Who the F*ck are the Lizard People?
Reptilians Are Among Us! 🦎
The Reptilian Conspiracy: People Actually Believe This Sh*t!
The reptilian conspiracy theory, with its bizarre claims of shape-shifting extraterrestrial beings controlling human society, is one of the most outlandish yet persistent narratives of modern times.
From its ancient mythological roots to its resurgence through science fiction and popular culture, this theory has evolved into a global phenomenon. It gained momentum in the 1990s through David Icke’s work and has found resonance in contemporary political movements.
In this edition of POP 'N' PIZZA, we explore the theory's origins, connection to pop culture, spread through the internet, and intersections with movements like QAnon, culminating in tragic real-world violence.
Origins of the Reptilian Myth
Ancient Mythological Roots
The association between reptiles and supernatural power stretches back to antiquity. In various ancient cultures, serpents and reptilian creatures were often depicted as symbols of wisdom, fertility, and, occasionally, malevolence.
Sumerian Mythology: One of the earliest known civilizations, the Sumerians, revered gods like Enki, who was often linked to serpentine imagery. The Sumerians also spoke of the Anunnaki, a group of deities involved in the creation of humanity, whom modern conspiracy theorists, including David Icke, would later claim were reptilian extraterrestrials.
Hindu Mythology: The Nāgas in Hindu traditions were serpent-like beings who lived in underground realms and possessed immense spiritual knowledge and power.
Christian Symbolism: In Christianity, the serpent in the Garden of Eden represents deception, temptation, and evil. Over centuries, serpentine imagery became a potent symbol for hidden malevolence and control, making it fertile ground for conspiracy narratives.
These mythological roots contributed to the symbolic and cultural association between reptiles and hidden, powerful forces controlling humanity — an idea that would resurface in the modern era with a new extraterrestrial twist.
Modern Interpretations: Pulp Fiction & Sci-Fi
The concept of reptilian humanoids as secret rulers of human society entered popular consciousness in the early 20th century, mainly through science fiction and pulp literature.
Robert E. Howard’s "The Shadow Kingdom" (1929): This short story is often cited as one of the first to introduce the idea of shape-shifting reptilian creatures manipulating humanity from behind the scenes. In Howard’s story, ancient serpent-like humanoids (the "Serpent Men") once ruled the Earth and now seek to regain control through deception and infiltration.
H.P. Lovecraft’s Influence: Lovecraft, another key figure in early speculative fiction, contributed to the idea of ancient, non-human beings that lurk in the shadows of civilization. While his works didn’t explicitly deal with reptilians, his themes of cosmic horror, where human beings are pawns of greater, malevolent forces, echoed the distrust of unseen power dynamics found in later conspiracy theories.
DOCTOR WHO’s Silurians: First introduced in 1970, the Silurians are an ancient race of reptilian humanoids who ruled Earth millions of years ago before going into hibernation underground. Their story of awakening and attempting to reclaim the planet from humans parallels the reptilian conspiracy narrative—particularly the theme of ancient, hidden reptilian rulers seeking control of Earth.
These fictional works laid the groundwork for the more detailed conspiracies that emerged in the late 20th century, helping to shape how the public visualized and conceptualized these ideas.
Kenneth Johnson’s V (1983): Reptilians in Pop Culture
The 1980s miniseries V, created by Kenneth Johnson, played a crucial role in shaping how the idea of reptilian invaders was visualized and understood by a mass audience. The series doesn’t claim to be part of the conspiracy theory world, but its imagery and narrative resonated with the cultural anxieties that conspiracy theorists would later latch onto.
The Storyline of V: The plot of V centers on a fleet of alien visitors who arrive on Earth, initially offering technological advancements in exchange for the planet’s resources. However, it is soon revealed that the visitors are actually reptilian creatures disguised as humans, and their real intention is to dominate Earth and harvest its people and resources.
Deception and Control: In V, the reptilian aliens use media manipulation, propaganda, and psychological control to convince the public of their benevolence. This mirrors the core idea in the reptilian conspiracy theory—that Reptoid overlords control humanity by posing as influential human leaders.
Symbolism of Fascism and Totalitarianism: Johnson intended V as a direct allegory about the rise of fascism and totalitarianism, reflecting his concerns about political propaganda. However, the idea of reptilian beings infiltrating society became a metaphor that conspiracy theorists later co-opted to explain hidden, manipulative power structures. The Visitors in V have striking similarities to David Icke’s future claims: shape-shifting, controlling public perception, and holding hidden agendas.
Though V is ultimately a piece of science fiction, its portrayal of deceptive alien overlords set a visual and conceptual precedent for later conspiracy narratives about reptilian aliens.
David Icke’s Reptilian Conspiracy Theory (1990s)
David Icke is most responsible for transforming the reptilian conspiracy from fiction into a widely believed theory. A former British sports broadcaster, Icke experienced what he described as a profound spiritual awakening in the early 1990s. After that, he began advocating a series of increasingly unconventional and extreme ideas, culminating in his reptilian theory.
The Anunnaki: Drawing on ancient mythology and speculative fiction, Icke claimed that a race of extraterrestrial reptilians—often referred to as the Anunnaki—had covertly controlled humanity for thousands of years. These reptilians, he argued, infiltrated positions of power by assuming human form. World leaders, CEOs, and influential figures were, according to Icke, not truly human but reptilians in disguise.
Shape-shifting and Control: A key aspect of Icke’s theory is that these aliens are shape-shifters, able to move between their reptilian and human forms at will. They supposedly manipulate global events, economies, and conflicts to maintain control over humanity.
Bloodlines and the Elite: Icke often ties his theory to the idea that certain royal families and elites—most famously the British royal family—are actually descendants of these reptilian beings. He believes that these Reptoid bloodlines are responsible for significant world events and have shaped the course of human history to suit their malevolent agenda.
The Moon is Hollow: Icke claims the moon is not a natural celestial body but an artificial construct created by the Reptoids. According to his theory, the moon is hollow and serves as a massive spacecraft or control center from which the reptilians beam mind-controlling signals toward Earth.
Human Sacrifices and Energy Harvesting: Icke has claimed that the Reptoids feed off negative human emotions, such as fear, anger, and hatred. He refers to this energy as "loosh" and believes that the reptilians deliberately orchestrate wars, social unrest, and disasters to generate it. Icke also suggests that the reptilians are behind secret rituals involving human sacrifices, which allegedly provide them with concentrated sources of this energy.
Criticism and Accusations of Anti-Semitism: Icke’s ideas have been criticized for their similarities to age-old anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, particularly those that involve secretive elites (like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion). While Icke denies any anti-Semitic intent, his emphasis on the secret cabals of powerful elites has led many to draw problematic parallels.
Icke's theories gained a dedicated following throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, spreading primarily through his books, lectures, and the burgeoning internet culture.
The Internet, QAnon & Modern Politics
In the age of social media, conspiracy theories spread faster than ever, and the reptilian conspiracy is no exception. While David Icke had previously reached a relatively niche audience, platforms like YouTube, Reddit, and fringe internet forums allowed his ideas to spread more widely.
In fact, according to a 2013 Public Policy Polling survey, it’s estimated that 12 million people in the United States alone believe that alien lizards control our government. And that was over a decade ago—imagine the number now!
Reptilians & QAnon
The rise of the QAnon movement in the late 2010s, fueled by a narrative that a secret elite cabal was controlling the world, drew parallels with the reptilian conspiracy theory. While QAnon focuses on different themes (notably, the belief that powerful elites are engaged in pedophilia and human trafficking), its overarching belief in a shadowy group of elites manipulating world events echoes Icke’s ideas.
Overlap with Reptilian Themes: Some QAnon adherents began integrating Icke’s reptilian theories into their worldview, arguing that the elites behind QAnon’s supposed child-trafficking ring were not merely human but extraterrestrial lizards. In this way, Icke’s ideas found new life in the broader landscape of internet conspiracy theories.
Symbolism of Deception: Both QAnon and the reptilian theory tap into deep-seated fears of governmental corruption, globalist control, and moral decline. The image of hidden forces deceiving the public has become a powerful trope in modern conspiracy thinking.
Tragic & Shocking Real-World Consequences
The Case of Buckey Wolfe (2019)
One of the more disturbing incidents linked to the reptilian conspiracy theory occurred in 2019, when Buckey Wolfe, a 26-year-old “Proud Boy” from Austin, Texas, fatally stabbed his brother with a four-foot-long sword, believing him to be a lizard.
Wolfe had reportedly become deeply engrossed in conspiracy theories, including David Icke's teachings about reptilian aliens controlling human society. According to reports, Wolfe claimed that his brother had been replaced by a shape-shifting reptilian, leading him to take extreme, violent action.
Wolfe’s case illustrates the tragic intersection of mental health issues and fringe conspiracy beliefs. His obsession with the reptilian conspiracy theory appeared to feed into paranoid delusions, culminating in an act of violence driven by the belief that he was saving humanity from a hidden, malevolent force. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, which may have compounded his susceptibility to such theories.
The Nashville Bombing (2020)
Another tragic event linked to reptilian conspiracies occurred on December 25, 2020, when Anthony Quinn Warner carried out a bombing in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Warner detonated explosives in a recreational vehicle parked near an AT&T building, causing extensive damage to nearby buildings and injuring several people. Warner himself was killed in the explosion.
It was later revealed that Warner subscribed to several conspiracy theories, including beliefs about 5G technology and reptilian control of society. Investigators discovered that Warner harbored a deep distrust of government and powerful elites, and elements of the reptilian conspiracy influenced his views.
The Santa Barbara Surf School Tragedy (2021)
In 2021, Matthew Taylor Coleman, a Christian surf school owner from Santa Barbara, California, murdered his two young children, believing they had "serpent DNA" inherited from his wife.
Coleman, deeply influenced by conspiracy theories, claimed that his children were tainted with reptilian bloodlines and needed to be "saved" from their fate. His extreme actions shocked the community, further demonstrating how these conspiracy beliefs can distort reality and drive individuals to commit horrific acts.
Coleman’s belief in hidden reptilian forces and his fear that those closest to him—his own family—had been infiltrated mirrors the paranoia often associated with the reptilian conspiracy theory. This case highlights how such delusions, when compounded by personal or mental struggles, can lead to unimaginable violence.
A Broader Context of Violence
The cases of Wolfe, Warner, and Coleman demonstrate how these fringe conspiracy theories can lead to dangerous real-world consequences. In each instance, the belief in shape-shifting, deceptive reptilians infiltrating human society resulted in horrific acts of violence.
These tragic events highlight the broader risks of conspiracy thinking, particularly when it taps into mental health struggles and deep-seated paranoia about hidden powers controlling the world.
While the reptilian conspiracy may seem fantastical, its implications are very real, especially when it influences individuals who are already vulnerable or susceptible to extremist beliefs. These conspiracy theories, when taken to heart, can have devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities, resulting in acts of violence that stem from deeply held but unfounded fears.
Conclusion
What began as symbolic representations of serpentine gods and fictional aliens has been co-opted into a real-world belief system. Fueled by pop culture, internet forums, and political distrust, this theory has found new relevance in today’s era of misinformation, finding intersections with dangerous movements like QAnon and inspiring acts of violence like the Nashville bombing.
In the internet age, the reptilian conspiracy is unlikely to disappear anytime soon—it will no doubt continue to evolve, shape-shift, and adapt to the fears and concerns of each new generation. For now, at least, you don’t have to worry about Lizard People invading our planet and infiltrating our government—just the people who believe in them.
Fascinating read!