenant and the Trial of Agoon]], it changes color and shape.

A classic shorthand for indicating that somebody has activated their SuperMode, tapped into their True Potential, or otherwise just got a lot more powerful: Basically, a BadAss-looking pattern appears on their skin, often glowing. Is related to GlowingEyesOfDoom, and the two are often seen together. This is not necessarily an indication of heroism or villainy. The trope has appearances about even on either side. Sometimes, it's a case of a character being pushed too far.

* Jo from ''BakuretsuTenshi'' gets an awesome tattoo on her arm every time she's about to kick some damn serious ass.

* When she activates her powers, Rosetta of the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' is surrounded by a mystical aura that looks like glowing green rings of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics floating around her head and hands.

* In ''New GetterRobo'', glowing green lines crawl up the Getter pilots' bodies and into their eyes when Ryoma goes [[UnstoppableRage berserk]] and starts absorbing Getter Rays like mad.

** The fox-whisker-markings on Naruto's face get bigger and turn red when he starts to access his [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nine-Tails Chakra.]] [[spoiler:Naruto's controlled Jinchuuriki form]] manifests symbols on his chakra shroud.

* ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' has a variation of this trope: it is normal for demons to have some sort of colored marks on their body, but if they are wearing {{Power Limiter}}s to seal their abilities and make themselves look human, the marks disappear until they decide to remove the limiters and tap into their powers again. Usually they're just FacialMarkings or a single tattoo-like spot elsewhere, though some have more elaborate ones, such as Hakkai's vine-like pattern (green in the manga, [[PowerGlows glowing red]] in the anime) that goes all over his body and can be controlled and used as CombatTentacles.

* Invisible unless you look at it up close but in {{Gundam 00}}, if you perchance happen to fight a Gundam that goes trans-am, the GN particle channels light up briefly before the entire unit is flooded with GN particles and it lays the smackdown on you.
* Even worse, in GundamUnicorn, once it activates the NT-D system, you KNOW it is about to kill you.