History Main / AlienInvasion

-->-- '''The Artilleryman''', ''[[Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1989 The War of the Worlds]]''

-->-- '''The Artilleryman''', ''[[Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds The War of the Worlds]]''

-->-- '''The Artilleryman''', ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds''

This trope, in its modern form, was created by Creator/HGWells's novel ''[[Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898 The War of the Worlds]]''. It was actually a variation on another theme popular at the time, the "[[DayOfTheJackboot invasion story]]", where another country's army, usually France or Germany (depending on [[RippedFromTheHeadlines who relations were worse with at the time]]), would try to conquer Britain. Xenophobia would often play up the foreigness of said foreign empires with the aliens in ''The War of the Worlds'' themselves being an allegory for imperialist powers invading and exploting supposedly "inferior people", the narrator noting that the [[NotSoDifferentRemark Martian invasion wasn't so different from what Britain was doing around the world itself]]. [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents Then]] UsefulNotes/WorldWarI [[HarsherInHindsight happened.]] Today, similar themes are found in techno-thrillers, and crop up in works like ''Film/RedDawn1984'' and ''Literature/TheTomorrowSeries'', where similar feelings of dread at being dominated by a foreign and advanced enemy proliferate.

This trope, in its modern form, was created by Creator/HGWells's novel ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898''. It was actually a variation on another theme popular at the time, the "[[DayOfTheJackboot invasion story]]", where another country's army, usually France or Germany (depending on [[RippedFromTheHeadlines who relations were worse with at the time]]), would try to conquer Britain. Xenophobia would often play up the foreigness of said foreign empires with the aliens in ''The War of the Worlds'' themselves being an allegory for imperialist powers invading and exploting supposedly "inferior people", the narrator noting that the [[NotSoDifferentRemark Martian invasion wasn't so different from what Britain was doing around the world itself]]. [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents Then]] UsefulNotes/WorldWarI [[HarsherInHindsight happened.]] Today, similar themes are found in techno-thrillers, and crop up in works like ''Film/RedDawn1984'' and ''Literature/TheTomorrowSeries'', where similar feelings of dread at being dominated by a foreign and advanced enemy proliferate.

* ''Series/{{Invasion}}'': A 2005 ABC show is a bizarre case of the infiltration type in which the main aliens are seen only as glowing orange lights in the water, but the infiltrating "hybrids" have the [[EvilTwin exact appearances]] (sans scars or other non-genetic marks) ''[[GeneticMemory and memories]]'' of the dead humans theyreplace. This makes (most of) them ''[[TomatoInTheMirror unaware]]'' that they are are infiltrating aliens. It was cancelled after one season, so the actual goals of the invaders are never made clear.

* VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog and his allies have dealt with a few:

* ''Series/{{Invasion}}'': A 2005 ABC show is a bizarre case of the infiltration type in which the main aliens are seen only as glowing orange lights in the water, but the infiltrating "hybrids" have the [[EvilTwin exact appearances]] (sans scars or other non-genetic marks) ''[[GeneticMemory and memories]]'' of the dead humans they [[CloningBlues replace]]. This makes (most of) them ''[[TomatoInTheMirror unaware]]'' that they are are infiltrating aliens. It was cancelled after one season, so the actual goals of the invaders are never made clear.

* ''Webanimation/{{TETRISD}}'': Earth gets invaded by unknown spacecrafts to kidnap humans and build tall towers made of ''Videogame/{{Tetris}}'' blocks.

-->-- '''The Artilleryman''', ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds1898''

** In ''[[ComicBook/InvasionDCComics Invasion!]]'', An alliance of several extraterrestrial militaries invades earth, prompted by the supposed potential danger posed by the adaptability and powers inherent in the meta-gene present in some humans.

* The ''Literature/SynchronicityTrilogy'' by Michael McCloskey is a future story about nine alien cyborgs arriving in orbit and attempting to take over humanity's extensive orbital holdings, explored over a number of different viewpoints. From the military and governmental perspectives, an alien invasion is ''good news'' because the alternative explanation to the strange events in orbit was an [[AIIsACrapshoot AI rebellion]], a similar event to one which nearly caused Armageddon some time before. From the aliens' perspective, the only reason they're here at all is as a punishment, as they were rejected by their society for a crime [[BlueAndOrangeMorality that would be a trivial matter to humans]]. The [[BenevolentAI benevolent but inscrutable AI]] running their society tasked them with taking over Earth; the aliens aren't sure why or even if their AI has anything to gain if they succeed, but they all know that they're effectively exiled.

* In ''Literature/ThePuppiesOfTerra'' (a.k.a. ''White Fang Goes Dingo'') by Creator/ThomasMDisch, highly advanced energy beings take over earth with no difficulty at all. They're a race of aesthetes--they behave exactly like late-Victorian gay males--and [[spoiler:they abandon Earth when humans will simply ''not'' cease thinking about disgusting things]].

* In Creator/HarryTurtledove's "Literature/TheRoadNotTaken" short story, the [[InsufficientlyAdvancedAlien Roxolani]] try to invade Earth, first by impressing humans with their ArtificialGravity-powered ship and then by their advanced weapons. These advanced weapons? Napoleonic muskets and appropriate tactics. To say "EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion" would be an understatement.

* ''Literature/{{Footfall}}'': The 1985 Creator/LarryNiven / Creator/JerryPournelle novel has a hard science look at this trope; the elephant-like Fithp ruined their own planet and have come in a [[GenerationShips SleeperShip]] to claim ours. A military type invasion is launched against the earth.

* ''Auf zwei Planeten'' ("On Two Planets") by [[Creator/KurdLasswitz Kurd Laßwitz]] was published a year before ''War of the Worlds'' and is probably the first subversion of the genre: It turns out the Martians [[BenevolentAlienInvasion really are more advanced then humans]].

** The very first story arc, "Secret Origins", sees the Justice League come together for the first time to combat shapeshifting aliens. Initially, the aliens infiltrate society to undermine Earth's defense systems, then they begin their All-Out Attack. The Good Alien role is filled by [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter J'onn J'onnz]], the [[LastOfHisKind sole survivor]] of a Martian civilization that these invaders had destroyed centuries ago.
** The Season Two GrandFinale "Starcrossed" sees the League nearly destroyed by another invasion. The [[spoiler:Thanagarian]] infiltration was far more effective, because they had a [[TheMole Mole]] in the Justice League itself, providing them with the information to neutralize its members. These invaders initially present themselves as the Good Aliens, claiming that they're fortifying Earth to defend it from their enemies; the ''real'' Good Alien turns out to be their Mole, [[spoiler:Hawkgirl,]] who learns of their true intentions for Earth and is [[BecomingTheMask unable to go through with it]].
** The ''JLU'' episode "Dark Heart", in which the League faces Grey Goo from outer space.
** The ''JLU'' GrandFinale "Destroyer" has Darkseid leading the forces of Apokolips on an All-Out Attack on Earth. The League is forced to [[EnemyMine temporarily team up]] with the remaining members of the Legion of Doom in order to fight them off.

* ''The Island'' by Tim Lebbon, is a rather unusual AlienInvasion story as it's set in the fantasy world of Noreela. The Strangers from beyond keep trying to invade and they have the technological advantage of having flintlock-style guns in a setting that doesn't have them. Unfortunately for these invaders, Noreela has powerful magic instead.

* ''Series/{{V 1983}}'' and its [[Series/V2009 2009 remake]] are about a VillainWithGoodPublicity form of The Infiltration, with [[ANaziByAnyOtherName familiar overtones]]. The aliens in the original series are more overtly fascist, while those of 2009 present a vaguer melange of sinister politics.

This trope, in its modern form, was created by Creator/HGWells's novel ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds''. It was actually a variation on another theme popular at the time, the "[[DayOfTheJackboot invasion story]]", where another country's army, usually France or Germany (depending on [[RippedFromTheHeadlines who relations were worse with at the time]]), would try to conquer Britain. Xenophobia would often play up the foreigness of said foreign empires with the aliens in ''The War Of The Worlds'' themselves being an allegory for imperialist powers invading and exploting supposedly "inferior people", the narrator noting that the [[NotSoDifferentRemark Martian invasion wasn't so different from what Britain was doing around the world itself]]. [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents Then]] UsefulNotes/WorldWarI [[HarsherInHindsight happened.]] Today, similar themes are found in techno-thrillers, and crop up in works like ''Film/RedDawn1984'' and ''Literature/TheTomorrowSeries'', where similar feelings of dread at being dominated by a foreign and advanced enemy proliferate.

[[folder: Audio Plays]]

* Creator/BigFinish's ''Series/DoctorWho'' audio plays feature numerous instances of interstellar visitors getting up to various degrees of earthbound mischief.

* ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' (1986): [[spoiler: In the ending it is revealed that the plant is an alien invader that is using infilitration to conquer the planet by having humans unwittingly spread its seeds around the world.]]

** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'': Loki brings the aliens known as the Chitauri to Earth to act as "his" army. Loki wants to rule Earth to spite his brother Thor, while the Chitauri merely want the Tesseract, so that they can conquer ''other'' worlds.

** ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'': The Skrulls are a race of shapeshifting aliens who invade and take over planets by infiltrating and destabilizing their leadership. The Kree have been at war with them, and Starforce's mission is to stop the Skrulls by wiping them out. [[spoiler:During the events of the film, no alien invasion takes place, due to the Skrulls having already lost the war and are trying to escape somewhere the tyrannical Kree cannot find them. The Kree themselves only send a small squadron of elites to Earth in order to track Carol, although their leader does call in an orbital bombardment that almost blows up the planet if not for Carol unlocking her true potential shortly beforehand.]]

* In ''Film/{{Oblivion 2013}}'' Earth has been invaded by a race called the Scavs. The setting is in the aftermath, about 60 years afterwards. [[spoiler: Or so Jack believes. Turns out, the AlienInvasion was actually by the Tet, a giant autonomous AI, and the Scavengers are the human resistance.]]

* ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'': A early work with aliens initiating a military invasion of the earth.

* ''Literature/{{Space Force|2018}}'' by Jeremy Robinson: The Chote invade the Earth but insist on a battle royale to determine who will control the planet.
* ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'': ''Perelandra'' is a peaceful planet free from suffering until the rulers of Thulcandra send a probe to invade and indoctrinate the Queen of the planet. The hope is that once the Queen has rejected her master [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Maleldil]], she will turn her husband to reject Him too and all their descendants will descend into the hatred, war, and death that the black Archon desires. Thankfully, Maleldil's agents on Earth have recruited Ransom to launch a counter-invasion and stop the Queen from falling like Eve did on Thulcandra.

* ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'': The TropeMaker and one of the earliest sci-fi novels. The alien tripods attack earth in a military invasion.

* As seen in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', and woven into the backstory in the Netflix Marvel Series, including ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'', ''Series/{{Jessica Jones|2015}}'', ''Series/{{Luke Cage|2016}}'', ''Series/{{Iron Fist|2017}}'', ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}'', and ''Series/{{The Punisher|2017}}''. It's mostly kept in the background and referred to obliquely as "The Incident". It has however greatly impacted the value of property in Manhattan.

* ''Series/{{V|2009}}'' (and [[Series/{{V1983}} the original]]): is about a VillainWithGoodPublicity form of The Infiltration, with [[ANaziByAnyOtherName familiar overtones]]. The aliens in the original series are more overtly fascist, while those of 2009 present a vaguer melange of sinister politics.
* ''Series/WarOfTheWorlds1988'': A television sequel to the [[Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds1953 1953 film adaptation]] of ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' novel, showing heavy influence from ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers''. ''Series/TheWarOfTheWorlds2019'' follows the original book more closely, as it's set in TheEdwardianEra, while ''Series/WarOfTheWorlds2019'' was set in the modern day.

* Happens quite often in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', obviously. Said aliens include [[OurOrcsAreDifferent brutish, fight-happy green-skinned barbarians who vaguely resemble English football hooligans designed to fight in the War in Heaven]], [[SpaceElves hyper-advanced space elves with psychic powers designed to fight in the War in Heaven]], [[TheFairFolk the evil rape-happy space pirate cousins of said space elves who didn't give up the insane hedonism that caused the fall of their 60 million year old empire]], [[TheGreys grey skins with an extremely rigid caste system who ride mecha]], [[RobotWar death-ray armed genocidal killbots possessed by the tiny shards of life energy leftover from the War in Heaven]], and [[HordeOfAlienLocusts a gigantic horde of galaxy-consuming bugs from across the universe]]. They usually come in the form of All-Out Attack, but [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong for the last one, they sometimes infiltrate]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]