Conspicuous Trenchcoat: Difference between revisions

[[File:Bad Ronald 6537.jpg|link=The Burger King|frame|[[McDonald's|"Hello, I wanna see if this place's burgers are better than mine. Not that I look familiar or anything."]]]]

 

 

An "evil" character, or otherwise [[Weirdness Censor|out-of-the-ordinary character]], can always be identified (by the observant audience anyway) by the fact that he wears a concealing trenchcoat, fedora and occasionally dark glasses that are in no way seen as suspicious by any passers-by.

 

[[The Other Wiki]] also explored this trope in [[wikipedia:Trench coats in popular culture|its own page]].

{{examples}}

 

* The [[Pokémon (anime)|Team Rocket]] trio have started doing this in the Unova saga. They most likely switched from a [[Paper-Thin Disguise]] to this now that they're {{spoiler|competent.}}

* Heroic example in the first chapter of [[Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation]], Roji (who also thinks [[Mobile Shrubbery|mobile pottery]] is an effective stealth tactic) wears a trenchcoat and he and Muhyo wear sunglasses while staking out a client in order to locate the ghost of one of her dead friends. Muhyo notices that they "stick out like sore thumbs."

* ''[[Detective Conan]]'' has members of the Black Organization frequently showing up in conspiciously sinister black trenchcoats.

* ''[[Recorder and Randsell]]'': Atsushi's trenchcoat gets him mistaken for either an exhibitionist or a pedophile a lot.

 

* [[Seen It a Million Times]], mostly in older comic books. Many a [[Super Villain]] wears this over their costume to gain access to the City Bank.

* Ben Grimm, [[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|The Thing]], in [[The Silver Age of Comic Books|the Silver Age]], would routinely put on a trenchcoat and fedora, which was sufficient to disguise being an orange rock monster. Later comics justify this by presenting it more as a matter of self-consciousness - the disguise doesn't really work ''that'' well, but it makes Ben feel more comfortable when stepping outside.

* In Desert Peach, a Gefeldtpolizei casing a Parisian cafe appearently thought he counted as "plainclothes" despite wearing his usual coat and hat, because he was ''walking a poodle at the same time''. This was what convinced Rosen the place was under surveillance. ("No one but a Gefepo would think walking a poodle automatically makes you French!")

* Even ''[[Godzilla]]'' used this trope once, in Marvel's licensed series. To evade pursuers, the [[Bratty Half-Pint|Kenny]] of this series dresses the temporarily-shrunken Godzilla in a hat and trenchcoat. Admittedly, it only works for about two minutes, at night, but it was enough to fool two criminals, who attempt to mug Godzilla (yeah, that goes about as well as you'd expect.)<ref>''Godzilla, King of the Monsters'' #19 (1978)</ref>

 

 

* ''[[Megamind]]'': Megamind's Brain Bot's hide under a trench coat and fedora in a crowd during the opening. It is bookended in the conclusion when we see {{spoiler|Metro Man}} using the same tactic.

* ''[[Never Say Never Again]]:'' Lampshaded by [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]], when Nigel Small-Fawcett is yelling Bond's name to attract his attention, then acts furtively when talking to Bond. The fact Nigel is played by [[Mr. Bean]] [[Hilarious in Hindsight|makes it funnier]].

{{quote|'''Nigel Small-Fawcett:''' ''(yelling)'' Mr Bond! I say Mr Bond! Nigel Small-Fawcett British Embassy Nassau."

* The first ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' movie. Lampshaded.

* Judge Doom from ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?]]'' wears a trenchcoat and fedora with sunglasses and a rubber mask, to hide the fact that {{spoiler|he is actually a Toon himself}}.

* The ''[[Highlander]]'' universe has heroes who walk around in [[Hammerspace|Trenchcoats of Holding]] that hide their very large swords.

* Used as a [[Visual Pun]] in ''Mel Brooks' [[Silent Movie]]''. The title cards announce an upcoming Sneak Preview of Mel Funn's film. Cut to the theater, and the entire audience is sneaking in, dressed in trenchcoats and fedoras.

* Used by [[Wrong Genre Savvy]] hero Woody in the Disney film ''[[Condorman]]'' after he persuades his friend Harry to let him go on a CIA courier mission despite the fact that he's a comic book writer, not a spy. [[Hilarity Ensues]].

* ''[[Back to The Future Part II]]'' gets a quick shot in at this. Doc and Marty arrive in the past trying to keep Biff from getting the sports almanac, Doc hands Marty some age-appropriate money saying, "Get yourself some fifties clothes." As Marty runs off, he screams, "Something inconspicuous!" Cut to Marty wearing a leather jacket, fedora, and sunglasses.

** Never mind that this makes him look more like a Michael Jackson impersonator than anything else....

* ''[[Three Days of the Condor]]'': G. Joubert finds himself rather guilty of this trope.

* ''[[The Tiger Makes Out]]'': Eli Wallach's character, preparing his campaign to disrupt the indifferent, sheeplike world around him, picks up a trenchcoat and fedora at a pawn shop. As the owner anxiously watches him suiting up, he points out that he has a sawed-off shotgun for sale.

* ''[[Le Samourai]]'': The main character's choice of unsuspicious-looking clothes is a trenchcoat and fedora. It makes sense in the setting, but even if it didn't, [[Rule of Cool]] would turn this trope into something more like a [[Badass Longcoat]] situation.

 

* [[H. G. Wells]]' [[The Invisible Man (novel)|Invisible Man]] favors this kind of appearance aid. May be the [[Trope Maker]].

* One of [[Geronimo Stilton]]'s old friends is described as always wearing a trenchcoat and dark glasses; quite naturally, he's a [[Overt Operative|secret agent]]. Oddly, Geronimo reveals that his friend has always worn a trenchcoat and dark glasses since the first grade.

* The ducks in St. James's Park in ''[[Good Omens]]'' have gotten very good at identifying the many, many secret agents who meet there by their conspicuous "disguises."

* Lampshaded, if not played straight, in ''[[The Dresden Files]]''. Harry is often wearing his long leather duster, and notes that it makes him look odd and conspicuous, especially when he wears it in the summer. Of course, his leather duster is enchanted to withstand magical and ballistic assaults, so when he's on a case (and thus runs the risk of someone trying to shoot him), he's going to wear the damn thing even if it's 95 degrees out.

 

* When Susan on ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' tries to be sneaky, she wears a trenchcoat, hat and sunglasses. This prompted one reviewer on [[Television Without Pity]] to ask, "What, no rubber nose and attached 'stache?"

* ''[[Kids Incorporated]]'': "The Bully" - After angering a local bully, the Kid sneaks into the P*lace wearing a trenchcoat and fedora, which effectively hides him in a crowd whose median age is 13.

* Lampshaded on ''[[Yes Minister]]'' when Bernard, after saying too much to the press, attempted to sneak past reporters in a trenchcoat, hat, and shades. On the hottest day of the year, according to the novelisation. Needless to say, the press were very interested in this strange man entering a government building.

 

 

* The G-Men in the [[Milkman Conspiracy]] level of ''[[Psychonauts]]''.

* In the Eastern Europe level of ''[[Metal Gear]] Solid 4'', Snake dons a trench coat and [[Latex Perfection|face camo]] to get past [[Private Military Contractors|Raven Sword]]'s station check point. In a subversion, his face is immediately added to the PMC's blacklist, rendering that disguise useless. This is played even straighter if you notice someone (later revealed to be Scarabs) in a trench coat and hat following Snake, who immediately disappears every time you investigate.

* [[Carmen Sandiego]] not only wears a trenchcoat and fedora, but a ''fire engine red trenchcoat and fedora''. On the other hand, she is motivated by showing off.

* The cyborg agents of ''[[Syndicate]]'', who can [[Hammerspace|hide a arsenal]] of artillery-level weaponry in their coats.

* The graphical report for the success of certain espionage or sabotage missions in ''[[Space Empires|Space Empires IV]]'' shows an ''alien'' [http://wiki.spaceempires.net/index.php/Image:IntelSabotageByUs.png wearing a trenchcoat and fedora].

* Veronica from [[Fallout: New Vegas]] wears a thick, hooded cloak. It would work as a disguise in a fantasy game, but it's pointless in a sci-fi. Set in a desert. And people still recognise her.

** In her defence, she doesn't seem to be ''trying'' to disguise herself, and there is precedent for people walking around with thick, hooded cloaks in the [[Fallout|neighbouring]] [[Fallout 2|region]].

 

* [[MAG-ISA]]—We got [http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119696 four] [http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/292 people] with [http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119693 guns] and [http://mag-isa.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/119677 trenchcoats] enter a school. It seems nobody even noticed them. Otherwise, don't you think the cops should be called to stop them before they do a shooting rampage?

* ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'': [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20010108.html Somewhere far, far short of "inconspicuous", you may be lucky to find trenchcoats of "incongruity", and dark sunglasses of "incompetency". Our heroes found them on their first attempt.]

{{quote|'''Heather''': (amused) Leonard, uh... what are you ''dressed'' as?!

'''Suki''': (snickering) Yeah, it's a little ''early'' for Halloween.

 

 

* As a Cold War satire, ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' has numerous coat/fedora/glasses examples.

* Many a colorful villain in ''[[Ben 10]]''. Even more odd since it's the [[It's Always Spring|middle of the summer]].

* In ''[[Hey Arnold!]]'', Helga attempted to sneak into her therapist's office wearing a trenchcoat and a fedora, only for [[Vitriolic Best Buds|Phoebe]] to spot her out.

 

* [[media:boris.gif|Boris the Burglar]], the image used in Neighborhood Watch signs is a silhouette of a man wearing a trench coat and fedora.

** From a child's perspective: "Mom! That sign says 'No Cowboys!'"

* When not on stage, Malice Mizer/Moi dix Mois guitarist Mana shows mild to moderate symptoms of this. Most pictures of him in public show him with a large hat and sunglasses, combined with, at various points, large, dark scarves, tops, skirts, boots and- yes- trenchcoats. Due to his habit of [[Alter Ego Acting]], it isn't publically known whether he dresses like this to try to avoid attention or whether he just likes the style, but it's most likely to be the latter, because his clothes do a pretty pants job at masking his identity. If anything, they make him more recognizable offstage.

* Victor Suvorov, a former Soviet GRU agent, says that among the first rules they were taught was - no sunshades, no raised collars, no hands in the pockets. After all, why should they look like spies if they are not spies but Soviet Intelligence Agents?

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Adventure Tropes]]

[[Category:Coats and Jackets]]

[[Category:The Index Is Watching You]]

[[Category:Costume Tropes]]