Line #257 WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries


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5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mib_the_series.jpeg]]
6
7	''Franchise/MenInBlack: [[RecycledTheSeries The Series]]'' (1997-2001) was an animated series spun-off from ''Film/MenInBlack''. It originally aired on Creator/KidsWB
8
9	Filling the gap between the first and [[Film/MenInBlackII the second movie]] (5 years), this series is what fans were left with. It was quite successful, and it 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'').
10
11	It's worth noting that 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]]!
12
13	The show spawned three video games: ''Men in Black: The Series'', ''Men in Black 2: The Series'', and ''Men in Black: The Series – Crashdown''. The show was seen in reruns on Creator/TheHub prior to its rebrand as Discovery Family. In 2021, Creator/SonyPicturesTelevision began releasing episodes of the series for free on their Throwback Toons Website/YouTube channel.
14
15	----
16	!!TV Tropes, Division Six:
17
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Tropes A to F]]
21	* ActionGirl:
22	** Agent L is no pushover, as she occasionally accompanies Agents J and on missions as a CombatMedic.
23	** There's also Aileen, an old flame of Agent K who shows up in two episodes. She's an alien who used to be a field partner to K on missions, arresting rogue aliens.
24	*** In her second appearance, "The Sonic Boom Syndrome", Aileen brings a field rookie from her planet named Eidi. Eidi is presented with feminine HeroicBuild, while keeping up with Agent J.
25	* ActorAllusion: This is not the first time Ed O'Ross [[Film/TheHidden fought aliens on the city streets]].
26	* AdiposeRex: The Emperor Worm is taller and fatter than the regular Worms.
27	* AdaptationDyeJob: L goes from raven-haired in the film to blonde in the series. Z goes from brown-haired to silver-white.
28	* AerithAndBob: The Twins were renamed to Areekareeyuket (pronounced Elcabob) and Bob for the series. During the ChristmasEpisode, 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=]".
29	* 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. Z 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.
30	* AlienInvasion: Obviously, the MIB have to thwart multiple hostile takeover attempts of Earth by unfriendly aliens.
31	* 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 police 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.
32	* AlternateContinuity: L works for the [=MiB=] (and had been there for a longer time than J, apparently) and is a blonde. K seems to never have been neuralyzed, as he's still showing J the ropes. However, the events of the first film are still heavily alluded to in "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", implying the movie's events occurred in BroadStrokes at the very least.
33	* AncientAstronauts: There's a few extraterrestrial species that lived on Earth in ancient times:
34	** {{Atlantis}} exists, and unsurprisingly it's the [[UnderwaterRuins ruined remains]] of an [[UnderwaterCity undersea alien colony]]. Today, it's a tourist attraction visited by [[FishPeople aquatic aliens]].
35	** The Hyperians are an alien race whose [[SpaceJews culture]] resembles AncientEgypt, and they apparently visited the real Egypt long ago, presumably playing a role in building the pyramids. One of the Hyperians was even disguised as a {{mummy}} and slept in a tomb for a few thousand years, before waking up to cause havoc in modern times.
36	* 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.]]
37	* AppendageAssimilation / TheAssimilator: Alpha spends most of his offscreen time dismembering various aliens to integrate them into his own body.
38	* ArbitrarySkepticism: Both examples from "[[HalloweenEpisode The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome]]":
39	** Z 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.]]
40	** In the same episode, K 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]].]]
41	* 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. The 4th season also saw a slight shift to a more saturated and warmer color palette.
42	* ArtisticLicenseSpace: In ''I Married an Alien Syndrome,'' The Blastulans plan to raise Earth's temperature by adding artificial sunspots to the sun. However, real sunspots are ''cooler'' than the rest of the sun.
43	* 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 second movie.
44	* 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.
45	* AvengingTheVillain: In "The Big Bad Bug Syndrome", L is the target of a bounty by the Bug Queen for killing Edgar in the first film. The Queen has ordered her fellow Bugs to capture L alive so that she can be brought back to their planet to be tortured and executed.
46	* BackToBackBadasses: In the Season 3 episode "The Put Out to Pasture Syndrome", where J and Z are facing off against Alpha's mirages.
47	* 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.
48	* BadFuture: "The Future's So Bright Syndrome". J [[TimeTravel travels about a century into the future]] and finds himself in a world where [[ItMakesSenseInContext Earth has been taken over by billions of Worms]][[note]]descended from countless clones of the original four Worms from the MIB[[/note]] ruled by a [[EvilOverlord tyrannical emperor]] who has persecuted humans into near-extinction. This [[CrapsackWorld dystopian world]] is complete with [[FantasticRacism widespread bigotry against humans]], and a [[StateSec military police force]] that hunts down any [[LaResistance surviving human rebels]].
49	* BatmanColdOpen: Almost every episode of the first season opened with J and K on a mission unrelated to the main plot. One episode of the second one did too, and also an episode of the third one.
50	* BeautyBrainsAndBrawn: Oddly enough, has an instance with just one woman and two men:
51	** Agent J - Beauty: He often boasts about having good looks, occasionally tries to flirt with women, and his catchphrase is "I make this look good."
52	** Agent K - Brawn: The most experienced of the three, often having access to advanced gadgets and very high-tech weaponry. He also became a stone superhuman in one episode.
53	** Agent L - Brains: She often works in the lab, is the most analytical of the three, and often makes antidotes to poisons and gadgets to counter an alien menace, such as the Sonic Nullifier to dissempower Auduzi.
54	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: In "The Little Big Man Syndrome", K reveals that Music/JohnLennon, UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, and Raffi are/were Arquillians.
55	-->'''J:''' Wait, John Lennon was an alien? What's Music/{{Ringo\|Starr}}?
56	-->'''K:''' The drummer.
57	* BigNo:
58	** Twice by K in "The Alpha Syndrome".
59	** Also one from "J" in "The L of My Dreams 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.
60	* 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.
61	* BountyHunter: Buzzard is an alien mercenary who hunts down and captures other targeted aliens for cash.
62	* BrainTheft: In the episode "The Quick Clone Syndrome", Alpha steals Z's brain to get information about MIB. Z's body still functioned because of alien tech and his brain is eventually retrieved in the end, though.
63	* BringMyBrownPants: "I'm evacuating as we speak!"
64	* BrokenPedestal: Alpha was the one who had trained Agent K before becoming one of the [=MiB's=] worst enemies.
65	* ButtMonkey: If something bad happens, it almost always happens to J. Plus, he will occasionally lack a gadget that K has.
66	* CainAndAbel: Dak and Jeebs.
67	* CastingGag:
68	** Creator/VincentDOnofrio as all the male Bugs.
69	** In "The I Married An Alien Syndrome", the woman who [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin married an alien in disguise]] is voiced by [[Series/MorkAndMindy Pam Dawber]].
70	* CelebrityParadox: In "The Star System Syndrome", an agent proclaims "We've got Creator/WillSmith, Creator/TommyLeeJones, and Rip Torn." Later in the episode, the Worms disguise themselves as a Mr. (Lowell) Cunningham[[note]]creator of the ''ComicBook/MenInBlack'' comic[[/note]] and wind up pitching [[Film/MenInBlack a movie]] about "well-dressed men and women" who police "bad aliens" on Earth.
71	-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first time.
72	-->'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movies over and over!
73	* 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.
74	* TheChewToy: Jeebs. Every time he appears, count on a body part needing to be re-grown.
75	-->"That ''really'' stings!"
76	* ChristmasEpisode: "The Black Christmas Syndrome", where the Men in Black have to {{sav\|ingChristmas}}e SantaClaus from being kidnapped by Drekk ([[ItMakesSenseInContext he was hired by alien kids who wanted to have Christmas on their world]]). K reveals to J that Christmas elves are actually from another planet, however Santa himself ''is not''.
77	* ChronicallyCrashedCar: The [[CoolCar LTD]] suffers from an unfortunate number of catastrophic accidents.
78	* 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.
79	* ClothingDamage: "The Hots for J 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.
80	* TheCon: In [[Recap/MenInBlackTheSeriesS3E9TheOutToPastureSyndrome "The Out To Pasture Syndrome"]], Zed retires from the MIB and is neuralyzed. Alpha decides to take advantage of this to exact revenge on Zed. Scanning Jay's memories reveals that Zed is in Antarctica. Zed hasn't actually retired, though, the MIB just wants to lure Alpha into a location where they can monitor him.
81	* ConsultingAConvictedKiller: Season 4 episode "The Opening Gambit Syndrome" sees Agents J and K visit fallen agent Alpha to ask him about a case suspiciously similar to one he had solved, prior to him turning rogue. K gets tired of Alpha's mind games, but J is much more optimistic, especially since all Alpha wants is for the agents to play chess with him while they question him. Alpha's information proves helpful, [[spoiler:primarily because Alpha is actually partners with the alien criminals]], and J decides to thank Alpha by giving him a children's electronic chess game to pass his time in prison. K figures out much too late this was all a massive ruse and, sure enough, Alpha uses the electronics inside the toy to escape prison.
82	* CursedWithAwesome: J was in a hurry to lose his agility superpowers for no conceivable reason.
83	* {{Cyborg}}: In the last season, Alpha makes himself one of these-- reasoning that flesh ultimately decays.
84	* DawsonCasting:[[invoked]] "The Back to School Syndrome" has J go undercover as a high school student, due to K reasoning that J is the "youngest and [[ManChild most immature]]" agent they have.
85	* DeadpanSnarker: Pretty much everyone.
86	* DenserAndWackier: Season 2+ compared to the first, which put a lot of focus on K's and J's relationship and had some really dark and at times even suspenseful stories. These got increasingly rarer as the series progressed, though, in favor of putting a lot of focus on the wacky hijinks of the worms or Frank the pug.
87	* DisposableDecoyDoppelganger: The agency has the technology to create clones that are instantly aged to adulthood, but the downside is that the clones only last a short period of time. These "quick clones" are usually employed as decoys, although one episode reveals that Elle has been abusing her access to the cloning labs to create temporary duplicates to cover her shift so that she can have a day off every now and then.
88	* DyingVocalChange: When quick clones finally run out of juice - or when someone hits the off-switch behind the clone's left ear - they first begin talking in disconnected gibberish, then their voices get steadily deeper and slower until they're reduced to burbling incoherently as their bodies dissolve into puddles of coffee-coloured goop.
89	* 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. Possibly justifiable as technology advancing to where the clothing can be created from the same cloning matter at the same time.
90	* EarthShatteringKaboom: One episode has the Fmecks trying to use a satellite dish on Earth to reflect a planet-destroying beam towards the Arquillian homeworld. [[spoiler:J manages to return it to sender.]]
91	* ElectricJoybuzzer: In Episode 2, K uses one to block a punch from a MobileSuitHuman, temporarily short-circuiting it and disengaging the face latch.
92	* ETGaveUsWiFi: A plot point in several episodes where advanced alien technology that humans won't be ready for until several decades/centuries in the future 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.
93	* EvilBrit: Alpha, just like virtually anyone else voiced by Creator/DavidWarner.
94	* EvilCounterpart: Fmecks, who are evil counterparts to the Arquillians.
95	* EvolvingCredits: The opening sequence gets altered a little bit in Season 4; pictures of Frank the Pug and the Worms are added to the alien mugshots, while the season's new characters (Dr. Zeeltor and Agent X) are shown alongside Agent L and Chief Z when they examine the suspect lineup.
96	* 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 it's possible that it could even be ''recyclable''.
97	* FantasticRacism:
98	** Pretty much the bedrock of a lot of conflicts in the series. It's mentioned that various alien races have been at war with each other or at least don't get along well. And of course, many of the villainous (or at least {{jerk\|ass}}ish) aliens feel contempt for humans.
99	** Most notably, there's the [[DepravedDwarf Fmeks]] and their obsession with wiping out the [[GoodCounterpart Arquillians]] for no reason beyond the former's hatred of the latter species.
100	*** That, and [[DrivenByEnvy the Arquillian homeworld is bigger]]. [[spoiler:Or was, [[EarthShatteringKaboom back when the Fmeks had a homeworld]].]]
101	** The villain of "The Head Trip Syndrome" turns out to be a human who really hates aliens. Edmund Clark Moffat is a paranoid {{conspiracy theorist}} who somehow discovered the existence of extraterrestrials and the Men in Black, so he resolves to use {{time travel}} to [[RetGone erase the MIB from history]] in hopes of stopping aliens from ever living on Earth.
102	** A pretty obvious example of this is featured in "The Future's So Bright Syndrome". In a [[BadFuture dystopian future world]] where Worms have become the dominant species on Earth, they persecuted humans to outright genocidal levels, with many people being enslaved on coffee plantations or just plain massacred. Simply ''being human'' and getting caught wandering around their cities is a crime punishable by death.
103	** [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero Agent X]] is an [[NobleBigotWithABadge alien cop]] who gets recruited by the MIB later into the series. Despite working for and alongside humans, and his job being to protect Earth and its people, Agent X openly expresses his belief that humans are an inferior and primitive species, much to the frustration of his partner L.
104	* 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, Z 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.
105	* {{Flanderization}}:
106	** 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. By the 4th season, it gets to where his incompetence is outright mocked by everyone around him, and he even screws things up as badly as the Worms do.
107	** K, as well. Movie K was a relatively dry-humored straight man, but Series K is downright emotionless most of the time.
108	** 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).
109	* ForeignQueasine: Inverted when J and K are asking some Alcidian aliens about a suspect, and the aliens are disgusted by the pair eating average Earth cuisine.
110	-->'''Alcidian:''' "Human food, can you believe they actually ''eat'' that?"
111	* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Or as a completely different alien species. Additionally, a good chunk of monsters in movies are actually alien actors in their birthday suits.
112	** The worms unintentionally do this in "The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome"-- they disguise themselves as a coffee mug, a percolator, and J and K, but due to the paper thinness of their costumes, the first person they visit thinks they're children dressing as aliens.
113	* 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]].
114	* FriendInTheBlackMarket [=/=] HonestJohnsDealership: Jeebs. Which he is varies, depending on just what item he has in stock.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Tropes G to M]]
118	* GetItOverWith: Alpha fully expects [=MIB=] to kill him once he's BroughtDownToNormal, and all but ''orders'' his old co-workers to finish him. Z and K decline.
119	-->'''Z:''' You're a mere mortal now. You'll be punished like one.
120	-->'''K:''' Lock 'im up.
121	* 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.
122	** Anyone bonded with a symbiote as well.
123	* GrandFinale: "The Endgame Syndrome" two-parter.
124	* GroinAttack: L does this to a ''bug''. "Soft underbelly," indeed.
125	* HalloweenEpisode: "The Jack O'Lantern Syndrome", where J and the trick-or-treating Worms encounter a being preying on children, while spooky occurrences plague MIB headquarters.
126	%%* HealingFactor: Jeebs.
127	* 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 Vengus to get the Ixions Earth's oil deposits in exchange for him getting control of Earth. However, plans changed because of ''Z''. He had been investigating Vangus' 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.]]
128	* HiveMind:
129	** 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.
130	** 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.
131	** 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.
132	* HollywoodSilencer: J uses a kind of silencer on the Noisy Cricket, which reduces [[LawOfInverseRecoil the massive recoil]].
133	* HumanDisguise: Just like in the movie, most of the aliens pretend to be humans.
134	* 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.
135	* InformedJudaism: Frank.
136	* ISayWhatISay: When J meets his Quick Clone.
137	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: All episode titles are a variation on "The _____ Syndrome".
138	* IdiotHoudini: The Worms usually don't get punished for all the numerous acts of [[MustHaveCaffeine caffeine-induced idiocy]] and stupid mischief they cause.
139	%%* ImMelting: See CloneDegeneration.
140	%%* ImmortalLifeIsCheap: Jeebs and his brother.
141	* ImmortalityField: Inverted with the Earth for the Stellairians. The Earth's atmosphere can cause a Stellairian to age a [[TwoOfYourEarthMinutes hundred Earth years]] in [[RapidAging a day]] if they don't use their age-regressing hypo-spray.
142	* JediMindTrick: This is what the neuralyzer is for. It helps the agents make people forget they just saw alien(s), their activities, or their tech.
143	%%* {{Jerkass}}: Agent X.
144	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Vangus in the GrandFinale. He gets away even after triggering a weapon designed to destroy all of Earth.]]
145	* LatexPerfection: Many human suits for aliens.
146	* LighterAndSofter:
147	** There's very few fatalities in the show; even most InnocentBystanders are shown to only be webbed up, not killed.
148	** HUMAN fatalities, anyway. They're quite happy blowing up particularly monstrous-looking aliens in all sorts of gruesome ways.
149	* LittleGreenManInACan: Shows up rather frequently, crossing over with MobileSuitHuman. In one episode, there was even a [[MatryoshkaObject Russian Nesting Doll]] of them-- a little green man piloting an android, who himself was a robot piloted by an even smaller little BLUE man!
150	* MadScientist: Zeeltor.
151	-->'''J:''' You can't just operate on people without their permission!
152	-->'''Zeeltor:''' I'm pretty sure I can. I do it all the time.
153	* MarkedToDie: In one episode J kills a crawfish-like alien, which brings down a whole mess of others who now want to avenge their buddy.
154
155	* MathematiciansAnswer: This conversation from "The Little Big Man Syndrome".
156	-->'''J:''' John Lennon was an Arquilian! What's Ringo?
157	-->'''K''' and '''Cyrus:''' The drummer.
158	* MattressTagGag: One episode features the Kalifadik, 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 J 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.
159	* MisterSeahorse: In "The Sardines and Ice Cream Syndrome", J gets pregnant after he accidentally swallows an alien egg.
160	* MobileSuitHuman: The Arquilians and their Fmeck nemeses are both smaller than a human head so they use robots to pass as human. In one episode where J is shrunk to Arquilian size he uses a mech based on himself while the Twins figure out how to reverse the shrinking.
161	* MuggedForDisguise: "The Take No Prisoners Syndrome" has Agent J destroy a robot that had been impersonating K and wear its K LatexPerfection mask to pass himself off as said robot, to fool [[MonsterOfTheWeek that episode's villain]] Dr. Lupo. The real K points out a flaw with the way the mask is worn...
162	-->'''K:''' Do me a favor and tuck in your face. I don't like myself with a turkey neck.
163	-->'''J:''' You mean THIS? ''(pulls a DramaticUnmask to reveal his true face)''
164	* 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.
165	* MustHaveCaffeine: The Worms in MIB absolutely love it -- apparently coffee is a drink reserved for royalty on their home planet.
166	* MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: The Worm Emperor in "The Mine, Mine, Mine Syndrome". His first line in English is "Flubbery will get you underwear."
167	* MythologyGag:
168	** 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.
169	** "The Star System Syndrome" shows an in-universe ''Men in Black'' movie, with Agents Smith & Jones more closely resembling Creator/WillSmith and Creator/TommyLeeJones 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.
170	*** When the Worm Guys make their pitch, they're introduced as "Mr. Cunningham", referencing ''Men in Black'' creator Lowell Cunningham.
171	** 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:
172	--->'''J:''' Y'know the difference between you and me?\
173	'''K:''' You make this look good.\
174	'''J:''' How'd you know I was gonna say that?
175	** In "The Breaking News Syndrome," Z summarizes MIB's mission as to "protect the Earth from the scum of the universe" (quoting the movie's tagline).
176	** The bug queen human disguise is the cardboard cutout girl that J shoots during the aim exercise on the first movie.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179	[[folder:Tropes N to S]]
180	* 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.]]
181	* NotNowKiddo: In the Halloween episode, K lets a kid who witnessed an alien go un-neuralyzed, guessing that this trope would be just as effective. Even the kid himself acknowledges this.
182	* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Why Jeebs regularly does business with enemies of MIB.
183	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: K constantly refers to J as "Slick." He [[ThrowTheDogABone throws him a bone]] a couple times, though. He apparently has an entire scale of these to rank his partner, once demoting him to "Sparky":
184	-->'''K:''' [[SarcasmMode Nicely done]], Sparky.
185	-->'''J:''' What happened to Slick?
186	-->'''K:''' You have to work your way back up to Slick.
187	* OrganTheft: Alpha needs replacement parts... he eventually gets sick of it and gets cybernetic parts instead.
188	* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: Alpha was once The Men in Black's greatest agent, but went bad when he started adding alien parts to his body in a bid for power and immortality.
189	%%* PsychoPrototype: Alpha.
190	* 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.
191	* RetGone: What one villain tries to do to MIB's founding members and thus the organization.
192	* RippleEffectProofMemory: Justified as a side-effect of brain-enhancing AppliedPhlebotinum that enables J to notice that someone's messing with the timeline of [=MiB=] and point it out to the rest of his unaware colleagues.
193	* RunningGag:
194	** J and K claim to belong to various civil organizations when introducing themselves to civilians, but they always add "Division 6". "[[Recap/MenInBlackTheSeriesS2E12TheStarSystemSyndrome The Star System Syndrome]]" reveals that the section of MIB they work for really ''is'' known as "Division 6".
195	** K '''never''' allows J to drive the [[CoolCar 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.
196	** [[BoomHeadshot Shooting off]] Jeebs' [[YourHeadAsplode head]] in every one of his appearances, followed by him [[HealingFactor instantly regenerating]] and complaining of how much it hurts.
197	** 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!").
198	** 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, and they invariably cause a lot of trouble along the way.
199	* SanDimasTime:
200	** In "The Head Trip Syndrome", there's an alien-hating ConspiracyTheorist going back in time and kidnapping MIB founders. Nobody except J (who has an [[MyBrainIsBig intelligence bump]] due to some 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]].
201	** In "The Way Out West Syndrome", they have to stop an out-of-control alien in the past before it destroys a city in the present. Yes, apparently they have to act quickly and race against the clock before it's too late, despite more than a century's difference in time.
202	* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Alpha tried to justify taking the Cosmic Integrator, not approved for human use for 1000 years, this way.
203	* 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".
204	* SerialEscalation: In "The Irritable Bow Wow Syndrome", K 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}}.
205	* ShiplessFasterThanLightTravel: The charnok travel through space by latching onto meteors, and survive atmospheric entry thanks to very tough skin that they simply shed once they land.
206	* ShortLivedOrganism: The organization has the technology to produce "Quick Clones", which are perfect duplicates of people who have a very short lifespan. They reveal themselves to be quick clones when they start babbling gibberish, and then melt. They can also be deactivated by pressing an area on the jugular vein behind their ear.
207	* ShoutOut:
208	** 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]].
209	** 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."]] Once in his hotel room, he's shown practicing lines from an audio tape. One of the lines, which he flubs, is "The ants in France dance mainly without pants", a play on "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" from the film [[Film/MyFairLady My fair Lady]].
210	** In "The Cold Sweat Syndrome", Alpha and K paraphrase lines directly from ''Film/GoldenEye'':
211	-->'''Alpha:''' Why can't you be a good agent and die?
212	-->'''K:''' You first.
213	** In the Halloween episode, Frank the Pug fears he's been bitten by a werewolf. K brusquely informs him that werewolves are out of [=MiB=] jurisdiction, to which Frank quips [[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} "Who'm I gonna call?"]]
214	** In "The Supermen in Black Syndrome" Jack Jeebs and Frank the Pug are complaining about comic books. On the back of the book Jeebs is holding is a blurred picture of ''[[WesternAnimation/BigGuyAndRustyTheBoyRobot Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot]]''.
215	** One episode featured a hand-held teleporter device, with descriptions by Agent K.
216	--> '''J''': "Like [[Franchise/StarTrek Captain Kirk]]?"
217	** When testing a defensive KillSat, L mentions that the big laser cannon on it is capable of vaporizing "[[Film/Armageddon1998 an asteroid the size of Texas]]".
218	** In season four's "The Opening Gambit Sindrome" Alpha acts as a movie version [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]] expy. J plays the part of Clarice.
219	* 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]].
220	* SinisterSweetTooth: As with the movie, the Bugs that appear are violent psychopaths obsessed with sugar.
221	* SillyReasonForWar: The Fmeks want to blow up the Arquillians' home planet simply because it was a bit bigger than theirs.
222	* SpaceJews:
223	** During the ChristmasEpisode, J gives Frank the Pug a gift, and he reveals he's Jewish. In other words, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Frank is literally a Jew from outer space]]!
224	** The Hyperians are a race of [[SpaceRomans Space Egyptians]]. They [[AncientAstronauts sent a scout to Earth a few thousand years ago]], who was disguised as a {{mummy}} in an actual {{Ancient Egypt}}ian tomb.
225	** Another episode involved [[AncientGrome Imperia]], a planet of literal SpaceRomans who enjoy hosting GladiatorGames in a Colosseum-style stadium.
226	* 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?"
227	* SparedByTheAdaptation: Mikey was splattered in the movie. Here, he makes a cameo at [=MiB=] headquarters in the opening episode and tries to attack K.
228	* SpotlightStealingSquad: Practically every episode in the later seasons featured a Worms subplot, if they weren't involved in the main plot.
229	* SpottingTheThread:
230	** In one early episode J and L are driving around at night trying to find a disguised alien ship flying around in the sky when J points out a blimp overflying Yankee Stadium. L asks what's so odd about that, to which J replies there's no game that night.
231	** In "The Put Out To Pasture Syndrome" [[spoiler:J noticed Z'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 Z wasn't neuralized, J commented on the eyes not being glossy like all other times. [[OhCrap Because Alpha got the information from reading J's mind, he might have picked up on that as well]]]].
232	* SuperSpeed: J gets this in one episode as a result of exposure to an activated [[AmplifierArtifact Alien Amplifier Device]].
233	* 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.
234	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Jay is a former NYPD detective still operating out of New York. At some point he does end up running into cops who recognize him, so he has to spin a yarn that he's been working in "deep cover".
235	* SurroundedByIdiots: Z has this attitude in several episodes, most notably the Halloween episode.
236	[[/folder]]
237
238	[[folder:Tropes T to Y]]
239	* TakeThat:
240	** The end of "The Star System Syndrome" sees Hollywood making a rather accurate movie about the Men in Black.
241	-->'''K:''' We'll neuralize the town. Won't be the first time.\
242	'''J:''' So that's why they keep making the same movie.
243	** Frank the Pug claims he's way uglier than Cindy Crawford. J agrees that she's hideous and has to find out if Frank can live up to his claims.
244	* 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.
245	* TalkativeLoon: The Quick-Clones, as the first sign of CloneDegeneration.
246	* TeleporterAccident: In "The Worm-Guy Guy Syndrome", J 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 J and the Worm to [[SlowTransformation gradually become mutant hybrids of each other]] (complete with exchanging their personality traits).
247	* ThrownOutTheAirlock: Happens to Jeebs' brother; J saves Jeebs before he gets thrown out.
248	* TimeTravelEpisode: There's a few of them.
249	** "The Head Trip Syndrome", in which somebody is traveling back to the past to [[RetGone erase all of the MIB's founding members from history]], and J and K have to go back as well to stop him.
250	** "The Way Out West Syndrome", in which J and K visit [[TheWildWest 19th century Arizona]] in order to stop a giant alien monster from awakening and destroying the city of Phoenix in the present day. Also doubles as a CowboyEpisode.
251	** "The Future's So Bright Syndrome", in which J (and eventually K) time-travel about a hundred years into the future to arrest a Worm criminal, [[BadFuture only to find that he now rules Earth as a tyrant king]].
252	* TimeyWimeyBall: Don't think about the way time travel works here too much.
253	--> ''"Don't touch that!!!"''
254	* TrashTheSet: [[spoiler:The first half of the GrandFinale ends with [=MiB=] HQ being destroyed.]]
255	* UnflinchingFaithInTheBrakes: K and a crashing spaceship.
256	* UnresolvedSexualTension: Throughout the show (With maybe the exception of season 4), it's implied that J and L have a mutual attraction for each other and a pretty close bond. L acts as a confidant to J. She keeps his secrets, occasionally acts as a source of comfort for his venting, and sometimes assists him in his schemes - along with when K is not around when he investigates something. They also sometimes like to hang out outside of work, implying that they enjoy each others' company. Ultimately, the show never expands upon their relationship beyond this, as the show ended by season 4. So it's up in the air if they'll ever try/did try their hands at having a real romance.
257	** Season 1 - It's more upfront in season 1, where L occasionally flirts with J and shows a softer, more vulnerable, and intimate side of herself when they're alone together (Though, not all the time). In J's case, it's shown in "The Big Sleep Syndrome" episode (Season 1, Episode 11) [[spoiler:that in his fantasy/dream world, he and L are a loving couple. Though, this version of L in his dreams doesn't represent the real version of L with maybe the exception of her flirty nature. It's shown that L dislikes J's affection for the dream version of L, though not because she doesn't hold a similar infatuation towards him. It's probably because this version of her - outside of looking identical to her - is so different from her personality-wise that she might as well be a different person. When L voluntarily sacrifices herself to the Vernax as a last resort to get J to snap out of it, J rushes to her in response. As J holds her in her dying state, they both hold hands. This is the moment which finally makes J snap out of it and take down the Vernax/Dream L himself and ultimately save himself and L. At the end of the episode when J is free from the vernax's spells, both he and L talk about what happened. J, feeling vulnerable and insecure now that L knows about his fantasy life, is comforted by her when she states that she promises she won't tell anybody about what they both experienced in his dream world - along with stating that dreams are irrational anyway, or at least that's what she hopes. J responds by asking if she is down for giving him a foot massage (Referencing back to one of the scenarios in his fantasy). L jokingly responds by saying "Dream on" - which acts as a final quote for the episode. And as an aside, the fact that L risked her life and sacrificed herself (Though ended up living) to save J by getting him out of his fantasy/dream world says a lot about how she feels about him. The same goes for J as he sacrifices himself for L by taking the hit from the Vernax when it was originally meant for her earlier in the episode.]]
258	** Other examples in season 1:
259	*** L caressing J's face when they fall off their bike in a... compromising position and saying:
260	'''L: J, you're so... heavy."'' (Heavy = handsome?) (Season 1, Episode 2 - The Buzzard Syndrome)
261	*** Two instances in "The Alpha Syndrome" (Season 1, Episode 4). One where L makes a flirty joke at J while he's gathering intel on [[spoiler:Alpha]], along with helping him crack a code his encrypted files. The second instance is more subtle but noticeable. When J is talking to L about where to find [[spoiler:K]], he has a eureka moment and briefly places his hands on L's arms. L gives a quick gaze in response to the action.
262	*** L letting J ride passenger behind on her speed-bike and saying:
263	'''L: I love when you get all macho."'' (Season 1, Episode 6 - The Neuralyzer Syndrome)
264	*** L saying "Liked him better when he only thought he knew everything" about J when his brain becomes super smart, with him becoming very egotistical. Though, this seems to be out of annoyance more than anything else. But this could be interpreted as her way of saying she misses the old J. (Season 1, Episode 10 - The Head Trip Syndrome)
265	** Season 2:
266	*** L fixing up her hair for J when she unexpectedly encounters him in her office after she wakes up from a nap (Season 2, Episode 2 - The Quick Clone Syndrome).
267	*** L and J eating together during a special morale-boosting gathering (Season 2, Episode 8).
268	*** L and J going Christmas shopping together to get presents for the MIB's Christmas celebration. L also briefly assists J in [[spoiler:covering up the fact that he didn't get K a Christmas gift when K asks him about it. Though, J does eventually get him a gift at the end of the episode]] (Season 2, Episode 10).
269	** Season 3:
270	*** L giving J a flirty wave goodbye after [[spoiler:he is sent with K to go to Antarctica to investigate a strange anomaly. Though, it's also in a mocking tone as J tried get off from going by suggesting she go instead in his place - as she is always wanting to do fieldwork. Alas, fate was in her favor over J's. Womp-womp.]] (Season 3, Episode 2)
271	*** L again letting J ride passenger behind her on her speed-bike, along with giving a pretty flirtatious gaze back at him when he hops on (Season 3, Episode 5 - The Way Out West Syndrome).
272	*** L being shocked that [[spoiler:Agent K brought J back to MIB even though he was terminated from his position in the organization]] - and shortly after saying, "You look good, J" as he walks away with K for the next part in the episode. J interprets this as her flirting and smirks in response. Even though [[spoiler:his memories of his time in MIB is mostly erased by this point in the episode]], he knows flirting when he sees it (Season 3, Episode 5 - The J is for James Syndrome).
273	** Other:
274	*** In one of the promotional art for the show, L, J, Z, K, and some aliens are shown standing together. L can be seen giving an admiring gaze to J while he's posing with K.
275	* TheUnmasquedWorld: [[spoiler:During the GrandFinale, a global AlienInvasion 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 L points out that everyone on Earth is watching the ceremony, so Z & K take the opportunity to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia neuralize]] ''the entire planet'', thus ensuring that the {{Status Quo\| Is God}} continued to be preserved.]]
276	* VigilanteInjustice: Brought up in "The Zero to Superhero Syndrome." An alien saves an human child from a fire, concealing his identity as he's using special powers specific to his species. When the tabloids report on the incident, the alien, disillusioned with his humdrum earth life, decides to become a real superhero named Cosmosisman. His activities naturally attract [=MiB's=] attention, but J is quick to point out the alien isn't doing any harm, he's actually trying to help. K reminds his partner that such a high profile person will inevitably attract investigations he won't be able to handle, endangering TheMasquerade. More importantly, however, is that word of this will cause alien scoundrels to come to Earth looking to make a name for themselves by beating the planter's supposed champion. Sure enough a nasty bike shows up to challenge Cosmosisman to a fight, causing lots of property damage.
277	* WeaponizedLandmark: Downplayed example: the Statue of Liberty has a giant neuralyzer in her torch.
278	* 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. Also, while the MIB usually captures alien enemies alive, some of the more monstrous-looking ones can get killed in gruesome ways.
279	** Also an issue with the Quick Clones. They are entirely self-aware, but they melt after a few hours (or when their SelfDestructButton is pushed). No one seems to find this objectionable, not even the Quick Clones themselves.
280	* WhoEvenNeedsABrain: In one episode, Z 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."
281	* 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.
282	-->'''Zed''': "You'll be partnered with U."
283	-->'''J''' (''confused''): "Going solo? I get lonesome!"
284	-->'''Zed''': "Not ''you'' U, ''Agent'' U."
285	* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: The Kalifadek, 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."
286	* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Once per episode, it seems. Granted, it is a kid's show.
287	* TheWorldIsNotReady: [=MiB=] decides if and when certain alien technologies (like microwaves and time travel devices) will [[ReedRichardsIsUseless make it to market]].
288	* WreathedInFlames: The episode "The Hots for J Syndrome" has J gaining fire powers after eating alien food. This was actually a ''bad'' thing since all that energy has to come from somewhere, and in J's case was being leeched from every cell of his body. It would have killed him if it hadn't been reversed.
289	* 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.
290	* YourCostumeNeedsWork: J's and K's reaction to the [=MiB=] movie trailer starring Creator/TommyLeeJones and Creator/WillSmith.
291	* YoyoPlotPoint: Season one ends with J finally being upgraded in K's mind and seems to be the turning point for him to become a proper MIB agent and not just a NaiveNewcomer. Cue season two resetting him back to his normal hot-headed rookie self.
292	[[/folder]]

Context WesternAnimation / MenInBlackTheSeries