History Main / PowerTattoo

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]
* The various manifestations of the Sigil in ''CrossGen Comics''.
* ''GreenLantern'' villain the Tattooed Man (both of them) takes it a step further. His power is making his tattoos spring off his body and come to life.
* The Starbrand from Marvel's ''TheNewUniverse''- basically a [[AmplifierArtifact Cosmic Cube]] in tattoo form.
** WarrenEllis's AlternateContinuity, ''newuniversal'', takes it a step further and has four "power glyphs": the Starbrand glyph as above, the Justice glyph (which lets the bearer DetectEvil and generate {{Laser Blade}}s), the Nightmask glyph (which gives the bearer powerful [[{{Telepathy}} telepathic abilities]]) and the Cipher glyph (which gives the bearer the ability to [[GadgeteerGenius create advanced technology]]) equating to the four heroes of the original New Universe (Star Brand, Justice, Nightmask, and Spitfire).
* The new character Ink in the ''[[{{Comicbook/X-men}} X-Men]]'' comics has a different power for each tattoo he has. [[spoiler: At first he thought he was a [[{{Mutants}} mutant]] who would get powers based on his tattoos, but it turns out his tattoo artist is a mutant who could give people powers by giving them tattoos.]]
* Kinetix, in ''TheLegionOfSuperHeroes'', when she got her powers restored by the White Witch. In this case, the tattoo was the least unusual part of her resulting appearance, which included white skin, pointed ears and a tail.
* In the wonderful but unappreciated DC comic ''Son of Vulcan'', the main character Mikey gets the previous Vulcan's power when the dying hero touches his face, transferring Vulcan's power through a sort of tattoo. The tat is supposed to go on the new Son of Vulcan's chest, to facilitate [[ClarkKenting secret identifying]], but because the transfer is rushed, Mickey ends up with a brightly glowing hand-shaped mark right on his face.

* Hiei from {{Yu Yu Hakusho}}.

* [[PhantasyStarUniverse Beasts]] can turn into a large humanoid monster if they get a special kind of tattoo, known as a Blast Badge

* Although never seen due to graphics limitations, enemy mages in ''BaldursGate 2'' have these. They operate as an improved Contingency spell[[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard granting the ability to simultaneously cast multiple spells of any level]].

* When Jin Kazama of ''{{Tekken}}'' becomes [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Devil Jin]], he grows several {{Power Tattoos}} on his chest and especially forehead.

* ''DigitalDevilSaga'' has the Atma Marks as this. Bonus points because you can get ANYWHERE on the body and the transformation pose has the character reaching out to touch it or show it off (hint: Jinana has hers on one of butt cheeks).

* When Jin Kazama of ''{{Tekken}}'' becomes [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Devil Jin]], he grows several PowerTattoo on his chest and especially forehead.

* The Mystics in ''[[LegendOfLegaia Legaia: Duel Saga'' all have tattoo-like birthmarks on their body. One of them, of course, has it somewhere that [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean doesn't get shown.]]

** [[spoiler: Alma Karma too. Apparantly, all of the Second Exorcists did. Or would have, anyway.]]

* Negi from ''MahouSenseiNegima'' gets these when he intially activates his [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Magica Erebea]]

* In the wonderful but unappreciated DC comic ''Son of Vulcan'', the main character Mikey gets the previous Vulcan's power when the dying hero touches his face, transferring Vulcan's power through a sort of tattoo. The tat is supposed to go on the new Son of Vulcan's chest, to facilitate [[ClarkKenting secret identitying]], but because the transfer is rushed, Mickey ends up with a brightly glowing hand-shaped mark right on his face.

* in '''The Death Gate Cycle''' book series, a magician race called the Patryns uses tatoos for protection, amongst other things.

* Junichiro Tanizaki's ''The Tattooer'', a short story wherein a sadistic artist drugs a young geisha and tattooes a black widow spider on her back, thus releasing the [[TheVamp cruel seductress]] hidden within her.

* The fledgeling [[PhantasySpelling vampyres]] get a crescent moon on their forehead in ''TheHouseOfNight''. When it fills in completely, they have finished the 'change'. The main character [[MarySue Zoey Redbird]]'s tattoo has already filled in of course, along with her getting various others when she gets her numerous [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands special abilities]].

* In ''PrinceOfPersia: The Two Thrones'', the Prince becomes infected by the [[TheCorruption Sands of Time]], and occasionally transforms into a unique being known as the Dark Prince, which functions as a SuperpoweredEvilSide. His whole body is covered by glowing tattoos while in this state. He also has normal tattos when he isn't transformed.

* Negi from ''MahouSenseiNegima'' gets these when he intially activates his [[DangerousForbiddenTechinque Magica Erebea]]
* Brain from ''FairyTail'' has these and act as a PowerLimiter

** Kyuubi's seal may also count

* The Charter Mages in Garth Nix's [[OldKingdom]] series. Among other unspecified things, the forehead marks allow "uncorrupted" Charter Mages to identify each other with a touch.

* In ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the Air Nomads are tattooed with sky bison arrow marks when they master Airbending. Since Aang is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the last Airbender]] [[LastOfHisKind alive]], his tattoos are also a dead giveaway that he's the Avatar. They [[PowerGlows glow]] along with his [[GlowingEyesOfDoom eyes]] when he's in the [[UnstoppableRage Avatar State]].

* ''Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann'' and its Spiral Power : the users have generally spiral-shaped pupils. And Lordgenome has ''spiral body hair''.

* Played straight in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' with [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Nikki/Jessica]]

* ''[[MagicalGIrlLyricalNanoha Magical Record Lyrical Nanoha Force]]'' has the Huckebein, all of whom possess a tattoo on their body to identify their Eclipse infection. Cypha, for example, has one on the left side of her neck. As Tohma shows, these turn into MarkedChange [[SuperPoweredEvilSide when the Eclipse goes out of control]].

* The tattoos that Lindsay gets in AngelTheSeries to hide himself from the senior partners.

* Caste marks appear on the foreheads of all Celestial {{Exalted}} if they spend peripheral Essense.

* [[{{Portmanteau}} Electoos]] from Warhammer40000 - it's a little unclear exactly what they do. Sometimes they are simple rank identifiers, whilst other authors use them as remote access keys, or even cybernetic circuitry.

* The various manifestations of the Sigil in CrossGen Comics.
* GreenLantern villain the Tattooed Man (both of them) takes it a step further. His power is making his tattoos spring off his body and come to life.
* The Starbrand from Marvel's TheNewUniverse- basically a [[AmplifierArtifact Cosmic Cube]] in tattoo form.

* The new character Ink in the [[{{Comicbook/X-men}} X-Men]] comics has a different power for each tattoo he has. [[spoiler: At first he thought he was a [[{{Mutants}} mutant]] who would get powers based on his tattoos, but it turns out his tattoo artist is a mutant who could give people powers by giving them tattoos.]]

* Jen in {{Primal}} has a circular design on her back that glows when she adopts various demonic forms. We're told it's important, and [[AbortedArc nothing else.]]

* The Mystics in Legaia: Duel Saga all have tattoo-like birthmarks on their body. One of them, of course, has it somewhere that [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean doesn't get shown.]]

* Digital Devil Saga has the Atma Marks as this. Bonus points because you can get ANYWHERE on the body and the transformation pose has the character reaching out to touch it or show it off (hint: Jinana has hers on one of butt cheeks).

* [[{{Castlevania}} Shanoa]] has a nice set of three Power Tattoos, one on each upper arm and a large one on her back, which use Glyphs to cast her spells.
* When [[{{Tekken}} Jin Kazama]] becomes [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Devil Jin]], he grows several PowerTattoo on his chest and especially forehead.

* FateStayNight magi generally all have a Magic Crest of one sort or the other. It's a mixed blessing: it tends to make you better at whatever branch of magic that Crest is based on and some have additional powers such as providing mana for usage or [[spoiler:keeping Tohsaka alive after getting stabbed because she wasn't out of mana yet.]] However, they bind you and drastically limit your options. Tohsaka is somewhat jealous that Shirou doesn't have one and doesn't think he should ever get one. There's [[AllThereInTheManual another type of crest the Magic Association gives]] but this one sucks even worse because all it does is mark you as too valuable to let you possibly run away.

* Almalexia in TheElderScrolls Morrowind.

* ''[[MagicalGIrlLyricalNanoha Magical Record Lyrical Nanoha Force]]'' has the Huckebein of , all of whom possess a tattoo on their body to identify their Eclipse infection. Cypha, for example, has one on the left side of her neck. As Tohma shows, these turn into MarkedChange [[SuperPoweredEvilSide when the Eclipse goes out of control]].

* [[http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/Vkthsu/?action=view&current=tattoofamiliar.jpg How about]] a tattoo {{familiar}}?

* [[http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/Vkthsu/?action=view¤t=tattoofamiliar.jpg How about]] a tattoo {{familiar}}?

* The Huckebein of ''[[MagicalGIrlLyricalNanoha Magical Record Lyrical Nanoha Force]]'', all of whom possess a tattoo on their body to identify their Eclipse infection. Cypha, for example, has one on the left side of her neck. As Tohma shows, these turn into MarkedChange [[SuperPoweredEvilSide when they lose control]].

* [[http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm233/Vkthsu/?action=view&current=tattoofamiliar.jpg How about]] a tattoo {{familiar}}?

Compare MarkedChange, where the marks generally cover more of the body, but only when someone has powered up.

** And in {{Yu-Gi-Oh}} the Eye of Anubis fulfills this trope. Sometimes mistaken for The Eye of Wdjat, which is the symbol on Yugi's Puzzle, it can appear on the foreheads of bearers of the items when they use shadow magic. Glowing gold. It has also turned up on [[strike:the Steves]] those under the power of Marik through the Millennium Rod.