History Main / AscendedFanBoy

* ''Fanfic/OniGaShikuSeries'': Naomasa Tsukauchi became a police officer and joined Division Four because he is a HUGE fan of the legendary Division Four dedtective Makoto Date. When he meets his idol in person he - a thirty one year old man - [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee actually squees]]... for several minutes.Fittingly, following Date's example of ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight gets him kicked out of said Division, exactly like Date himself.

* ''Fanfic/OniGaSkijuSeries'': Naomasa Tsukauchi became a police officer and joined Division Four because he is a HUGE fan of the legendary Division Four dedtective Makoto Date. When he meets his idol in person he - a thirty one year old man - [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee actually squees]]... for several minutes.Fittingly, following Date's example of ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight gets him kicked out of said Division, exactly like Date himself.

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Kamala Khan]] was already a fangirl of the fanfic writing, squeeing and obsessing variety before she got exposed to the [[MassEmpoweringEvent Terrigen Mists]] and gained powers. She also decided to [[LegacyCharacter take the superhero name]] (and at first costume and form) of her favorite superheroine.

** In ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'',
*** In [[Film/AntMan1 his own movie]], ComicBook/AntMan admitted to being a big fan of [[Characters/CaptainAmericaHeroes The Falcon]] and the Avengers before his and Falcon's brief skirmish (which Scott won), and found out at the end of the film in a SequelHook that Falcon was seeking him out to recruit his help. ''Civil War'' follows up on this, with Scott being recruited to fight alongside his heroes on Captain America's Anti-Accords side during the big airport battle.
*** On a similar note, ComicBook/SpiderMan is an Avengers fanboy who is recruited by Tony Stark for the aforementioned airport fight, in his case on Iron Man's Pro-Accords side.
*** Falcon himself is one. When Steve and Nat are on the run from a [[spoiler: HYDRA-infiltrated SHIELD]], he unhesitatingly offers to shelter them, and then later offers his help when the two Avengers decide to strike back. When Steve initially refuses out of not wanting to bring a retired veteran now living in peace back into deadly action, Sam shuts down any protest with this line.

** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' follows up on that point, with Peter trying to join the Avengers proper.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ascended_fanboy_2.png]]]]

* In the ''Anime/MonsterRancher'' anime, the games exist in the show's version of Earth. Main character Genki is a big fan of the games, and when he gets a mysterious CD in the mail, he inserts it into his brand X, UsefulNotes/PlayStation-like game console (a reference to the actual game in which you put in various [=CDs=] to acquire the game's various {{mon}}s), and the next thing he knows he ends up in the world of Monster Rancher where he travels with a girl named Holly and her assistant Suezo (one of the game's monsters) fighting baddies, and finding mystery discs that contain various monsters.

* In the ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'' UsefulNotes/PlayStation game, Seiichirou Shiba is a huge fan of Hayato as a young boy and he watches him win the 10th GP finals and the championship. Years later he becomes a racer, joins the secondary team of Hayato's team and competes in a race with him.

* Before getting hired at Black Arts, ''Literature/{{You}}'''s Matt had devoured just about everything related to their games. Nowadays he's a member of the production team and the company's unofficial lorekeeper.

* In ''Earthweb'' by Marc Stiegler, Earth Defense [[http://www.webscription.net/10.1125/Baen/067157809X/067157809X___2.htm sponsors]] an arcade game simulating the fight against the planet-bombing Shivas to find new minds fit to lead the real thing.

* R. J. Rummel's ''Never Again'' series of novels features a rather dark version of this trope. The main character, John Banks (who is an obvious [[AuthorAvatar stand-in]] for Rummel) is a professor of twentieth-century history who gets selected as one of two people to travel to the early part of that century. The dark twist is that Banks studies wars and crimes against humanity, and volunteered to go back in time in order to [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong prevent those events from happening]].

** [[BigBad All For One]] grew up reading comic books and manga, but unlike his brother, who admired the heroes, he admired the villains, and hated how the heroes would always win. When he gained his powers, he became a supervillain, modeling himself after the villains of his favorite stories and declaring he would create a world where the villains win.

** Masira and Shojo are huge fans of the story ''Noland the Liar'', a fable where an explorer was convicted of lying about finding a city of gold. When they heard that Noland's descendant Mont Blanc Cricket was searching for proof the city of gold existed, they immediately appointed themselves Cricket's helpers, using their own pirate crews to search the ocean, because Noland claimed the city probably sunk under the sea. [[spoiler: After Luffy proves that the city of gold ended up in the sky, they all decide to search for another myth.]]

** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': The first Spider-Man, Peter Parker, was a fan of both ComicBook/TheUltimates and most genius people (including in-universe genius, like Tony Stark and Charles Xavier). [[Characters/UltimateSpiderManMilesMorales Miles Morales]], the second Spider-Man, is the reverse: he was raised by a superhero-hating father and never paid much attention to heroes and villains. Then when he gets his powers, he gives himself a crash course in the superhero world and retroactively becomes a fan of Peter Parker [[spoiler:and vows to honor Peter's memory as the second Spider-Man]].

** ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}'': The audience is introduced to [[Characters/HawkeyeKateBishop Kate Bishop]] via flashback to the finale battle of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', showing how [[Characters/HawkeyeClintBarton Clint Barton]] saved her life which inspires her to herself train at archery. During the events of the series she not only meets her idol Hawkeye but also gets the chance to join him on a mission and becoming his crimefighting partner.
** ''Series/{{Ms Marvel|2022}}'': Similarly to her comic book portrayal, [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Kamala Khan]] is absolutely bananas over the Avengers: writing fanfics, creating [=YouTube=] videos, cosplaying as her idol, [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]], and daydreaming of becoming a superhero. Then she gets powers and becomes a superhero for real, finding out in the process that it's a lot harder than she imagined.

** Future ComicBook/WonderGirl Cassie Sandsmark was introduced in the pages of ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' as a member of the local Wonder Woman fan-club. She later went on to help found ComicBook/YoungJustice with several other superhero fans turned teen heroes, including [[ComicBook/Robin1993 Tim Drake]] and [[ComicBook/{{Impulse}} Bart Allen]].

* The ''Manga/DeathNote'' fanfic, ''Fanfic/StoryOfTheCentury'' could be looked at as a {{subver|tedTrope}}sion and {{deconstruct|edTrope}}tion of this trope. [[OriginalCharacter OC]] and FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator, Erin, is an [[NaiveNewcomer amateur journalist]] with a fondness for stories and movies, particularly of the thriller variety, who is studying abroad and looking for a story that will cement her reputation or lack thereof. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor She gets her wish…by getting dragged into the Kira case against her will]] by [[AntiHero L]] [[ManipulativeBastard himself]] after [[HeKnowsTooMuch she sees things that would threaten the confidentiality L is trying to maintain for the investigation if she told anyone.]] She watches the rest of the case unravel, and when not bombarded by the shock that accompanies each turn and twist in the plot [[WhatTheHellHero (particularly the actions that other characters [mostly L] take)]], or frustrated with her inability to stop the madness, [[UnwittingPawn whatever contributions she does make,]] [[TheFarmerAndTheViper she ends up regretting.]] [[DownerEnding By the end of the story,]] she is seen [[BreakTheCutie struggling with what sounds like PTSD, unable and unwilling to share the story of L’s and Kira’s battle with anyone]]. [[spoiler: Although [[MostWritersAreWriters she does end up]] [[IShouldWriteABookAboutThis keeping a secret journal in which she spills everything, presumably for the purpose of working out her issues in private.]] Not long after finishing, she burns the notebook, with no one any wiser. Later, she and Matsuda (and by extension, the surviving members of the task force) find each other again online after a period of separation.]]

* Detective Kate Beckett in ''Series/{{Castle}}'' is a (closet) fan of the mystery novels of Richard Castle, who as a result of their 'partnership' has found herself the basis for Detective Nikki Heat, the protagonist of his latest novels. By later seasons, Beckett is his girlfriend, so she has definitely taken it to the next level.

* In ''Fanfic/CindersAndAshesTheChroniclesOfKamenRiderDante'', Hoshi and Tachibana are both fans of Kamen Rider and have worked on a fanfic and comic (respectively) featuring the eponymous rider. Tachibana gets this two-fold by Hoshi endorsing his comic as a successor to his fanfic and by being recruited by the government to write for Dante's entry in the Elimination Chamber Festival. Hoshi has a more direct experience with this trope by outright ''becoming'' Dante, though it soon comes with [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome the cold reality that]] he's to fight as Dante.

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'':
** In one of the earliest examples, [[Characters/TheFlashBarryAllen Barry Allen]] was a big fan of the Flash from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks. One bolt of lightning later, you have an Ascended Fanboy, and UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks is born.
** As was [[Characters/TheFlashWallyWest Wally West]], who dreamed of being like the Flash as a kid (helped along by a visit from his time-travelling future self). Then, in a repetition of the accident which gave Barry Allen his powers whilst visiting his lab, Wally became Kid Flash, Barry's protege and eventual successor.
** The first Reverse-Flash is retconned to be one of these GoneHorriblyWrong. Eobard Thawne was a fan of Barry Allen from the future who found ways to replicate his powers, costume, and appearance all with the intention of coming back to the past to run alongside Barry. It only goes wrong when he arrives after Barry's death and Wally has already taken over the role. Addled from time travel and the discovery that he will one day become Professor Zoom, he briefly deludes himself into thinking he is Barry and fools everyone else in the process.
* The graphic artist and Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner.
* To a certain extent, Ragged Robin in Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/TheInvisibles'', who essentially writes herself into the story using fan fiction. King Mob also comments on how he now gets to live the crazy science fiction/espionage adventures he always dreamed of as a kid. Considering it's no secret that King Mob is just a cooler version of Morrison...
* Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}} seems to attract ascended fans, despite his ''constant'' efforts to keep "amateurs" out of "his "town. Many of his fellow Bat-Family crimefighters were not actively recruited or trained by him. Rather, they became involved on their own and were absorbed into the larger Bat-Family afterwards.

* Future ComicBook/WonderGirl Cassie Sandsmark was introduced in the pages of ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' as a member of the local Wonder Woman fan-club. She later went on to help found ComicBook/YoungJustice with several other superhero fans turned teen heroes, including [[ComicBook/Robin1993 Tim Drake]] and [[ComicBook/{{Impulse}} Bart Allen]].
* ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth'': Peony [=McGill=] was a huge Wonder Woman fan before starting out as a hero herself as Star Blossom. She giddily tells the hero that she has a Wonder Woman action figure when they meet.
* All the ComicBook/YoungAvengers save for Miss America, but particularly Hulkling and Wiccan. Some are also {{Legacy Character}}s.
* Victor Mancha in ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' was a huge superhero fan. It took the main cast storming his high school field to make him realize he actually had powers of his own. Subverted as he was [[spoiler:programmed]] to be like that.
* Prime of ''ComicBook/UltraForce'' was a superhero fan who actually became a superhero.
* Eddie Bloomberg was a fanboy of ComicBook/BlueDevil for most of that series, and even went as far as to create his own power suit so he could be Blue Devil's sidekick, Kid Devil. Eddie officially ascended years later when he was turned into a real devil and joined the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''.
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** [[Characters/SupermanSuperboyPrime Superboy-Prime]] is an odd example: a kid named Clark Kent who grew up reading DC Comics in the real world-like universe known as Earth-Prime, turned out to have powers just like Superman (he was actually Supes's AlternateUniverse doppelgänger the whole time), gets caught up in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' in what must have seemed like a SelfInsertFic from his perspective, watches his universe die, goes insane, and turns into one of the most dangerous supervillains in ''Franchise/TheDCU''.
** ''ComicBook/SupermanSecretIdentity'' is based on much the same premise, but goes in a very different direction and plays with ThisIsReality for all it's worth.
* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'':
** Altar Boy starts off as a small-town child who wishes to make his name as a KidSidekick.
** American Chibi is an ascended fangirl. She squees whenever Samaritan compliments her on a job well done, and is absolutely over the moon when he makes her a member of Honor Guard.
** Wolfspider is a downplayed example -- while he grew up watching and admiring Honor Guard, he's ''really'' excited to join his childhood cartoon heroes "Queenslaw".
* Rodney Rabbit was a writer and artist for his Earth's DC Comics, particularly its top-selling superhero team title "''Just'a Lotta Animals''". After events are set into motion by visitors Superman and villain Starro the Conqueror, Rodney himself becomes a superhero and forms his own superhero team, the [[ComicBook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew Zoo Crew]].

* Justice (formerly Marvel Boy) from the ComicBook/NewWarriors and later ComicBook/TheAvengers. In fact, most of his tenure with the Avengers either consisted of him fanboying over getting to work with A-listers like ComicBook/CaptainAmerica or [[HeroicSelfDeprecation berating himself over not measuring up to his childhood idols]].
* Izzy Sinclair is a sci-fi geekette turned ''Series/DoctorWho'' companion in the ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' comic strip. Destrii, her successor, is an alien who fangirls Earth sci-fi and westerns.
* ''ComicBook/CaptainBritainAndMI13'': Faiza Hussain is a superhero fangirl who gets zapped with Skrull AppliedPhlebotinum during the ComicBook/SecretInvasion arc and gets superpowers.
* The ComicBook/BlackWidow comic book prequel to ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' had Natasha being stalked by a crazed fan who wanted to kill her and [[LegacyCharacter take the Black Widow identity for herself]].
* Dan Dreiberg of ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', a longtime supporter of the masked hero Nite Owl who, with the permission of the original, takes up the name and mantle when his hero retires.
* To an extent, almost everyone in ComicBook/SpiderGirl's [[ComicBook/MarvelComics2 universe]], including Mayday herself. Most of them aren't obsessive but they do tend to fangirl/boy their heroes/teams of choice.
* Evil Version: Parker Robbins was a fan of Supervillains who later ended up becoming Characters/TheHood, one of the {{Big Bad}}s of the Marvel Universe.
* [[Characters/TheUnbeatableSquirrelGirl Squirrel Girl]] was an Avengers fan rejected for having the useless power of controlling squirrels. Then she ends up saving Iron Man and defeating Doctor Doom. That would be ascended enough, but then she goes on and beats Thanos, Terrax, Deadpool, Mandarin, and others. She's not only ascended but made her way to the very top of the Marvel universe. She eventually got to (sort of) join the ComicBook/NewAvengers as a nanny for Characters/LukeCage and Characters/JessicaJones' daughter. She later becomes a full-fledged member of the New Avengers during ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel.
* Ironfist in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers'' was a major fanboy of the Wreckers team, writing extensively about them under the name "Fisitron". Then he got to join them for their mission to Garrus-9. This did not go well.
* One of the primary plot points of the series ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' was the [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] Everyman Project, which could artificially grant superpowers to normal people. This led to countless citizens gaining superpowers and creating their own hero identities (including, in one SplashPanel that included over a dozen of these new heroes, the superhero ''[[BestKnownForTheFanservice Poledancer]]''). Eventually, Luthor creates his own super-team populated by these heroes with Eliza Harmon, who idolized the ComicBook/TeenTitans and all things [[Franchise/TheFlash speed]]. When she became Trajectory and a member of Luthor's new ComicBook/InfinityInc she never stopped hoping to eventually join the Titans and dreamed of eventually becoming the [[LegacyCharacter new]] Kid Flash. Two pages [[SacrificialLamb later]]....
* Prior to becoming ComicBook/{{Static}}, Virgil Hawkins was a massive comic book fanboy and thus ends up being pretty GenreSavvy once he becomes a costumed hero. Aside from comic books, it's mentioned that he's a big fan of Franchise/{{Pokemon}} as well. "What can I say? I identify with Pikachu."

* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel:

* In ''ComicBook/NewWarriors'', Hindsight Lad managed to track down the Warriors' secret HQ and blackmailed his way onto the team with his knowledge of several of their secret identities. He later earned a legitimate place on the team with his fact-finding skills. Much later, he betrayed [[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 the surviving Warriors]] by secretly leaking several of their identities to an already enraged public, out of a sense of betrayal. This led to one former Warrior being beaten and hospitalized by an angry mob. (Why ''he'' felt betrayed or why he'd take such a drastic step to "get even" [[WriterOnBoard is never explained adequately.]] Or explained at all, for that matter.)
* ''ComicBook/KickAss'', who is a massive comic book geek. So is Red Mist, [[spoiler:even though he wants to be the villain]]. Also, [[spoiler:Big Daddy; he financed his vigilantism by selling classic comic books like [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Amazing Fantasy #15]]]]...
* ComicBook/MsMarvel2014: Kamala Khan was already a fangirl of the fanfic writing, squeeing and obsessing variety before she got exposed to the [[MassEmpoweringEvent Terrigen Mists]] and gained powers. She also decided to [[LegacyCharacter take the superhero name]] (and at first costume and form) of her favorite superheroine.
** In ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|2015}}'', [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Captain Marvel]]'s former TagAlongKid Kit is now grown up and a member of the Thor Corps. Kit sums it up by saying she used to idolize Captain Marvel as a child, and now has the power to fly and fight alongside her.
* Blaze from ''ComicBook/JemAndTheHologramsIDW'' is a huge fan of The Misfits. When their lead singer Pizzaz hurts her larynx, the band does auditions for a temporary replacement. Blaze is the one chosen and [[spoiler:later becomes the fourth member of the band]].
* Teddy of ''ComicBook/{{Plutona}}'' is a capespotter, tracking the sightings and actions of superheroes as a hobby. On finding the body of the strongest hero he decides to steal her powers and become a new hero himself.
* Empowered, of the [[ComicBook/{{Empowered}} eponymous comic book]], was apparently enough of a fan of "capes" to major in studying them at college, despite the crappy job prospects. She also wears "Capitan Rivet" underwear in some panels.
* Duncan of ''ComicBook/SullivansSluggers'' considered Casey and his team his childhood heroes. By the time the comic starts, he's one of them.

* In ''Fanfic/AHeroForged'', Franchise/IronMan is just a fictional character, Luz having been introduced to the comics at a young age and has seen [[Film/IronManFilms the film adaptations]]. Within a week on the Boiling Isles, Luz manages to create her first fully-functional {{Powered Armor}}, an AI to run it and a new, alternative power-source to run it, essentially making her her own universe's answer to an Iron Man-esq hero like ComicBook/{{Ironheart}}.

** Grant Gordon in "The Return of Doctor Mysterio". A huge fan of comic books, he accidentally ingests a wish-granting gemstone, given to him by the Doctor. Fast-forward 24 years, Grant is a genuine superhero called the Ghost with Franchise/{{Superman}}-like powers.

* The Comicbook/BlackWidow comic book prequel to ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' had Natasha being stalked by a crazed fan who wanted to kill her and [[LegacyCharacter take the Black Widow identity for herself]].

* [[Characters/TheUnbeatableSquirrelGirl Squirrel Girl]] was an Avengers fan rejected for having the useless power of controlling squirrels. Then she ends up saving Iron Man and defeating Doctor Doom. That would be ascended enough, but then she goes on and beats Thanos, Terrax, Deadpool, Mandarin, and others. She's not only ascended but made her way to the very top of the Marvel universe. She eventually got to (sort of) join the Comicbook/NewAvengers as a nanny for Characters/LukeCage and Characters/JessicaJones' daughter. She later becomes a full-fledged member of the New Avengers during ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel.

*** On a similar note, Franchise/SpiderMan is an Avengers fanboy who is recruited by Tony Stark for the aforementioned airport fight, in his case on Iron Man's Pro-Accords side.

** ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}'': The audience is introduced to Kate Bishop via flashback to the finale battle of ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', showing how [[ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}} Clint Barton]] saved her life which inspires her to herself train at archery. During the events of the series she not only meets her idol Hawkeye but also gets the chance to join him on a mission and becoming his crimefighting partner.
** ''Series/{{Ms Marvel|2022}}'': Similarly to her comic book portrayal, Kamala Khan is absolutely bananas over the Avengers: writing fanfics, creating [=YouTube=] videos, cosplaying as her idol, Captain Marvel, and daydreaming of becoming a superhero. Then she gets powers and becomes a superhero for real, finding out in the process that it's a lot harder than she imagined.

For those lucky few, they receive the CallToAdventure, and ask: "[[JumpedAtTheCall How high?]]" Naturally, it is [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor never so easy or glamorous as they thought it would be]], but they've got the right stuff, and a whole lot of BeginnersLuck to last them until it comes out. As a side effect, they're usually GenreSavvy, sometimes to the point of excess. Of course you know, he could be [[WrongGenreSavvy wrong]].

* In the ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' story arc "Confessional", the future Altar Boy moves to Astro City with the intention of becoming a sidekick, working in a superhero bar and a private club for heroes as part of his goal. It eventually works for him. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when he gets attacked at the superhero club by a villain and defeats him in front of all the heroes. The other busboys then gang up on him, because they're ''all'' hoping to impress the heroes and become a sidekick, and he hadn't been working there as long as them.

** In her episode debut, [[StatuesqueStunner Makoto Kino]] beats up the MonsterOfThWeek while declaring that she's a huge Sailor Moon fan. Soon enough, she transforms into [[ShockAndAwe Sailor Jupiter]] and becomes a lifelong friend to the Pretty Soldier herself.

* Usagi in ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' is a subversion. She was a fan of ''Manga/CodenameSailorV'' for much of the early story, but being given her own superpowers doesn't stop her from [[IJustWantToBeNormal just wanting to be normal.]] It comes across as particularly weird how she still acts like a standard-issue FanGirl in spite of this.