History Main / JanitorImpersonationInfiltration

* Roger Wilco in ''SpaceQuest III'' infiltrates Scum Soft by posing as the janitor. Since he really is a janitor in RealLife, it shouldn't be too hard, but he can still blow it and get [[HaveANiceDeath killed by security]].

* [[{{Prototype}} Alex Mercer]]. Canonically he only does this - literally consuming and assuming the form of a janitor - once, and hates himself for it.

* In the video game ''Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek'', NancyDrew acts as the lodge's new cook and maid in order to investigate the lodge guests.

Okay, so you have to [[TheInfiltration break into]] this high tech science lab, or a government facility, or a fancy bank, or ''something''. It doesn't really matter what this place is to you, because it's swarming with security and there's no way you'll ever get in...[[OrIsIt or is there?]]

* Rain does this an eveidence in an episode of ''NaturallySadie'' to get proof that a famous designer is stealing Magaret's designs.

** An especially interesting example in Discworld/MonstrousRegiment, where Polly's regiment have to "disguise" themselves as washerwomen without revealing they're all really women.
* {{Otherland}}: Olga Pirovsky infiltrates the tower of the J-Corporation disguised as a cleaning lady.

* ''Mr. and Mrs. Smith'' (1996). In the pilot episode Mr. Smith (Scott Bakula) dresses up as a janitor to infiltrate a target installation and acquire information.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''KimPossible'' had an episode with a government agent mentor who turned up as the janitor. Kim didn't want anything to do with him because she thought he was just the janitor.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* This ''WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growf/growfcomic/strips/growf_20070520.jpg strip from Dragon Magazine #63]] has a guy dressed as a cleaning woman sneaking into a computer lab.

[[AC:RadioDrama]]
* TheShadow used to maintain a cover identity as Fritz, the janitor at police HQ, that allowed him to snoop about in the police files to his heart's content.

* Common in ''{{Discworld}}''. Especially popular with the history monks.

* ''TheFugitive'' (1993). Kimble dresses as a janitor to get into a hospital and use its computer system to locate the One Armed Man.

* The Doctor disguises himself as a cleaning lady while sneaking around the villain's compound in the ''DoctorWho'' serial "The Green Death".

* [[VideoGame:Prototype Alex Mercer]]. Canonically he only does this - literally consuming and assuming the form of a janitor - once, and hates himself for it.

* [[VideoGamePrototype Alex Mercer]]. Canonically he only does this - literally consuming and assuming the form of a janitor - once, and hates himself for it.

* [[Prototype Alex Mercer]]. Canonically he only does this - literally consuming and assuming the form of a janitor - once, and hates himself for it.

Enter the JanitorImpersonationInfiltration. Custodians, janitors, cleaning ladies, what do these people have in common? They have access to every room in the building and might as well be part of the scenery. [[RightUnderTheirNoses No one pays attention to them]] or wonders what they are doing sneaking around after hours while everyone else in the building is gone. So if you are looking for an easy-in, they are perfect candidates for impersonating when one has to steal that secret formula or those hidden financial records.

** At the beginning the title character poses as a janitor to infiltrate a bank.

* Used in the film version of ''UndercoverBrother''

* This ''What's New with Phil and Dixie'' [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growf/growfcomic/strips/growf_20070520.jpg strip from Dragon Magazine #63]] has a guy dressed as a cleaning woman sneaking into a computer lab.

* In the second ''Film/{{X-Men}}'' movie, Mystique shapeshifts into a janitor to get in and out of a government facility with information on mutants.

[[TropesAreFlexible Other similar jobs]] which have the same relative anonymity of the janitor and are BeneathNotice may also qualify for this trope. Being that these people might be secret agents, there's a definite possibility of AlmightyJanitor overlap. Compare DressingAsTheEnemy, TheInfiltration, and DeliveryGuyInfiltration. If the impersonater seems to do this often in different situations it might be a case of WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs?

!!!Examples

* In the second ''{{XMen}}'' movie, Mystique shapeshifts into a janitor to get in and out of a government facility with information on mutants.

* The Doctor does it in the ''DoctorWho'' serial "The Green Death".
** to expand on this example, the Doctor disguised himself as [[DisguisedInDrag a cleaning lady]].

* In the video game Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, Nancy Drew acts as the lodge's new cook and maid in order to investigate the lodge guests.

* TheShadow used to maintain a cover identity as Fritz, the janitor at police HQ, that allowed him to snopp about in the police files to his heart's content.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spikejanitor_2696.jpg
[[caption-width:268:This tactic has been known to backfire...]]

* In the first ''{{XMen}}'' movie, Mystique shapeshifts into a janitor to get in and out of a government facility with information on mutants.

* Roger Wilco in ''SpaceQuest III'' infiltrates ScumSoft by posing as the janitor. Since he really is a janitor in RealLife, it shouldn't be too hard, but he can still blow it and get [[HaveANiceDeath killed by security]].