# Where did "Nuke 'em from orbit" come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440 "2007-03-11T02:35:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/1 "2007-03-11T02:35:26Z")
I see this phrase roughly every 15 seconds, sometimes with “. . . it’s the only way” tacked on to the end. What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/2 "2007-03-11T02:36:54Z")
Aliens (Alien 2) ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/3 "2007-03-11T02:37:11Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] I see this phrase roughly every 15 seconds, sometimes with “. . . it’s the only way” tacked on to the end. What am I missing? [/QUOTE] It’s a reference to the movie _Aliens_. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/4 "2007-03-11T02:49:24Z")
I believe it’s from the movie _Aliens_. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/5 "2007-03-11T02:49:53Z")
Has anyone mentioned _Aliens_ yet? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/6 "2007-03-11T02:57:52Z")
According to IMDB, the exact quote is: “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.” ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/7 "2007-03-11T03:01:18Z")
[QUOTE=Kat] According to IMDB, the exact quote is: “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.” [/QUOTE] Sounds familiar. I heard that in a movie I think. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/8 "2007-03-11T03:12:09Z")
Any idea what movie it was? ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/9 "2007-03-11T03:12:37Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] Sounds familiar. I heard that in a movie I think. [/QUOTE] Wasn’t that from Aliens? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/10 "2007-03-11T03:18:11Z")
[Quote=Kat] According to IMDB, the exact quote is: “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.” [/Quote] To set the scene, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) says the line after a savage attack by the aliens has decimated the small force of Marines sent to find out what has happened to the colony of humans on the alien’s planet. The smarmy corporate drone (Paul Reiser) who has accompanied them there launches into a speech about how he can’t authorise the destruction of such a vast amount of valuable company property, and turns to the Marine in charge for support. Whereupon the Marine looks at Ripley and, completely deadpan, repeats the line word for word. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/11 "2007-03-11T03:55:46Z")
I think it was a Sci-Fi movie about some Marines that landed on a planet full of **Aliens** , this planet was infested by lizardlike/insectlike **Aliens** that would capture Humans and take them to a room filled with eggs laid by **Aliens** , the **Aliens** would use the humans as incubators so they could produce more **Aliens** … …i think it was called **"The Planet of Evil Lizard-Insect Creatures"** ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/12 "2007-03-11T03:59:47Z")
_Alens II_ Weilding 1920s death rays for 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/13 "2007-03-11T05:19:04Z")
If you’re in doubt as to where a quote came from, you should try using google. It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Andrew\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/da6949/32.png) [@Andrew\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrew_Bird)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/14 "2007-03-11T05:21:12Z")
[QUOTE=MacTech] I think it was a Sci-Fi movie about some Marines that landed on a planet full of **Aliens** , this planet was infested by lizardlike/insectlike **Aliens** that would capture Humans and take them to a room filled with eggs laid by **Aliens** , the **Aliens** would use the humans as incubators so they could produce more **Aliens** … …i think it was called **“The Planet of Evil Lizard-Insect Creatures”** [/QUOTE] Bullshit. You lying scum. It was called **The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down**. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/15 "2007-03-11T05:24:41Z")
First person to mention “Rio” by Duran Duran gets…_d’oh!_ ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/16 "2007-03-11T05:40:10Z")
[QUOTE=Andrew Bird] Bullshit. You lying scum. It was called **The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down**. [/QUOTE] Was that that movie that was like Speed II except with a bus instead of a boat? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/17 "2007-03-11T07:30:52Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] _Alens II_ Weilding 1920s death rays for 20 minutes. [/QUOTE] But if all the salt in the ocean were to cover the surface of the moon, what would the deepest part be? 😃 Has anyone else noticed that the “late night posters” around here have a really weird sense of humor? These threads crack me up every time, but I sometimes wonder if the mods think it’s a bit too close to the line of ‘thread spamming’. Any way we can get an official ruling on that? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/18 "2007-03-11T07:41:38Z")
[QUOTE=Captain\_C] I sometimes wonder if the mods think it’s a bit too close to the line of ‘thread spamming’. Any way we can get an official ruling on that? [/QUOTE] Same as Justice Stewart’s ruling on obscenity. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/19 "2007-03-11T07:45:53Z")
[QUOTE=Captain\_C] Has anyone else noticed that the “late night posters” around here have a really weird sense of humor? [/QUOTE] I take exception to that. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440/20 "2007-03-11T15:31:30Z")
I thought it was from a “Sure” deodorant commercial. I think they did it first. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-nuke-em-from-orbit-come-from/395440.md?page=2)