The Real-Life Men in Black: Fact or Fiction?

If extraterrestrials have indeed visited the Earth, why is there no definitive proof beyond eyewitness accounts and the occasional blurry photo? Perhaps it’s because of the men in black. They are supposed government, or possibly even alien, agents whose sole mission is to suppress the truth about otherworldly beings.

Today, we’ll try to make sense of the many stories of encounters with the real-life men in black.

Who Are We Referring to When We Say “Real-Life Men in Black”?

movie poster for men in black
Source: Wikipedia

To most Earthlings, the phrase “men in black” immediately summons images of the 1997 film of the same name. Men in Black stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as secret agents tasked with keeping the public unaware of the existence of extraterrestrials. And while the film is fantastical, it is actually based on a real-life phenomenon. 

Albert K. Bender and a Telepathic Visit From the Real-Life Men in Black

a photo of albert k bender who claimed to have seen the men in black
Albert K. Bender
Source: Wikipedia

Albert K. Bender spent his adolescence fascinated by UFOs, spending countless hours on research. His obsession culminated in the founding of the IFSB—the International Flying Saucer Bureau—in 1952. The IFSB was what one could consider a “fan club” or UFO enthusiasts (a very niche community back then). Additionally, he published the magazine Space Review, which covered stories of sightings throughout the world.

In one issue of Space Review, he wrote the following message to supposed extraterrestrial visitors of Earth: “Calling occupants of interplanetary craft that have been observing Earth. We of IFSB wish to make contact with you. We are your friends.”

He told his readers to simultaneously send a telepathic message to extraterrestrials on March 15, 1953. This, he said, would be “Contact Day.” When Contact Day came, Bender began his mental message. But there was a problem. He claimed that he began to feel an intense headache, that flashing lights swirled around his room, and the stench of rotten eggs permeated from an unknown source. A voice spoke to him.

​​“We have been watching you and your activities,” it said. “Please be advised to discontinue delving into the mysteries of the universe. We will make an appearance if you disobey.”
Bender published the story of the encounter in Space Review. And from here, things (allegedly) only got stranger.

Bender Sees the Men in Black

albert k bender's sketch of the men in black
Source: Wikipedia

After publishing his encounter with the strange voice, Bender started feeling that he was being watched and followed. He’d come home to small changes in his apartment, evidence of someone having rummaged through his UFO data. Then he had a visit from the men in black themselves.

In 1962, Bender published the book Flying Saucers and the Three Men Dressed in Black Suits. In the book he describes a telepathic meeting with three men, who were, as you may expect, dressed in black suits. He claims that they showed him images of a planet being destroyed, implying that they would do the same to Earth if he did not cease his UFO research.

According to Bender, the men in black were aliens themselves, here to extract an important chemical from Earth’s ocean. They gave him a telepathic vision of their actual appearance (underneath the “men in black” facade). He wrote, “[The vision] depicted a hideous monster, more horrifying than any I have ever seen depicted in the work of science fiction or fantasy artists.”

Following this experience, Bender ceased publication of Space Review, writing in the last issue, “We would like to publish the full story in Space Review, but because of the nature of the information, we are sorry that we have been advised in the negative. We advise that those engaged in saucer work be very cautious.”

Harold Dahl – Claimed to Have Met the Men in Black Before Bender

maury island, where dahl experienced the phenomenon that would lead to a visit from the men in black
Maury Island in Puget Sound, Washington
Source: Wikipedia

Five years before Bender’s meeting with the men in black, a man named Harold Dahl claimed that they paid him a visit. While boating with his son and dog in Puget Sound, Washington, Dahl spotted six donut-shaped UFOs hovering above his boat. One of the UFOs suddenly dropped 15,000 feet, raining metallic debris that tragically injured Dahl’s son and killed his dog.

Dahl had managed to take photos of the UFOs, which he later presented to his friend and supervisor Fred Crisman. Crisman was skeptical until he himself visited the lake. He claimed to have seen the ruins of a spacecraft himself.

The next day, a black-suited man supposedly came to speak with Dahl. He warned Dahl to tell no one of what happened, insinuating that there would be severe consequences if the information ever leaked.

Dahl and Crisman would later claim that the experience was a hoax. However, people who are dead set on believing their original story insist that they were pressured by the men in black to recant their statements. Also, the photo that Dahl snapped was blurred, another detail that believers attribute to meddling from the men in black.

Dan Aykroyd Claims to Have Seen the Men in Black

dan aykroyd, who claimed to see the real-life men in black
Source: Moviestilldb

Believe it or not, Blues Brothers star Dan Aykroyd had his own encounter with men in black. While working on a TV series called Out There—devoted to documenting real-life alien sightings—the actor decided to step out for a break. On the streets of New York City, he saw a sleek black car, out of which stepped a tall man in a black suit. The man glared at Aykroyd, causing him to briefly turn away. When he looked back up, the man and car were both gone.

Two hours later, Out There’s producers informed Aykroyd that the series was canceled. 

Evidence of the Real-Life Men in Black?

Perhaps the most legitimate evidence of the existence of the men in black is footage from a hotel security camera. In 2008, a Niagara Falls Hotel bellboy named Shane Sovar claimed to have both seen a UFO. Later, two “men in black” came to the hotel looking for Shane. They appeared on hotel security footage.

Note: From a skeptic’s perspective, the figures who appear in the footage could have easily just been two men who happened to be wearing black suits.

Hotel staff described the men as hairless, even having no eyebrows. Unfortunately, Shane was not present at the time of the men’s arrival, and we’re left to assume that they did not return.


Do you believe in the real-life men in black? Do you think that they’re aliens or government agents, similar to the characters in the movie? Is it all a big hoax? Let us know in the comments!

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