- [Narrator] It's one of the most bizarre conspiracy theories today. Ancient bloodsucking lizard people disguised as humans who secretly rule the world. Where did this bizarre theory start?
And is there any chance that it's all true? Let's find out in today's episode of - [Commanding Voice] Colossal Mysteries. - [Narrator] They go by many names.
Anunnaki, Drcarians, or reptilian humanoids. But most refer to them simply as the lizard people. This conspiracy sounds like something right out of science fiction.
According to the theory, lizard people are cold-blooded, human-like reptilian creatures who can shape-shift into human form on command. Many kings, queens, world leaders, and celebrities count among their ranks, and they supposedly use their ability to gain power and influence in governments and business all across the globe. Believers tend to look for a few telltale signs.
Red hair, green eyes, good hearing, and unexplained scars are all considered hints that a prominent person might be a lizard in disguise. They supposedly came to Earth from the star system Alpha Drconis, and lurk in the underground lairs, always plotting to overthrow humanity. Some even suggest these ravenous reptiles survive by sucking the blood of unsuspecting victims.
If this sounds less like fact and a little bit more like fantasy, that's because it is. Scholars believe they can trace the origins of this outlandish conspiracy to a short story called, "The Shadow Kingdom," which was published in a magazine called "Weird Tales" in 1929. In this story, there's an ancient, almost extinct race of reptilian humanoids who rule the world from the shadows, using their magic to disguise themselves as any person they want.
Sound familiar? (hissing) So, that's where the idea started. An innocent short story about shape-shifting serpent men who control the Earth, but how did it go from science fiction to all-out conspiracy theory?
You can thank a man named David Icke for that. Icke is something of a celebrity conspiracy theorist. He wrote a book in 1999 that popularized the lizard people conspiracy, and over the years, he's given talks all around the world and written more books on the subject.
You'd think for a theory that has so little evidence, there would be very few who buy into it. Yet, according to a 2013 poll, about four to 7% of Americans believe the lizard people conspiracy, and while that number sounds small, it represents millions of people. So, let's clear the air once and for all.
There's no evidence whatsoever that the lizard people are real, so you can sleep soundly at night knowing that our celebrities and world leaders aren't secretly reptilian humanoids. It turns out, you don't need shape-shifting lizard powers to rule the world.
