Line #66 Main/TheHandler


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7	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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9	->''"I'm your handler now. That makes me your mother, your father, your best friend, and your therapist."''
10	-->-- '''Varrick''', ''Film/{{Kate}}''
11
12	A character type in SpyFiction and Action Thrillers, particularly in those which lean in the GovernmentConspiracy direction and/or those with [[HiredGuns assassins]] as their protagonists. The heroes [[MysteriousEmployer don't have access to their bosses]], but instead have orders relayed to them through the "Handler" whose jobs include looking out for the hero's physical and emotional well-being, supplying weapons, and/or killing the hero should they become insubordinate. In cases with the hero and Handler being of opposite genders, it is somewhat common for the Handler to have UnresolvedSexualTension with the hero as they are the "human face" of the secret organization to which the hero belongs.
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14	If the Handler is officially part of a government agency, the more accurate term would be "case officer", whereas the people s/he is handling are known as "agents".
15
16	See also MissionControl, MysteriousEmployer. The [[ManBehindTheMan handler's handler]] is TheSpymaster.
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18	----
19	!!Examples:
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
24	* ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'': Most of the Dark Side groups of Academy City have one of these who keeps them linked up on missions from the Board of Directors or the various scientists in the city. Most of them also do their business anonymously with their groups, since many Dark Side groups are not afraid to go hunting them down if they feel like they're being cheated or used as dupes.
25	* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', the Organization employs a number of black-clad liaisons who deliver yoma extermination contracts to the eponymous warriors, then collect and deliver payments to the HQ. The handlers' job is quite delicate, since unlike the Claymores they chaperone, they are not superhumanly enhanced themselves and must therefore be very vigilant for any sign of the girls going rogue or Awakening. In the former case, it is the handler's job to [[UriahGambit send them on a]] SuicideMission; in the latter, they typically assign a group of loyal Claymores to execute their Awakened sister-in-arms.
26	* ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' has the abrasive JerkWithAHeartOfGold Huang relaying orders to Hei, the AntiHero of the series, who in turn has another higher ranked Handler... who just so happens to be a Contractor. The Syndicate's cell structure is somewhat odd at times.
27	* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', Watari is considered L's handler -- the name "Watari" was chosen because it ''means'' handler.
28	* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has a rank-reversed version. Colonel Roy Mustang appoints his second-in-command, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, to be ''his'' handler. He has even ordered her, should he ever undergo a FaceHeelTurn, to kill him on the spot.
29	* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'' is centered around the dynamics of the ''fratellos'', a pairing of a pre-teen (first generation) or teenage (second generation) female cyborg with an older male handler who is a police, military or intelligence ops veteran. As each handler has total discretion over how they treat their cyborg and how much mental conditioning they receive, these dynamics vary greatly.
30	** Jose Croce makes Henrietta a ReplacementGoldfish for his dead little sister, doting on her constantly to the bemusement of this colleagues. This initially presents him as the most decent of the handlers, but he starts to tire of her constant need for affection and doesn't object to Henrietta being reprogrammed into an EmotionlessGirl whom he treats mostly with indifference.
31	** Jean Croce regards Rico as just a tool for his vengeance, treating her coldly and occasionally hitting her, though he does mellow somewhat in later years. [[ThePollyanna Rico is remarkably unaffected by this]] as she was bedridden for most of her life before becoming a cyborg, so anything is an improvement.
32	** Hilshire was forced into becoming Triela's handler and has little idea of how to treat a young girl. He gives her minimal conditioning, causing her to become [[WiseBeyondTheirYears mature]] and [[TheLancer remarkably independent]], and the two of them [[FireForgedFriends evolve a more natural partnership as a result]].
33	** Lauro has his girl Elsa heavily brainwashed and as a result she develops an obsession with him. [[spoiler:On realising just how indifferent he is to her, she shoots Lauro and then herself.]]
34	** Marco Toni started off as the friendly older brother-type handler to Angelica, but her increasing memory loss from the conditioning caused him to become bitter and indifferent to her.
35	** Claudio Raballo is a gruff father figure to Claes, teaching her fishing and gardening as well as the required combat arts. [[spoiler:He becomes guilty over what's being done to the girls, tries to blow the whistle on the Agency and dies in a suspiciously convenient traffic accident. As it's too difficult to reprogram a cyborg girl once they've bonded to a handler, Claes' memory is wiped and she's used as a human test subject.]]
36	** Sandro ends up romancing his cyborg Petrushka, an older second generation model.
37	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'': Passione from ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'' has handlers for their extremely paranoid boss. Polpo is one such example of a handler, passing down information from the boss to the leaders of individual squads. Furthermore, many handlers are also in charge of recruitment and test the strength of new recruits.
38	* Weiss in ''Anime/KnightHunters'' go through several of these: Manx, Birman, Botan, and Rex. Their [[HighTurnoverRate mortality rate]] isn't much better than that of anyone else who comes into contact with [[DoomMagnet Weiss]].
39	* In ''Manga/MaidenRose'', Klaus has one in Taki's country, who supplies him with [[BottledHeroicResolve drugs]] among other things. When he tells Klaus he's getting out soon and Klaus should too before he dies there [[DoubleAgent Klaus]] mocks him for getting too attached to him.
40	* Mr. Kim in ''Anime/RODTheTV'', to the Paper Sisters when they do contract work for Dokusensha. He's described exactly as a handler several times.
41	* In ''Manga/SpyXFamily'', Twilight's handler, Sylvia Sherwood, is routinely simply referred to as Handler. She fulfills the classic outlines of the trope, as well as some others.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Comic Books]]
45	* ''ComicBook/CobraCommander'': Cobra Commander is sent out, as an agent of Cobra-La, into the world of humans to gather Energon. He's given a Handler/bodyguard to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't draw too much attention. Issue 3 reveals the handler to be the Nemesis Enforcer.
46	* Frank's only real connection to the world in ''ComicBook/Red2003'' is his handler, Sally. The equivalent character in the movie isn't an example, as for various reasons her role was both changed and expanded.
47	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': While continuity was rather fluid during UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks when Wonder Woman was essentially an extremely unique asset/agent of the USAAF her "boss" was General Darnell, but her handler was Steve Trevor. This was an odd case as she worked with the military and was someone Darnell would direct Steve to deliver missions to but, as Wonder Woman, wasn't technically on their payroll. Instead, she was on their payroll as Diana Prince, Darnell's secretary, but it was implied Darnell and Trevor didn't know or pretended not to know about her identity. This may have had to do with her unorthodox methods, which included refusing to kill enemy agents.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Fan Works]]
51	* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/38096386/chapters/95163517 Spirits of the Blitz]]'', Reggie Diceman is [[Literature/GoodOmens Crowley]]'s handler during the Second World War. No-nonsense, strict, and a self-described termagant, Diceman was assigned Crowley not only because she could keep him under control, but because her superiors thought she was a lesbian and therefore would not fall for him.
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
55	* ManchurianAgent Mike Howell in ''Film/AmericanUltra'' has one. [[spoiler:It's his girlfriend, Phoebe, though it turns out that she all but abandoned the CIA after falling in love with him.]]
56	%%* Nicky Parsons of ''Film/TheBourneSeries'' fits this trope ''word for word.''%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
57	* ''Film/{{Kate}}'': A flashback shows Varrick adopting Kate after the murder of her parents and training her as an assassin. [[spoiler:Although she regards him as a ParentalSubstitute and he claims to love her, she realizes too late that he only cares about himself and was willing to kill her when she wanted to retire from being an assassin. It's even implied that Varrick killed Kate's parents in the first place.]]
58	* Sidney is the title character's handler in ''Film/TheKiller1989'', acting as a blood brother to him.
59	* Miss San Antonio in ''Film/MacheteKills'' gives the trope by name when Machete takes on a job for the American government. She takes her beauty pageant cover a little too seriously.
60	%%* Bob from the original version of ''{{Nikita}}''.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
61	* Tony in ''Film/TheProfessional'' not only serves as Leon's handler but his mentor and only friend.
62	* [[spoiler:{{Subverted\|Trope}}]] in ''Film/TheRecruit''. James Clayton fails his CIA training and is dismissed, but then Burke reveals that it's all a cover for the agency to keep the dirty work that he'll be doing for them off the books, and that Burke has been assigned as his handler and only source of contact. [[spoiler:In truth, Burke is a double agent who is using Clayton as an UnwittingPawn.]]
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Literature]]
66	* Given that Creator/JohnLeCarre was actually an intelligence officer for MI-6, unsurprisingly his work contains example of this trope:
67	** George Smiley is described as having run agents during World War II.
68	** Andrew Osnard of ''Film/TheTailorOfPanama'' is a classic example, recruiting title character Harold Pendel as a spy and [[spoiler:applying so much pressure to him that he makes up information that when acted on majorly destabilizes the region]].
69	%%** Ned from ''Literature/TheRussiaHouse'' and ''The Secret Pilgrim''.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
70	* ''Literature/TheCulture'': Due to its small size, a common methodology of Special Circumstances is to employ or manipulate non-SC or even non-Culture agents to do the dirty work, with SC operatives acting as handlers. Examples include Diziet Sma in ''Literature/UseOfWeapons'' and Flere-Imsaho in ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames''.
71	* Though never outright stated as such, ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'' has the [[FutureMeScaresMe future Mikuru Asahina]] play this role, especially in the appropriately-named ''Intrigues'' light novel, where both Kyon and present-day Mikuru act essentially as cutouts, servicing dead drops and the like.[[note]]Although it's less for the purpose of contacting other agents, and more for StableTimeLoop shenanigans.[[/note]] The strict system of classification that her agency uses, not to mention her unconventional but effective way of [[PinkySwear securing Kyon's loyalty]], both point to the role for her.
72	* In the ''Literature/{{Quiller}}'' novels, each [[GovernmentAgencyOfFiction Bureau]] "shadow executive" has a director-in-the-field who organizes safehouses, communication, transport, identity papers, liaison with government officials -- in short, anything the agent needs for the mission; especially since Bureau agents are never told what the mission is about, the idea being that the agent should not get distracted by any larger political implications. Agents have a right to refuse to work with a particular director, given that trust between the two is so important. Quiller's preferred director is Ferris, even though he's slightly creepy (he's rumored to strangle mice). A brief passage in one novel sizes up two other directors, Loman ("brilliant but desperate for personal kudos, talk you into a suicide bid if it'll get him a medal, it wasn't his fault I'd come out of Tunis alive") and Thornton ("totally dependable, pull you out of the gates of hell if he can get there in time, but short on Rusk-think patterns and mission sense...").
73	* ''Literature/{{Voidskipper}}'': Shen is this for Madeline and Grom during the events of ''In Pursuit of Bark's Finest''; he's their direct superior, the one sending them out on assignments, and the one who takes them off duty if he determines that they're no longer in condition to serve. He's also a cybernetic spider who's had himself duplicated thousands of times to keep up with an insane workload.
74	* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': From ''A Civil Campaign'' on, it is strongly hinted that [[spoiler:Lady Alys Vorpatril]] is the handler for the [=ImpSec=] domestic spy [[spoiler:Byerly Vorrutyer]].
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
78	%%* ''Series/{{Alias}}'': Michael Vaughn serves as the Case Officer for Sydney Bristow.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
79	* ''Series/TheAmericans'' features a number of KGB handlers working (for) Soviet illegals in 1980s USA, most notably "Claudia", who is ruthless and curt, and "Gabriel", who has more of a fatherly approach.
80	* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
81	** Mr. Morden to Centauri Ambassador [[TragicHero Londo Molario]] and [[AristocratsAreEvil Lord Refa]].
82	** Sheridan is shown to have one or two of these in the show's second and third seasons, due to his association with various Earth Force officers who have... doubts... about the circumstances between President Santiago's [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident tragic death]] and the subsequent rise to power of [[PresidentEvil President Clark]].
83	* ''Franchise/{{Buffyverse}}'':
84	** ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': In theory, the Watcher plays this role for the Slayer. Whether Buffy or Faith chose to follow the Watchers Council's orders is another matter.
85	** ''Series/{{Angel}}'': Doyle (who gets visions from the mystical Powers That Be) attempts to be this in the first episode, giving Angel the relevant information from his visions and just stepping back to let him do the grunt work (arguing that he's just the messenger), but Angel isn't; having it, and drags him along to fight evil, which Doyle comes to like.
86	%%* Carla in ''Series/BurnNotice'' when Michael is briefly stuck working for the bad guys. Her subordinate Victor is specifically called this.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
87	%%* Bosley of ''Series/CharliesAngels'' in both the TV show and films.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
88	%%* Auggie is Annie's handler in ''Series/CovertAffairs''.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
89	* In ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', Sarah and Casey serve as Handlers (and at times fellow field agents) for the title character. The reason why Chuck has two handlers is because they represent two different agencies collaborating on the Intersect project: CIA (Sarah) and NSA (Casey).
90	%%* Boyd, then later [[spoiler:Paul]], is Echo's handler in ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}''.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
91	* In ''Series/TheDresdenFiles'', Ebenezer [=McCoy=] was assigned as a troubled teenage Harry's handler (unbeknownst to Harry) in case he ever [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide went nuts]] and needed to be eliminated.
92	%%* Michael fills this role for ''Series/LaFemmeNikita'', and there is definite UnresolvedSexualTension.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
93	%%* ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'' has Claire the "Keeper".%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
94	* ''Series/NowAndAgain'': Dr. Morris is Michael Wiseman's handler and keeper, tasked with both setting up Michael's missions and preventing him from interacting with the outside world (especially his [[BackFromTheDead widow]]).
95	* ''Series/ThePretender'': Sydney was Jarod's handler at the Centre from the time Jarod was a child, giving Jarod the simulations to do and recording the results.
96	* In ''Series/ScarecrowAndMrsKing'', Scarecrow is in some ways more like a handler then a partner. At the least if a veteran agent ever worked with a housewife turned spy (actually not impossible in RealLife though it would probably be less Hallmark-like) he would probably be a handler even if he told her he was a partner. In this case both the handler and the handled are heroic characters.
97	%%* ''Series/SheSpies'': The title characters have two Agent Handlers in the course of the show.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
98	* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': Sloan acts as Dr. Bashir's handler for [[NoSuchAgency Section 31]], very much against Bashir's will as he never consented to join the agency. Bashir is using his unwilling membership to try and expose Section 31 so it can be dismantled. [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow Sloan knows this, and knows that Bashir knows, but is confident he can control Bashir anyway]].
99	* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': Narissa is Narek's handler; she's the one who approved (and has the authority to disapprove) his plan to seduce Soji for information. He must report his observations about their target directly to her. Unfortunately, she's also Narek's sister, and their sibling squabbles tend to get in the way of a professional relationship.
100	%%* Benjamin Tallmadge is Abraham Woodhull's handler in ''Series/{{Turn}}''.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
101	%%* FBI agent Peter to BoxedCrook Neal in ''Series/WhiteCollar''.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
102	%%* ''Series/{{Wiseguy}}'': Frank [=McPike=], Vinnie Terranova's DeadpanSnarker boss in the Organized Crime Bureau.%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
106	* This trope is so common in ''TabletopGame/DeltaGreen'' that its version of "YouAllMeetInAnInn" is "You are all called into the briefing by the Handler". As well that Intelligence Case Officer (the official name for a handler) is one of the possible professions for the [=PCs=], in other words, you are the Handler of someone else, a resource you can exploit in your investigations for Delta Green. In the standalone edition, the "Handler" is the name for the GameMaster.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Video Games]]
110	* ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'': There are ''eight'' handlers used throughout the various missions. Mike can have UnresolvedSexualTension with all four of the potential female handlers, if you play your cards right with the dialogue options.
111	* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'': As the Inquisition's spymaster, Leliana operates in this role for her various agents, including you, should you take up doing spy missions for her. Otherwise, she acts as TheCreon with Cassandra, technically perfectly capable of leading but helping you do so instead.
112	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
113	** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', the PlayerCharacter is a prisoner released to the eponymous land on the orders of the Emperor himself on the condition that he/she report to the local [[SecretPolice Blades]] [[TheSpyMaster Spymaster]], Caius Cosades. Caius welcomes the newcomer into the organization and acts as his/her handler throughout the first half of the game's main quest. It is clear that Caius genuinely cares about the PC as well as the other Blades agents under his command. [[spoiler:Later, he is recalled to the Imperial City, leaving the PC as the new Blades Spymaster in the region]].
114	** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', the retired Grandmaster of the Blades, Jauffre, takes up the mantle once again as the titular Oblivion Crisis unfolds. He gives the player character the initial missions of the main quest and is the one to offer him/her official induction into the Blades if he/she desires it.
115	** Come ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the Blades have been ravaged and officially disbanded as a term of the [[WonTheWarLostThePeace White-Gold Concordat]] with the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Thalmor]]-led [[AntiHumanAlliance Aldmeri Dominion]]. Only two are known to still be alive early in the game, one of whom (Delphine) contacts the [[PlayerCharacter Dragonborn]] and has him/her seek out the other (Esbern). Delphine then assumes the title of Grandmaster while Esbern serves as Chronicler. Depending on the player's actions, the Blades can be rebuilt in Skyrim with fresh recruits to resume their ancient duty of [[CreatureHunterOrganization dragon slaying]].
116	* Any shadowy government types who serve as quest-givers in a ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' game, notably Mike Toreno in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' and "United Liberty Paper" in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV''.
117	* It's never stated, but it is apparent that Leone J.B. is Yuuya's handler in ''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend''. They're the only two Dove agents at the school, and Leone is the senior one who gives younger, actually-goes-out-and-does-stuff Yuuya advice, orders, and sometimes gadgets.
118	* ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'':
119	** Diana fills this role for Agent 47 in all but a few missions over the 20 years that the game franchise has been out. In ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', it's revealed that Diana specifically chose 47 when they became partners, and the ''ComicBook/Agent47BirthOfTheHitman'' comic reveals the reason why (47 systematically shot five ICA agents to kill a target he was also chasing, and Diana finds him in a bar afterwards to ask him to join the ICA).
120	** Agent Smith contracts and helps 47 infiltrate the White House in ''VideoGame/HitmanBloodMoney''.
121	** Benjamin Travis, an ex-army [[TheNeidermeyer Neidermeyer]], replaces Diana in ''VideoGame/HitmanAbsolution'' when she goes rogue protecting Victoria. After the events of that game, she returns to the ICA and resumes her duties.
122	** From ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' onward, Lucas Grey oftentimes helps you, particularly in Whittleton Creek and on the Isle of Sgail.
123	** Olivia is your handler for a single mission in ''VideoGame/Hitman3''. Said mission has you [[spoiler:wiping the ICA's database of you and Diana's contracts and publishing the rest to dissolve the ICA]].
124	* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
125	** [[TheVoice Admiral Steven Hackett]] serves as the face and voice of the [[TheAlliance Alliance]] [[StandardSciFiFleet Navy]] for the audience and is Shepard's primary contact in the Alliance command. Admiral Hackett picks up additional shades of this when he contacts Shepard to retrieve an Alliance researcher who claimed to have found evidence of an impending Reaper invasion while operating covertly in Batarian Space - at the time, Shepard was on the outs with the Alliance due to his/her involvement with Cerberus, and Hackett needed someone both skilled enough to succeed and in a position to be disavowed easily if s/he failed.
126	** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', [[FemmeFatale Miranda]] arguably takes on this role, though [[WarriorTherapist Shepard]] spends rather more time tending to her emotional well-being than she does to Shepard's. In the case of a male Shepard, there is also way more sexual tension than in the first case.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Webcomics]]
130	* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': A LanguageBarrier keeps Sigrun from directly giving orders to Lalli and understanding his reports. Because of this, Lalli's non-combatant cousin and CloudcuckoolandersMinder Tuuri, who can speak with both Sigrun and Lalli, ends up being the one conveying Sigrun's orders to Lalli and translating his reports back, with a mix of TactfulTranslation and TranslationWithAnAgenda.
131	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TheHandler