History Main / FantasticRecruitmentDrive

* ''Literature/TheDragonridersOfPern'': When the dragonriders go on "Search," they seek young men and women with latent telepathic abilities, able to bond with dragons.

* The protagonists of ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'' are in the middle of one as of season 3. After the Harmonic Convergence, random people around the world have been developing Airbending, and so Team Avatar is going around to find them and take them to the Northern Air Temple to rebuild the Air Nomad culture. Deconstructed since the people they're going after all have lives and homes of their own and don't want to join- so far they've picked up a Republic City civilian called Daw, Bumi (who was already half Air Nomad anyway) and Kai, who joined to escape arrest.

* The protagonists of ''LegendOfKorra'' are in the middle of one as of season 3. After the Harmonic Convergence, random people around the world have been developing Airbending, and so Team Avatar is going around to find them and take them to the Northern Air Temple to rebuild the Air Nomad culture. Deconstructed since the people they're going after all have lives and homes of their own and don't want to join- so far they've picked up a Republic City civilian called Daw, Bumi (who was already half Air Nomad anyway) and Kai, who joined to escape arrest.

* The protagonists of ''LegendOfKorra'' are in the middle of one. After the Harmonic Convergence, random people around the world have been developing airbending, and so Team Avatar is going around to find them and take them to the Northern Air Temple to rebuild the Air Nomad culture. Deconstructed since the people they're going after all have lives and homes of their own and don't want to join- so far they've picked up a Republic City civilian called Daw, Bumi (who was already half Air Nomad anyway) and Kai, who joined to escape arrest.

* In ''TheObernewtynChronicles'', the antagonists and the protagonists both at some point seek out children with special powers, referred to as Misfits, to attend the titular Obernewtyn.

* In the ''DarkVisions'' trilogy by LJ Smith, the Zetes Institute runs tests across the nation to find people with psychic powers.

Key to this trope is the fact that ''they'' come looking for ''you''. Those extra-normal folk leave their ivory tower or basement lab and go out among the rest of us. The scene may subtly juxtapose the mundane with the fantastic (e.g. [[XMen Prof X]] sitting in your living room, drinking Mom's tea like a college recruiter), or it may be as grandiose and dazzling as a WWII recruitment drive.

* MarvelUniverse ''XMen''. Professor X used the Cerebro computer to locate mutants so he could recruit them into his school.

* This ad from StarCraftII.

* In ''HarryPotter'', the boarding school Hogwarts selects students at birth. A magic quill takes down the names of wizard children the moment they are born.

* ''[[{{Pern}} The Dragonriders of Pern]]'': When the dragonriders go on "Search," they seek young men and women with latent telepathic abilities, able to bond with dragons.

* This is how the "mutant corps" of early ''PerryRhodan'' came to be -- basically by means of a few dedicated recruiters going around with portable mutant detection devices and asking potential candidates if they'd like to leave their mundane lives behind and join the guys working to break the then still ongoing cold war stalemate and help Earth get ready to face the larger universe full of alien civilizations on its own terms. Most of the people asked JumpedAtTheCall.

* The AlfredBester novel ''Literature/TheDemolishedMan'' contains a great scene where the Espers (telepathic people) are trying to find undiscovered Espers. There is a line of people moving through an area, and an Esper is broadcasting something along the lines of, "If you can hear this, please go through the door on your left." IIRC, only one or two people per day actually go through the door.

* This is how the "mutant corps" of early ''PerryRhodan'' came to be -- basically by means of a few dedicated recruiters going around with portable mutant detection devices and asking potential candidates if they'd like to leave their mundane lives behind and join the guys working to break the then still ongoing cold war stalemate and help Earth get ready to face the larger universe full of alien civilizations on its own terms. Most of the people asked {{jumped at the call}}.

* ''{{Shadowrun}}''. People with the ability to use magic are extremely rare. Schools, corporations and magical groups regularly test citizens (particularly children) for magical talent.

* The AlfredBester novel ''TheDemolishedMan'' contains a great scene where the Espers (telepathic people) are trying to find undiscovered Espers. There is a line of people moving through an area, and an Esper is broadcasting something along the lines of, "If you can hear this, please go through the door on your left." IIRC, only one or two people per day actually go through the door.

* This is how the "mutant corps" of early ''PerryRhodan'' came to be -- basically by a few recruiters going around with portable mutant detection devices and asking potential candidates if they'd like to leave their mundane lives behind and join the guys working to break the then still ongoing cold war stalemate and help Earth get ready to face the larger universe full of alien civilizations on its own terms. Most of the people asked {{jumped at the call}}.

Regardless, ''everyone'' accepts. Most characters accept immediately, recognizing that riding a dragon while incinerating your enemies with telekinesis is a lot cooler than moisture-farming on Tatooine or whatever. If not, no matter. Just don't make plans [[DoomedHometown to settle down]].

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' shows a Dominion ad encouraging parents to let their children be trained as Ghosts.
--> ''What goes bump in the night? It might be your GIFTED child. Register your child with Psi Ops today. It's the law. It's your duty!''

* In ''Harry Potter'', the boarding school Hogwarts selects students at birth. A magic quill takes down the names of wizard children the moment they are born.

* ''StarcraftII'' shows a Dominion ad encouraging parents to let their children be trained as Ghosts.