Secret-Chaser: Difference between revisions

{{quote|'''Cartman:''' Aha! Kenny! I should have known! Why do you have a picture of Mysterion in your locker, Kenny?! Unless you ''are'' Mysterion!<br />

'''Stan:''' Dude, I have a picture of Mysterion in my locker too.<br />

'''Clyde:''' Yeah, so do I.<br />

'''Cartman:''' What?! Why?<br />

A standard fixture of the [[Fantastic Comedy]]: whenever the series concept requires that an extraordinary person [[Masquerade]] as [[Secret Identity|ordinary]], there is one person around who suspects them, or has already learned about their secret (usually not every little detail, but enough to see them for what they really are). This character is always the [[Only Sane Man]] -- [[Clark Kenting]], fortunately, still works for everyone else -- makingelse—making this character [[The Cassandra|only look crazy]] if [[You Have to Believe Me|they try to expose the protagonist]].

If the character himself is not convinced that they are just hallucinating -- andhallucinating—and some of them are -- theyare—they become set on getting proof to [[They Called Me Mad|show everyone else]] that [[The Cuckoolander Was Right|they were right all along]] -- only—only to [[Butt Monkey|fail every time]]. Sometimes the neighbor fancies herself an [[Amateur Sleuth]], going so far as [[Nosy Neighbor|to spy and snoop]] whenever visiting the "undercover" character. They may even set traps to expose the character's [[Masquerade]]. Usually though they have no idea -- or care --idea—or aboutcare—about the trouble they are getting themselves into around the protagonist, so typically the hero will need to save them when they get ''too'' involved.

This character is usually a [[Muggle|normal human]] in the vicinity from their [[Wake Up, Go to School, Save Thethe World|civil life]] who has noticed that something is odd or amiss with them -- athem—a [[Nosy Neighbor]] or a [[Snooping Little Kid]]. If the masquerading subject is in school, the character is quite likely to be a teacher at that school, or a [[School Newspaper Newshound]]. If the show is a [[Work Com]], it can be a co-worker, often a rival or the subject's immediate manager.

Occassionally, the character will have had an obsession with the supernatural ''before'' they meet the protagonist. They may be a danger that comes from the outside -- [[The Hunter]], an [[Inspector Javert]] or the [[Intrepid Reporter]].

Often there is a character around who could give weight to their claims, an authority to present their proof to who views with bemused indifference their ranting insistence that something is strange about the main character -- acharacter—a husband if the character is the neighbour, the school principal if they are a teacher, a more senior manager in a [[Work Com]]. Sometimes a [[Sidekick]] whom they [[The Drag Along|drag into helping them]] -- usually—usually an underling, such as a school janitor if or an intern -- isintern—is also present.

See also [[Nosy Neighbor]]. Contrast/compare [[Secret Keeper]]. See also [[Not-So-Imaginary Friend]].

* ''[[Ah! My Goddess (Manga)|Ah My Goddess]]'': Sayoko noticed how there is something off about Belldandy, and goes to great lengths to uncover her secret. Of course, since Belldandy is a Goddess who [[Can Not Tell a Lie]], she simply tells Sayoko the truth. Sayoko never believes her and continues her schemes.

* ''[[Fables (Comic Book)|Fables]]'' did this twice; once when a reporter thought all the folks of Fabletown were vampires; and planned to "out" them to the world. The second time was with Thorne, later {{spoiler|subverted because he's a Fable himself}}.

* In the comic ''[[PS 238PS238]]'' a school full of kid superheroes in their civilian secret identity disguises also includes the extremely paranoid Cecil Holmes, who is convinced his school is full of disguised ''aliens.''

* In ''[[The Return of Hanuman]]'', Munni noticed that Maruti looks rather different. The other gods were worried that she will expose Maruti's secret that he is actually Hanuman. Fortunately, she didn't even have the will to figure out what's wrong with Maruti.

* Inverted in [[Harry Potter (Literaturenovel)|Harry Potter]]. The Dursleys know full well that there's a whole world of magical people and creatures hidden from [[Muggles]], and go to absurd lengths to try to pretend it doesn't exist.

* Gladys Kravitz on ''[[Bewitched (TV)|Bewitched]]''.

* To a certain degree, Dr. Bellows on ''[[I DreamofDream of Jeannie]]'', but more so his wife Amanda.

* Notably absent in ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV series)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'', much to the surprise of all.

* Sergeant Doakes from [[Dexter]].

** Detective Quinn becomes one as he starts to get suspicious about Dexter. However, he has secrets of his own and the closer he gets to the truth the less willing he is to pursue it further.

* Elton Pope (and the rest of LINDA) from the ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' episode "Love and Monsters".

* Eugene Jones from the ''[[Torchwood (TV)|Torchwood]]'' episode "Random Shoes" (after his death, Gwen ended up investigating ''him'').

* Bob Copper in ''[[Mega Man Star Force (Video Game)|Mega Man Star Force]]'' has this as, quite literally, his job description. When he's not trying to find out who Mega Man is, it's because the police force has tasked him to discover the roots of something weirder.

* Ivan Bezdomny from ''[[The Wotch (Webcomic)|The Wotch]]'', an intrepid [[School Newspaper Newshound|(school) newspaper reporter]] who was dead set on finding the source of the 'Weirdness' surrounding Tandy Gardens.

* George from ''[[El Goonish Shive (Webcomic)|El Goonish Shive]]'', a comicbook shop clerk who works alongside one of the main characters and was insistently badgering said main character to reveal the backstory of a magical incident that took place near the shop. That is until he abruptly dropped the subject after the main character revealed one of George's assumptions to be wrong and revealing to the audience that the reason for his badgering was to learn something that depended on the assumption being correct and that he didn't actually care for the backstory itself after all.

* Shin from ''[[Sailor Nothing]]'' -- except—except that {{spoiler|she ''succeeds'' and becomes a Sailor herself, and her analytical and research skills become a big asset to the other Sailors.}}

* Denzel Crocker of ''[[The Fairly Odd ParentsOddParents]]'' is constantly out to prove the existence of '''FAIRY GODPARENTS!'''.

* Hans Rotwood from ''[[American Dragon: Jake Long]]''. A teacher of the titular hero, he has an interest in supernatural creatures and is set on proving that Jake is one to the world once he has found out.

* Candace from ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'', the older sister of her two [[Child Prodigy]] brothers whose crazy inventions only she witnesses: by the time she fetches their mom, it always disappears by some crazy coincidence.

* Mandy from ''[[Totally Spies!]]'' has acted like this a few times, though the situation is usually solved by [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]]. She is the [[Alpha Bitch]] in the main characters' class who seeks to cross them wherever she can.

* Lt. Mitch Kellaway in ''[[The Mask (Filmfilm)|The Mask]]'' movie and the animated series is both this and the [[Inspector Javert]]. (Not so much in the movie where Stanley ''does'' do illegal things with the mask, such as robbing a bank (he just happened to do so just in front of the goons).)

* Every [[Animaniacs (Animation)|Chicken Boo]] segment contains exactly one character who is aware that the titular character is in fact [[Phrase Catcher|A CHICKEN I TELL YOU! A GIANT CHICKEN!]] This guy/gal tends to get ridiculed throughout the episode (or sometimes kicked out) until Boo's masquerade is stripped away somehow. If the wolf-crier was sent away, he/she returns at this point to say, "I told you he was a giant chicken."

* In ''[[Ultimate Spider -Man]]'', Mary Jane Watson, aspiring journalist, seeks to discover Spider-Man's true identity.

* In [[Batman: theThe Animated Series]], there is a villainous scientist who figures out Batman's secret identity. He tries to tell other villains what it is, even Two-Face who used to be Harvey Dent, Bruce's best friend.

[[Category:Secret Identity Tropes]]

[[Category:Secret Chaser{{PAGENAME}}]]