Bugs (Men in Black The Roleplaying Game)

This article pertains to the Bugs as detailed in West End Game's MIB Men in Black The Roleplaying Game.

pg. 104 illustration

The Bugs are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the Men in Black multimedia franchise and included in West End Game's MIB Men in Black The Roleplaying Game. Introduced to the game in the 1997 core rulebook for the RPG as a species known to MIB. The only example of the species given is file 'The Bug/Edgar' whose classified as a code buffalo and omega class alien. The rulebook does express that despite the agency's efforts some entries may contain incomplete or inaccurate information depending on MIB's level of gathered intelligence regarding the species. At any time their are 1,500 aliens living and working on Earth; most are decent sorts, simply trying to blend in and get along- others are looking to settle scores, conduct espionage, or some experiments. Directors (gamemasters) are advised to consider this.

Society

The Bugs have no known home world. The region of the galaxy they are known to frequent they are considered "dangerous galactic trash" and are believed to be nomadic, moving from one battleground to another to feast on the bodies of winners and losers alike. Some at least have enough established presence in that region for war profiteering. When conflict cools down, one usually starts another war as such conflict provides an opportunity to feed and to profit. When doing so they may employ an Altonian assassin, and have done so frequently enough for Altonians to have gained a reputation as heralds of trouble. The typical bug has some knowledge of computer operations, disguise, and linguistics.

Psychology

The Bugs are stereotyped as arrogant, cunning, murderous, and ruthless - a reputation earned from the work of infamous war profiteers and instigators. They have a deep feeling of kinship to all insect life, an attribute considered one of their greatest flaws. To stomp upon or by other means squish a bug near one is like fingernails upon a chalk board is to Humans.

Diet

The Bugs have a diet consisting primarily of carrion and sugar. They require sixteen fluid ounces of sugar water every couple of days and always after eating. They require more meaty foods, chiefly but not exclusively carrion, at least once a week and preferably more often. Given certain characteristics, such as a form of sticky goo that can pull things (such as a Human) into it's maw the Bugs are likely of predatory origin and it is possible the carrion based preference is a cultural adaptation rather than a biological necessity. It is noted regarding the ingestion of Humans by Bugs that doing so will cause them heartburn.

Physiology

pg. 105 illustration showing the Stinger

The average adult male of the species easily reaches fourteen and a half feet tall. They are sulfer-based lifeforms with a hairy exoskeleton and cobra like head with elliptical eyes, horse like legs ending in three toes each. They can compact their body to less than half their size, enough that in one recorded instance one was capable of wearing Human skin as a loose fitting suit. They have three features for attack; pincers, a stinger capable of killing a Human instantly with it's venom, and a goo shot. This goo is capable of binding to a target and retracting the target into their maw to be swallowed whole. Typically this is used in the collection of carrion, such as that found in battlegrounds in the region of space they frequent. Swallowed targets are visible through a yellow translucent sac located in the mid-body and it takes roughly a week for a target of Human size to digest. They are known to be able to survive being sliced in two and with limbs severed so MIB agents are advised to be weary when dealing with Bugs in a hostile situation.