Corruption as an Empowerment Fetish

[brandygang]

I've come to realize and seek out a certain kind of fetish. It's probably not that uncommon but just not really stated or specified in this way too often.

The fetish in mentioning pertains to the way Transformations/Corruption is done. When I seek out most works, art and stories for this kind of thing I find the majority revolves around woman becoming enslaved or corrupted by some kind of 'Master figure', be it a Mistress or Monstergirl, whichever. The victim will gain their attributes and noticeable attractiveness/sexualization, probably in the controllers image. From here on they'll be subservient to whatever changed them, and the focus here seems to be quite directed at the submission taking place when coupled with the Transformation. Sure they'll be sexier and eviler, but it's a kind of seduction, guided or outright forced along. They'll essentially not themselves anymore, and didn't go through a natural growth so much as were forcibly changed. That's what the whole Corruption/Brainwashing thing is about, I get that. And I don't mind those, but I'm interested in a more specific and rare form of it.

I'm wondering if there's any Corruption material out there exclusively focusing on 'Empowerment', that is the same process happening but by the 'Victims' lonesome. Usually this will involve a meak, weak willed, humble or atleast average individual stumbling upon a catalyst. An Artifact, a spell/curse, whatever it is, and this starts to not only change them,but lead them to taking upon Power and Control of their lives and themselves, giving what might be construed as a corruption of sorts but purely by their own will and devices. That character being in control, of themselves and their changes is important here. As opposed to merely being possessed/puppeted over time.

For example, a girl finds a Magic Spellbook that offers her fantastic powers, and allows her to awaken another side of herself. Everytime she uses a spell, she becomes more like this other independent, sultry, powerful self but she's still 'her', just with more confidence. If she changes her wardrobe, attitude, behavior, agenda and moral standpoint it's always a fine-tuned decision. The changes aren't automatic or being casted/done by the book, merely enabled by it, as a catalyst. Eventually if you burned it she wouldn't be 'freed' or anything because she's chosen to accept whatever possibilities it offered her at the time.

It's kind of a shoddy example but in the Halle Berry movie this is essentially what happens to Patience, through the power of...whatever even it was, I don't really understand that movies vague logic but she got her cat powers and than became Catwoman, changing her persona overall.

Does this turn any heads or do anything for anybody? Are there any examples or works out there like this that you know?

[brandygang]

Basically it's girls getting Corrupted, in a sense by what is essentially a Power Fantasy.

[Xanderfox]

Seems to me corruption as empowerment ought to be characterized as a "false" type of empowerment, that yes the corrupted person becomes stronger and more determined by sacrificing who they are or having who they are taken away from them. They haven't really been empowered they have been enslaved or replaced by a new entity and are more powerless than before.

Of course that really is for a deeper exploration of the concept rather than it as a sexual fantasy. In a fetish setting the "corruption" is more used as an excuse to have a submissive character act as the aggressor, allowing them to be depicted in a way that is opposed to their normal character. Of course as is often the case since the negative aspects of the change are ignored or thrown out many empowerment fantasy that could be called corruption are not recognized as such. Your Catwoman example stands out, because Patience is depicted as such weak person only the positive aspects of the transformation are acknowledged, the fact the original Patience has in essence died isn't acknowledged because the new Patience is meant to represent female empowerment. In reality Patience wasn't empowered, she was destroyed.

[brandygang]

I think this might be better coined as "False Corruption", since it focuses more on the awakening of emergent, assertive and independent traits with Powerplay thrown in.

You bring up a good point, and illustrate why Patience is a rather bad pickings here. Patience, has few redeemable traits or much characterization. She's fodder for her Catwoman Transformation. So her abrupt change is Identity Death, so it destroyed her. Pretty much nothing about 'Catwoman' really relates to whoever 'Patience' was, it's not like she cared about jewels or fighting crime beforehand. That's not corruption everybody looks for and it's not nearly as Process related.

A better "Empowerment" would feature a girl with recognizable enough goals, relations, behaviors, ect so a change is meaningful. The struggle is essentially internal, she gives up aspects of herself for this change, and accepts it by her motivations. She'll become what she needs to as the cost to gain her wants, or perhaps the freedom and power offered to her is the reward she seeks in itself.

A benchmark test could be if she still sympathize/identify's her previous self and can state both the reasons to become 'corrupted' and reasons she wouldn't. (Regardless of which she believes in, or follows at the moment) She'd still be 'Corrupted', entering a different darker persona so she's not just some Superhero or Magical Girl gaining power. But she's not necessarily enslaved or possessed either, assuming she can give up her power and rekindle the motives in herself that drove her to this. If she "Snaps" or betrays those original reasons, breaking her flimsy self in the process she'll have lost and it'll be a true corruption. This fetish hinders on the victim edging right near that point, from roughly there back to when she first got her Power. If they've been enslaved/destroyed and consumed by their new identity without regard for their original self it's just another corruption and this specific fetish ends.

[Crash Ichimonji]

Jitensha did a short comic based on this concept. It was a 'Jaquelin Hyde' TF where the meek, glasses-wearing scientist girl turns into a larger-breasted, green-skinned orcish/elf girl to release her 'inner self'.

'Demon on the Dance Floor' was a Corruption TF short comic that had the seemingly underconfident girl with a modest figure dance to demonic-laced music that turned her into a devilgirl at the end, her mindset going from dreary and with low self-esteem to confident and seductive. She doesn't think she's changed any, let alone think back to her former identity, so I guess it only partially counts to some degree at best.

I wonder if the lead futanari girls of 'Dulce Report' would count in this concept? Momoe started as Momose (100% male), a kind of nerdy possibly otaku kid, then after becoming a futanari (Momoe) she became confident, more cunning, and ultimately a very responsible mother (the sequal series is still on-going). By the same token, Aoi (100% female) began as the studious and proper student council president, but after becoming a horse-cocked futanari slowly lost her own inhibitions and gave into her body's new functions (read: having a dick) by becoming rather butch in her relationship with Momoe. She was almost exclusively on top when it came to sex with Momoe, and was rather protective of her formerly-male girlfriend. In a way, Aoi's corruption did empower her, and Momoe's conversion did in her own way.

:::EDIT:::

Now that I think about it, girls that become futanari tend to get a sort of empowerment/confidence boost most of the time, though 'corruption' being a rather extreme description of a woman enjoying the sexual power of having a wang and the new pleasure of penile ejaculation.

[brandygang]

I vaguely remember the Jaquelin Hyde comic, and that definitely qualifies. The character becomes 'corrupted' into that creature, but isn't enslaved or inwardly corrupted by it, nor does she have a split personality or anything. The rest of those sound good to check out.

Simplified, I feel like this fetish could fall under a lot of things quite broadly. Girls becoming Werewolves, nice demons, soft Rogues or Anti-heros, Femme Fatales and Slinky Vixens, so long as they retain their minds/original minds intact deep inside. It's a Fetish based around juxtaposing the innocence and original mind/intent of the victim, with the carrying out of their desires and the power given to them to do it. The 'Victim' is performing a role, either to their enjoyment, needs, obligations or whatever reason, but not losing themselves to it. Sometimes the acceptance of this role is attractive, for others it might be the resistance to and fear of it.

[Quantum Heart]

Yeah, I'm with that. TF as vector to empowerment/self-actualization is awesome. Hard to think of a lot though, it seems like a lot of TF is something the person doesn't want or is actively trying to reject, or they lose control of themselves or whatever.

[Dr. Otto]

There's an ongoing subplot in the TV show, GRIMM, about one of the lead characters, Juliette, being transformed into a witch-like creature called a "Hexenbiest." (The first metamorphosis and reaction can be seen in my signature.) It seems to be right up this thread's alley.

[varianm]

I wrote a story called "The Birth of Bethany". It is about an innocent college girl who is seduced by a smoke being while babysitting. She is gradually corrupted, but retains much of herself, even when she gains power over others. Warning: it does contain a lot of cigarette smoking, in case that is a squick for you. You can read the story on my blog. http://varianm.blogspot.com/2014/08/...f-bethany.html

[Aahz]

A lot of Jack Chalkers books have this sort of thing in them. Almost all of his books seem to involve a woman being transformed and subjugated to the main villain. There is a lot of TG content as well.

[brandygang]

It's not ideal, but in Magica Madoka Homura goes through a drastic transformation after numerous time-loop jumps and changes her appearance and demeanor something sharp.