History Main / FakeIdentityBaggage

* ''Literature/TheIllustratedStarWarsUniverse'': In the Tatooine chapter, [[InvisibleIntrovert Senior Anthropologist Hoole]] uses his shapeshifting and mind-fogging powers to fit in at Jabba's palace. Unfortunately, this actually subjects him to even more suspicion, as the palace is a DecadentCourt in which everyone is trying to overthrow Jabba and backstab anyone who might be in the way, so Hoole is assumed to be another schemer, and is left struggling to avoid the spotlight as the rest of Jabba's entourage try to work out what his agenda is. Worse still, Jabba is immune to Hoole's mind-fogging, which only makes the visit even more dangerous. In the end, Hoole is forced to leave the palace in the company of a Jawa clan before things get any worse.

* ''Literature/TheIllustratedStarWarsUniverse'': In the Tatooine chapter, [[InvisibleIntrovert Senior Anthropologist Hoole]] uses his shapeshifting and mind-fogging powers to fit in at Jabba's palace. Unfortunately, this actually subjects him to even more suspicion than turning up in his ShapeshifterDefaultForm, as the palace is a DecadentCourt in which everyone is trying to overthrow Jabba and backstab anyone who might be in the way, so Hoole is left struggling to avoid the spotlight as the schemers try to work out what his agenda is. Worse still, Jabba is immune to Hoole's mind-fogging, which only makes the visit even more dangerous. In the end, Hoole is forced to leave the palace in the company of a Jawa clan before things get any worse.

* ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone|1959}}'': This results in the KarmicTwistEnding of "The Four of Us Are Dying". Petty criminal Arch Hammer has the ability to change his face, which he uses to [[ShapeshiftingSeducer trick a trumpet player's grieving girlfriend]] and extort a gangster for money. However, after shapeshifting into boxer Andy Marshak [[HeWentThatWay to hide from mobsters]], he runs into Marshak's father, who has a bone to pick with his wayward son. The next time Hammer takes Marshak's face, he finds that this time his father has a gun.

This is a rather [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome realistic outcome]] when it comes to identity theft. As they say, "no man is an island" so it isn't surprising that a person being impersonated might have people in their lives that could cause complications for the imposter.

* In ''Literature/NightWatchDiscworld'', when Vimes [[YouWillBeBeethoven has to take Sergeant Keel's place in history]], he's pretty confident, since he ''does''know a bit about Keel thanks to living through these events the first time, and he's taking on the identity from the moment Keel arrived at the Treacle Mine Road Watch House. What Constable Vimes ''didn't'' learn the first time, though, is that one of the other watchmen ''already'' knew keel.

* ''Film/TheCourtJester'': Hubert Hawkins impersonates the jester Giacomo in order to gain access to the king's chambers. It turns out that Giacomo was actually an assassin hired by the king's minister, who assumes that Hawkins is in on his schemes.
* ''Film/DateNight'': Phil and Claire steal another couple's dinner reservation at a fancy restaurant. Unfortunately for them, the couple they pose as are involved in a blackmail plot against a local politician which puts Phil and Claire in the crosshairs of two crooked cops working for the blackmailer.

* ''Film/{{Sommersby}}'': Creator/RichardGere plays a man who adopts the identity of a soldier who died in UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar. It turns out that the dead man had committed a murder before he died, and Gere's character will have to admit his real identity or stand trial for murder in the dead man's place.

* ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'': "Han Solo" is reimagined as a serial identity thief who murders the real Han (read: Greedo) in cold blood before stealing his ship. Han's outstanding gambling debt gets him in trouble with Jabba the Hutt. The fact that the original Han was a shapeshifter also draws the attention of Boba Fett (also a shapeshifter in this continuity) who wants to replace his damaged [[BizarreAlienBiology splanch]] with Han's. He doesn't seem to have learned his lesson in the 30-year time gap between trilogies, as no less than three separate parties are after him due to the misdeeds of the men whose identities he has taken on.

-->'''Elmer:''' I may be a screwy wabbit, but at least I'm not going to Alcatwaz.

* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'': Elizabeth Swann lies to Captain Barbossa about her identity, not wanting to reveal to him that the woman he's holding prisoner is actually the daughter of the Governor of Port Royal. Unfortunately, the name she chooses happens to belong to a former crewmate of Barbossa's, whose blood he needs to lift the curse on him and his crew, leading Barbossa to mistakenly believe he can use Elizabeth to break the curse.

* ''Film/FromNoonTillThree''. This is what stops Graham Dorsey from getting away. He rubs a traveling dentist of his clothes, horse and wagon. The dentist dresses in the clothes left behind and gets shot dead by a posse looking for Graham, while Graham gets locked up for malpractice committed by the dentist.

** In "Most Likely To...", John Reese infiltrates a ClassReunion and keeps getting his faced slapped by attractive women. Turns out the man whose identity he stole was quite TheCasanova in his high school days.

A character impersonates somebody or creates a false one to gain something out of the stolen or created identity (money, fame, love, freedom, etc.). Unfortunately, they hit a bit of a snag when the person they impersonate has some baggage that derails the imposter. This includes the impersonated person owing some dangerous people money, having a family the imposter didn't know about or the impersonated being a target for assassination. In the case of the identity being created by the impostor, they could end up attracting some people who want the fake identity to provide a service or object the imposter cannot, or the created identity could be the type of person a dangerous individual may dislike (i.e. pretending to be an assassin could incur the wrath of a person who hates assassins). This may or may not result in the imposter's ruse being exposed.

* ''ComicBook/CaptainMarvelMarvelComics'': When Mar-Vell first arrived on Earth as part of his investigation mission [[note]] he was part of a team sent by the Kree to Earth to learn more about the planet that had somehow defeated [[TheJuggernaut a Kree Sentry]] as well as Ronan the Accuser[[/note]], he discovered a crashed plane and the dead body of rocket scientist Walter Lawson. When Mar-Vell noticed his own resemblance to the deceased man and the fact he was en route to a military base that was one of the targets of their mission, Mar-Vell assumed Lawson's identity. He was able to use his own advanced knowledge of technology to aid in his deception (noting that compared to Kree technology, the tech Lawson was working on barely rated as advanced for Kree ''children''). However, what Mar-Vell couldn't have known was that Walter Lawson was also involved with some very shady people, and was naturally caught off-guard when they came calling to demand "Lawson" complete his contract.

* ''Film/MrNobody'': Shows a timeline in which Nemo is driven to make life choices with the [[HeadsOrTails flip of a coin]] after feeling [[LonelyAtTheTop dissatisfied with his rich life]]. He ends up at an airport where a man at the reception is waiting for "Daniel Jones" and Nemo decides to pretend to be him. He's taken to a fancy hotel, but while taking a bath it turns out that whoever Daniel Jones was, he was headed for a trap, and thus Nemo gets assassinated in his place.

* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'':
** "The Ice Man Job": The team plans to take down a diamond merchant who has framed their client for theft. This involves Hardison posing as a diamond thief nicknamed "The Ice Man". Unfortunately, the plan hits a snag when the Russian crooks working for the merchant kidnap Hardison in order to make him steal diamonds from their boss after he screws them out of a payment deal.

** "The Future Job": The Mark in this episode is a PhonyPsychic named Dalton Rand whom the team is trying to expose as a fraud. However, their plan hits a snag when Dalton is abducted by an ex-con named Nikolaus Kusen who wants Rand to use his "psychic powers" to find stolen money that was hidden by Kusen's partner. However, the Leverage team is able to use this to their advantage by having a terrified Rand reveal his fraudulence to Kusen in an EngineeredPublicConfession.

** "The Future Job": TheMark in this episode is a PhonyPsychic named Dalton Rand whom the team is trying to expose as a fraud. However, their plan hits a snag when Dalton is abducted by an ex-con named Nikolaus Kusen who wants Rand to use his "psychic powers" to find stolen money that was hidden by Kusen's partner. However, the Leverage team is able to use this to their advantage by having a terrified Rand reveal his fraudulence to Kusen in an EngineeredPublicConfession.

** ''ComicBook/XMen'': [[EvilDoppelganger Dark Beast]] abducts and impersonates his heroic counterpart Henry [=McCoy=]. However, this task is made much more difficult due to him lacking Henry's [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist vast scientific expertise]], requiring him to bluff his way through some of the questions he was asked.

** ''Series/LeverageRedemption'': This trope is invoked and played straight in "The Mastermind Job". A man named Milton writes a book based on the Leverage Team's accomplishments and casts himself as Nate Ford, taking credit for his role as the mastermind. The Leverage Team tries to convince him not to publish it by making him think he is being targeted by some of the people they took down. Unfortunately, Milton's false claims have drawn the attention of a man who wants him to steal a scarab from his ex-wife, a feat Milton is incapable of performing. Thus, the team's goal changes to saving Milton's life.

A character impersonates somebody or creates a false one to gain something out of the stolen or created identity (money, fame, love, freedom, etc.). Unfortunately, they hit a bit of a snag when the person they impersonate has some baggage that derails the imposter. This includes the impersonated person owing some dangerous people money, having a family the imposter didn't know about or the impersonated being a target for assassination. In the case of the identity being created by the impostor, they could end up attracting some people who want the fake identity to provide a service or object the imposter cannot, or the created identity could be a the type of person a dangerous individual may dislike (i.e. pretending to be an assassin could incur the wrath of a person who hates assassins). This may or may not result in the imposter's ruse being exposed.

** In "The Lois Quagmire", Peter, Brian and the kids order a pizza while Lois is way. While they're eating the pizza, the delivery guy dies while using their bathroom. Since Lois had forbidden them from ordering a pizza, the five have to get rid of the body, but find themselves having to make the remaining pizza deliveries so no one learns of his death. This results in Meg having to impersonate the pizza guy by inserting herself into his clothes while he is still wearing them and manipulating his corpse like a puppet. Unfortunately, some of the deliveries they make come with some unpleasant experiences such as standing in a police lineup and delivering a pizza to a place guarded by vicious dogs.

-->'''Chris:''' Meg, though you cannot tell, I am ''frowning''.