10 Fictional Portrayals of Area 51

America is full of urban legends, and one of the most enduring is Area 51. Numerous theories surround this mysterious military base. Because of the Roswell incident in 1947, most of these myths involve aliens. However, many also think the place holds secret weapons and ancient artifacts. Each guess is more outlandish than the last. At least these conspiracy theories make for entertaining stories.

Narratives abound about Area 51. These portrayals often put unique spins on existing rumors, namely those concerning extraterrestrials. Of course, these planetary visitors aren’t the only things kept secret from the public. Writers additionally depict the facility as holding supernatural/paranormal phenomena. Such clandestine craziness is always a treat.

Given the hidden nature of the place, there’s no telling what creators will come up with. And they have imagined a variety of spaces based on the mystique of Area 51. The flip side is that these efforts likely heighten public curiosity about the base. After witnessing these stories, people may be more determined than ever to reach Area 51.

Related: 10 Nightmarish UFO and Alien Encounters with Unusual Endings

10 Indiana Jones

All those historical treasures have to go somewhere. Indiana Jones imagines Area 51 as a warehouse filled to the brim with crates. The implication is that these crates house supernatural and/or paranormal artifacts deemed too dangerous for mankind. Audiences get their first glimpse in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). After finding the eponymous Ark of the Covenant, Indy learns that the government confiscated it. The final shot shows a worker sealing it in a box and depositing it in a sea of similar crates. But it’s not the last time fans visit this place.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) opens with a squad of Soviet soldiers breaking into Hangar 51. They’re on the hunt for the titular skull, believing a clue resides with the Roswell alien. This extraterrestrial is in one of the countless crates, yet there are undoubtedly more powerful weapons in the others. One wonders what other urban legends are hidden here.^[1]

9 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto mocks everything about American culture, so Area 51 is fair game. Its time comes in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. To free his brother from prison, protagonist Carl Johnson embarks on dangerous missions for a snarky government agent. This occupation doesn’t sit well with his hippie friend, simply known as “The Truth.” As a loyalty test, he tasks Carl with stealing a secret project from an army research base.

The facility in question is Area 69. Yes, the name is juvenile, but it’s par for the course with GTA. Carl fights his way through soldiers and scientists alike to reach the lower levels. Upon traversing the underground labs, he finds a jetpack. This device is the aforementioned project that the Truth is after. C.J. straps it on, flies up, and escapes the base with nary a scratch. The lack of security here is pathetic, but at least it proves the old stoner right.^[2]

8 Star Trek

Aliens are nothing new in Star Trek. The sci-fi franchise is about humanity exploring the great unknown of space, so it naturally involves a plethora of species too strange to describe. Among them are the Ferengi. These big-eared conmen base their entire culture on profit. They try to work every angle to maximize money while minimizing effort. Ordinarily, they’d have absolutely nothing to do with Area 51. That is until the franchise falls back on a familiar premise: time travel.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999) features an episode where three Ferengi—Quark, Rom, and Nog—wind up on Earth in 1947. In the process, they inadvertently become the famous aliens from the Roswell event. The U.S. Army brings the party to a nearby base for study, but Quark turns the tables by offering to do business.

These 20th-century humans are practically primitive. He can surely swindle his way to the top, right? Well, once negotiations sour, the Ferengi harness the energy from an atomic test to travel back to the future. As much as Star Trek looks toward tomorrow, it’s not afraid to poke fun at yesterday.^[3]

7 Godzilla: The Series

Despite the franchise originating in Japan, Godzilla occasionally ventures into foreign waters. A prime example is the 1990s animated series. This show depicts a team of scientists who deal with monstrous kaiju popping up across the globe, all while working with the offspring of the 1998 Godzilla. One episode sees them investigate a photo of Area 51. The image allegedly shows an alien vessel, but the truth is just as insane.

The “spaceship” is really a giant monster. The base’s head scientist explains that 1950s nuclear tests caused mutations to manifest in the surrounding area. To get ahead of the problem, the higher-ups converted Area 51 into a specialized facility to study these creatures. It comes as no surprise that the test subjects escaped. Now, a colossal armadillo and an equally imposing thorny lizard menace the facility. Even G-Men can’t keep a kaiju secret for long.^[4]

6 Stargate SG-1

Sometimes, myths can inform reality. Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007) runs with that idea for Area 51. The futuristic series acknowledges the rumors about this place, but the locale actually starts as a standard Air Force base—Nellis Air Force Base. Military research is all that goes on, at least at first.

That policy changes with the Stargate Program. After discovering these ancient portals, humanity starts exploring parts of space previously thought inaccessible. The pioneers predictably bring back souvenirs from their journeys but need somewhere to put these items. As a nod to the legends, they deposit their treasures in Area 51, also called the Groom Lake Facility. In turn, they repurpose the place to focus on extraterrestrials: studying artifacts to understand faraway cultures and analyzing tech to facilitate further travel. Now, that’s embracing your reputation!^[5]

5 The X-Files

The X-Files (1993–2018) thrives on unmasking urban legends, so it’s only a matter of time before protagonists Mulder and Scully visit Area 51. Given the presence of the Syndicate, a shadow group devoted to covering up extraterrestrial evidence, viewers naturally expect to find aliens. What they encounter is a stranger phenomenon: body swapping.

This version of Area 51 is a testing facility for experimental aircraft. The planes derive their power from gravity manipulation, which has the unexpected side effect of matter displacement. On top of phasing objects together, the force causes Mulder to switch bodies with a Syndicate agent. The dangers speak for themselves, and that’s why this place is closed to the public. Nevertheless, the aircraft there continue feeding the rumors of UFOs.^[6]

4 Destroy All Humans!

The Destroy All Humans! games spoof the pop culture iconography of the ’50s and ’60s. That approach shows in both the stereotypical aliens and the bumbling government agents. The crooked members of the Majestic division specialize in rooting out otherworldly invaders. They soon find their target in Crypto 136, the latest in a long line of Cryptosporidium clones. The agents take this specimen to their base, Area 42, where they run torturous tests until the poor guy passes away. As sad as his death is, his tormentors don’t count on his replacement.

Crypto 137 makes quick work of Area 42. His holographic disguise lets him slip through the soldiers without suspicion, and he uses a hypnosis gadget to brainwash the scientists into granting him clearance. However, once he finds his predecessor’s body, all gloves are off. Crypto calls in his flying saucer, reducing the base to rubble with laser, missile, and gravity weapons. You’d think Majestic would be ready for such an attack, but these arrogant agents don’t know what hit them.^[7]

3 Hellboy

Not all aliens come from space. Anung Un Rama is a half-demon baby from Hell. Summoned by Nazis, he’s rescued and cared for by Allied scientist Trevor Bruttenholm. The professor is an expert in such paranormal oddities, and he recognizes that they need a safe space to call home (and for study). Luckily, the United States has just the place.

That place is the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. This organization exists in Area 51 and soon becomes a hub for all sorts of supernatural inhabitants. In addition to the aforementioned “Hellboy,” the base houses colorful figures like the aquatic Abe Sapien and the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman. These guys contribute to humanity’s understanding of the occult. In exchange, Bruttenholm helps them control their gifts so that they can enjoy some sense of normalcy. Restraint is easier said than done for some, but that’s why the Bureau stays hidden.^[8]

2 Independence Day

Even the boss isn’t always in the know. Independence Day (1996) involves an invasion of hostile alien vessels. The attack catches everyone off-guard, especially when flying saucers level the world’s major cities in one fell swoop. A fighter pilot manages to subdue an invader for study, but it’s not the first specimen to run aground on Earth.

Area 51 contains three of these telepathic terrors, albeit dead ones. The film once again chalks up Roswell as being the moment of first contact. These invaders crashed on Earth in 1947, which is when the U.S. government covertly hid them in the base. The scientists even restore the wrecked ship to working order. The president asks why he didn’t know about the facility, but the Defense Secretary feeds him the “plausibly deniability” excuse. It’s good to know that politics survive an alien apocalypse.^[9]

1 Looney Tunes: Back in Action

Leave it to these guys to turn Area 51 into a joke. Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) portrays Warner Bros. characters as real rather than fictional. That approach extends to the various freaks, monsters, and aliens from cinematic history. Specimens include Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet, the brains from Fiend Without a Face, the Daleks from Doctor Who, and Marvin the Martian. Deemed too dangerous for civilized society, these creatures reside in a secret government facility. The name isn’t what you’d expect, though.

The base in question is Area 52. Higher-ups commission this place as part of an elaborate misdirect. They let paranoid conspiracy theorists perpetuate the myth of Area 51, thereby throwing the public off the scent. Meanwhile, the monsters are actually imprisoned in Area 52. Not only does this ruse keep the creatures contained, but it’s exactly the type of silly subversion that Looney Tunes lives on.^[10]