History Main / PowerIncontinence

** After the Mask of Time fails, the Toa Nuva defeat the Bohrok-Kal by transferring their energies to the Bohrok-Kal until they have more power than they can control. The one with magnetism power is crushed by magnetized debris, the one with gravity powers collapses into a black hole, the one with the ability to absorb and release air is launched into space, the one with plasma power melts the ground it os standing on and sinks into it, the one with electrical power is paralyzed, and the one with sonic powers is vibrated into pieces.

* This is a very common problem for anomalous humanoids in Wiki/SCPFoundation.

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[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'', this is treated as a fairly ordinary quirk of apprenticeship in the Order of Hermes, especially if the apprentice in question has an affinity for say, fire magic, or, in the case of Bjornaer magi, if they have a particularly ornery or excitable heart-beast form and haven't learned to shift properly yet.
* ''TabletopGame/CthulhuTech'' has this sort of thing with its psychics. Run out of magic points? Don't worry, you can still CastFromHitPoints. You just have a chance of Burning for hours afterwards.
* ''TabletopGame/DontRestYourHead'': Those who tap into their [[PowerBornOfMadness Madness Powers]] discover that losing control means [[RageBreakingPoint losing control]]. And those who are particularly stupid or [[KillerGameMaster unlucky]] will discover what happens when you keep pushing your limits.
* The psionics rules for ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' include a psychic disease known as Cascade Flu, which causes those infected to manifest all their powers, one after another, with random targets. This can be amusing if you have nothing but, say, the powers that create (but not shoot) arrows out of thin air and let you jump really well, but it can be outright deadly if you happen to have more than one attack power.
* This can be a problem with one's party if you get the [[GoneHorriblyWrong wrong]] aura effects in ''TabletopGame/GammaWorld''. [[HilarityEnsues Hi-larity will ensue]] as your party draws and quarters your character for killing Dave The Robot Demon the hundredth time.
* In ''TabletopGame/GURPSSupers'' (the TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} rule supplement that fleshed out superpowers), the point cost to buy individual powers can be reduced if the player accepts limitations on them, for example "Always On" or "Uncontrollable", or takes specific disadvantages linked to it. "Body of Fire, Always On" means the character is a walking fire elemental. "Uncontrollable Telekinesis" manifests as poltergeist phenomena. Telepaths who cannot shut their telepathy off suffer massive distraction and headaches if they are in a crowd. Teleporters may find they're not sleepwalking, but sleep''teleporting'', with embarrassing or life-threatening results.
* ''TabletopGame/HeroSystem'': One of the Disadvantages you can add to a Power to decrease its cost is Always On, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
* Plenty of Mega-Heroes from ''TabletopGame/HeroesUnlimited'' have some problem controlling their powers. For example: Hazmat has the powers to control radiation and transform into living plasma. The problem? He can't transform back, meaning he has to permanently stay in a specially designed HazmatSuit.
* The "broken" creeds of ''TabletopGame/HunterTheReckoning'', Hermits and Waywards, suffer from this, among other things. Waywards have their "second sight" always on, meaning they can ''always'' see any monsters around them, non-stop, 24/7. Given that every Wayward is on a personal mission to eliminate the supernatural from the world, this does ''not'' do much to help their mental stability. Hermits have a constant connection to the PowersThatBe; unfortunately, the strength of the connection is so powerful that left unchecked, it would destroy a human mind, so a Hermit's subconscious must suppress much of the connection in self-preservation. The stress of this results in the Hermit suffering permanent and painful mental 'static', which only gets worse around supernaturals and other Hunters.
* The Marauders of ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' can be divided into two types. One has their perception of the world around them unconsciously warped into a delusion, and act accordingly; the other [[RealityWarper unconsciously warps the world around them to fit their delusions]].
* The Mad of ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' have had their souls broken, causing their magic to subconsciously leak out into the world.
* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful:'' Most of the titular Princesses are standard HenshinHero fare: they have a human default form with minimal powers, can temporarily assume a more powerful and blatantly magical form, and have to make an effort to stay in that form for long periods of time. Princesses of Mirrors, on the other hand, default to their ''magical'' form and have to make an effort to assume or stay in their ''human'' form.
* Many other point-based systems allow that as well, such as ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'' or ''Big Eyes, Small Mouth''. "Uncontrollable" comes with an even worse version of this trope where your power is actively malicious toward you.
* Although it's not ''necessarily'' your powers (but it can be), this is how some Afflictions work in ''TabletopGame/{{Nobilis}}'' -- they provide a constant stream of miracles whenever the HG thinks they should, but you have no control over which miracles they are or how they are used. One like "My Estate frequently does things in my area without my consent" can lead to [[HilarityEnsues much hilarity]], although depending on your choice of Estate, this could be anything from randomly inflicting despair on people to the creation of pine cones out of thin air. And you get MP every time an Affliction proves inconvenient to you.
* The Dreamer from ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'' is a six-year-old girl whose abrupt manifestation of her PsychicPowers rendered her comatose and allowed her nightmares to manifest in the real world. Unlike the other villain decks in the game, the heroes aren't trying to beat her so much as wake her up before her projections cause too much damage.
* This can happen to your character in ''TabletopGame/TalesFromTheFloatingVagabond'' if the Game Master feels you're overusing your character's Shtick. A character with the [[BagOfHolding Trench Coat Effect]] may fall victim to RummageFail, while a character with the [[ToonPhysics Escher Effect]] may find that [[RealityIsOutToLunch the laws of physics stop working at the most inconvenient times]].
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** Psykers (psychically sensitive humans) generally can't control their powers... which leads to them usually being [[WitchHunt hunted down as witches]] and [[BurnTheWitch burned at the stake]]. Believe it or not, the alternative is actually ''[[DemonicPossession worse]]''.
** Ork pskyers, or Weirdboyz, have even ''less'' control of their psychic abilities. They generally live apart from the other boyz because the gestalt Waaagh! energy that pervades the Orkish race ends up being vented through the Weirdboy, [[YourHeadASplode with negative effects for those around him]]. In game terms, this means that Weirdboyz ''must'' use a psychic power each turn, and the exact ability used is determined randomly. And the power appears randomly, sometimes taking other orks around the Weirdboy off.
** The Kroot have a CannibalismSuperpower version of AdaptiveAbility, allowing them to evolve new traits by consuming the flesh of critters with those traits -- eat strong, tough creatures, like Orks, and the Kroot will grow stronger and tougher. The downside is, they can't turn this off, so if they don't eat a balanced diet -- and, more importantly, regularly eat the flesh of sapient beings -- they'll eventually devolve into mindless animals. The entire animal ecology of their homeworld, Pech, is now based on devolved Kroot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/AncientDomainsOfMystery'', may the gods help you if you accidentally teleport out of a shop without paying. Shopkeepers have absolutely no sense of humor.
* ''VideoGame/AyakashiRomanceReborn'':
** Koga suffers from an illness called [[spoiler:the carnage]], which is another, more powerful form that unfortunately causes him to [[spoiler:lose his mind and attack anyone he sees. He accidentally killed his childhood friend while in this form and still feels guilty about it]].
** Also Yomi, a side character in an event story. He is a [[spoiler:baku, which eats nightmares]]. But if his emotions go out of control, [[spoiler:all the nightmares pour out of him and invade the minds of those around him]].
* Partway through ''Videogame/{{BioShock|1}}'', Jack ingests a dose of an experimental formula [[spoiler:in order to undo Fontaine's PsychicAssistedSuicide TriggerPhrase]]. However, its side effect causes him to constantly, involuntarily switch plasmids until he finds and ingests another dose.
* One variant of the "[[PoisonMushroom Disease]]" item in ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' causes him to uncontrollably drop bombs. With the charming in-game name of ''bomb diarrhea''.
* The Carson Extreme Hot Rod in ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise''. Infinite boost is a pretty sweet deal... too bad there's no way to turn it off. If you can master it, though, it's one of the fastest and most fun cars in the game.
* In the MMO ''Videogame/CityOfHeroes'', an accident suffered during the Rikti War caused the hero Positron's nuclear powers to run constantly, forcing him to spend all his time in his containment suit out of fear of nuking everyone around him. As of Issue 10, though, his powers have gone back to normal, since he was killed when the Rikti invaded again and [[DeathIsCheap a teammate resurrected him]].
* In ''VideoGame/CognitionAnEricaReedThriller'', the titular character has the power to briefly look into the past by touching objects imprinted with memories. However, her ability gets extra sensitive if she is emotionally distressed, causing her to involuntary use the power in situations where it is very inconvenient for her.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''. The Inquisitor’s Mark on the palm of their left hand initially only gives them the power to open and close opened Fade rifts. Once they survive the attack on Haven, the mark gets upgraded into a power that deals damage over time to enemies. It uses a mechanism called Focus which you need to build up over time, and you have complete control over when you can use this power, provided you have sufficient Focus built up. In the Trespasser DLC however, the mark becomes increasingly unstable, wherein towards the end, the mark automatically builds up Focus way too quickly, and when it saturates, involuntarily detonates, damaging everyone around you, friends included. In order to save your life, your arm bearing the mark, needs to be amputated.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'': The Seeress of Paddra, a.k.a. Yeul, cannot control her visions of the future, which strike whenever any change occurs to the timeline. The real kicker is that each vision brings her [[PowerDegeneration closer and closer]] [[PsychicNosebleed to her demise]], until one fateful day, [[CastFromLifespan she has a vision that kills her]]. [[spoiler: [[BlessedWithSuck The main character has the same power as well.]]]]
* ''VideoGame/FreedomForce'' has Man-Bot, whose Energy-X mutation is [[BlessedWithSuck much less desirable than those of his teammates.]] His body constantly builds up volatile Energy-X. He wears a suit of PoweredArmor that contains it; without it, he randomly suffers powerful energy discharges that nuke anything in the immediate vicinity... like his brother. It carries over to gameplay as well; even with the armor, any attack that strikes Man-Bot has a small chance of triggering an explosion that damages Man-Bot and anyone close to him. This can be either very good or very bad, depending on whether he's in the middle of the enemy or the team.
* In the original series of ''VideoGame/DotHackR1Games'', overusing [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Data Drain]] caused an array of adverse effects to the player. Depending on how much viral infection the player has taken on from using Data Drain, they can suffer anything from status ailments and debuffs to loss of experience points or even suffer a [[NonStandardGameOver System Error]].
* ''VideoGame/InFamous'': Cole [=McGrath=] can't control his ability to ShockAndAwe enough to hold a gun, ride in a car, or even ''swim''.
* K' from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' has to wear a special glove to control the flame powers given to him by the Kusanagi DNA, otherwise he can cause explosions without trying. A similar character, Nameless, also has to wear a special glove to control his flame powers: at one point in his backstory, he killed somebody accidentally by tapping them on the shoulder.
* The Unbreakable Darkness from ''VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable: The Gears of Destiny''. Merely appearing somewhere causes fluctuations in time and space and creates Dark Piece clones formed from the characters' pasts and even alternate futures. Oh, and the world she's in and everything around it will be reduced to nothing if she ever reaches full power, even though she doesn't want such things to happen. The ending reveals that [[spoiler:the Materials and the Tome of the Purple Sky were originally meant to be a PowerLimiter system so that she could regulate her unlimited powers, and she's finally able to use them for good once Lord Dearche, the Material of Sovereignty, successfully re-establishes this role of hers]].
* David, the autistic mathematical genius introduced in the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' [=DLC=] ''Overlord'' can understand the Geth and talk in their language. Once plugged in the Geth neural network however, he can't block out any of their constant chattering.
-->'''David:''' ''[[AndIMustScream QUIET, PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!!!]]''
* Psycho Mantis from ''Videogame/MetalGearSolid'' is constantly reading the minds of those around him unless he wears his gas mask. The popular explanation (which was used in ''Webcomic/TheLastDaysOfFoxhound'' as well) is that the mask itself [[GogglesDoNothing doesn't do anything]]. Rather, it serves as a sort of crutch, like a security blanket or a lucky charm or MagicFeather, that allows Mantis to filter out undesirable thoughts.
* [[BigBad Colonel Volgin]] of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' is covered in burn scars and wears a rubber suit, making it clear he has little control over the electrical charge in his body. [[TheSociopath Not that he has much control in the first place]]. He's also a walking lightning rod and terrified of being struck, and chants "Kuwabara kuwabara" in the rain hoping it will ward it off.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' has this as a side effect of using [[SuperMode Hyper Mode]]. After a few seconds of active use, the power meter starts charging on its own, causing a NonStandardGameOver if it fills. While the usual "treatment" is an UnstoppableRage, Samus can opt for ATeamFiring if there are no targets nearby.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' gives Samus a new problem [[spoiler:with the Metroid Suit: in Samus' hand is the power to drain ''anything'' she can grab and ''everything it's connected to''. This is a problem when you're on a planet in the throes of self-destruction and the only way off is a spaceship, and were it not for a specific X Parasite, this particular trait would have gotten her killed]].
* At the end of every set of stages in ''VideoGame/MightyFlipChamps'', Alta's magic wand flips the chambers on its own, so she has a very short time to move to a safe spot to avoid getting crushed by the incoming dimensional wall.
* The same thing happens in the final stage of ''VideoGame/MightySwitchForce'', where Patricia's helmet siren activates every few seconds without her input.
* ''Videogame/NetHack'' characters may acquire (either from certain magic items or from eating corpses) the ability to polymorph or teleport... but at random times, uncontrollably. If you're polymorphed into a strong monster during a tough combat or teleported away from danger, good for you! If you're polymorphed into a sewer rat on dungeon level 15, that's a different matter...
* [[AscendedDemon Redeemed Demons]] from ''VideoGame/NexusClash'' can channel their guilt and anger at their former evil ways into a powerful holy [[HolyHandGrenade smiting]] attack that quickly mows through still-unrepentant demons in a few blows. Unfortunately, the line between good and evil anger is blurry and thus these attacks regularly manifest as an unholy demonic wave of evil instead. Despite having no control over these outbursts, the Redeemed are blamed for them and punished with a massive reduction in the all-important KarmaMeter, making their smites a sort of DeathOrGloryAttack.
* Tracer from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' suffers this. Tracer is UnstuckInTime and needs her chronal accelerator to stay in the present timeline. Without it, she'll glitch out from the timeline and disappear (as seen in the Doomfist Origins Trailer when Doomfist destroyed it). Good news, however. Winston, genius scientist that he is, has made copies, so if she for example is in her flat, she'll be fine.
* In ''Videogame/Persona3'': The members of Strega. Their Personas are real, but artificially awakened, and the medication they take to control it will eventually kill them (Albeit not very quickly, given that they're still alive after ten years). However, none of them die on screen from it as they [[spoiler: die in battle, or in Chidori's case sacrifices herself]]. Shinji has it to a lesser extent, as he only lost control once but took the same medication in an attempt to kill his Persona out of guilt. He [[spoiler: either dies of a gunshot wound or in the Portable version, the game ends with him alive but hospitalized with the implication that he won't live much longer.]]
* Several ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' appear to have this:
** Pichu is power incontinent. In the video games, this doesn't manifest. In the anime, as well as in ''Videogame/SuperSmashBros'' Melee, however, it [[CastFromHitPoints damages itself with its electric attacks]], bringing the cute little critter from "outmatched" to "useless".
** Psyduck suffers from constant headaches due to its psychic powers, and when the headaches get really bad, it can cause an explosion. When this happens, it doesn't remember it.
** Espurr also. It has enough psychic energy to blast everything within 300 feet of itself, but it has no control over its power. The only way to protect itself and its environment is closing its ears, so that no power can leak out.
** Darkrai has the power to inflict endless, painful nightmares upon all who draw near it. It also happens to be incapable of turning this power off, so [[DarkIsNotEvil it hides away on a remote, uninhabited island to avoid inadvertently harming people]].
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', [[SuperMode Mega Evolved]] Pokémon have separate [[MonsterCompendium dex]] entries from their normal counterparts. Most of them imply that the power of Mega Evolution appears to have adverse effects on these Pokémon, such as Mega Glalie whose transformation forces its jaw open and continually leaks [[BreathWeapon ice breath]], which may explain why they cannot remain Mega Evolved indefinitely.
** In ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' it's established that all Pokémon innately [[{{Sizeshifter}} have the ability to shrink themselves in compact environments]] but implied that most can't do it at will (with the exception of the ones capable of learning Minimize), which the Poké Balls exploit by forcing the effect to activate for easy storage.
* The gods Zaros and Seren from ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' have the power to inspire loyalty and adoration respectively towards them in anybody who stays around then for a prolonged period of time. They cannot turn this power off and the effect fades away after one is separated from them. Zaros considers this power a curse because it means he cannot tell who is truly loyal to him, and who will turn on him when he isn't around. Zaros and Seren are not immune to each other's power so they avoid each other except when necessary. Mah created them that way to keep the two of them together.
* Players suffer from this in the intro to ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'' immediately after they first bond with their [[TheSymbiote Bee]]. It all kicks off with the PC accidentally [[PlayingWithFire setting their clothes on fire]] just by reaching for them, and within a matter of days, you're blasting furniture across the room, firing EyeBeams into the ceiling and uncontrollably levitating. By day five, however, you've gotten things under control -- enough to juggle fireballs at any rate.
* Some offerings ''Videogame/SoulSacrifice'' cannot be turned off once they are used, such as armors and evasion spells. It's particularly annoying when you place a golem and get constantly knocked back.
* ''Videogame/{{Starcraft}}'':
** While they aren't specifically superheroes, the [[SuperSoldier Terran Ghosts]] suffer from being unable to not read thoughts of those around them. At least the superficial stuff.
** And Protoss, especially the higher-level ones, sometimes suffer from extreme excess of psychic energy. High Templar units, for example, are in the manual mentioned to go through conditioning so as to not [[YourHeadASplode make heads randomly explode]] in their presence due to extreme psychic power (and relaxing these mental blocks is the basis for their devastating Psionic Storm ability).
** In the novel ''Liberty's Crusade'', the title reporter meets Sarah Kerrigan and thinks how great it would be for a reporter to have telepathy, only for Kerrigan to pick up on his thought and simply tell him that it wouldn't be as great as he thinks. In ''Ghost: Nova'', the title character is an extremely-powerful telepath and telekinetic who has yet to learn what she is thanks to her wealthy father carefully hiding her abilities (any telepath is promptly taken by the Ghost Academy). However, the violent murder of her parents by a terrorist group results in her MindOverMatter abilities to manifest violently in the form of a wave that not only kills anyone still alive in the penthouse but also shatters the glass dome that is supposed to be rated against ''direct nuclear strikes''.
* A more pleasant example is Nadia Grell, the Consular's companion in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic''. The poor girl might be one of the most powerful telekinetics in a generation. Unfortunately, Force Sensitives (much less Force Users) are unheard of on her planet. Without training, it led to things ''exploding'' whenever Nadia got too happy, too sad, too scared, or too angry. Part of the reason her father was so eager to make an alliance with the Republic (and the Consular, personally) was to find ''anyone'' who [[GoodParents could help his daughter control her abilities]].
* The Hammer and Golden Hammer in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games come with this. While very powerful, once you grab one of them, your character will be forced to swing it like a madman until it either disappears with time or gets knocked out of your hands by an attack, unable to do anything but move and jump until then. Getting knocked off the edge almost ensures your demise due to your inability to double jump or use a special, there are certain things you ''don't'' want to hit accidentally (Explosives or an Ike or Marth using a CounterAttack), and if you're unfortunate enough to get a defective hammer that's incapable of causing harm, you can't voluntarily dispose of it.
* This is a risk Force users run in ''VideoGame/TalesOfRebirth'' if their emotions start going out of control, usually with negative consequences to the surrounding environment. Veigue, for example, freezes his friend Claire accidentally, while Tytree trashes an entire factory within fifteen minutes by causing plants to grow out of control.
* Jenna/Vibe from ''VideoGame/ThirdCrisis'' is an {{Expy}} of Tracer (in the game's original fangame version, she ''was'' Tracer), and as such also requires her suit in order to stay in one timeline. Since the game is an H-game, however, she can operate ''without'' her suit for longer periods of time than Tracer can.
* With its vast and varied SuperpowerLottery, ''Videogame/{{Touhou}}'' naturally has a few examples of this.
** [[TheDitz Cirno]] constantly [[AnIcePerson cools the area around her]], and among other things is prone to giving people who touch her frostbite.
** Satori Komeiji has the power to [[{{Telepathy}} read the hearts and minds]] of anyone and everyone with her [[ExtraEyes third eye]], and [[ForgotAboutTheMindReader the contempt]] [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead this earned her]], both amongst humans and other {{youkai}}, impacted her to such an extent that she willfully exiled herself to [[FantasticGhetto the Underground]] with other undesired youkai.
** Her sister Koishi, who had the same power, permanently sealed off her eye in order to escape the contempt. On the downside, this had the unforeseen side-effect of permanently [[EmptyShell sealing off her own heart and mind]], resulting in her WalkingTheEarth in a purely subconscious stupor. She now also has the incontinential power to [[PsychicPowers manipulate other peoples' subconscious minds]] [[PerceptionFilter which]] [[ImaginaryFriend manifests]] in [[ByTheEyesOfTheBlind various]] [[InvisibleToAdults interesting]] [[NotSoImaginaryFriend ways]].
** Hina is a curse goddess who is actually benevolent and ''absorbs'' misfortune instead of spreading it, however, she has a tendency to... ''leak'' misfortune.
** Miko can't turn off her [[SuperSenses super-hearing]] and wears [[PowerLimiter earmuffs]] to try to deal with it.
** Akyuu can't forget anything, at least until the [[{{Reincarnation}} next time she dies]].
** Kokoro's [[EmotionControl powers]] go haywire after she loses her Mask of Hope, making everybody, well, hopeless. [[HeroAntagonist She does her best to fix this, though]].
** Parsee has, in an interesting mix of this trope and PowerBornOfMadness, the ability to [[HatePlague manipulate the jealousy of others]]; this power is derived from [[GreenEyedMonster her own jealousy of them]]... Also, Parsee is pretty much physically incapable of ''not'' being [[DrivenByEnvy jealous of others]].
** Seija Kijin combines this trope with PersonalityPowers; she is an amanojaku with the ability to [[InterfaceScrew flip anything over]]. She is a CommanderContrarian and ConsummateLiar who is happy when others are sad and hates herself when she makes others happy.
** Sagume Kishin's power [[RealityWarper causes reality to warp itself]] into the opposite of what she says. She must therefore choose her words very carefully or, better yet, remain [[TheQuietOne completely silent.]]
** A tragic example happens to the Daughter of Fujimi, [[spoiler: Yuyuko's past self]]. At the beginning, she was only able to [[{{Necromancer}} control some dead spirits]]. Unconsciously, that power grew stronger, eventually becoming the ability to invoke death by simply [[IWishedYouWereDead willing death onto someone]]. Terrified by her own ability, [[DrivenToSuicide she committed suicide]] and was buried under the Saigyou Ayakashi. Years later, Yuyuko attempted to break the seal to resurrect both the cherry blossom and the girl out of boredom, but she failed to realise the very same girl buried under Saigyou Ayakashi was none other than [[spoiler: herself]].

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* An interesting example in ''VisualNovel/AreaX'' as Livan doesn't lose control of his own powers, as he is a {{Muggle}}, but when he used the [[MagicalAccessory Silver Orb]], which contained a huge amount of {{Mana}}, as well as Elcia's powers, to try and resurrect everybody who died in the avalanche, he loses control of the Silver Orb's power, and split the timeline into several different timelines, scattering everybody he resurrected among them.
* Two important examples in ''VisualNovel/DaCapo'', though only one really minds. Sakura's magic is highly dependent on her emotions and acts out in ways she wouldn't normally. As a child, her magic would accidentally break people's arms. In the main story, a girl gets a branch dropped on her head in Sakura's route and there are implications that she is accidentally responsible for Nemu's sickness in that route. Kotori is the other example, who often feels fatigued and ill due to constantly reading the minds of others, especially their more negative thoughts or ones in which she is the school idol, not a person.
* Ran in ''[[VisualNovel/ShallWeDateDestinyNinja2 Destiny Ninja 2]]'' has trouble controlling his ice skill. As a child, he almost [[spoiler:killed Fuyukiku]] with it, and he accidentally hurts [[spoiler:the heroine]] during his route.
* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Rider wears an eye visor constantly, [[spoiler:not just to hide that she's Medusa, but also the fact that her petrification ability from her [[DeadlyGaze eye]] cannot be restrained]]. Or if she's in her normal mode, she wears a pair of glasses. The exact same style of glasses as Shiki's actually -- they're called Magangoroshi (Mystic Eye Killer) glasses. Seeing as [[spoiler: Aozaki Touko is one of the few connections between the ''Tsukihime'' and ''Fate'' timelines, as she's the one who makes Shirou his artificial body, it's very likely she also made Rider's glasses, as she made Shiki's as well.]]
* Anghel Higure from ''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend'' has the power to [[spoiler:cause everyone around him to hallucinate that they're in a fantasy world of his creation. This can be amazingly useful, especially in cases of brainwashing, which the hallucinations override. However, Anghel himself has no innate immunity to this and ''cannot turn it off''. It's debatable if Anghel's actually aware that he's tripping, especially since he's writing a manga about his fantasy world, but he's convinced that he's a fallen angel.]]
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'':
** Maya Fey suffers an inversion of this trope at the end of the first game, where she finds herself unable to use her channeling abilities due to a lack of practice.
** In ''Dual Destinies'', this happens to [[spoiler: Athena Cykes]], who possesses [[spoiler:an extremely acute sense of hearing that allows her to ''read emotions'']], but has no control over this power. [[spoiler: The headphones she wears are her PowerLimiter.]]
* In ''VisualNovel/PlanetsTheLifeOfNormalcyHasEnded'', the purpose of the academy is to teach psychic students how to control their powers.
** Marin has a harder time controlling her psych than other students because she wasn't born with it. As a {{telepath|y}}, she had to learn to turn it off so she wouldn't hear everyone's thoughts all of the time.
** Ryuu's [[TeleportationWithDrawbacks teleportation has control issues]] ''and'' he runs out of energy quickly due to [[spoiler:a heart condition]].
** Kaius doesn't use his powers [[spoiler:PureEnergy]] because it is too dangerous and before he knew how to control them [[spoiler: he accidentally killed his mother.]]
** [[SuperpowerLottery In addition to]] his [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]], Lucan also has telepathy [[spoiler: which allowed him to unconsciously {{brainwash}} all of [[InstantFanClub the girls in the school]] into loving him.]] He doesn't like [[StalkerWithACrush the result]].
* In VisualNovel/RiddleJoker the superpowered Astrals can experience "control loss," in which their power rapidly increases in strength and fires off radomly wile the Astral loses higher brain functions. [[spoiler: This is not a natural process but induced by a drug developed by an anti-Astral spy agency.]]
* In the Bad End of ''VisualNovel/SpiritHunterNG'', the gruesome murders of Akira's companions cause his [[{{Psychometry}} Bloodmetry]] to go out of control, causing him to frequently read his ''own'' blood and be fed the vivid memories of their deaths.
* ''VisualNovel/SyrupAndTheUltimateSweet'': During Syrup and Butterscotch's journey to Mount Sorbet, Butterscotch gradually begins to gradually lose control of her magic powers. First, she tries to blast an attacking wolf, but accidentally turns it pink instead. Second, her warmth spell wears off, forcing her to borrow Syrup's coat. Third, after she creates an ice wall to stop the wolves from chasing them, she finds herself unable to remove the wall once the wolves are gone. This is caused by a combination of stress, overestimating her own abilities, and the fact that [[spoiler:she's already been exhausting her magic to [[VainSorceress make herself look thinner]]]].
* ''Anime/TanteiOperaMilkyHolmes'': Ellery's power activates without her control, ''and'' her power is to activate other people's powers.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'':
** Shiki [[AuraVision sees]] lines of death on ''everything'', allowing him to destroy nearly anything with even a butter knife. Shortly after acquiring this effect, he started having nightmares of the world falling apart at its seams and would have gone insane if he had not been given indestructible glasses that block this effect. Using this power anyway puts a strain on his brain and usually gives him headaches when he takes off the glasses. In the manga, he also kills things with a tree branch and his ''finger nails''.
** On a lighter note, Seo Akira can see the future... sometimes. With the amazing control to know that Shiki will decide on impulse to invite her to chat after lunch. On a plus note, seeing the future doesn't lock it in place for her like most forms of clairvoyance, which also means that the above chat after lunch doesn't necessarily ever happen.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/AxeCop'': [[http://axecop.com/comic/ask-axe-cop-7/ Ask Axe Cop #7]] reveals that Electric Man was in the habit of levelling entire cities when he ran so fast he'd fall on his face and accidentally shot lightning and earthquakes. They got him an insulating metal suit so that he wouldn't do that, though he'd still fall over.
* Ben of ''Webcomic/BreakpointCity'' can't control his lightning blasts without the [[http://www.breakpointcity.com/archives/2000/12/14/routine-check-up/ gloves]] given to him by the superhero organization.
* ''Webcomic/TheChosenFour'' shows Ness loses control of his PSI as a result of emotional trauma, becoming an UnstoppableRage. [[spoiler:Department Store Spook learned that the hard way.]]
* ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'':
** In the webcomic's world, incubi and succubi are essentially a race of shape shifting empaths who feed off emotions more than they do souls. Unfortunately for those individuals who mature to a point where this function becomes active without someone in the know to instruct them, these individuals may suffer from crushing migraines due to the influx of constant emotional downpour around them. Thankfully this can be for the most part filtered to allow only the desired emotional energies to flow through 'but' despite this the cubi in question will always be 'very' susceptible to the emotions around them such that whatever emotion they may be experiencing at any given time will be kicked into overdrive so that even the slightest bit of anger becomes blinding rage for those who lack restraint.
** Illusionist Cubi clan leader Diamanika can't ''stop'' appearing as the subject of other people's thoughts. This makes introductions awkward (quoth Dan: "Mom?!"), until the new acquaintance can learn what she actually looks like.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Aurora|2019}}'', Alinua was a born with an intricate green birthmark that carries the Chimeric Plague. With it comes immense life-based powers that get stronger with age. Alinua says that eventually she will lose control of her powers and unleash the Chimeric Plague, killing herself and anyone in close proximity.
* ''Webcomic/DebuggingDestiny'' uses this to balance powers that would otherwise be too powerful, like Alexander's ability to win any fair contest, or Ignacia's HypnoticEyes.
* ''Webcomic/DemonHunterKain'': The cause of Zandalee's "hallucinations" is not knowing how to control her supernatural perception, which isn't helped by [[MedicateTheMedium the drug regimen she was on to help her stop hallucinating]].
* In ''Webcomic/DraconiaChronicles,'' Xihanil is shown accidentally setting a table on fire when she's cross about having to work overtime at her old job as a cook at a pub. In a later strip, it's shown that this is endemic to fire dragons, and it was the basis for a Jim Crow law against them.
* Kili of ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'' has such powerful spiritual senses that they went totally out of control when she was a child; she's been branded with magical marks on her face and body that suppress her spiritual vision to keep her from going insane. What remains of her power is still immense, since it turns out these tattoos ''completely'' negate the powers of ordinary shamans.
* Faen in ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' has the ability to feel the emotions of those around her, and at times can control those emotions. Which would be pretty awesome if a) she could turn it off, b) she didn't live in a CrapsackWorld, or c) she weren't essentially PurityPersonified. Eventually, [[spoiler: the constant MindRape drives her slightly nuts, she accidentally [[PersonOfMassDestruction kills off a significant number of people]], and she ends up fleeing to the surface world, at which point the main character follows her.]]
* Elliot and Ellen from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' experience what is perhaps one of the most literal forms of this possible; to the extent that Elliot is instructed to use his transformation powers in the privacy of a bathroom at every opportunity so as to prevent "accidents". In fact, anyone who gains their magical powers "improperly" will have some form of Power Incontinence until their magic power stabilizes.
* Summer Mighty in ''Webcomic/EverydayHeroes'' has trouble controlling her [[http://eheroes.smackjeeves.com/comics/1888404/a-burning-question/ eye beams]].
* ''Webcomic/FoxyFlavoredCookie'':
** Pucho has the ability to cause objects to break with a touch but he doesn't have total control of this ability so there is a danger he may harm somebody if he touches them. During his human life as Dante, he once accidentally caused a man's ribcage to explode when he grabbed the man to stop him from harassing Luna.
** Luna has never kissed anyone because she is a succubus and the first person a succubus kisses dies. Because she is magically bonded to Pucho/Dante, she hopes that if he kisses someone it will count as her first kiss and will free her from this problem. [[spoiler:When Pucho does finally kiss Pitika, [[GenderBender it causes Luna to turn male]] and she can't turn back with her shapeshifting. She goes to Tammy for help and she summons another succubus to ask what is going on. The succubus explains that Pucho's kiss does not count as Luna's first kiss but now her body is confused because Pucho spent the night with Pituka and she automatically adjusted sex to be the opposite of Pituka.]]
* ''Webcomic/FullFrontalNerdity'' has Frank invoke this as GM, with the logic that "Superman was always Superman, he didn't go up in 'levels'." In truth, it's a (perhaps unintended) trap to trick his notoriously {{Munchkin}}y players who don't even let him finish explaining that they haven't learned to control them yet, which is where the experience ''would'' have come in. [[http://ffn.nodwick.com/?p=236 The three botch together an apocalypse before the session's even over]].
-->'''Frank:''' I'm afraid you'll all have to roll on the "whoopsie" table again.
* After [[AnArmAndALeg losing his arm]], [[TheSoCalledCoward Dies Horribly]] from ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' is bestowed with a shapeshifting magical one, but the new limb also reacts to emotions, making it hard to control, as it will transform into spikes and blades when he is scared. He never learns to fully control it, [[spoiler:especially once the arm develops an ultra-violent mind of its own]] and ultimately has to sever it [[spoiler:causing it to transform into an ultra-powerful, mindlessly aggressive, multiplying evil being that [[ThePowerOfBlood sustains itself on the blood of the living]].]]
* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'':
** [[spoiler:Zimmy]] has RealityWarper powers. They tend to spontaneously manifest by making her nightmarish hallucinations become real. Either that or the power only has one setting; it's really not clear at all how it works, or if the hallucinations are caused by the power or merely coexist with it. Although the point still stands that she can't control it. The closest she can come to controlling it is by sticking close to a PowerNullifier, which is far from a perfect solution. (Especially since her PowerNullifier of choice is subject to human needs like sleep.)
** When Parley's teleportation ability first manifested, she accidentally transported herself and the group with her into ''her bedroom''. She was not amused. Parley eventually finds out she can control her powers by sticking close to a boy whose power is to [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway organize the disorderly]]. [[{{Tsundere}} Whom she already had a crush on.]] [[RelationshipUpgrade This works out well.]] Incidentally, he can't turn his power off, either, leading to awkward situations like instantly completing a training simulation without even doing anything.
* ''Webcomic/ImTheGrimReaper'': Scarlet has a very powerful demon inside her that when activated, is nearly invincible. The problem is that the demon is a single minded killing machine, slaughtering anything in its way, and Scarlet can’t control it when it starts creeping out and lets it take her over easily.
* Everyone at the facilities in ''Webcomic/{{Inhibit}}'' is there to learn how to control their variations.
* ''Webcomic/TheIntrepidGirlbot'':
** Raccoon #1 just can't control her EyeBeams.
** Neither can Girlbot herself control all the power and resources at her disposal. She does her best, but [[http://www.intrepidgirlbot.com/2010/12/06/distress/ events always spiral out of her control]].
* ''Webcomic/KarinDou4koma'': Seren is an immortal magician of immense power with a "Spell Booster" predisposition that automatically, drastically boosts any spells she casts, rendering low-level magic impossible without her PowerLimiter on.
* ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'' is a CampaignComic covering ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', and Elsa's player did such insane MinMaxing that although Elsa counts as a "[[PhysicalGod Living God]]", she also has a 90% of accidentally casting magic (barring any PowerLimiter).
* Jigsaw Forte from ''Webcomic/LastRes0rt'' learns about her Vampiric powers the hard way, right down to having to either learn to control her temper or risk letting her more... [[RedEyesTakeWarning visual aspects]] manifest themselves. She can't turn her mind-reading off, either, which makes her have panic attacks around crowds.
* ''Webcomic/LeifAndThorn'': The Woman in Black is an excellent secret agent because she's magically unmemorable. To everyone. Including her family and friends. [[http://leifandthorn.com/comic/4koma-in-black-47-working-out-session/ Whether she wants to be or not.]]
* In the middle of the "Gackt" arc in ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'', Mr. Fish (a [[VideoGame/{{Pokemon}} Gyarados]]) learns Hyper Beam. The problem is that once he starts Hyper Beaming, he can't ''stop''. [[spoiler:He Hyper Beams Gackt in the face and then runs out of steam.]]
-->'''[[ABoyAndHisX Jared]]:''' COMMANDER! WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO TURN OFF THE LASERS!
* Kit Darling in ''Webcomic/PoppyOPossum'' has the power to see matter at the atomic level, as well as potential interactions between substances. Unfortunately, she has no control over this power; she's been functionally blind since she was a young child, and can only manage with the help of special anti-magic glasses. Under normal circumstances, the only things she ''can'' see clearly are opossums, who are inherently AntiMagic.
* Katia Managan, protagonist of ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}'', suffers this as she learns to control her magical abilities.
* The "Jareth's cold" arc of ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'' is made of this trope. Every time poor guy sneezed something random magic happened, he even managed to sneeze the [[AuthorAvatar creator]] into the comic.
* Witches in ''Webcomic/SerenityRose'' have good control over their powers for the most part, but can conjure up creatures in their sleep. Sera creates a monstrous version of a girl she once knew, which results in a hiker losing his arm, and later results in the [[http://www.heartshapedskull.com/2009/03/25/goodbye-crestfallen-page-069/ violent dismemberment]] of many of the soldiers sent to stop it. Another witch, who never consciously used his powers at all, supposedly created 100 giant fire-breathing metal horses to crush Napoleon's army. He was of course burned alive, being a witch in the 19th century and all.
* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': Pop Blitz is a MagicalGirl with the power to [[ShockAndAwe control electricity]], but she's still getting the hang of controlling her powers. This is why Team Blitz has to turn down Undine's request to join them -- her powers over [[MakingASplash water]] wouldn't mix well with poorly controlled electricity.
* ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'':
** Demons have a [[TheBerserker Berserk]] [[HulkingOut form]] that they can transform into as a [[DesperationAttack last resort in battle]], which gives them [[UnstoppableRage increased strength]] [[TheBerserker at the cost of their]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity sanity]] and usually results in the demon killing itself from exhaustion or self harm if there is nothing around for them to kill. The protagonist Buwaro was born with a condition where he goes berserk immediately if he is awake and not wearing a magic pendant that suppresses it, as a result of his egg being damaged. Before he was given the pendant as a baby, he had to be kept asleep at all times with magic so he wouldn't go berserk. Rhea learned this the hard way when she stole Buwaro's pendant and he (temporarily) killed her in his berserk form, and would have (permanently) killed himself if Sakido hadn't gotten the pendant back on him. He still felt terrible about killing Rhea even though it wasn't his fault.
** Buwaro's angel girlfriend Kieri has the ability to turn into a rabbit as a result of a botched curse put on her by a divine guardian. [[ForcedTransformation The curse was supposed to trap her in the form of a rabbit]], but [[CursedWithAwesome instead it just gave her the ability to turn into a rabbit]], although she frequently turns into a rabbit involuntarily, especially when she sneezes or stays in her angel form for too long. [[spoiler: When she reunites with her brother she discovers that he had a similar curse put on him that makes him turn into a wolf, and unlike her, he suffers from involuntary [[PartialTransformation Partial Transformations]] instead of always switching forms instantly. It is implied that this is because he is forcing himself to stay in angel form too much, because during a fight later on when Kieri is stuck in her rabbit form and has to force herself to change back she manages but keeps her rabbit ears.]]
** Jake has a problem with accidentally starting fires.
* ''Webcomic/{{Suihira}}'' has Wahida, who has the favour of the water goddess and can summon water from ''somewhere'' to wherever she is. Flooding things and cracking bottles. She has very little control over this.
* Brian from ''Webcomic/ThinkBeforeYouThink'' can't turn off his mind-reading ability.
* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'':
** Yeon Ehwa is an immensely powerful [[PlayingWithFire fire user]], but she is not only [[TheKlutz physically clumsy]], she has at times so little control over her powerful flames that she has a history of being a TeamKiller. She is a little insecure about it.
** Bam in ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' has a case that's simultaneously mild and spectacular when he's dueling young Jahad on the Hidden Floor and has just activated a whole new level of SuperMode. He tries to create the little blue disc of energy he uses to fly around, but accidentally makes it so big it destroys the entire floor of the stadium they're on. {{Downplayed}} because he only has brief problems controlling the extent of what he was trying to do anyway, but still kind of a big effect.
* ''Webcomic/UnOrdinary'': All but one ability users have to activate their ability in order to trigger it. Claire, who hates her ability, cannot control her visions and they will come to her and trigger her ability active while she's trying to do things throughout the day.
* One subplot in ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'' involves Shelly's inability to control her [[spoiler:sphinx side. She's partially shapeshifting whenever she feels strong emotions, and her instincts are interfering with everyday life.]]
* Gail in ''Webcomic/WhenSheWasBad'' does not have a stable set of powers aside from SuperStrength.
* ''Webcomic/{{Wychwood}}'': Without the collar that serves as a combination {{Power Limiter}} and {{Mind Control Device}}, Felix has very little control over his powers and is prone to damaging his surroundings involuntarily.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{Chadam}}'' has trouble controlling his magical abilities at first, which gets his dog killed and his friend hurt.
* Moist from ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''. He has the power of being [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway absurdly damp]], and can't turn it off.
* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'': During the Cell Saga, Goku and Gohan end up training their Super Saiyan abilities to the point where they actually forget how to power down and remain transformed for the rest of the arc. This is in contrast with [[Manga/DragonBall the original manga]], where they stayed Super Saiyan on purpose in order to get better acclimated to the form.
* Happens to every villainous protagonist during an episode of the Season 2 of ''Series/FlandersCompany'', because of a malfunctioning invention from [[MadScientist Caleb]], which has the effect of temporarily unlocking Docteur Parker's [[spoiler:evil JekyllAndHyde personality.]]
* The plot of "WebOriginal/NothingLikeTheSun" is the main character's journey to find a way to turn her GlowingEyes off.
* Silence/[[spoiler:Simon]] from ''Literature/{{Phaeton}}'' can't talk due to his inability to disable his sonic vacuum field.
* Characters in ''Podcast/RollToBreathe'' can lose control of their powers if injured enough. This happens a lot to Lightningrod, Davey Doomzone, and [[spoiler: post-Max Machine Black Cavalier]], who all get blamed considerably and lose a lot of self-esteem for the damage they cause.
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':
** Weiss Schnee admits to Winter with frustration that she's struggling to master the Schnee ability to summon ice-forms of vanquished enemies. Throughout Volume 3, she fails to summon on command but, when trying to protect Velvet during the battle for Beacon towards the end of the volume, she unintentionally summons the arm and sword of the knight. [[spoiler:During an Atlesian fundraiser to help the Kingdom of Vale in Volume 4, Weiss angrily snaps at a woman who is insulting Vale's plight and her father, only to unconsciously summon the Boarbatusk she defeated in Professor Port's class and cause chaos. Eventually, after she gets disinherited for her insolence, Weiss manages to summon the Boarbatusk perfectly]].
** In Volume 4, it's revealed that [[spoiler:Qrow Branwen]] suffers from this in the opposite extreme to Weiss. Unlike Weiss who struggles to activate her larger glyphs on command, [[spoiler:Qrow]] passively radiates misfortune and is unable to turn their power ''off''. While it is incredibly useful on the battlefield, it causes havoc with family, friends and personal relationships, so much that they spend as little time as possible with their own loved ones to make sure they don't get caught in its effects.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''WebAnimation/RWBYChibi''. Pyrrha Nikos' magnetic powers are shown going crazy in one skit -- Nora calls out to her and scares her, slamming almost every metal object in the kitchen on top of her, causes the rest of Team JNPR to be unable to take a hike because she keeps affecting Jaune's compass, accidentally throwing her spear into their lamp after being startled and being very wary of looking at old VHS tapes.
* This is a very common problem for anomalous humanoids in Wiki/SCPFoundation.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-053 SCP-053]] is a little girl [[HumanoidAbomination (or at least appears to be one)]] who drives humans around her violently insane and is apparently immortal and anyone who harms her is instantly killed. She does not even seem to be aware that this is happening.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-073 SCP-073]] [[WalkingWasteland destroys plants and anything made from plants around]] him. He is also impossible to injure and anyone who tries to hurt him receives the injury in his place. He cannot turn these effects off.
** The rewritten version of [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-166 SCP-166]] is a humanoid who causes the decay of artificial objects around her and accelerates plant growth, neither of which she can turn off.
** The original version was a [[HumanoidAbomination succubus]] like humanoid who causes any man who sees her to want to have sex with her so strongly that they will try to rape her, and the effect doesn't always fade way when separated from her. This really sucks for her because she is a devout Catholic and she also has extremely fragile skin.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-213 SCP-213]] has the ability to vaporize matter, which he does not have total control over. The Foundation theorized that his powers are caused by some kind of parasite when he [[EyesDoNotBelongThere started growing eyes on his body.]]
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-486 SCP-486]] is a woman who bleeds snakes instead of blood. She cannot control what the snakes do and they attempt to bite all other humans. Something nasty happens if she has an injury that would cause internal bleeding.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-507 SCP-507]] will randomly shift to a random AlternateUniverse version of Earth, and then shift back to his original universe after a random amount of time. He has absolutely ''no'' control over this, so the only thing he can do is carry emergency supplies with him at all times so they'll be with him when he shifts.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1119 SCP-1119]] absorbs any human who touches him and adds some of their organs to his own. The Foundation discovered him when he absorbed a police officer who was trying to stop him from committing suicide.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2662 SCP-2662]] is an EldritchAbomination who suffers from this problem. He unconsciously mind controls humans into forming cults that worship him, and [[StopWorshippingMe he hates this because he grossed out by his worshipers']] [[ReligionOfEvil behavior.]] This is because he is going through his species' version of puberty and as he matures he will have more control.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2860 SCP-2860]] started with just [[TakenForGranite turning any living thing he touched with his hands into marble.]] Over time this effect got stronger, until contact with any part of his skin or hair turns both living and dead material into marble, including his own dead skin cells. [[DrivenToSuicide This has caused his so much pain that he now wants to die.]]
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-3275 SCP-3275]] is a pizza delivery man with some degree of [[RealityWarper reality-warping abilities]], which appear to be linked to his mental state. Every pizza he delivers is inadvertently changed to something radically different (and sometimes inedible) while he's not looking, and he has no idea why it keeps happening but it's implied to be related to his grief over his mother's death.
* {{Image Board|s}} quests:
** The protagonist of ''Shiné Quest'' is affected by "God's Curse", which causes one to constantly spam the first spell they ever cast. For a god, it's supposed to be the spell that gives them shape (it's not intended as a curse and not supposed to apply to mortals); in Shiné's case, it's "Soft Touch", a WhiteMagic spell that makes the user unable to harm anyone [[HealingShiv no matter what they do]]. The constant casting [[StatGrinding drove her magic power through the roof]], making her one of the best white mages in the setting.
** Miki of ''Moot Point'' was born with fire powers she couldn't control as a child. She was forced to live in her parents' kitchen because it was the only room they could afford to have magically warded against fire.
* ''Literature/TrintonChronicles'' brings us several mentioned but non-obvious examples.
** The biggest is [[CuteMonsterGirl Sara]] who has fire generating powers with the power to ignite and burn whole towns; the catch...she can only control it while awake normally, so when she sleeps or is knocked out everything burns.
** There are others who have power problems, although mostly minor or often background mentions, the [[TheMorlocks Undergrounder's]] who have powers that either do not fit, make them difficult to live with, or outright monsters. A main character who suffers from this is [[MagicalNativeAmerican Boris]] who's power of super digging comes from his huge and very sharp claws..which he can't retract or hide in anyway.
* Hawthorne dorm at SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' has a bunch of people with this problem -- it's what the dorm is for. It's especially bad for those who also lack RequiredSecondaryPowers like Frostbite, who manipulates and freezes any water around her but isn't immune to the cold she creates. Diz has a PK field that has a force of over eight tons -- and she can't stop it. ''Everything'' she touches get hit with eight tons of force. She has to take liquid food (and presumably air) through a special [[GadgeteerGenius deviser]]-built nano-tube straw because her forcefield keeps everything out, so she hasn't had solid food since her powers came on.
%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Most of the Main cast in ''Literature/WhenTheHuntingPartyCame'' have this problem due to being forcefully injected with a SuperSerum.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** Aang's [[SneezeOfDoom Sneezes of Doom]], with a variety of "oops" levels including [[HilarityEnsues accidental blown roofing]]. Turns out that [[BlowYouAway airbenders]] will do this every time they sneeze hard. A serious one is also his tendencies to reflexively entering the Avatar State whenever he's under emotional duress or he's pissed at someone/something. When he does, duck and cover. Should you happen to be the focus of his wrath, put your head between your knees and kiss your butt goodbye.
** Early in the first season, Katara suffered from Power Incontinence while she was learning how to [[MakingASplash waterbend]] properly. When she gets flustered or angry, her subconscious bending is strong enough to split building sized icebergs, but once she gets some proper training near the end of the season she quickly becomes a waterbending master. Turns out that waterbending and its opposite bending art [[PlayingWithFire firebending]] absolutely require self-control, lacking of it will cause this trope.
** In the sequel series ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'' many of the new airbenders produced by the Harmonic Convergence have trouble controlling their new powers, understandably given that airbending techniques had only been known by a single family for more than a century.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'':
** Ian Peek from the episode "Sneak Peek" gets his hands on an experimental belt that allows him to pass through walls. Repeated use renders the belt unnecessary, but unfortunately for Ian, without the belt, he's not up to the task of regulating when and what he passes through. [[AndIMustScream Guess what happens.]]
** Derek Powers a.k.a. Blight, the BigBad for Season 1. Powers became a WalkingWasteland in the show's beginning. He managed to pass for human by applying a fake skin; however, it degraded after time. Anyways, as Batman continuously foils his schemes, Powers undergoes a season-long VillainousBreakdown which causes the fake skin to degrade even faster; eventually, his temper means that the skin wastes away too quickly for him to continue running his corporation. He then undergoes a rather literal SuperpowerMeltdown, though it's implied he might've survived.
* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', ComicBook/BlueBeetle has [[HowDoIShotWeb trouble controlling his suit]] and accidentally creates a wormhole.
* In ''Franchise/Ben10'', Ben in general suffers from this, as at times the Omnitrix would give Ben something other than the form he had in mind. Ben's NRG form in particular is made of PureEnergy, with control over fire and radiation. Unfortunately he has to stay encased in a special suit of armor, or the people around him can develop radiation poisoning.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}}'': In one episode, Mr. Blik gains the ability to control metal with static electricity as a result of sliding down a giant plastic slide. He has a lot of fun with his new powers at first but after a while finds that he isn't able to control them anymore and unwillingly attracts metal objects to his body. So he is forced to choose between shaving off his hair to get rid of the static or staying in a metal-free chamber for the rest of his life until they figure out another way to get rid of it.
* ''WesternAnimation/ComboNinos'': In one episode, Diadoro and Gomez release a Divino who has the power to turn into anyone who touches him, regardless of the Divino wanting it to happen or not.
* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' has this problem, especially at first. On top of generally [[HowDoIShotWeb not knowing how to use/control his abilities]], hormones and extreme emotion can cause his powers to bleed over to his human form, although limited to glowing eyes, invisibility, and [[IntangibleMan phasing]] -- the former occurring when angry, and the latter two happening when flustered. These issues cause [[HilarityEnsues many problems]] for him... especially the phasing, which causes issues such as "dropping" objects because they're literally falling through his hands, and spontaneously [[ComedicUnderwearExposure phasing his own pants off]]. He also had a hard time learning to [[MesACrowd duplicate]], with his early attempts having strange and [[BodyHorror grotesque]] results; he instead sprouts extra body parts, and continuing the attempt causes ''those'' to sprout further parts in turn. He manages to gain complete control over his powers by the end of the series.
** His two strongest powers repeatedly gave him problems. His [[MakeMeWannaShout Ghostly Wail]] would use up all his ghostly energy and cause him to revert back to his human form after use. When he first manifested his [[AnIcePerson ice powers]], they caused him to feel like he was freezing, to the point where he eventually was.
** The episode "Doctor's Disorders" subjects nearly all of Danny's classmates to this, with them being infected by ghost mosquitos that give each of them a random uncontrollable ghost power.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''
** In one episode, Cosmo begins uncontrollably shapeshifting into harmful objects due to an organ going bad. The only way to cure this condition is to surgically switch the bad organ with the respective good one from Cosmo's Anti-fairy, who is uncontrollably turning into good things because of it. Timmy, Wanda, and Cosmo have to break Anti-Cosmo out of prison so they can get the surgery done to cure them both.
** In one of the ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'' shorts, Cosmo and later Wanda catch the Fairy Flu, which causes them to lose control of their magic, causing [[SneezeOfDoom their sneezes]] to have weird effects.
** When Timmy [[SwappedRoles wishes to swap places with Cosmo and Wanda]], Timmy can barely control his fairy powers, to the point where he can't even transform properly.
* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'': On its own, the tiger talisman has the power of [[LiteralSplitPersonality balance]], but within Shendu, as he explains, [[RequiredSecondaryPowers it unifies the powers of the other 11 talismans and prevents this trope from happening]].
* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'':
** In the "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E5And6OnlyADream Only a Dream]]" episode, John Dee a.k.a. Doctor Destiny traps several members of the Justice League in their worst nightmares. Three of them have nightmares related to Power Incontinence. Franchise/TheFlash gets stuck in SuperSpeed mode so that TimeStandsStill for him. John Stewart's concerns that his new powers as a Franchise/GreenLantern have permanently altered and isolated him from humanity are taken to an extreme (poor guy literally cracks up as Green light bursts out of his body!). The worst is Franchise/{{Superman}}. His powers go out of control and he accidentally kills the people closest to him.
--->'''The Flash:''' I've always been afraid this would happen. I'm gonna live out my whole life in the time it takes you to tie your shoelaces! Somebody! '''Say something!''' (''curls up in a fetal position'')\\\
'''Green Lantern:''' Come back! Why are you all running? What are you afraid of? (''as his friends and neighbors all run away when they see him'')\\\
'''Superman''': I started out with no power at all. Then I kept getting more. What if it ''never stops?''
** In a later episode, Flash pushes his powers to the limit to take down a particularly tough foe (who's just wiped the floor with the rest of the League)... and then discovers he ''can't slow down''. If not for ThePowerOfFriendship, he'd have been lost in the Speed Force forever, and says outright that he can never do that again.
** Likewise, J'onn tries to extend his telepathy to all of Metropolis in order to do a quick scan for Lex Luthor in "Tabula Rasa." He finds him... and then gets flooded with the private thoughts of ''all'' of Metropolis, and finds he can't shut off the flow.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': The kwamis have the same powers as their holders, but at a much higher level... and with ''much'' less control. Trixx, the kwami of illusion, can create incredible illusions on a city-wide scale, but includes nonsense like a bouncing Eiffel Tower. Kaalki, the kwami of teleportation, can open portals to anywhere, but tend to suck in random objects (including buildings and monuments), both nearby and away, and drop them off literally anywhere (including ''in space''). Plagg, the kwami of destruction, sank Atlantis and ''wiped out the dinosaurs''. (Oh, and tilted the Tower of Pisa.) When he has to unleash his power directly in present day, it's clear that, no, he has not learned restraint since then.
* ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'':
** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyAndFriendsE51TheQuestOfThePrincessPonies1 The Quest of the Princess Ponies, Part 1]]", when Dream Valley's magic starts breaking down, the unicorns' spellcasting becomes unreliable and chaotic, as Fizzy finds out when her bubbles start coming out unbidden and with enough force to send her rocketing backwards.
** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E3TheTicketMaster The Ticket Master]]", when accosted by a crowd of ponies who want her ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, Twilight unexpectedly teleports herself and Spike away to the library. Twilight is merely surprised, but Spike ends up shocked... rather literally.
*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles The Cutie Mark Chronicles]]", Twilight Sparkle flashes back to her entrance exam for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. In the course of taking the test, she taps into her latent magic for the first time and ends up accidentally leaking magic all over the place, turning her parents into potted plants, among other things.
*** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E3LessonZero Lesson Zero]]": As her SanitySlippage gets worse, Twilight starts to TeleportSpam without even apparently realizing it during the picnic with her friends.
*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E6TheCutiePox The Cutie Pox]]", Apple Bloom steals some of Zecora's ingredients to brew a potion that could finally grant what she desires the most: a Cutie Mark. The problem is, the potion effect doesn't stop at ''one'' and keeps giving her an infinite number of Cutie Marks (every new Cutie Mark gives her a new special ability, to boot) and Apple Bloom neither can turn them off or stop using her new abilities. Eventually, her body ends up acting on its own, without stopping to rest or sleep while Apple Bloom desperately begs it to stop.
*** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E12BabyCakes Baby Cakes]]": After the Cake twins are born, Rarity warns the parents that baby unicorns are prone to strange, unpredictable bursts of magical energy, and the unicorn foal indeed spends most of the episode manifesting random magical effects.
*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E11ThreesACrowd Three's a Crowd]]", Discord's Blue Flu messes with his [[RealityWarper reality warping]] powers and makes crazy things happen every time he sneezes. [[spoiler:He's faking it, though.]]
*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2 Twilight's Kingdom, Part 2]]", Twilight has trouble performing even the most basic magic after the power transfer, blowing up the door to the Golden Oaks Library simply by trying to open it and briefly [[TeleportationMisfire teleporting to random spots all across Equestria]]. It isn't until Tirek comes after her that she gets a handle on her power, if only because she's no longer trying to hold it back.
*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E1TheCrystallingPart1 The Crystalling, Part 1]]", we're introduced to baby Flurry Heart, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's child... who is a ''born alicorn''. She's capable of sneezes that blow holes in the wall and [[spoiler:a wail that ''shatters the Crystal Heart.'']]. They have to put a PowerLimiter spell onto her once everything is settled.
*** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E2AllBottledUp All Bottled Up]]": Starlight Glimmer explains her greatest magical feats were accomplished by turning angry emotion into powerful spells. Thus, if she becomes upset enough to generate those feelings but doesn't have a spell she can focus it into, the magic simply escapes from her horn as a violent red storm cloud. If allowed to roam around, this will infect other ponies with a HatePlague of her negative feelings so she has to stuff it away in a physical container to prevent that.
*** In the short "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS0E2Ailicorn Ail-icorn]]", Twilight's spring allergies mix badly with her alicorn powers and cause uncontrollable blasts of magic from her horn whenever she sneezes. HilarityEnsues.
*** The {{Kirin}} turn into fire monsters called Nirik when they get angry. They accidentally burned their village to the ground when an argument escalated out of control, so their leader ordered them to bathe in a magic stream that took away their ability to speak and feel emotions. They were convinced to cure themselves only after seeing a Nirik use their fire powers in a constructive way.
*** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E24TheEndingOfTheEndPart1 The Ending of the End Part 1]]": Cozy Glow is unable to control Discord's RealityWarper chaos magic, and only succeeds in making a mess. Tirek implies that he couldn't do much with it either back in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2 Twilight's Kingdom]]", and so the villains conclude that it's too dangerous for anyone but Discord to use.
* In ''WesternAnimation/PJSparkles'' PJ gains magic based on ThePowerOfLove that can do almost anything, provided she phrases it "I'd love it if X happened." As a result, she uses her powers by accident a few times, giving her helpers magic badges and transporting herself, Blaze, and Peter to Twinkle Town.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}'': Generally averted, as Popeye can maintain control well under the influence of spinach. However, in at least two shorts Popeye force-feeds Bluto spinach, who then proceeds to lose all control and involuntarily and senselessly beats Popeye up (in both shorts, Bluto has reasons for not doing so).
* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'': Winter the faun freezes anything and anyone she touches even if she doesn't want to.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain of the Week]] Max Dillon (Electro) gets electrocuted in a Freak Lab Accident; this being a version of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, he starts constantly emitting electricity and has to wear a protective suit at all times so other people won't be hurt. Even so, his power leaks out -- he can't watch TV, lightning arcs out of his hands when he's upset -- and he can't even eat without zapping something. By the time he gets into a supervillain teamup, of course, he's managed more control.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' second season storyline, "The Neogentic Nightmare", the web-slinger's powers start turning on and off at the worst possible times, which leads Spidey to run to [[WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries the X-Men]] for help at one point. Ultimately, it is revealed that it was his body trying to morph him into a monstrous Man-Spider.
* ''WesternAnimation/StanLeesSuperheroKindergarten'', being about superhero kindergartners, frequently shows how young the kids are, meaning they're not in full control of their powers.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', Princess Star Butterfly doesn't have a perfect handle on her magic wand when trying to use it for non-combat purposes. She often causes things she's trying to affect to burst into flames or turn grotesque. The series starts with her being sent to Earth so that she can learn how to control her magic somewhere where she can't cause problems for her family and subjects.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' episode "Sunspots", the [[ComicBook/{{Static}} titular hero]] begins to lose control of his electromagnetic abilities after being exposed to sunspots. Sometimes his abilities cease to work altogether, while other times, he becomes overpowered to the point that he almost harms those around him.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
** The title character has trouble activating and controlling his powers. He is a child as well as being part human, though, and controlling his powers is suggested to be something he can learn.
*** He's showing signs of learning to control his powers; particularly [[spoiler:being able to "bubble" objects as of "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E23MonsterBuddies Monster Buddies]]", and intentionally summoning his weapon, a [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe shield]], in both its regular and spherical forms in the two part "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E25MirrorGem Mirror Gem]]"/"[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E26OceanGem Ocean Gem]]".]]
*** The show actually has several episodes whose plot consists of him discovering a new power but not being able to control it at first, such as "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E6CatFingers Cat Fingers]]" (for shape-shifting) and "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E6StevenFloats Steven Floats]]" (for super-jumping and slow-fall).
*** His inability to control his powers nearly kills him in "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E13SoManyBirthdays So Many Birthdays]]" when he starts changing age uncontrollably and almost ages himself to death. In a [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E26StevensBirthday later episode]] he tries to do the same thing again on purpose to make himself older, but isn't able to maintain it and ends us temporarily regressing himself into a baby.
** Ruby and Sapphire have fire and ice powers respectively that can go out of control when they are feeling strong emotions. The two seem to cancel each other out when they are fused.
** When Steven communicates with the Cluster, he convinces it to stop forming because it will destroy the Earth, but it is unable to stop itself from forming, so Steven gets it to put itself in a bubble so it cannot form. [[spoiler:When the bubble is later popped by the Diamonds, it has gained control of itself and only forms a single arm to help fight them.]]
** Padparadscha has the ability to predict things that already happened. She doesn’t seem to be able to turn this power off so she has a DelayedReaction to everything.
** [[FusionDance Fusion]] can happen accidentally, not just to Steven but normal Gems too. Many first-time fusions have happened accidentally, and there have been a few causes of fusions occurring at inconvenient times.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'': Steven's power problems are back as he develops a new power that seems to flare out of control along with his emotions. He now instinctively uses his shield, bubble, and floating abilities without thinking, and appears to have full control of his other older powers as well, but now his powers are pumping up to full Pink Diamond level, and he has trouble turning them off, especially when emotional. The emotion-driven shapeshifting rears its head at the climax of this arc. It culminates as him seeing himself as a monster for the damage his out of control powers are causing, and [[spoiler: when a shapeshifter with Diamond-level powers ''sees'' himself as a monster, you ''get'' a monster. He ends up spending an episode as a rampaging {{Kaiju}} that the whole combined cast can't stop.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'':
** Raven's and Terra's powers fluctuate according to their level of emotional stability.
** Starfire is allergic to metallic chromium, and sneezes starbolts. [[ArtisticLicensePhysics Which should mean she'd be doing it almost constantly, as chromium is something you'd run into all the time a modern setting]].
** In the episode where Raven and Starfire [[FreakyFridayFlip end up in each other's bodies]] they have a lot of difficulty with each other's powers. Both of their powers are controled by emotions but in different ways. Raven has to suppress her emotions to keep them from going out of control, which causes a problem when the very emotional Starfire is in her body, and Starfire needs to feel strong emotions in order to activate her powers, and so Raven has to let out the emotions she normally suppresses to use them.
** "Snowblind" introduced Red Star, essentially the Soviet Captain America, and a crapload more powerful. Problems arose when it was revealed that his body periodically discharges a highly corrosive and dangerous plasma like substance, as well as deadly amounts of radiation. In a true TearJerker moment, Red Star was revealed to have lived in exile his whole life in a compound built to contain him after he accidentally destroyed half of his hometown.
** Beast Boy tends to change shapes randomly when he sneezes, such as in the episode when he caught a cold.
** The villain Plasmus is a human with the ability to turn into a purple sludge monster, but he has no control over what he does in his monster form, he only returns to his human form if he is rendered unconscious, and he will change back to his monster form involuntarily shortly after he wakes up, so he has to be kept unconscious at all times.
* Occurs in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' when [[RobotGirl Sari]] gets in touch with her heritage and ends up with more power than her system and low level of control can safely handle, causing her to go on a rampage. It is even {{lampshade|Hanging}}d when Bulkhead says, "Maybe you should try holding it in!" She tries, then damn near explodes. Lose/lose.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', Cody Impossible has the power to turn himself into a human torch but lacks the RequiredSecondaryPowers to either turn it off or be immune to the pain of being set on fire. Any amount of time he spends awake and in a normal oxygenated atmosphere is an unending torment of unimaginable pain.
* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'':
** In Season 3, the Winx have to achieve their Enchantix; to earn it, one must rescue someone from their homeworld, and it will require a great sacrifice. Unlike the others, Bloom earned hers through sheer force of will and believing in herself to vanquish evil; because of this, her Enchantix powers are rendered "incomplete", and side effects often show such as she sometimes isn't able to transform, her spells sometimes backfire, she loses control and suffers a PowerStrainBlackout, and she cannot miniaturize.
** Duman in Season 4 eventually becomes sick and has trouble controlling his powers. [[spoiler:This indirectly leads to his death.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wishfart}}'': Unlike all other leprechauns on the show, Dez has absolutely no control over his wish-granting powers, which is why [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor any wishes he grants come out wrong]] no matter how good his intentions are. On the other hand, he's the only leprechaun willing to grant wishes to others, so everyone on the show goes to him for their wishes.
* A second season episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'', "U is for Undivided", has Lillian begin to manifest her Heart of Earth powers, making her as powerful as Elyon, one of the most powerful characters on the show. Without even knowing it, she gives her cat Napoleon the ability to speak and transforms her family's apartment building into a medieval castle. The girls and Matt have to arrange a complex {{plan}} to get Lillian to unknowingly pass off her powers to Matt, Mr. Huggles, and Napoleon, keeping the girl LockedOutOfTheLoop about her abilities until she reaches the age where she can handle her powers responsibly.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'': Metahumans are huamns that have powers, and due to a human trafficking ring for metahumans, many of them are teenagers who have no idea how to control thier new powers. While there are places where they can train to get their powers under control, some choose to wear [[PowerNullifier inhibitor collars]] to keep their new powers in check.
* ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'':
** Spyke slowly gained this problem. In the third season, he has increasing trouble retracting his spikes, to the point where he simply can't do so. Then he is PutOnABus via making him join the Morlocks... until the fourth season, where his spikes have grown into full-blown bone armor he can't remove.
** The episode "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Power Surge]]" does this to Jean, who progressively loses her hold on her telekinesis and telepathy until she collapses.
** Rogue goes even wilder when all the personalities and powers she had absorbed resurge and cause her to flip out. It's even worse than in her first episode when she could barely handle the sudden awakening of her powers and then absorbed those of ''Storm'' of all people...
** In the third season, Cyclops is kidnapped and then dumped in a small Mexican town [[spoiler:by a vengeful Mystique]] without his glasses or visors. Guess what happened.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* TruthInTelevision with some young animals:
** [[SmellySkunk Baby skunks]]. Adult skunks can control when they release their scent (and usually give plenty of warning before they resort to it, because it does take a lot of energy to produce). Baby skunks, however, don't have the necessary control over their scent glands yet, in much the same way other infants suffer from ''regular'' [[PottyFailure incontinence]].
** Similarly, it has been observed that venomous snakes will inject different doses of venom in different situations, using more to defend themselves from a predator than they would use in capturing prey, for example. Many biologists believe that young snakes are less able to control the doses they deliver than adults; making it that much harder to treat the victims of bites from younger snakes.
* Nuclear power plants basically have two settings: ''On'' and ''Low''. After a scram, they still produce [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_heat#Power_reactors_in_shutdown significant amounts of heat]], and there are many systems to remove this heat. When you are unsure about the state of these systems, you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident Three Mile Island]]. When they are smashed to bits by [[GiantWallOfWateryDoom forces beyond your control]], you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster Fukushima Daiichi]]. And, when you disregard safety and disrespect what you're playing with, you get ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster Chernobyl]]''.
* Rare-earth magnets can be considered this. They have a very powerful magnetic force, so much they can crumble under their own power if smashed against another magnet. They can also harm anything that's put between two magnets. There's a reason they're kept away from small children.
[[/folder]]

** [[TheDitz Cirno]] constantly [[AnIcePerson cools the area around her]], and among other things is prone to give people who touch her frostbite.

** Ryuu has trouble controlling his {{teleportation}} and runs out of energy quickly due to [[spoiler: a heart condition]].

** Buwaro's angel girlfriend Kieri has the ability to turn into a rabbit as a result of a botched curse put on her by a divine guardian. [[BalefulPolymorph The curse was supposed to trap her in the form of a rabbit]], but [[CursedWithAwesome instead it just gave her the ability to turn into a rabbit]], although she frequently turns into a rabbit involuntarily, especially when she sneezes or stays in her angel form for too long. [[spoiler: When she reunites with her brother she discovers that he had a similar curse put on him that makes him turn into a wolf, and unlike her, he suffers from involuntary [[PartialTransformation Partial Transformations]] instead of always switching forms instantly. It is implied that this is because he is forcing himself to stay in angel form too much, because during a fight later on when Kieri is stuck in her rabbit form and has to force herself to change back she manages but keeps her rabbit ears.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' second season storyline, "The Neogentic Nightmare", the web-slinger's powers start turning on and off at the worst possible times, which leads Spidey to run to [[WesternAnimation/XMen the X-Men]] for help at one point. Ultimately, it is revealed that it was his body trying to morph him into a monstrous Man-Spider.

* In ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'', Jasper has the power to restore memories to Deadland's citizens just by [[TheMagicTouch touching them]]. There isn't a single instance of him using his powers on purpose, as the power does little to help him for most of his journey.

** Then there's the Felnas, Mask of Disruption. As the name implies, it causes whomever the wearer targets to lose control of their powers. This works for the Toa's ElementalPowers, their Kanohi masks, and other species' special abilities. As shown with both [[spoiler:Krika and Icarax, disrupting powers like intangibility and teleportation is a very efficient way of killing someone. Both meet their end after Gorast does just this with the Felnas she wears.]]

* Nuclear power plants basically have two settings: ''On'' and ''Low''. After a scram, they still produce [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_heat#Power_reactors_in_shutdown significant amounts of heat]], and there are many systems to remove this heat. When you are unsure about the state of these systems, you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident Three Mile Island]]. When they are smashed to bits, you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster Fukushima Daiichi]]. And, when you disregard safety and disrespect what you're playing with, you get ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster Chernobyl]]''.

*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E1TheCrystallingPart1 The Crystalling, Part 1]]", we're introduced to baby Flurry Heart, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's child... who is a ''born alicorn''. Remember the warning Rarity gave? This one takes it UpToEleven -- sneezes that blow holes in the wall and [[spoiler:a wail that ''shatters the Crystal Heart.'']]. They have to put a PowerLimiter spell onto her once everything is settled.

A character's got an awesome power at their disposal, [[BlessedWithSuck but there's a catch]]. Whatever this amazing power is, the character has little or no control over it. Their power seems to go off at random or they can't stop using their powers, even if they want to. This character suffers from Power Incontinence.

* The titular character in ''Anime/KikisDeliveryService'' suffers an inversion midway through the film when she suddenly can no longer understand her cat, Jiji, or fly on her broom.

* In ''[[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer]]'', Johnny gains the ability to temporarily switch powers with rest of the Fantastic Four by touch, even if he doesn't want to. This causes a problem when he touches Reed at an inconvenient time. [[spoiler:During the climax of the film, he touches all of the Fantastic Four at the same time and gets all of their powers, and after this he goes back to normal and loses the power switching ability.]]

* In ''Film/WhenEvilCalls'', Michael wishes that he had XRayVision, so he can [[PowerPerversionPotential perv on the girls basketball team]]. He is granted his wish, but then discovers that he cannot shut it off, and he is now doomed to see everyone naked, forever.

** Benjy can occasionally lost control of himself and [[HulkingOut Hulk Out]] from his regular, humanoid bug form to a giant, mindless monster. This first happened when a group of Neo-Nazis attacked him, and he killed them all in self-defense.

* Many other point-based systems allow that as well, such as ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'' or ''Big Eyes, Small Mouth''. "Uncontrollable" comes with a even worse version of this trope where your power is actively malicious toward you.

* The Dreamer from ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'' is a six year old girl whose abrupt manifestation of her PsychicPowers rendered her comatose and allowed her nightmares to manifest in the real world. Unlike the other villain decks in the game, the heroes aren't trying to beat her so much as wake her up before her projections cause too much damage.

** Some Masks of Power are always active, or are simply too much for a normal being, or even a highly powerful being who lacks experience to handle and use properly. Even regular masks need time and practice, but in the case of organic masks (which are actually living creatures that latch onto your face), it can take a lot of effort to shut them down, since they have their own mind. The Toa Inika still made good use of them, since the intense light radiation their heads gave off couldn't be turned down.

** This is also how the Toa Metru manages to defeat the Rahi Nui. The Rahi Nui is a [[MixAndMatchCritter chimera]] designed to [[HeroKiller hunt Toa]] that possesses several powers including a very fast HealingFactor, SizeShifting, the ability to NoSell and [[FeedItWithFire grow stronger from]] [[ElementalAbsorption Elemental]] attacks, and [[ComboPlatterPowers several other powers.]] After it has knocked out four of the Toa Metru, one of whom would have died if not for a VillainousRescue, the two remaining Toa figured out that its SizeShifting powers [[RequiredSecondaryPowers doesn't change its mass]]. So they feed it elemental attacks while it is growing larger so it loses control of its size and grew so large that it evaporates due to its density decreasing as its volume increases. It eventually reformes but with most of its powers gone.

* K' from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' has to wear a special glove to control the flame powers given to him by the Kusanagi DNA, otherwise he can cause explosions without trying. A similar character, Nameless, also has to wear a special glove to control his flame powers: at one point in his backstory he killed somebody accidentally by tapping them on the shoulder.

** In the novel ''Liberty's Crusade'', the title reporter meets Sarah Kerrigan and thinks how great it would be for a reporter to have telepathy, only for Kerrigan to pick up on his thought and simply tell him that it wouldn't be as great as he thinks. In ''Ghost: Nova'', the title character is an extremely-powerful telepath and telekinetic who has yet to learn what she is thanks to her wealthy father carefully hiding her abilities (any telepath is prompty taken by the Ghost Academy). However, the violent murder of her parents by a terrorist group results in her MindOverMatter abilities to manifest violently in the form of a wave that not only kills anyone still alive in the penthouse but also shatters the glass dome that is supposed to be rated against ''direct nuclear strikes''.
* A more pleasant example is Nadia Grell, the Consular's companion in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic''. The poor girl might be one of the most powerful telekenetics in a generation. Unfortunately, Force Sensitives (much less Force Users) are unheard of on her planet. Without training, it led to things ''exploding'' whenever Nadia got too happy, too sad, too scared, or too angry. Part of the reason her father was so eager to make an alliance with the Republic (and the Consular, personally) was to find ''anyone'' who [[GoodParents could help his daughter control her abilities]].

** Her sister Koishi, who had the same power, permanently sealed off her eye in order to escape the contempt. On the down-side this had the unforeseen side-effect of permanently [[EmptyShell sealing off her own heart and mind]], resulting in her WalkingTheEarth in a purely subconscious stupor. She now also has the incontinential power to [[PsychicPowers manipulate other peoples' subconscious minds]] [[PerceptionFilter which]] [[ImaginaryFriend manifests]] in [[ByTheEyesOfTheBlind various]] [[InvisibleToAdults interesting]] [[NotSoImaginaryFriend ways]].
** Hina is a curse goddess who is actually benevolent and ''absorbs'' misfortune instead of spreading it, however she has a tendency to... ''leak'' misfortune.

** A tragic example happens to the Daughter of Fujimi, [[spoiler: Yuyuko's past self]]. At the beginning, she was only able to [[{{Necromancer}} control some dead spirits]]. Unconsciously, that power grew stronger, eventually becoming the ability to invoke death by simply [[IWishedYouWereDead willing death onto someone]]. Terrified by her own ability, [[DrivenToSuicide she commited suicide]] and was buried under the Saigyou Ayakashi. Years later, Yuyuko attempted to break the seal to resurrect both the cherry blossom and the girl out of boredom, but she failed to realise the very same girl buried under Saigyou Ayakashi was none other than [[spoiler: herself]].

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', Rider wears a eye visor constantly, [[spoiler:not just to hide that she's Medusa, but also the fact that her petrification ability from her [[DeadlyGaze eye]] cannot be restrained]]. Or if she's in her normal mode, she wears a pair of glasses. The exact same style of glasses as Shiki's actually -- they're called Magangoroshi (Mystic Eye Killer) glasses. Seeing as [[spoiler: Aozaki Touko is one of the few connections between the ''Tsukihime'' and ''Fate'' timelines, as she's the one who makes Shirou his artificial body, it's very likely she also made Rider's glasses, as she made Shiki's as well.]]

** Shiki [[AuraVision sees]] lines of death on ''everything'', allowing him to destroy nearly anything with even a butterknife. Shortly after acquiring this effect, he started having nightmares of the world falling apart at its seams and would have gone insane if he had not been given indestructible glasses that block this effect. Using this power anyway puts a strain on his brain and usually gives him headaches when he takes off the glasses. In the manga, he also kills things with a tree branch and his ''finger nails''.

* Happens to every villainous protagonist during an episode of the Season 2 of ''Series/FlandersCompany'', because of a malfunctioning invention from [[MadScientist Caleb]], which has the effect to temporarily unlock Docteur Parker's [[spoiler:evil JekyllAndHyde personality.]]

** There are others who have power problems, although mostly minor or often background mentions, the [[TheMorlocks Undergrounder's]] who have powers that either do not fit, make them difficult to live with, or out right monsters. A main character who suffers from this is [[MagicalNativeAmerican Boris]] who's power of super digging comes from his huge and very sharp claws..which he can't retract or hide in anyway.

** Ian Peek from the episode "Sneak Peek" gets his hands on an experimental belt that allows him to pass through walls. Repeated use renders the belt unnecessary, but unfortunately for Ian, without the belt he's not up to the task of regulating when and what he passes through. [[AndIMustScream Guess what happens.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Catscratch}}'': In one episode Mr. Blik gains the ability to control metal with static electricity as a result of sliding down a giant plastic slide. He has a lot of fun with his new powers at first but after a while finds that he isn't able to control them anymore and unwillingly attracts metal objects to his body. So he is forced to choose between shaving off his hair to get rid of the static or staying in a metal-free chamber for the rest of his life until they figure out another way to get rid of it.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PJSparkles'' PJ gains magic based on ThePowerOfLove that can do almost anything, provided she phrases it "I'd love it if X happened." As a result she uses her powers by accident a few times, giving her helpers magic badges and transporting herself, Blaze, and Peter to Twinkle Town.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain of the Week]] Max Dillon (Electro) gets electrocuted in a Freak Lab Accident; this being a version of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, he starts constantly emitting electricity, and has to wear a protective suit at all times so other people won't be hurt. Even so, his power leaks out -- he can't watch TV, lightning arcs out of his hands when he's upset -- and he can't even eat without zapping something. By the time he gets into a supervillain teamup, of course, he's managed more control.

** The title character has trouble activating, and controlling, his powers. He is a child as well as being part human, though, and controlling his powers is suggested to be something he can learn.

* A second season episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'', "U is for Undivided", has Lillian begin to manifest her Heart of Earth powers, making her as powerful as Elyon, one of the most powerful characters on the show. Without even knowing it, she gives her cat Napoleon the ability to speak, and transforms her family's apartment building into a medieval castle. The girls and Matt have to arrange a complex {{plan}} to get Lillian to unknowingly pass off her powers to Matt, Mr. Huggles, and Napoleon, keeping the girl LockedOutOfTheLoop about her abilities until she reaches the age where she can handle her powers responsibly.

** Spyke slowly gained this problem. In the third season, he has increasing trouble retracting his spikes, to the point where he simply can't do so. Then he is PutOnABus via making him join the Morlocks... until the fourth season, where his spikes have grown into full-blown bone armor he coan't remove.

** Rogue goes even wilder when all the personalities and powers she had absorbed resurge and cause her to flip out. It's even worse than in her first episode, when she could barely handle the sudden awakening of her powers and then absorbed those of ''Storm'' of all people....

** Similarly, it has been observed that venomous snakes will inject different doses of venom in different situations, using more to defend itself from a predator than it would use in capturing prey, for example. Many biologists believe that young snakes are less able to control the doses they deliver than adults; making it that much harder to treat the victims of bites from younger snakes.
* Nuclear power plants basically have two settings: ''On'' and ''Low''. After a scram they still produce [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_heat#Power_reactors_in_shutdown significant amounts of heat]], and there are many systems to remove this heat. When you are unsure about the state of these systems, you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident Three Mile Island]]. When they are smashed to bits, you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster Fukushima Daiichi]]. And, when you disregard safety and disrespect what you're playing with, you get ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster Chernobyl]]''.

%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''Webcomic/FullFrontalNerdity'' has Frank invoke this as GM, with the logic that "Superman was always Superman, he didn't go up in 'levels'." HilarityEnsues.
%%-->'''Frank:''' I'm afraid you'll all have to roll on the "whoopsie" table again.

* Duman in ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' eventually becomes sick and has trouble controlling his powers. [[spoiler:This indirectly leads to his death.]]

* In ''Videogame/Persona3'': The members of Strega and Shinji. In Strega's case, their Personas are real, but artificially awakened, and for Shinji, Castor is a natural-awakened persona, but it went berserk on one mission, and he has to take the same medication Strega does to rein it in. Though none of them die on screen from it as implied because Strega [[spoiler: dies in battle, or in Chidori's case sacrifices herself]] and Shinji [[spoiler: either dies of a gunshot wound or in the Portable version, the game ends with him alive but hospitalized.]]

%%%

%%%

!!Examples:

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Planets}}'', the purpose of the academy is to teach psychic students how to control their powers.

* Nuclear power plants basically have two settings: ''On'' and ''Low''. After a scram they still produce [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_heat#Power_reactors_in_shutdown significant amounts of heat]], and there are many systems to remove this heat. When you are unsure about the state of these systems, you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident Three Mile Island]]. When they are smashed to bits, you get [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster Fukushima Daiichi]].

* In the laughable ''Film/PumaMan'', Kobras is able to catch our inept hero in the throes of his mind-controlling mask. The first thing he does is screw with his powers, temporarily depowering him.

[[folder:Audio Play]]

* One variant of the [[PoisonMushroom "Disease"]] item in ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' causes him to uncontrollably drop bombs. With the charming in-game name of ''bomb diarrhea''.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''WebComic/AxeCop'': [[http://axecop.com/comic/ask-axe-cop-7/ Ask Axe Cop #7]] reveals that Electric Man was in the habit of levelling entire cities when he ran so fast he'd fall on his face and accidentally shot lightning and earthquakes. They got him an insulating metal suit so that he wouldn't do that, though he'd still fall over.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Aurora 2019}}'', Alinua was a born with an intricate green birthmark that carries the Chimeric Plague. With it comes immense life-based powers that get stronger with age. Alinua says that eventually she will lose control of her powers and unleash the Chimeric Plague, killing herself and anyone in close proximity.

* In ''WebComic/DraconiaChronicles,'' Xihanil is shown accidentally setting a table on fire when she's cross about having to work overtime at her old job as a cook at a pub. In a later strip, it's shown that this is endemic to fire dragons, and it was the basis for a Jim Crow law against them.

* Elliot and Ellen from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' experience what is perhaps one of the most literal forms of this possible; to the extent that Elliot is instructed to use his transformation powers in the privacy of a bathroom at every opportunity so as to prevent "accidents." In fact, anyone who gains their magical powers "improperly" will have some form of Power Incontinence until their magic power stabilizes.

%%-->'''Frank''': I'm afraid you'll all have to roll on the "whoopsie" table again.

* ''Webcomic/KnightsOfBuenaVista'' is a CampaignComic covering ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', and Elsa's player did such insane MinMaxing that although Elsa counts as a [[PhysicalGod "Living God"]], she also has a 90% of accidentally casting magic (barring any PowerLimiter).

* ''{{Webcomic/Wychwood}}'': Without the collar that serves as a combination {{Power Limiter}} and {{Mind Control Device}}, Felix has very little control over his powers and is prone to damaging his surroundings involuntarily.

*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E11ThreesACrowd Three's A Crowd]]", Discord's Blue Flu messes with his [[RealityWarper reality warping]] powers and makes crazy things happen every time he sneezes. [[spoiler: He's faking it, though.]]

*** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E24TheEndingOfTheEndPart1 The Ending of the End Part 1]]": Cozy Glow is unable to control Discord's RealityWarper chaos magic, and only succeeds in making a mess. Tirek implies that he could do much with it either back in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E26TwilightsKingdomPart2 Twilight's Kingdom]]", and so the villains conclude that it's too dangerous for anyone but Discord to use.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain Of The Week]] Max Dillon (Electro) gets electrocuted in a Freak Lab Accident; this being a version of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, he starts constantly emitting electricity, and has to wear a protective suit at all times so other people won't be hurt. Even so, his power leaks out -- he can't watch TV, lightning arcs out of his hands when he's upset -- and he can't even eat without zapping something. By the time he gets into a supervillain teamup, of course, he's managed more control.

*** He's showing signs of learning to control his powers; particularly [[spoiler:being able to "bubble" objects as of [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E23MonsterBuddies "Monster Buddies"]], and intentionally summoning his weapon, a [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe shield]], in both its regular and spherical forms in the two part [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E25MirrorGem "Mirror Gem"]]/[[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E26OceanGem "Ocean Gem"]].]]
*** The show actually has several episodes whose plot consists of him discovering a new power but not being able to control it at first, such as [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E6CatFingers "Cat Fingers"]] (for shape-shifting) and [[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E6StevenFloats "Steven Floats"]] (for super-jumping and slow-fall).
*** His inability to control his powers nearly kills him in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS1E13SoManyBirthdays "So Many Birthdays"]] when he starts changing age uncontrollably and almost ages himself to death. In a [[Recap/StevenUniverseS2E26StevensBirthday later episode]] he tries to do the same thing again on purpose to make himself older, but isn't able to maintain it and ends us temporarily regressing himself into a baby.

** The episode [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Power Surge"]] does this to Jean, who progressively loses her hold on her telekinesis and telepathy until she collapses.