Line #12 Main/IComeInPeace


1	->''"I am Buzz Lightyear, I come in peace."''
2	-->-- '''Buzz Lightyear''', ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1''
3
4	Okay, so you've had your [[FirstContact first encounter with an alien race]]. They don't seem hostile, and might even be friendly. So, how do you let them know you don't want to hurt them?
5
6	You say hello. You tell them you don't want to hurt them. The classic way to do this, of course, is with the [[StockPhrase old standby]] of "I Come in Peace", but other greetings may be offered. If all goes well, diplomatic relations might be established. If not, well...
7
8	This can happen in reverse, of course, with the alien race indicating their peaceful intentions this way. If a character uses the specific phrase, it can overlap with IAlwaysWantedToSayThat.
9
10	If this is said by the BigBad, this will be his/her way of saying "I'm not looking for a fight.", or "I just want to talk."
11
12	Of course, this can be subverted, with a visitor indicating peaceful intentions just before slaughtering the PunyHumans. Or the peaceful party getting mauled by the non-peaceful party. Or a suspicious member of one group or the other might still be convinced that the visitors are dangerous. Or whatever.
13
14	WeComeInPeaceShootToKill is another name for subversions of this trope. Compare TakeMeToYourLeader. If the characters start out with numbers instead of language, it's FirstContactMath.
15	----
16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	!! Straight Examples
19
20	[[folder:Comic Books]]
21	* A more sensible version than most in ''ComicBook/StarWarsTargetVader''. "I come in peace, and more importantly..." ''(opens [[BriefcaseFullOfMoney Briefcase Full Of Credits]])'' "...with money."
22	* ComicBook/{{Superman}} is an alien. In his debut appearance in ''ComicBook/ActionComicsNumber1'', his first words to Lois, after rescuing her from some goons, are "You needn't be afraid of me. I won't harm you."
23	* Invoked in ''ComicBook/MarvelsVoices Comunidades'' when Risque encounters a race of alien FishPeople.
24	-->'''Gloria''': I come in peace.\
25	'''Gloria's internal monologue''': That works in the movies, right?
26	[[/folder]]
27
28	[[folder:Fan Works]]
29	* ''[[Film/TheAdventuresOfCaptainProton Captain Proton]] and the [[LadyLand Planet of Lesbians]]''.
30	-->"They said they came while pissed with their planet's dirt," explained Princess Aylarna.\
31	"I said I came in peace from the planet Earth!" said Proton.
32	* In the ParodyFic "Farce Contact", Captain Archer does a test run of the UniversalTranslator, which isn't fully perfected in ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''.
33	-->"I am Captain Archer of the starship Enterprise. We come in peace from the planet Earth."
34	-->"Organ used for sight is the leading bowman of the prime vessel undertaking," chirped the translator. "We ejaculate in portion from the world of dirt."
35	** When the device translates "Our intentions are peaceful" as "We intend to make small bits of you", Lieutenant Reed smashes the translator.
36	** Later on making FirstContact with the [[LivingAphrodisiac incredibly gorgeous Deltan ambassador]], Archer greets her with "[[FreudianSlip I come all over your face]]".
37	* ''Fanfic/TheNextFrontier'' manages to play it straight, lampshade it and then subvert it all in one line in the epilogue. [[VideoGame/KerbalSpaceProgram Jebediah Kerman]] would make an excellent troper.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Film]]
41	* In ''Film/{{Explorers}}'', one of the young heroes greets an alien with "We come in peace", because it seems like the right thing to do. The alien, in turn, replies, "[[WesternAnimation/BugsBunny Ehhh, what's up, doc?]]"
42	* In ''Film/TheAbyss'', Bud Brigman tries a more casual approach when confronted by aliens: "Howdy. Uh... How are you guys doin'?"
43	* In ''Film/IndependenceDay'', the government sends military choppers displaying greetings in all the languages of the world. It ends badly.
44	* The alien beings in ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' take the time to teach the Earthlings a [[FirstContactMath tonal language]] as a gesture of greeting.
45	* ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'' has the Vulcans greeting humanity with their customary "Live long and prosper".
46	* In ''Film/Predator2'', a young boy encounters the cloaked Predator and is nearly shot before it recognizes that his plastic machine gun is only a toy. The kid's response? "Want some candy?"
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Literature]]
50	* In the book ''Aliens Are Coming'', the final interview concludes with a person saying "And if an alien spaceship ever DOES land in my backyard, I hope I will have the good sense to invite the occupants inside for tea."
51	* Thanks to BlindIdiotTranslation in the Creator/IainBanks short story ''Cleaning Up'', the alien's UniversalTranslator converts this phrase to "First person singular obtaining colloquial orgasm within a Caledonian sandwich." The human thus greeted immediately tries to shoot the alien, who fortunately has a personal forcefield.
52	* In the short novel ''Literature/TheLibrarian'' (2015) the alien protagonist whose been living as a human for years, wakes up inside an MRI machine and deduces he's been captured. He slightly waves his hand in greeting and promptly says, "My name is Nick Logan. I need to speak with my wife."
53	* ''Star Surgeon'', by Alan E. Nourse. The protagonist has the power to influence emotions, which he resists using until ItsTheOnlyWay to handle a hostile mob of aliens who have surrounded their spaceship. Naturally the first words he mentally projects to them are: ''I come in peace''.
54	* ''Chindi'' by Creator/JackMcDevitt. Literature/PriscillaHutchins gently mocks the leader of the Contact Society who--when he finally encounters the alien spacecraft he's been searching for his entire adult life--can only think to give this trope.
55	* ''Literature/AMartianOdyssey''. Due to having broken his nose earlier, the human astronaut's attempt at this trope is [[RepeatAfterMe repeated back to him]] as, "We are v-r-r-riends! Ouch!"
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
59	* ''Series/AlteredCarbon''. At the start of the series finale, our heroes are preparing to fight off a squad of C-TAC soldiers lead by [[EvilKnockoff Kovacs Prime]], when suddenly there's a long burst of gunfire. They cautiously open the door to find Kovacs Prime has decided to switch sides and shot down his own men.
60	-->'''Kovacs Prime:''' ''(lowering his rifle)'' I come in peace.
61	-->'''Poe:''' ''(eyeing the dead soldiers)'' All evidence to the contrary...
62	* In ''Series/StargateSG1'':
63	-->'''Jack O'Neill:''' We come in peace. We hope to leave in one... piece.
64	** Also, Daniel's usual operating procedure: 'We're peaceful explorers'. And if it's a language he doesn't understand, probably [[TastesLikeFriendship sharing food]].
65	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
66	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E8LetsKillHitler Let's Kill Hitler]]":
67	--->'''Amy:''' We come in peace!\
68	'''Rory:''' [[WeComeInPeaceShootToKill When has that ever worked?]]
69	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E10TheGirlWhoWaited The Girl Who Waited]]", Rory shouts this in panic when he's attacked by a masked figure wielding a katana... who turns out to be his wife. The following episode she gets up him for giving a mundane version of this trope. "Did you just say: ''It's OK, we're nice?''"
70	** In "[[Recap/DoctorWho2021NYSRevolutionOfTheDaleks Revolution of the Daleks]]", [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Jack Robertson]] uses the line straight with a Dalek death squad (along with TakeMeToYourLeader). Surprisingly it works, but only because he convinces the Daleks [[TheQuisling he might be useful to them]].
71	* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'':
72	** Captain Kirk delivers the line straight, [[BeamMeUpScotty contrary to popular belief]] that he says WeComeInPeaceShootToKill, although in "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E6SpectreOfTheGun Spectre of the Gun]]", he tells the Melkotians that "We come in peace", draws and aims his phaser, and adds "But we'll defend ourselves if necessary."
73	** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E5TheApple The Apple]]", Kirk is angry because three of his {{Red Shirt}}s have been killed, so when he sees a GiantMook lurking in the bushes spying on them he sneaks up and throws a mighty punch, only to be surprised when [[PerfectPacifistPeople the man bursts into tears]]. Kirk then changes to this trope, promising not to strike the man again.
74	** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E8ForTheWorldIsHollowAndIHaveTouchedTheSky For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky]]", Kirk says to the Oracle "We come as friends". The Oracle responds with "Then learn what it is to be our enemy" and gives them a severe electric shock as a show of power.
75	* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S3E32TheGift The Gift]]", Williams tells the mob that he has come to Earth in peace shortly before they kill him. Similarly, the document that he gave to Pedro says, "We come as friends and in peace."
76	* ''Series/ForAllMankind'': After the [[AlternateHistory Soviet Union beats the US to the Moon]], astronaut Gordo Stevens wonders what he would have said if he'd been the first instead. After some distraught rambling about the recent Chicago riots and the hope that a man on the Moon might have caused people to look past their hatred, he decides that he would have said, "I'm Gordo Stevens and I come in peace. ''(beat)'' [[DoubleEntendre Three times a night.]]" ''(everyone cracks up laughing)''
77	* ''Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan'': When Steve Austin encounters aliens in [[spoiler:"The Secret of Bigfoot, Part 2"]], he asks "Do you come in peace?"
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
81	* In the Bible, when an angel appears to someone, his first words to the terrified mortal are usually some variation of "Don't be afraid."
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Video Games]]
85	* In possibly the oddest straight use ever (and possibly a StealthParody), the player-character in ''VideoGame/HomeworldCataclysm'' quotes the trope word-for-word... whilst trying to convince the setting's resident SpacePirates to [[EnemyMine help you take on the monster that's clobbered you and them both.]] [[spoiler:It doesn't turn out very well, to say the least.]]
86	* The first Vahnatai you meet in ''VideoGame/{{Avernum}} 2'' (in the flesh, at least) uses this line nearly word-for-word--however, she's not quite fluent in English, and it comes out as "peaceness" instead.
87	* In ''VideoGame/AnotherWorld'', the protagonist tries to greet the aliens with a smile and an open palm. This didn't end well - he got zapped and put into a cage. One can assume he unwittingly [[NonverbalMiscommunication flipped the aliens off]].
88	* The trope is implied with the GoldenEnding in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''. [[spoiler: With the monster race emerging to the surface of the world after being imprisoned underground by humans for who knows how many years, they attempt to make peace with the human race after Frisk, a human themselves, spared all the monsters and didn't hurt a single one. Everything works out as the ending shows the monsters successfully integrating with human culture.]]
89	* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' is [[ZigZaggedTrope all over the place]] when it comes to First Contact. [[TheXenophile Xenophiles]] and Pacifists tend to come in peace, while Xenophobes are prone to [[TheyWouldCutYouUp vivisect]] the species they make contact with, and so do HiveMind species. Sometimes the attempt ends up becoming an abject failure, and sometimes, it ends up in an outright [[FirstContactFauxPas First Contact War]].
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Webcomics]]
93	* In ''Webcomic/MeatyYogurt'', the [[http://rosalarian.com/meatyyogurt/2011/09/05/sxlzyfrk/ Sxlzfyrk]] apologize for their rudeness in not introducing themselves to humans sooner, state that they "hope to become friends," and promise to return to Earth later with pizza and beer.
94	* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob:'' When Bob meets the alien Officer Zodboink, the alien greets him with ''“¿Que pasa, amigo?”'' Followed a moment later with, ''“¿Que?…'' Oh! You speak ‘Eng-glish! Sorry. Your [[YourLittleDismissiveDiminutive little gibbering native languages]] are very confusing.”
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Western Animation]]
98	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' has the kids exploring the house during a power failure, looking for a monster which turns out to be a rat. Tommy greets it with "We come in peace."
99	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' greet a cat when they think they've landed on the moon this way: "We come in peace. For now."
100	* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries'', Hal greets a group of aliens this way. He then remarks to Kilowag that [[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat He Always Wanted To Say That]], to which Kilowag asks, [[PopCulturalOsmosisFailure "Why?"]]
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Real Life]]
104	* The last line said on the Moon was:
105	-->"We leave as we came, and as we shall return. In peace for all mankind."
106	** They also left a plaque that said: "HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON, JULY 1969 A.D. WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND."
107	* When John Glenn was orbiting in the Friendship 7 in 1962, the mission planners weren't exactly sure where the capsule would land--somewhere near Australia, as in any part of Australia or the surrounding oceans or islands for a pretty far distance. Glenn was worried what the aboriginal Australians might think when seeing a man in silver emerge from something that fell from the sky so he took a short speech with him rendered phonetically: "I am a stranger. I come in peace. Take me to your leader, and there will be a massive reward for you in eternity."
108	* The 1980s/90s UK prank show ''Beadles About'' had a famous and very elaborate hoax involving dozens of actors and extensive special effects to convince a woman that an alien had landed in her back yard. On finally seeing the alien emerge from the saucer, her first words to what she genuinely believed to be an alien were, brilliantly, "Do you want a cup of tea?"
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	!! Subversions
112
113	[[folder:Comic Books]]
114	* In one early ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' strip, Dilbert discovers a microscopic civilization. After saying the line, he decides to adjust the lens of his scope...[[MikeNelsonDestroyerOfWorlds and ends up crushing the tiny world.]] Dogbert's comment on the event? "I loved the part where you said 'I come in peace.'"
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
118	* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' subverts it from both sides:
119	** B.O.B. to the alien probe: "Welcome! We are here to destroy you!"
120	** Gallaxar delivers an "I Come in Peace" speech that goes [[DissonantSerenity horribly wrong:]]
121	--> '''Giant Holographic Head of Gallaxar:''' [[PunyEarthlings "People of Earth!]] I am Gallaxar. [[BlatantLies You need not fear me; I mean you no harm.]] However, it is important to note that most of you will not survive the next forty-eight hours. Those of you who '''do''' survive will be [[FateWorseThanDeath enslaved and experimented on.]] So, in summary - [[ExactWords I come in peace]]; [[HypocriticalHumor mean you no harm]]; and [[ApocalypseHow you all will die]]. Gallaxar out."
122	** ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' also had a shout out to ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' with the US President trying to establish peaceful contact with the alien probe by playing music. After using the Vulcan greeting gesture. Apparently, alien robots don't appreciate movie theme songs.
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
126	* ''Film/IComeInPeace'': Subverted. The alien criminal says this to the Earthlings almost out of reflex, but in reality, he wants to steal their brain fluid for the intergalactic drug trade. He's not trying to deceive us however, as he uses the line the moment he appears and starts attacking. Perhaps he believes the phrase is a standard human-alien greeting before getting down to business.
127	* In ''Film/MarsAttacks'', the Martians' translator indicates that they are all shouting "We come in peace! We come in peace!" as they're blowing everything to kingdom come.
128	* ''Film/IndependenceDay'':
129	** A rooftop full of people holding up welcoming signs to the 15-mile-wide saucers are the first to be annihilated on-screen. Hilariously, earlier in the movie a news item is shown on TV warning the people of L.A. not to fire their guns at said ships, to avoid accidentally sparking an interstellar war.
130	** An interesting variation later on comes at the end of an action-packed dogfight between some fighter jets and some alien fighter ships, culminating in the immortal line:
131	--->'''Captain Steven Hiller:''' [punches the alien in the head] Welcome to Earth!
132	* In both ''Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill1951'' and its [[Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill2008 2008 remake]], [[MessianicArchetype Klaatu]] steps out of his ship in the presence of roughly half the U.S. military, who are already a bit [[HairTriggerTemper jumpy]] on account of the aforementioned spaceship. He [[PoorCommunicationKills wordlessly thrusts an alien device in their direction]] (actually trying to offer a gift), and somebody twitches and shoots him.
133	* The Xilians in ''Film/InvasionOfAstroMonster'' and ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars'' start off with a show of generosity to Earth before trying to take over, preferably with {{kaiju}}.
134	* ''Film/FlashGordon1980'': Doesn't work for our hero when he first arrives on Mongo; the friendly hand he thinks is being held out to him in response [[RocketPunch shoots off the alien's wrist]], grabs Flash around the throat and chokes him.
135	* A porn movie about beautiful aliens BoldlyComing to Earth was titled ''They [[DoubleEntendre Come]] in Peace''.
136	[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Literature]]
139	* In the sci-fi short ''Disarm'', by Vylar Kaftan, any nuclear, biological or chemical weapon used against the alien invaders [[AttackBackfire kills only the user]], but the aliens always [[SpareAMessenger heal one soldier and 'mark' them]] in some way that causes anyone who sees them to hear or experience a message (unique to the listener, such as a song or vision). The protagonist is a songwriter, so he has a vision of performing before a crowd: ''We come in peace / We mean no harm / [[ResistanceIsFutile Put down your weapons]] / [[BenevolentAlienInvasion We’ll save you, save you]].''
140	* This type is used in ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898'' and its [[Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds1953 1953 film adaptation]]. The humans greet the aliens waving white flags and are promptly zapped to a crisp.
141	[[/folder]]
142
143	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
144	* In ''Series/{{V 2009}}'', the Visitors' catchphrase is "We are of peace, always." Guess what? They aren't.
145	* In the ''Series/BabylonFive'' TV movie ''[[Film/BabylonFiveInTheBeginning In the Beginning]]'', Captain Jankowski's expedition to covertly investigate the Minbari [[EpicFail stumble across a Minbari fleet carrying their central governing council]]. During the [[FirstContact ensuing encounter]], Jankowski orders that a signal be sent assuring the Minbari that they come in peace. Unfortunately, [[AliensSpeakingEnglish the Minbari can't understand English]] and the situation degrades further from there due to [[NobodyEverComplainedBefore compounding cultural misunderstandings]].
146	** On the other hand, Earth's first contact with the Centauri went over much more smoothly, with Earth's technology base receiving a substantial boost due to the new interstellar trade. It helped that the Centauri Republic's initial policy was that Earth was a lost Centauri colony (Earth wasn't, and the Centauri claim it was an honest mistake. The Humans are somewhat doubtful on that matter.)
147	* ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' presents this as the Federation's catchphrase. The Klingons consider it an insidious lie, believing the Federation to be targeting them for an AssimilationPlot. In "[[Recap/StarTrekDiscoveryS1E02BattleAtTheBinaryStars Battle at the Binary Stars]]", Captain Georgiou attempts to defuse a standoff between Federation and Klingon starships with a message indicating this trope, and the Klingons respond by opening fire. Admiral Anderson even attempts to invoke the trope a second time once he arrives on the battlefield after both sides have taken losses, offering the Klingons a ceasefire. The Klingons respond by accepting the ceasefire -- and then they destroy the admiral's flagship.
148	[[/folder]]
149
150	[[folder:Music]]
151	* The Firm's "Star Trekkin'" on Captain Kirk's verse:
152	-->''Ah, we come in peace''
153	-->''Shoot to kill, shoot to kill, shoot to kill''
154	-->''We come in peace''
155	-->''Shoot to kill, shoot to kill, men''
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Video Games]]
159	* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'' has Dr. Nefarious's robots telling the eponymous characters that they come in peace, and that they might go have some pie or take in a holofilm together. These are robots that tend to be shooting at the characters as they say this.
160	** "Mr. Zurkon", a floating robot that defends the player (and is a weapon in his own right) perhaps lampshades this by proclaiming that "[[ThirdPersonPerson Mr. Zurkon]] does not come in peace."
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Webcomics]]
164	* Upon the party encountering a giant in ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'':
165	--> '''Cale:''' Explain our noble intentions!\
166	'''Richard:''' Will do. I mean you harm.\
167	'''Cale:''' NO harm! You mean him NO harm!\
168	'''Richard:''' [[SociopathicHero That doesn't sound like me.]]
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Western Animation]]
172	* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', Garfield and Jon are watching a BMovie about aliens, and [[LampshadeHanging making fun of the fact]] that the aliens ''always'' announce "We come in peace" in these types of movies. Then a real alien lands in their front yard, announcing that he comes in peace, at which point Garfield [[BreakingTheFourthWall turns to the audience]] and says, "Wow, they really do say that." Eventually, it turns out that the alien doesn't come in peace at all, as he's actually the spy for a hostile invasion force.
173	* Subverted in the very first ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'' episode ("Jet Formula") when Rocky And Bullwinkle return from the moon in their ramshackle rocket ship and a group of dignitaries believe them to be of moon origin. The dignitaries make the first vocal move.
174	-->'''Dignitary:''' Welcome, moon people. You dig-um Earth talk?
175	* The second segment of the ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' episode "Cinemaniacs" is a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' parody, so Plucky (who's on the role of Captain Kirk) says the trope when they run into Gossamer the hairy monster. HilarityEnsues when Plucky ends up angering Gossamer with his CondescendingCompassion by calling him "an intelligent animal capable of rational thinking and good feelings".
176	[[/folder]]

Context Main / IComeInPeace