10

Near the end of Men in Black, Kay kills the bug from the inside.

But when Jay and Kay thinks it's over, another bug suddenly appears, and almost eats Jay.

What is that 2nd bug doing there? How and when did it come to Earth? Were both bugs working together to find the galaxy? Was it a rival of the first bug, and wanted to steal the galaxy? Or maybe it didn't want the galaxy at all, he was just there to use the flying saucer to escape from Earth before destroyed?

2
  • I'm so sure I saw this question before, but it could have been on another site.
    – Mr Lister
    Commented Jun 27, 2016 at 17:03
  • @MrLister There were only 24 men-in-black questions. I looked at the titles and none seemed a duplicate. Same for Movies&TV.
    – Oriol
    Commented Jun 27, 2016 at 17:16

1 Answer 1

16

It's the same bug. Kay didn't kill it, he just wounded it mortally.

Bug gets blown in half by Kay
enter image description here

Front half sneaks up behind Jay and Kay
enter image description here


This is backed up in the script

As they argue, behind them, unseen, THE FRONT HALF OF THE BUG RAISES ITSELF UP on its forearms, eyes gleaming with hate, jaws dripping -- ready to lower itself onto Kay and Jay.

JAY: After I got the shit beat out of me!

The film's Official Novelisation is a little more detailed, but basically confirms what's in the script.

Jay sensed rather than saw what happened next. Felt a sense of sudden dread envelop him. Spun—

—saw the top half of the bug, levered up on its arms, mouth open, about to fall on them.

"Oh, shit!"

Kerb dragged his upper half toward the humans. It was going to strain his regeneration capabilities to their utmost to survive this one. Maybe he wouldn't make it. Truth was, he didn't know any of his species who'd lost their whole bottom half and come back, but he was tough. There was always a first time.

Whatever, he had to kill these damned humans. At the very least, if he was going to cross over the Bridge to the Other Side, he was not going without the company of those who'd sent him there.

He lifted himself, opened his mouth. Now—!

Jay screamed, something wordless, and prepared to die—

Boom! The bug's head shattered, blew apart. Bits of chitin and brain and circulating fluid splashed and pattered all over Jay and Kay, organic shrapnel.

5
  • Huh, it was not killed? They were covered by so much mucus
    – Oriol
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 19:22
  • @Oriol - Well indeed. Hence why they thought (wrongly) that it had been killed.
    – Valorum
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 19:24
  • 1
    Oh, I see. Half bug is moving at the background before the attack. I didn't notice it.
    – Oriol
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 19:25
  • 1
    @Oriol - Good point. I've edited to reflect that the film actually shows some additional detail that might get missed.
    – Valorum
    Commented Jun 26, 2016 at 19:38
  • I must confess completely failing to spot the (half) bug crawling when I watched this movie at the cinema. Looking at those nice gifs, I wonder if those details are actually visible in the 4:3 pan-and-scan version seen in the following years on tv.
    – lfurini
    Commented Jun 27, 2016 at 16:27

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