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[[quoteright:267:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cast-of-men-in-black-the-series_271.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:267:The main cast of Season 4, from left to right: [[SixthRanger Agent X]], [[ActionGirl Agent L]], [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits one of the Worms]], [[TheStoolPigeon Frank the Pug]], [[DaChief Chief Zed]], [[SergeantRock Agent K]], [[GadgeteerGenius Dr. Zan'dozz Zeeltor]], and [[EnsignNewbie Agent J]] ([[MissionControl the Twins]] and [[ArmsDealer Jack Jeebs]] are missing).]]
''Franchise/MenInBlack: [[RecycledTheSeries The Series]]'' (1997-2001) was an animated series spun-off from ''Film/MenInBlack''. It originally aired on Creator/KidsWB
Filling the gap between the first and the second movie (5 years), this series is what fans were left. It was quite successful, and helped jump to popularity some very minor characters from the first movie, such as Frank the Pug and the Worms (which would later [[AscendedExtra appear as important characters]] in ''Men in Black 2'').
It's worth noting this series is actually an AlternateContinuity of the movies, even getting to the point that [[ShowWithinAShow the "MIB movie" is a movie inside the series continuity]]!
This series has spawned one video game. It was last seen in reruns on Creator/TheHub prior to its' rebrand as Discovery Family.
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!!The Animated Series provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: L is no pushover.
* AdiposeRex: The Emperor Worm is taller and fatter than the regular Worms.
* AerithAndBob: The Twins were renamed to Areekareeyuket (pronounced Elcabob) and Bob for the series. During a Christmas episode, the first's name was actually written as a series of mathematical concepts on his Christmas stocking, while the second one was simply written as "[=BOB=]".
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: Agent X is an in-universe example. He's unprecedented in the series, as he's an MIB field agent who's an alien. Zed was previously against alien agents (due to their unfamiliarity with Earth's norms and the potential for exposure), but he was pressured into it to calm down alien rights advocates.
* AlienInvasion: Obviously, the MIB have to thwart multiple hostile takeover attempts of Earth by unfriendly aliens.
* AllCrimesAreEqual: The LawfulStupid Kalifadik enforcers come to Earth to teleport alien fugitives to life imprisonment for any violation, no matter [[MattressTagGag how minor]].
** Partially subverted by the fact that the Kalifadik are breaking more than a few laws by teleporting the criminals over interstellar lines. They justify this by pointing out that they answer only to their own planet's laws.
* AlternateContinuity: L still works for the [=MiB=] (and had been there for a longer time than J, apparently) and is a blonde. K wasn't neuralyzed [[spoiler:or was, and got his memory restored as per the 2nd film]].
* AndIMustScream: Jeebs' race can consistently regenerate, but they need oxygen to do so. At the end of "The Blackguard Syndrome," J blasts Jeebs' brother before he gets sucked out into space. [[spoiler:He gets better in "The Cold Sweat Syndrome," though.]]
* AppendageAssimilation / TheAssimilator: Alpha spends most of his offscreen time dismembering various aliens to integrate them into his own body.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: In "[[HalloweenEpisode The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome]]", Zed insists that monsters and ghosts and the like don't exist, while kids are being abducted by a walking [[PumpkinPerson Jack O'Lantern]] and HQ is experiencing a haunting. [[spoiler:He's right; both occurrences are actually aliens.]]
** In the same episode, Kay is skeptical when Frank the Pug claims that he was bitten by a werewolf, and is afraid that he'll turn into one due to the full moon tonight. [[spoiler:[[BrickJoke In the ending]], [[RealAfterAll Frank shows up again and actually transforms into a wolf-like beast]].]]
* ArtEvolution: J and K got character redesigns after the first season. L became less pale. The Worms also got a lighter yellow color instead of the darker brown they started with.
* AscendedExtra: Jack Jeebs, Frank the Pug, and the Worms. Essentially {{One Scene Wonder}}s in the first movie, but with frequent appearances in the series (each even scoring major episode plotlines to varying degrees). Their status as {{Ascended Extra}}s on the show led to their becoming {{Ascended Extra}}s in the next two movies.
* AttackOnOneIsAnAttackOnAll: In the pilot episode, J accidentally kills a Skraaldian in a sewer. The Skraaldian race have a HiveMind and so their entire race marks J for death and tries to kill him in retribution.
* AvengingTheVillain: In "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", Elle is the target of a bounty by the Bug Queen for killing Edgar in the first film.
* BackToBackBadasses: In the Season 3 episode "The Put Out to Pasture Syndrome", where Jay and Zed are facing against Alpha's mirages.
* BackwardsFiringGun: When facing off against an escaped alien prisoner in "The Take No Prisoners Syndrome", J grabs an unfamiliar alien weapon from the armory and threatens him with it. The Bug sneeringly informs J that he's grabbed a "Sonar Tube" and is holding it backwards. J turns it around, looking at the brace-like structure on the end he's pointing at himself, then points it back at the Bug and pulls the trigger. A small nozzle promptly pops up and aims a targeting laser at J's forehead, forcing him to jerk the blaster up before it nearly takes his head off.
* BadFuture: "The Future's So Bright Syndrome," where a tyrannical Worm has conquered Earth and is overseeing the extermination of the human race.
* BatmanColdOpen: Almost every episode opened with J and K on a mission unrelated to the main plot.
* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: In "The Little Big Man Syndrome", Kay reveals that Music/JohnLennon, MartinLutherKingJr and Raffi are/were Arquillians.
-->'''Jay:''' Wait, John Lennon was an alien? What's Music/{{Ringo|Starr}}?
-->'''Kay:''' The drummer.
* BigNo: Twice by K in "The Alpha Syndrome".
** Also one from "J" in "The Big Sleep Syndrome" when L sacrifices herself by getting shot by J's gun held by the alien in J's dream, in order to force J to snap out of it.
* BodyHorror: Alpha steals alien body parts and integrates them with his own. His first appearance no less has him stealing a Sintillian heart. With each appearance, Alpha himself would look less and less human.
* BountyHunter: Buzzard is an alien mercenary who hunts down and captures other targeted aliens for cash.
* BringMyBrownPants: "I'm evacuating as we speak!"
* BrokenPedestal: Alpha was the one who had trained Agent K before becoming one of the [=MiB's=] worst enemies.
* ButtMonkey: If something bad happens, it almost always happens to J.
* CainAndAbel: Dak and Jeebs.
* CastingGag: Vincent D'Onofrio as all featured male Bugs.
** In "The I Married An Alien Syndrome", the woman who [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin married an alien in disguise]] is voiced by [[Series/MorkAndMindy Pam Dawber]].
* CelebrityParadox: In "The Star System Syndrome," an agent proclaims "We've got Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Rip Torn." Later in the episode, the Worms disguise themselves as a Mr. (Lowell) Cunningham and wind up pitching a movie about "well-dressed men and women" who police "bad aliens" on Earth.
-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first town.
-->'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movies over and over!
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: A mix of this and AdaptationalHeroism. The Arquillians are described as being a race of pacifists in this series; whereas in the first film, they were [[TheEmpire an empire]] that was very willing to threaten Earth's destruction, in order to stop the Bug from stealing their galaxy if the MIB failed to retrieve and return it to them.
* TheChewToy: Jeebs. Every time he appears, count on a body part needing to be re-grown.
-->"That ''really'' stings!"
* ChristmasEpisode: "The Black Christmas Syndrome," where MIB has to save SantaClaus from Drekk.
* ChronicallyCrashedCar: The LTD suffers from an unfortunate number of catastrophic accidents.
* CloningBlues: The Quick Clones, which provide perfect copies of any human being, right down to their physical abilities, memories and mannerisms... [[ImMelting for a while, anyway]]. See CloneDegeneration.
* CloneDegeneration: The Quick Clones have a time limit. Once they run out of juice (or if you press the button behind their ear), they start babbling gibberish and quickly dissolve into coffee-colored gunk.
* ClothingDamage: "The Hots for Jay Syndrome" to J, twice. Having fire sprout from your skin tends to do that. The first time they quickly got him some heat-resistant clothing, but falling to Earth from orbit overwhelmed even that.
* CursedWithAwesome: J was in a hurry to lose his agility superpowers for no conceivable reason.
* {{Cyborg}}: In the last season, Alpha makes himself one of these - reasoning that flesh ultimately decays.
* DawsonCasting:[[invoked]] "The Back to School Syndrome" has J go undercover as a high school student.
* DeadpanSnarker: Pretty much everyone.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In "The Alpha Syndrome", when a quick clone disintegrates, only the clone's body breaks down, leaving everything else, e.g. their clothes, unscathed. Starting in "The Quick Clone Syndrome", we see that ''everything'' on the clone breaks down with it.
* ETGaveUsWiFi: A plot point in several episodes where advanced alien technology humans won't be ready for until several decades/centuries causes serious trouble, most notably the Cosmic Integrator that allows Alpha to [[MugglePower chop up alien parts and tack them onto himself]]. It is also implied that some familiar technologies, including the 8-track tape and the Clapper, were alien inventions.
* EvilBrit: Alpha, just like virtually anyone else voiced by Creator/DavidWarner.
* EvilCounterpart: Fmecks, who are evil counterparts to the Arquillians.
* ExpendableClone: The Quick Clones, as noted above. In one episode it's shown that quick clones start out as a vat of the same goo they dissolve into, so its possible that it could even be ''recyclable''.
* FantasticRacism: Pretty much the bedrock of a lot of the alien conflicts in the series, most notably the Fmecks and their obsession with wiping out the Arquillians. A rare human example is [[spoiler:Edmund Clark Moffet, a paranoid alien conspiracy theorist who sought to erase [=MiB=] from existence to keep aliens off Earth]].
* FifteenMinutesOfFame: Agent X called for a TV crew from his home planet so they'd make him the star of their show. Being unable to get rid of them, Zed punished X by offering a chance to have K instead of X as the star, which they quickly accepted. As J pointed out, fame was so fickle that X didn't even have fifteen minutes of it.
* {{Flanderization}}:
** J also gets hit hard. The series stuck with the "new, inexperienced agent" role from the first movie, but J basically never grew out of it. There was a total of one episode where he seemed to actually become competent, which was forgotten by the next.
** K, as well. Movie K was a relatively dry-humored straight man, but Series K is downright emotionless most of the time.
** The Worms and their obsession with coffee, though it helps that the reason for that obsession is also explained (on their planet, only royalty is allowed to drink it).
* ForeignQueasine: Oddly inverted when Jay and Kay are asking some alien cabbies about a suspect, the aliens are disgusted by the pair eating average Earth cuisine.
-->'''Cabbie:''' "Human food, can you believe they actually ''eat'' that?"
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Or as a completely different alien species. Additionally, a good chunk of monsters in movies are actually alien actors in their birthday suits.
* FreezeRay: The Icer, one of the more often-used weapons, which is frequently used to [[HarmlessFreezing non-lethally]] subdue and capture enemies. Special notice should go to the fact that [[BeyondTheImpossible it can freeze fire]].
* FriendInTheBlackMarket / HonestJohnsDealership: Jeebs. Which he is varies, depending on just what item he has in stock.
* GetItOverWith: Alpha fully expects [=MIB=] to kill him once he's BroughtDownToNormal, and all but ''orders'' his old co-workers to finish him. Zed and Kay decline.
-->'''Zed:''' You're a mere mortal now. You'll be punished like one.
-->'''Kay:''' Lock 'im up.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: Jeebs provides this, as his race can regenerate from anything (even being reduced to gelatinous goo!) as long as oxygen is available and he can survive just fine even if there isn't.
* GrandFinale: "The Endgame Syndrome" two-parter.
* GroinAttack: L does this to a ''bug''. "Soft underbelly," indeed.
* HalloweenEpisode: "The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome," where Jay and the trick-or-treating Worms encounter a being preying on children, while spooky occurrences plague MIB headquarters.
* HealingFactor: Jeebs.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: In "The Opening Gambit Syndrome," we see the reason why the Ixions didn't invade thirty years earlier. [[spoiler:Alpha struck a deal with Vengiss to get the Ixions Earth's oil deposits in exchange for him getting control of Earth. However, plans changed because of ''Zed''. He had been investigating Vengiss' presence on Earth and was about to crack everything wide open. If he had, Alpha knew MIB would defeat the Ixions - thus prompting a delay until the organization's guard would be down.]]
* HiveMind:
** The Skraaldians all behave as a single entity. If one of them is killed, the rest of its kind will seek vengeance on the perpetrator.
** One episode involved PlantAliens who are a mixture of this trope and TheVirus. They reproduce as parasitic spores that infect other species, and the victims become dedicated to assimilating others into their collective.
** The Bugs are an insectoid species part of a literal hive ruled by a Queen, and are described as having a "hive mind". But despite this, they can think as individuals and even betray each other.
* HotScientist: L fulfills this role.
* HollywoodSilencer: Jay uses a kind of silencer on the noisy cricket, which reduces [[LawOfInverseRecoil the massive recoil]].
* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: A variation happens when J, fumbling around trying to return K's neuralyzer, accidentally zaps off the last three or so decades of his memory.
* InformedJudaism: Frank
* ISayWhatISay: When J meets his Quick Clone.
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All episode titles are a variation on "The _____ Syndrome".
* ImMelting: See CloneDegeneration.
* ImmortalLifeIsCheap: Jeebs and his brother.
* {{Jerkass}}: Agent X.
* KarmaHoudini:
** The Worms frequently don't get much punishment for the mischief they cause.
** [[spoiler:Vengiss in the GrandFinale. He gets away even after triggering a weapon designed to destroy all of Earth.]]
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: K consistently refers to J as "Slick" throughout the series, though this is averted a couple rare times.
** He apparently has an entire scale of these to rank his partner.
-->'''K:''' Nicely done, Sparky.
-->'''J:''' What happened to Slick?
-->'''K:''' You have to work your way back up to Slick.
* LatexPerfection: Many human suits for aliens.
* LighterAndSofter: There's very few fatalities in the show; even most InnocentBystanders are shown to only be webbed up, not killed.
** HUMAN fatalities, anyway. They're quite happy blowing up particularly monstrous-looking aliens in all sorts of gruesome ways.
* MadScientist: Zeeltor.
-->'''J:''' You can't just operate on people without their permission!
-->'''Zeeltor:''' I'm pretty sure I can. I do it all the time.
* MathematiciansAnswer: This conversation from "The Little Big Man Syndrome".
-->'''J:''' John Lennon was an Arquilian! What's Ringo?
-->'''K''' and '''Cyrus:''' The Drummer.
* MattressTagGag: One episode features an alien race that's downright obsessive about law and order, complete with an ultra-brutal gulag for housing the many, many lawbreakers they round up. How strict are they? When Jay finds himself in the prison, he asks a fellow inmate [[WhatAreYouInFor what he's in for]], and, well, it turns out they take their mattress tags very seriously.
* MuggingTheMonster: In "The Back to School Syndrome," a pair of {{Jerk Jock}}s take to bullying an undercover J. They turn out to be aliens, but they're unaware that J is MIB.
* MustHaveCaffeine: The Worms in MIB absolutely love it -- apparently coffee is a drink reserved for royalty on their home planet.
* MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: The Worm Emperor in "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome". His first line in English is "Flubbery will get you underwear."
* MythologyGag:
** The first episode has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment where the alien that K and his previous partner busted at the beginning of the first movie is getting booked at [=MiB=] headquarters. He sees K and tries to lunge at him.
** "The Star System Syndrome" shows an in-universe ''Men In Black'' movie, with Agents Smith & Jones more closely resembling Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones than the cartoon's character designs. Earlier in the episode, a movie producer was talking about getting Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rip Torn for a film.
*** When the Worm Guys make their pitch, they're introduced as "Mr. Cunningham", referencing ''Men in Black'' creator Lowell Cunningham.
** In "The "J" is for James Syndrome," the neuralyzed J is made an agent again. What follows is a montage of putting on the suit, followed by:
--->'''J:''' Y'know the difference between you and me?\\
'''K:''' You make this look good.\\
'''J:''' How'd you know I was gonna say that?
** In "The Breaking News Syndrome," Zed summarizes MIB's mission as to "protect the Earth from the scum of the universe" (quoting the movie's tagline).
* NeverSayDie: Averted, more often than not.
* TheNeedless: It's revealed that Jeebs (whose species can regenerate from being blown to pieces) and his PsychoForHire brother don't need to eat. Then the former brags that they don't even need to breathe oxygen to live, [[spoiler:only to regenerate. Since they're in space at the time, J promptly opens the airlock and shoots said brother.]]
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Why Jeebs regularly does business with enemies of MIB.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: K constantly refers to J as "Slick." He [[ThrowTheDogABone throws him a bone]] a couple times, though.
* OrganTheft: Alpha needs replacement parts...
* OutOfOrder: "The Musical Chairs Syndrome" was the fifth produced episode in Season 4, but was aired first. It shows L being made a field agent. Consequently, "The Future's So Bright Syndrome" was produced first and features L explicitly asking Zed for a transfer to field agent.
** Inverted example: "The Zero to Superhero Syndrome" was produced second in Season 4, but features Zeeltor before his introduction in "The Musical Chairs Syndrome." Fair enough, as the former was aired later in the season, but reruns air in production order, so yeah.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: Alpha.
* PowerWalk: J and K do this in the opening sequence.
* PsychoPrototype: Alpha.
* ReedRichardsIsUseless: MIB is full of advanced technology that would effortlessly transform the world, but is largely kept under lock and key...because [[TheWorldIsNotReady Earth simply isn't ready]]. MIB examines each piece of technology carefully and selects an appropriate time (sometimes even centuries away) for when humans will be ready to handle it.
* RetGone: What one villain tries to do to MIB's founding members and thus the organization.
* RippleEffectProofMemory: Justified as a side-effect of brain-enhancing AppliedPhlebotinum that enables Jay to notice that someone's messing with the timeline of [=MiB=] and point it out to the rest of his unaware colleagues.
* RunningGag:
** J and K claim to belong to various civil organizations when introducing themselves to civilians, but they always add "Division 6".
** K '''never''' allows J to drive the Ford LTD car (even if circumstances should ever impair K's ability to drive, he ''still'' won't let J do it). The one time J got to do it was without authorization, and it got him (temporarily) kicked out of the organization. And the one time he did have authorization, he was actually driving a shape-shifting alien that tried to kill him.
** [[BoomHeadshot Shooting off]] [[YourHeadAsplode Jeebs' head]] in every one of his appearances, followed by him [[HealingFactor instantly regenerating]] and complaining of how much it hurts.
** Whenever Frank the Pug is around, others will mockingly joke and comment about his dog-like appearance and mannerisms, much to his chagrin ("I only ''look like'' a dog!").
** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drive almost every subplot they're involved in, as they often sneak along on J's and K's missions just to obtain some coffee, [[IdiotPlot and they invariably cause a lot of trouble along the way]].
* SanDimasTime:
** In one episode, they have to stop an out-of-control alien in the past before it destroys a city in the present.
** Another has a ConspiracyTheorist going back in time and kidnapping MIB founders. Nobody except J (who has a [[MyBrainIsBig intelligence bump]] due to an ImportedAlienPhlebotinum) can remember them or how MIB is being affected by their disappearance. Oh, and [[RaceAgainstTheClock he only has 22 hours before his intelligence bump kills him]].
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Alpha tried to justify taking the cosmic integrator, not approved for human use for 1000 years, this way.
* SealedEvilInACan: "The Out To Pasture Syndrome" ends with Alpha becoming this, being incarcerated in a chamber at MIB headquarters. Agent J is tricked into releasing him in "The Opening Gambit Syndrome".
* SerialEscalation: In "The Irritable Bow Wow Syndrome", Kay tried to neutralize the alien terrorist with a pistol. Then he put on a rocket launcher attachment to the pistol. ''Then'' he brought out the {{BFG}}.
* ShesGotLegs: Agent L, from what we see of her. Usually more evident if she's out in the field.
* ShoutOut: In "The Inanimate Syndrome", an alien that can turn itself into any inanimate object tries to hide as a mannequin. The mannequin's head gets knocked off and proceeds to [[Film/TheThing1982 sprout spider legs and crawl away]].
** In "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome", when the Emperor Worm is disguised as a human, [[MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels with limited fluency in English]], one of the worms tries to tell the hotel concierge [[Series/FawltyTowers "He's from Barcelona."]]
** In "The Cold Sweat Syndrome", Alpha and Kay paraphrase lines directly from ''Film/GoldenEye'':
-->'''Alpha:''' Why can't you be a good agent and die?
-->'''Kay:''' You first.
* SiblingRivalry: All Bugs are the offspring of their Queen, and in "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", they squabble over the bounty on Agent L for killing Edgar. It culminates in [[spoiler:the Worms manipulating two of the Bugs into [[CainAndAbel ironically killing another one of their own brothers]], which could spark a civil war among their kin]].
* SpaceJews:
** During the ChristmasEpisode, Jay gives Frank the Pug a gift, and he reveals he's Jewish. In other words, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Frank is literally a Jew from outer space]]!
** The Hyperians are a race of Space Egyptians. They sent a scout to Earth a few thousand years ago, who was [[AncientAstronauts disguised as a mummy in an actual Egyptian tomb]].
** Another episode involved Imperia, a planet of Space Romans who enjoy hosting GladiatorGames in a Colosseum-style stadium.
* SpareBodyParts: Sintillians have two hearts, and are functionally immortal so long as both are working and "no-one drops a piano on them". K makes it clear to J that this doesn't make the OrganTheft any better. "You have ten toes. You woke up with one missing, how would you feel?"
* SpotlightStealingSquad: Practically every episode in the later seasons featured a Worms subplot, if they weren't involved in the main plot.
* SpotTheThread: In "The Put Out To Pasture Syndrome" [[spoiler:Jay noticed Zed's eyes didn't look quite right after being Neuralized. Later when it was revealed it was a set up to lure Alpha into a trap and Zed wasn't neuralized, Jay commented on the eyes not being glossy like all other times. [[OhCrap Because Alpha got the information from reading Jay's mind, he might have picked up on that as well]]]].
* SuperSpeed: J gets this in one episode. See TakenForGranite for details.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Zed has this attitude in several episodes, most notably the Halloween episode.
* SurpriseCheckmate: In "The Opening Gambit Syndrome", J tries to get information out of the imprisoned Alpha by offering to play chess with him. He's checkmated twice by the same distraction tactic. After Alpha escapes, he applies the same tactic to reality - this time, J sees it coming.
* TakeThat:
** The end of "The Star System Syndrome" sees Hollywood making a rather accurate movie about the Men in Black.
-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first time.\\
'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movie.
** Frank the Pug claims he's way uglier than Cindy Crawford. Jay agrees that she's hideous and has to find out if Frank can live up to his claims.
* TakenForGranite: Agent K in one episode. As a result of exposure to an activated [[AmplifierArtifact Alien Amplifier Device]]. Lampshaded by Agent L at the end, invoking the title pun no less. K was not amused.
* TalkativeLoon: The Quick-Clones, as the first sign of CloneDegeneration.
* TeleporterAccident: In "The Worm-Guy Guy Syndrome", Jay and one of the Worms are both simultaneously sent through opposite ends of a portal. The result is that their molecules get switched around, causing Jay and the Worm to [[SlowTransformation gradually become mutant hybrids of each other]] (complete with exchanging their personality traits).
* ThrownOutTheAirlock: Happens to Jeebs' brother; J saves Jeebs before he gets thrown out.
* TheUnmasquedWorld: [[spoiler:During the GrandFinale, an unmatched alien threat leads to [=MiB=] revealing the existence of aliens to the entire world, so that the entire planet can fight for survival. Then subverted, when the [=MiB=] are being honored by the American government, and J points out that everyone on Earth is watching the ceremony, so Z & K take the opportunity to neuralise the entire planet.]]
* TheWorldIsNotReady: [=MiB=] decides if and when certain alien technologies (like microwaves and time travel devices) will [[ReedRichardsIsUseless make it to market]].
* TimeyWimeyBall: Don't think about the time travel too much.
---> ''"Don't touch that!!!"''
* TrashTheSet: [[spoiler:The first half of the GrandFinale ends with [=MiB=] HQ being destroyed.]]
* UnflinchingFaithInTheBrakes: K and a crashing spaceship.
* WeaponizedLandmark: Downplayed example: The Statue of Liberty has a giant neuralyzer in her torch.
* WeWouldHaveToldYouBut
* WhatAreYouInFor: See MattressTagGag above.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Zig-zagged. While most aliens on Earth are peaceful by nature, some are [[AlwaysChaoticEvil far from it]] and treated as the menaces they are.
* WhoEvenNeedsABrain: In one episode, Zed had his brain stolen. His body is able to keep functioning, albeit without any direction, because alien technology kept the two linked even at a distance. "Alpha has a sick sense of humor."
* WhosOnFirst: Comes up whenever Agent U is needed. J got around it by figuring out U's real name, since there aren't that many names beginning with 'U' for men. Averted with K.
* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: The alien race who are zealots about law and order, seen under MattressTagGag above, J asks both K and the cop from the world they captured why anyone would go to this world when it has such strict policies, K and the cop reply in unison: "The beaches."
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Once per episode it seems. Granted it is a kid's show.
* WreathedInFlames: The episode "The Hots for Jay Syndrome" has Jay gaining fire powers after eating alien food. Surprisingly, this was actually treated like a ''bad'' thing. All that energy has to come from somewhere, and in Jay's case was being leeched from every cell of his body. It would have killed him if it hadn't been reversed.
* YouHateWhatYouAre: Alpha is a self-loathing human and has been forcibly grafting alien body parts onto himself in an effort to gradually remake himself as the ultimate Frankenstein monster of alien parts, and become functionally immortal. In one episode Alpha actually grumbles about how unhappy he is that he still has parts that are from his own "stupid" species.
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: J and K's reaction to the [=MiB=] movie trailer starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.
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[[caption-width-right:267:The main cast of Season 4, from left to right: [[SixthRanger Agent X]], [[ActionGirl Agent L]], [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits one of the Worms]], [[TheStoolPigeon Frank the Pug]], [[DaChief Chief Zed]], [[SergeantRock Agent K]], [[GadgeteerGenius Dr. Zan'dozz Zeeltor]], and [[EnsignNewbie Agent J]] ([[MissionControl the Twins]] and [[ArmsDealer Jack Jeebs]] are missing).]]
''Franchise/MenInBlack: [[RecycledTheSeries The Series]]'' (1997-2001) was an animated series spun-off from ''Film/MenInBlack''. It originally aired on Creator/KidsWB
Filling the gap between the first and the second movie (5 years), this series is what fans were left. It was quite successful, and helped jump to popularity some very minor characters from the first movie, such as Frank the Pug and the Worms (which would later [[AscendedExtra appear as important characters]] in ''Men in Black 2'').
It's worth noting this series is actually an AlternateContinuity of the movies, even getting to the point that [[ShowWithinAShow the "MIB movie" is a movie inside the series continuity]]!
This series has spawned one video game. It was last seen in reruns on Creator/TheHub prior to its' rebrand as Discovery Family.
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!!The Animated Series provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: L is no pushover.
* AdiposeRex: The Emperor Worm is taller and fatter than the regular Worms.
* AerithAndBob: The Twins were renamed to Areekareeyuket (pronounced Elcabob) and Bob for the series. During a Christmas episode, the first's name was actually written as a series of mathematical concepts on his Christmas stocking, while the second one was simply written as "[=BOB=]".
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: Agent X is an in-universe example. He's unprecedented in the series, as he's an MIB field agent who's an alien. Zed was previously against alien agents (due to their unfamiliarity with Earth's norms and the potential for exposure), but he was pressured into it to calm down alien rights advocates.
* AlienInvasion: Obviously, the MIB have to thwart multiple hostile takeover attempts of Earth by unfriendly aliens.
* AllCrimesAreEqual: The LawfulStupid Kalifadik enforcers come to Earth to teleport alien fugitives to life imprisonment for any violation, no matter [[MattressTagGag how minor]].
** Partially subverted by the fact that the Kalifadik are breaking more than a few laws by teleporting the criminals over interstellar lines. They justify this by pointing out that they answer only to their own planet's laws.
* AlternateContinuity: L still works for the [=MiB=] (and had been there for a longer time than J, apparently) and is a blonde. K wasn't neuralyzed [[spoiler:or was, and got his memory restored as per the 2nd film]].
* AndIMustScream: Jeebs' race can consistently regenerate, but they need oxygen to do so. At the end of "The Blackguard Syndrome," J blasts Jeebs' brother before he gets sucked out into space. [[spoiler:He gets better in "The Cold Sweat Syndrome," though.]]
* AppendageAssimilation / TheAssimilator: Alpha spends most of his offscreen time dismembering various aliens to integrate them into his own body.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: In "[[HalloweenEpisode The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome]]", Zed insists that monsters and ghosts and the like don't exist, while kids are being abducted by a walking [[PumpkinPerson Jack O'Lantern]] and HQ is experiencing a haunting. [[spoiler:He's right; both occurrences are actually aliens.]]
** In the same episode, Kay is skeptical when Frank the Pug claims that he was bitten by a werewolf, and is afraid that he'll turn into one due to the full moon tonight. [[spoiler:[[BrickJoke In the ending]], [[RealAfterAll Frank shows up again and actually transforms into a wolf-like beast]].]]
* ArtEvolution: J and K got character redesigns after the first season. L became less pale. The Worms also got a lighter yellow color instead of the darker brown they started with.
* AscendedExtra: Jack Jeebs, Frank the Pug, and the Worms. Essentially {{One Scene Wonder}}s in the first movie, but with frequent appearances in the series (each even scoring major episode plotlines to varying degrees). Their status as {{Ascended Extra}}s on the show led to their becoming {{Ascended Extra}}s in the next two movies.
* AttackOnOneIsAnAttackOnAll: In the pilot episode, J accidentally kills a Skraaldian in a sewer. The Skraaldian race have a HiveMind and so their entire race marks J for death and tries to kill him in retribution.
* AvengingTheVillain: In "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", Elle is the target of a bounty by the Bug Queen for killing Edgar in the first film.
* BackToBackBadasses: In the Season 3 episode "The Put Out to Pasture Syndrome", where Jay and Zed are facing against Alpha's mirages.
* BackwardsFiringGun: When facing off against an escaped alien prisoner in "The Take No Prisoners Syndrome", J grabs an unfamiliar alien weapon from the armory and threatens him with it. The Bug sneeringly informs J that he's grabbed a "Sonar Tube" and is holding it backwards. J turns it around, looking at the brace-like structure on the end he's pointing at himself, then points it back at the Bug and pulls the trigger. A small nozzle promptly pops up and aims a targeting laser at J's forehead, forcing him to jerk the blaster up before it nearly takes his head off.
* BadFuture: "The Future's So Bright Syndrome," where a tyrannical Worm has conquered Earth and is overseeing the extermination of the human race.
* BatmanColdOpen: Almost every episode opened with J and K on a mission unrelated to the main plot.
* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: In "The Little Big Man Syndrome", Kay reveals that Music/JohnLennon, MartinLutherKingJr and Raffi are/were Arquillians.
-->'''Jay:''' Wait, John Lennon was an alien? What's Music/{{Ringo|Starr}}?
-->'''Kay:''' The drummer.
* BigNo: Twice by K in "The Alpha Syndrome".
** Also one from "J" in "The Big Sleep Syndrome" when L sacrifices herself by getting shot by J's gun held by the alien in J's dream, in order to force J to snap out of it.
* BodyHorror: Alpha steals alien body parts and integrates them with his own. His first appearance no less has him stealing a Sintillian heart. With each appearance, Alpha himself would look less and less human.
* BountyHunter: Buzzard is an alien mercenary who hunts down and captures other targeted aliens for cash.
* BringMyBrownPants: "I'm evacuating as we speak!"
* BrokenPedestal: Alpha was the one who had trained Agent K before becoming one of the [=MiB's=] worst enemies.
* ButtMonkey: If something bad happens, it almost always happens to J.
* CainAndAbel: Dak and Jeebs.
* CastingGag: Vincent D'Onofrio as all featured male Bugs.
** In "The I Married An Alien Syndrome", the woman who [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin married an alien in disguise]] is voiced by [[Series/MorkAndMindy Pam Dawber]].
* CelebrityParadox: In "The Star System Syndrome," an agent proclaims "We've got Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Rip Torn." Later in the episode, the Worms disguise themselves as a Mr. (Lowell) Cunningham and wind up pitching a movie about "well-dressed men and women" who police "bad aliens" on Earth.
-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first town.
-->'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movies over and over!
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: A mix of this and AdaptationalHeroism. The Arquillians are described as being a race of pacifists in this series; whereas in the first film, they were [[TheEmpire an empire]] that was very willing to threaten Earth's destruction, in order to stop the Bug from stealing their galaxy if the MIB failed to retrieve and return it to them.
* TheChewToy: Jeebs. Every time he appears, count on a body part needing to be re-grown.
-->"That ''really'' stings!"
* ChristmasEpisode: "The Black Christmas Syndrome," where MIB has to save SantaClaus from Drekk.
* ChronicallyCrashedCar: The LTD suffers from an unfortunate number of catastrophic accidents.
* CloningBlues: The Quick Clones, which provide perfect copies of any human being, right down to their physical abilities, memories and mannerisms... [[ImMelting for a while, anyway]]. See CloneDegeneration.
* CloneDegeneration: The Quick Clones have a time limit. Once they run out of juice (or if you press the button behind their ear), they start babbling gibberish and quickly dissolve into coffee-colored gunk.
* ClothingDamage: "The Hots for Jay Syndrome" to J, twice. Having fire sprout from your skin tends to do that. The first time they quickly got him some heat-resistant clothing, but falling to Earth from orbit overwhelmed even that.
* CursedWithAwesome: J was in a hurry to lose his agility superpowers for no conceivable reason.
* {{Cyborg}}: In the last season, Alpha makes himself one of these - reasoning that flesh ultimately decays.
* DawsonCasting:[[invoked]] "The Back to School Syndrome" has J go undercover as a high school student.
* DeadpanSnarker: Pretty much everyone.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In "The Alpha Syndrome", when a quick clone disintegrates, only the clone's body breaks down, leaving everything else, e.g. their clothes, unscathed. Starting in "The Quick Clone Syndrome", we see that ''everything'' on the clone breaks down with it.
* ETGaveUsWiFi: A plot point in several episodes where advanced alien technology humans won't be ready for until several decades/centuries causes serious trouble, most notably the Cosmic Integrator that allows Alpha to [[MugglePower chop up alien parts and tack them onto himself]]. It is also implied that some familiar technologies, including the 8-track tape and the Clapper, were alien inventions.
* EvilBrit: Alpha, just like virtually anyone else voiced by Creator/DavidWarner.
* EvilCounterpart: Fmecks, who are evil counterparts to the Arquillians.
* ExpendableClone: The Quick Clones, as noted above. In one episode it's shown that quick clones start out as a vat of the same goo they dissolve into, so its possible that it could even be ''recyclable''.
* FantasticRacism: Pretty much the bedrock of a lot of the alien conflicts in the series, most notably the Fmecks and their obsession with wiping out the Arquillians. A rare human example is [[spoiler:Edmund Clark Moffet, a paranoid alien conspiracy theorist who sought to erase [=MiB=] from existence to keep aliens off Earth]].
* FifteenMinutesOfFame: Agent X called for a TV crew from his home planet so they'd make him the star of their show. Being unable to get rid of them, Zed punished X by offering a chance to have K instead of X as the star, which they quickly accepted. As J pointed out, fame was so fickle that X didn't even have fifteen minutes of it.
* {{Flanderization}}:
** J also gets hit hard. The series stuck with the "new, inexperienced agent" role from the first movie, but J basically never grew out of it. There was a total of one episode where he seemed to actually become competent, which was forgotten by the next.
** K, as well. Movie K was a relatively dry-humored straight man, but Series K is downright emotionless most of the time.
** The Worms and their obsession with coffee, though it helps that the reason for that obsession is also explained (on their planet, only royalty is allowed to drink it).
* ForeignQueasine: Oddly inverted when Jay and Kay are asking some alien cabbies about a suspect, the aliens are disgusted by the pair eating average Earth cuisine.
-->'''Cabbie:''' "Human food, can you believe they actually ''eat'' that?"
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Or as a completely different alien species. Additionally, a good chunk of monsters in movies are actually alien actors in their birthday suits.
* FreezeRay: The Icer, one of the more often-used weapons, which is frequently used to [[HarmlessFreezing non-lethally]] subdue and capture enemies. Special notice should go to the fact that [[BeyondTheImpossible it can freeze fire]].
* FriendInTheBlackMarket / HonestJohnsDealership: Jeebs. Which he is varies, depending on just what item he has in stock.
* GetItOverWith: Alpha fully expects [=MIB=] to kill him once he's BroughtDownToNormal, and all but ''orders'' his old co-workers to finish him. Zed and Kay decline.
-->'''Zed:''' You're a mere mortal now. You'll be punished like one.
-->'''Kay:''' Lock 'im up.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: Jeebs provides this, as his race can regenerate from anything (even being reduced to gelatinous goo!) as long as oxygen is available and he can survive just fine even if there isn't.
* GrandFinale: "The Endgame Syndrome" two-parter.
* GroinAttack: L does this to a ''bug''. "Soft underbelly," indeed.
* HalloweenEpisode: "The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome," where Jay and the trick-or-treating Worms encounter a being preying on children, while spooky occurrences plague MIB headquarters.
* HealingFactor: Jeebs.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: In "The Opening Gambit Syndrome," we see the reason why the Ixions didn't invade thirty years earlier. [[spoiler:Alpha struck a deal with Vengiss to get the Ixions Earth's oil deposits in exchange for him getting control of Earth. However, plans changed because of ''Zed''. He had been investigating Vengiss' presence on Earth and was about to crack everything wide open. If he had, Alpha knew MIB would defeat the Ixions - thus prompting a delay until the organization's guard would be down.]]
* HiveMind:
** The Skraaldians all behave as a single entity. If one of them is killed, the rest of its kind will seek vengeance on the perpetrator.
** One episode involved PlantAliens who are a mixture of this trope and TheVirus. They reproduce as parasitic spores that infect other species, and the victims become dedicated to assimilating others into their collective.
** The Bugs are an insectoid species part of a literal hive ruled by a Queen, and are described as having a "hive mind". But despite this, they can think as individuals and even betray each other.
* HotScientist: L fulfills this role.
* HollywoodSilencer: Jay uses a kind of silencer on the noisy cricket, which reduces [[LawOfInverseRecoil the massive recoil]].
* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: A variation happens when J, fumbling around trying to return K's neuralyzer, accidentally zaps off the last three or so decades of his memory.
* InformedJudaism: Frank
* ISayWhatISay: When J meets his Quick Clone.
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All episode titles are a variation on "The _____ Syndrome".
* ImMelting: See CloneDegeneration.
* ImmortalLifeIsCheap: Jeebs and his brother.
* {{Jerkass}}: Agent X.
* KarmaHoudini:
** The Worms frequently don't get much punishment for the mischief they cause.
** [[spoiler:Vengiss in the GrandFinale. He gets away even after triggering a weapon designed to destroy all of Earth.]]
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: K consistently refers to J as "Slick" throughout the series, though this is averted a couple rare times.
** He apparently has an entire scale of these to rank his partner.
-->'''K:''' Nicely done, Sparky.
-->'''J:''' What happened to Slick?
-->'''K:''' You have to work your way back up to Slick.
* LatexPerfection: Many human suits for aliens.
* LighterAndSofter: There's very few fatalities in the show; even most InnocentBystanders are shown to only be webbed up, not killed.
** HUMAN fatalities, anyway. They're quite happy blowing up particularly monstrous-looking aliens in all sorts of gruesome ways.
* MadScientist: Zeeltor.
-->'''J:''' You can't just operate on people without their permission!
-->'''Zeeltor:''' I'm pretty sure I can. I do it all the time.
* MathematiciansAnswer: This conversation from "The Little Big Man Syndrome".
-->'''J:''' John Lennon was an Arquilian! What's Ringo?
-->'''K''' and '''Cyrus:''' The Drummer.
* MattressTagGag: One episode features an alien race that's downright obsessive about law and order, complete with an ultra-brutal gulag for housing the many, many lawbreakers they round up. How strict are they? When Jay finds himself in the prison, he asks a fellow inmate [[WhatAreYouInFor what he's in for]], and, well, it turns out they take their mattress tags very seriously.
* MuggingTheMonster: In "The Back to School Syndrome," a pair of {{Jerk Jock}}s take to bullying an undercover J. They turn out to be aliens, but they're unaware that J is MIB.
* MustHaveCaffeine: The Worms in MIB absolutely love it -- apparently coffee is a drink reserved for royalty on their home planet.
* MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: The Worm Emperor in "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome". His first line in English is "Flubbery will get you underwear."
* MythologyGag:
** The first episode has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment where the alien that K and his previous partner busted at the beginning of the first movie is getting booked at [=MiB=] headquarters. He sees K and tries to lunge at him.
** "The Star System Syndrome" shows an in-universe ''Men In Black'' movie, with Agents Smith & Jones more closely resembling Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones than the cartoon's character designs. Earlier in the episode, a movie producer was talking about getting Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rip Torn for a film.
*** When the Worm Guys make their pitch, they're introduced as "Mr. Cunningham", referencing ''Men in Black'' creator Lowell Cunningham.
** In "The "J" is for James Syndrome," the neuralyzed J is made an agent again. What follows is a montage of putting on the suit, followed by:
--->'''J:''' Y'know the difference between you and me?\\
'''K:''' You make this look good.\\
'''J:''' How'd you know I was gonna say that?
** In "The Breaking News Syndrome," Zed summarizes MIB's mission as to "protect the Earth from the scum of the universe" (quoting the movie's tagline).
* NeverSayDie: Averted, more often than not.
* TheNeedless: It's revealed that Jeebs (whose species can regenerate from being blown to pieces) and his PsychoForHire brother don't need to eat. Then the former brags that they don't even need to breathe oxygen to live, [[spoiler:only to regenerate. Since they're in space at the time, J promptly opens the airlock and shoots said brother.]]
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Why Jeebs regularly does business with enemies of MIB.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: K constantly refers to J as "Slick." He [[ThrowTheDogABone throws him a bone]] a couple times, though.
* OrganTheft: Alpha needs replacement parts...
* OutOfOrder: "The Musical Chairs Syndrome" was the fifth produced episode in Season 4, but was aired first. It shows L being made a field agent. Consequently, "The Future's So Bright Syndrome" was produced first and features L explicitly asking Zed for a transfer to field agent.
** Inverted example: "The Zero to Superhero Syndrome" was produced second in Season 4, but features Zeeltor before his introduction in "The Musical Chairs Syndrome." Fair enough, as the former was aired later in the season, but reruns air in production order, so yeah.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: Alpha.
* PowerWalk: J and K do this in the opening sequence.
* PsychoPrototype: Alpha.
* ReedRichardsIsUseless: MIB is full of advanced technology that would effortlessly transform the world, but is largely kept under lock and key...because [[TheWorldIsNotReady Earth simply isn't ready]]. MIB examines each piece of technology carefully and selects an appropriate time (sometimes even centuries away) for when humans will be ready to handle it.
* RetGone: What one villain tries to do to MIB's founding members and thus the organization.
* RippleEffectProofMemory: Justified as a side-effect of brain-enhancing AppliedPhlebotinum that enables Jay to notice that someone's messing with the timeline of [=MiB=] and point it out to the rest of his unaware colleagues.
* RunningGag:
** J and K claim to belong to various civil organizations when introducing themselves to civilians, but they always add "Division 6".
** K '''never''' allows J to drive the Ford LTD car (even if circumstances should ever impair K's ability to drive, he ''still'' won't let J do it). The one time J got to do it was without authorization, and it got him (temporarily) kicked out of the organization. And the one time he did have authorization, he was actually driving a shape-shifting alien that tried to kill him.
** [[BoomHeadshot Shooting off]] [[YourHeadAsplode Jeebs' head]] in every one of his appearances, followed by him [[HealingFactor instantly regenerating]] and complaining of how much it hurts.
** Whenever Frank the Pug is around, others will mockingly joke and comment about his dog-like appearance and mannerisms, much to his chagrin ("I only ''look like'' a dog!").
** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drive almost every subplot they're involved in, as they often sneak along on J's and K's missions just to obtain some coffee, [[IdiotPlot and they invariably cause a lot of trouble along the way]].
* SanDimasTime:
** In one episode, they have to stop an out-of-control alien in the past before it destroys a city in the present.
** Another has a ConspiracyTheorist going back in time and kidnapping MIB founders. Nobody except J (who has a [[MyBrainIsBig intelligence bump]] due to an ImportedAlienPhlebotinum) can remember them or how MIB is being affected by their disappearance. Oh, and [[RaceAgainstTheClock he only has 22 hours before his intelligence bump kills him]].
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Alpha tried to justify taking the cosmic integrator, not approved for human use for 1000 years, this way.
* SealedEvilInACan: "The Out To Pasture Syndrome" ends with Alpha becoming this, being incarcerated in a chamber at MIB headquarters. Agent J is tricked into releasing him in "The Opening Gambit Syndrome".
* SerialEscalation: In "The Irritable Bow Wow Syndrome", Kay tried to neutralize the alien terrorist with a pistol. Then he put on a rocket launcher attachment to the pistol. ''Then'' he brought out the {{BFG}}.
* ShesGotLegs: Agent L, from what we see of her. Usually more evident if she's out in the field.
* ShoutOut: In "The Inanimate Syndrome", an alien that can turn itself into any inanimate object tries to hide as a mannequin. The mannequin's head gets knocked off and proceeds to [[Film/TheThing1982 sprout spider legs and crawl away]].
** In "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome", when the Emperor Worm is disguised as a human, [[MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels with limited fluency in English]], one of the worms tries to tell the hotel concierge [[Series/FawltyTowers "He's from Barcelona."]]
** In "The Cold Sweat Syndrome", Alpha and Kay paraphrase lines directly from ''Film/GoldenEye'':
-->'''Alpha:''' Why can't you be a good agent and die?
-->'''Kay:''' You first.
* SiblingRivalry: All Bugs are the offspring of their Queen, and in "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", they squabble over the bounty on Agent L for killing Edgar. It culminates in [[spoiler:the Worms manipulating two of the Bugs into [[CainAndAbel ironically killing another one of their own brothers]], which could spark a civil war among their kin]].
* SpaceJews:
** During the ChristmasEpisode, Jay gives Frank the Pug a gift, and he reveals he's Jewish. In other words, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Frank is literally a Jew from outer space]]!
** The Hyperians are a race of Space Egyptians. They sent a scout to Earth a few thousand years ago, who was [[AncientAstronauts disguised as a mummy in an actual Egyptian tomb]].
** Another episode involved Imperia, a planet of Space Romans who enjoy hosting GladiatorGames in a Colosseum-style stadium.
* SpareBodyParts: Sintillians have two hearts, and are functionally immortal so long as both are working and "no-one drops a piano on them". K makes it clear to J that this doesn't make the OrganTheft any better. "You have ten toes. You woke up with one missing, how would you feel?"
* SpotlightStealingSquad: Practically every episode in the later seasons featured a Worms subplot, if they weren't involved in the main plot.
* SpotTheThread: In "The Put Out To Pasture Syndrome" [[spoiler:Jay noticed Zed's eyes didn't look quite right after being Neuralized. Later when it was revealed it was a set up to lure Alpha into a trap and Zed wasn't neuralized, Jay commented on the eyes not being glossy like all other times. [[OhCrap Because Alpha got the information from reading Jay's mind, he might have picked up on that as well]]]].
* SuperSpeed: J gets this in one episode. See TakenForGranite for details.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Zed has this attitude in several episodes, most notably the Halloween episode.
* SurpriseCheckmate: In "The Opening Gambit Syndrome", J tries to get information out of the imprisoned Alpha by offering to play chess with him. He's checkmated twice by the same distraction tactic. After Alpha escapes, he applies the same tactic to reality - this time, J sees it coming.
* TakeThat:
** The end of "The Star System Syndrome" sees Hollywood making a rather accurate movie about the Men in Black.
-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first time.\\
'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movie.
** Frank the Pug claims he's way uglier than Cindy Crawford. Jay agrees that she's hideous and has to find out if Frank can live up to his claims.
* TakenForGranite: Agent K in one episode. As a result of exposure to an activated [[AmplifierArtifact Alien Amplifier Device]]. Lampshaded by Agent L at the end, invoking the title pun no less. K was not amused.
* TalkativeLoon: The Quick-Clones, as the first sign of CloneDegeneration.
* TeleporterAccident: In "The Worm-Guy Guy Syndrome", Jay and one of the Worms are both simultaneously sent through opposite ends of a portal. The result is that their molecules get switched around, causing Jay and the Worm to [[SlowTransformation gradually become mutant hybrids of each other]] (complete with exchanging their personality traits).
* ThrownOutTheAirlock: Happens to Jeebs' brother; J saves Jeebs before he gets thrown out.
* TheUnmasquedWorld: [[spoiler:During the GrandFinale, an unmatched alien threat leads to [=MiB=] revealing the existence of aliens to the entire world, so that the entire planet can fight for survival. Then subverted, when the [=MiB=] are being honored by the American government, and J points out that everyone on Earth is watching the ceremony, so Z & K take the opportunity to neuralise the entire planet.]]
* TheWorldIsNotReady: [=MiB=] decides if and when certain alien technologies (like microwaves and time travel devices) will [[ReedRichardsIsUseless make it to market]].
* TimeyWimeyBall: Don't think about the time travel too much.
---> ''"Don't touch that!!!"''
* TrashTheSet: [[spoiler:The first half of the GrandFinale ends with [=MiB=] HQ being destroyed.]]
* UnflinchingFaithInTheBrakes: K and a crashing spaceship.
* WeaponizedLandmark: Downplayed example: The Statue of Liberty has a giant neuralyzer in her torch.
* WeWouldHaveToldYouBut
* WhatAreYouInFor: See MattressTagGag above.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Zig-zagged. While most aliens on Earth are peaceful by nature, some are [[AlwaysChaoticEvil far from it]] and treated as the menaces they are.
* WhoEvenNeedsABrain: In one episode, Zed had his brain stolen. His body is able to keep functioning, albeit without any direction, because alien technology kept the two linked even at a distance. "Alpha has a sick sense of humor."
* WhosOnFirst: Comes up whenever Agent U is needed. J got around it by figuring out U's real name, since there aren't that many names beginning with 'U' for men. Averted with K.
* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: The alien race who are zealots about law and order, seen under MattressTagGag above, J asks both K and the cop from the world they captured why anyone would go to this world when it has such strict policies, K and the cop reply in unison: "The beaches."
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Once per episode it seems. Granted it is a kid's show.
* WreathedInFlames: The episode "The Hots for Jay Syndrome" has Jay gaining fire powers after eating alien food. Surprisingly, this was actually treated like a ''bad'' thing. All that energy has to come from somewhere, and in Jay's case was being leeched from every cell of his body. It would have killed him if it hadn't been reversed.
* YouHateWhatYouAre: Alpha is a self-loathing human and has been forcibly grafting alien body parts onto himself in an effort to gradually remake himself as the ultimate Frankenstein monster of alien parts, and become functionally immortal. In one episode Alpha actually grumbles about how unhappy he is that he still has parts that are from his own "stupid" species.
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: J and K's reaction to the [=MiB=] movie trailer starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.
----
to:
[[caption-width-right:267:The main cast of Season 4, from left to right: [[SixthRanger Agent X]], [[ActionGirl Agent L]], [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits one of the Worms]], [[TheStoolPigeon Frank the Pug]], [[DaChief Chief Zed]], [[SergeantRock Agent K]], [[GadgeteerGenius Dr. Zan'dozz Zeeltor]], and [[EnsignNewbie Agent J]] ([[MissionControl the Twins]] and [[ArmsDealer Jack Jeebs]] are missing).]]
''Franchise/MenInBlack: [[RecycledTheSeries The Series]]'' (1997-2001) was an animated series spun-off from ''Film/MenInBlack''. It originally aired on Creator/KidsWB
Filling the gap between the first and the second movie (5 years), this series is what fans were left. It was quite successful, and helped jump to popularity some very minor characters from the first movie, such as Frank the Pug and the Worms (which would later [[AscendedExtra appear as important characters]] in ''Men in Black 2'').
It's worth noting this series is actually an AlternateContinuity of the movies, even getting to the point that [[ShowWithinAShow the "MIB movie" is a movie inside the series continuity]]!
This series has spawned one video game. It was last seen in reruns on Creator/TheHub prior to its' rebrand as Discovery Family.
----
!!The Animated Series provides examples of:
* ActionGirl: L is no pushover.
* AdiposeRex: The Emperor Worm is taller and fatter than the regular Worms.
* AerithAndBob: The Twins were renamed to Areekareeyuket (pronounced Elcabob) and Bob for the series. During a Christmas episode, the first's name was actually written as a series of mathematical concepts on his Christmas stocking, while the second one was simply written as "[=BOB=]".
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: Agent X is an in-universe example. He's unprecedented in the series, as he's an MIB field agent who's an alien. Zed was previously against alien agents (due to their unfamiliarity with Earth's norms and the potential for exposure), but he was pressured into it to calm down alien rights advocates.
* AlienInvasion: Obviously, the MIB have to thwart multiple hostile takeover attempts of Earth by unfriendly aliens.
* AllCrimesAreEqual: The LawfulStupid Kalifadik enforcers come to Earth to teleport alien fugitives to life imprisonment for any violation, no matter [[MattressTagGag how minor]].
** Partially subverted by the fact that the Kalifadik are breaking more than a few laws by teleporting the criminals over interstellar lines. They justify this by pointing out that they answer only to their own planet's laws.
* AlternateContinuity: L still works for the [=MiB=] (and had been there for a longer time than J, apparently) and is a blonde. K wasn't neuralyzed [[spoiler:or was, and got his memory restored as per the 2nd film]].
* AndIMustScream: Jeebs' race can consistently regenerate, but they need oxygen to do so. At the end of "The Blackguard Syndrome," J blasts Jeebs' brother before he gets sucked out into space. [[spoiler:He gets better in "The Cold Sweat Syndrome," though.]]
* AppendageAssimilation / TheAssimilator: Alpha spends most of his offscreen time dismembering various aliens to integrate them into his own body.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: In "[[HalloweenEpisode The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome]]", Zed insists that monsters and ghosts and the like don't exist, while kids are being abducted by a walking [[PumpkinPerson Jack O'Lantern]] and HQ is experiencing a haunting. [[spoiler:He's right; both occurrences are actually aliens.]]
** In the same episode, Kay is skeptical when Frank the Pug claims that he was bitten by a werewolf, and is afraid that he'll turn into one due to the full moon tonight. [[spoiler:[[BrickJoke In the ending]], [[RealAfterAll Frank shows up again and actually transforms into a wolf-like beast]].]]
* ArtEvolution: J and K got character redesigns after the first season. L became less pale. The Worms also got a lighter yellow color instead of the darker brown they started with.
* AscendedExtra: Jack Jeebs, Frank the Pug, and the Worms. Essentially {{One Scene Wonder}}s in the first movie, but with frequent appearances in the series (each even scoring major episode plotlines to varying degrees). Their status as {{Ascended Extra}}s on the show led to their becoming {{Ascended Extra}}s in the next two movies.
* AttackOnOneIsAnAttackOnAll: In the pilot episode, J accidentally kills a Skraaldian in a sewer. The Skraaldian race have a HiveMind and so their entire race marks J for death and tries to kill him in retribution.
* AvengingTheVillain: In "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", Elle is the target of a bounty by the Bug Queen for killing Edgar in the first film.
* BackToBackBadasses: In the Season 3 episode "The Put Out to Pasture Syndrome", where Jay and Zed are facing against Alpha's mirages.
* BackwardsFiringGun: When facing off against an escaped alien prisoner in "The Take No Prisoners Syndrome", J grabs an unfamiliar alien weapon from the armory and threatens him with it. The Bug sneeringly informs J that he's grabbed a "Sonar Tube" and is holding it backwards. J turns it around, looking at the brace-like structure on the end he's pointing at himself, then points it back at the Bug and pulls the trigger. A small nozzle promptly pops up and aims a targeting laser at J's forehead, forcing him to jerk the blaster up before it nearly takes his head off.
* BadFuture: "The Future's So Bright Syndrome," where a tyrannical Worm has conquered Earth and is overseeing the extermination of the human race.
* BatmanColdOpen: Almost every episode opened with J and K on a mission unrelated to the main plot.
* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: In "The Little Big Man Syndrome", Kay reveals that Music/JohnLennon, MartinLutherKingJr and Raffi are/were Arquillians.
-->'''Jay:''' Wait, John Lennon was an alien? What's Music/{{Ringo|Starr}}?
-->'''Kay:''' The drummer.
* BigNo: Twice by K in "The Alpha Syndrome".
** Also one from "J" in "The Big Sleep Syndrome" when L sacrifices herself by getting shot by J's gun held by the alien in J's dream, in order to force J to snap out of it.
* BodyHorror: Alpha steals alien body parts and integrates them with his own. His first appearance no less has him stealing a Sintillian heart. With each appearance, Alpha himself would look less and less human.
* BountyHunter: Buzzard is an alien mercenary who hunts down and captures other targeted aliens for cash.
* BringMyBrownPants: "I'm evacuating as we speak!"
* BrokenPedestal: Alpha was the one who had trained Agent K before becoming one of the [=MiB's=] worst enemies.
* ButtMonkey: If something bad happens, it almost always happens to J.
* CainAndAbel: Dak and Jeebs.
* CastingGag: Vincent D'Onofrio as all featured male Bugs.
** In "The I Married An Alien Syndrome", the woman who [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin married an alien in disguise]] is voiced by [[Series/MorkAndMindy Pam Dawber]].
* CelebrityParadox: In "The Star System Syndrome," an agent proclaims "We've got Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Rip Torn." Later in the episode, the Worms disguise themselves as a Mr. (Lowell) Cunningham and wind up pitching a movie about "well-dressed men and women" who police "bad aliens" on Earth.
-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first town.
-->'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movies over and over!
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: A mix of this and AdaptationalHeroism. The Arquillians are described as being a race of pacifists in this series; whereas in the first film, they were [[TheEmpire an empire]] that was very willing to threaten Earth's destruction, in order to stop the Bug from stealing their galaxy if the MIB failed to retrieve and return it to them.
* TheChewToy: Jeebs. Every time he appears, count on a body part needing to be re-grown.
-->"That ''really'' stings!"
* ChristmasEpisode: "The Black Christmas Syndrome," where MIB has to save SantaClaus from Drekk.
* ChronicallyCrashedCar: The LTD suffers from an unfortunate number of catastrophic accidents.
* CloningBlues: The Quick Clones, which provide perfect copies of any human being, right down to their physical abilities, memories and mannerisms... [[ImMelting for a while, anyway]]. See CloneDegeneration.
* CloneDegeneration: The Quick Clones have a time limit. Once they run out of juice (or if you press the button behind their ear), they start babbling gibberish and quickly dissolve into coffee-colored gunk.
* ClothingDamage: "The Hots for Jay Syndrome" to J, twice. Having fire sprout from your skin tends to do that. The first time they quickly got him some heat-resistant clothing, but falling to Earth from orbit overwhelmed even that.
* CursedWithAwesome: J was in a hurry to lose his agility superpowers for no conceivable reason.
* {{Cyborg}}: In the last season, Alpha makes himself one of these - reasoning that flesh ultimately decays.
* DawsonCasting:[[invoked]] "The Back to School Syndrome" has J go undercover as a high school student.
* DeadpanSnarker: Pretty much everyone.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In "The Alpha Syndrome", when a quick clone disintegrates, only the clone's body breaks down, leaving everything else, e.g. their clothes, unscathed. Starting in "The Quick Clone Syndrome", we see that ''everything'' on the clone breaks down with it.
* ETGaveUsWiFi: A plot point in several episodes where advanced alien technology humans won't be ready for until several decades/centuries causes serious trouble, most notably the Cosmic Integrator that allows Alpha to [[MugglePower chop up alien parts and tack them onto himself]]. It is also implied that some familiar technologies, including the 8-track tape and the Clapper, were alien inventions.
* EvilBrit: Alpha, just like virtually anyone else voiced by Creator/DavidWarner.
* EvilCounterpart: Fmecks, who are evil counterparts to the Arquillians.
* ExpendableClone: The Quick Clones, as noted above. In one episode it's shown that quick clones start out as a vat of the same goo they dissolve into, so its possible that it could even be ''recyclable''.
* FantasticRacism: Pretty much the bedrock of a lot of the alien conflicts in the series, most notably the Fmecks and their obsession with wiping out the Arquillians. A rare human example is [[spoiler:Edmund Clark Moffet, a paranoid alien conspiracy theorist who sought to erase [=MiB=] from existence to keep aliens off Earth]].
* FifteenMinutesOfFame: Agent X called for a TV crew from his home planet so they'd make him the star of their show. Being unable to get rid of them, Zed punished X by offering a chance to have K instead of X as the star, which they quickly accepted. As J pointed out, fame was so fickle that X didn't even have fifteen minutes of it.
* {{Flanderization}}:
** J also gets hit hard. The series stuck with the "new, inexperienced agent" role from the first movie, but J basically never grew out of it. There was a total of one episode where he seemed to actually become competent, which was forgotten by the next.
** K, as well. Movie K was a relatively dry-humored straight man, but Series K is downright emotionless most of the time.
** The Worms and their obsession with coffee, though it helps that the reason for that obsession is also explained (on their planet, only royalty is allowed to drink it).
* ForeignQueasine: Oddly inverted when Jay and Kay are asking some alien cabbies about a suspect, the aliens are disgusted by the pair eating average Earth cuisine.
-->'''Cabbie:''' "Human food, can you believe they actually ''eat'' that?"
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Or as a completely different alien species. Additionally, a good chunk of monsters in movies are actually alien actors in their birthday suits.
* FreezeRay: The Icer, one of the more often-used weapons, which is frequently used to [[HarmlessFreezing non-lethally]] subdue and capture enemies. Special notice should go to the fact that [[BeyondTheImpossible it can freeze fire]].
* FriendInTheBlackMarket / HonestJohnsDealership: Jeebs. Which he is varies, depending on just what item he has in stock.
* GetItOverWith: Alpha fully expects [=MIB=] to kill him once he's BroughtDownToNormal, and all but ''orders'' his old co-workers to finish him. Zed and Kay decline.
-->'''Zed:''' You're a mere mortal now. You'll be punished like one.
-->'''Kay:''' Lock 'im up.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: Jeebs provides this, as his race can regenerate from anything (even being reduced to gelatinous goo!) as long as oxygen is available and he can survive just fine even if there isn't.
* GrandFinale: "The Endgame Syndrome" two-parter.
* GroinAttack: L does this to a ''bug''. "Soft underbelly," indeed.
* HalloweenEpisode: "The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome," where Jay and the trick-or-treating Worms encounter a being preying on children, while spooky occurrences plague MIB headquarters.
* HealingFactor: Jeebs.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: In "The Opening Gambit Syndrome," we see the reason why the Ixions didn't invade thirty years earlier. [[spoiler:Alpha struck a deal with Vengiss to get the Ixions Earth's oil deposits in exchange for him getting control of Earth. However, plans changed because of ''Zed''. He had been investigating Vengiss' presence on Earth and was about to crack everything wide open. If he had, Alpha knew MIB would defeat the Ixions - thus prompting a delay until the organization's guard would be down.]]
* HiveMind:
** The Skraaldians all behave as a single entity. If one of them is killed, the rest of its kind will seek vengeance on the perpetrator.
** One episode involved PlantAliens who are a mixture of this trope and TheVirus. They reproduce as parasitic spores that infect other species, and the victims become dedicated to assimilating others into their collective.
** The Bugs are an insectoid species part of a literal hive ruled by a Queen, and are described as having a "hive mind". But despite this, they can think as individuals and even betray each other.
* HotScientist: L fulfills this role.
* HollywoodSilencer: Jay uses a kind of silencer on the noisy cricket, which reduces [[LawOfInverseRecoil the massive recoil]].
* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: A variation happens when J, fumbling around trying to return K's neuralyzer, accidentally zaps off the last three or so decades of his memory.
* InformedJudaism: Frank
* ISayWhatISay: When J meets his Quick Clone.
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All episode titles are a variation on "The _____ Syndrome".
* ImMelting: See CloneDegeneration.
* ImmortalLifeIsCheap: Jeebs and his brother.
* {{Jerkass}}: Agent X.
* KarmaHoudini:
** The Worms frequently don't get much punishment for the mischief they cause.
** [[spoiler:Vengiss in the GrandFinale. He gets away even after triggering a weapon designed to destroy all of Earth.]]
* KnownOnlyByTheirNickname: K consistently refers to J as "Slick" throughout the series, though this is averted a couple rare times.
** He apparently has an entire scale of these to rank his partner.
-->'''K:''' Nicely done, Sparky.
-->'''J:''' What happened to Slick?
-->'''K:''' You have to work your way back up to Slick.
* LatexPerfection: Many human suits for aliens.
* LighterAndSofter: There's very few fatalities in the show; even most InnocentBystanders are shown to only be webbed up, not killed.
** HUMAN fatalities, anyway. They're quite happy blowing up particularly monstrous-looking aliens in all sorts of gruesome ways.
* MadScientist: Zeeltor.
-->'''J:''' You can't just operate on people without their permission!
-->'''Zeeltor:''' I'm pretty sure I can. I do it all the time.
* MathematiciansAnswer: This conversation from "The Little Big Man Syndrome".
-->'''J:''' John Lennon was an Arquilian! What's Ringo?
-->'''K''' and '''Cyrus:''' The Drummer.
* MattressTagGag: One episode features an alien race that's downright obsessive about law and order, complete with an ultra-brutal gulag for housing the many, many lawbreakers they round up. How strict are they? When Jay finds himself in the prison, he asks a fellow inmate [[WhatAreYouInFor what he's in for]], and, well, it turns out they take their mattress tags very seriously.
* MuggingTheMonster: In "The Back to School Syndrome," a pair of {{Jerk Jock}}s take to bullying an undercover J. They turn out to be aliens, but they're unaware that J is MIB.
* MustHaveCaffeine: The Worms in MIB absolutely love it -- apparently coffee is a drink reserved for royalty on their home planet.
* MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: The Worm Emperor in "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome". His first line in English is "Flubbery will get you underwear."
* MythologyGag:
** The first episode has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment where the alien that K and his previous partner busted at the beginning of the first movie is getting booked at [=MiB=] headquarters. He sees K and tries to lunge at him.
** "The Star System Syndrome" shows an in-universe ''Men In Black'' movie, with Agents Smith & Jones more closely resembling Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones than the cartoon's character designs. Earlier in the episode, a movie producer was talking about getting Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rip Torn for a film.
*** When the Worm Guys make their pitch, they're introduced as "Mr. Cunningham", referencing ''Men in Black'' creator Lowell Cunningham.
** In "The "J" is for James Syndrome," the neuralyzed J is made an agent again. What follows is a montage of putting on the suit, followed by:
--->'''J:''' Y'know the difference between you and me?\\
'''K:''' You make this look good.\\
'''J:''' How'd you know I was gonna say that?
** In "The Breaking News Syndrome," Zed summarizes MIB's mission as to "protect the Earth from the scum of the universe" (quoting the movie's tagline).
* NeverSayDie: Averted, more often than not.
* TheNeedless: It's revealed that Jeebs (whose species can regenerate from being blown to pieces) and his PsychoForHire brother don't need to eat. Then the former brags that they don't even need to breathe oxygen to live, [[spoiler:only to regenerate. Since they're in space at the time, J promptly opens the airlock and shoots said brother.]]
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Why Jeebs regularly does business with enemies of MIB.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: K constantly refers to J as "Slick." He [[ThrowTheDogABone throws him a bone]] a couple times, though.
* OrganTheft: Alpha needs replacement parts...
* OutOfOrder: "The Musical Chairs Syndrome" was the fifth produced episode in Season 4, but was aired first. It shows L being made a field agent. Consequently, "The Future's So Bright Syndrome" was produced first and features L explicitly asking Zed for a transfer to field agent.
** Inverted example: "The Zero to Superhero Syndrome" was produced second in Season 4, but features Zeeltor before his introduction in "The Musical Chairs Syndrome." Fair enough, as the former was aired later in the season, but reruns air in production order, so yeah.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: Alpha.
* PowerWalk: J and K do this in the opening sequence.
* PsychoPrototype: Alpha.
* ReedRichardsIsUseless: MIB is full of advanced technology that would effortlessly transform the world, but is largely kept under lock and key...because [[TheWorldIsNotReady Earth simply isn't ready]]. MIB examines each piece of technology carefully and selects an appropriate time (sometimes even centuries away) for when humans will be ready to handle it.
* RetGone: What one villain tries to do to MIB's founding members and thus the organization.
* RippleEffectProofMemory: Justified as a side-effect of brain-enhancing AppliedPhlebotinum that enables Jay to notice that someone's messing with the timeline of [=MiB=] and point it out to the rest of his unaware colleagues.
* RunningGag:
** J and K claim to belong to various civil organizations when introducing themselves to civilians, but they always add "Division 6".
** K '''never''' allows J to drive the Ford LTD car (even if circumstances should ever impair K's ability to drive, he ''still'' won't let J do it). The one time J got to do it was without authorization, and it got him (temporarily) kicked out of the organization. And the one time he did have authorization, he was actually driving a shape-shifting alien that tried to kill him.
** [[BoomHeadshot Shooting off]] [[YourHeadAsplode Jeebs' head]] in every one of his appearances, followed by him [[HealingFactor instantly regenerating]] and complaining of how much it hurts.
** Whenever Frank the Pug is around, others will mockingly joke and comment about his dog-like appearance and mannerisms, much to his chagrin ("I only ''look like'' a dog!").
** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drive almost every subplot they're involved in, as they often sneak along on J's and K's missions just to obtain some coffee, [[IdiotPlot and they invariably cause a lot of trouble along the way]].
* SanDimasTime:
** In one episode, they have to stop an out-of-control alien in the past before it destroys a city in the present.
** Another has a ConspiracyTheorist going back in time and kidnapping MIB founders. Nobody except J (who has a [[MyBrainIsBig intelligence bump]] due to an ImportedAlienPhlebotinum) can remember them or how MIB is being affected by their disappearance. Oh, and [[RaceAgainstTheClock he only has 22 hours before his intelligence bump kills him]].
* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Alpha tried to justify taking the cosmic integrator, not approved for human use for 1000 years, this way.
* SealedEvilInACan: "The Out To Pasture Syndrome" ends with Alpha becoming this, being incarcerated in a chamber at MIB headquarters. Agent J is tricked into releasing him in "The Opening Gambit Syndrome".
* SerialEscalation: In "The Irritable Bow Wow Syndrome", Kay tried to neutralize the alien terrorist with a pistol. Then he put on a rocket launcher attachment to the pistol. ''Then'' he brought out the {{BFG}}.
* ShesGotLegs: Agent L, from what we see of her. Usually more evident if she's out in the field.
* ShoutOut: In "The Inanimate Syndrome", an alien that can turn itself into any inanimate object tries to hide as a mannequin. The mannequin's head gets knocked off and proceeds to [[Film/TheThing1982 sprout spider legs and crawl away]].
** In "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome", when the Emperor Worm is disguised as a human, [[MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels with limited fluency in English]], one of the worms tries to tell the hotel concierge [[Series/FawltyTowers "He's from Barcelona."]]
** In "The Cold Sweat Syndrome", Alpha and Kay paraphrase lines directly from ''Film/GoldenEye'':
-->'''Alpha:''' Why can't you be a good agent and die?
-->'''Kay:''' You first.
* SiblingRivalry: All Bugs are the offspring of their Queen, and in "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", they squabble over the bounty on Agent L for killing Edgar. It culminates in [[spoiler:the Worms manipulating two of the Bugs into [[CainAndAbel ironically killing another one of their own brothers]], which could spark a civil war among their kin]].
* SpaceJews:
** During the ChristmasEpisode, Jay gives Frank the Pug a gift, and he reveals he's Jewish. In other words, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Frank is literally a Jew from outer space]]!
** The Hyperians are a race of Space Egyptians. They sent a scout to Earth a few thousand years ago, who was [[AncientAstronauts disguised as a mummy in an actual Egyptian tomb]].
** Another episode involved Imperia, a planet of Space Romans who enjoy hosting GladiatorGames in a Colosseum-style stadium.
* SpareBodyParts: Sintillians have two hearts, and are functionally immortal so long as both are working and "no-one drops a piano on them". K makes it clear to J that this doesn't make the OrganTheft any better. "You have ten toes. You woke up with one missing, how would you feel?"
* SpotlightStealingSquad: Practically every episode in the later seasons featured a Worms subplot, if they weren't involved in the main plot.
* SpotTheThread: In "The Put Out To Pasture Syndrome" [[spoiler:Jay noticed Zed's eyes didn't look quite right after being Neuralized. Later when it was revealed it was a set up to lure Alpha into a trap and Zed wasn't neuralized, Jay commented on the eyes not being glossy like all other times. [[OhCrap Because Alpha got the information from reading Jay's mind, he might have picked up on that as well]]]].
* SuperSpeed: J gets this in one episode. See TakenForGranite for details.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Zed has this attitude in several episodes, most notably the Halloween episode.
* SurpriseCheckmate: In "The Opening Gambit Syndrome", J tries to get information out of the imprisoned Alpha by offering to play chess with him. He's checkmated twice by the same distraction tactic. After Alpha escapes, he applies the same tactic to reality - this time, J sees it coming.
* TakeThat:
** The end of "The Star System Syndrome" sees Hollywood making a rather accurate movie about the Men in Black.
-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first time.\\
'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movie.
** Frank the Pug claims he's way uglier than Cindy Crawford. Jay agrees that she's hideous and has to find out if Frank can live up to his claims.
* TakenForGranite: Agent K in one episode. As a result of exposure to an activated [[AmplifierArtifact Alien Amplifier Device]]. Lampshaded by Agent L at the end, invoking the title pun no less. K was not amused.
* TalkativeLoon: The Quick-Clones, as the first sign of CloneDegeneration.
* TeleporterAccident: In "The Worm-Guy Guy Syndrome", Jay and one of the Worms are both simultaneously sent through opposite ends of a portal. The result is that their molecules get switched around, causing Jay and the Worm to [[SlowTransformation gradually become mutant hybrids of each other]] (complete with exchanging their personality traits).
* ThrownOutTheAirlock: Happens to Jeebs' brother; J saves Jeebs before he gets thrown out.
* TheUnmasquedWorld: [[spoiler:During the GrandFinale, an unmatched alien threat leads to [=MiB=] revealing the existence of aliens to the entire world, so that the entire planet can fight for survival. Then subverted, when the [=MiB=] are being honored by the American government, and J points out that everyone on Earth is watching the ceremony, so Z & K take the opportunity to neuralise the entire planet.]]
* TheWorldIsNotReady: [=MiB=] decides if and when certain alien technologies (like microwaves and time travel devices) will [[ReedRichardsIsUseless make it to market]].
* TimeyWimeyBall: Don't think about the time travel too much.
---> ''"Don't touch that!!!"''
* TrashTheSet: [[spoiler:The first half of the GrandFinale ends with [=MiB=] HQ being destroyed.]]
* UnflinchingFaithInTheBrakes: K and a crashing spaceship.
* WeaponizedLandmark: Downplayed example: The Statue of Liberty has a giant neuralyzer in her torch.
* WeWouldHaveToldYouBut
* WhatAreYouInFor: See MattressTagGag above.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Zig-zagged. While most aliens on Earth are peaceful by nature, some are [[AlwaysChaoticEvil far from it]] and treated as the menaces they are.
* WhoEvenNeedsABrain: In one episode, Zed had his brain stolen. His body is able to keep functioning, albeit without any direction, because alien technology kept the two linked even at a distance. "Alpha has a sick sense of humor."
* WhosOnFirst: Comes up whenever Agent U is needed. J got around it by figuring out U's real name, since there aren't that many names beginning with 'U' for men. Averted with K.
* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: The alien race who are zealots about law and order, seen under MattressTagGag above, J asks both K and the cop from the world they captured why anyone would go to this world when it has such strict policies, K and the cop reply in unison: "The beaches."
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Once per episode it seems. Granted it is a kid's show.
* WreathedInFlames: The episode "The Hots for Jay Syndrome" has Jay gaining fire powers after eating alien food. Surprisingly, this was actually treated like a ''bad'' thing. All that energy has to come from somewhere, and in Jay's case was being leeched from every cell of his body. It would have killed him if it hadn't been reversed.
* YouHateWhatYouAre: Alpha is a self-loathing human and has been forcibly grafting alien body parts onto himself in an effort to gradually remake himself as the ultimate Frankenstein monster of alien parts, and become functionally immortal. In one episode Alpha actually grumbles about how unhappy he is that he still has parts that are from his own "stupid" species.
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: J and K's reaction to the [=MiB=] movie trailer starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.
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* BountyHunter: Buzzard.
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* BountyHunter: Buzzard.Buzzard is an alien mercenary who hunts down and captures other targeted aliens for cash.
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* KarmaHoudini: The Worms frequently.
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* KarmaHoudini: KarmaHoudini:
** The Wormsfrequently.frequently don't get much punishment for the mischief they cause.
** The Worms
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** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drive just about every single subplot they're involved in, often sneaking along on J's and K's missions just to grab some drinks of coffee, [[IdiotPlot and invariably causing a lot of trouble along the way]].
to:
** Whenever Frank the Pug is around, others will mockingly joke and comment about his dog-like appearance and mannerisms, much to his chagrin ("I only ''look like'' a dog!").
** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drivejust about almost every single subplot they're involved in, as they often sneaking sneak along on J's and K's missions just to grab obtain some drinks of coffee, [[IdiotPlot and they invariably causing cause a lot of trouble along the way]].
** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drive
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* TakeThat: The end of "The Star System Syndrome" sees Hollywood making a rather accurate movie about the Men in Black.
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* TakeThat: TakeThat:
** The end of "The Star System Syndrome" sees Hollywood making a rather accurate movie about the Men in Black.
** The end of "The Star System Syndrome" sees Hollywood making a rather accurate movie about the Men in Black.
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* FreezeRay: The Icer, one of the more often-used weapons. Special notice should go to the fact that [[BeyondTheImpossible it can freeze fire]].
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* FreezeRay: The Icer, one of the more often-used weapons.weapons, which is frequently used to [[HarmlessFreezing non-lethally]] subdue and capture enemies. Special notice should go to the fact that [[BeyondTheImpossible it can freeze fire]].
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[[caption-width-right:267:The main cast of Season 4, from left to right: [[SixthRanger Agent X]], [[ActionGirl Agent L]], [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits one of the Worms]], [[StoolPigeon Frank the Pug]], [[DaChief Chief Zed]], [[SergeantRock Agent K]], [[GadgeteerGenius Dr. Zan'dozz Zeeltor]], and [[EnsignNewbie Agent J]] ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg the Twins are missing]]).]]
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[[caption-width-right:267:The main cast of Season 4, from left to right: [[SixthRanger Agent X]], [[ActionGirl Agent L]], [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits one of the Worms]], [[StoolPigeon [[TheStoolPigeon Frank the Pug]], [[DaChief Chief Zed]], [[SergeantRock Agent K]], [[GadgeteerGenius Dr. Zan'dozz Zeeltor]], and [[EnsignNewbie Agent J]] ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg ([[MissionControl the Twins Twins]] and [[ArmsDealer Jack Jeebs]] are missing]]).missing).]]
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[[caption-width-right:267:The main cast of season 4, from left to right: [[CanonForeigner Agent X]], [[ActionGirl Agent L]], [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits A wo]][[AscendedExtra rm alien]], [[AscendedExtra Fra]][[TeamPet nk T]][[SpeciesSurname he Pug]], [[DaChief Chief Zed]], [[SergeantRock Agent K]], [[GadgeteerGenius Dr. Zan'd]][[CanonForeigner ozz Zeeltor]] and [[EnsignNewbie Agent J]] ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg the twins missing]]).]]
to:
[[caption-width-right:267:The main cast of season Season 4, from left to right: [[CanonForeigner [[SixthRanger Agent X]], [[ActionGirl Agent L]], [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits A wo]][[AscendedExtra rm alien]], [[AscendedExtra Fra]][[TeamPet nk T]][[SpeciesSurname he one of the Worms]], [[StoolPigeon Frank the Pug]], [[DaChief Chief Zed]], [[SergeantRock Agent K]], [[GadgeteerGenius Dr. Zan'd]][[CanonForeigner ozz Zeeltor]] Zan'dozz Zeeltor]], and [[EnsignNewbie Agent J]] ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg the twins Twins are missing]]).]]
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* AdiposeRex: The Emperor Worm is taller and fatter than the regular worms.
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* AdiposeRex: The Emperor Worm is taller and fatter than the regular worms.Worms.
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* AscendedExtra: Jeebs, Frank and the Worms. Essentially one scene wonders in the first movie, but with frequent appearances in the series (each even scoring major episode plotlines to varying degrees). Their status as {{Ascended Extra}}s on the show led to their becoming {{Ascended Extra}}s in the next two movies.
to:
* AscendedExtra: Jack Jeebs, Frank the Pug, and the Worms. Essentially one scene wonders {{One Scene Wonder}}s in the first movie, but with frequent appearances in the series (each even scoring major episode plotlines to varying degrees). Their status as {{Ascended Extra}}s on the show led to their becoming {{Ascended Extra}}s in the next two movies.
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** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drive just about every single subplot they're involved in, often sneaking along on J's and K's missions just to get some drinks of coffee, [[IdiotPlot and invariably causing a lot of trouble along the way]].
to:
** The Worms' [[TrademarkFavoriteFood obsession with coffee]] seems to drive just about every single subplot they're involved in, often sneaking along on J's and K's missions just to get grab some drinks of coffee, [[IdiotPlot and invariably causing a lot of trouble along the way]].
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* {{Flanderization}}: The worms and their obsession with coffee, though it helps that the reason for that obsession is also explained (on their planet, only royalty is allowed to drink it).
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* {{Flanderization}}: The worms and their obsession with coffee, though it helps that the reason for that obsession is also explained (on their planet, only royalty is allowed to drink it).{{Flanderization}}:
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** K, as well. Movie K was a relatively dry-humored straight man, but Series K is downright emotionless.
to:
** K, as well. Movie K was a relatively dry-humored straight man, but Series K is downright emotionless.emotionless most of the time.
** The Worms and their obsession with coffee, though it helps that the reason for that obsession is also explained (on their planet, only royalty is allowed to drink it).
** The Worms and their obsession with coffee, though it helps that the reason for that obsession is also explained (on their planet, only royalty is allowed to drink it).
