Artifact of Doom

The Artifact of Doom is an unusual villain in that it is a (seemingly) inanimate object that somehow manages to be pure evil. It is the threat of corruption and falling to The Dark Side. It may also cause Great Insanity, death, or worse.

This item has a palpable presence beyond merely being a device. Its threat is ever constant, whether destroying those it directly opposes, or consuming those who dare use it from within with dark whispers of power. Nonetheless, it is incapable of action on its own; its power lies in manipulating its user to act for it. Therein lies the irony: if people would just leave the thing alone it would be harmless, but since Evil Feels Good some idiot will inevitably try it out and doom us all.

There will be a conflict among the heroes, between those who say they should dare to use its power and resist or purify the corrupting effects; and those feel it should be destroyed/sealed. The artifact will often make this conflict escalate to aHate Plague with deadly consequences. This may be explicitly stated as one of its powers in the case of the Artifact of Attraction.

Still think it's worth the risk? Think you can handle it? After all, once you realize how evil it is, all you have to do is get rid of it or destroy it... Both of which are easier said than done.

Often has An Aesop on how power corrupts and over-reliance on technology/magic is a bad thing.

If the artifact is a wearable item that refuses to come off (or you will never want or think about taking it off), then it's also aClingy MacGuffin. If it's a Dismantled MacGuffin, then reassembling it is required to get the Set Bonus.

Usually found at half-price at The Little Shop That Wasn't There Yesterday, or handed out by the Evil Mentor (if he hasn't turned himself  into  the artifact).

Sub Tropes include the Tome of Eldritch Lore, Evil Weapon, Evil Mask, and the Summoning Artifact. Occasionally doubles as an Artifact of Death. More often, it is an Amulet of Dependency. Often overlaps with Happy Fun Ball when the artifact appears to me something harmless or mundane. The Soul Jar of an evil character almost always doubles as one of these. May also be the can of Sealed Evil in a Can. See also Sentient Phlebotinum and Holy Is Not Safe when the artifact was made by the good guys but still dangerous.