Who are the actual figures behind the Men in Black phenomenon?

You might recognize Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones from the popular 1990s and 2000s movie series, but were these 'men in black' inspired by real individuals? Explore the conspiracy theory that led to the comic book series and films of the same name.

Who are the Men in Black?

In popular culture, the term 'men in black' (MIB) refers to U.S. federal agents dressed in dark suits who attempt to silence witnesses of UFOs and prevent them from sharing their experiences. However, the MIB don’t always wear black suits or work for the government—this phrase can also describe any mysterious figures who appear following UFO sightings.

Some individuals hold the belief that the enigmatic 'men in black' may, in fact, be extraterrestrials disguised as humans.

A Brief History of the Men in Black

While some individuals present an optimistic view of UFO phenomena, other enthusiasts of flying saucers believe that malevolent forces are actively working to oppose the Space Brothers’ noble mission. These forces may be both extraterrestrial and earthly, collaborating to prevent the truth from coming to light.

Albert K. Bender from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was one of the first victims of the notorious 'Silence Group.' In 1952, Bender founded the International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB), which initially enjoyed great success. However, he mysteriously closed the bureau the following year.

Eventually, Bender revealed that three men in black had shared with him the horrifying truth behind the UFO mystery, turning his life into a nightmare. He refused to discuss it further. Three years later, Gray Barker, a fellow IFSB member, published a book detailing the events, aptly titled 'They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers,' which perfectly captured the atmosphere of paranoia within the UFO community.

The 'Bender mystery' gave birth to the legend of the men in black, although, as Barker noted, a man in black had already played a sinister role in the Maury Island Incident (read more about the Maury Island Incident). According to Barker, the MIB had extended their influence to places as far away as Australia and New Zealand, frightening UFO enthusiasts into silence.

By the late 1980s, stories of the MIB had become so widespread that 'The Journal of American Folklore' published a detailed article about them. The true identity of the MIB remained elusive. To conspiracy theorists among the saucer enthusiasts, they were believed to be enforcers for the Silence Group, connected to global banking interests aiming to suppress the technological advancements and moral reforms that the Space Brothers sought to bring to humanity.

For others, the MIB were thought to be extraterrestrial beings—some speculated they were Richard Sharpe Shaver's deros. In 1962, Bender openly sided with the alien theory. Breaking a nine-year silence in his book 'Flying Saucers and the Three Men,' which he insisted was not a science fiction novel, Bender revealed that the men in black who had driven him out of ufology were actually monstrous beings from the planet Kazik.

Even Gray Barker, the book's publisher and one of Bender's most ardent supporters, privately mentioned, away from the ears of customers, that perhaps it had all been nothing more than a 'dream.'

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The fear surrounding the MIB was partly fueled by concerns over the potentially hostile nature of UFOs. A well-known book from the early years, 'Flying Saucers on the Attack' by Harold T. Wilkins (1954), warned that a 'Cosmic General Staff' could very well be plotting an actual 'war of the worlds.' However, when compared to the writings of demonologist-ufologist John A. Keel, particularly his 1970 book 'UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse,' Wilkins' outlook seemed almost optimistic.

In Keel's view, UFO intelligences are not merely extraterrestrials but rather 'ultraterrestrials'—beings from incomprehensible dimensions of reality. Worse yet, these entities have no love for humanity.

Human beings, Keel thunders, are "like ants, attempting to understand reality with very limited perceptive tools. . . . We are biochemical robots, powerless against forces that can scramble our brains, erase our memories, and manipulate us however they choose. This has been happening to us forever."

Men in Black in Popular Culture

In 1990, Lowell Cunningham created a comic series titled "The Men in Black," inspired by the MIB conspiracy theories. In this comic, the MIB investigates extraterrestrial beings and other mysterious phenomena, keeping their operations secret by erasing the memories or even killing witnesses.

The 1997 film adaptation featuring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones had a much lighter and comedic tone compared to the original comics. Its success led to three more MIB films, with the most recent one being released in 2019.

More UFO Hoaxes

Explore the ways in which various tricksters have shared their stories about the U.S. government and UFOs:

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