History Main / InnocentBystanderSeries

* ''Franchise/{{Bionicle}}'''s ''Mata Nui On-Line Game'' and the following web episodes, as well as ''MNOG II'' followed the adventures of the normal islanders while the comics kept tabs on the heroes. Occasionally, the two story threads still crossed paths, like when the 2001 movie and video game got canceled, and ''MNOG'' had to tie up the main plot along with its own.

* The ''Series/{{Doctor Who}}'' novel ''Who Killed Kennedy'' tells from a journalist's viewpoint the Third Doctor's adventures with UNIT.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action Television]]
* The protagonists of ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' have access to technology quite a bit beyond what ordinary organizations have access to, and a lot of the stuff they deal with are people getting or having access to technology beyond what they should have, but there are still no superpowers in the team. [[spoiler:That is, until Skye is revealed to be an Inhuman, and even then she still mostly FightsLikeANormal]]

[[folder:Live Action Television]]
* The protagonists of ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' have access to technology quite a bit beyond what ordinary organizations have access to, and a lot of the stuff they deal with are people getting or having access to technology beyond what they should have, but there are still no superpowers in the team. [[spoiler:That is, until Skye is revealed to be an Inhuman, and even then she still mostly FightsLikeANormal]]
[[/folder]]

* The protagonists of ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' have access to technology quite a bit beyond what ordinary organizations have access to, and a lot of the stuff they deal with are people getting or having access to technology beyond what they should have, but there are still no superpowers in the team. Well, unless you believe some of the fan-theories...

* In ''ComicBook/PS238'', written by the same author of ''Nodwick'', focuses on superhero children, but the closest thing to a protagonist is a non-empowered kid thrown into the middle of the rest and just trying to [[ActionSurvivor survive]]. This is a lesser extent because the comic still focuses predominately on superheroics, and even the protagonist starts to develop into more of a BadassNormal than a bystander.

* It appears evident that the ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' TV series will follow this trope to the tee.
** As it turns out... not exactly. SHIELD has access to technology quite a bit beyond what ordinary organizations have access to, and a lot of the stuff they deal with are people getting or having access to technology beyond what they should have.
*** Still no superpowers in the team though. Well, unless you believe some of the fan-theories...

* ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}' is a quasi-example of this. While the webcomic has a fully empowered team of main characters the protagonist of the series is their lackey. Part of the fun of the comic is showing how he deals with being the Mook in a team of heroes.
** This applies likewise, but to a lesser degree, in ''ComicBook/PS238'', written by the same author of ''Nodwick''. The comic focuses on superhero children, but the closest thing to a protagonist is a non-empowred kid thrown into the middle of the rest and just trying to [[ActionSurvivor to survive]]. This is a lesser extent because the comic still focuses predominately on superheroics, and even the protagonist starts to develop into more of a BadassNormal then a bystander.

* ''Webcomic/Nodwick'' is a quasi-example of this. While the webcomic has a fully empowered team of main characters the protagonist of the series is their lackey. Part of the fun of the comic is showing how he deals with being the Mook in a team of heroes.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The Literature/WhateleyUniverse story "Crime and Chaos" is a 'Law & Order' pastiche where New York cops investigate the murder of a retired (and less than loved) superhero.

* TheExtraordinaryAdventuresOfOrdinaryBoy. The title speaks for itself.

* ''{{Powers}}'' by Brian Michael Bendis is an ongoing series focusing on regular police officers trying to solve crimes when their world is literally ''stuffed'' with crazy superpowers and mad science. Investigations often revolve around the murder of a superhero.
* ''GothamCentral'' was a series following the Major Crimes Unit of Gotham City, and all the difficulties of corruption and supervillains in their way.
* ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' is told partly from the perspective of the normal police officers investigating the deeds of so-called superheroes and an ''actual'' superhero (Dr. Manhattan).

* ''{{Marvels}}'' is the early days of the MarvelUniverse from the POV of a muggle newspaper reporter.
** Its sequel, ''Eye of the Camera'', is much the same way.

* Before ''GothamCentral'', there was ''Metropolis SCU'', a DCComics miniseries about the special police squad trained to deal with supervillains in ''{{Superman}}''.
* And ''Science Police'', the same thing with the SpacePolice organisation from ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}''.
* The WhateleyUniverse story "Crime and Chaos" is a 'Law & Order' pastiche where New York cops investigate the murder of a retired (and less than loved) superhero.
* Many of the arcs of ''Comicbook/AstroCity''.

* ''Franchise/{{Bionicle}}'''s ''Mata Nui On-Line Game'' and the following web episodes, as well as ''MNOG II'' followed the adventures of the normal islanders while the comics kept tabs on the heroes. Occasionally, the two story threads still crossed paths, like when the 2001 movie and video game got canceled, and ''MNOG'' had to tie up the main plot along with its own.
* It appears evident that the ''Main/AgentsOfSHIELD'' tv series will follow this trope to the tee.

* It appears evident that the ''Television/AgentsOfSHIELD'' tv series will follow this trope to the tee.

* It appears evident that the ''Marvel's Agents of SHIELD'' tv series will follow this trope to the tee.

* Many of the arcs of ''AstroCity''.

* ''DamageControl'' is a Marvel series following the construction company of the same name, that specialises in clean-up and general rebuilding after large cataclysmic superhero fights. A slight subversion of the trope, as the company has several superpowered employees to help with heavy lifting etc.

* The WhateleyUniverse story "Crime and Chaos" is a 'Law & Order' pastiche where New York cops investigate the murder of a retired (and less than loved) superhero.

* And ''Science Police'', the same thing with the SpacePolice organisation from ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}''.

* ''{{Powers}}'' by Brian Micheal Bendis is an ongoing series focusing on regular police officers trying to solve crimes when their world is literally ''stuffed'' with crazy superpowers and mad science. Investigations often revolve around the murder of a superhero.

** It's sequel, ''Eye of the Camera'', is much the same way.

* And ''Science Police'', the same thing with the SpacePolice organisation from ''LegionOfSuperheroes''.

In a [[CityOfAdventure world filled with superpowered heroes and villains constantly battling overhead]], a world where property damage is common and evil minions run rampant every now and then, have you ever wondered how the [[InnocentBystander normal citizens]] ''cope'' with all that crazyness? In this trope, the story focuses solely on those citizens. Often centres on a police force trying to stop normal crimes and having to put up with death rays, or the feeling of inadequacy when the heroes catch perps before they do. FantasticRacism is also a prevalent theme.

* ''{{Watchmen}}'' is told partly from the perspective of the normal police officers investigating the deeds of so-called superheroes and an ''actual'' superhero (Dr. Manhattan).

* Since the ''Civil War'' event, Marvel have been using "Front Line" style tie-ins for all their recent crossover events, to show how those events are affecting the InnocentBystanders of the Marvel Universe (or at least New York...)

In a world filled with superpowered heroes and villains constantly battling overhead, a world where property damage is common and evil minions run rampant every now and then, have you ever wondered how the [[InnocentBystander normal citizens]] ''cope'' with all that crazyness? In this trope, the story focuses solely on those citizens. Often centres on a police force trying to stop normal crimes and having to put up with death rays, or the feeling of inadequacy when the heroes catch perps before they do. FantasticRacism is also a prevalent theme.