History Main / AlienAutopsy

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS12E11WorstEpisodeEver Worst Episode Ever]]" sees Bart and Milhouse uncover a secret room in Comic Book Guy's shop which houses a secret stash of bootleg videos and other illegal video clips. Among the video titles mentioned are "Alien Autopsy" and "Illegal Alien Autopsy".

* Subverted on ''Series/{{Tracker}}'', where it appears that the government scientists are going to start dissecting Cole-but the light shining on him warms him enough to wake him up and allow him to hyperspeed out of there.

* Though not an actual autopsy, ''Film/IndependenceDay'' sees Dr. Okun and his colleagues at {{Area 51}} stripping off the [[OrganicTechnology bio-engineered suits]] of an unconscious alien pilot in preparation of one. [[spoiler: The alien wakes up halfway through and has both PsychicPowers and control of the armor's tentacles]]. Three others are said to have been studied in such a manner after the Roswell crash; their remains are kept on display.

* in the "Starcrossed" season 2 finale of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', Earth is attacked by a Gordainian strike ship, which is then rescued by some conveniently close-by Thanagarians. Batman suspects foul play and makes off with the dead Gordainian from inside of the Gordainian ship and begins dissecting it on the Watchtower. Wonder Woman points out that Batman has no knowledge of Gordanian physiology.

* in the "Starcrossed" season 2 finale of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', Earth is attacked by a Gordainian strike ship, which is then rescued by some conveniently close-by Thanagarians. Batman suspects foul play and makes off with the dead Gordainian from inside of the Gordainian ship and begins dissecting it on the Watchtower. Wonder Woman points out that Batman has n knowledge of Gordanian physiology.

* In ''VideoGame/DeadSpace3'', ''you'' get to do this. In Mission 12, the player needs to climb ''into'' a frozen Nexus Necromorph in order to get data from its nervous system.

** In "Relativity Theory", the xenobiologist Teresa Janovitch performs autopsies on two of the aliens killed by other members of the expedition to Tau Gamma Prime.
** In "Manifest Destiny", the UFS ''Mercury'' medical officer Dr. Will Olsten performs an autopsy on one of the Trion bodies kept in cold storage aboard the UFS ''Rhesos''.
** {{Discussed|Trope}} in "Down to Earth". Uma is convinced that the fragment of an alien ship from Area51 is a fake and the UFO community will once again be a laughing stock if it gets out, as it was after it was revealed that the TropeMaker was a hoax.
** Also {{discussed|Trope}} in "A Special Edition". Dr. Avery Strong says, "This isn't an alien autopsy hoax. This is real!" regarding that evidence that he has gathered about secret government experiments.

* This happens offscreen in ''[[Fanfic/StarWarsVsWarhammer40K Star Wars vs. Warhammer 40K]]'' to Ki-Adi-Mundi after he was previously killed in battle with the [[AbsoluteXenophobe Imperium of Man]]. Because the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe is full of RubberForeheadAliens, the Imperium initially believed that Mundi and many other humanoid aliens they killed were mutated humans. They were shocked and more than a little disgusted to learn that this was not the case.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'', when initiating a FirstContact procedure with another empire you have the opportunity to abduct their citizens to perform this (or become a victim of it). The rest of their species will know, and will be ''very'' unhappy with you about it.

* ''VideoGame/{{XCOM}}''

** ''VideoGame/XComTerrorFromTheDeep'' keep autopsies as a key game mechanic, but instead of adding points to your score, they unlock new research projects.
** ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' The bonus granted from getting full satellite coverage of South America, "{{We Have Ways| Of Making You Talk}}," lets alien autopsies be completed instantly, along with alien interrogations, which can be thought of as a form of vivisection (your head scientist is basically sticking probes in a captive alien's brain and getting data from it until it expires). With the ''Enemy Within'' expansion, autopsies also unlock [[LEGOGenetics alien-derived genetic enhancements]] for your soldiers, while your [[MiniMecha MEC Troopers']] "Vital Point Targeting" ability gives them a damage bonus against any aliens you've autopsied.
** ''VideoGame/XCOM2'' continues the trend, with the note that your head scientist is a biochemist, so sometimes his autopsy reports have him admitting he has no idea how a given specimen works. Dr. Tygan also mentions that cutting up dead aliens in his lab gives him practice [[ClosestThingWeGot in case he's called upon to perform surgery on your soldiers.]]

* This happens offscreen in ''[[Fanfic/StarWarsVsWarhammer40k Star Wars vs. Warhammer 40k]]'' to Ki-Adi-Mundi after he was previously killed in battle with the [[AbsoluteXenophobe Imperium of Man]]. Because the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe is full of RubberForeheadAliens, the Imperium initially believed that Mundi and many other humanoid aliens they killed were mutated humans. They were shocked and more than a little disgusted to learn that this was not the case.

* In one episode of ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', we see [[HeadlessHorseman Celty]] watching a documentary on one of these in the background while Shinra speaks on the phone. Celty, as it turns out, [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes is terrified of aliens]]. This despite the fact that she's a Celtic fairy (who might also be a {{Valkyrie|s}}) and may be [[CompleteImmortality completely unkillable]].

* ''Webcomic/CoyoteVille'': [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150906200556/http://www.fatpandakc.com/coyoteville/?p=5 This strip]] has Sean (alongside a few other coyotes) performing an autopsy on an alien... and discovers that its internals have a "creamy nuget center". They end up having a fondue party in the last panel!

* in Creator/AAPessimal's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' and 'Series/TheBigBangTheory'' crossover, ''Fanfic/TheManyWorldsInterpretation''. Johanna Smith-Rhodes, a visitor from the Discworld, is given the non-invasive version by Amy Farrah-Fowler, who is excited by the idea of investigating the brain functions of a genuine bona-fide alien visitor. Assured that scalpels and sutures will not be involved, Johanna subjects herself to CAT-scanning, and Amy discovers this alien is also 100% human.

'''Surgeons:''' (''look at each other for a {{beat}}, then [[MotorMouth saw even faster]]'')

-->'''Zoidberg:''' Don't touch that! I need that to speak!\\
'''Surgeons:''' (''look at each other for a {{beat}}, then saw even faster'')

* ''VideoGame/TerraInvicta'': One of the early story missions for the AbsoluteXenophobe Humanity First faction is to hunt down and dissect an alien.

* The ''VideoGame/UFOAfterblank'' series has this too. Notable in that unlike X-COM's aliens, transgenants are pure NauseaFuel even ''without'' being cut up. On the other hand, the autopsy reports are ''always'' correct about what the transgenant is vulnerable to.
* The Area 51 stage of ''VideoGame/PerfectDark'' has a level which involves rescuing an alien from vivisection, and another (bonus) level involves sabotaging the autopsy of an already dead alien.
* Touring around the Area 51 compound in the original ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater'' will reveal a number of alien artifacts surrounding a skating bowl. Amongst the captured UFO and military paraphernalia is an Alien predictably undergoing an autopsy on an operating table.
* In ''VideoGame/DeadSpace3'', ''you'' get to do this. In Mission 12, the player needs to climb ''into'' a frozen Nexus Necromorph in order to get data from its nervous system.
* ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' expansion ''University'' apparently allows player characters to take a course on this as part of the Biology Major. The course is called Xenobiology and the course description is, "Who's [[AnalProbing probing who]] NOW?"
* In the post game of ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'', there's a text file in the [[SleeperShip Hyperion]] you can find that reveals the humans did this to [[spoiler: the Archon]] after the game's climax. Unlike most examples of the trope, though, the autopsy results also showed that the doctor in charge insisted that the subject be given the same respect and dignity that would be afforded to any human autopsy (with the exception of receiving consent from [[spoiler: the Kett government]]). Her assistants, on the other hand, are a little bit too happy that the bastard is dead, and she has to put her foot down that they can't list the cause of death as "[[OneManArmy Pathfinder]]."
* The fate of Cryptosporidium-136 in ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans'' after his FlyingSaucer was shot down. When Crypto-137 finds his body at [[Area51 Area 42]], it sends him over the edge and makes his war against humanity [[ItsPersonal personal]] where it had once merely been [[PunchClockVillain his job]] and [[CardCarryingVillain something fun to do]]. During the FinalBoss fight, [[TheMenInBlack Silhouette]] also gets in some EvilGloating about personally torturing and [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique interrogating]] Crypto-136 just to twist the knife.
* Referenced and PlayedWith in ''VideoGame/SurgeonSimulator2013'': You open the metal sci-fi capsule with a hiss of steam, the opened alien lies ahead of you with funky internals of all shapes and sizes... but you're a surgeon, not a scientist, and your goal is to perform a transplant of one of several bizarre organs. This might seem like an InvertedTrope, but keep in mind [[BackAlleyDoctor the standard practice for operations]] in this game...

* Referenced in the ''Bec & Kawl'' story arc "Attack Of The Cones" from ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD''. TheGreys who have [[AlienAbduction abducted]] Pierre and suspect him of being a soldier of some sort contemplate killing him with the dialogue at the top of this page serving as their rationale.

* Downplayed, while justified, in ''Film/BattleLosAngeles'' where the alien is still alive as they do the 'Autopsy' to figure out [[AttackItsWeakPoint where its vital organs are]].

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp'' has Dil steal a tape of what is supposed to be an alien autopsy, planning to play at a viewing party he is hosting, but the tape gets destroyed before anything is shown and they have to film a fake one.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "[[Recap/FuturamaS3E19RoswellThatEndsWell Roswell That Ends Well]]", Dr. Zoidberg [[HistoricalInJoke turns out to be the Roswell alien that got cut open]]. However, he's still alive, conscious and unconcerned about the affair, and does things like re-eat the deviled egg removed from his stomach, or after his heart is removed remark "Take, [[BizarreAlienBiology I've got four of them]]."

* On ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', Dib frequently discusses his desire to do this to Zim; Zim himself once had a fearful ImagineSpot about this.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Worst Episode Ever" sees Bart and Milhouse uncover a secret room in Comic Book Guy's shop which houses a secret stash of bootleg videos and other illegal video clips. Among the video titles mentioned are "Alien Autopsy" and "Illegal Alien Autopsy".
* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', according to Ronaldo's CharacterBlog, he once became convinced his younger brother Peedee was one of TheGreys in disguise and tried to do this.

* Subverted in ''Series/{{CSI}}'', when an "alien" that Doc Robbins examines is revealed to be a human body mummified by the desert conditions while inside a grey alien costume. It didn't help that his body was found in a shallow grave in the small town of Rachel, NV, the closest public town to Area51, and they called in Vegas CSI cause they were to small to handle such matters. Doc Robbins' assistant was spooked by the chirping of the man's hearing aid on a low battery. [[spoiler: The killer buried the man in the desert because the man truly believed in alien conspiracies, and he felt the deceased should be buried as close to where he believed they were located as possible.]]

* The TropeMaker is the footage of the alleged AlienAutopsy that occurred after the fateful event in [[RoswellThatEndsWell Roswell, New Mexico]] which eventually became the Creator/{{FOX}} Network's 1995 TV special ''Alien Autopsy: Fact Or Fiction''. The special gained a lot of media attention as well as a lot of criticism for not showing many of the autopsy's significant findings with a lot of the footage appearing extremely pixelated and/or with the examiner blocking the camera's view (or simply cutting away just as something interesting is happening). Over a decade later, the person who originally presented the footage admitted that video wasn't entirely authentic but a re-creation of ''another'' alien autopsy video that he claimed to have once seen with "a few frames" from that "original" video appearing in the one that was showcased in the TV special. As a result, most people tend take this admission as a sign that it was ''all'' a hoax.

'''Pointy-Haired Boss: Then do we use his technology to design our new product?\\