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. 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.