History Main / DestinedBystander

*** [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Eddie Brock]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' as a fellow student to Peter, and in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' (and the comics) he is a rival reporter to Parker. Several other characters appear in ''The Animated Series'' before becoming their alter egos, most notably Norman and Harry Osborn, and the former appears long before his transformation into the Green Goblin. Other examples include Felicia Hardy, who takes several seasons to become her comics identity of [[DatingCatwoman The Black Cat]], and Michael Morbius, who has several appearances before becoming ComicBook/{{Morbius}} the Living Vampire.
* Likewise, ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', as noted before, not only gives Eddie Brock an extensive role (influenced by his role in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''), but also has Norman and Harry Osborn, The Sandman, The Rhino, The Shocker, Doctor Octopus, and Curt Connors, as supporting characters or minor villains before their inevitable darker turns, as well as, as said before, every named schoolmate Peter had in the comics, as well as (again, as noted above) Gwen Stacy, [[KilledOffForReal whose fate is well known.]]

-->--Lore Sjoberg, '''[[http://www.bookofratings.com/archive.html The Book of Ratings]]'''

* Franchise/SpiderMan owns this trope in both the comics and all adaptations. It's part of what makes reading the comics (where the writers probably tried to used named characters as much as often) and watching the shows so fun. Most named characters have a destiny interlocked with the hero, either badly, or not, but they all have lives and roles before their inevitable (and, part of what makes it so sad is that it is, ultimately, inevitable) destiny strikes.
** A few notable examples from the comics: Nearly everyone named that Peter Parker went to high school with has had deeper involvement in his story as the years passed. Liz Allen (whose brother turns out to be the Molten Man) fell in love with Harry Osborn, whose [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn father turned out to be the Green Goblin]], and who eventually went mad and took up his father's title. Flash Thompson, Peter's bully-turned-friend, is suspected of being the Hobgoblin (whom another long time Spider-Man supporting character, Ned Leeds, is also suspected of being), becomes a target for the Green Goblin, loses him memory, etc. He's more recently known as Agent Venom. Even one or two appearance character Sally Avril decides to become a heroine named Bluebird (and subsequently dies). It's a big case of writers deciding to use known characters instead of spontaneously making new ones, but it often looks like [[DoomMagnet just being near Peter Parker is an invitation to be drawn in.]]

* Introduced as a (subverted) [[MonsterOfTheWeek demon of the day]]; or at most, demon of the month; Spike of [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] fame endured as a character throughout the TV series' seven seasons [[spoiler:and the fifth season of Angel's spin-off [[Series/{{Angel}} series]]]]. Series creator Joss Whedon has said numerous times that he did not mean for [[BigBad Spike]] to be anything more than a minor character and planned to kill him off not long after his first appearance.

** A few notable examples from the comics: Nearly everyone named that Peter Parker went to high school with has had deeper involvement in his story as the years passed. Liz Allen (whose brother turns out to be the Molten Man) fell in love with Harry Osborn, whose [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn father turned out to be the Green Goblin]], and who eventually went mad and took up his father's title. Flash Thompson, Peter's bully-turned-friend, is suspected of being the Hobgoblin (whom another long time Spider-Man supporting character, Ned Leeds, is also suspected of being), becomes a target for the Green Goblin, loses him memory, etc. Even one or two appearance character Sally Avril decides to become a heroine named Bluebird (and subsequently dies). It's a big case of writers deciding to use known characters instead of spontaneously making new ones, but it often looks like [[DoomMagnet just being near Peter Parker is an invitation to be drawn in.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', Ethan Bennet is a long-running crusading police officer (and analogue to Harvey Dent). At the end of the first season, the Joker kidnaps him, [[MindRape works him over]] and accidentally turns him into Clayface.

*** The Sam Raimi movies have been playing with this as well. Harry Osborn appears as one of the main supporting characters for the first two movies before moving on into a temporary villainous role as the New Goblin in the third. Curt Connors appears often throughout the second and third movies, before perhaps becoming The Lizard.
*** Averted with Curt Connors in the Sam Raimi movies.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', the [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2348 Trike Girl made a cameo in one plot thread]] years before she became a major character.

*** Averted with Curt Conner in the Sam Raimi movies.

* Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}} owns this trope in both the comics and all adaptations, it's part of what makes reading the comics (where the writers probably tried to used named characters as much as often) and watching the shows so fun... most named characters have a destiny interlocked with the hero, either badly, or not, but they all have lives and roles before their inevitable (and, part of what makes it so sad is that it is, ultimately, inevitable) destiny strikes...
** A few notable examples from the comics: Nearly everyone named that Peter Parker went to high-school with has had deeper involvement in his story as the years passed. Liz Allen (whose brother turns out to be the Molten Man) fell in love with Harry Osborn, whose [[NormanOsborn father turned out to be the Green Goblin]], and who eventually went mad and took up his father's title. Flash Thompson, Peter's bully-turned-friend, is suspected of being the Hobgoblin (whom another long time Spiderman supporting character, Ned Leeds, is also suspected of being), becomes a target for the Green Goblin, loses him memory, etc. Even one or two appearance character Sally Avril decides to become a heroine named Bluebird (and subsequently dies). It's a big case of writers deciding to use known characters instead of spontaneously making new ones, but it often looks like [[DoomMagnet just being near Peter Parker is an invitation to be drawn in.]]

*** [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Eddie Brock]] in The Spectacular Spiderman as a fellow student to Peter, and in SpidermanTheAnimatedSeries (and the comics) he is a Rival Reporter to Parker. Several other characters appear in Spiderman The Animated Series before becoming their alter egoes, most notably Norman and Harry Osborn, and the former appears long before his transformation into Spiderman's archenemy: The Green Goblin. Other examples include Felicia Hardy, who takes several seasons to become her comics identity of [[DatingCatwoman The Black Cat]], and Michael Morbius, who has several appearances before becoming ComicBook/{{Morbius}} the Living Vampire.
* In WesternAnimation/TheBatman, Ethan Bennet is a long running crusading police officer (and analogue to Harvey Dent). At the end of the first season, the Joker kidnaps him, [[MindRape works him over]] and accidentally turns him into Clayface.
* Likewise, TheSpectacularSpiderman, as noted before, not only gives Eddie Brock an extensive role (influenced by his role in ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan), but also has Norman and Harry Osborn, The Sandman, The Rhino, The Shocker, Doctor Octopus, and Curt Connors, as supporting characters or minor villains before their inevitable darker turns, as well as, as said before, every named schoolmate Peter had in the comics, as well as (again, as noted above) Gwen Stacy, [[KilledOffForReal whose fate is well known.]]
*** The Sam Raimi movies have been playing with this as well. Harry Osborn appears as one of the main supporting characters for the first two movies before moving on into a temporary villainous role as The New Goblin in the third. Curt Connors appears often throughout the second and third movies, before perhaps becoming The Lizard.

* In the {{Deryni}} novels by KatherineKurtz, keep an eye on the extras, especially if they have rank:

* JimmyOlsen was originally made up for [[Radio/TheAdventuresOfSuperman the Superman radio show]], so that Supes could have [[TheWatson someone to discuss the plot with]]. Over half a century later, radio has all but faded away, yet Jimmy remains as Superman's Best Friend, and an inextricable part of the core cast. He was even the star of his own comic book series, for a while.
* Introduced as a (subverted) [[MonsteroftheWeek demon of the day]]; or at most, demon of the month; Spike of [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] fame endured as a character throughout the TV series' seven seasons [[spoiler:and the fifth season of Angel's spin-off [[Series/{{Angel}} series]]]]. Series creator Joss Whedon has said numerous times that he did not mean for [[BigBad Spike]] to be anything more than a minor character and planned to kill him off not long after his first appearance.

* In ''{{Sinfest}}'', the [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2348 Trike Girl made a cameo in one plot thread]] years before she became a major character.

*** [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Eddie Brock]] in The Spectacular Spiderman as a fellow student to Peter, and in SpidermanTheAnimatedSeries (and the comics) he is a Rival Reporter to Parker. Several other characters appear in Spiderman The Animated Series before becoming their alter egoes, most notably Norman and Harry Osborn, and the former appears long before his transformation into Spiderman's archenemy: The Green Goblin. Other examples include Felicia Hardy, who takes several seasons to become her comics identity of [[DatingCatwoman The Black Cat]], and Michael Morbius, who has several appearances before becoming MorbiusTheLivingVampire.

* Introduced as a (subverted) [[MonsteroftheWeek demon of the day]]; or at most, demon of the month; Spike of [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer]] fame endured as a character throughout the TV series' seven seasons [[spoiler:and the fifth season of Angel's spin-off series]]. Series creator Joss Whedon has said numerous times that he did not mean for [[BigBad Spike]] to be anything more than minor character and planned to kill him off not long after his first appearance.

** There are other characters who are either not explicitly mentioned as being present at Kelson's coronation in the text of ''Deryni Rising'', or who are mentioned only in passing. They make bigger impressions later in the series, either because the action shifts to their homes (like Duke Jared [=McLain=] and Caulay [=MarArdry=], Earl of Transha), or because other characters are absent or dead (such as Nigel's wife Meraude, who fills Jehana's place at court, and to some extent her brother, Saer de Traherne).

* In the CiemWebcomicSeries of 2005, Dolly Malestrom was S1 the Bunny and otherwise Jeraime's wife, and aware that Candi is Ciem. Dolly played no role afterward. By the 2007 version, there were plans to have her become The Earwig, later made official as part of the plans for ''Ciem 3''. The Comprehensive Gerosha timeline does away with S1 entirely, and has it that she's destined to be The Earwig by ''Condemnation''.
** Miriam in 2005 was originally just Candi's sister, and nothing special. The first time ''Ciem 2'' was tried, her Sniperbadger persona as a hobby was retconned so that Candi would have a personal reason to wear a centipede outfit again and fight Aard. Since then, Miriam's Sniperbadger hobbies have become more integral. [[LostInImitation All future versions]] of the story make Miriam's hobbies more narrative-important.

* As StationeryVoyagers was in-development, Nika Inkista, went from being a minor cameo in Season One to suddenly becoming important by the end of Season Two, if [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse quickly forgotten by the main episodes after fulfilling her role]]. Licorine and Stella-Marie also learn that they CantStayNormal once the Yehtzig League forces itself on them.

* Likewise, TheSpectacularSpiderman, as noted before, not only gives Eddie Brock an extensive role (influenced by his role in [[UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]), but also has Norman and Harry Osborn, The Sandman, The Rhino, The Shocker, Doctor Octopus, and Curt Connors, as supporting characters or minor villains before their inevitable darker turns, as well as, as said before, every named schoolmate Peter had in the comics, as well as (again, as noted above) Gwen Stacy, [[KilledOffForReal whose fate is well known.]]

*** The recent movies have been playing with this as well. Harry Osborn appears as one of the main supporting characters for the first two movies before moving on into a temporary villainous role as The New Goblin in the third. Curt Connors appears often throughout the second and third movies, before perhaps becoming The Lizard,

* On the anime/manga side of things, {{Bleach}} actually gives us a reason for this. Ichigo [[spoiler: and his father]] is causing the latent abilities of his friends to manifest. Only Orihime and Chad are anywhere near the power level of Ichigo, but Tatsuki, Keigo and Chizuru are given a filler episode two-partner to show off their powers beginning to appear, and even Ichigo's sisters are caught up in it.

* Likewise, TheSpectacularSpiderman, as noted before, not only gives Eddie Brock an extensive role (influenced by his role in [[UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]), but also has Norman and Harry Osborn, The Sandman, The Rhino, The Shocker, Doctor Octopus, Curt Connors, and, possibly, [[spoiler: Frederick Foswell]], as supporting characters or minor villains before their inevitable darker turns, as well as, as said before, every named schoolmate Peter had in the comics, as well as (again, as noted above) Gwen Stacy, [[KilledOffForReal whose fate is well known.]]

* Daniel Sterns, the character who will eventually become The Leader, appears pre-villainy turn being a secondary character in Film/TheIncredibleHulk.

*** Eddie Brock in The Spectacular Spiderman as a fellow student to Peter, and in SpidermanTheAnimatedSeries (and the comics) he is a Rival Reporter to Parker. Several other characters appear in Spiderman The Animated Series before becoming their alter egoes, most notably Norman and Harry Osborn, and the former appears long before his transformation into Spiderman's archenemy: The Green Goblin. Other examples include Felicia Hardy, who takes several seasons to become her comics identity of [[DatingCatwoman The Black Cat]], and Michael Morbius, who has several appearances before becoming MorbiusTheLivingVampire.

* Jimmy Olsen was originally made up for [[Radio/TheAdventuresOfSuperman the Superman radio show]], so that Supes could have [[TheWatson someone to discuss the plot with]]. Over half a century later, radio has all but faded away, yet Jimmy remains as Superman's Best Friend, and an inextricable part of the core cast. He was even the star of his own comic book series, for a while.

* Tabletop example: in White Wolf's roleplaying game {{Scion}}, characters who exercise their proto-godly nature around humans have a chance to Fatebind those humans to the scions themselves, essentially forcing them to serve as potential love interests (regardless of whether either party in the matter is actually attracted to the other), rivals, accidental victims, or pawns in the scions' enemies' schemes.

* Introduced as a (subverted) [[MonsteroftheWeek demon of the day]]; or at most, demon of the month; Spike of [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire]] fame endured as a character throughout the TV series' seven seasons [[spoiler:and the fifth season of Angel's spin-off series]]. Series creator Joss Whedon has said numerous times that he did not mean for [[BigBad Spike]] to be anything more than minor character and planned to kill him off not long after his first appearance.

* [[MeaningfulName Leslie Bean]] of ''{{Shortpacked}}'' showed up as a random grocery store employee before Willis decided to reuse her character design, therefore making her a prominent character.

If the character was always intended to be important, that's a [=~Chekhov's Gunman~=]. If the character was hiding their identity during their first appearance, you have a RedHerringShirt. If a character in an [[DerivativeWorks adaptation]] is introduced earlier than in the source work, that's an EarlyBirdCameo.

* Jimmy Olsen was originally made up for the Superman radio show, so that Supes could have [[TheWatson someone to discuss the plot with]]. Over half a century later, radio has all but faded away, yet Jimmy remains as Superman's Best Friend, and an inextricable part of the core cast. He was even the star of his own comic book series, for a while.

* Introduced as a demon of the day; or at most, demon of the month; Spike of [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire]] fame endured as a character throughout the TV series' seven seasons [[spoiler:and the fifth season of Angel's spin-off series]]. Series creator Joss Whedon has said numerous times that he did not mean for [[BigBad Spike]] to be anything more than minor character and planned to kill him off not long after his first appearance.

* Introduced as a demon of the day; or at most, demon of the month; Spike of [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire]] fame endured as a character throughout the TV series' seven seasons [[spoiler:and the fifth season of Angel's spin-off series]]. Series creator Joss Whedon has said numerous times that he did not mean for Spike to be anything more than minor character and planned to kill him off not long after his first appearance.

* Introduced as a demon of the day; or at most, demon of the month; Spike of Buffy the Vampire fame endured as a character throughout the TV series' seven seasons [[spoiler:and the fifth season of Angel's spin-off series]]. Series creator Joss Whedon has said numerous times that he did not mean for [[BigBad Spike]] to be anything more than minor character and planned to kill him off not long after his first appearance.