Men in Black(franchise)

Men in Black
Official franchise logo
Created by	Lowell Cunningham
Original work	The Men in Black
Owners	Sony Pictures andMarvel Comics
Years	1990–2019
Print publications
Comics	The Men in Black
Films and television
Film(s)	Men in Black Men in Black II Men in Black 3 Men in Black: International
Animated series	Men in Black: The Series
Games
Video game(s)	Men in Black: The Game Men in Black: The Series Men in Black 2: The Series Men in Black: The Series – Crashdown Men in Black II: Alien Escape MIB: Alien Crisis
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	Men in Black: The Album Men in Black II Men in Black 3

Men in Blackis a semi-comic science fictionmedia franchise that originated with theMalibu/Marvelcomic book of the same namecreated by American authorLowell Cunningham.The franchise focuses on the titular non-governmental organization which monitors and regulates paranormal andalienactivity onEarthwhile preventing civilians from finding out about it. The most notable agents within the organization areJay,Kay,and Zed. The franchise has been adapted into other media including a series offour films,ananimated television series,video games, and atheme park attraction.

Premise

This section is about the Men in Black organization as described in the media franchise. For the organization as described in the original comics, seeThe Men in Black(comics) § Plot.

The Men in Black as shown in the movies is a secret organization devoted to policing and monitoring extraterrestrial activity on Earth. The Men in Black, founded in the U.S. in the mid-1950s, began as a small and poorly funded government organization devoted to making contact with extraterrestrial life known as the Baltians. They were initially seen as a joke, but did make contact on March 2, 1961, outside New York City.

It was decided to make Earth an apolitical zone for aliens without a planet, and the organization broke its government ties to become the Men in Black, which became the force to conceal and police the aliens that came to Earth, no longer answerable to the government and therefore not obligated to answer any questions or respond to outside demands. The founding members were the seven agents present at the landing, plus an amateur astronomer and a teenager who got lost going to see his girlfriend. This last became Agent K, who later came to be regarded as the agency's best agent, and one of the agents became his partner D. The MIB has continued since then, with Zed as its chief, to protect the normal citizens of Earth from alien threats and police extraterrestrial immigrants. Other notable members include Agents B, J, and L.

MIB agents sever all ties with their former lives and have all traces of their previous identities erased. They dress in black suits specifically chosen to avoid creating any lasting impression on civilians who see them. Their fingerprints and any other unique identifying features are erased, and they are issued neuralyzers to use in erasing the memories of civilian witnesses andRay-Bansunglasses to protect themselves against the device's effects. They have access to a wide array of alien weaponry and other technologies for use during missions. Retiring agents are neuralyzed to wipe their memories of working for MIB and may have their previous identities restored. The agency possesses a "deneuralyzer" that can restore retired agents' memories in emergency situations.

No longer receiving federal funding from the government, the MIB are supported by the patents they hold on various confiscated alien innovations, includingliposuction,themicrowave oven,andvelcro.Their standard operating day is based onCentaurian time,which lasts 37 hours, 16 of which an agent must spend on duty. Their main base is located at 504 Battery Drive in New York City.

The Men in Black have bases in other locations, including one in the western United States (Zone 16), one mobile undersea base, and a Los Angeles division (dubbed "The Agency" ). The three other founding members became Agent T, H and Q. In the animated series, an agent known as Alpha was said to be the first chief of the MIB; after he went rogue, Zed became the chief. With the release of the filmsMen in Black IIandMen in Black 3,most if not all elements of theMen in Blackanimated series have been verified asnon-canonand taking place in an alternate continuity.

Comics

Main article:The Men in Black (comics)

The story and show franchise originated in the medium of comic books.

The originalThe Men in Blackcomic books were published in1990and1991.

The Men in Black are a secret organization that monitors and suppresses paranormal activity on Earth (including aliens, demons, monsters, and mutants), while keeping the populace ignorant of its happenings.

Films

Men in Blackstory chronology
Original continuity
Men in Black(1997) Men in Black II(2002) Men in Black 3(2012) Men in Black: International(2019)
The Seriescontinuity
Men in Black(1997) Men in Black: The Series(1997-2001)

Main article:Men in Black (film series)

The series was adapted into a film in 1997, titledMen in Black,starringTommy Lee JonesasAgent KandWill SmithasAgent J,withBarry Sonnenfeldas director. The film went on to become a commercial success, grossing US$587 million worldwide on a $90 million budgetand earning a 91% rating from review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes.A sequel,Men in Black II,was released in 2002 which saw both Jones and Smith reprising their roles. The film was a box office success, earning $441 million worldwide.Despite its success, the film was less critically acclaimed than its predecessor and received average reviews from critics with a score of 39% on Rotten Tomatoes.A third installment,Men in Black 3,was released ten years after the second film on May 25, 2012. It was also the first film in the series to be released in3D.The film saw Smith and Jones reprise their roles, withJosh BrolinandJemaine Clementjoining the cast. It scored a 70% onRotten Tomatoes.AlthoughMen in Black 3has concluded the series, talks have been made about the future of the series. Sonnenfeld claimed thatMen in Black 3is the conclusion of the MIB series, though leaving it open for the idea of a rebooted film series. Barry Sonnenfeld, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith have expressed interest in a possibleMen in Black 4.A crossover withthe Jump Street franchisehas also been discussed by Sony but without Jones and Smith.Despite talks withJames Bobinto direct, the idea was dropped in May 2016.

A spin-off film,Men in Black: Internationalwas released in 2019.The film starsChris Hemsworth,Tessa Thompson,Liam NeesonandEmma Thompson.

Television

Main article:Men in Black: The Series

An animated television series,Men in Black: The Series,aired from 1997 to 2001. The show was based on the films, taking place after the events of the first film. There are a few changes, such as Agent K apparently not having his memory erased.

Video games

The firstMen in Blackvideo game,Men in Black: The Game,was released forWindows 95in 1997, followed by a release for thePlayStation.The game, developed by Gigawatt Studios and published bySouthPeak Interactive,is loosely based on the 1997 film.

Another game, titledMen in Black: The Series,was released for theGame Boy Colorin 1999, and is based on the animated television series.

It was followed by a sequel in 2000, titledMen in Black 2: The Seriesand also for the Game Boy Color. In 2001, a version ofMen in Black: The Serieswas released for theGame Boy Advance.

Men in Black: The Series – Crashdownwas released later in 2001, for the PlayStation.

In2002,a video game partially based on the second film was released, titledMen in Black II: Alien Escape.

A video game published byActivisionentitledMIB: Alien Crisiswas released in May 2012, around the time when the third movie was released.

Other

Will Smith, who played Agent J in the films, released two rap singles based on the films: "Men in Black"(fromMen in Black: The Album) and "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)"(fromMen in Black II: The Soundtrack).

Men in Black: The Roleplaying Gamewas published byWest End Gamesin 1997.

The theme park rideMen in Black: Alien Attackat theUniversal Studios Floridatheme park is based on the filmMen in Black,as is the parody filmMen in White.

In August 2015,Air New Zealandreleased aMen in Blackthemed safety video featuring members of theAll Blacks,Rip Torn(reprising his role as Zed), andFrank the Pug.