History Main / ClandestineChemist

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In a comic book story based on the 1990s ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'' cartoon series, one of Marty [=McFly's=] relatives was a chemist working for one of Biff Tannen's relatives back in the Roaring Twenties making illicit alcoholic products during the Prohibition period. His talents were used to help create a medicine for Doc Brown's dog Einstein who came down with an eye disease that made him see cats everywhere (Doc called them [[{{Pun}} "cat-aracts"]]). Marty's relative decides to make a clean break from his past after he succeeds (and after Marty deals with Tannen's gang) and move to Hill Valley.

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* Zig-zags on ''Film/BuffaloSoldiers'' with MilitaryMoonshiner, as Ray Elwood makes heroin in a military base.

* On ''Series/AlmostHuman'', Rudy goes undercover as this type of character.

%% * One of the skills which ''Series/MacGyver'' possesses. ZCE - how is this shown? and which [=MacGyver=]?

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' introduces a character known only as "The Chemist", who hangs out at a known criminal bar and is a walking encyclopedia on acids, poisons, and explosives.

* One of the skills which ''Series/MacGyver'' possesses.

* In a comic book story based on the 1990s ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFuture'' cartoon series, one of Marty [=McFly's=] relatives was a chemist working for one of Biff Tannen's relatives back in the Roaring Twenties making illicit alcoholic products during the Prohibition period. His talents were used to help create a medicine for Doc Brown's dog Einstein who came down with an eye disease that made him see cats everywhere (Doc called them [[{{Pun}} "cat-aracts"]]). Marty's relative decides to make a clean break from his past after he succeeds and move to Hill Valley.

These characters are likely to overlap with MadScientist, especially if they've been [[GettingHighOnTheirOwnSupply dipping into their own supply]]. On a sliding scale of criminal unpleasantness, this character is usually placed slightly higher than the PlayfulHacker, probably because DrugsAreBad (just to be clear, whatever your feelings on drugs, [[OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope messing around with chemicals unsupervised is usually a bad idea]], for both legal and safety reasons).

* ''Anime/OnePiece'': Caesar Clown used to be a legitimate scientist for the World Government until he faked his own death. For the last four years, he's hidden inside his mostly abandoned island lab, working on chemical weapons to be sold to the "underworld" and other shady projects.

A character whose passion is fiddling about with chemistry sets... has taken a dark turn. In RealLife, the term "clandestine chemistry" refers to any chemical science that's being done in secret for illegal means -- usually (in fiction, almost exclusively) manufacturing drugs. Expect the Clandestine Chemist to work out of a dingy little lab -- trailers and garages seem favorites -- and to broker his wares to the local [[TheDon crime kingpin]], with all the drama that typically accompanies a career in organized crime. However, it's not impossible for heroic types to have need for their services.

* ''Film/BoogieNights'' has protagonist Eddie Adams living with lowlifes and parolees in Los Angeles. Todd Parker inveigles Eddie into coming with him to sell a bag of baking soda to Rahad, who has "more money than God." While Rahad is haywire stoked on cocaine, he has a bodyguard + chemist on hand. This fellow begins taking a sample of Todd's wares for analysis, which compels Todd to begin an armed robbery. The chemist is shot in an exchange of gunfire.

* ''Literature/{{Rogue}}'' has a couple who make meth in their house and force their sons to buy Sudafed for them, act as lookouts, and help with dangerous reactions. [[spoiler:In the end, Kiara's dad calls CPS on them. They try to destroy the evidence by pouring it down the drain, blowing up their house and severely maiming both of them.]]

A character whose passion is fiddling about with chemistry sets... has taken a dark turn. In RealLife, the term "clandestine chemistry" refers to any chemical science that's being done in secret for illegal means -- usually (in fiction, almost exclusively) manufacturing drugs. Expect the Clandestine Chemist to work out of a dingy little lab- trailers and garages seem favorites -- and to broker his wares to the local [[TheDon crime kingpin]], with all the drama that typically accompanies a career in organized crime. However, it's not impossible for heroic types to have need for their services.

A character whose passion is fiddling about with chemistry sets... has taken a dark turn. In RealLife, the term "clandestine chemistry" refers to any chemical science that's being done in secret for illegal means- usually (in fiction, almost exclusively) manufacturing drugs. Expect the Clandestine Chemist to work out of a dingy little lab- trailers and garages seem favorites- and to broker his wares to the local [[TheDon crime kingpin]], with all the drama that typically accompanies a career in organized crime. However, it's not impossible for heroic types to have need for their services.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'' is about a humble chemistry professor who turns to meth production as a way of supporting his family after he learns he's dying. This gets more explanation when it's revealed that he used to be quite a talent in his field, but sold out his share of his (now massively succesful) chemical company when his girlfriend got pregnant.

* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'''s new protege, Bill Wiggins, is a skilled chemist who used to waste his gifts on getting high. Now he wastes his gifts as Sherlock's replacement flatmate, but has proven useful by making a sedative that works rapidly without causing long-term harm to those it's used on.

* ''VideoGame/FarCry3'' introduces us to Dr. Alec Earnhardt, who's been hiding out on the Rook Islands for awhile, studying the local plants to develop new hallucinogens. He's also been testing them on himself to drown out the grief of a dead loved one, so he's pretty detached from reality.
* ''VideoGame/Hitman2'': Jorge Franco, the Delgados' chemist, want to develop a "super-cocaine" for the cartel.

* ''VideoGame/Payday2'': The gang end up having to improvise this role during the first day of the Rats heist. Their original plan was to protect a group of actual meth cooks, but said cooks get offed by the Mendoza cartel, forcing the gang to make the meth themselves. Not properly listening to [[MissionControl Bain]]’s instructions can cause the meth lab to be blown to kingdom come, which will either ruin the planned trade the gang were preparing for on lower difficulties, or causing a NonStandardGameOver on higher difficulties.

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[[folder: Real Life]]

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* ''Series/BreakingBad'' is about a humble chemistry professor who turns to meth production as a way of supporting his family after he learns he's dying. This gets more explanation when it's revealed that he used to be quite a talent in his field, but sold out his share of his (now massively succesful) company when his girlfriend got pregnant.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'' is about a humble chemistry professor who turns to meth production as a way of supporting his family after he learns he's dying.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clandestine_chemist.jpg]]

These characters are likely to overlap with MadScientist, especially if they've been [[GettingHighOnTheirOwnSupply dipping into their own supply]]. May also be tangled up in a DrugsAreBad message (just to be clear, whatever your feelings on drugs, messing around with chemicals unsupervised usually ''is'' a bad idea, for both legal and safety reasons).

* ''Series/BreakingBad'', of course, has the main character, a humble chemistry professor, turn to meth production as a way of supporting his family after he learns he's dying.

* ''The Anarchist Cookbook'' is a book containing recipes on how to make explosives.