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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 6 | |
| 7 | ->''Because, after all is said and done, an infiltrade must make an investigation on his own conscience.'' |
| 8 | -->-- A review of ''Film/TheMollyMaguires'' |
| 9 | |
| 10 | The protagonist, typically a cop or secret agent, must get "inside" a bad-guy organization and pass as a bad guy to accomplish a goal. Sometimes it's the other way around, where the bad-guy poses as a good guy. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | This is not just when they have to disguise themselves [[DressingAsTheEnemy temporarily]], but spend significant time among the villains and the {{Mooks}} themselves and even take on a role in their organization. Spending so long among the enemy can cause a NotSoDifferentRemark or, in a more severe case, lead to BecomingTheMask. Another risk is if the agent somehow loses his link to the parent organization, in which case can they can end up TrappedUndercover. Good guys may be tested by the bad guys demanding that [[IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten they kill someone to prove they are a criminal]]. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | When a team must infiltrate, the story often bears resemblances to TheCaper or TheCon. GirlsBehindBars is usually a case of infiltration. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | A common twist is to make the protagonist [[ShootYourMate kill or do something to his old friends]]. TheHero will fail here, usually, but the AntiHero of the [[SociopathicHero sociopathic]] [[HeroicComedicSociopath sort]] or a CowboyCop type will often pass. Spy work is also crucial, because OnlyTheKnowledgableMayPass often comes into play. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | When infiltration is unnecessary, the heroes may decide to "slip by RightUnderTheirNoses" anyhow. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Contrast TheMole, where, as noted above, a bad guy is posing as a good guy. See also DressingAsTheEnemy (which sometimes involves [[MuggedForDisguise stealing a henchman's clothes]]) or IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten (when a character undercover is given a rigorous test to prove their villainous credentials in an effort to gain the bad guy's trust). Sometimes involves becoming a FakeDefector. One subtrope is ImpersonationGambit, where the hero steals the identity of a real person the bad guys have never seen. FlockOfWolves is a comedy trope where everyone else turns out to be "infiltrators" as well. SuperTrope of BlackTieInfiltration, where the infiltration is done at a party or other social event. If this happens on a smaller scale, compare DeliveryGuyInfiltration, SurpriseInspectionRuse and/or JanitorImpersonationInfiltration. Police infiltration doesn't tend to get far if the bad guys CanAlwaysSpotACop, however. The way for the good guys to get their mole to pass is to use someone with a checkered past who was previously associated with the criminal milieu. For large-scale infiltrations, where the good or bad guys have people infiltrated everywhere (or just in strategic locations, but the point is that you don't know who is and who isn't an agent), see WeAreEverywhere. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | ---- |
| 23 | !!Examples: |
| 24 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 27 | * In ''Manga/CaseClosed'', many members of the Black Organization are revealed to be undercover agents sent by various police and intelligence agencies trying to destroy the organization from the inside. [[spoiler:First, FBI agent Shuichi Akai used to be known as Rye as a member of the Black Organization. We also have Rena Mizunashi (code name Kir, real name Hidemi Hondou), who is with the CIA. Then there is Tooru Amuro (code name Bourbon, real name Rei Furuya), who is from the Japanese secret police]]. |
| 28 | * In ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'', Yukari regularly sneaks into opposing schools' ships to gather intel for upcoming matches. She's managed to do it to Saunders, Anzio, Pravda and BC Freedom, with the American and French-themed schools actually cottoning on to her spying. The former's leader let it pass because it was funny while the latter used the opportunity to feed ÅŒarai some bogus intel. |
| 29 | * Treated like SeriousBusiness, and PlayedForLaughs, in episode 3 of ''Manga/IsTheOrderARabbit'', after Chiya shows an advertisement flyer to the other girls of where Sharo works, and thinks it's a seedy place. They all attempt to peek in the cafe to see what kind of illegitimate business dealings go on in there...only for them to find out it's a regular tea cafe, and Sharo spots them peeking through the window immediately |
| 30 | * In ''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia'', Hawks infiltrates the League of Villains to find out what they’re planning. He pulls it off quite well and they never suspect anything. |
| 31 | * This is the basic plot of the ''Manga/PsychicSquad'' SpinOff, ''Anime/UnlimitedPsychicSquad''. [[spoiler:Andy is an agent of an American Esper Intelligence organization sent to infiltrate the Esper terrorist group PANDRA.]] Comes complete with NotSoDifferentRemark and hints of BecomingTheMask. |
| 32 | * Played twice in ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'''s ''The Valentine Knows'' arc, as it involves a group of JapaneseDelinquents: |
| 33 | ** Kuroki shows up in front of the rest of Detective Team KZ in whole JapaneseDelinquents gear when he reports the activities of the group of delinquents they are investigating. Provided his role as TheTeam's InformationBroker, it implies he does that briefly. |
| 34 | ** The reason this case started in the first place is because [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood Sunahara]] is sighted among that group. [[spoiler:Turns out his foster family lost some 6 million yen in a scam, and he decides to join them for the sake of investigation. He was outed by Onozuka, nearly killed, but saved by the TheTeam.]] |
| 35 | [[/folder]] |
| 36 | |
| 37 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 38 | * In the ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' arc "The Dark Age", Royal and Charles Williams end up joining the villainous organization Pyramid (on separate occasions) to get the man who killed their parents. |
| 39 | * Bronson launches a very brief one in ''ComicBook/{{Copperhead}}'' by [[MistakenForProstitute stripping down, entering the brothel, and grabbing the attention of a client.]] |
| 40 | * In ''[[Comicbook/InvasionDCComics Invasion!]]'' the Durlans use their shapeshifting abilities to mimic people in various teams and agencies in preparation for the coming invasion. |
| 41 | * ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': "Objetivo: Eliminar al Rana" and "El Tirano". |
| 42 | * Brubaker's ''Comicbook/SleeperWildStorm'' is one of these with the added twist of his handler falling into a coma and leaving him trapped behind enemy lines with no one to report to. |
| 43 | * This was The ''ComicBook/UnknownSoldier's'' whole career. Impersonate someone, get inside the target area, terminate the target (officer, secret weapon, intelligence gatherer, Etc). Sometimes he could get the target's protectors to terminate the target for him. |
| 44 | * ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The Chitauri infiltrated SHIELD. Actually, it was just some strategic points, but it was quite enough: intelligence agencies are filled with people with BlindObedience, who don't really stop to question the orders they receive. |
| 45 | * ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: ComicBook/SteveTrevor fairly regularly cozies up to the villains and infiltrates their organizations in order to get enough intel to bring them down or free hostages they've taken. |
| 46 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'' comics: Cyclops goes undercover as Eric the Red, redirecting his EyeBeams to appear that he has [[FamilyFriendlyFirearms energy weapons]] in his armor's hands. (Both the Eric the Red and Red X identities were used later by actual villains, and the identities are now associated with them, not the original disguised heroes.) |
| 47 | [[/folder]] |
| 48 | |
| 49 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 50 | * In the ''Temeraire'' fanfic ''Fanfic/BlackWingsBlackSails'', when Laurence takes the crew of the ''Allegiance'' prisoner at the behest of the Tswana and presents the prisoners' options- prisoners of the Tswana to be used for an undecided fate, or a year of service in Laurence's pirate crew -Granby takes the latter option, hoping that he'll have an opportunity to get aboard Laurence's flagship and free Dayes from confinement. It's unclear if Laurence is aware of this possibility, but nonetheless, it doesn't seem to be working out for Granby, as he winds up holystoning the deck on a different ship and accompanying Laurence into Capetown for supplies. |
| 51 | * In ''Fanfic/FadedBlue'', Greg moved to Beach City to spy covertly on the "bad guys" - the Crystal Gems - made all the easier when Rose Quartz develops a crush on him. Only Greg starts realizing that for supposedly violent, evil warriors, they're quite likable and protective. |
| 52 | * In ''Fanfic/ThePrayerWarriors Battle With the Witches'', Michael sneaks into [[Franchise/HarryPotter Hogwarts]], posing as a student, in order to find out if Hogwarts is connected with the English government and whether it is planning any attacks on Christians. He's also told that if he's ever forced to do anything un-Christian, he must pray for forgiveness. |
| 53 | * In the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' Wedding Arc, on several occasions the Mane Six need to act as if they're brainwashed to sneak around during the Changeling invasion. [[spoiler:Misfit Actual takes this a step further and exploit the fact they're the only Guards in Canterlot that presently ''aren't'' Changelings, and Running Gag's {{Omniglot}} ability allowing him to copy the Changeling's language flawlessly, to pose as Changelings and undermine their invasion.]] |
| 54 | * ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/11051751/chapters/24638958 The Steel Ministry]]'' is about Marsh from ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' infiltrating the Steel Ministry. As a [[SupernaturalSensitivity Seeker]], he can sense Allomancy, and is put to work searching for illegal skaa Allomancers. When he does find one, he is distressed that he had to turn him in because the other Seeker on his team would suspect him if he didn't, and is only slightly comforted by the thought that the man was doomed without his help. |
| 55 | [[/folder]] |
| 56 | |
| 57 | [[folder:Film]] |
| 58 | * ''Film/{{Alibi|1929}}'' features an undercover cop who assumes the identity of an alcoholic stockbroker and gains entry into the inner circle of a gangster ring. |
| 59 | * In ''Film/TheDeparted'', Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio's character plays the trope straight when infiltrating the Boston underworld. Creator/MattDamon, his counterpart, plays TheMole. |
| 60 | * ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'' has Film/JamesBond infiltrating a diamond-smuggling operation. |
| 61 | * ''Film/DonnieBrasco'', in which an FBI agent infiltrates a Mafia family. This one was TruthInTelevision. |
| 62 | * ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsTheBookOfVileDarkness'', a TV Movie sequel to the Film/DungeonsAndDragons2000 films centers around TheHero infiltrating group of villains in order to rescue his father. |
| 63 | %%* ''Film/InfernalAffairs'', played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. |
| 64 | * Also TruthInTelevision: ''Film/TheInfiltrator'', about a US Customs agent who wormed his way into the Escobar drug cartel to help take it down. |
| 65 | * ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' has the main characters trying to figure out which one of them is an undercover cop. Sure they can figure it out, if the right guy lends them an ear. |
| 66 | * ''Film/{{Scanners}}'': Cameron Vale poses as one of Darryl Revok's scientists to infiltrate his chemical company. While there, he discovers Revok's 'Ripe Program', a master plan to [[spoiler:create a new army of psychic scanners by bribing physicians to prescribe Ephemerol to their pregnant patients.]] |
| 67 | * ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' has Simon Tam infiltrating an Alliance-operated military research facility to free little sister River from continued SuperSoldier experimentation and MindRape. |
| 68 | * ''Film/SkyHigh1922'' is about a Border Patrol agent who infiltrates a human trafficking gang that smuggles Chinese immigrants over the border from Mexico. |
| 69 | * ''Film/WhiteHeat'' has an undercover agent posing as a prison inmate and subsequently joining Cody Jarrett's gang. |
| 70 | [[/folder]] |
| 71 | |
| 72 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 73 | * [[AntiHero Severus Snape]] from ''Literature/HarryPotter'' most certainly qualifies for many reasons: |
| 74 | ** During the Attack on Godric's Hollow, when [[EvilOverlord Lord Voldemort]] killed Harry's parents, James and Lily, Snape was devastated over his loss of Lily; and therefore, he sided with Dumbledore to [[spoiler:protect young Harry]]. |
| 75 | ** Later, after [[spoiler:he killed Dumbledore]], he seemingly sided with the Death Eaters, until Voldemort [[spoiler:murdered him with [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Nagini]], thinking him as master of the Elder Wand.]] |
| 76 | * In Creator/PoulAnderson and Creator/GordonRDickson's ''Literature/{{Hoka}}'' stories, Alex Jones infiltrates the Hoka {{Pirate}}s to prevent actual fighting from breaking out. |
| 77 | * In Russia and probably all other post-Soviet countries, this trope is literally synonymous with the name of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirlitz Stirlitz]], the main character of a spy novel series and an [[Series/SeventeenMomentsOfSpring incredibly popular television series based on it]]. He's basically a Soviet spy who is skilfully pretending to be a SS-Standartenführer. |
| 78 | * Richard Adams' ''Literature/WatershipDown''. Bigwig uses this technique as part of Hazel's plan to free some does from Efrafa. |
| 79 | * The murder Literature/SherlockHolmes investigates in ''The Valley of Fear'' centers around [[spoiler: a [[PrivateDetective Pinkerton agent]] who infiltrated a criminal gang in the United States by posing as a murderer and counterfeiter, before turning on his supposed allies and helping the police break up their operations.]] It's TruthInTelevision: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based this story on a real-life Pinkerton agent (an agency of private detectives often used in the days before the government created the FBI) who infiltrated and then broke up a gang of militant miners known as the Molly Maguires in the 1870s. |
| 80 | * In Brian Jacques' ''[[Literature/{{Redwall}} Martin the Warrior]]'', Brome gets into Marshank by pretending to be a sea rat. |
| 81 | * In Creator/SandyMitchell's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' novel ''[[Literature/DarkHeresy Scourge the Heretic]]'', Keira poses as a noblewoman to infiltrate a Chaos cult. [[TwoLinesNoWaiting Meanwhile]], Kyrlock and Elyra attempt to infiltrate a smuggling operation: Kyrlock by [[FakeDefector pretending he deserted]] and Elyra posing as a servant running away from a mistress whose husband she had slept with and whom she had robbed. |
| 82 | * Many times in the ''Literature/XWingSeries''. The Rogues pass as Imperial civilians to get on Coruscant. The Wraiths pass a warlord's subjects, then as stormtroopers, then later as pirates that the warlord wants to recruit. The Rogues set themselves up as members of one Imperial faction. |
| 83 | * In Creator/GKChesterton's ''The Man Who Was Thursday'', Syme is taken to an anarchist meeting and, being a policeman, sets out to infiltrate. |
| 84 | * Done twice in the Literature/AgeOfFire Series. [=AuRon=] infiltrates the Circle of Man's main base to end their enslavement of dragons and to protect his friend's nation. In the next book, Wistala does the same to the Wheel of Fire Dwarves, this time to get revenge on those who slaughtered her family. |
| 85 | * Septimus Heap does this in ''[[Literature/SeptimusHeap Darke]]'' by disguising in [[BlackMagic Darkenesse]] to get into the [[DarkWorld Darke Halls]] and rescue Alther Mella. |
| 86 | * Katya is used in the task for most of the ''Literature/PaladinOfShadows'' series, and is being trained by Jay to improve her abilities in it starting with ''Choosers of the Slain''. |
| 87 | * In ''[[Literature/TheInfernalDevices The Clockwork Angel]]'', having been given [[spoiler: absolutely, totally false]] information that de Quincey is the Magister, the Clave devises a plan to have Will and Tessa enter one of de Quincey's lavish parties [[spoiler: where he tortures mundanes like Nate]] by having Tessa transform into Camille Belcourt. At the sign of de Quincey breaking the Law, Will is supposed to signal the Clave so that they can kick some vampire ass. |
| 88 | * Literature/HarryBosch novels: |
| 89 | ** ''Literature/TrunkMusic'': Bosch arrests Mafia mook Luke Goshen for the murder of Tony Aliso when he finds the murder weapon hidden in Aliso's room. Harry gets into a lot of trouble later when he finds out that Goshen is actually an undercover FBI agent who is definitely innocent of the murder. |
| 90 | ** ''Literature/TwoKindsOfTruth'': For the first time in his 40 years in law enforcement, Harry goes undercover. He makes himself out to be a homeless opioid addict in order to get the goods on the Russian pill smugglers who killed the Esquivelas. |
| 91 | * ''Literature/WetDesertTrackingDownATerroristOnTheColoradoRiver'': The bomber dresses himself and his truck as that of an elevator maintenance company to bypass security at Glen Canyon Dam. |
| 92 | * Lucky joins the Wild Pack in second ''Literature/SurvivorDogs'' book in order to find a way for his friends can drink from their lake. He soon finds out that staying loyal to his old pack (including his sister Bella) is harder than expected. |
| 93 | * This happens twice in ''Literature/TheMentalState''. The first time, a police officer pretends to be a junkie inmate in order to infiltrate a prison drug ring. [[spoiler:This backfires completely when the main character, Zack, uncovers the truth, steals his mobile and blackmails him into becoming a junkie for real]]. The second time happens when Jeremy throws himself on Saif's mercy after he steals from Zack. [[spoiler:This turns out to have been a ruse for him to infiltrate Saif's gang and gather information to help bring down his criminal organisation]]. |
| 94 | * Vin and Marsh infiltrate [[AristocratsAreEvil the nobility]] and [[CorruptChurch Steel Ministry]] respectively in ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'', Vin as a rural lord's niece and Marsh as an eager adult acolyte. Vin doesn't get caught, but things go badly for Marsh, whose flayed corpse is found in a safe house next to a letter explaining that [[TheDreaded the Inquisitors]] suspect him. [[spoiler:He didn't get caught, either. Turns out he [[GoneHorriblyRight impressed his superiors so much]] with his [[SupernaturalSensitivity Seeker abilities]] and general acumen that they [[WasOnceAMan turned him into an Inquisitor]]. They still don't suspect him, and he stays undercover long enough to kill all the Inquisitors in their sleep]]. |
| 95 | * ''Literature/AScannerDarkly'': Bob Arctor is a cop undercover to investigate about the production of Substance D. |
| 96 | [[/folder]] |
| 97 | |
| 98 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 99 | * Used by both the good and bad guys on ''Series/TwentyFour''. So much so that you start to wonder if anybody on that show ever heard of a background check.... |
| 100 | * On ''Series/TheBlacklist'' this is Tom's specialty. As a teenager, he was recruited by The Major and trained to be a perfect undercover operative. When he assumes a new persona his performance is usually flawless. He is able to fool Liz for years into thinking that he is a mild mannered teacher and even a full scale FBI investigation is unable to break through his legend. In a latter assignment he transforms himself into a neo-Nazi so he can get inside a neo-Nazi weapons smuggling ring. |
| 101 | * Happens often in ''Series/BurnNotice'', although Michael occasionally takes the identity of a potential business associate of that episode's villain rather than a member of their group. |
| 102 | * ''Series/CharliesAngels'': Given their work as Private Investigators, a lot Charlie's plans involve the Angels and Bosley going undercover and working for the villains they're trying to take down. |
| 103 | * ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' has [[spoiler: Mary Bartowski]] in the backstory and [[spoiler: Sarah]] in season 4 undertake these by pretending to do [[FaceHeelTurn Face-Heel Turns]]. |
| 104 | * ''Series/ClassOf09'': Poet is skilled at undercover work, infiltrating a corrupt police department so well it results in the greatest FBI bust of {{dirty cop}}s ever. |
| 105 | * ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': Det. Lovato's backstory is revealed in "[[Recap/CSINYS09E09 Blood Out]]." She'd spent 17 months as a member of the Trinatarios, a Dominican street gang known for drug dealing, while assigned to the NYPD's Narcotics unit. When her cover was blown, she got reassigned to Homicide and became Flack's partner. |
| 106 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E7Kerblam "Kerblam!"]], the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz infiltrate the titular MegaCorp's warehouse facility by posing as new hires, with the help of the sonic screwdriver and psychic paper, to find out who inside the facility sent the Doctor a [[HelpHelpTrappedInTitleFactory message for help]] inside a package she received. |
| 107 | %%* [[spoiler:Janis Hawk]] in ''Series/FlashForward2009''. |
| 108 | * Sayid infiltrates a terrorist cell in the flashbacks of the ''Series/{{Lost}}'' episode "The Greater Good". |
| 109 | * ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'': "Game Plan", in Season 3, has Frank Hardy joining a criminal organization by pretending to be a drifter looking for work. At one point, he seems to have gone totally over & sold out the Feds, to the point of pulling a gun on his brother Joe. |
| 110 | * ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': |
| 111 | %%** This is an apparent specialty of recurring character Dana Lewis. |
| 112 | ** When Mariska Hargitay was on maternity leave, Benson's absence was explained by saying that she was infiltrating an eco-terrorist group. In the aptly-named episode "Infiltrated", which marked Hargitay's return to the show, we briefly see Benson in this role. |
| 113 | * On ''Series/{{Legends}}'' Martin Odum is an FBI agent who specializes in deep cover undercover work. He regularly assumes new identities and rarely breaks his cover. However, he starts to suspect that his identity as Martin Odum is just another of his legends and that he forgot who he really was due to amnesia from an accident. [[spoiler: He was actually a MI-6 agent and his new identity is a form of witness protection after he was almost killed infiltrating a mercenary group.]] Season 2 has him try to renter an old identity that he has forgotten and try to fix some of the mistakes he made when he tried to infiltrate a group of Chechen criminals with ties to terrorists. It is then reveals that [[spoiler: he is actually a Russian who was trained from childhood to pretend to be British so he could then infiltrate MI-6]] and thus he has been living this trope for most of his life. |
| 114 | %%* A regular staple of ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', usually by whomever is going to be the Grifter for the job in question. |
| 115 | * In ''Series/MadeForLove'', an FBI agent whose real name is Jay takes on the identity of "Jasper" to infiltrate a powerful tech company and reveal its location to the feds, who believe their dealings are unethical but can't actually find the place. |
| 116 | * ''Series/MajorCrimes'' introduces Detective Amy Sykes in the first episode as a member of the LAPD's SIS (Special Investigation Services) division, which handles surveillance and undercover assignments. She helps the Major Crimes Division with the case and transfers in afterwards. If they're doing a stakeout, she's almost always involved. |
| 117 | ** The middle of Season 5 introduces Wes Nolan, who's been undercover for more than five years in a Neo-Nazi group connected to the recent murder of a witness and a subsequent courtroom shootout. There's a debate on whether to pull him out or use him to gather more information. They end up doing both, and when he does break his cover, he gets a member of the group to flip. He is also transferred to Major Crimes. |
| 118 | %%* Vladimitr Sharapov does this in ''Series/TheMeetingPlaceCannotBeChanged''. |
| 119 | %%* A regular staple of ''Series/MissionImpossible'', usually by the team's MasterOfDisguise. |
| 120 | * Callen of ''Series/NCISLosAngeles'' makes his careers, plural, out of this trope, and undercover work is a specialty of the L.A. team. |
| 121 | * ''Series/NewYorkUndercover'' focuses on two NYPD detectives infiltrating the city's gangs. |
| 122 | * ''Series/TheNightManager'' is a story about an infiltration, the psychology of the infiltrator, and the dangers of possible betrayal at multiple levels. |
| 123 | * The ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "Off the Grid" requires a member of SG-1 to go undercover as a drug smuggler. After a hilarious argument about who would be the most convincing, Colonel Mitchell pulls rank and decides he's going to do it. Mitchell's act fails spectacularly and the scene cuts to the team running away from the bad guys and Teal'c saying "I did advise you were a most unlikely drug smuggler, Colonel Mitchell." |
| 124 | * "Mirror, Mirror", one of the most popular ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episodes, featured the good guys from the Enterprise having to spend some time among their evil universe counterparts. |
| 125 | * The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' first-season episode "Conspiracy" has Picard and Riker [[spoiler:pretend they were under the influence of an alien parasite]]. |
| 126 | ** The "Gambit" two-parter has Picard doing an impromptu infiltration to discover why a group of pirates is ransacking archaeological sites by convincing them he was a smuggler. |
| 127 | * ''Series/TrueDetective'': |
| 128 | ** Played out with lots of tension. Rust, a former undercover cop, decides to go back into his undercover persona "off the books" in order to get to a specific person of interest. Although he's done the infiltration before, the tests he has to run through [[spoiler: such as doing drugs that have been previous shown to mess with his head and sense of awareness to varying degrees]] to prove his bona fides, and the [[spoiler: massive mess that erupts when things fall apart]], make it harrowing to watch. |
| 129 | ** In season two, Ani pretends to be a prostitute in order to infiltrate a secret party where rich and powerful men get to network, close deals and participate in HookersAndBlow orgies. Things quickly go bad since all the prostitutes are given a date rape drug that makes them weak and unable to resist. Ani almost gets raped and killed but manages to stab her attackers with a knife and escape. |
| 130 | * Occurs quite often on ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'': |
| 131 | ** Season 4's "Break-In" has Walker and Trivette posing, respectively, as an inmate and a guard in a federal prison to gather evidence on an inmate who ordered the deaths of a witness (on whose testimony he was convicted) and two Rangers, but run into complications when the convict and prison administration are found to be in cahoots. |
| 132 | ** "El Coyote", also in Season 4, had Walker going undercover with Mexican agent Jesse Rodriguez as Mexican peasants to infiltrate a slave-trading operation. |
| 133 | ** In Season 6's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS6E5ForgottenPeople Forgotten People]]", when an old friend of Trivette's staying at a nursing home turns up dead, C.D. pretends to be an Alzheimer's patient to investigate, upon which they find that the nursing home turns out to be a front for an illegal testing facility where its patients are being used as guinea pigs to have variations of an illegal Alzheimer's drug put on the market. C.D. later makes a new friend during his time there, who is also undercover for the same reason. |
| 134 | ** Season 7's "The Principal" had Walker and Trivette posing as a high school's new principal and head of security after said principal, who was an old friend of Walker's, was murdered by a villainous shop teacher dealing drugs, and busted the former head of security who was thought to be the ringleader. |
| 135 | ** "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS7E17LivegirlsDotNow livegirls.now]]" (also in Season 7) had [[GirlOfTheWeek Trivette's new girlfriend]] being kidnapped by a gang of SexSlave traders [[ModelScam along with other aspiring models and about to be auctioned off]]. Walker, Trivette and Alex's only means of finding the kidnappers is by getting into the auction and tracing their location. Trivette takes on the job of being one of the bidders, and they needed the code from the photographer involved in the scheme after he was arrested by Walker. Trivette's cover is Kim Soo Park, a Korean industrialist who is currently serving 10-20 years for espionage; the arrest was scrubbed off his record so the kidnappers don't know what's going on. The trace is a success, but it hits a snag due to the kidnappers catching on to the ruse. |
| 136 | ** "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS8E09FightOrDie Fight or Die]]" in Season 8 has Walker, Gage and Trivette posing as inmates (former two) and a guard (Trivette) to bring down an underground prize-fighting ring, where the warden and a corrupt promoter are forcing inmates to fight for their lives in mixed martial arts-type matches. |
| 137 | ** Occurs in both plots in Season 9's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E19UnsafeSpeed Unsafe Speed]]". The main plot has Gage and Sydney going undercover as [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels bikers]] to bust up a methamphetamine lab, but to access it, they have to be initiated into the gang through a series of rigorous tests, and among them is killing a Texas State Trooper, [[spoiler:but the Trooper agreed to participate in the covert operation, [[StagedShooting having survived]] [[FakingTheDead his gunshot wounds]], due to wearing a BulletproofVest.]] The B-plot had Trivette pose as an unqualified trucker to nail a corrupt DPS Driver License Division employee who was illegally issuing trucker licenses, one of whom, who ended up killing a family of three, alerted the Rangers to the trafficking operation conducted by the bikers. |
| 138 | * The entire premise of ''Series/{{Wiseguy}}'', in which a cop adopts a fake identity as a bad guy and infiltrates organized crime outfits. |
| 139 | * This is the entire premise of ''Series/Undercover2019''. Two cops spend months undercover trying to infiltrate a major drug operation in order to collect enough evidence to arrest the leader. |
| 140 | [[/folder]] |
| 141 | |
| 142 | [[folder:Pinball]] |
| 143 | * In order to fulfill ''Pinball/SafeCracker''[='=]s title, you must first get into the vault the safe is located in. There are three ways of doing so - the front door, the roof, and the cellar. |
| 144 | [[/folder]] |
| 145 | |
| 146 | [[folder:Pro Wrestling]] |
| 147 | * Early in the second season of ''Wrestling/LuchaUnderground'' it's revealed that [[spoiler: Cortez Castro, a member of the thuggish heel wrestling team The Crew]], had been an undercover cop all along. |
| 148 | [[/folder]] |
| 149 | |
| 150 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 151 | * Everyone in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'' is trying to do this at all times, due to a combination of GrayAndGreyMorality and CityOfSpies. Swapping sides is not uncommon. |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 155 | * In ''VideoGame/BetrayalAtKrondor'', James and Locklear pretend to be Quegan mercenaries to infiltrate the BigBad's army in order to deactivate the Rift machine through which more of that army is arriving each minute. |
| 156 | * ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': After the protagonist gets captured (avoidable, if you can win one of the game's toughest fights), you are given two options: Break out on your own, or select two companions [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent to control]] while they do this. Their different bluffing attempts are some of the funniest moments in the game, like Sten and Oghren's circus act. |
| 157 | * In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', when Aerith([[SpellMyNameWithAnS s]]) was kidnapped by Shinra Corp, Cloud, Barrett, and Tifa all try to do this in order to save her from Shinra. |
| 158 | * {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Infiltrating the Airship'' from the ''VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries''; while the title implies the main character, Henry Stickmin, is going to infiltrate an aircraft owned by an evil organization named the "Toppat Clan", he does not go undercover as a Toppat member in the actual game, and the one time he ''is'' mistaken for a member of the Toppat Clan, he ends up [[GameOver leaving in an escape pod]]. |
| 159 | * Mentioned in ''VideoGame/HiddenCity'' when Mr. Black decides to infiltrate a Shadow Cult meeting to confirm that his former assistant Violet had indeed defected to the cult. The player character helps him draw a tattoo of the Cult's symbol to allow him entry into the meeting, but the infiltration itself happens off-screen. |
| 160 | * In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', in order to recruit "Archangel" for their mission, Shepard has to first pose as a freelance mercenary, joining the other mooks-for-hire hired by the three major mercenary groups on Omega, hellbent on taking Archangel out. After taking a moment to subtly sabotage the mercenaries efforts and equipment, Shepard heads across the bridge to Archangel's compound, before immediately turning around and begin taking out their former "allies". |
| 161 | %%* The ''modus operandi'' of the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series. |
| 162 | * Several ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' missions. Even in non-mission military consumptions, there's a huge EP bonus for acquiring a skill and leaving without alerting the troops. |
| 163 | * In ''VideoGame/SleepingDogs2012'', Wei Shen is an undercover cop trying to take down the Sun On Yee Triads in Hong Kong. |
| 164 | %%* This is whole premise of ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: Double Agent''. |
| 165 | * ''Franchise/StarWars'' |
| 166 | ** In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', infiltration becomes the endgame goal of most light-sided Imperial characters in one form or another, with Sith Warriors/Inquisitors wanting to reform the Empire from within, Imperial Agents [[spoiler: erasing their identity with the Black Codex so they can help the Empire without having to worry about Sith infighting]], and Bounty Hunters [[spoiler:defecting from the Empire completely and becoming Republic moles.]] |
| 167 | ** In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' the PlayerCharacter, looking for a MacGuffin, has to infiltrate a [[spoiler:Sith Academy, posing as being interested in becoming a student.]] |
| 168 | * In the ''VideoGame/ThiefTheDarkProject'' mission "Undercover", Garrett infiltrates the Hammerites by passing as a novice. This is the only time he does this though, since the Hammerite church is far too well-defended for even him to sneak into normally. He also needs help from several inside men to pull it off (needing both a genuine novice uniform and a forged letter of admittance), and once inside must be careful to not be caught doing something a Hammerite novice shouldn't be doing. |
| 169 | * In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', the Cape of Stranglethorn questline involves you infiltrating the Bloodsail pirates on behalf of Booty Bay. [[spoiler: At one point, they do ask for a test of loyalty - you need to kill a tauren who is a higher-up in Booty Bay, and bring back his head. Fortunately, they're too stupid to tell a (female) cow's head from a (male) tauren head, so you decapitate a cow, slap a pirate hat on her head, and hand it off.]] |
| 170 | ** In the Mount Hyjal quest chain, you have to pose as a Twilight's Hammer initiate to find out where Jarod Shadowsong is being kept. |
| 171 | ** In the Alliance "Operation Shieldwall" questline, you have to disguise yourself as a Horde soldier and get information from a Horde interrogation of a captive Mogu. |
| 172 | * In ''VideoGame/SaintsRow1'', Troy Bradshaw does this. He's an undercover cop who joins the Third Street Saints. [[BecomingTheMask He gets a little too into his role,]] [[UndercoverCopReveal but eventually reveals himself by arresting Julius.]] |
| 173 | [[/folder]] |
| 174 | |
| 175 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 176 | * ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'': [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/020115c Proto Man as Break Man]] |
| 177 | * In Webcomic/{{Strays}}, [[http://www.straysonline.com/comic/174.htm Prince Holland in action.]] |
| 178 | * In ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'', [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue4PAGES/ib082.html Dara chases after the innkeeper because of her council membership.]] |
| 179 | [[/folder]] |
| 180 | |
| 181 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 182 | * In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', Taylor, after being mistaken for a supervillain on her first night out in costume, decides to infiltrate the supervillains that she helped with the intention of betraying them to the local superheroes once she's gathered information on the group. As time goes on, however, she finds herself BecomingTheMask and becoming real friends with the [[VillainProtagonist Undersiders]]. |
| 183 | [[/folder]] |
| 184 | |
| 185 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 186 | * In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBoilingRockPart1 The Boiling Rock]]", Sokka and Zuko dress up as prison guards to get back Hakoda (Sokka's father). |
| 187 | * An episode of ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' featured this, appropriately titled '''The Infiltration''', with M.A.D. MasterOfDisguise Presto Change-O impersonating Inspector Gadget to sneak into a top secret worldwide police conference in London. The viewing audience can tell the phony Gadget from his stereotypical bad English teeth and crazed eyes, [[SpotTheImpostor while the rest of the cast initially can't,]] until the real Gadget accidentally bonks Chief Quimby with his Gadget Mallet. |
| 188 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E4TaskForceX Task Force X]]", the titular protagonists must get "inside" a bad-guy organization (The Justice League Watchtower) and pass as mooks to steal a MacGuffin, only this episode is an inversion because this is a VillainEpisode, but given we are seeing things from the [[PerspectiveFlip villains' perspective]], and the Justice League acts invokes BewareTheSuperman, this trope seems played straight. |
| 189 | -->'''Colonel Flagg:''' ''This tower is so big and has so much staff in it no ones is going to notice us... [[TemptingFate unless one of you do something stupid]].'' |
| 190 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' "[[Recap/TheLegendOfKorraS1E3TheRevelation The Revelation]]." Mako and Korra disguise themselves and sneak into an Equalist rally. |
| 191 | * Spoofed in a short on ''OH Yeah! Cartoons'', in which a crime-solving doughnut infiltrates a criminal organization under the guise of a new recruit to save his fellow officer. As the doughnut unties him, the officer says "I thought for sure you were in that box of doughnuts!". The doughnut responds, "Huh...never thought of that." |
| 192 | * In the episode "Kennel Kittens Return" of ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies2010'', Squirt "volunteers" to be [[PaperThinDisguise disguised as a cat]] to retrieve the team's stolen invention from the rival cat organization. |
| 193 | * Elisa does this a couple times in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', both times involving uncovering operations by mobster Tony Dracon. |
| 194 | * In the third episode of ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'''s pilot series, ''Plunder & Lightning'', [[HeartwarmingOrphan Kit Cloudkicker]] [[spoiler: pretends to betray Baloo, Molly and Rebecca in the Iron Vulture to his former mentor Don Karnage, to allow them to escape. The fake deception is so convincing and surprising that Baloo believes himself betrayed, and angrily leaves Higher For Hire with the [=SeaDuck=] to Louie's to party his cares away, until he hears Kit desperately radio for help in the fourth episode.]] |
| 195 | * ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' does it twice: |
| 196 | ** Cyborg enters the HIVE Academy under the guise of "Stone" to find out what secrets they're planning next. Later, in a mission against the HIVE with the Titans, he is beset by the HIVE's top agent, Bumblebee, only to find that ''she'' is a spy, (though she's more of a FakeDefector, as she has not donned a new identity for the mission). When Brother Blood finds out he rhetorically screams, "Was anyone at my school actually there to '''LEARN'''?" |
| 197 | ** On another occasion, Robin goes undercover in Slade's organization as Red X, but Slade sees through the deception. |
| 198 | * The entire concept of Punch/Counterpunch of ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'', an Autobot spy who has the ability to adopt a Decepticon robot mode. In the Japanese ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' continuity, he had even managed to become firmly entrenched in the Decepticon ranks as [[DragonAscendant Scorponok's]] closely-trusted informant. |
| 199 | * ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': |
| 200 | ** One episode had Superboy and Miss Martian infiltrate a maximum security prison for supervillains in order to prevent an impending jailbreak. |
| 201 | ** The second season had a major StoryArc where Artemis and Aqualad infiltrated [[LegionOfDoom the Light]] to discover and sabotage their plans. (Though Artemis was the only one who made a new identity. Aqualad just [[FakeDefector pretended to defect]].) As an added wrinkle, most of the heroes were kept in the dark about the infiltration plan. [[PoorCommunicationKills This led to some friendly fire problems...]] |
| 202 | [[/folder]] |
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