->''"I fight not for honor or for patriotism. I fight because I am a soldier."''
--->--'''Jake''', ''Assault Suits Valken/Cybernator''

In many works of fiction, the hero will have to stand up to a large number of villains who [[AntiVillain aren't really especially bad people]]; they're simply [[PunchClockVillain doing their jobs]]. The same, naturally, applies to heroes.

The Punch Clock Hero isn't fighting for peace, revenge, or because it's the right thing to do. He's only going against the BigBad because he has to. In some cases, he [[BecauseDestinySaysSo is destined to do so]] but [[RefusalOfTheCall refused the call]], only to find out that YouCantFightFate. In other cases, he gets involved only because he has bills to pay.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* Masane Amada in ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}'' starts as this, albeit not realizing the full scope of her decision. After about the halfway point, the horrifying truth that BecauseDestinySaysSo kicks in, she jumps full force in being a full on hero [[spoiler:to the point of HeroicSacrifice]].
* The whole ''CowboyBebop'' crew, most of the time. Illustrated well during an early scene in the movie when a robber holds an old woman at gunpoint. Spike's reaction? "Well, that's a real shame. But, we're not cops and we're not from some [[WeHelpTheHelpless charity organization]]. Sorry lady, we don't protect or serve. This is strictly business." (This distracts the robber -- and enrages the hostage -- sufficiently for him to get a clean shot off).
** Jet weakly protests "I know you don't mean that, Spike!" and whether or not the crew as a whole are good for the sake of goodness or just for the cash is kind of ambiguous throughout.
* L and Near in ''DeathNote'' seem to be this, although that information is mainly gleened from a sequel manga chapter which may not even be canon and a spin-off novel by a different author.
** Near moreso than L - while L will say that he is hunting Kira because of "justice", Near is just doing it to emulate L.
** If you consider the spinoff canon, then technically, L's doing it because he's bored, not for justice.
* The {{Claymore}}s officially claim to be like this. It's not usually true, however.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* The comic book ''Capes'' is about a company of mostly punch-clock superheroes.
* The Marvel character the Sentry, intended to be a {{Deconstruction}} of Comicbook/{{Superman}}. He's so dispassionate that he responds to natural disasters by having a computer calculate who he rescues instead of deciding it himself. He explains that he can't decide who to save himself because he values everyone.
--->"There's fifty things going on in this city every second of the day that the Sentry could do something about. And that's just in ''this'' city. A bank robbery in Queens is less or more important than a hurricane in Louisiana? How can I choose? I can't. I can't always be where I'm most needed."
**To drive the point further one way to beat him is by hacking into said computer to tell him everything that's going on.
* Super Temp in ''{{Wildguard}}'', who's just doing this hero thing as a side job until his band gets heir big break, man. [[spoiler:It actually ''does''.]]
* The Power Company operates similarly to Capes, Inc, mentioned above.
* As did Hero Hotline.
* ''And'' the Superbuddies, former members of the Justice League fighting crime for cash.
* '''''And''''' the Conglomerate, who have corporate sponsorship.
** In the introduction to ''Power Company'', Joshiah Power is asked what distinguishes his team from the Conglomerate or Hero Hotline. His reply is "I hope we'll be more successful."
* At different times BoosterGold was a member of both the Superbuddies and the Conglomerate. This is not a coincidence; originally, being a corporate hero was his big hook.
* The Post-Zero Hour LegionOfSuperHeroes had the Workforce. Most of them eventually left to join the Legion, though.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* This is the FilmNoir DefectiveDetective in a nutshell. If they do good, it's because the [[FemmeFatale mysterious woman in the slinky dress]] hired them. If they get emotionally involved, it's because the villain [[KickTheDog hurt someone they love]].
* ''StarWars''' Han Solo started out this way, though half the climax of the first movie was his overcoming this.
* ''{{Ghostbusters}}'' are, well, an extermination (exorcism) ''company''.
* Most of the members of ''TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' are only in it because they've been promised a full pardon for their past crimes and misdeeds. Only Quatermain, who wants to prevent world war from corrupting his beloved Africa, and Tom Sawyer, who wants vengeance for the murder of his best friend, have other agendas.
** And [[strike:Skinner]] that other invisible dude is in it for the lulz.
* In ''House II: The Second Story'', John Ratzenberger cameos as Bill, an "electrician and adventurer" who carries a sword in his toolbox.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Rincewind in the ''{{Discworld}}'' books, on the rare occasion where he has to do something to save the day. He just does it because he knows he will be dragged into it anyway.
* Arguably, SherlockHolmes. As a consulting detective, he took clients based mostly on his subjective interest in the case or the challenge of the mystery and rarely because of any moral judgment. Holmes rarely executed justice himself, reserving that for the local authorities, and in a few cases let the antagonist off scot-free once the mystery was solved.
* Commissar CiaphasCain repeatedly pulls some truly heroic stunts despite being, well, [[FakeUltimateHero himself]], not because he ''wants'' to do it, but because he ''has''. Either he doesn't want to [[SlaveToPR ruin his reputation]] and lose all the perks it gives him, or he has learned in a hard way that meeting the danger is actually ''safer'', or he might simply [[UnreliableNarrator not give a credit where it is due]]. His editor, Inquisitor Amberley Vail, certainly leans to the third option.
* Travis [=McGee=] takes on new cases when he needs the money, and spends the rest of his time taking his retirement "in installments."
* Sergey Lukyanenko's Watch quartet is ''full'' of a mixture of this and its direct opposite (people wanting to do something Good but not being allowed, because it'd let the other side do an equal amount of Evil...).
*The new Doctor Shade in "Cold Snap" by KimNewman seriously resents the fact he's a LegacyCharacter, and that his dad's weird friends want him to save the world.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''{{Firefly}}'s'' Jayne Cobb generally only fights the bad guys because, well, that's what TheCaptain is paying him to do. He was even a bad guy until Mal made him a better offer (an equal share and a room all to himself).
* {{House}} frequently has to be cajoled and pressured into taking a case (despite the fact that it is literally his job) but once he's interested he won't stop until he has a diagnosis.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* A textbook example is the main character of ''{{Cybernator}}''. In an unusual form of [[{{ptitle123ut4ni5x96}} You Can't Fight Fate]], he has to fight in a war because he was drafted into the army.
** Adding to this theme is the fact that [[AntiVillain none of the villains you fight]], not even when they have to KickTheDog, seem to like or enjoy what they're doing. The game is basically a story of gray-and-gray morality, with Punch Clock Heroes fighting Punch Clock Villains.
* {{Rayman}} is portrayed like this in his first game; after the narrator cries, "RAYMAN TO THE RESCUE!", Rayman is then shown lounging at a beach. He then lazily gives out a thumbs-up, saying, "No problem."
* ''MetalGearSolid'''s Solid Snake fights the good fight at first because he believes in his cause. Unfortunately, with each successive XanatosGambit, ManBehindTheMan and [[BecauseDestinySaysSo Because The Patriots Say So]], his cynicism grows to the point where he starts off the fourth game only just removed from this, being completely fed up with always being the tool of someone else, and only gets worse from there.
* The gist of Zero's [[CrowningMoment/MegaMan awesome]] WorldOfCardboardSpeech[=/=]ShutUpHannibal at the end of ''MegaManZero 4''.
-->I never cared about justice, and I don't recall ever calling myself a hero... I have always only fought for the people I believe in. I won't hesitate... If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it!
* In ArmoredCore, the protagonist pilot (IE you) is this since you're a mercenary.
* [[MadWorld Jack Cayman]] doesn't give a crap about anything but his own vendettas. [[spoiler:At the end, rather than go through legal channels, he breaks his CODEC and leaves his MissionControl behind just so he can kill the ManBehindTheMan.]]
-->'''Jack:''' I don't save people. I kill them.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* The titular character from ''TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'' is definitely one.
* Dechs, a.k.a. Shadehawk, of ''AntiheroForHire'', literally -- to pay the rent, he patrols for criminals to turn in for the bounty (and, though [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything we don't see it too often]], being "for hire"). Indeed, the setting has a "[[SuperRegistrationAct Superhero Activities Board]]" that's set up to encourage the PunchClockHero lifestyle.
* The basic premise of [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=113529 Everyday Heroes]]; Mr. Mighty is a nine-to-five hero, while his nemesis, Dr. Unpleasant, is a PunchClockVillain.
* As far as ''{{Nodwick}}'' heroes are concerned, [[http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/gamespyarchive/index.php?date=2001-04-18 apparently]]
--> The price of '''liberty''' is '''eternal vigilance''' plus a hundred gold per '''hour''', not including '''expenses'''.
* Tagon's Toughs in ''SchlockMercenary''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* The most literal example is also one of the [[OlderThanTelevision oldest]] of these: Sam the Sheepdog and [[PunchClockVillain Ralph the Wolf]] are the stars in several classic [[ChuckJones Chuck Jones]] cartoon shorts for Warner Brothers. From 9 to 5, Ralph tries ever-more-outlandish schemes to catch a sheep, and Sam thwarts Ralph with minimal effort and maximum punishment. But as soon as that 5 o'clock whistle blows, the two punch out and walk home together, ready to do it all over again tomorrow.
** Except when Ralph tried to impersonate a sheepdog and take over Sam's shift.
** Don't forget the lunch breaks! That's right, they have lunch together.
* Jenny Wakeman of ''MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' was designed to be a teenage superhero robot that fights evil. However, upon deciding that [[IJustWantToBeNormal she'd rather hang out with human teens]], she becomes an example of this trope.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* Himei, the main character of ''SailorNothing'', started out as an [[AscendedFanboy Ascended Fangirl]] who JumpedAtTheCall, but eventually turned into a punch-clock hero as she came to hate her job of fighting evil and did it only because she had to.

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