Dressing as the Enemy: Difference between revisions

Most of the heroes are trapped in a cell, when the door opens and a guard wearing a [[Faceless Goons|face-concealing]] helmet enters.

 

 

In the real world, this is illegal for a military operation (under Article 39 of the [http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/7c4d08d9b287a42141256739003e636b/f6c8b9fee14a77fdc125641e0052b079 1977 First Geneva Protocol]), but not when it comes to espionage (which makes it fair game to kill you anyway). Well, that is, unless you take off the uniform before you start firing, and a lot of other small things that our heroes nonetheless forget and our villains disregard anyway.

** Heero Yuy in [[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing]] is seen infiltrating enemy facilities almost every other episode. He's incredibly brazen about simply knocking out guards and taking their uniforms (which somehow always fit him) and then waltzes right into the enemy base without a second thought. Trowa also does this once.

** But they are trained operatives and probably were trained to do this sort of thing for their missions.

* Done in ''[[Heartcatch Pretty Cure]]'' with Erika, Itsuki, Coffret and Potpourri dressing up as [[Mook|Snackies]] to sneak into the Desert Apostles' base.

 

* ''[[Mom and Dad Save The World]]'': A sympathetic mook actually gives the hero his uniform to aid his escape. As the uniform ''doesn't'' conceal his face, this doesn't work.

* ''[[Bill and Teds Bogus Journey]]'' has the title pair do this to get into [[Fluffy Cloud Heaven]]. Once they do this, [[Fridge Logic]] rears its head to them: they mugged two guys in ''Heaven''.

* Spoofed in ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]''. Link, BOB, and Dr. Cockroach are all mistaken for cloned mooks [[Paper-Thin Disguise|just by wearing the same shirt they do]]. At one point a cloned mook sees through one of their disguises...only to order the other two to incinerate him.

* ''[[The Wizard of Oz (film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''. Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion are ambushed by three of the Wicked Witch of the West's castle guards. In the next scene, the heroes sneak into the witch's castle dressed in the guards' uniforms.

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' used it a lot, to the point where they have an entire wardrobe full of various German uniforms of differing ranks and positions tailored to fit each of the Heroes. In one notable case, a pair of British spies impersonated an SS film crew to film the camp unnoticed.

** In at least three stories, the Doctor and his allies manage to disable a Dalek, remove the mutant inside, and substitute one of their number. How a whole person fits in there, when the mutant that came out is not much bigger than a human head, [[Fridge Logic|is never made clear]].

** At other times, people have fooled Daleks by dressing up as Robomen or Dalek troopers. In the former case, the deception was falling apart, but was saved when the Dalek were distracted by an attack by people without disguises. In the latter, the deception worked until they were seen in the self destruct chamber.

** The End of Time-how [[Fridge Logic|*did* the Vinvocci get that guard's helmet over his head, anyway?]] Ow.

{{quote|'''Crow''': "So he fits into a suit that was restrictive on a really small man?"}}

*** And within minutes, the disguise is blown at the ''first'' checkpoint he comes to. A [[Stealth Parody|subversion]], perhaps?

* In ''[[Babylon 5]]'' the attempt to free Sheridan on Mars is blown when one of the infiltrators is seen to have fresh blood on his uniform (leaking from a bandaged stab wound obtained previously).

* The rebels often borrow the Visitors' uniforms in the miniseries and series ''[[V]]''. In the original miniseries, Donovan takes the uniform of a much smaller, female Visitor, who explains that it will stretch to fit him. Apparently they're one-size-fits-all.

** Subverted on both occasions. On Taris, the uniform only works with the upper lever guard. The lower guard demands that you show him the proper papers before you pass. On Tatooine, the Tusken Raiders realise you're an imposter on closer inspection...[[Fridge Logic|somehow...]]

*** The EU states the since Tuskens ''always'' wear robes all the time they tell each other apart with their gaderffiis (and banthas) since no two are alike, so to them you're basicly wearing a name tag.

* Used twice in ''[[Metroid]] Prime 3: Corruption''. Early in the game, shapeshifter Gandrayda gets the drop on a squadron of pirates by disguising herself as one. {{spoiler|Later in the game, after her [[Face Heel Turn]], she lures Samus into a trap by pretending to be a Galactic Federation Marine.}}

* A major part of the Chapter 2 story mission in ''[[Final Fantasy X-2]]'' revolves finding and stealing the appropriate mook-gear to infiltrate the enemies hideout in Guadosalam. Despite the fact that this is mentioned during several of the battles with the mook's bosses, they never realize that those stolen uniforms are being used for infiltration even when you're talking to the mook's bosses in the base.