# The best Invaders From Beyond? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044 "2005-07-11T18:50:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/1 "2005-07-11T18:50:16Z")
I finally saw **War of the Worlds** this weekend. Good flick for a summer blockbuster. But I couldn’t help wondering why anyone didn’t just pull Wonder Woman’s trick from the original Justice League cartoon - simply lasso up the tripods unsteady three legs and pull! Anyway, who are (in the Teeming Millions’ inestimble group opinion) the best otherworldly conquerors of Earth? Some contenders are - walking Tripods (“War of the Worlds” - 2005) flying Tripods (“War of the Worlds” - 1953) the Visitors (“V”) the Daleks (Countless “Doctor Who” aliens tried to overthrow Earth, only the ol’ pepperpots succeeded!) li’l green dudes from Mars (“Mars Attacks!” - personally I favor them the most, sheerly on the basis of their punky attitude.) the Living Dead (the original “Night of…” specifies that the dead were reanimated from extra-terrestrial radiation, so they are technically eligible contenders) the Body-Snatchers the triffids the Old Ones (Cthulhu & his ilk, from the world of H.P. Lovecraft) the “to Serve Man” bigheads from “the Twilight Zone.” That’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure I’m missing a bunch more. Who’d I leave out, and who’s YOUR favorite? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/2 "2005-07-11T19:01:38Z")
Whoever it was moved in in John Varley’s series of novels (Picnic on Nearside, Steel Beach, a bunch of others)… nobody’s ever seen them, they just came in and took over the Earth, and the only humans left are the ones who are the descendants of those who were in moon-based (or farther…) colonies. Nothing shows up on telescopes–no buildings, no civilization, nothing. As far as they can tell, it’s as if the human race never existed on Earth any more. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/3 "2005-07-11T19:34:09Z")
The elephant thingies in _Footfall_ The mirror universe crowd from _DS9._ ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/4 "2005-07-11T19:50:55Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The elephant thingies in _Footfall_ That’s what I came in here to say. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/5 "2005-07-11T20:01:15Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > That’s what I came in here to say. Well, I’m sorry. I’m…I’m really sorry. I take back the elephants and keep the DS9 mirror folks. ---
**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 11, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/6 "2005-07-11T20:08:55Z")
The Martians in Fredric Brown’s **Martian, Go Home!** Easily the most annoying invaders _ever_. Not destructibve. Just annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/7 "2005-07-11T20:15:10Z")
While I’ve never seen any of the _War of the Worlds_ movies, the aliens from the book are among the most terrifying of fiction in my opinion. They so overpower the humans that it’s not even a war: it’s just aliens killing humans. The humans only end up surviving because they get lucky. This is unlike the aliens from the movie _Independence Day_ who, while equally overpowering, were defeated by human ingenuity. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/8 "2005-07-11T20:17:35Z")
I like the Overlords from _Childhood’s End_ by Arthur Clarke, personally. Most annoying alien ever would have to be Alf. Coolest invaders ever, I gotta vote for Zeks and Edsel from **Heavy Metal**. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/9 "2005-07-11T20:24:30Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > While I’ve never seen any of the _War of the Worlds_ movies, the aliens from the book are among the most terrifying of fiction in my opinion. They so overpower the humans that it’s not even a war: it’s just aliens killing humans. The humans only end up surviving because they get lucky. This is unlike the aliens from the movie _Independence Day_ who, while equally overpowering, were defeated by human ingenuity. Well, I personally like the idea of humans managing to repel the invaders rather than Welles’ idea of the aliens being humbled by native ‘Earthian’ bacteria. That said though, the defeat of the “Independence Day” was mind-boggling stupid and strained the concept of “suspension of disbelief” beyond the breaking point. (Rehashed so many times in Cafe Society that I won’t bother to do it again.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/10 "2005-07-11T20:30:13Z")
How could I have forgotten [Spaced Invaders](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100666/) as a candidate for most annoyng? ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/11 "2005-07-11T20:32:22Z")
The Blob (Steve McQueen version). When I first saw it, I loved the creature so much I was rooting for it to win. There’s just something cool about a giant, sentient glop of strawberry jelly that eats people. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/12 "2005-07-11T20:45:25Z")
> [@Art Vandelay](#): > > Well, I personally like the idea of humans managing to repel the invaders rather than Welles’ idea of the aliens being humbled by native ‘Earthian’ bacteria. I have a radio “interview” (very obviously scripted, but fun) with Orson Welles and H.G. Wells in the studio together, talking to each other about _War of the Worlds_. The old master commented on the “superfluous ‘e’” in his namesake’s name. I’m sure he’d be very annoyed with you. 😉 For myself, I’ll take Heinlein’s paranoiac “Puppet Masters.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/13 "2005-07-11T20:48:57Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > This is unlike the aliens from the movie _Independence Day_ who, while equally overpowering, were defeated by human ingenuity. No. The aliens from _Independence Day_ were defeated by incredibly **bad** script-writing, not by human ingenuity. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/14 "2005-07-11T20:51:13Z")
Them! ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/15 "2005-07-11T20:53:00Z")
The Decepticons. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/16 "2005-07-11T23:00:57Z")
The Chtorr- actually, the whole damn ecosystem- from Gerrold’s _War Against the Chtorr_ series. I’d really like to see him finish the series sometime in my life. A movie’d be really neat, too- but I can’t even imagine how they’d present a story of that scope. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/17 "2005-07-11T23:14:59Z")
Rumor has it that the 5th book in the Chtorr series is over 160,000 words so far, but is less than half done. I just started re-reading these and did some looking on the intraweb for info… Sure wish he’da picked a better word than “Chtorr” tho… at least something we could all pronounce, even if just in our heads. (I say “tor” btw, and completely ignore the “ch”. Hey, if it can be Brett “Farv” and not “Fav-reh” then it can be “tor”. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/18 "2005-07-11T23:34:37Z")
> [@Art Vandelay](#): > > Well, I personally like the idea of humans managing to repel the invaders rather than Welles’ idea of the aliens being humbled by native ‘Earthian’ bacteria. That said though, the defeat of the “Independence Day” was mind-boggling stupid and strained the concept of “suspension of disbelief” beyond the breaking point. (Rehashed so many times in Cafe Society that I won’t bother to do it again.) I don’t think the ending of _Independence Day_ is any harder to believe than the ending of _The War of the Worlds_. It’s just as unlikely that Aliens would be susceptible to Earth bacteria as it is that their computers would be susceptible to a Macintosh computer virus. I mean, humans and apes aren’t even susceptible to the same diseases in most cases. What are the odds that humans and Martians would be? Admittedly, this is something you might be able to blame on the medical knowledge of the time, but even then they knew that diseases passed from one species to another in rare cases. But, that’s probably an argument for another thread. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/19 "2005-07-12T00:21:06Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > their computers would be susceptible to a Macintosh computer virus. It’s been a long time, but I thought they had to use some of “our” code because they were using our communication satellites. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044/20 "2005-07-12T00:21:52Z")
_Invaders from Mars I Married a Martian from Outer Space The Mysterians_ Aliens from various Godzilla movies I liked the aliens in _It Came From Outer Space_. In the end, we learn that They’re not trying to invade. They’re just trying to repair their ship and get out of here. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-invaders-from-beyond/312044.md?page=2)