Seven Fictional Characters Who Used Psychic Powers for Evil

Psychic powers in fiction can be thrilling, awe-inspiring … and utterly terrifying. While mind-reading, telekinesis, and precognition might sound like superhuman gifts, these powers often fall into the wrong hands. As Lord Acton, a late 19th-century English Catholic historian and writer, warned, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Fictional stories of people gaining psychic powers have taken his maxim to a completely unhinged level. Here is proof, where seven unforgettable fictional characters use their psychic abilities to tip the scales toward evil.

1. Doughface Jack in The Tramp by L. Ron Hubbard

In this 1938 pulp classic, a mortally wounded hobo is revived Frankenstein-style by a small-town doctor. When Doughface Jack regains consciousness, those around him suddenly lose any physical afflictions or injuries they had and appear 20 to 40 years younger—until his powers take a darker turn. Startled, he begins killing with a glance. Dogs, horses, police officers—no one is safe when he’s frightened.

Soon, the military is called in, and Doughface Jack counters by taking over the presidency. The hunted becomes a force beyond control. This story presents a moody, early take on the psychic-gone-wrong theme—and one that still packs a jolt.

2. Carrie White in Carrie by Stephen King

This is the ultimate story of a bullied teen turned telekinetic avenger. Repressed by her fanatical mother’s overprotective religious views and mocked by classmates, Carrie’s psychic powers emerge just as her school torment peaks. She finally snaps at prom in one of horror’s most iconic climaxes.

Fire, blood, and mayhem follow. What begins as a coming-of-age story ends in apocalyptic vengeance. Stephen King made sure we’d never look at high school the same way again.

3. Andy and Charlie McGee in Firestarter by Stephen King

Stephen King addressed this power again in Firestarter, albeit with a much more sympathetic set of characters.

A government experiment with a drug unlocks psychic abilities and gives subjects supernatural powers. Andy McGee can “push” thoughts into other people’s heads, and his daughter Charlie can incinerate you where you stand. As the government hunts them down, Charlie’s power becomes both her defense and her curse.

By the end, little is left of their pursuers—or the innocent girl we first met. We are left knowing that sometimes, the real monsters are the ones who make the monsters.

4. Lamar Burgess in Minority Report by Philip K. Dick

The future can be foreseen—at a price. In Minority Report, three psychics (precogs) predict crimes before they happen. But the system’s mastermind, Lamar Burgess, uses their visions to stage a cover-up and frame the innocent. When one precog sees a different future than the other two, it’s called a “minority report.”

By twisting truth into pretense, Burgess reveals how even justice becomes dangerous when one man’s ambition manipulates a power meant to serve all.

5. Dom Cobb in Inception (2010)

Cobb has the power to steal corporate information by infiltrating people’s subconscious during dreams. He’s also able to implant ideas—literally—into someone’s mind. In Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending thriller, Cobb is hired not to steal secrets, but to plant one. The deeper the dream, the more unstable the mission.

Complex ideas require layers, a team, and trust—and not all members make it out alive.
It’s espionage via shared consciousness, and Cobb plays a morally gray game. Is he seeking redemption—or merely burying his guilt in someone else’s head?

6. Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand by Chris Claremont

Jean Grey begins as a brilliant telepath and loyal team member. But when her immense powers fracture her psyche, the entity known as the Dark Phoenix takes over. She doesn’t just bend reality—she breaks it.

With a glance, she disintegrates allies and enemies alike. What makes it tragic is that Jean is still inside—watching as her darker self unleashes destruction she can’t stop.

7. The Scanners in Scanners (1981)

In this cult sci-fi horror film, telepaths known as Scanners can do more than read minds—they can shatter them. One infamous scene shows a Scanner exploding a man’s head without lifting a finger.

While not all Scanners are evil, several are psychically weaponized and then unleashed with devastating results. It’s not just unsettling—it’s a warning that inner power, left unchecked, can literally blow minds.

The Last Word: Power Unchained

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

—Shakespeare

These characters may only exist in a fictional universe, but there are mysteries in the world beyond what even the most educated people can comprehend. In telling stories with characters exploring evil psychic powers, are writers and screenwriters trying to make us afraid? Or perhaps they are helping us understand the evil forces that can break any of us.

While Lord Acton stated that power can corrupt, it is not destiny. Most of the characters mentioned above were shaped (and some shattered) by fear, manipulation, or trauma. But that’s not the whole story. Great fiction, at its core, is about conflict and the triumph of the human spirit. Again and again, we see that even the darkest power can be challenged, outwitted, or overthrown.

These tales show how a gift can become a curse. Whether born, built, or buried deep in the mind, psychic powers are the ultimate double-edged sword. But the stories also hint at something more enduring—that evil is not inherent to the spirit; goodness is.

So the next time you wish for mind-reading or telekinesis, take a moment. Ask not what you could do with the power—but who you’d choose to be with it. Because if fiction teaches us anything, it’s that courage, compassion, and the will to do right for the good of all are the greatest powers of all.