History Main / IOwnThisTown

* Wilson Fisk, ComicBook/TheKingpin of Crime, remained the ruler of [[Creator/MarvelComics New York's]] criminal underground for a long time.

* In Franchise/TheDCU, ComicBook/LexLuthor was this in post-Crisis Metropolis before Franchise/{{Superman}} arrived. In that continuity, Luthor's animosity towards Superman started over the fact that the Kryptonian took away Luthor's status as the most powerful man in the city just by ''existing''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Mr. Burns has this position in Springfield, with the possible exception of the two part episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns" when he ''really'' went too far and made everyone hate him. Other times, the only important people he can't seem to bribe or blackmail are the nuclear power plant inspectors, much to his dismay. At one point Quimby ordered doctor Hibbert to give him all the vaccines available to him and his dogs (who are immune but might envy Burns if he is the only one to have it) since he is the only one paying the city's taxes.

* In the pilot for ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Lex Luthor tells Superman, "I own Metropolis. My technology built it, my will keeps it going, and nearly two-thirds of its people work for me whether they know it or not." Indeed, Lex continues to avoid paying for his crimes. It's not until the first season of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' that Superman finally takes him down.

* Crime boss John Marcone has his hooks deep into much of mundane Chicago in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', and as of ''White Night'' is '''legally''' the Baron of Chicago - its resident liege lord - under the supernatural world's Unseelie Accords.

* In ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'''s BadPresent, a filthy rich Biff Tannen has corrupted Hill Valley -- informally renamed Hell Valley -- and is its overlord. He even boasts about having the police in his pocket.
* In ''Film/Batman1989'', crime boss Carl Grissom has this position, Harvey Dent and Commissioner Gordon's vow to bring him down leads to the accident that transforms Jack Napier into the Joker (though another part of it is Grissom setting Jack up to be killed by corrupt cops on his payroll after learning that Jack is having an affair with his mistress Alicia); while this does lead to Grissom's death, the Joker and his actions make Gotham far worse.
* In ''Film/BatmanReturns'', [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Max Shreck]] has ''nearly'' complete control of Gotham, and his only obstacle to gaining ''complete'' control is the stubborn mayor who is backed up by that "trust fundy goody-goody" Bruce Wayne, a fellow millionaire with different ideas. This leads to him attempting to gain enough votes for a recall by causing the public to lose confidence in the city government and elect Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, as a [[PuppetKing puppet mayor.]] Unfortunately, [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter this turns out to be a very bad idea]] because the Penguin has his own agenda for Gotham.

* ''Series/TheLibrarians'': In "[[Recap/TheLibrariansS4E09AndATownCalledFeud And a Town Called Feud]]" Janet brought the eponymous DyingTown BackFromTheBrink with Civil War tourist attractions BasedOnAGreatBigLie. She [[ManOfTheCity seems genuinely dedicated to preserving the economy of her neighbors and community]] but is heavy-handed enough to brag "And this is ''my'' town" before having the Librarians arrested for snooping into her dirty secrets.

* ''Series/TwinPeaks'': Ben Horne owns two of the towns three major businesses, is obsessed with taking control of the third, and has criminal connections. Unlike many examples of this trope, however, he has no authority or control over the local police, and after the TimeSkip, has cleaned up his act in TheRevival.