Men in black

Lore & Background

Men in black feature prominently in ufology and UFO folklore, especially from the 1950s onward. Harold Dahl claimed a man in a dark suit—later identified by some as a military intelligence officer—warned him not to discuss his alleged UFO sighting on Maury Island, though the date of this warning is not consistently given as 1947 in standard ufology sources. In the mid-1950s, ufologist Albert K. Bender said he was visited by men in dark suits who threatened him to stop investigating UFOs; he believed they were secret government agents. Ufologist John Keel reported encounters with MIB, calling them 'demonic supernaturals' with dark skin or exotic facial features, while folklorist James R. Lewis compared MIB accounts to tales of Lucifer and speculated they represent a kind of psychological trauma.

Reader's Guide

Men in black have become a lasting symbol in UFO conspiracy theories, representing the fear of organized intimidation to suppress 'the truth' about UFOs. Historian Aaron Gulyas noted that during the 1970s–1990s, conspiracy theorists incorporated MIB into increasingly complex and paranoid visions. The concept inspired the science fiction comedy franchise Men in Black, as well as music by The Stranglers and others. In folklore, ufologist Jerome Clark described MIB reports as 'experiences' that don't seem to occur in consensus reality. The figure also appears in games like Half-Life (as the G-Man) and XCOM: Enemy Unknown (as 'Thin Men'), and in the SCP Foundation wiki as a group called Unknown. The term remains generic, used for any unusual, threatening individual linked to a UFO sighting.

Did You Know?

• Harold Dahl claimed a man in a dark suit warned him not to discuss his UFO sighting on Maury Island, though the date is not consistently given as 1947 in standard ufology sources.
• Ufologist John Keel referred to Men in Black as 'demonic supernaturals' with dark skin or exotic facial features.
• The Stranglers released a concept album titled The Gospel According to the Meninblack in 1981.
• In the 1960s, Gray Barker (sometimes using the pseudonym John C. Sherwood) hoaxed stories about 'blackmen' for publication.