History Main / WithGreatPowerComesGreatHotness

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[[quoteright:350:[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9b327033_f1fb_4230_ad7d_97eb800a6c33.jpeg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded "SUPERHERO STEROID!!"]]]]

Subtrope of PowerMakeover. Often the JustifiedTrope of a HeroicBuild. Compare FrillyUpgrade, BishonenLine, ProgressivelyPrettier, and SexierAlterEgo. Contrast PowerUpgradingDeformation and EvilMakesYouUgly. May involve TransformationSequence and/or GrowingMusclesSequence, and may be part (or all) of the awesome in CursedWithAwesome. If power ''feels'' good, it's a PowerHigh.

* Protagonist Hiiragi Seiichi from ''Literature/TheFruitOfEvolution'', originally a very {{gonk}}y character who is notably overweight and has legendarily terrible body odor that can ''kill'' certain monsters, is transformed into a handsome, slender {{bishonen}} after eating the titular PowerUpFood. It's perhaps the human equivalent to the same side-effect that causes animals which consume the fruit of evolution [[HumanityEnsues to assume human form]], as was the case with two members of his harem; Salia the gorilla and Rurune the donkey.
* In ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'', Miaka is told that she gets ThreeWishes as the Priestess of Suzaku, and that she can use them for anything she wants. She thinks about the possibilities, and one of them is becoming [[HollywoodPudgy thinner]] and [[GenericCuteness prettier]] and more popular with boys at school. Her decisions as to what to wish for [[ComingOfAge evolve over the course of the series]] from entirely selfish, to a combination of selfish and selfless, to entirely selfless... and [[spoiler: even though she gets three wishes, she only actually uses ''two''.]]
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''.

* ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'': In the manga, whenever Tsukune is injected with vampire blood to become a ghoul, he changes from an UnluckyEverydude looking guy to a {{Bishounen}}. As he is slowly transforming into a vampire, his human appearance also slowly becomes ProgressivelyPrettier over time, and human girls start to fawn over him for his looks.

* ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'': Inverted with Sistah Spooky - she found out that the {{Alpha Bitch}}es at her school had [[DealWithTheDevil sold their souls]] for massive hotness and did the same thing... except her Infernal Services Provider messed up and gave her far more magical power than he'd intended.
* ''ComicBook/{{Gen13}}'':

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel'': Subverted in ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014''. When [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Kamala Khan]] first gets her shapeshifting powers, she uses them to look like her idol, [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]] (in her "[[LeotardOfPower swimsuit]]" Ms. Marvel costume). She quickly learns changing your outside doesn't change anything about who you are inside. . . along with many practical downsides of a typical superheroine outfit.

* ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'': Invoked when ComicBook/DoctorDoom offers superpowers (which include attractiveness upgrades) to two unpopular college girls from the Denver suburb that makes up part of Battleworld. They become Volcana and Titania, the latter of whom becomes an {{Archnemesis}} for She-Hulk and the only one who can give her a run for her money in the [[SuperStrength strength]], [[NighInvulnerable durability]], and AmazonianBeauty departments.

** Lesser-known ComicBook/SpiderMan villain Stunner is, in reality, an extremely overweight woman named Angelina Brancale. She uses a virtual reality machine invented by ComicBook/DoctorOctopus to create a kind of [[ProjectedMan holographic avatar]] [[HardLight that exists and interacts with the world]]. This false body is tall, muscular, [[MostCommonSuperpower almost impossibly busty]], has an ImpossibleHourglassFigure and long, flowing blonde hair (Angelina herself is blonde, though her real hair is much less glamorous).

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Harry develop into this, with the lean HeroicBuild of a dancer or a swordsman by partway into the second book - he's by no means bad looking at first, being considered cute in an adorable kind of way, and it's mostly a growth spurt or two, some magical eye surgery, and a diet to correct his malnutrition.

* {{Averted}} for Bree Daniels from ''FanFic/TalesOfTheCanterlotDeportationAgency''. She mentions that most mages she's met assumed that her breasts and other exotic-to-the-point-of-parody features were the product of Life magic, and they often find it hilarious when they realize that Bree has no real capacity for the [[TabletopGame/MageTheAscension Sphere]] and her appearance is 100% natural.
* In ''FanFic/TheWeaverOption'' Taylor's face is described as "angelic" after [[spoiler:she becomes a full Saint and gains her wings]]. Dennis notes that old scars and imperfections that made her look more human had disappeared, giving her a more regal appearance.
* Taylor's ascent into divinity in ''FanFic/TheTasteOfPeaches'' came with a dramatic boost to her looks. People question why a trigger event also gives you a makeover. Inari passing down her Fertility domain to her probably helped a lot there.

* ''Fanfic/TheWarcrafter'' [[RuleOfThree has another example of this]] with Taylor. [[spoiler: When her trigger event goes awry, Taylor not only gains a different powerset from the original story, but also gains an athletic build and an increase in her breast size.]] This also happens with main character Adrian and other characters, however, so this is hardly exclusive to her.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* Hal Stewart from ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' is a fat lazy loser with a childish personality. After getting Metro Man's powers from Megamind, he is granted the hero's HeroicBuild! [[spoiler:His body is ''literally'' part of his power set: When Megamind depowers him after his FaceHeelTurn at the end, he reverts back to being fat and slovenly.]]

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger:'' Like in the comics, Steve Rogers gets this makeover after his infusion of super-soldier serum. He goes from short and scrawny to so buff it results in Peggy Carter (and Creator/HayleyAtwell) EatingTheEyeCandy.
* ''Film/MySuperExGirlfriend:'' The titular girlfriend goes from unattractive ([[HollywoodHomely well, as unattractive as]] Creator/UmaThurman can be made to look) to as beautiful as Uma Thurman can be made to look when she gains her powers. Special focus is given to her gaining the MostCommonSuperpower.
* Like in the comics, Peter Parker in ''Film/SpiderMan1'' was a scrawny nerd until he got bitten by the spider, which leaves him in a groggy haze until he goes home and collapses on his bed. He wakes up with muscles and [[TheGlassesGottaGo fixed eyesight]] that he refers to as a "big change" but hides underneath his baggy sweaters and pants.

* In Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'', the title character is initially described as fairly chunky and acne-ridden. However, she slowly explores her PsychicPowers over the course of the story, and when Tommy arrives to pick her up for prom, he tells her that she's beautiful. It could be mostly psychological, though, as Carrie also grows more confident in herself until she eventually tells her abusive mother where to stuff it, and a big part of why she was an outcast was her crippling shyness. The film adaptations handle this slightly differently, casting conventionally attractive young actresses in the part and going the HollywoodHomely route until her BeautifulAllAlong makeover.

* ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}:'' A rare few humans who die heroically [[CameBackStrong Come Back Strong]] as "Returned" with new, idealized bodies, and are [[PhysicalReligion worshiped as gods]] in Hallandren. Most are seven feet tall, beautiful, and perfectly muscled, with some variation -- Blushweaver gets an extra helping of the MostCommonSuperpower, while Allmother looks like everyone's favourite granny. It's eventually revealed to be [[spoiler:a subconscious use of their latent {{Humanshifting}} power]].
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse:'' The Exemplar power defines a template for the body image, making the person conform to it. Usually, it's hot.

* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', after Barry Allen gains his SuperSpeed, he finds his body is also more toned than it used to be, leading to the page quote. In this case, his powers come with a faster metabolism that burns fat quickly (but with the drawback that he needs to [[CastFromCalories pack in extra calories]] to compensate, lest he pass out from hunger).

** "Metamorphosis": Greg Arkin is initially depicted with pimples, unkempt hair and round glasses. After being mutated by meteor-rock infected bugs, Greg literally sheds his previous skin and becomes more conventionally handsome, ditching the glasses and now having smoother skin and straighter hair.
** "Facade": Invoked on Abigail Fine. The episode's flashback shows her with a severe case of acne that earned her the nickname "Scabby Abby". Abby underwent a procedure done by her mother using meteor rock which made her more conventionally attractive but also gave her the ability to cause hallucinations in anyone she kissed.
* In the Australian children's science-fiction series ''Series/WickedScience'', Elizabeth undergoes this after her transformation into a genius, going from geeky unpopular girl to confident and very good-looking. Although, she was already conventionally attractive, she just had to [[TheGlassesGottaGo take off her glasses]] and [[LettingHerHairDown let down her hair]].

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' with Calofisteri. She is a Mhachi sorceress who drank the blood of voidsent to maintain her youth and gain demonic powers. While she has the face and physique of a supermodel, her beauty is undercut by her mass of incredibly sharp PrehensileHair that undulates like tentacles, her UndeathlyPallor, and inhuman size. Calofisteri has also gone mad from her rituals, constantly boasting about her beauty while believing herself to have AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Zig-zagged with the Abyssal Exalted, who start to become either [[EvilMakesYouMonstrous repulsive and necrotic]] or [[InhumanlyBeautifulRace unearthly beautiful]] when they receive their powers. It's a SlowTransformation that becomes more pronounced as they grow in strength.
[[/folder]]

** Dr. Laura [=MacKenzie=] got her powers from a Venusian energy reactor imbedding itself in her chest, causing her breasts to grow comically large. She takes full advantage of this, calling herself Super MILF and openly admitting that she's a superhero because it's a fetish for her.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' had a very smart and {{Adorkable}} guy figure out how to siphon the coolness of other guys and transfer it to himself. The problem is, it's only temporary so he has to keep doing it. The coolness gives him all sorts of abilities he never had as himself and makes him extremely attractive. Once caught, even Sam Clover and Alex lament that it's a shame because he was "Almost Dateable."

** [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Peter Parker]] (Spider-Man himself) gets this treatment by getting bitten by a radioactive spider. He goes from a scrawny science geek to a muscular superhero.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' with Calofisteri. She is a Mhachi sorceress who drank the blood of voidsent to maintain her youth and gain demonic powers. While she has the face and physique of a supermodel, her beauty is undercut by her mass of incredibly sharp PrehensileHair that undulates like tentacles. Calofisteri herself has also gone mad from her rituals, constantly boasting about her beauty while believing herself to have AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence.

* In ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'', Miaka is told that she gets ThreeWishes as the Priestess of Suzaku, and that she can use them for anything she wants. She thinks about the possibilities, and one of them is becoming [[HollywoodPudgy thinner]] and [[GenericCuteness prettier]] and more popular with boys at school. Her decisions as to what to wish for [[ComingOfAge evolve over the course of the series]] from entirely selfish, to a combination of selfish and selfless, to entirely selfless... and [[spoiler: even though she gets three wishes, she only actually uses ''two''.]]
* Disturbingly parodied in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Lippy is normally a {{Cephalothorax}} whose only human features are a small tuft of hair and [[GagLips disproportionately large lips]] on an EyelessFace. When she's corrupted and empowered, Lippy becomes "[[FanDisservice sexier]]" by gaining a hyper-exaggerated BigBeautifulWoman's figure and long wavy hair, but still has the same face.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Zig-zagged with the Abyssal Exalted, who start to become either [[EvilMakesYouMonstrous repulsive and necrotic]] or [[EvilIsSexy unearthily beautiful]] when they receive their powers. It's a SlowTransformation that becomes more pronounced as they grow in strength.

Subtrope of PowerMakeover. Often the JustifiedTrope of a HeroicBuild. Compare FrillyUpgrade, BishonenLine, ProgressivelyPrettier, and SexierAlterEgo. Contrast PowerUpgradingDeformation and EvilMakesYouUgly. May involve TransformationSequence and/or GrowingMusclesSequence, and may be part (or all) of the awesome in CursedWithAwesome.

* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' turns from an asthmatic weakling into the pinnacle of human athleticism after being given the super soldier serum.
* In ''ComicBook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew'', Roger Rabbit goes from scrawny and near-sighted to as muscular as ComicBook/{{Superman}} after eating a Cosmic Carrot to transform into Captain Carrot. It doubles as a way to help him keep his SecretIdentity, as no one believes that he's Captain Carrot because of their difference in physique.

* Subverted with ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014''. When Kamala Khan first gets her shapeshifting powers, she uses them to look like her idol, Carol Danvers (in her "[[LeotardOfPower swimsuit]]" Ms. Marvel costume). She quickly learns changing your outside doesn't change anything about who you are inside. . . along with many practical downsides of a typical superheroine outfit.
* In ''ComicBook/NewSuperMan'', Kenan goes from a tubby 20-something-year-old to being as ripped as well, ComicBook/{{Superman}}, after being imbued with Superman's chi as part of the Chinese government's attempt to create its own party-loyal Justice League.
* Invoked in ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984''. ComicBook/DoctorDoom offers superpowers (which include attractiveness upgrades) to two unpopular college girls from the Denver suburb that makes up part of Battleworld. They become Volcana and Titania, the latter of whom becomes an {{Archnemesis}} for She-Hulk and the only one who can give her a run for her money in the [[SuperStrength strength]], [[NighInvulnerable durability]], and AmazonianBeauty departments.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan''

* Inverted with Sistah Spooky in ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'' - she found out that the {{Alpha Bitch}}es at her school had [[DealWithTheDevil sold their souls]] for massive hotness and did the same thing... except her Infernal Services Provider messed up and gave her far more magical power than he'd intended.
* In ''ComicBook/StormwatchPHD'', the new Diva, Isabella Fermi, used to be overweight and unattractive. When her famous older sister Alessandra died, Stormwatch somehow turned Isabella into a near-perfect duplicate of her sister, complete with powers. This turns into a mixed blessing; on the one hand, she gets to enjoy all the fame and attention that Alessandra once enjoyed, but on the other hand, her teammates distrust her and her career comes to a sudden halt when she's blackmailed, after the media gets its hands on photos of her former appearance.

* "Iron Mace" Alvida from ''Manga/OnePiece'' was a FatBitch who forces men to tell her she's beautiful. After she eats the [[SuperSliding Slip-Slip Fruit]], all her excess fat slid off her body, giving her an ImpossibleHourglassFigure and a pretty face.

* "Iron Mace" Alvida from ''Manga/OnePiece'' was a FatBitch who forces men to tell her she's beautiful. After she eats the Slip-Slip Fruit, she gains an ImpossibleHourglassFigure and a pretty face.

* ''ComicBook/SheHulk'': Somewhat plain, mousy Jennifer Walters becomes perhaps the definition of AmazonianBeauty, to the point she most often prefers to remain as She-Hulk, once even regarding losing the ability transform back into Jennifer as not an issue. While Jen is [[DependingOnTheArtist sometimes drawn]] to be more "comic book" attractive in human form, it is generally accepted that her She-Hulk form is more appealing, both in and out of universe.

** Peter Parker (Spider-Man himself) gets this treatment by getting bitten by a radioactive spider. He goes from a scrawny science geek to a muscular superhero.

* ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'': In the manga, whenever Tsukune is injected with vampire blood to become a ghoul, he changes from an UnluckyEverydude looking guy to a {{Bishounen}}. As he is slowly transforming into a vampire, his human appearances also become progressively prettier over the time, and human girls start to fawn over him for his looks.

* In ''Literature/DouluoDalu'', all of the protagonists the get progressively hotter as they reach higher levels of cultivation. Tang San is said to have emerged from absorbing the Soul Ring of a Man-Faced Demon Spider with fairer skin, a lithe-but-toned physique, handsome features, and [[LongHairedPrettyBoy long blue hair]]. Ma Hongjun also goes from having a stout physique that got him called "Fatty" to a tall {{Bishonen}} who could floor people with his noble presence alone.
* ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles'': People who are transformed into vampires [[VampiresAreSexGods become uniformly, preternaturally beautiful]]. For people like Armand, who looked angelic in life, the effect is dazzling.
* ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}:'' A rare few humans who die heroically [[CameBackStrong Come Back Strong]] as "Returned" with new, idealized bodies, and are [[PhysicalReligion worshiped as gods]] in Hallandren. Most are seven feet tall, beautiful, and perfectly muscled, with some variation -- Blushweaver gets an extra helping of the MostCommonSuperpower, while Allmother looks like everyone's favourite granny. It's eventually revealed to be [[spoiler:a subconscious use of their latent {{Humanshifting}} power]].
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse:'' The Exemplar power defines a template for the body image, making the person conform to it. Usually, it's hot.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Ziz-zagged with the Abyssal Exalted, who start to become either [[EvilMakesYouMonstrous repulsive and necrotic]] or [[EvilIsSexy unearthly beautiful]] when they receive their powers. It's a SlowTransformation that becomes more pronounced as they grow in strength.

** In the Australian children's science-fiction series ''Series/WickedScience'', Elizabeth undergoes this after her transformation into a genius, going from geeky unpopular girl to confident and very good-looking. Although, she was already conventionally attractive, she just had to [[TheGlassesGottaGo take off her glasses]] and [[LettingHerHairDown let down her hair]].

* Protagonist Hiiragi Seiichi from ''LightNovel/TheFruitOfEvolution'', originally a very {{gonk}}y character who is notably overweight and has legendarily terrible body odor that can ''kill'' certain monsters, is transformed into a handsome, slender {{bishonen}} after eating the titular PowerUpFood. It's perhaps the human equivalent to the same side-effect that causes animals which consume the fruit of evolution [[HumanityEnsues to assume human form]], as was the case with two members of his harem; Salia the gorilla and Rurune the donkey.

* {{Averted}} for Bree Daniels from ''FanFic/TalesOfTheCanterlotDeportationAgency''. She mentions that most mages she's met assumed that her GagBoobs and other exotic-to-the-point-of-parody features were the product of Life magic, and they often find it hilarious when they realize that Bree has no real capacity for the [[TabletopGame/MageTheAscension Sphere]] and her appearance is 100% natural.

** Dr. Laura [=MacKenzie=] got her powers from a Venusian energy reactor imbedding itself in her chest, causing her breasts to frow comically large. She takes full advantage of this, calling herself Super MILF and openly admitting that she's a superhero because it's a fetish for her.

[folder:Western Animation]]

[folder:[Western Animation]]

[[Western Animation]]