History Main / TheWormGuy

* ''Series/MissionImpossible'', the series, abuses this. While gathering them isn't an issue, quite a few of the WormGuys on their roster. Includes a trapeze artist, a safe-cracker, the "World's Strongest Man", and such. In the pilot, the World's Strongest Man is used SOLELY for his ability to lift a large suitcase, filled with, at max, two people plus equipment.

The trope is named after Niko Tatopoulos from the 1998 ''Film/{{Godzilla|1998}}'' film, who is referred to by the military personnel as "the worm guy", as they took him from Chernobyl where he was studying earthworms. [[NoPronunciationGuide And they couldn't pronounce his actual name]].

* Perfectly describes Kim Delaney's character in the miniseries ''10.5''.

* In the 2008 Fox series, ''Series/{{Fringe}}'', Walter Bishop is a Trifecta: [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist Omnidisciplinary]] [[MadScientist Mad]] [[TheWormGuy WormGuy]]. Literally mad, BTW: he's been in an asylum for 17 years as the story opens.

Compare to IgnoredExpert and TheOneGuyWithABrain. Contrast with AgentMulder, who is recognised as an unscientific crank, but is right anyway. See also HauntedHouseHistorian.

* The present-day heroine of ''TheWake'' is Whale Lady Lee Archer, pulled away from studying cetacean communication at sea in order to study a captured undersea alien. The folklorist and hunter she teams up with also indicate they were recruited in a similar way.

* The team in ''AlienVsPredator'' are recruited this way, although not all of them are scientists-- heroine Alexa Woods is a mountain guide and survival expert.

* Daniel Jackson in the ''Film/{{Stargate}}'' movie--taken away from a lecture (where the lectured walked out on him) so that he can decipher the stargate. He's not interrupted while doing his research, but it's along the same vein.

* UltimateMarvel's version of [[Comicbook/TheFalcon the Falcon]] is introduced in a version of this trope: he's in the Amazon when the military guys come for him by helicopter, and then he unveils his wings and flies up to meet them. He's treated a bit more respectfully than usual, though he does have to stand his ground to get the Black Widow's first name. The relevance of his research to the mission is that he was searching for ways to communicate with the afterlife, and hypothesizes the situation might have to do with broadcasts from beyond death, [[spoiler:which turns out to be true, albeit in a slightly less literal manner.]]

* ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow'' with Dennis Quaid's character.

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** The original ''Literature/JurassicPark'' novel is pretty much the same in this respect as the film.
*** The book makes it clear, however, that Alan Grant is an experienced doctor of palaeontology and respected in his field, including an apparently well-received book for kids about Dinosaurs. He's pulled into it because his main financial backer wants an endorsement to his creations' authenticity: Grant is never 'the worm guy'; more 'the famous expert we need to tell people this is the real [=McCoy=]'. Malcolm (who is a mathematician and was involved as a consultant on the risk-factor calculations) comes much closer to the trope considering how Hammond dislikes him and his initial predictions of doom and gloom about how unstable the entire system is, until events prove him completely right.
** Norman Johnson in ''{{Sphere}}'', a psychologist carried off by the millitary to study aliens. As with the ''[[Literature/TheAndromedaStrain Andromeda Strain]]'' example above, Norman had agreed years ago to help with a FirstContact situation if one ever arose (and was even the one who created the FirstContact plan), but had privately considered the idea ridiculous (and agreed to create the plan because he was in dire need for the funding money), and was astonished to be called up because it had actually happened. Once on the field, the rest of the group [[HardOnSoftScience is skeptical about what a psychologist can bring to the situation]], but Norman is the only one who sees the warning signs when the ClosedCircle that they are stuck in makes the FatalFlaw of the rest come roaring out [[spoiler: and he is the only one with the psychological stability to manage the RealityWarper powers of the Sphere]].
*** In fact, most of the characters in ''Sphere'' and ''Literature/{{State of Fear}}''.

* Robert Langdon in ''AngelsAndDemons'' is ([[DanBrowned allegedly]]) an art historian example.

*** In fact, most of the characters in ''Sphere'' and ''{{State of Fear}}''.

Compare to IgnoredExpert and TheOneGuyWithABrain. Contrast with AgentMulder, who is recognised as an unscientific crank, but is right anyway.

Whenever one of these characters is pulled in, they typically describe [[TheyCalledMeMad vague and often ludicrous hypotheses as theories]] and are actually offended when proof is demanded of them. Always a DesignatedHero, and usually opposing them is proof of being DesignatedVillain. Narratively, this is also used as quick character development for the scientist (and sometimes for the people who take him). Usually they are the OnlySaneMan who proves time and time again that their suggestions are invaluable to success of their project.

* In [[http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/02/20 this]] PennyArcade strip, Tycho is prepared for the day when the world will need the Manticore guy.

* Milo Thatch in ''[[Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire Atlantis: The Lost Empire]].'' Although he was planning on resigning his position anyway, fed up with not being taken seriously by the board of directors at the museum.

* The whole point of ''ComicBook/GlobalFrequency'' was to link up a wide range of Worm Guys so that there was always someone on hand who knew what to do when rogue cyborgs went berserk, or a Soviet sleeper agent risked opening a wormhole in San Francisco, or London has to be saved by LeParkour, or whatever left-over ColdWar super-science threatens the world this time.

* Milo Thatch in ''[[AtlantisTheLostEmpire Atlantis: The Lost Empire]].'' Although he was planning on resigning his position anyway, fed up with not being taken seriously by the board of directors at the museum.

* MissionImpossible, the series, abuses this. While gathering them isn't an issue, quite a few of the WormGuys on their roster. Includes a trapeze artist, a safe-cracker, the "World's Strongest Man", and such. In the pilot, the World's Strongest Man is used SOLELY for his ability to lift a large suitcase, filled with, at max, two people plus equipment.

* MichaelCrichton likes this trope:

** Norman Johnson in ''{{Sphere}}'', a psychologist carried off by the millitary to study aliens. As with the ''[[Literature/TheAndromedaStrain Andromeda Strain]]'' example above, Norman had agreed years ago to help with a FirstContact situation if one ever arose, but had privately considered the idea ridiculous, and was astonished to be called up because it had actually happened.

** Norman Johnson in ''{{Sphere}}'', a psychologist carried off by the millitary to study aliens. As with the ''[[TheAndromedaStrain Andromeda Strain]]'' example above, Norman had agreed years ago to help with a FirstContact situation if one ever arose, but had privately considered the idea ridiculous, and was astonished to be called up because it had actually happened.

** In ''TheAndromedaStrain'', the doctors in the Wildfire team were rounded up by the military and taken to the facility. One of them was even pulled out of surgery.
*** Granted, they had agreed to this beforehand. They'd just agreed to it ''years earlier'' and had no idea that they were about to be "activated" until the soldiers showed up. In at least one case, the guy who signed up had believed it was all just paranoia and there was no chance he'd ever have to follow through.

** it should be noted, however, that she wasn't recruited solely for her scientific experience, but because she's the daughter of the villain's dragon.

** Sean Connery's character also counts. He is only brought in because he has very specific knowledge of the location where the weapons are held

* The trope's namesake, Niko Tatopoulos from the 1998 ''Film/{{Godzilla|1998}}''. He was researching the growth rate of earthworms in Chernobyl, by himself, out in the field, and suggests Godzilla was created from nuclear fallout based on a small tissue sample and radiation readings. He also gets cross when ignored about his [[spoiler:Godzilla eggs nest site]] theory, which then turns out to be correct. The quintessential worm guy.

* UltimateMarvel's version of [[Comicbook/TheFalcon the Falcon]] is introduced in a downright awesome version of this trope: he's in the Amazon when the military guys come for him by helicopter, and then he unveils his wings and flies up to meet them. He's treated a bit more respectfully than usual, though he does have to stand his ground to get the Black Widow's first name. The relevance of his research to the mission is that he was searching for ways to communicate with the afterlife, and hypothesizes the situation might have to do with broadcasts from beyond death, [[spoiler:which turns out to be true, albeit in a slightly less literal manner.]]

* ''FinalFantasyTheSpiritsWithin'': Dr. Ross is the Plant Lady.
* ''{{Volcano}}'' - the two (female) earthquake scientists are called out to the field to create an explanation why a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee was cooked to death in a manhole in [=McArthur=] Park.
* ''TheDayAfterTomorrow'' with Dennis Quaid's character.
* Michael Caine as Dr. Brad Crane in ''The Swarm''. He's the world's foremost expert on killer bees, and lives out of his van as he drives across America. Despite this, every (sympathetic) character in the film has heard of him and respects his expertise, and when the President assigns him to dealing with the titular swarm and grants him unlimited power (!) in the process, his reaction to all of this is essentially a calm, "I knew this day would come".

* The drillers in ''{{Armageddon}}'' are a blue collar version of this.
** Same as the drillers in ''TheAbyss''.