Tamal Kundu
In the first season of ‘Invasion,’ the attacking aliens are largely shrouded in mystery. The protagonists don’t even know that there is an alien invasion until the later part of the fifth episode when the President of the US goes on TV and announces to the world what is happening. However, they have known something is wrong from episode 1, with seemingly inexplicable and unconnected incidents happening all over the world — ranging from power outages to destruction of communication, homes, and infrastructure. The protagonists, along with the rest of the population, thought they were caused by terrorists or hostile nations. There was only chaos in the streets in the absence of the correct information.
But even with the information, the situation only worsens, as people start to realize that human existence is under threat. Slowly, in the last few episodes, a pattern of alien behavior begins to emerge. This includes a black substance they keep spreading. If you are wondering what it is and what it does, we got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD.
What Is the Black Substance?
The first time the black substance appears on the screen is when Aneesha (Golshifteh Farahani) and her family encounter the alien in the home of the elderly couple in episode 6. This is the first time that any human character has faced the enemy in the show. Previously, Ward and his unit had an encounter with the aliens, but the latter group was in a spaceship at the time. But in episode 6, Aneesha has a personal experience. She sees that the alien has killed the dog of the elderly couple and then covered it with a black substance. Shortly after, the alien kills the female homeowner and covers her with the black substance as well.
Earlier, Aneesha removes a small piece of this substance from a man’s inside. The substance keeps appearing throughout the season. Almost all the characters encounter it. When Casper reaches his home with Jamila, he finds his mother dead, and the substance is covering her. While it initially seems indestructible, it has a drastically adverse reaction when it comes in proximity to Aneesha’s mysterious Claw, often simply ceasing to exist.
It seems to share some properties with plants. After the aliens leave the substance, it metabolizes, releasing gases in the atmosphere and changing the air. The US government apparently believes that the aliens use the substance for terraforming a planet to make it hospitable for their kind. Alternatively, this means that the more the aliens spread the black substance, the more the Earth becomes inhospitable for humans.
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