History Main / Posse

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* The Italian western comic ''[[ComicBook/TexWiller Tex]]'' features one of the most epic uses of the trope, as the posse gathered at the end of the story arc ''Navajo Blood'' is composed by Tex, his pards and ''over one hundred pissed Navajos'', who showed up to make sure the {{Corrupt Hick}}s who murdered four Navajo boys ForTheEvulz are arrested and unable to bribe their way out of trouble ''again''. The posse is so formidable that the {{Mook}}s of the villains run away after being told of it, and the villains end up killing each other as they fight over the only available horse to run away.

[[folder: Film ]]

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''. After discovering the town's water supply has been stolen, Rango decides (with some prompting from the mayor) it's time to "[[{{Malaproper}} farm opossum]]" and ride out. Then the posse [[FailedAttemptAtDrama is forced to sheepishly ride back in to town]] when Rango realizes he has no idea where they're supposed to be going.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* In ''Literature/StarWarsKenobi'', the group of settlers who participate in the Settlers' Call refer to themselves as a posse, and there isn't a legal authority in rural Tatooine to contest the designation. Settlers who buy in to the Call have a loudspeaker mounted on their property in case of a raid by the Sand People; when it's activated, it broadcasts a krayt dragon roar to scare the Tuskens off, then transitions into a siren (and also a radio transmission) that calls the posse to the location, ready to drive the Tuskens away or hunt them down in retaliation.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. In "The Circle", Constable Odo deputizes petty crook and gambler Quark because he needs the Ferengi's underworld contacts to gather information on who's supplying weapons for an coming CivilWar. Quark finds this ActuallyPrettyFunny until Odo points out the alternative--he locks up Quark for obstruction at a time when Quark might need to get off the space station in a hurry. Despite the SpaceWestern themes of [=DS9=] however, Odo never goes as far as forming a posse of civilians, relying instead on Starfleet personnel or Bajoran security deputies to back him up when needed.

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. In "The Circle", Constable Odo deputizes petty crook and gambler Quark because he needs the Ferengi's underworld contacts to gather information on who's supplying weapons for a coming CivilWar. Quark finds this ActuallyPrettyFunny until Odo points out the alternative--he locks up Quark for obstruction at a time when Quark might need to get off the space station in a hurry. Despite the SpaceWestern themes of [=DS9=] however, Odo never goes as far as forming a posse of civilians, relying instead on Starfleet personnel or Bajoran security deputies to back him up when needed.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. In "The Circle", Constable Odo deputizes petty crook and gambler Quark because he needs the Ferengi's underworld contacts to gather information on who's supplying weapons for a coming CivilWar. Quark finds this ActuallyPrettyFunny until Odo points out the alternative--he locks up Quark for obstruction at a time when Quark might need to get off the space station in a hurry. Despite the SpaceWestern themes of DS9 however, Odo never goes as far as forming a posse of civilians, relying instead on his own Bajoran deputies to back him up.

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Note that if it is not legally convened by a sheriff or marshal, the group of men is ''not'' a "posse", even if they call themselves that. They're just a mob or gang.

* ''Film/{{Posse}}'' was a 1993 movie by Mario Van Peebles that has a gang formed up of black Civil War veterans returning home to right wrongs. Unfortunately, they can't be a legal posse as TheSheriff is one of the [[CorruptHick bad guys]].

* ''Film/{{Posse}}'' was a 1993 movie by Mario Van Peebles that has a gang formed up of black Civil War veterans returning home to right wrongs. Unfortunately, they can't be a legal posse as TheSheriff is one of the [[CorruptHick bad guys]].
* Subverted in the Gary Cooper film, ''Film/HighNoon''--Marshal Kane tries to gather a posse to take down {{revenge}}-seeking {{outlaw}} Frank Miller, but he's forced to fight alone when none of the eligible townsfolk will help him. Some refuse to join him out of cowardice, others because they sympathize with Miller. The only people who would be willing to help him are an one-eyed old drunk and a 14-year-old boy; Kane sends them away, as they'd be more of a hindrance.

* In ''Film/YoungGuns'', loosely based on the RealLife adventures of Billy the Kid, Billy and the other "Regulators" are deputized as a posse through political influence, but quickly lose that status when they abuse their power. The sequel, ''Film/YoungGunsII'', has a legitimate posse formed by Sheriff Pat Garrett to pursue Billy's gang.

* ''Film/CanyonPassage'': Although not a legal posse, as Jacksonville has no sheriff, Logan organizes a body of 60 men to ride out and fight the Indian war party.
* In ''Film/KnifeForTheLadies'', Jarrod organises a posse after Nina's murder to go after Ramon. However, Hooker and his men get there first.

* In ''Film/GoWestYoungLady'', Tex's first act on becoming sheriff is to form a posse to hunt for Killer Pete's hideout; without success. After the hideout is uncovered, Tex organizes a larger posse to take on the gang, not realizing he is riding into an ambush.
* ''Film/TheRawhideTerror'': The sheriff organizes multiple posses in an attempt to catch the Rawhide Killer; all of which fail because he is too adept at hiding his tracks. Only the last one, where they catch him in the act, succeeds.

* ''Literature/TheOxBowIncident'' by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, a book later turned into a movie, has a posse illegally drafted by a deputy sheriff. By the end, the sheriff forms a genuine posse.

* In ''GoWestYoungLady'', Tex's first act on becoming sheriff is to form a posse to hunt for Killer Pete's hideout; without success. After the hideout is uncovered, Tex organizes a larger posse to take on the gang, not realizing he is riding into an ambush.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''. After discovering the town's water supply has been stolen, Rango decides (with some prompting from the mayor) it's time to "[[{{Malaproper}} farm a possum]]" and ride out. Then the posse [[FailedAttemptAtDrama is forced to sheepishly ride back in to town]] when Rango realizes he has no idea where they're supposed to be going.

* The song "[[http://m.kovideo.net/l/b/Burl-Ives/One-Hour-Ahead-Of-The-Posse.html One Hour Ahead of the Posse]]" by Burl Ives, which told the story of a murderer trying to reach the Rio Grande river and sanctuary in Mexico.

* In ''Film/KnifeForTheLaies'', Jarrod organises a posse after Nina's murder to go after Ramon. However, Hooker and his men get there first.

The word comes from the Latin phrase "''posse comitatus''", roughly "to have the right to an armed retinue." In the old days, it would sometimes be necessary for a sheriff to get a lot of manpower very quickly to deal with a crisis. To this end, he could essentially draft any man handy (with certain restrictions) into a posse to handle the situation. The process will often include the line "I hereby deputise you".

* Subverted in the Gary Cooper film, ''Film/HighNoon'' - Marshal Kane tries to gather a posse to take down {{revenge}}-seeking {{outlaw}} Frank Miller, but he's forced to fight alone when none of the eligible townsfolk will help him. Some refuse to join him out of cowardice, others because they sympathize with Miller. The only people who would be willing to help him are an one-eyed old drunk and a 14-year-old boy; Kane sends them away, as they'd be more of a hindrance.

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