Grey Aliens
First Appearance: Fooker's Abducted by Aliens! (March 17, 1999)
The Grey Aliens, for lack of a better name—no information has yet been revealed about their planet of origin—are a race of beings from another planet presumably within Earth's galaxy. They are highly technologically advanced and have the capacity for interstellar travel. They are probably best known on Earth as the source of alien abduction rumors and cattle mutilations.
Grey drones are genetically identical, being sexless and reproducing entirely via cloning from various templates (scientists, engineers, soldiers, etc.). They closely resemble the stereotypical aliens often spoken of by alleged abductees: short and thin with large bulbous heads, gray rubbery skin, huge black eyes, no nose, and thin lipless mouths. They have little individual personality, although a few have exhibited distinguishing traits.
The Greys are governed by the Great Skaboola. The Skaboola is apparently of the same species, but is much larger than the drones in both height and girth. He is large and fat, so much so that he rarely if ever moves under his own power and usually travels by means of a levitating chair. The Skaboola controls the drones via some form of telepathy and is the only Grey currently with the ability for purely independent thought. However, it should be noted that individual drones can act on their own in the absence of the Skaboola's influence.
History in the Strip
Early in the strip, Fooker was abducted by these aliens, who subsequently tossed him back as a "reject." However, the aliens were forced to come back to retrieve some "doodads" Fooker stole from them. Years later, Fooker encountered the same aliens again when he and Trudy were captured and placed in an alien zoo so their mating habits could be observed. It was here we learned of the Great Skaboola, the fat, corrupt, and greedy leader of the drones. Unfortunately, the Great Skaboola's greed was his downfall when he struck a deal to trade freedom and alien weapon technology for vast quantities of cheese, his one true weakness. Those traded weapons proved vital to Empress Trudy's rise to power in the future (see Surreptitious Machinations, Chapter 6: Plots and Complications).
The Negaverse
In the alternate universe of Emperor Nicholas the Puissant, the Greys abducted General Barker, just as they abducted Fooker. However, the General conquered the Greys, who eventually were called upon to assist the Emperor in his conquest of Earth. The Emperor, with the assistance of Dr. Akhilesh Sehgal, subjugated the Skaboola and subsequently the entire Grey population, forcing them to become his slaves.
Unfortunately for the Emperor, enslaving the Greys brought a new threat to Earth. The Greys' mortal enemies, another alien species currently unknown to us, discovered the Greys' presence on Earth and targeted the planet for acquisition. This resulted in an interstellar war between the Empire and the Greys versus the second alien species, with the Empire fighting a desperately losing battle. At the end of To Thine Own Self..., the Empire fell into ruin as the capital came under attack, although the Greys, freed from both the Skaboola's and the Emperor's influence, mounted a devastating counter attack. The outcome of this battle is currently unknown.
