| 1 | %% Image kept on page per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1362578322010645700 |
| 2 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | [[quoteright:210:[[Website/{{Wikipedia}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/petit_gris_removebg_preview.png]]]] |
| 5 | [[caption-width-right:210:The face of countless {{Alien Abduction}}s.]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ->'''Mystic:''' You watch the skies night after night looking for your little green men...\ |
| 8 | '''Bishop:''' Little ''grey'' men, actually. |
| 9 | -->-- ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' |
| 10 | |
| 11 | The modern version of the LittleGreenMen, and currently the most common depiction of extraterrestrials. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | They have the same basic body plan as humans, but they're grey, somewhat shorter than an average adult human, and have enormous heads with equally-huge black eyes resembling an upside-down-raindrop. They never have a single hair on their bodies. They probably have [[TheNoseless no nose]] (when they do, the nostrils are thin like reptiles), and they almost certainly wear [[ExposedExtraterrestrials no clothes]] (though they will have [[NonHumansLackAttributes no visible genitals]]). In practice, they are essentially humans with all "animal" traits removed. In the older stories, they sometimes got silver spacesuits. Sometimes they will be a muted blue or green instead, and very occasionally a beige variant. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Like the LittleGreenMen before them, they still tend to come in {{Flying Saucer}}s. However, the overtly hostile version is much rarer; {{a|lienAbduction}}bduction is their primary modus operandi (which naturally may be taken as still fairly sinister of course). They will not speak in beeping noises, though, and they certainly don't know English. Mostly they will [[TheSpeechless not speak at all]]. They may be [[PsychicPowers telepathic]]. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | What they do with those abducted varies, but performing experiments on them, especially [[AnalProbing intrusive]] [[AliensMadeThemDoIt sexual]] [[MarsNeedsWomen experiments]], is common. Specifically, AnalProbing and the creation of {{Half Human Hybrid}}s. Why aliens would be so interested in human biology remains unclear, although the standard story is that they are nearing extinction and need human genetic material in order to restore their reproductive capabilities, or alternately that they need info about humanity in order to try to take control of Earth, sometimes in alliance with human governments or conspiracies. (It has been noted that their appearance and modus operandi share [[JustForFun/SciFiCounterpart more than a passing resemblance]] to those of the more traditional depictions of the [[TheFairFolk Fair Folk]], suggesting either an innate human need to believe in such beings or [[WildMassGuessing the length of time]] [[ParanoiaFuel they've been studying us]]. For more on this, see AlienFairFolk.) |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Far from being {{black and grey|Morality}}, their ''beliefs'' are usually of the [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Blue and Orange sort]]. May be {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s who haven't visited us since [[AncientAstronauts the time of the Pyramids]]. Despite the fact that Earth is an InsignificantLittleBluePlanet, they will be [[EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse obsessed with us]] for reasons which may vary. Perhaps they want to help us AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence. Perhaps ''we'' are the {{Precursors}}. Perhaps they merely want ToServeMan. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | In other cases, they may be benevolent or much [[{{Mentors}} wiser than humanity]], often in a hippie sort of way, granting the abductees really trippy cosmic visions. [[ReedRichardsIsUseless They'll hardly ever do much more than that, though]]. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | A variant is much taller and more slim proportioned and somewhat more human in the face. Often used when they're meant to be less mysterious and more human to interact with. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Compare with HumanoidAliens, LittleGreenMen, and LizardFolk. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Not to be confused with [[Film/TheGrey the movie]] starring Creator/LiamNeeson. |
| 28 | ---- |
| 29 | !!Examples: |
| 30 | [[index]] |
| 31 | * TheGreys/TabletopGames |
| 32 | * TheGreys/VideoGames |
| 33 | [[/index]] |
| 34 | |
| 35 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 36 | |
| 37 | [[folder:Advertising]] |
| 38 | [[https://youtu.be/GxViAhyl84E?t=38s This 1997 UK advert]] sees an otherworldly visitor announce an imminent turning point in human evolution, namely the dual provision of gas and electricity from Northern Electric. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 42 | * A galactic TV host in ''Manga/SgtFrog'', who's even named R Grey. |
| 43 | * A Grey appears as a mysterious vision in ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'', in an episode which also references the Roswell incident. It is referenced in other episodes as well. Unlike the usual nudist Greys, it is wearing a red and green striped shirt. |
| 44 | * In the ''Manga/ShamanKing'' manga, one of the plant guardians has a grey as his spirit. Later on it is revealed that [[spoiler:the titular shaman king position was created by these aliens, as are all the pieces of odd technology in the series]]. |
| 45 | * America's roommate Tony from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers''. He's an [[{{Pun}} illegal alien]]. |
| 46 | * ''Franchise/DragonBall'': |
| 47 | ** Tagoma's design in ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' owes a bit to this trope, only taller and lankier. |
| 48 | ** Jiren in ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' is what happens when you put the head of your standard Grey on top of a HeroicBuild. He's even [[RedBaron called]] "Jiren the Gray" [[InUniverseNickname in-universe]]. |
| 49 | * A girl in ''Manga/FrankenFran'' ends up looking like one after too many surgeries to look like a chibi anime character in real life. |
| 50 | * In Chapter 19 ''Manga/HeavensDesignTeam'', Mr. Saturn tries to recreate his grandson's crush based on a doodle the child drew. The basic prototype model is a grey humanoid creature with bulbous head, humongous eyes and tiny ears. Then they add increasingly weird features, such as the ability to rotate its head 180 degrees and having two tongues. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Kenta's "first crush" was Pluto's prototype project, which eventually becomes a tarsier]]. |
| 51 | [[/folder]] |
| 52 | |
| 53 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 54 | * It's implied in ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'' that a grey like alien race exists, even though all we see are transients (people who have spliced themselves with alien DNA) and it's even offhandedly mentioned Earth has economically subjugated them. It is stated that they have a colony on Earth, and having already commodified their art and culture, their DNA is the last thing they had left to sell. |
| 55 | * The Sons of Silence in the ''[[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesAdventures Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic]]''. |
| 56 | * Harry Vanderspeigle, the alien protagonist of ''ComicBook/ResidentAlien'', resembles a Grey, albeit with a more purplish skin tone. |
| 57 | * In ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'', the native forms of the High Ones kind of resemble elongated, yellow-orange variants of the Greys, with a bit of RubberForeheadAliens thrown in. |
| 58 | * In ''ComicBook/{{Cazador}}'', they come from a planet called Juno and they are much more feisty than usual, being avid [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball football]] fans who sing stadium chants as they invade the Earth. |
| 59 | * ''ComicBook/SuperboyAndTheRavers'': When Byron Stark finally tracks down the aliens that crashed a saucer into his parents home killing his parents, siblings, girlfriend and unborn child back in the '50s they're short Greys. |
| 60 | * ''ComicBook/{{Sinestro}}'': The people of the Naidroth Collective are short, hairless, grey skinned, large eyed aliens who travel in flying saucers abducting and experimenting on sentient lifeforms. Sinestro recruits one who is disturbed by her people's activities, and Sinestro's. |
| 61 | * ''ComicBook/StarTrekUntoldVoyages'': In "Odyssey's End", a species of grey aliens who call themselves the Abductors (as their true name is untranslatable) study inhabited planets for signs that they were seeded with non-indigenous lifeforms by their rivals, the Preservers. The Abductors believe that this seeding process robs the relevant planets of their individuality. They are on an ancient mission to remove the seeded lifeforms and return them to their planet of origin. One of the many planets that they visited was Earth, which gave rise to the numerous stories of AlienAbduction in the 20th Century. |
| 62 | * Although ComicBook/{{Icon}} has a human appearance, due to an emergency device in his ship, his species looks a lot like a stereotypical grey alien in their natural form. |
| 63 | * In ''Adolf, die Nazi-Sau'' by Creator/WalterMoers, Greys who turn out to be students abduct [[AdolfHitlarious Adolf Hitler]] who has resurfaced in TheNineties so that he can conceive the perfect human with recently-deceased Mother Teresa. |
| 64 | --> "Go fuck her!" |
| 65 | [[/folder]] |
| 66 | |
| 67 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 68 | * The minimal descriptions of Jeft in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'' suggest he is a fat, smelly, nerdy Grey. |
| 69 | * ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager''. The Caretaker is a slightly built figure with grey skin and an [[MyBrainIsBig oversized cranium]], who moves about in a [[FlyingSaucer discoid hover-craft]] and sends out mercenary SpacePirates to steal sentient specimens and technology for study. |
| 70 | -->It was a sight alien yet oddly familiar, and then Janeway remembered the [[OutgrownSuchSillySUperstitions ancient superstitions of Earth]]: the Grey Men who would come in the night on [[FutureImperfect flying dinnerware to abduct naughty children]]... |
| 71 | [[/folder]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 74 | * Greys appear in the {{Mockumentary}} horror film ''Film/AlienAbductionIncidentInLakeCounty'', in a sinister home invasion that pre-dated Signs by five years. |
| 75 | * Played with in a segment of the horror AnthologyFilm ''All Hallow's Eve'': The alien antagonist initially looks like a Grey, but it turns out that what looked like its face was a protective mask with built in goggles- the mask never comes off, but longer shots show that the grey-like "face" is smooth, plasticky looking, and seems to be held on with straps, whereas the exposed skin on its neck is darker grey and more mottled: the implication is the whole "grey" image is based on gear aliens use to survive earth's atmosphere, not what they actually look like. |
| 76 | * ''Film/TheBloodyMan'': In Amy's Bloody Man story, when the titular Bloody Man is about to kill the boy after massacring his family, two greys show up out of nowhere to arrest him. |
| 77 | * ''Film/DarkSkies'' has the Greys as the antagonists, albeit taller and more skeletal-looking than typical portrayals. The film's aliens are definitely sinister and unsympathetic (AlienAbduction being the primary threat), but not precisely evil. Rather, the film specifies that they're so advanced and so ''other'' that they're [[InscrutableAliens beyond human comprehension]]. |
| 78 | * [[LampshadeHanging Mr. Grey]] from the film version of ''Film/{{Dreamcatcher}}''. They're actually [[spoiler:disgusting shit-weasels]] in disguise -- to look like the popular conception of aliens. |
| 79 | %%* The alien invaders in ''Film/EarthVsTheFlyingSaucers'' (1956) once their helmets are removed. |
| 80 | * The aliens in ''Film/FireInTheSky'' resemble Greys with their space suits even more so resemble the typical Grey, while their actual appearance is based more on abductee Travis Walton's descriptions. |
| 81 | * ''Film/TheForgotten'' has an alien who looks like a creepily-smiling human. He lets his human facade drop only once... and it resembles a typical Grey. |
| 82 | * The alien invaders in ''Film/IndependenceDay'' resembled Greys to an extent, including doing the stereotypical abductions and being behind the Roswell crash. The resemblance wasn't immediately apparent, as they wore biomechanical suits that looked more like Franchise/{{Predator}}s. |
| 83 | * ''Film/{{Intruders}}'' portrays greys as well as grey/human hybrids, and deals with all the tropes associated with them, from Roswell to abductions and implants. |
| 84 | * While green, the surreal (and possibly the first color example) 1953 AlienInvasion film ''Invaders From Mars'' features bug-eyed, drone-like aliens whose M.O. shares a more than passing resemblance to the Greys. Hmmmm. |
| 85 | * The "keepers" from ''Film/JupiterAscending''. They're employed by Balem to guard Earth and maintain the {{Masquerade}}, and have all the hallmarks of the trope, including grey skin, large heads, and no clothes. |
| 86 | * ''Film/MarsAttacks'': The Martians don't exactly resemble Greys, but their UFO's and one autopsy of them mirrors the rumors spread about the Roswell incident. |
| 87 | * The little newborn alien baby in ''Film/MenInBlack'' is a Grey with tentacles. |
| 88 | * ''Film/{{Nope}}'': The alien-themed Western amusement park, Jupiter's Claim, sells plushies of these as part of its marketing. They also are responsible for messing with the lights in the stable... [[spoiler:except it's just Jupe's kids playing a prank as revenge for Emerald stealing a display horse.]] Angel also speculates about "the little guys with the big eyes" being at the centre of the movie's mystery. |
| 89 | * ''Film/OfficialDenial'' depicts greys, which at the end are revealed to be actually [[spoiler:humans from the future]]. |
| 90 | * ''Film/{{Paul}}'': The titular alien looks like one. It's mentioned that his image has deliberately been put into pop culture for decades to make it easier for humanity to accept when they eventually learn about his race. |
| 91 | * The {{Eldritch Abomination}}s in ''Progeny'' project the "Grey" image as a psychic mask. This version of the Grey has a different body plan though, stalk-like with tendrils. |
| 92 | * The aliens in ''Film/ScaryMovie 3'', a parody of the ''Signs'' aliens, look like fairly standard-issue Greys. |
| 93 | * ''Film/{{Signs}}'', although a bit more sinister than most renditions. ''Signs'' Greys are the ProudWarriorRaceGuy version; taller (human height) and more muscular than the standard, with thicker limbs. |
| 94 | * ''Film/{{Stargate}}'' villain Ra was originally a grey-like alien that somehow managed to posess a human to survive as its own body was dying. Glimpses of this as well as a wall painting depicting his true form are seen throughout the film. Just before [[spoiler:he is nuked at the end]] his true appearance is revealed for the last time. Once the show was created and the Asgard introduced this was explained that Ra's previous host was an Asgard. |
| 95 | * ''Franchise/StarWars'': |
| 96 | ** A good example are the Arconans, the very first nonhuman species not native to Tatooine to be seen in the entire franchise (in ''Film/ANewHope'', 1977). They are basically The Greys... except for their brown skin, green eyes, flattened heads, and claws on their hands and feet. |
| 97 | ** Bith could pass for Greys except for having pink skin, even ''more'' enormous foreheads, and weird ridges where their mouths should be. |
| 98 | ** The Kaminoan cloners in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' resemble Greys but are much larger and more stylized, with long necks and the males possessing crests. |
| 99 | ** Neimoidians also fit the grey skin, no nose, large opaque eyes stereotype. Their OT predecessors/cousins, the Duros, also fit the stereotype. |
| 100 | ** Quermians and Xexto also resemble Greys, although the Xexto also have multiple arms. |
| 101 | * Creator/StevenSpielberg seems quite fond of using these guys: |
| 102 | ** The aliens in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'' are typical Greys, [[spoiler:albeit with magnetic skeletons]], as befits the film's GenreThrowback nature. |
| 103 | ** The aliens who finally appear at the end of ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind''. |
| 104 | ** The alien invaders from ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds2005'' are basically Greys, with some anatomical differences (like having three legs). They also have vertical mouths full of teeth. |
| 105 | * In the horror anthology ''Film/VHS2'', the Greys are the titular antagonists of the finale segment ''Slumber Party Alien Abduction''. |
| 106 | * ''Film/WarGod'', a kaiju movie, sees planet earth attacked by three skyscraper-sized Martian Greys. Humanity's last hope? [[spoiler:UsefulNotes/GuanYu, of course]]! |
| 107 | [[/folder]] |
| 108 | |
| 109 | [[folder:Myths and Religion]] |
| 110 | * Though they weren't the first to report humanoid grey-skinned aliens with large eyes, the alien abduction claims of Betty and Barney Hill in 1961 helped bring the Grey alien image to prominence in popular culture. |
| 111 | * According to Kenneth Grant, Creator/AleisterCrowley met a Grey Alien named LAM after a series of magick rituals known as the Alamantrah Working. |
| 112 | [[/folder]] |
| 113 | |
| 114 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 115 | * The Greys are featured in the science fiction series, ''Literature/{{Alterien}}''. They have all the features common to the well-known aliens of legend. They are called the Shanda'ryn in this series. |
| 116 | * The Visitors in Whitley Streiber's ''Communion'' -- possible TropeCodifier. |
| 117 | * As well as Streiber's fiction novel ''The Greys''. In which they are a HiveMind of clones dying out from lack of genetic diversity. They intend to harvest humanity's DNA to help them, and they're willing to help humanity survive the Mayan apocalypse in exchange. |
| 118 | * "Literature/AngelDownSussex" revolves around an encounter in 1925 with strange beings who are interpreted by the people they meet as angels, demons, or fairies ("aliens from another planet" not being a popular meme yet). They're about the height of a child, and bald, with large black eyes and no nose to speak of, and are associated with strange lights in the sky. Witnesses variously describe them as being dressed in silvery cloth, or being completely naked and [[NonhumansLackAttributes lacking in attributes]]. |
| 119 | * ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': |
| 120 | ** PlayedForLaughs with the Skrit Na, who go around in saucer-shaped ships and regularly steal from, abduct and experiment on other species...but it's not entirely clear ''why,'' so that other aliens see them as really weird. In a more creative twist, they have BizarreAlienBiology: a "Skrit" is a giant, barely-sentient cockroach which eventually spins a cocoon and dies, only for a "Na" to be born from the corpse. Also, the Na usually walk on all fours ("like all sensible creatures"), though they'll occasionally stand upright to use their front legs as hands. Whether intentionally or due to an authorial mistake, they're one of the oldest sentient species still in existence--they were already around when [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the Ellimist]] was mortal, which was around the time that dinosaurs went extinct. |
| 121 | ** The Helmacrons look and act a bit like Greys as well, except they're the size of insects. |
| 122 | ** WordOfGod says that the Andalites were originally supposed to look like this, but the publishers asked for something more creative, especially since they hoped to one day make a TV show. It sort of backfired--Applegate [[WriterRevolt responded]] by making the Andalites with all sorts of extra complexities (stalk eyes, tail blades, etc.), which made them almost impossible to replicate when [[Series/{{Animorphs}} said series]] actually got made. |
| 123 | * PlayedWith in ''Franchise/HarryPotter''--the FictionalDocument tie-in ''Literature/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' describes how CropCircles are [[DoingInTheScientist actually made by a magical creature called a Mooncalf]], which comes out during the full moon and does a mating dance while standing on its hind legs. From the description, it sounds like a Grey. |
| 124 | * Although the hostile take-over of Earth is not always a primary motive, the Greys (dubbed Mr. Grey by the U.S. Military) in Creator/StephenKing's ''Dreamcatcher'' were certainly a well known enemy of humanity, also capable of some shapeshifting and possession. Technically the aliens don't actually look like typical Greys; they're more like giant eel/weasel creatures who simply shapeshift into the classic humanoid body in order to manipulate humans. |
| 125 | * In the novel ''Faerie Wars'' by Herbie Brennan, what humans believe to be grey aliens are revealed to actually be ancient demons who want to take over everything. |
| 126 | * Occasional Greys make an appearance in the ''Literature/{{Nightside}}'' series, usually as a gag (e.g. seeing one lying in the gutter with a "Will probe for food" sign). One of the Nightside's most secure locales, the Fortress, was founded by traumatized alien abductees, who are determined to fight back with guns, napalm, and possibly even nukes if the little buggers ever come near them again. |
| 127 | * In ''[[Literature/AuntDimity Aunt Dimity Digs In]]'', the Peacocks have a new sign painted for their pub, depicting two faces on a dark background: "One face was slightly larger than the other, but apart from that, they were identical: hairless, triangular, and delicate, with enormous eyes, plug holes for nostrils, and thin slits for mouths. They wore dark brown hoods, and their skin was a pale shade of greenish-gray." Naturally, the new name of the pub is "The Green Men". |
| 128 | * "Literature/LoneHuntress" provides a version of grey aliens combined with TheFairFolk. The Fey seek to conquer other species, yet their methods rely on subterfuge and infiltration. Their primary agent in such work: crossbreed hybrids known as changelings, compelled to act due to the Fey's hivemind telepathically enslaving them. For added variety, the Fey themselves are even more strictly under the control of the Overone, to the point that it's unclear if they're even separate individuals or unconnected appendages of a singular entity. |
| 129 | * A race of diminutive grayish aliens with large heads appears in Andrey Belianin's ''The Thief of Baghdad'' novel, despite the novel's fantasy genre. They abduct the main character as he is fleeing from the guards. Needless to say, a glowing disc in the sky capturing their prey made a great impression on the superstitious denizens of Ancient Baghdad. Turns out, the aliens are from a peaceful interstellar [[TheAlliance alliance]] who have arrived to determine the best way to integrate humanity into the galactic community. They have used genetic engineering to become a [[OneGenderRace one gender species]] (all of them are male, as certain factors of female biological cycle can make things... inconvenient) and wish the same "boon" on humanity. As can be expected, this idea doesn't go well with the main character, who instead offers to show them the benefits of two sexes. To that end, he uses their genetic manipulation machine to turn a female cat into something that looks like the female version of the aliens. They get excited and quickly kick the main character off the ship, excited to "study" this new creature. During the novel's climax, they once again appear before the main character, this time begging for him to take the female away from them, as they found that she is drastically upsetting their balance. He just laughs at them, and they fly away. |
| 130 | * The inhabitants of Callisto (one of Jupiter's moons) in ''Spacehounds of I.P.C.'' by Creator/EEDocSmith fit this description to a T. Like all humanoids in the book, they're on the side of the good guys. |
| 131 | * In ''Literature/StolenSkies'', the stories about the Greys are said to be inspired by the few genuine encounters with the aliens responsible for UFO sightings and crop circles. It's not what they really look like, however; when they touch Earth, they attempt to mimic human form, but they're actually extra-dimensional beings with no bodies as we understand them. |
| 132 | * The Greys make an appearance in the mashup novel Literature/TheTumbleweedDossier. [[spoiler:One even becomes a vampire]]. |
| 133 | * [[OurFairiesAreDifferent The Fairies]] in Literature/{{Discworld}} are described as looking suspiciously similar to this on the rare occasion that their {{glamour fail|ure}}s. There are also offhand references in ''Literature/TheTruth'' to tabloid headlines about them that mirror real world tabloid headlines about TheGreys. |
| 134 | * The Fnrrns in the ''Literature/TerraTrilogy'' have large bald grey heads and large black shiny eyes. However, they're actually quite tall, and only one of them has any interest in Earth whatsoever. |
| 135 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'' [[Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]]: |
| 136 | ** The Tzun, who try to invade Earth in the 1950s in ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresFirstFrontier First Frontier]]''. The standard Tzun are Greys, but they also combine their DNA with humans to create the "Nordics" reported by some UFO abductees. |
| 137 | ** The Nedenah are peaceful Greys in the Literature/PastDoctorAdventures novel ''The Devil Goblins From Neptune''. A later book explains the Nedenah are one of the races the Tzun got DNA grafts from. |
| 138 | * Kobolds from the dimension Kobol in the ''Literature/MythAdventures'' series are a race of mathematicians and computer experts. They look more than a bit like this trope (smaller than Klahds, gray-skinned, big eyes in tiny faces, large heads, short limbs), aside from having dark hair instead of bald heads. |
| 139 | * The Sanksians from ''Literature/ChrysalisBeaverFur'', of which Ambassadors Daokat and Nakstani are members, are described as humanoids with thin bodies, large eyes, smooth, silvery skin, and recognizably humanoid sexual dimorphism. In the [[ApocalypseHow/Class6 absence of proper humans]], these serve as the [[TheEveryman Everymen]] alien race of the story. |
| 140 | * ''Creator/JeanJohnson'' explicitly includes them in ''Literature/TheirsNotToReasonWhy'', including their name and description, as well as giving the reasons why they have so much interest in humans and keep abducting us. |
| 141 | * In Christopher G Nuttall's ''Literature/WhenTheEmpireFalls'', Humanity must fight a Gray conquest. He also painstakingly includes real UFO lore, including the creation of hybrids, and their base as being at Zeta Reticuli. |
| 142 | * Upon first reading ''At Winter's End'' by Creator/RobertSilverberg, one ''could'' be forgiven for believing that the hairless, pallid, flat-faced "Dream-Dreamer" seen at the beginning is a Gray. [[spoiler:He's not; it's simply that the viewpoint characters are sapient mutant baboons. The "Dream-Dreamer" is [[AfterTheEnd the last living human]]]]. |
| 143 | * In ''[[Literature/SolarWarden Alien Secrets]]'', the Greys, or Ebens (short for Extraterrestrial Biological Entities), are one of the three alien races known to the secret branch of the US government, the other two being the [[HumanAlien Nordics]] and the [[LizardFolk Saurians]]. Shortly after being recruited into the program, the protagonist learns not only that the Nordics are actually time-traveling humans from about 11,000 years in the future, but the Greys are also descended from humanity, only roughly a million years from now. There are actually hundreds, if not thousands, of Grey-like branches of humanity in their time period, with the stereotypical "short humanoids with large heads and black eyes" look being just one of them. Despite a somewhat similar physical appearance to the Greys, the Saurians are a completely alien species. Unlike the Nordics, who are friendly to modern-day humans, and the Saurians, who are generally hostile, the Greys mostly treat humans as cattle or lab rats. When they first made contact with the US, they demanded the President Eisenhower sign an agreement allowing them to abduct a small number of Americans each year in exchange for some technology. When he initially refused, they threatened to sign the same agreement with the Soviets instead, forcing him to sign rather than let the Russians have alien tech. The protagonist also learns that the Greys have been interfering with human civilization for millennia, studying and modifying DNA, which he finds paradoxical, since it essentially means that they are ensuring their own evolution. |
| 144 | [[/folder]] |
| 145 | |
| 146 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 147 | * The first appearance of aliens meeting this description in Western pop culture was an episode of ''Series/TheOuterLimits1963'' entitled "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1963S1E20TheBelleroShield The Bellero Shield]]", which first aired February 10th, 1964. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_and_Barney_Hill_abduction People began claiming to have been abducted by aliens looking just like the ones from the TV show within weeks, which we are sure is merely a coincidence]]. |
| 148 | * The Asgard in ''Series/StargateSG1'' are the wiser, benevolent version. This is a result of CloneDegeneration; they used to look more like SpaceElves. |
| 149 | ** It's even discussed within the show that they resemble the typical Roswell Greys, and that the Roswell Greys may even be based on them, given how long the Asgard have been observing humans. |
| 150 | ** In one episode an Asgard criminal named Loki spends an episode abducting people and has been doing so for some time. The implication is that he's the origin of "grey alien abduction" stories. |
| 151 | ** ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' introduces a villainous splinter group of the Asgard called the Vanir who left for the Pegasus Galaxy long ago in order to avoid the Asgard ethical constraints. Interestingly, we have no idea who they are for most of the episode introducing them, as they tend to wear bulky encounter suits. |
| 152 | * The greys are the main villains of the MythArc of ''Series/TheXFiles'', performing human abduction and experimentation so they can [[AlienInvasion eventually invade]] and enslave humanity. TheGreys from space are emotionless, sociopathic, greedy, and super intelligent. TheGreys born from TheVirus infecting humans begin as wild, thoughtlessly-violent, werewolf-like beasts, but mature into the calm, intelligent form. |
| 153 | * The "star" of the ''Series/AlienAutopsy'' video was purportedly an alien of this type. |
| 154 | * The Vree in ''Series/BabylonFive''; in the episode "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS01E15Grail Grail]]", a station ombuds (something like a judge or arbitrator) has to deal with a lawsuit filed by the descendant of a UFO abductee against the descendant of the Vree who did the abducting. Naturally, their ships (seen in a few episodes) are round and flat. |
| 155 | ** There were ''three'' species that resemble Greys-the Streib and the Zener (aka the "Shadow Surgeons" seen in flashbacks operating on telepaths to interface them with Shadow technology) were the other two. And the Streib apparently abducted people as well... |
| 156 | *** The other two's names are {{Shout Out}}s: Whitley ''Streib''er wrote the alien contact novel ''Communion'', and ''Zener'' cards are used by parapsychologists for psychic testing. |
| 157 | *** Unlike some examples of this trope, the Streib are not {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s and when they attempt to [[MuggingTheMonster prey upon powerful races]] can get a severe thrashing. When they tried to kidnap humans the humans intercepted and destroyed their ship, and when they tried that on Minbari, the Minbari "tracked them back to their homeworld and made sure they understood the ''depth'' of their mistake" as Delenn put it. |
| 158 | ** The Vorlons and Shadows apparently. The Vorlons after all abducted Jack the Ripper who [[SarcasmMode for some odd reason]] wasn't missed much by Earthers. |
| 159 | ** According to the fluff, the Vree are very advanced technologically, second only to the Minbari. In fact, they are the only younger race except for the Minbari to have perfected AntiMatter reactors and weapons. The fluff also claims they have {{teleportation}} technology, a feat no other race can match. |
| 160 | * Greys are the ones who created the Backstep TimeTravel technology in ''Series/SevenDays1998''. One particularly nasty one named Adam is a villain. |
| 161 | ** Well, considering that the Roswell craft was actually a prison transport with Adam as the prisoner, it makes sense that he'd be a bad apple (no pun intended). Plus, what did the humans do when the wounded alien asked for help? Hit him in the face with the butt of a rifle, knocking him into a 50-year coma. |
| 162 | * The TV show ''Series/DarkSkies'' depicted an alternate version of the history of the 20th Century, with elements of the US government either battling or working with a covert invasion by the Hive, a race of Greys. Or, more precisely, a parasitic alien race that had conquered the Greys and were now working on us. |
| 163 | * The few times we see the teen aliens' guardians in ''Series/{{Roswell}}'' in their true form, they're classic Greys. |
| 164 | * ''Series/{{Taken}}'': The aliens are classic greys who are about four foot tall and possess large heads, oval-shaped eyes, spindly bodies and three fingers and a thumb on each hand. |
| 165 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Silence resemble Greys crossed with TheMenInBlack. Their enlarged craniums have hollows below their (relatively normal-sized) eyes to make them appear black and huge. They first show up in America, influenced NASA to go to the moon, [[spoiler:and reappear in the season finale - inside a pyramid with a US flag painted on one side, dubbed "Area 52"]]. They are eventually revealed to be [[spoiler:biologically-altered human time-travellers from the far future]]. |
| 166 | * The Masters in ''Series/TheTripods'' series have more then a few characteristics of this. They inspire a pseudo-religious awe in humans, even humans free from their mind control are awed by their [[StarfishAliens incomprehensibility]] and they have [[BlueAndOrangeMorality mysterious psychology]]. Not to mention technological power amid a world of humans reverted to medievalism. |
| 167 | ** Physically, though, the Masters in no way resemble Greys in either the books or the TV show (the design in the TV show is significantly different from the description in the books, though both are non-humanoid). |
| 168 | * The ''Series/{{Sliders}}''' episode "[[Recap/SlidersS05E09TheReturnOfMaggieBeckett The Return of Maggie Beckett]]" shows the Greys. They are known as Reticulans. They existed in our dimension as well, but we didn't have the benefit of a President Adlai Stevenson to reveal their existence to the public. In the alternate universe encountered in this episode, the Greys are common knowledge, and Earth has traded technology with them. |
| 169 | * ''Franchise/StarTrek'': |
| 170 | ** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': Balok, or rather, [[spoiler:the puppet he uses]] in "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E10TheCorbomiteManeuver The Corbomite Maneuver]]", seen in the credits of every episode, looks like a typical grey. |
| 171 | ** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': |
| 172 | *** The episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E8FutureImperfect Future Imperfect]]" has Commander Riker in [[spoiler:a dream sequence telepathically caused by an orphan Grey alien kid]] named Barash. |
| 173 | *** The episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E5Schisms Schisms]]" has creatures abducting several crew members including Riker and Worf for weird medical experiments and they resemble Greys. Interesting enough, as the franchise already has societies of aliens and humans interacting naturally, these Greys are the next step; creatures from AnotherDimension. |
| 174 | ** The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E08LittleGreenMen Little Green Men]]" deconstructs the Roswell crashing with the Ferengi as the species that crash-landed there, more specifically Quark, Rom and Nog after they accidentally travel back in time. Other than the big heads and small size, Ferengis do not look at all as Greys. |
| 175 | * Grey Aliens appear in a BizarroEpisode of ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard''. Yes, really. |
| 176 | * ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': |
| 177 | ** In "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S2E6BeyondTheVeil Beyond the Veil]]", Eddie Wexler is plagued by flashbacks of being abducted by grey aliens. |
| 178 | ** In "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S7E20DarkChild Dark Child]]", Laura Sinclair was abducted by TheGreys in 1984 and impregnated, which resulted in the birth of her daughter Tammy. Clips from "Beyond the Veil" are used to represent her nightmares. |
| 179 | * The Greys are mentioned on a recurring basis in the first season of ''Series/ResidentAlien''. According to Harry Vanderspeigle, they have "ass fetish". In a later installment, it's revealed that they abduct human babies from pregnant women and implant trackers in people. Harry refers to them as "insidious assholes". In the second season, it is revealed that The Greys [[spoiler:are the true BigBad and that they are planning to desolate the Earth and have already done so once in an alternate timeline.]] |
| 180 | [[/folder]] |
| 181 | |
| 182 | [[folder:Pinball]] |
| 183 | * One of the pool tournament players in ''Pinball/SharkeysShootout'' is "Mr. Grey", an alien wearing a black suit. |
| 184 | * Some animations in ''Pinball/TheXFiles'' (like the extra ball and Shoot Again ones) display these. (Notably, the one on the "Shoot Again" screen is smoking.) |
| 185 | * ''Pinball/FooFighters2023'': While every alien seen in the art package is green, their designs are otherwise exactly the same as a typical Grey -- mildly diminutive humanoids with over-sized heads and big, black eyes. [[spoiler:These depictions are identical to the Overlord without his mask, as revealed in "The Final Battle."]] |
| 186 | [[/folder]] |
| 187 | |
| 188 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 189 | * ''Toys/LegoMinifigures'': Series 6 has the Classic Alien, who is characterized as an alien stranded on Earth after being held in Area 51 and mistakenly believes tabloids and conspiracy theories about extraterrestials to be the truth. |
| 190 | [[/folder]] |
| 191 | |
| 192 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 193 | * In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', a quartet of Greys are characters in the "Oceans Unmoving" storyline. From what we know of them, they were grown in test tubes, are obsessed with AnalProbing, and got to Timeless Space via attempting to "probe" a TimeMachine with a rake (in a parody of ''VideoGame/{{XCOM}}''). They're also a homage to ''Series/TheATeam'', being named Murdock, Face, Hannibal, and B.A. |
| 194 | * [[Webcomic/DJGray "DJ" Gray]] is one who has gotten himself stranded on Earth, now working as a [[BurgerFool fast food cook.]] |
| 195 | * ''Webcomic/TheCyantianChronicles'' has two species that qualify. The Cil, who have to merge with other species to survive in earth's environment and accidentally created the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent weres]] that way. And the Rumuah, who created the Cyantians from human and animal DNA but largely went extinct centuries before the anal-probing phenomenon. |
| 196 | * The Architects in ''Webcomic/AlienDice'', aside from spooking primitives from some backwater planet they gave galactic society NanoMachines, but left when the AD corp stole a more advanced version for use in their Dice. |
| 197 | * ''Webcomic/{{Melonpool}}'' has archetypical "lottle grey men" in the form of the [[FunWithAcronyms G.R.A.I.S.E.]]. |
| 198 | * ''Webcomic/TryingHuman'' has the Greys as both protagonists and antagonists, depending on whether you're Rose or Majestic 12. To Rose, they're mostly friendly (eventually) but to the government, they're evil. The government has even invented weapons specifically designated to stop them. [[CruelAndUnusualDeath PERMANENTLY via 'blooms' that stop their telepathy]] by exploding their brains. Other alien races are present, such as the [[CreepyCute creepily adorable]] Reptoids and the only-mentioned [[OurElvesAreDifferent Nordics]], but the Greys are almost the 'heroes' of the story. |
| 199 | * They appear briefly in ''Webcomic/RasputinBarxotka'', using probing to harvest human sexual energy to power their ships. |
| 200 | * The Zorblaxians, an alien race frequently featured in ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' look like Greys, except they are dark green and wear clothes. In some strips they fit the stereotypes pretty well, abducting humans for experiments; while in others they live on Earth among humans and are used as vehicles for social commentary. |
| 201 | * The Graidani in ''Webcomic/StarPower'' have some resemblance to Greys. And they used to be enslaved by their cousins the Graidan, who might be based on the taller "leaders" that appear in some accounts. |
| 202 | * The UsefulNotes/{{Furry|Fandom}} Comic ''[[http://www.ringtailcafe.com/starfireagency/ Starfire Agency]]'' has Grays as one of apparently several alien races that frequently abduct major character Denver, and the species he fears the most as they seem to be completely emotionless and uncaring about the experiments they perform on him, and they steal his clothes and send him back in different ones each time. In one arc a hybrid that looks like a tall, gaunt canid with large black eyes appears to [[spoiler:fix the sleeper personality his creators put in Denver, or rather the clone they replaced him with a decade ago]]. |
| 203 | * In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', when Luke contemplates Tedd, Grace and Noah as being aliens, he [[http://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1963 pictures Tedd and Grace staring at him with faces like that of Greys]]. |
| 204 | ** The Uryumoms [[https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2003-08-27 look like this]], at least in their base form. |
| 205 | [[/folder]] |
| 206 | |
| 207 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 208 | * [[http://www.villainsource.com/misc.html Villain Source]] recommends them as useful (though potentially treacherous) allies for {{Big Bad Wannabe}}s, provided you [[AnalProbing protect your anus]] and wash them down once a week with a soft, damp cloth. |
| 209 | * [[http://www.bogleech.com/creepy/creepy13-captainslog.html One of the winning entries]] ([[Literature/CaptainsLog now with its own page]]) in ''Website/{{Bogleech}}'''s ''CreepyPasta Cook-Off 2013'' features them and gives a pretty brilliant (and terrifying) explanation for why they always act the way they do. |
| 210 | * ''WebVideo/NightmareTime:'' The episode "Yellow Jacket" has the boy with blue veins, [[spoiler: Otho, a vessel for the ancient god, Pokotho. He was made by splicing human DNA with a blue substance found on a meteor.]] He is portrayed by an otherworldly-looking puppet, with large, glassy eyes and long knobby fingers. |
| 211 | * ''Website/OrionsArm'' has a [[HumanSubspecies tweak]] Clade modeled after the [[http://www.orionsarm.com/xcms.php?r=oaeg-view-article&egart_uid=47ec45df22bde Grays]]. Given that TimeTravel is next to impossible in the setting it's highly unlikely they had anything to do with the subculture that created them. |
| 212 | * Speaking of human subspecies, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gglu5O_ir6Y&list=UU-_mYyta-RkMQ_85kaHjOgA this short animation]] outlines a potential future in which humans evolve into something resembling Greys and invent time travel. |
| 213 | * ''Website/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2020 SCP-2020]] is a sentient humanoid made out of rubber that resembles this trope. He claims to be from an advanced extraterrestrial society, but constantly [[UnreliableNarrator flip-flops on his claims]]. He's also an amateur science fiction writer, but can only think of basic outlines ([[SelfDeprecation of other [=SCPs=]]]). |
| 214 | * ''Literature/TheJenkinsverse'' knows the Greys as "Corti", a species so devoted to a eugenics program that favored intellect above all other concerns that their bodies and empathy have both allegedly atrophied (though in practice, they never had much of either to begin with). Corti are self-interested to a fault, but far from stupid: indeed, they're far more likely to make a mutually beneficial deal than an unfair one, because the mutually beneficial deal ensures that angry customers don't try to kill them. Still, they have a sideline in abducting specimens of "non-sapient" pre-FTL species for "zoological research" so that, when said species do join sapient civilization, they will find Corti merchants waiting with an assortment of suspiciously well-designed medicines, cybernetics and technological luxuries. |
| 215 | * Mesut Eyezil in ''WebAnimation/The442oons''. |
| 216 | -->''"Eyezil, phone home!"'' |
| 217 | * Partway through his [[WebVideo/VinesauceTomodachiLife Tomodachi Life LP]], WebVideo/{{Vin|esauce}}ny added several identical Miis called the Jahns, which heavily resemble the Grays (although due to the limitations of the Mii Maker, their skin isn't actually gray). They are revealed to be a group of alien researchers stranded on Earth after their ship crashed; Vinny mentions that he intends to study them, in hopes of seeing how they differentiate. [[spoiler:However, they quickly turn out to be more than they seem, as they quickly turn the tables and begin studying ''Vinny'', as well as making deals with [[RealityWarper Isaac]] and [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Hailey]]. Then, in [[WhamEpisode Episode 48]], they finally put their plans into effect, [[AssimilationPlot converting the other islanders into more Jahns]], with Vinny himself [[BrainwashedAndCrazy under their control]]. Fortunately, they're driven off by [[Series/TheXFiles Mulder and Scully]] two episodes later; apparently, [[RuleOfFunny they just wanted chicken cutlets the whole time]]]]. |
| 218 | * The most commonly depicted alien species in ''WebVideo/BedtimeStoriesYoutubeChannel''', where, among other things, are said to be responsible for several AlienAbduction incidents, as well as mysterious disappearances and killings. |
| 219 | [[/folder]] |
| 220 | |
| 221 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 222 | * The Greys make several appearances in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark.'' They visit Earth to [[spoiler:record everything as an intergalactic reality show]]. The Greys antagonize humans (especially Cartman for some reason) but praise cows. |
| 223 | ** There's an interesting aversion in one episode. As Chef and the boys are escaping the Greys, they suddenly see a light behind them and scream that the aliens are after them. However, it turns out that it's not a UFO chasing them but four Greys in a sedan, one of whom leans out of a window with a gun (a plain old Earth gun) to shoot at the escaping vehicle. Then they get ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'' treatment. |
| 224 | * Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Greys do appear but are depicted as backwoods hunters, humorously reminiscent of those who they reportedly abduct. Fry gets his nose stolen when he's abducted by them. |
| 225 | * In the ''[[WesternAnimation/TheTick Tick]]'' episode "Tick vs the Big Nothing", an alien race called [[PokemonSpeak the What]] disguise themselves as Greys in order to avoid their enemies [[PokemonSpeak the Hey]] (who happen to look like Arthur). |
| 226 | * Roger from ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' |
| 227 | ** In one episode, Jesus meets Roger and mentions that Roger's people are one of his father's "side projects". |
| 228 | * [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Phil Ken]] [[EyepatchOfPower Sebben]] of ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'' mistakes WesternAnimation/TheJetsons for Greys, scattering his office with drawings of them with the distinctive large, black, almond-shaped eyes. |
| 229 | * The Galvans from ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' resemble this, albeit frog-sized. |
| 230 | * In the Creator/{{CBBC}} ''Series/DoctorWho'' animated serial [[Recap/DoctorWho2009ASDreamland "Dreamland"]] there are a couple of Grey aliens that were captured in Area51. |
| 231 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'' episode "Nellis", Krieger and Pam insist that the U.S. government is harboring these at Nellis AFB. They're right, and the Greys even walk around so casually that they enter an officer's club without bothering to check who is in there first (Archer & Co.). Although there is some suggestion it was AllJustADream. |
| 232 | * ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Greys are something of a recurring symbol for Peridot--who herself is heavily based on their [[LittleGreenMen green cousins]]. In "Log Date 7 15 2" she puts on a pair of GoofyPrintUnderwear dotted with their heads, her tape recorder has a sticker of a grey's head, and Peridot falls in love with a large stuffed Grey doll in "Too Short To Ride", her desire to win one being part of the catalyst that starts the plot. |
| 233 | * ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries'' introduces two races: |
| 234 | ** The Arquillians are exactly like a grey in their look, except for their tiny size. They are a {{pacifist}} race and pass as humans using [[MobileSuitHuman big human-like suits]]. |
| 235 | ** The Baltians, another grey-looking alien race, albeit they are taller than humans (as some greys are allegedly in RealLife). The first race un doing "official" FirstContact with humans and the ones giving humans all sorts of technologies that the MIB decide when they go public. They also travel in flying saucers. |
| 236 | * The Roswellians in ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' are design after the Greys (tho they are a little bit greenish) and appear in several episodes, but they are mostly an inversion of the AlienInvasion and RoswellThatEndsWell tropes as their planet is actually the receptor of alien visits and not the otherway around. |
| 237 | * The Klepts in ''Alien X-Mas'' are depicted as greys, albeit with some being larger than others or having distinct body types. Also, while they're introduced as being an identical shade of grey, [[spoiler:X turns bright blue after a HeelFaceTurn, and it turns out that the Klepts originally came in a wide variety of bright colors, but had gradually all turned grey after they became greedy and lost the spirit of generosity]]. |
| 238 | [[/folder]] |
| 239 | |
| 240 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 241 | * The Grey image may have originated with the Creator/HGWells essay "Man of the Year Million", a conjecture of what humans might evolve into in a million years as a technical civilization: having grey skin, an enlarged brain, and a weakened body. The image began showing up in UFO reports not long after it entered the media. Historically, descriptions of UFO aliens always matched the dominant pop-culture images of the time: LittleGreenMen in the late '40s, big scary monsters in the B-movie '50s, HumanAliens in the '60s when TV aliens were just [[RubberForeheadAliens actors in weird costumes]]. But by the time the Grey image came along, [=UFOs=] had become a pop-culture trope themselves and began feeding back into the media. So TheGreys began appearing in productions like ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' and ''Series/TheXFiles'', becoming a self-reinforcing trope. |
| 242 | * The Las Vegas 51s minor league UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} team (renamed the Aviators for the 2019 season) were so called after Area51. Their mascot? A Grey with baseball seams on his large head. |
| 243 | [[/folder]] |
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