History Main / TheScrounger

* ''Film/AnOfficerAndAGentleman'': Zack Mayo.

* ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'': After Tim finally convinces Jack to support him as Robin and Jack asks how he can help as the city is falling apart in a gang war Tim sends him and Dana to aid Leslie at the clinic where he puts to use his former army skill of being able to track things down when people need them.

'''Nog''': Hey, I may be in Starfleet but (taps ears) I'm still Ferengi.

'''Quark''' Hope for you yet Nog.

** Also from TL-191, we have the corpsman named Effie from Dr. O'Doull's field hospital. He scrounges a trombone for a fellow medic a few days after learning he was a professional trombonist in civilian life.

** When David Stirling proposes his raiding force, the generals inform him that there are no vehicles to spare. He informs them that they will steal their own--[[WeAreStrugglingTogether first from their allies]], then the Germans and Italians. He's not joking--after their disastrous first mission the unit needs a resupply, so rather than return to Cairo where they will likely be stood down, they raid a mostly deserted base for New Zealand base and steal weapons, trucks and booze. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And a piano.]]

* The genius engineer Seamus Zelazny Harper from ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' is both a MrFixit and TheScrounger, as he grew up on Earth, a hellhole of a planet where the remaining population was enslaved by the genetically-enhanced Nietzscheans and preyed on by raiding troups of the man-eating Magog. Consequently, Harper grew up as a thief, loyal only to people who treat him well, trying to survive at all costs and willing to swindle and steal equipment at gun-point if the crew needs it.

* Corporal Walter Eugene 'Radar' O'Reilly from ''Series/{{MASH}}'' was definitely TheScrounger, and a KnowledgeBroker in that he seemed to know everyone important in the Army (supply officers and secretaries, that is, people who actually did stuff and could lay their hands on stuff, instead of the high military brass). Radar is not a MrFixit, however.

* Literature/TheBible: In in the Book of Proverbs the ideal of a Virtuous Woman is described. Among the qualities described are that she is tireless, good at business, [[ApronMatron keeps a tight ship at home]], knows her way about the bazaar, and is very good at being TheScrounger.

Just don't ask where he finds this stuff. It FellOffTheBackOfATruck or just appeared at the loading dock. No, it has nothing to do with the pallets reported missing last night. His natural antagonists are the Military Police, who are scouring the base for contraband, and the Quartermaster, who wants to see the triplicate-signed requisition forms.

The Scrounger is seldom TheCaptain himself, but a crucial member of the squad. The Captain loves the Scrounger if he can get crucial mission gear overnight that the army's ObstructiveBureaucrat requires weeks and a sheaf of forms to get, or if the Scrounger provides him with access to luxuries like imported cigars or scotch. The Captain may turn a blind eye if the Scrounger 's cigarettes and pinup magazines are boosting morale. Onthe other hand, if the Scrounger is fleecing the men with costly trinkets or weakening their performance with too much moonshine, the Captain may view the Scrounger as a problem.

The Scrounger is seldom TheCaptain himself, but a crucial member of the squad. The Captain loves the Scrounger if he can get crucial mission gear overnight that the army's ObstructiveBureaucrat require weeks and a sheaf of forms to get, or if the Scrounger provides him with access to luxuries like imported cigars or scotch. On the other hand, if the Scrounger is fleecing the men with costly trinkets or weakening their performance with too much moonshine, the Captain may view the Scrounger as a problem.

This is the character who magically comes up with hard-to-get supplies from the BlackMarket or a secret contact whenever TheCaptain or CaperCrew needs them. He has similarities to the IntrepidMerchant, and indeed may be one of his crew. However, he tends to be seen in military shows, especially military comedy where there's [[RuleOfFunny no need to question]] how he comes up with the goods. May be officially described as responsible for "[[ExpospeakGag field acquisitions]]".

Just don't ask where he finds this stuff. It FellOffTheBackOfATruck or just appeared at the loading dock. No, it has nothing to do with the pallets reported missing last night.