# Pet Peeve -- Big Underground Monsters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2022, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943 "2022-07-14T12:37:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/21 "2022-07-14T16:13:02Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Not that plausible., especially if you’re really cut off from the outside and the sun. Well, yeah, I meant ‘not so implausible’ in a movie sense, that a cave could support human-sized feral blind albino monsters. But yeah, in a real world situation an ordinary human, even an experienced spelunker, who gets trapped in a cave without light and food is going to die if they’re not rescued in time. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/22 "2022-07-14T16:31:10Z")
> [@Lavender\_Pebble](#): > > > [@CalMeacham](#): > > > > **The Descent** (2005) – I have lots of other problems with this film about six women spelunking, but my biggest problem comes when the encounter the blind albino underground “crawlers” > > I don’t know if this counts as spoilers, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I thought the monsters were all in their heads and the main lady was actually killing them all herself. So they weren’t supposed to be real. I saw the film again within the last few months and there was nothing at all to suggest that. I think you’re confusing it with another film. Even the alternate ending does not go that direction. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/23 "2022-07-14T16:35:51Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Any large creature in a desert environment makes no sense – to feed its bulk, simply to keep existing, requires a huge intake , preferably of unresisting herbivores. A Sandworm really needs something like huge herds of elephant-sized shmoos to survive. There’s speculation that the sandworms might not be native to Arrakis. They do eat mostly sand containing dry plankton and who knows what their connection to spice has done to them. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/24 "2022-07-14T16:52:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Those same D&D worlds have underground cities of drow and duergar, who subsist on fungus-based agriculture… which glosses over the question of where the fungi get their energy from. Are the fungi themselves magical? Are they grown in caves with other magical energy sources? I think that last question is explicitly “yes” in D&D lore. The “Underdark” is full of strange magical energies that have a variety of effects, mostly along the lines of turning things into horrible monsters - but also good for growing giant mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/25 "2022-07-14T17:10:50Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > and who knows what their connection to spice has done to them. Yeah, this probably the have-wave answer. We know spice lets humans fold space and other stuff, who’s to say it doesn’t let the worms link to some extra-dimensional source of energy? Once you get into magic-like science, anything is possible. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/26 "2022-07-14T17:12:04Z")
Comic books are full of these things There’s The Borers from Fantastic Four and other Marvel comics > **[Borers](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Borers)** > > The Borers are a race of creatures that are native to the Negative Zone. The origin of their species are unknown, but as these creatures can bore through anything they have are often used by Annihilus, ruler of the Negative Zone, against his enemies.... and The Crawling Creature (from pre-Ant Man Tales to Astonish) > **[Borers](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Borers)** > > The Borers are a race of creatures that are native to the Negative Zone. The origin of their species are unknown, but as these creatures can bore through anything they have are often used by Annihilus, ruler of the Negative Zone, against his enemies.... > **[UNLEASH THE BEASTS: THE CRAWLING CREATURE](https://comicclandotcom.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/unleash-the-beasts-the-crawling-creature/)** > > A trip to the center of the Earth brings forth a terrifying new menace! With so many classic creatures on the loose in Monsters Unleashed, we turn to their earlier adventures thanks to Marvel Unlim… and the Mole Man’s hordes (originally a collection of different huge monsters, but later little yellow guys with eyes like sunglasses. Kinda like the Evil Universe version of Minios) > **[Propp's Morphology and Comics: "The Fantastic Four #1"](https://hobbylark.com/comic-books/Propps-Morphology-and-Comics-The-Fantastic-Four-1)** > > First appearing in 1961, the Fantastic Four graced the pages of their own comic in both human and superhuman ways. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's classic comic book tale is discussed at length here. > **[The Mole Man - Marvel Codex](https://sites.google.com/site/marvelcharacterdb/the-marvel-multiverse/earth-616---groups/the-fantastic-four/the-mole-man)** > > A fan-made database of marvel characters as seen through comic books. > **[Comic Vine](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/images/1300-490465/)** > > The largest comic database online, Comic Vine features Comic Reviews, News, Videos, and Forums for the latest in and more! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/27 "2022-07-14T17:20:20Z")
I’m just glad you didn’t dis _Tremors_. As bad B movies go it’s one of the very very best. Heck yeah the worms are utterly biologically implausible. But they are so darn _cool_ as a plot device! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/28 "2022-07-14T17:31:46Z")
> Guess you broke into the wrong God damn rec room, didn’t ya! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/29 "2022-07-14T17:32:40Z")
Underground goddamn monsters! Broke into the wrong Rec Room!!! [“Broke Into The Wrong Rec Room!” | Tremors (1990) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeSd1GoUW-M) ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/30 "2022-07-14T17:49:45Z")
Speaking of worms --I don’t think the gigantic Space Worm the _Millennium Falcon_ inadvertently flies into in _The Empire Strikes Back_ is biologically feasible either. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/31 "2022-07-14T17:53:44Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Underground goddamn monsters! Broke into the wrong Rec Room!!! > > [“Broke Into The Wrong Rec Room!” | Tremors (1990) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeSd1GoUW-M) Gawd I love that scene. One of Hollywood’s. Best. Evar. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/32 "2022-07-14T17:56:46Z")
_Tremors_ is my favorite Cthulhu Mythos film. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/33 "2022-07-14T17:59:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’m just glad you didn’t dis _Tremors_. As bad B movies go it’s one of the very very best. Well, I kinda _did_ diss _Tremors_ by including their creatures in my list, but, if it’s any consolation, I wholeheartedly agree with you. **Tremors** is a beautifully made movie, with great dialogue, wonderful scenes, a proper buildup of knowledge, revelation, and tension, and a great ending that was perfectly set up right from the very first shot. And it was all done with no animation or CGI – only mechanical effects. I would’ve sworn that was impossible. I also like the first two sequels, which carry the ideas even further, building on them to achieve new and novel concepts, and aren’t simply a rehashing of the first film. (Also, they treat thermal vision properly, unlike films like _Hardware_, which managed to get everything backwards.) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/34 "2022-07-14T18:08:23Z")
'Zactly. You (the audience) have just one (large) item of disbelief to get over but once you accept the worms, the rest just flows. And the way the movie shows the characters figuring out what they’re up against while we have just a _bit_ more knowledge than they do at each step. Masterful. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/35 "2022-07-14T18:24:21Z")
Namazu, in legend the gigantic catfish that is trapped under the islands of Japan, and causes earthquakes when it moves. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/36 "2022-07-14T18:36:35Z")
That’s obviously a myth. Everyone knows it’s elephants. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/37 "2022-07-14T18:46:15Z")
I think to enjoy any movie with fantastical elements you’ve just got to accept the premise and move on. Does it really matter if Dune’s sandworms are impossible? No, because that’s not what the story is about. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/38 "2022-07-14T18:53:44Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Everyone knows it’s elephants. It’s turtles on my screen. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/39 "2022-07-14T19:01:25Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Does it really matter if Dune’s sandworms are impossible? No, because that’s not what the story is about. True. But if you’ve stuck your heroes in a situation where they have to rely on their wits and improvization to defeat creatures, but those creatures are really impossible (or at least highly improbable), then I’m going to lose patience with you. **The Cave** – you’re being attacked by man-sized cave-dwelling creatures – how do you get out of it or defeat them. Go up higher? But wait – they can _FLY!_ I’m outta here. (actually, I didn’t. I watched the abysmal thing to the end) But **Dune** never pulled that stuff. I lived with the giant, non-canonical Burrowing Worms in **The Hobbit-- Battle of the Five Armies** because they served the purpose of delivering lots of Orcs to the battlefield. I ignored the ludicrousness of the Graboids in **Tremors** because the film was so good. (I let pass the Sand Sharks in the Outer Limits episode _The Invisible Enemy_ for the same reason.) But if you puncture my Willi=ng Suspension of Disbelief with cross-motives or pointless features, it’s going to be hard to get it back. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943/40 "2022-07-14T19:08:06Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Yeah, this probably the have-wave answer. We know spice lets humans fold space and other stuff, who’s to say it doesn’t let the worms link to some extra-dimensional source of energy? Spice doesn’t let humans fold space. Technological spacecraft engines fold space. Spice gives humans the precognition needed to control those technological engines safely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-peeve-big-underground-monsters/967943.md?page=3)