Ghost Corruption is a term found in the Danny Phantom: Spectral Connections series.
Terminology
"Corruption" is the process of a ghost succumbing to total evil, which means they have officially lost any sense of humanity left in their post-human conscious forms. They are no longer capable of feeling human compassion, sympathy, or other virtues, as far as spectators have defined. The odds of finding truly corrupt ghosts in the Ghost Zone is extremely rare and there are only a handful of known corrupted ghosts in any historical records.
According to most beings, it is thought to be an incurable mental condition, and any ghost can become corrupted at any time. Luckily, the process is still extremely rare, but always possible -- much like being destroyed altogether (as first evident by Walker in "Prisoners of Love" when he threatens Danny to beat him within an inch of his afterlife).
Identification
There are several ways of identifying corrupt ghosts based on their behaviors, but their appearances may be the most obvious indications. It is important to note that while some ghost have any or all of the following features, it does not mean they are completely corrupted; they may simply have corruption within them, but it has not -- nor may it every -- overwhelm them.
- Blank Eyes -- Having "blank eyes" means that an individual has a solid color for their eyes (either red or green) with no pupil or cornea, leaving their line of sight a mystery to others. This often includes the eyes being darkly outlined.
- Facial Scars -- This can mean either having visible scars that slash through one or both eyes, or having cracks along the skin of the face. They are either black or simply much darker than the ghost's skin tone.
- Sharp Teeth -- While not necessarily a sign of corruption, some known corrupted ghosts do have sharp teeth. This can means having vampirism (only 2-4 fangs) or monstrosity, in which every tooth is sharpened.
- Pointed Ears -- While not necessarily a sign of corruption, some known corrupted ghosts do have pointed ears. They are either completely jagged and square-like or are pointed up top and rounded at the earlobe.
- Lack of Language -- In terms of human communication from their past human lives, this means a ghost may have lost the ability to speak altogether as a result of becoming completely corrupted.
- Animalistic Form(s) -- This is a broad term to describe the total form of a ghost or certain features that appear on them. Some ghosts, while not completely corrupted, have entirely animalistic forms (ex: snakes, wolves, birds, etc.) while others may only have some animalistic features as a part of their former human forms (ex: a snake tail, a forked tongue, wings, horns, hooves, etc.).
- Elemental Form(s) -- This is another broad term to describe the total form of a ghost or certain features that appear on them. Some ghosts, while not completely corrupted, have entirely natural forms that reflect the earth's elements (ex: a giant plant monster, a shadow ghost, etc.) while others may only have one or several parts of their forms with elemental reflections (ex: fiery hair, limbs of ice/water/plants, a ghostly tail made of electricity, etc.); these features are also linked to a ghost's source of power.
- Ghostly Tail -- Many ghosts have a ghostly tail in place of legs (either human or non-human) if they make a conscious effort, usually when flying. It is not considered a sign of corruption unless a ghost has a permanent ghostly tail, in which they are never seen with legs of any kind.
Known Cases from Mainstream Media
Stemming off from mainstream media, these ghosts are either completely or just partially corrupted.
Fully Corrupted
| Fully Corrupted Ghosts |
- Pariah Dark -- His morality (a total disregard for the welfare of others and a completely selfish desire to conquer the Ghost Zone and rule as the Ghost King) is the main feature to prove his corruption; he will destroy anyone who dares to stand in his way. Other features include the blank eyes with heavy outlines, facial scarring, sharp teeth, and animal horns. He is what originally defined the term as it became known through history.
- Undergrowth -- His morality (a total disregard for humanity in favor of plant life) is the main feature to prove his corruption; he has no trouble killing off humans to help his plants grow, ultimately taking over the world. Other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines, sharp teeth (when visible), and his form, which is entirely elemental, does not necessarily have a ghostly tail, but he does lack legs.
- Dan Phantom -- His morality (a total disregard for humanity and the desire to destroy the world) is the main feature to prove his corruption; Dan, being a corrupt fusion, serves as one of several examples of what Pariah Dark's intentions for fusion were defined by. Other features include heavy outlines around his eyes, sharp teeth, pointed ears, and fiery hair (stemmed from his Pyrokinesis).
- Penelope Spectra -- Her morality (being completely self-absorbed) is the main feature to prove her corruption; only Kitty and Ember seem to be the exception to her disregard of others. Other features include blank eyes, sharp teeth, and her form is entirely elemental with a ghostly tail.
- Bertrand -- His morality (a blind loyalty to Spectra that has voided him of human compassion towards anyone else) is the main feature to prove his corruption. Other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines, sharp teeth, and his primary ghost form is 100% ectoplasm with a lack of legs similar to Undergrowth.
- Johnny 13's Shadow -- Serving as the extension of Johnny 13's corruption, this Shadow's elemental form is the main feature to prove its corruption. Other features include a total lack of humanity, blank eyes, sharp teeth, and a lack of language, and a ghostly tail.
- The Ghost Snake -- This ghost's entirely animalistic form is the main feature to prove its corruption; other features include blank eyes, sharp teeth, and a lack of language.
- The Ghost Squid -- This ghost's entirely animalistic form is the main feature to prove its corruption; other features include sharp teeth and a lack of language.
- The Ghost Wolf -- This ghost's entirely animalistic form is the main feature to prove its corruption; other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines and sharp teeth.
- The Ghost Worm -- This ghost's entirely animalistic form is the main feature to prove its corruption; other features include blank eyes, sharp teeth, and a lack of language.
- The Monster Cat -- This ghost's entirely animalistic form is the main feature to prove its corruption; other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines, sharp teeth, and a lack of language.
- Prince Aragon -- His morality (a total lack of humanity, especially towards his own sister, and his self-absorbed desire to be the ruler of his realm) is the main feature to prove his corruption. Other features include animalistic eyes (slit pupils) and sharp teeth.
- Nocturn -- His morality (being completely power-driven at the expense of human welfare) is the main feature to prove his corruption. Other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines, facial scarring, sharp teeth, and his form is entirely elemental.
- Vortex -- His morality (a total lack of humanity and being driven by the desire to destroy the world) is the main feature to prove his corruption. Other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines and his form is almost entirely elemental with topographic ghostly tail.
- Lydia -- Her morality (a blind loyalty to Freakshow that has voided her of human compassion towards anyone else) is the main feature to prove her corruption. Even when not hypnotized to do Freakshow's bidding, she chooses to remain loyal to him and helps carry out his wicked plans. Other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines and a lack of language.
Partially Corrupted
| Partially Corrupted Ghosts |
- The Fright Knight -- His morality includes a general lack of humanity, but his loyalty to Pariah Dark is not completely blind (compared to Bertrand and Spectra's relationship); he would be willing to serve another master if given a better deal than his current master. His main features include having blank eyes and elemental properties within his form (stemmed from Pyrokinesis).
- Clockwork -- The only proof of corruption with Clockwork is the blank eyes with heavy outlines, facial scarring, and the ghostly tail. Otherwise, his morality shows he retains human compassion towards individuals when it is appropriate in the flow of time (such as Danny Phantom in "The Ultimate Enemy" and "Masters of All Time"). He is one of the least corrupted ghosts with any visible features.
- Wulf -- While his morality is questionable at times, Wulf demonstrates loyalty and human compassion towards individuals who treat him with kindness (such as Danny Phantom). His main feature of corruption is his entirely animalistic form; other features include blank eyes with heavy outlines and sharp teeth.
- Ghost Writer -- His morality is sometimes questionable (seeing how he disregarded the annual Christmas Truce at the expense of every other ghost), but he only seeks to harm others if they harm him first. In the case with Danny Phantom, he chose to teach him a lesson by trapping him in his book as opposed to simply torturing him until somebody intervened. He is not the type to start a fight, but he will finish one. His main features include having sharp teeth and pointed ears.
- Ember McLain -- Her morality is stemmed from personal desires to be a historical figure, which leads to aggression and a disregard for humans, but she is not entirely corrupt because of this; she shows some compassion towards Kitty, Spectra, and Skulker, for instance. Her main features include having fiery hair (from her Pyrokinesis). Her heavily-outlined eyes are merely due to her makeup, not corruption.
- Frostbite -- His main feature of corruption is having an entirely animalistic form with elemental features (a limb and horns made of ice from his Cryokinesis), but his morality is Good. He actively seeks to help others if they are in need, such as Danny Phantom and his friends, and shows genuine compassion towards beings that respect him and his people in the Far Frozen. His other features include having heavy outlines around his eyes and sharp teeth.
- Skulker -- His morality is mostly corrupted because of a lack of humanity and a strong desire to hunt and kill other beings he deems valuable (such as Danny Phantom), but he demonstrates some human compassion towards Ember McLain with her being his girlfriend in "Girls' Night Out;" he even proves his loyalty to her by hunting down certain prey to impress her. While his true form is entirely ectoplasmic, his primary form is a mechanical suit with more human features by comparison. Other features of corruption (on his suit) are blank eyes with heavy outlines and "jagged" teeth.
- The Vulture Ghosts -- Their main feature of corruption is having entirely animalistic forms. Collectively, these three ghosts have little regard for others and have no problem serving wicked masters like Vlad Plasmius for the right price. However, they do not have a lack of language and are capable of demonstrating humanity (like explaining their mission to Danny Phantom when they admit to needing some help finding Jack Fenton in "Bitter Reunions"). They more likely resemble cranky old men that have been friends so long that no matter how much they argue, they will not separate. Other features include having blank eyes with heavy outlines and fiery wings (an elemental property).
- Walker -- His main source of corruption is his morality (lacking human compassion and driven by a desire to control others to adhere to his own standards), but he still retains his language and human form (aside from his nose). He has been known to make truces with his rivals to overcome greater obstacles, but he is still mostly corrupt.
- Desiree -- Her main source of corruption is her morality (a desire to grant others' wishes in ways that will disadvantage mortals and favor herself, including turning people against each other). Other features include having heavy outlines around her eyes and a permanent ghostly tail.
- Sidney Poindexter -- His main source of corruption is his initial morality when free from the Split Zone for the first time since his death. He sought to incur his wrath against Danny Phantom when he believed he was abusing his ghost powers and went so far as to hijack Danny's body, trapping him in the Split Zone in his place, allowing Sidney to live out the rest of Danny's life in his place (known as a Simple fusion-type). Despite his feelings changing by "Reign Storm," in which he becomes an ally to Danny, his corruption has no visible features.
Special Cases
| Special Cases |
In regards to the uniqueness of some ghost characters, this section is for the Halfas.
- Vlad Plasmius -- After twenty years struggling to understand and control his powers, Vlad Masters eventually became overwhelmed by his ghost half, Plasmius, who had at some point become completely corrupted. His main feature to prove this is his morality (a total disregard for humanity and the desire to achieve his goals by any means necessary -- including committing murder), but his human half still retains genuine compassion towards certain beings (like Maddie Fenton, his love interest). While rivaled with Danny Phantom, Vlad still shows some interest in Danny, hoping that the boy will someday see him like a father figure; likewise, having created Danielle Phantom, his human half still sees her as a kind of "daughter." It is highly unlikely for his human half to regain control over his ghost half, but he is not 100% corrupted. His features include blank eyes with heavy outlines, sharp teeth and pointed ears.
- Danny Phantom -- While being the main hero of the original series, Danny has at times exhibited a lack of humanity towards other beings (ghost or human). He blatantly destroys Sidney Poindexter's mirror during "Splitting Images." He also shows no remorse for accidentally destroying Ghost Writer's Christmas story -- and adding insult to injury by stating that anything Christmas-related is worthless to him -- in "The Fright Before Christmas." And while rivaled with Vlad Plasmius, he uses the man's genuine compassion as a weakness by tricking him into thinking he had accepted him as a father figure. Danny may show no features, but he still has some corruption within him.
- Dani Phantom -- Far less is known about Danielle, but given she is Danny's clone, it is likely that she also has very little corruption within her. She exhibits no corrupt features, but the possibility of it developing will always be there, but it can be avoided so long as she has supportive friends and family.
- Tucker Phantom -- For as long as he existed in "What You Want," Tucker's ghost half became increasingly evil until ultimately succumbing to total corruption. He fell to the lowest morality, willing to kill his best friend to become the only Phantom in Amity Park; if not for Danny saving his human half from his evil ghost half, Tucker might have succeeded. His corruption, while accelerated by Desiree's power, was mainly fueled by his jealously of Danny always being in the spotlight.
SC Stories
Within the Danny Phantom: Spectral Connections series, the characters from mainstream media are incorporated into the storyline with corruption based on their development over time. Some characters are set to undergo further corruption, others may either lessen the effects, or possibly avoid become corrupt altogether. Below are the characters set -- so far -- to appear and have this subject affect their outcomes in no particular order. This section will be organized as the series progresses.
- Danny Phantom
- Vlad Plasmius
- Ember McLain
- Ghost Writer
- Penelope Spectra
- Bertrand
- Desiree
- Kitty
- Sidney Poindexter
- Dani Phantom
- Empress Inkheart
- Virus Phright
- Katerina Malbona
- Wes Weston
Trivia
- While there is no record of any canon characters labelled as "corrupted" in the original Danny Phantom series, this term could describe the behaviors of certain villains such as Vlad Plasmius or Pariah Dark.
- The term was inspired by the factor of corruption found in the animated series, Steven Universe. However, corruption with the gems has different effects on them in that universe when compared to corruption with the ghosts found in the SC Stories. Instead of making a gem evil, it simply turns their physical forms into monstrosities, which proves they are not truly evil at all -- just confused, in pain, and capable of demonstrating intelligence if given proper assistance. With ghosts, they may not become as physically monstrous as their mental state becomes through the corruption process, but they do become evil as stated above.