Body Snatchers (race)

The Body Snatchers are an alien race who left earth after their own planet was dying. There exact origin and nature differ in the various Body Snatchers media, but most versions have them being giant seed pods that spawn an emotionless duplicate of the nearest sentient being. Their initial pod-like state has resulted in the unofficial nickname "pod people."

## Origin

In Jack Finney's novel, the Body Snatchers have a clear origin. They originated from a dying planet, but survived by adapting the ability to defy gravity. They drifted through space until they reached another planet; upon which they duplicated the native species by copying them cell-for-cell as they slept. Eventually they were able to replace the entire population of the planet. Due to their limited lifespan in duplicate form, they would consume the resources of the planet until there were none left. After this, they would revert to their pod state and begin the process again on another planet. Eventually they came to Earth, landing in the American small town of Santa Mira, California.

In the 1956 film adaptation, their origin was much more vague, with them only being mentioned as drifting through space by Dr. Kauffman. The dying planet aspect of their origin was not explicitly mentioned, though it was implied.

In the 1978 film adaptation, they are actually shown on their home planet. In this version, they were not originally seed pods, but gelatinous spores. They drifted from planet to planet until they reached a suitable new homeworld (Earth). Unlike the book and original film adaptation, they landed in San Francisco, California. They attached themselves to a plant and bonded with it to create small pods with flowers growing from them. When taken into people's homes, the pods would grow until they were large enough to spawn a duplicate of a human as they slept.

In the 1993 film, the Body Snatchers only hint at the origin of their species, pointing to sky to indicate where they came from.

In the 2007 film, an alien virus was brought to Earth by a space shuttle. The crash site was investigated by CDC director Tucker Kaufman, who unknowingly became a carrier for the virus and was turned into a Body Snatcher as he slept. Kaufman was able to spread the virus using his resources in the CDC.

## Biology

### Novel

In the novel, the Body Snatchers were an alien race who had adapted by becoming able to defy gravity and eventually duplicate any living matter. Unlike any of the film adaptations, the novel portrays the pods as blindly duplicating whatever living matter is near them, sometimes becoming lucky and duplicating sentient beings. This allows Miles and Becky to trick the pods by getting them to duplicate the skeletons displayed in Miles's office. Like most of the film adaptations, the pods create an identical duplicate that forms and takes on the memories of the original. When the duplication process is complete, the original body disintegrates into grey fluff. The process of how a duplicate forms is different from the films,

## List of Body Snatchers

### Novel

Ira Lentz

Aleda Lentz

Stanley Driscoll

Joe Grimaldi

Joe Pixley

Art Gessner

Bert Parnell

Miss Wyandotte

Wally Eberhard

Wilma Lentz

Charley Bucholtz

L. Bernard Budlong

Manny Kauffman

Carl Meeker

Nick Grivett

### 1956 film

Ira Lentz

Aleda Lentz

Sam Janzek

Anne Grimaldi

Stanley Driscoll

Wilma Lentz

Jimmy Grimaldi

Charley Bucholtz

Danny Kauffman

Nick Grivett

Sally Withers

Joe Grimaldi

Jack Belicec

Teddy Belicec

Becky Driscoll

### 1978 film

Priest on a Swing

Geoffrey Howell

Ted Hendley

David Kibner

Mrs. Tong

Mr. Gianni

Mr. Tong

Katherine Hendley

Jack Belicec

Cab Driver

Harry & Pooch

Elizabeth Driscoll

Matthew Bennell

### 1993 film

Concerned MP

General Platt

General Platt's Aide

Carol Malone

Steve Malone

Andy Malone

Helicopter Pilot

### 2007 film

Tucker Kauffman

Richard Lenk

Andy

Cop in Tunnel

Census Taker

Carly

Yorish Kaganovich

Henryk Belicec

Autumn

Pam

Gene

Joan Kaufman

Ben Driscoll