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{{trope}}
A stock [[Superhero]] origin story has the hero gain his powers via [[Freak Lab Accident]], [[Lightning Can Do Anything]], or some other accident. This is of course a [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup|non-reproducible]] and [[It Only Works Once|once-in-a-lifetime]] event, so others can't reliably use those methods to gain the same powers (though writers love to have lightning strike twice and recycle the origin for another character). The other half of the heroic community got their powers thanks to a scientific experiment ''gone right'', usually funded by academia, big business or a government program.
So, it worked once, why not again? That ''was'' what the dean/CEO/government paid for, right? Well, it won't be used again. ''Ever.''
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Once the [[Super Prototype]] rolls off the [[Super Soldier]] assembly line, the researchers will be more interested in running tests on what he can do than on perfecting the process used to make him. This may be justified if they want to determine how having [[Stock Super Powers]] affects a person in the long term, so they probably feel [[Scale of Scientific Sins|ethically uncomfortable]] with using a large testing population (which would be statistically ideal, but hey, ethics). But the more common reason is that [[Reed Richards Is Useless]] and everyone is now more interested in seeing [[Super Strength|how many tons]] the prototype can bench press or what other [[Potential Applications]] his [[Super Senses]] have. That, and super powers are supposed to make you ''special''. [[Uniqueness Value|You can't be special if there are hundreds of you]].
Often used to have a character [[Failure Is the Only Option|continue to remain]] [[Cursed
Then again, there may be reasons why this was done, here are the usual:
* [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup]]: The machine shorted out after the first was created, the creator is dead, or the [[Phlebotinum]] [[Power Source]] is depleted.
* The powers were an unintended effect, the original is a [[Super Prototype]], all attempts at replicating fail, [[Power Degeneration|are unstable]], or plain [[Psycho Serum|crazy]].
* Subversion: It has been used more than once, but it produced a [[Psycho Prototype]] that destroyed the machine, sometimes after a [[Flawed Prototype|younger brother]] was made.
* Variation: It has been used many times, but it was a long time ago, the machine is long gone, and the hero is the [[Last of His Kind]].
* Fearing [[Muggle Power]], [[Transhuman Treachery]] or both, the creator/test subject hides, disables or destroys the device, possibly until [[You Are Not Ready|humanity is ready]].
However, this may be just a temporary delay when this technology becomes common and obsolete. Especially in series that have some continuity. At some time, unexpectedly, prototype [[Super Soldiers]] may form a [[Redshirt Army]] of [[Superpowered Mooks]] or [[The Chosen Many]], or [[Everyone Is a Super|unique superpowers turn into common abilities.]]
See also [[Super Empowering]]. Contrast [[Mass Super
{{examples|Examples:}}▼
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* One [[The Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] [[
* The [[Super Serum]] that created [[Captain America (comics)|Captain America]] is an obvious example... in various continuities and at various times, there have been given different explanations for why Cap was the only one produced - and several other heroes and villains have been produced with the same Serum, or various further-developed variants/
** The scientist who invented the Super Soldier serum intentionally kept part of the process
*** However ''[[Spider-Man:
*** Nightcrawler asks [[Wolverine|Logan]] this question in ''[[X-Men
** The Army <s>first</s> later tested the Super Soldier Serum on black soldiers in an analogue to the Tuskegee Experiments, only one of which survived with no negative side effects, Isaiah Bradley. Josiah X, Isaiah's son, retained the powers through his blood. Then Isaiah's grandson Eli (whose mother was conceived before Isaiah was experimented on) went on to become Patriot of the ''[[Young Avengers]]'', using [[Psycho Serum|Mutant Growth Hormone]] to replicate the super soldier abilities until his grandfather provided a blood transfusion that acted as a [[Super Serum]]. The writers' intention was that this was done before Captain America was created, but [[Did Not Do the Research|they got the dates wrong]] in the story and later issues have clarified that Steve Rogers was dosed [[Retcon|before Isaiah Bradley.]]
** Protocide, a soldier with a record for disobedience, was spared charges in exchange for him willingly becoming a subject of the Super Soldier program, since the general in charge didn't like the scrawny, underweight, and untrained Steve Rogers being initially chosen.
** The [[Ultimate Marvel]] version of [[Norman Osborn]] used a serum that was a derivative of Cap's Super Soldier Serum. The Marvel universe version had a different origin, however.
** Then there's the [[Ultimate Marvel]] version of the Super Soldier Serum, which wasn't totally lost during WWII. Problem is that it's invariably lethal, with only two exceptions besides Cap. The prototype turned out to be {{spoiler|[[Nick Fury]]}}, leading Erskine to realize that it only works on [[Determinator
** [[Man-Thing]] was created partly due to an attempt to recreate Cap's serum (plus the magic of a cursed swamp).
* Norman Osborn's "Goblin Serum" was an intelligence-enhancing serum that ended up giving him [[Super Strength]] and driving him insane, and has been utilized by several Goblin-themed villains over the years, Norman included. In one storyline during ''[[Dark Reign (
* ''[[Watchmen (
** Arguably, the missing ingredient is the mindset of the volunteer - the comic implies that Manhattan gained the powers as a side-effect of learning how to piece himself back together, which required his knowledge of particle physics ''and'' his painstakingly careful watch-maker's attitude to the process.
* This is subverted with [[The Flash]], who originally got his powers in a one-in-a-million accident (lightning striking a cabinet full of chemicals that sprayed on him.) The ''exact same accident'' happened to his nephew Wally, ''right when Barry was telling him about it!'' Years later this was [[Doing
* A Canadian tried to recreate [[Incredible Hulk
** Note, however, that the Hulk's powers come from gamma rays, which are produced in-setting in the same way that they're produced in real life, albeit with very different properties ([[I Love Nuclear Power|as in, there's a chance they'll give you superpowers instead of just killing you.]]) This means that several characters, like Doc Samson and the Abomination, ''have'' obtained abilities from the same source.
** It was later revealed that the persons who received the Gamma-mutations all have a certain mutant genetic code, with the stated conclusion that they all had a common ancestor.
** In the runup to ''[[Fall of the Hulks]]'', the Leader and [[MODOK]] discovered how to combine gamma radiation and cosmic energy so that anyone could be given Hulk-like powers. However, if not properly calibrated, the process leads to [[Power Degeneration|total physiological meltdown]] within 24 hours.
*
** One of the [[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]]'s own foes, a Russian scientist by the name of Ivan Kragoff, also managed to get superpowers by recreating their circumstances. He took three apes and went into space with an unshielded ship. Thus was born the Red Ghost and his [[
* [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]] villains the U-Men are a group of people who don't think it's fair that some people are born with super powers and abilities, and they weren't. So they wear special suits, grab loads of mutant
* The Thousand was a villain who tries to replicate the accident that gave [[Spider-Man (comics)|Spider-Man]] his powers. Formerly a rather heartless and cruel bully named Carl King, he witnessed the lab accident where Peter was bitten by the spider, discovered what it had done to him, and became jealous. His attempt to replicate the effect didn't work as planned; after irradiating a spider purposely, it wouldn't bite him, so he ''ate'' it. It turned him into a [[The Worm That Walks| sentient swarm of spiders]] who could prey on humans and [[Body Horror| wear their skin like a suit.]]
* A repeated trope in ''[[Astro City]]''. Variations include a superpower-making scientist's body being recovered after being killed by a darkness-powered hero, Steeljack's superpowered vending machine wanting to keep to individual and unique results, Mock Turtle being the crazed mad scientist who finds out it'd be better to keep his work to himself...
* The [[Marvel Universe]] actually has a company that sells [[Super Strength]], Power Broker, Inc. There's at least a 50% chance of severe physical and/or mental deformity, but that's not in the advertising brochure...
* The MU also has the Brand Corporation, a division of a corrupt oil company that manufactures supervillains either as enforcers for [[Corrupt Corporate Executive
* [[Ultimate Marvel]] eventually reveals that ''all'' super-powers that are not alien in origin come from [[Meta Origin|various attempts]] to replicate or better the [[Captain America (comics)|Captain America]] program. {{spoiler|Even the mutants}}.
** The Ultimates themselves subvert this whenever possible particularly in volume 2. The Giant man formula is used on a dozen or so marines (and he gives some to his ex-wife), Iron Man's earlier prototypes are reproduced to arm soldiers (and he builds a suit for Black Widow).
* Back in the
* It was revealed in "[[What If]] The Fantastic Four Had Different Super-Powers" that the cosmic radiation which gave the [[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]] their powers [[Personality Powers|affected them in a certain way based on their personalities.]] Mr. Fantastic developed stretching powers because of his desire to go to any [ethical] lengths to acquire scientific knowledge. The Invisible Woman developed invisibility because she thought she was ignored by others. The Human Torch's powers were a result of his "flame-headed" personality. The Thing became a super-strong, rocky-skinned person as a result of his tough guy personality.
* The late [[Firestorm]]/[[Suicide Squad]] villain Steel Wolf gained his super-strength through Soviet scientists' attempts to create an army of super-soldiers during World War II. Stalin didn't trust the idea of so many super-soldiers, so he had all the scientists killed.
* Averted with [[
* In [[Garth Ennis]]' ''[[The Boys]]'', all superpowers are derived from exposure to the V-Compound. At full power, the V-Compound costs $19 billion per person. With around 200,000 superhumans in this world, many of the superhumans got their superpowers from a watered-down version of the compound.
* Averted with the ''[[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]]'' villain the Super Skrull. The process that allowed Skrulls to mimic the powers of Earth
== [[Film]] ==
* ''[[Fantastic Four (
* Averted in ''[[
* Accidentally averted in the ''[[Spider-Man (
* Averted in the finale of the first ''[[
** [[Double Subversion]] in the ''[[
== [[Literature]] ==
* [[Subverted Trope]] in ''[[
* David Brin's ''[[The Postman]]'' averts this trope. {{spoiler|The super-soldier villain (subjects were chosen for aggression and willpower rather than mental stability) is eventually defeated by a super-duper-soldier hero who was created specifically to counter the super-soldier threat. The novel implies that many soldiers of both types were created pre-apocalypse.}}
* Completely subverted in ''[[
* In ''[[Wild Cards]]'', it's mentioned that certain extremist groups voluntarily expose themselves to the Wild Card virus in hopes of getting powers, despite the 99% failure rate and 90% death rate.
* There was this one short story from the 1970's about a Superboy-like superhero whose masturbation (giving off super-fast, invulnerable sperm) caused many of the women in his town to give birth to human/alien hybrids. This troper doesn't know the name or author of the story.
** Could that be ''[http://www.rawbw.com/~svw/superman.html Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex]'' by [[Larry Niven]]?{{verify}}
== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* The 1950s British ''Invisible Man'' series subverted it. They knew it was possible to create more invisible humans (and they created invisible experimental rabbits) but since they could not yet make the subjects visible again...
* In ''[[The 4400]]'', promicin is discovered as the source of the 4400's powers. Eventually, it was replicated and used to enhance one faction's soldiers, then later made available to the public, although demand for it was somewhat reduced by the fact that half of the people who took it died soon after. Towards the end of the series, however, {{spoiler|one person's promicin power was to spread promicin to everyone in a massive radius. Including the side effect of a 50% death rate}}.
* In some ''[[Power Rangers]]'' series the Rangers' powers have been created through technology rather than coming from some more mystical sources. One might question why those generations don't make more rangers and give them the same or similar tech. [[Power Rangers SPD|One subverts this]] in that they have more ranger teams while [[Power Rangers RPM|another]] has a good reason why there aren't more.
== [[Video Games]] ==
* Subverted in ''[[
* In the ''[[
* Subverted in ''[[Luminous Arc 2]]'', where the prototype [[Magic From Technology|Runic Engine]] works fine (except the bit where it becomes fused to the main character's hand right at the start and continues to do so throughout the game, but the more powerful copies mass-produced for an [[Super Soldier|entire battalion of soldiers]] using its data slowly {{spoiler|[[Power Degeneration|corrupts the user's body due to their lack of ability to control it and eventually crystallises them.]] }}
* Justified in ''[[
* If [[Mega Man (
* Justified in the ''[[
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[
** Which makes you wonder why [[I Just Want to Be Special|Tuck]] made a wish with a [[Literal Genie]] instead of just, well, doing that. It could be that they forgot... except this episode was the second appearance of the genie in question, who was responsible for said history alteration in the first place.
*** Knowing the consequences of such an experiment, Danny would have likely prevented Tucker from ever trying the experiment. Plus only Sam, and possibly Vlad, knew it would work twice.
** A similar question arises when Vlad tries to clone Danny in order to have the "perfect half-ghost son." Given how much time and money he's spent spying on Danny and/or sneaking into the Fenton's lab, you'd think he could just adopt some kid and recreate the experiment.
*** Vlad is in love with Danny's mom, and part of his fantasy of winning her over includes replacing Jack as Danny's and Jasmine's father. The ghost powers Danny has are icing on the cake for Vlad. Somewhere along the line he must have figured (rightly) that it would be easier make a clone of Danny and program him to think of Vlad as a father than to win over Danny. So, he could just adopt a kid and give him ghost powers, but it wouldn't be satisfying his delusions and urge to humiliate Jack.
*** He could clone Jazz and give the clone superpowers. Hell, he could take Maddie's DNA and engineer their own biological child.
** Theory on why Vlad didn't do either of the above suggestions: He's seen slipping into insanity towards the end of the series. So the insanity interfered with his logic...that and the above would be really REALLY creepy.
* This was brought up in ''[[The Spectacular Spider
** In [[Spider-Man (Comic Book)|the comics]], Blackie Drago stole the Vulture's wings while he was dying in jail. Spider-Man kicked his sorry ass back to prison. When the original Vulture got better, he again gave his suit to Drago so he can fly away from jail... and then the Vulture kicks his sorry ass and takes his wings again. Yes, he gave him a pair of Vulture's wings just to show that there can be only one Vulture. So that's the cause.
** Who would want The Rhino's armor? In this continuity it doesn't come off and has poor ventilation.
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[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]
[[Category:Disposable Superhero Maker]]
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