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They don’t exist. At least, not in any provable sense to anyone who doesn’t work for them or fall under their jurisdiction. They defend the planet from all manner of threats that go beyond the understanding of most people. Whatever they do to defend people, they do it wearing black. Who are they? Let’s find out!

When peaceful aliens arrived on Earth, the group of humans that encountered them realized that Earth needed an organization to keep both humans and aliens safe from one another. They began the Men in Black, using alien tech they could get their hands on along with playing into humanity’s paranoia. Feeling that the humans of Earth as a whole wouldn’t be able to accept the weird world they live in, the Men in Black would be kept secret as well.

Of the tech they had been able to procure, the one item that would help the team keep up the lie that there are no such things as aliens, magic, or paranormal entities, was the neuralyzer. This device was able to wipe memories and replace them with whatever the wielder told the recipient with the flash of its light. This also explains the sunglasses seen on agents, the lenses protect the wearer from the neuralyzer’s flashing light. The Men in Black would grow in legend, as people not directly in need of MiB would see these mysterious figures leaving the scene of what was believed to be a strange occurrence.

This was how the Men in Black liked it. They would have an easier time keeping up the lie if they were seen as bogeymen that no one of any repute could believe in. While dealing with aliens was their primary business, demons, cults, and other strange beings were still just as likely part of the work week for field agents.

Agents were picked from the best potential pools that were often some form of military or law enforcement though exceptions will always be made. Once the new agent agrees to join, they are declared legally dead, their old life ceasing to be. They have their name changed to a letter, often tied to their old name, some even have some surgeries done to get rid of any identifying marks from their body. All agents have their finger prints and retinal patterns erased so they can’t be traced in such a manner anymore.

While the Men in Black will often claim to be from made up government agencies, they’re actually not tied to any single government, protecting the whole planet goes beyond any one country. They fund themselves through things they can replicate from their discoveries and alien tech they are given. While there are the dangerous, adventurous field works to be done, there is also just the every day aid in alien immigration and integration. The job isn’t always glamorous, sometimes it’s just making sure the Earth is a better place by helping others feel welcome.

There you have it! The Men in Black became a household name thanks to the blockbuster film starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. While the original comic was more varied in the works of what the MiB covered, the seeds were planted  for the film ideas and later, the animated series. See you next time!

Suggested Reading
The Men in Black
Men in Black: The Movie
Men in Black: Retribution

Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net