The Worm Guy: Difference between revisions

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The trope is named after Niko Tatopoulos from the 1998 ''[[Godzilla (film)|Godzilla]]'' film, who is referred to by the military personnel as "the worm guy", as they took him from Chernobyl where he was studying earthworms. [[No Pronunciation Guide|And they couldn't pronounce his actual name]].
The trope is named after Niko Tatopoulos from the 1998 ''[[Godzilla (film)|Godzilla]]'' film, who is referred to by the military personnel as "the worm guy", as they took him from Chernobyl where he was studying earthworms. [[No Pronunciation Guide|And they couldn't pronounce his actual name]].


Compare to [[Ignored Expert]] and [[The One Guy With a Brain]]. Contrast with [[Agent Mulder]], who is recognised as an unscientific crank, but is right anyway.
Compare to [[Ignored Expert]] and [[The One Guy With a Brain]]. Contrast with [[Agent Mulder]], who is recognised as an unscientific crank, but is right anyway.


Not to be confused with [[The Worm That Walks]].
Not to be confused with [[The Worm That Walks]].
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* ''The Swarm''
* ''The Swarm''
* ''[[The Core]]'' with Aaron Eckhart's character, and with the guy who invented [[Unobtainium]] (no, really, that's what it was called!).
* ''[[The Core]]'' with Aaron Eckhart's character, and with the guy who invented [[Unobtainium]] (no, really, that's what it was called!).
* Nicolas Cage in ''[[The Rock]]'', is a special case. He is an FBI agent trained to disarm chemical weapons so he is hardly a civilian. However, he was never trained to do so while fighting a highly experienced team of rogue Marine Recon soldiers. He also never had to deal with a weapon that could kill tens of thousands of people.
* Nicolas Cage in ''[[The Rock]]'', is a special case. He is an FBI agent trained to disarm chemical weapons so he is hardly a civilian. However, he was never trained to do so while fighting a highly experienced team of rogue Marine Recon soldiers. He also never had to deal with a weapon that could kill tens of thousands of people.
** Sean Connery's character also counts. He is only brought in because he has very specific knowledge of the location where the weapons are held
** Sean Connery's character also counts. He is only brought in because he has very specific knowledge of the location where the weapons are held
* The drillers in ''[[Armageddon]]'' are a blue collar version of this.
* The drillers in ''[[Armageddon]]'' are a blue collar version of this.
** Same as the drillers in ''[[The Abyss]]''.
** Same as the drillers in ''[[The Abyss]]''.
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* The original ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' novel is pretty much the same in this respect as the film.
* The original ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' novel is pretty much the same in this respect as the film.
** The book makes it clear, however, that Alan Grant is an experienced doctor of palaeontology and respected in his field, including an apparently well-received book for kids about Dinosaurs. He's pulled into it because his main financial backer wants an endorsement to his creations' authenticity: Grant is never 'the worm guy'; more 'the famous expert we need to tell people this is the real McCoy'. Malcolm (who is a mathematician and was involved as a consultant on the risk-factor calculations) comes much closer to the trope considering how Hammond dislikes him and his initial predictions of doom and gloom about how unstable the entire system is, until events prove him completely right.
** The book makes it clear, however, that Alan Grant is an experienced doctor of palaeontology and respected in his field, including an apparently well-received book for kids about Dinosaurs. He's pulled into it because his main financial backer wants an endorsement to his creations' authenticity: Grant is never 'the worm guy'; more 'the famous expert we need to tell people this is the real McCoy'. Malcolm (who is a mathematician and was involved as a consultant on the risk-factor calculations) comes much closer to the trope considering how Hammond dislikes him and his initial predictions of doom and gloom about how unstable the entire system is, until events prove him completely right.
* Norman Johnson in ''[[Sphere]]'', a psychologist carried off by the millitary to study aliens.
* Norman Johnson in ''[[Sphere]]'', a psychologist carried off by the millitary to study aliens.
** In fact, most of the characters in ''Sphere''.
** In fact, most of the characters in ''Sphere''.
** And also ''State of Fear''. Is it weird that this trope is repeated in so many [[Michael Crichton]] novels?
** And also ''State of Fear''. Is it weird that this trope is repeated in so many [[Michael Crichton]] novels?
** Throw in the historians of ''Timeline'', though in this case they were ripped from their research by the corporation that was funding it, to work on something related on ''why'' they were funding it.
** Throw in the historians of ''Timeline'', though in this case they were ripped from their research by the corporation that was funding it, to work on something related on ''why'' they were funding it.
** And EVERYONE in ''Next''... sigh...
** And EVERYONE in ''Next''... sigh...
* In ''[[Animorphs]]'', Marco's dad is working on a research project that leads him to discover Zero Space. A [[Wham! Episode]] results: {{spoiler|the Yeerks attempt to capture him to work for them, forcing Marco to reveal [[The Masquerade]] to his father and drag him into hiding to escape}}.
* In ''[[Animorphs]]'', Marco's dad is working on a research project that leads him to discover Zero Space. A [[Wham! Episode]] results: {{spoiler|the Yeerks attempt to capture him to work for them, forcing Marco to reveal [[The Masquerade]] to his father and drag him into hiding to escape}}.
* Robert Langdon in ''[[Angels and Demons]]'' is ([[Dan Browned|allegedly]]) an art historian example.
* Robert Langdon in ''[[Angels & Demons]]'' is ([[Dan Browned|allegedly]]) an art historian example.


== [[Live Action TV]] ==
== [[Live Action TV]] ==
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