I'm writing a story in which my character has become unconscious due to physical means and due to the inability to kill him, his villains have drugged and moved him overseas to get him out of the way.

He's incredibly famous around the world however (he's a lead vocalist), and upon arrival he needs to get back, proving his identity. He doesn't know any of the phone numbers of his helpers (like his agent), being a member of the "It's saved on my phone" group (same for emails). Nobody but the villains know he's in this country, and nobody saw the transport to the new country occur. Please assume that he will not be found by others, he needs to get back to the country on his own (USA).

With no money and no contacts here in Georgia, how can my character prove not only who he is, but get back in time (2 weeks) to stop the villain?

Some thoughts I had that didn't work:

  • Singing like the singer. He'd just be taken for a close voice, not necessarily the same, especially for those who hadn't heard him live.
  • Becoming a renowned artist again. This would take too long, and the villain would have already taken over the world.
  • Being spontaneously recognized by someone. He wouldn't be recognized, as he was in the middle of a hairstyle change between albums and only his stylist and agent had seen him beforehand. Also, please assume that all people who might do so are very skeptical of it being true, having never been seen here before.
  • Language matching, showing different pieces of "secrets". This might work, but it would require them to know his secrets to validate, and that seems a bit far fetched.
  • Bank verification to get money. The bank is requiring proof of his identity which for obvious reasons he doesn't have. Without it, he has no access to his accounts.

Could my character realistically make his way back to his home country within the two week time frame?

Note: I'm looking to determine how the music scene is affected by the persons disappearance, and how the concurrent search to find them is gripping pop-culture by storm. Headlines reading "superstar found" or "We've found him! I repeat we've found him!" can be seen in the stands, but how can I prove I'm not just another cover-artist to those who would do me harm?


closed as off-topic by adaliabooks, Mołot, StephenG, L.Dutch, Andon Jun 11 '18 at 16:08



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    $\begingroup$ This is weird, because one of my stories has the exact opposite scenario - a famous singer who's drugged, kidnapped, and has her memory altered by the villains, and her management have to track her down and prove to her that she's the famous woman from the talky box. $\endgroup$ – F1Krazy Jun 11 '18 at 15:10
  • $\begingroup$ @F1Krazy And here I was thinking I had a pretty unique story idea. Well so much for my dreams of fame and fortune! $\endgroup$ – Anoplexian Jun 11 '18 at 15:12
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    $\begingroup$ Voting to close as story based as I don't really see how there is any world building here... $\endgroup$ – adaliabooks Jun 11 '18 at 15:20
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    $\begingroup$ inability to kill him Why not ? Seems like the obvious step for the villain. drugged and moved him overseas Which sounds way more complicated than just killing the guy. And why overseas ? Why not just kept in a discrete location for while with some competent goons and e.g. handcuffs ? but get back in time (2 weeks) to stop the villain How does a lead vocalist (?!) who can be easily kidnapped and transported overseas be competent enough to stop the villain ? Why, if that was remotely possible, would the bad guys not just kill the nuisance in the first place ? $\endgroup$ – StephenG Jun 11 '18 at 15:40
  • $\begingroup$ @adaliabooks Check the edit. $\endgroup$ – Anoplexian Jun 11 '18 at 15:40

He can go to the US consulate or embassy and claim that he was mugged. They have procedures to help people who have lost their ID. The staff there might recognize him, and they would be able to track down people who would be able to identify him in the US.

  • $\begingroup$ The only US Embassy is Tbilisi, Georgia. Also, would the turn-around time be quick enough on the procedure? $\endgroup$ – Anoplexian Jun 11 '18 at 16:07
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    $\begingroup$ Part of the US passport application is an emergency contact. That person would be able to either positively identify the person or find someone that can. Even of the singer can't get out of Georgia, it would put him in contact with people who could identify him. $\endgroup$ – Futoque Jun 11 '18 at 16:32

Maybe had a weird scar, tattoo, or birthmark that he usually hides due to it just being awkward or weird. Then you have the option of having a fun backstory of how he got it. Ex: drunken tramp stamp.

Only a dedicated fan would know about this (probably)

  • $\begingroup$ If he's like the average pop star today, let's just say he's probably had his fingerprints taken at some point. $\endgroup$ – VBartilucci Jun 11 '18 at 15:48

Youtube or a streaming service

Incredibly famous around the world implies some sort of social media presence in this day and age. Assuming the main character can meet someone with a reasonable amount of self interest, some disposable income, and that can trust the main char, show the person that the main char is the famous person via the internet. The sheer volume of clips available should prove the truthfulness that the person is real regardless of the skepticism.

A few youtube clips, a display of talent, and a reasonable story should be able to sway at least ONE person to believe the main char. IMO the largest problem you will have is the language gap. If your main character can't grab a computer and a newsline heading pointing to him or herself they are going to have a hard time just explaining they are lost in the 2 weeks of time.

