History Main / WelcomedToTheMasquerade

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', Bob Parr, a superhero who went incognito after a scandal, was recruited by FemmeFatale Mirage to work for her boss to do {{Superhero}} work in secret. Leading to Bob's wife [[SustainedMisunderstanding suspecting he's cheating on her]].

* The film adaptation of ''Film/TheDaVinciCode'' has cryptologist Robert Langdon unearth ancient geneology research that detective Sophie Neveu is a descendant of [[spoiler:Jesus Christ]], and is under the protection of the Priory of Sion, which is the 21st century form of the Knights Templar.

* ''Film/MenInBlack''. After James has a close encounter with an alien assassin, Agent K recruits him into the Men in Black organization and gives him a tour of the facilities.
* Normal, affable beagle Lou discovers there's a whole Cold War ongoing between ''Film/CatsAndDogs'', including ''Film/JamesBond''-class espionage. Butch the retriever acts as Lou's liaison into the canine underworld operating under the noses of clueless humans.

* ''Literature/TheDarkIsRising'' series novel ''The Dark is Rising''. On Will Smith's eleventh birthday all sorts of amazing things start to happen. Later on he meets a man named Merriman Lyon who explains that both he and Will are Old Ones, powerful magical beings who serve the Light and oppose the Dark.

** In "Goodbye To All That", Derek Rees kills the Terminator sent to kill Martin Bodell in front of Bodell, to set up a StableTimeLoop and force Bodell to become the soldier Derek remembers him being in the future.

* Fanfic/LovehammerInc has the Ordo Praetorian, an unofficial and illegal group of Inquisitors quietly spying on the Legio Astartes to monitor their loyalties. Most have no idea there's an offical but secret Ordo Praetorian using them as a cover.

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* On ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' Nick is a Grimm and when he comes into his powers, his dying aunt did not have much time to explain to him what that entails or teach him about the world he is about to become part of. It is up to Monroe, a Blutbat Wesen, to become Nick's mentor in Wesen matters. Later on Nick brings in his Muggle [[spoiler: partner Hank]] and [[spoiler: fiance Juliette]] into the Masquerade because they are put in danger by not knowing what is really going on.
* In ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', the Connors actively try to keep the Masquerade up because they're afraid that they'll cause unpredictable ButterflyOfDoom problems and because they know that many people will GoMadFromTheRevelation about the horrible future. Notable exceptions and subversions include:
** Sarah repeatedly advises Ellison to stay away from the whole Time War situation. This backfires on her when his desperation to do something causes him to become TheDragon to Weaver, whose true nature and motivations he is ignorant of.
** In "Goodbye To All That", Derek Rees kills the Terminator sent to kill Martin Bodell in front of Bodell, to set up a StableTimeLoop and force Bodell to become the soldier Derek remembers him being in the future.

[[/folder]]

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hagrid acts as as TheHerald to Harry and picks him up from his {{Parental Substitute}}s and introduces him to the world of wizards in order to reintegrate him there.

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[[folder: Comic Books ]]


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[[folder: Film ]]

* The film adaptation of ''Film/TheDaVinciCode'' has cryptologist Robert Langdon unearth ancient geneology research that detective Sophie Neveu is a descendant of [[spoiler:Jesus Christ]], and is under the protection of the Priory of Sion, which is the 21st century form of the Knights Templar.
* The first ''Film/HellBoy'' begins with Agent Myers being brought in to the BPRD, a paranormal investigation unit. Downplayed in that his FBI skills don't do him any good against the various monsters and ancient evils they meet up with. He was only brought in to keep tabs on the title character.
* ''Film/MenInBlack''. After James has a close encounter with an alien assassin, Agent K recruits him into the Men in Black organization and gives him a tour of the facilities.
* Normal, affable beagle Lou discovers there's a whole Cold War ongoing between ''Film/CatsAndDogs'', including ''Film/JamesBond''-class espionage. Butch the retriever acts as Lou's liaison into the canine underworld operating under the noses of clueless humans.

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[[AC:FanWorks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* The film adaptation of ''Film/TheDaVinciCode'' has cryptologist Robert Langdon unearth ancient geneology research that detective Sophie Neveu is a descendant of [[spoiler:Jesus Christ]], and is under the protection of the Priory of Sion, which is the 21st century form of the Knights Templar.
* The first ''Film/HellBoy'' begins with Agent Myers being brought in to the BPRD, a paranormal investigation unit. Downplayed in that his FBI skills don't do him any good against the various monsters and ancient evils they meet up with. He was only brought in to keep tabs on the title character.
* ''Film/MenInBlack''. After James has a close encounter with an alien assassin, Agent K recruits him into the Men in Black organization and gives him a tour of the facilities.
* Normal, affable beagle Lou discovers there's a whole Cold War ongoing between ''Film/CatsAndDogs'', including ''Film/JamesBond''-class espionage. Butch the retriever acts as Lou's liaison into the canine underworld operating under the noses of clueless humans.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', Bob Parr, a superhero who went incognito after a scandal, was recruited by FemmeFatale Mirage to work for her boss to do {{Superhero}} work in secret. Leading to Bob's wife [[SustainedMisunderstanding suspecting he's cheating on her]].

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]
* On ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' Nick is a Grimm and when he comes into his powers, his dying aunt did not have much time to explain to him what that entails or teach him about the world he is about to become part of. It is up to Monroe, a Blutbat Wesen, to become Nick's mentor in Wesen matters. Later on Nick brings in his Muggle [[spoiler: partner Hank]] and [[spoiler: fiance Juliette]] into the Masquerade because they are put in danger by not knowing what is really going on.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hagrid acts as as TheHerald to Harry and picks him up from his {{Parental Substitute}}s and introduces him to the world of wizards in order to reintegrate him there.
** Also happens to all muggle-borns and their direct family members when they turn eleven.
* ''Literature/TheDarkIsRising'' series novel ''The Dark is Rising''. On Will Smith's eleventh birthday all sorts of amazing things start to happen. Later on he meets a man named Merriman Lyon who explains that both he and Will are Old Ones, powerful magical beings who serve the Light and oppose the Dark.
* In ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'', it's brooding, experienced love interest Jace that first demonstrates Clary's Shadowhunter capabilities. Later, [[MrExposition Hodge Starkweather]] expounds on them.
* At one point in ''Literature/HonorHarrington'', President Pritchart discusses (and lampshades) this trope while talking about Mesan DeepCoverAgent families.
-->'''Pritchart:''' "Oh, by the way. We're actually secret agents of the [[AncientConspiracy Mesan Alignment]]. Here's your secret decoder kit. Be ready to be contacted by the Galactic EvilOverlord on Frequency X with orders to betray the society you've been raised all your life to think of as your own."

[[AC:WebComics]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Weregeek}}'' starts with Mark being chased by a HunterOfMonsters, before stumbling into a vampire coven meeting where he receives his welcome to TheMasquerade... by being turned into a vampire himself. Then it turns out, that it's all just DeepImmersionGaming: the hunters are just regular bullies, and the vampires are a bunch of geeks {{LARP}}ing ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade''. Still, TheMasquerade takes place IRL, as well, as the geeks have to hide their {{geek}}dom from NormalPeople, and Mark (a repressed geek himself) is welcomed to the geek subcultures for real this time.
* In ''Webcomic/SkinDeep'', humanity is filled with "Unturned" [[AllMythsAreTrue fantastic creatures]], who were descended from an ancestor who owned a [[VoluntaryShapeshifting human-disguise medallion]], and are covered by a semi-permanent version of the same spell that keeps them human all the time. Getting a medallion of their own [[IAmWho breaks the old spell and reveals their true species]]. For some (like [[OurGryphonsAreDifferent Jim]]), getting a medallion and being Turned is a normal part of growing up; for others (like [[RiddlingSphinx Michelle]]), it comes as a [[TomatoInTheMirror rude shock]].

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Played with in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Ass Burgers", in which a support group for UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome that Stan joins turns out to be a society of cynics who think their view of the world as shit is what the world actually is, and what everyone else sees is dubbed as an "illusionary world", which is part of a plot involving aliens or whatever (they're not sure exactly what). They send Stan out on a crazy mission to liberate everyone from the so-called illusion they live in, getting him drunk in order for him to reenter the "illusion". They also claim that Asperger's doesn't exist, because why would it have a name that could easily be made fun of?

* ''Webcomic/{{Weregeek}}'' starts with Mark being chased by {{The Hunter}}s, before stumbling into a vampire coven meeting where he receives his welcome to TheMasquerade... by being turned into a vampire himself. Then it turns out, that it's all just DeepImmersionGaming: the hunters are just regular bullies, and the vampires are a bunch of geeks {{LARP}}ing ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade''. Still, TheMasquerade takes place IRL, as well, as the geeks have to hide their {{geek}}dom from NormalPeople, and Mark (a repressed geek himself) is welcomed to the geek subcultures for real this time.

* Fanfic/Lovehammer Inc has the Ordo Praetorian, an unofficial and illegal group of Inquisitors quietly spying on the Legio Astartes to monitor their loyalties. Most have no idea there's an offical but secret Ordo Praetorian using them as a cover.

Normally a part of FantasticRecruitmentDrive. Related to IAmWho, for when a character learns of his secret parentage. Subtrope of BrokenMasquerade. Compare also WeHaveBeenResearchingPhlebotinumForYears, where the character being introduced is not necessarily a part of TheMasquerade but finds people who can tell him of it, anyway. Also compare with KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade and JoinOrDie. See also TomatoInTheMirror, for when a character sees with his own eyes s revelation about himself.

* In ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'', at age twelve, Percy discovers he's the son of a Greek god, and has to go to Camp Half-Blood to learn skills he'll need to fight off the many monsters who will want to kill him. A lot of other demi-gods discover this at a much ''younger'' age, [[EverythingTryingToKillYou or never make it to the camp alive]].

* In Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians, at age twelve, Percy discovers he's the son of a Greek god, and has to go to Camp Half-Blood to learn skills he'll need to fight off the many monsters who will want to kill him. A lot of other demi-gods discover this at a much ''younger'' age, [[EverythingTryingToKillYou or never make it to the camp alive]].

* In Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlypians, at age twelve, Percy discovers he's the son of a Greek god, and has to go to Camp Half-Blood to learn skills he'll need to fight off the many monsters who will want to kill him. A lot of other demi-gods discover this at a much ''younger'' age, [[EverythingTryingToKillYou or never make it to the camp alive]].

* Normal, affable beagle Lou discovers there's a whole Cold War ongoing between ''Film/CatsAndDogs'', including JamesBond-class espionage. Butch the retriever acts as Lou's liaison into the canine underworld operating under the noses of clueless humans.

* Played with in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Ass Burgers", in which a support group for Asperger's Syndrome that Stan joins turns out to be a society of cynics who think their view of the world as shit is what the world actually is, and what everyone else sees is dubbed as an "illusionary world", which is part of a plot involving aliens or whatever (they're not sure exactly what). They send Stan out on a crazy mission to liberate everyone from the so-called illusion they live in, getting him drunk in order for him to reenter the "illusion". They also claim that Asperger's doesn't exist, because why would it have a name that could easily be made fun of?

* In ''WesternAnimation/JacobTwoTwo'', Jacob is admitted into [[McNinja Library Ninjas]] after he starts doing mundane volunteer work there, partially because [[ReadingIsCoolAesop he's the only kid left who takes reading seriously]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', Bob Parr, a superhero who went incognito after a scandal. Was recruited by FemmeFatale Mirage to work for her boss to do {{Superhero}} work in secret. Leading to Bob's wife [[SustainedMisunderstanding suspecting he's cheating on her]].

* The first ''Film/HellBoy'' begins with Agent Myers being brouhght in to the BPRD, a paranormal investigation unit. Downplayed in that his FBI skills don't do him any good against the various monsters and ancient evils they meet up with. He was only brought in to keep tabs on the title character.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hagrid acts as as TheHerald to Harry and picks him up from his {{Parental Substitute}}s and introduces him to The world of wizards in order to reintegrate him there.

[[AC:Comic Books]]