Basic Trope: A parasitic force that corrupts a character and grants them great power, but often risking loss of sanity and/or a Face–Heel Turn.
- Straight: Ace comes into contact with the Toxic Phlebotinum known as Corruptite. Though it gives him incredible power, it also threatens to transform him into a monster unless he can cure himself.
- Exaggerated: Ace becomes godlike just by touching a gram of Corruptite. He also immediately becomes nearly completely insane and struggles just to think coherently.
- Downplayed: Corruptite gives Ace a small power boost and amplifies whatever negative thoughts he has, but doesn't transform him.
- Justified:
- Corruptite is Sentient Phlebotinum, and it trying to corrupt Ace is part of its plan to spread itself further using him as a controller.
- Alternatively, the negative effects of Corruptite are actually part of its Secret Test of Character - if it detects any malice within those it touches, it punishes potential evildoers by twisting them into monsters. Those with pure hearts are left alone.
- Corruptite is actually supposed to have non-corruptive effects, but it was tampered with, making it both powerful AND lethal.
- Corruptite is Sentient Phlebotinum, and it trying to corrupt Ace is part of its plan to spread itself further using him as a controller.
- Inverted:
- Corruptite causes Draco to become much stronger, but also make him less and less inclined towards evil.
- Corruptite weakens you while making you more good.
- Subverted: Ace becomes powerful because of Corruptite, but is seemingly able to avoid the dark side-effects.
- Double Subverted: ...that is, until he takes more, when its horrific nature manifests properly.
- Parodied: Ace literally becomes an Author Avatar thanks to Corruptite, and it turns him into a Caustic Critic who uses his powers to rewrite the story so it's less stupid.
- Zig-Zagged: Some characters get completely corrupted, others are unaffected.
- Averted:
- There is no Corruptite.
- Corruptite does exist, but it does not display mind-altering properties.
- Enforced: "Look, anti-heroes with weird alien crap giving them powers are all the rage now, let's do that, mkay?"
- Lampshaded: "D-damn it... of course the alien mineral that makes me powerful also tries to eat me..."
- Invoked: Corruptite is intentionally spread by Lord Evulz in order to eventually sway the heroes to his side, when they're too far into their power levels to get out of the transformation process.
- Exploited: Ace, recognizing the lethality of Corruptite, lures some bad guys into taking it for themselves, so that they will degenerate into stronger but also dumber creatures, making them easier to coordinate against.
- Defied: Ace destroys the Corruptite, out of fear of what will happen if it comes into contact with someone unlike him.
- Discussed: "You think Corruptite has a mind of its own?" "If it does, it ain't telling us. I don't trust it one bit. Better prepare for when it decides to bite us."
- Conversed: "Geez, Corruptite really made the show Darker and Edgier..."
- Implied: Rumors abound of Corruptite being involved in a string of deaths with Ace at its center.
- Deconstructed: The sanity loss that comes with Corruptite's power boost makes it much less appealing to use, not to mention that just being near it is enough to be infected, resulting in Corruptite-infested areas being marked as no-entry-zones.
- Reconstructed: The Godzilla Threshold has been reached, and out of options, Ace decides to use Corruptite, reasoning that it's better to have done something to help instead of avoiding risks and likely spelling doom via inaction.
- Played for Laughs: Corruptite twists Ace into a horrible monster... who jaywalks and flips off puppies.
- Played for Drama: The story follows Ace's gradual descent into madness and despair because of Corruptite effectively killing his mind. It's a race against time both to defeat Draco and Lord Evulz AND find a solution to the malady before Ace is reduced into a mindless beast.
- Played for Horror: Corruptite provides some terrifying Body Horror, with Ace sporting more crystalline features that jut out of his flesh more and more. He also gains a Horror Hunger, which gets harder and harder to ignore as Corruptite roots itself further inside him.
Return to The Corruption here, but watch out, lest its powerful boons tear your mind to shreds.
