History Main / DisposableVagrant

* One ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' story-arc [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] if not outright [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] this; after one of their own is killed, one of the Gotham's many homeless communities (nicknamed "Cardboard City") debate Batman's effectiveness when dealing with anything less than high-flying supervillainy; in a twist, it turns out the murdered bum was actually [[spoiler:the heir to a massive fortune, who [[DefectorFromDecadence deliberately walked away]] from it all.]]. The community's leader, a paraplegic Vietnam vet [[IronicNickname nicknamed]] "Legs", became a semi-recurring character throughout the '90s.

* In ''Series/TheCape'', several lived in the train yard where Vince "died". They're being arrested on trumped-up charges rather than killed though.

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* The short-lived MarvelUniverse comic series ''ComicBook/TheOrder2007'' had "zobos", down-and-outs turned into zombified cyborgs by the BigBad.

And that is precisely what the SerialKiller, MadScientist, [[ToServeMan hungry]] [[HorrorHunger monster]], and TheMafia are counting on. These exceedingly vulnerable {{Innocent Bystander}}s are frequently killed and abducted for fun, [[OrganTheft spare parts]], [[ImAHumanitarian to sate hunger]], or for a spare dead body. They can be sure the police won't push the investigation too hard; at least [[{{Anvilicious}} not until]] an [[MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome attractive young white woman]] becomes one of the victims.

--->'''Homeless Man in Homer's Stomach:''' [[DissonantSerenity Nice to be indoors, though.]]

** After Homer foolishly exposes himself as Mr. X, to get the Pulitzer and million-dollar prize, he starts making up news so people can visit his website. When Nelson says they are dissecting "hobos" at school, Homer politely brushes him off, saying he doesn't need to report real news anymore.

* ''Series/FBIMostWanted'': In "Man Without a Country'', a homeless man gets [[TrappedInContainment sealed inside the subway train]] and killed by the DeadlyGas Sarkov releases.

* An unusual example of this trope being turned to positive ends in real life was a secret British disinformation operation during World War II known as "Operation Mincemeat." The body of a deceased homeless man named Glyndwr Michael was given a new identity as a Royal Marines officer, dressed in a uniform, and left on a Spanish shore, presumably the victim of a downed aircraft. On his person were falsified documents that indicated that the Allies intended to attack Greece and Sardinia rather than the real target, Sicily. The supposedly neutral Spanish government shared the documents with German intelligence, which fell for the ruse. This allowed the Allies to invade Sicily with a minimum of casualties, giving them their first foothold in the Italian campaign. Michael's body was buried under his alias, Major William Martin, with full military honors.
* Homeless people were used by the Brazilian military to teach torture techniques during the Dictatorship.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'', a ''Franchise/MassEffect''[=/=]''Franchise/StarWars''[[spoiler:[=/=]''[=Borderlands=]''[=/=]''[=Halo=]'']] MassiveMultiplayerCrossover, the Republic Intelligence Service takes full advantage of this trope, after starting with the ever-so-slightly-more-defensible "[[ForScience experimenting]] on criminals sentenced to death." They buy slaves by the shipful, many of whom fall into this category. Even some of the pirates they work with, who [[EvenEvilHasStandards usually don't do this]] because of an agreement with more honest parts of the government, are squeamish.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bloodrayne}} 2'' had homeless people ([[DisposableSexworker and sex workers]]) being kidnapped to be turned into a blood fog (the shroud) that protected vampires from sunlight.

* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'', Desperado is kidnapping vagrant kids to [[spoiler:turn into cyborg ChildSoldiers.]]

* In ''Literature/{{Twig}}'', the Ghosts are a group of semihuman experiments that act as spies and commandos against the AcademyOfEvil. A Ghost team is self-sustaining and can set up facilities to produce more of them, but they need organic material and a brain to work with in order to rapidly make another Ghost. Therefore, therey prefer to prey upon homeless children.

* [[https://www.reddit.com/r/shortscarystories/comments/7e9huz/like_motherinlaw_like_daughter_thanksgiving_2017/ This]] creepypasta has the narrator outsmart her mother-in-law's attempt to poison her with a homeless guest she knows shares the same allergy.

* In ''Literature/{{Twig}}'', the Ghosts are a group of semihuman experiments that act as spies and commandos against the AcademyOfEvil. A Ghost team is self-sustaining and can set up facilities to produce more of them, but they need organic material and a brain to work with in order to rapidly make another Ghost. They, therefore, prefer to prey upon homeless children.