The dandy alien visitors in scientific discipline fiction are totally invulnerable — except for one essential weakness . And the best almost - unstoppable aliens have a weakness that is more poetical than Sylvia Plath and William Blake put together . Just count at our television compilation of aliens encountering their most poetic Achilles heel , and then check out our arrant round - up .
Superman .
He ’s the last survivor ( or one of the half - dozen last survivors ) of the exploding major planet Krypton . And he ’s invulnerable to just about everything in the universe , including atomic bombs and the vacuity of interstellar space — but he ca n’t fare anywhere near a radioactive sherd of his own planet without conk out . Or , if it ’s a red shard , it ’ll rick him into a gnome or a dragon . Of course . Also , Superman ’s pal , the Martian Manhunter , has a terrible vulnerability to fire — but it turn out to be mostly psychological .
Why it ’s poetic : Come on , he ’s miss his place planet … and now whenever he encounters part of it , it nigh kill him . The solitariness , the devastation .
Sontarans .
On Doctor Who , the Sontarans are clone superintendent - soldier from the distant major planet Sontar . They ’re almost unstoppable ( although in their late appearance they turned out to be pretty darn stoppable once you used non - copper bullets . ) And their only weak spot is a small vent in the back of their neck , which they use to recharge .
Why it ’s poetic : They ’re super - warriors , so they must always face up their enemy . I mean , they could put a cap or a cuticle onto their neck - hole , but they choose not to . Because they require their fatal defect to remind them who they are .
The Klowns .
In Killer Klowns From Outer Space . It turns outyou can bolt down a killer klownby popping their red nose — it makes perfect sense !
Why it ’s poetical : They wear out their most vulnerable part in good order in front of them , so they can see any onset coming . Plus , it ’s like slapstick and murder rolled into one . Dude !
The Martians .
In War Of The Worlds , the invaders can bat everything that humans can throw at them , and they scoff at our immense arm system of rules . But then they ’re fell by the lowly enemy of all , the vulgar coldness .
Why it ’s poetical : Mostly because H.G. Wells gets so fancy and flowery talking about the “ smallest and humblest of all God ’s creatures ” and how it stomped the monster ’ arse . ( How does he know germ are humble ? )
The Fithp
The Fithp are sort ofweird ace - levelheaded elephantswho employ ranking , if borrowed , technology to obtrude upon Earth in the 1986 novel Footfall , by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle . The mankind are hopelessly outclassed , but they have one reward . In the Fithp culture , when two herds fight , one finally give up and gets absorb into the other herd — so they ’re not fain for homo to give up and then mount a resistance or program sabotage .
Why it ’s poetical : Because these top-notch - elephant guy fail to understand the most human of behaviors … furtiveness .
The colonist
In The X - Files , the aliens seeking to invade the Earth create super - soldier who have only one weakness : their body are shoot asunder by the magnetized fields of big deposites of magnetite .
Why it ’s poetic : The alien soldiers are super - human because of their metallic bodies — but those same body make them vulnerable to magnetic iron-ore . Woah .
The Crawling Eye .
Aliens who are basically just huge orb with tentacles encroach upon the Earth and nothing can blockade them — untilone human figures outthe aliens have no defense against the awe-inspiring power of fire !
Why it ’s poetic : Because the eyes are fire ! It ’s a tremendous metaphor for the cecity of power . Or maybe it ’s just a metaphor for how much you ’ll be rubbing your eye with sleepiness as you endeavor to pay attention to this movie .
The Signs invaders . We’ve already babble out about this a fair act , but the aliens who resolve to set on / invade / kidnap kids in M. Night Shyamalan ’s Signshave a horrific vulnerabilityto plain old body of water .
Why it ’s poetic : The humblest of beverages ! Or maybe , the fact that the aliens ca n’t protect themselves against water without impart up their form - shift abilities . So they trust on the chamaeleon thing , to the exception of protecting themselves .
The Alien TeachersAliens replace the teacher at Henderson High School in Robert Rodriguez ’s The Faculty . And it turn out the aliens’only weaknessis Zeke the drug monger ’s “ homebake . ”
Why it ’s poetical : It ’s the humblest of drug ! Oh , hold back . I imply , come on . They ’re pose teachers , and they ’re vulnerable to the educatee ’ drug . That ’s awesome . Plus , it ’s proof that drugs really are in force for you . And the school day drug dealer is your friend . Etc .
Leto Atreides II
In Frank Herbert ’s God Emperor Of Dune , Letolivesfor 3,000 years and becomes nearly unkillable because he ’s part sandworm . But thenit turns outthat he ’s realise the sandworms ’ vulnerability to water .
Why it ’s poetic : He inherit the weakness as well as the strengths of the worms . Dude , come on !
Stitch : Stitch , from Lilo and Stitch , is a super - awesome exotic koala tool . Except that hecan’t swim .
Why it ’s poetic : Stitch ’s super - dense body makes him indestructible , but also intend he sink like a rock . Oh no !
The Tenctonese .
The aliens from Alien Nation could be burn , and even killed , if they fall into contact with salt piddle . What is it with aliens and piddle of various types ? ( ThanksRoraz ! ) scientific discipline fiction author Robert J. Sawyer hasan incredibly complicated explanationof how the Tenctonese ’s impuissance actually makes sense .
Why it ’s poetic : You ca n’t cry on their shoulder … or if you do , they ’ll decidedly feel your pain in the neck .
Note : In the course of putting this blog mail together , I foundthis postat Everything2 , which was pretty helpful in get along up with some good example .
https://gizmodo.com/aliens-should-always-have-poetic-weaknesses-389379
Doctor WhoLarry NivenSupermanWar of the Worlds
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