Black Oil

The black oil is the blood of the attack aliens, which is the first phase of the alien maturation of the gray alien as seen in The Beginning. The black oil is itself a sentient being, able to body jump and control aliens and humans alike. It is able to control minds as well as admit radiation from the host body to kill others. The hosts tend to be left with no memories and radiation burns and an oily substance over their bodies. The black oil can also immobilize victims instead of taking over them as seen in Tunguska/Terma.

In Tunguska/Terma, Mulder is subjected to the black cancer as well as the vaccine that saves him. This vaccine would also be tested on Marita Covarrubias (The Red and the Black) and Scully (The X-Files Fight the Future).

The Colonists are infected with and, assumedly, controlled by the black oil. The Rebels, who are fighting with the Colonists, are not infected with the oil and protect themselves from it by sewing closed their mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. Although in the first movie the black oil was seen travelling up the boy's legs, it usually must enter an opening such as the mouth (Perhaps there was a cut in his feet? :))

In 8th season's Vienen, Scully discovers that a certain Native Mexican race harbors the black oil in their bodies. The oil is dormant and this human ethnicity is immune to the black oil's control.

X-Connections

Characters

Aliens