Imported Alien Phlebotinum: Difference between revisions

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== Films -- Live Action ==
== Films -- Live Action ==
* ''[[District 9]]'' uses a variation of this trope. The alien "prawns" have super weapons that evil [[Mega Corp]] MNU would love to figure out, but the weapons only work with alien DNA. When an accident causes Wikus, the film's protagonist, to begin transforming into a prawn, he becomes able to use the weapons -- which results in both MNU and Nigerian gangsters [[MacGuffin Girl|chasing Wikus]] so they can figure out how to access his power themselves.
* ''[[District 9]]'' uses a variation of this trope. The alien "prawns" have super weapons that evil [[Mega Corp]] MNU would love to figure out, but the weapons only work with alien DNA. When an accident causes Wikus, the film's protagonist, to begin transforming into a prawn, he becomes able to use the weapons -- which results in both MNU and Nigerian gangsters [[MacGuffin Girl|chasing Wikus]] so they can figure out how to access his power themselves.
* This was the whole premise of the movie ''[[Explorers (Film)|Explorers]]''.
* This was the whole premise of the movie ''[[Explorers]]''.
* Parodied in ''[[Men in Black (Film)|Men in Black]]''.
* Parodied in ''[[Men in Black (film)|Men in Black]]''.
* ''[[The Meteor Man]]'': The title character survives a direct hit from a meteor, and gains superpowers.
* ''[[The Meteor Man]]'': The title character survives a direct hit from a meteor, and gains superpowers.


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== Literature ==
== Literature ==
* In the ''[[Into the Looking Glass]]'' series by [[John Ringo]], Earth is attacked by an [[Organic Technology]] using [[Hive Mind]] through a series of "portals" opened up by a lab mishap. Humans also encounter a friendly alien species, the Adar, who give them a literal [[Black Box]] created by a (different) species of [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]]. After a brief period in which the device appears to have no function save as a "reusable nuclear hand grenade," they conclude that they were using it wrong and find a way to use it as a [[Faster-Than-Light Travel]] drive. This allows them to build a starship that can travel faster than light, but doesn't give them any other typical science fiction technology (although they manage to invent some of the nearer, harder-science applications themselves). Much of the drama of the second and third novels comes from the crew of the ship finding themselves in [[Star Trek]] situations without the advantage of things like phasers, tricorders, and transporters.
* In the ''[[Into the Looking Glass]]'' series by [[John Ringo]], Earth is attacked by an [[Organic Technology]] using [[Hive Mind]] through a series of "portals" opened up by a lab mishap. Humans also encounter a friendly alien species, the Adar, who give them a literal [[Black Box]] created by a (different) species of [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]]. After a brief period in which the device appears to have no function save as a "reusable nuclear hand grenade," they conclude that they were using it wrong and find a way to use it as a [[Faster-Than-Light Travel]] drive. This allows them to build a starship that can travel faster than light, but doesn't give them any other typical science fiction technology (although they manage to invent some of the nearer, harder-science applications themselves). Much of the drama of the second and third novels comes from the crew of the ship finding themselves in [[Star Trek]] situations without the advantage of things like phasers, tricorders, and transporters.
* [[Strugatsky Brothers (Creator)|Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's]] novel ''[[Roadside Picnic (Literature)|Roadside Picnic]]'' features "stalkers" who search an area called the Zone for alien artifacts left behind on Earth. Arguably a [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstruction of the trope]] -- the items found in the Zone are powerful, but so ''alien'' that most are completely incomprehensible to humans, and many pose equally incomprehensible, and potentially lethal, dangers... And it's entirely possible that they are all simply alien ''garbage'', left behind by [[Starfish Aliens|visitors]] who treated Earth as an insignificant roadside stop on their journey.
* [[Strugatsky Brothers|Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's]] novel ''[[Roadside Picnic]]'' features "stalkers" who search an area called the Zone for alien artifacts left behind on Earth. Arguably a [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstruction of the trope]] -- the items found in the Zone are powerful, but so ''alien'' that most are completely incomprehensible to humans, and many pose equally incomprehensible, and potentially lethal, dangers... And it's entirely possible that they are all simply alien ''garbage'', left behind by [[Starfish Aliens|visitors]] who treated Earth as an insignificant roadside stop on their journey.
* The [[Frederik Pohl]] novel ''[[Heechee Saga|Gateway]]'' relates the misadventures of a "prospector" seeking fame and fortune by traveling aboard abandoned but still-functional alien spacecraft, discovered by humans on Gateway, an ancient, hollowed-out asteroid inside Venus' orbit. The problem: no one knows how the spaceships work, only that they travel faster-than-light to preset destinations on missions of unpredictable durations. Also, ships don't always make it back, and that's still no guarantee that the crew will even be alive if they do.
* The [[Frederik Pohl]] novel ''[[Heechee Saga|Gateway]]'' relates the misadventures of a "prospector" seeking fame and fortune by traveling aboard abandoned but still-functional alien spacecraft, discovered by humans on Gateway, an ancient, hollowed-out asteroid inside Venus' orbit. The problem: no one knows how the spaceships work, only that they travel faster-than-light to preset destinations on missions of unpredictable durations. Also, ships don't always make it back, and that's still no guarantee that the crew will even be alive if they do.
* The Escafil device from ''[[Animorphs (Literature)|Animorphs]]''.
* The Escafil device from ''[[Animorphs]]''.
** Or any other technology more remarkable than you might find in a high school.
** Or any other technology more remarkable than you might find in a high school.
** Also broccoli.
** Also broccoli.
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* ''Cleaning Up'', a short story by [[Iain Banks|Iain M. Banks]] (published in ''State of the Art''), is a humorous subversion of the trope. At the height of the [[Cold War]], bits of Imported Alien Phlebotinum start materializing all around the world, seemingly at random. The U.S. Military scrambles to understand and find some use for the devices [[Red Scare|before the Soviets do]], but before too long it turns out the whole thing was caused by a [[Artificial Stupidity|hilariously malfunctioning]] alien garbage disposal system. Features an [[Anti Gravity]] [[Hover Tank]] built out of the equivalent of a stained water-bed from an alien [[No-Tell Motel]].
* ''Cleaning Up'', a short story by [[Iain Banks|Iain M. Banks]] (published in ''State of the Art''), is a humorous subversion of the trope. At the height of the [[Cold War]], bits of Imported Alien Phlebotinum start materializing all around the world, seemingly at random. The U.S. Military scrambles to understand and find some use for the devices [[Red Scare|before the Soviets do]], but before too long it turns out the whole thing was caused by a [[Artificial Stupidity|hilariously malfunctioning]] alien garbage disposal system. Features an [[Anti Gravity]] [[Hover Tank]] built out of the equivalent of a stained water-bed from an alien [[No-Tell Motel]].
* "Against a Dark Background", a non-Culture [[Sci Fi]] novel by [[Iain Banks|Iain M. Banks]] uses this trope as its main narrative driver. The heroine, Sharrow, is forced onto a quest to recover the last known 'Lazy Gun', one a group of bizarre artifacts from an apparently alien technology which were found floating amongst the space wreckage of a destroyed planet in the home system a very long time ago. Lazy Guns are described as having a number of physical anomalies, such as weighing twice as much upside down as right-side-up, plus a freakish sense of humour. They have both caused wars and been used as weapons in war, as well as worshipped as gods and as relics of gods. It is not quite clear whether they are really Imported Alien Phlebotinum, originating outside the home solar system, or simply [[Lost Technology]] of the Ancients. The search means that the Lazy Gun functions in the narrative as the [[McGuffin]].
* "Against a Dark Background", a non-Culture [[Sci Fi]] novel by [[Iain Banks|Iain M. Banks]] uses this trope as its main narrative driver. The heroine, Sharrow, is forced onto a quest to recover the last known 'Lazy Gun', one a group of bizarre artifacts from an apparently alien technology which were found floating amongst the space wreckage of a destroyed planet in the home system a very long time ago. Lazy Guns are described as having a number of physical anomalies, such as weighing twice as much upside down as right-side-up, plus a freakish sense of humour. They have both caused wars and been used as weapons in war, as well as worshipped as gods and as relics of gods. It is not quite clear whether they are really Imported Alien Phlebotinum, originating outside the home solar system, or simply [[Lost Technology]] of the Ancients. The search means that the Lazy Gun functions in the narrative as the [[McGuffin]].
* In the ''[[Troy Rising (Literature)|Troy Rising]]'' series alien computer chips act as this at the beginning. Earth's computer industry is devastated due to a shortage of rare materials and the alien tech is so sophisticated that a single circuit board can replace a supercomputer. Later on the protagonist starts importing alien [[A Is]] and gravity manipulation technology to run his industrial empire. He is able to produce more on his own after a while but is still unable to make any from scratch. An existing AI is needed to make more [[A Is]] and any gravity manipulation technology manufacture requires existing gravity manipulation tools.
* In the ''[[Troy Rising]]'' series alien computer chips act as this at the beginning. Earth's computer industry is devastated due to a shortage of rare materials and the alien tech is so sophisticated that a single circuit board can replace a supercomputer. Later on the protagonist starts importing alien [[A Is]] and gravity manipulation technology to run his industrial empire. He is able to produce more on his own after a while but is still unable to make any from scratch. An existing AI is needed to make more [[A Is]] and any gravity manipulation technology manufacture requires existing gravity manipulation tools.
* Partly played straight in [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''[[Worldwar (Literature)]]'' series, where the [[Lizard Folk|Race]] is more advanced than humanity during [[World War Two]] (and, in some cases, is more advanced than us 21st century humans). A small chunk of the series is spent on several characters attempting to reverse-engineer parts of the Race technology and incorporate it into its human counterparts. They, more or less, succeed with taking apart and figuring out how to improve human (mostly British) jet engines, and the [[Those Wacky Nazis|Germans]] manage to get their hands on an intact alien tank (traded for a bag of [[Alien Catnip|ginger]]). Later on, the a mutiny takes place on a lizard base in Siberia, and the mutineers surrender to the Soviets, believing they'll be treated well (not a very good assumption), providing them an entire military base to study. The British, notably, fail to figure out how the Race radar works, given that it uses integrated circuits instead of vacuum tubes (or valves, if you're British). At that point, it's very much a [[Black Box]], which the Brits, nevertheless, attempt to integrate into their new jet fighters in order to try to match the enemy in performance. By the ''Colonization'' series, the war is over, and the humans and the lizards have to live side-by-side (more or less), resulting in much more technology being traded and studied. In ''Homeward Bound'', the first human starship, the ''Admiral Peary'', is based on the Race design.
* Partly played straight in [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''[[Worldwar]]'' series, where the [[Lizard Folk|Race]] is more advanced than humanity during [[World War Two]] (and, in some cases, is more advanced than us 21st century humans). A small chunk of the series is spent on several characters attempting to reverse-engineer parts of the Race technology and incorporate it into its human counterparts. They, more or less, succeed with taking apart and figuring out how to improve human (mostly British) jet engines, and the [[Those Wacky Nazis|Germans]] manage to get their hands on an intact alien tank (traded for a bag of [[Alien Catnip|ginger]]). Later on, the a mutiny takes place on a lizard base in Siberia, and the mutineers surrender to the Soviets, believing they'll be treated well (not a very good assumption), providing them an entire military base to study. The British, notably, fail to figure out how the Race radar works, given that it uses integrated circuits instead of vacuum tubes (or valves, if you're British). At that point, it's very much a [[Black Box]], which the Brits, nevertheless, attempt to integrate into their new jet fighters in order to try to match the enemy in performance. By the ''Colonization'' series, the war is over, and the humans and the lizards have to live side-by-side (more or less), resulting in much more technology being traded and studied. In ''Homeward Bound'', the first human starship, the ''Admiral Peary'', is based on the Race design.




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** And then Earth inherits a payload of Alien Phlebotinum when {{spoiler|The Asgard give them their entire technological database before blowing up their own planet}}.
** And then Earth inherits a payload of Alien Phlebotinum when {{spoiler|The Asgard give them their entire technological database before blowing up their own planet}}.
* The sphere from ''[[Seven Days]]'' is hybrid technology. Its fuel source is pure Imported Alien Phlebotinum.
* The sphere from ''[[Seven Days]]'' is hybrid technology. Its fuel source is pure Imported Alien Phlebotinum.
* In ''[[War of the Worlds (TV)|War of the Worlds]]'', the Blackwood Project occasionally steals some alien toy and contrives it into a one-off device.
* In ''[[War of the Worlds (TV series)|War of the Worlds]]'', the Blackwood Project occasionally steals some alien toy and contrives it into a one-off device.
* Ralph's superhero suit in ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' is a prime example.
* Ralph's superhero suit in ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' is a prime example.
* While Kryptonite doesn't count in ''[[Smallville]]'', Clark's space ship does, as do the various Kryptonian artifacts featured over the course of the series.
* While Kryptonite doesn't count in ''[[Smallville]]'', Clark's space ship does, as do the various Kryptonian artifacts featured over the course of the series.
* In one episode of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'', an alien comes to Earth and gives scientists plans for a free-energy device. Unfortunately, its construction requires [[Unobtainium|an element]] not found locally. Fortunately, when they go to hunt him down, they find that he's accidentally left behind his comb, which is made of the stuff.
* In one episode of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'', an alien comes to Earth and gives scientists plans for a free-energy device. Unfortunately, its construction requires [[Unobtainium|an element]] not found locally. Fortunately, when they go to hunt him down, they find that he's accidentally left behind his comb, which is made of the stuff.
* ''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]'' had a seemingly benevolent alien race as its main plot point. Their technology was equitably given to all of mankind, as they saw fit. Notably, [[Teleporters and Transporters|portal stations]] in almost all major cities allowed global travel in seconds.
* ''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]'' had a seemingly benevolent alien race as its main plot point. Their technology was equitably given to all of mankind, as they saw fit. Notably, [[Teleporters and Transporters|portal stations]] in almost all major cities allowed global travel in seconds.
* ''[[Torchwood (TV)|Torchwood]]'' is built around the premise of a quasi-governmental agency not just fighting aliens, but metaphorically or literally scavenging the bodies for exploitable technology.
* ''[[Torchwood]]'' is built around the premise of a quasi-governmental agency not just fighting aliens, but metaphorically or literally scavenging the bodies for exploitable technology.
* The holographic doctor on ''[[Star Trek Voyager]]'' gains mobility by the acquisition of a mobile emitter from the future (granted, it's the federation future, but is there anything more alien than the future?)
* The holographic doctor on ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' gains mobility by the acquisition of a mobile emitter from the future (granted, it's the federation future, but is there anything more alien than the future?)
* Sarah Jane Smith has scads of this in ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures (TV)|The Sarah Jane Adventures]]''. Central to the series, she has the [[Magical Computer]] (actually a {{spoiler|silicon-based alien in a computer shell}}) Mr. Smith and her sonic lipstick, not to mention many different gadgets which just make one-off appearances.
* Sarah Jane Smith has scads of this in ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]''. Central to the series, she has the [[Magical Computer]] (actually a {{spoiler|silicon-based alien in a computer shell}}) Mr. Smith and her sonic lipstick, not to mention many different gadgets which just make one-off appearances.
** Sarah-Jane was given her sonic lipstick and robot dog K-9 by the Doctor <ref>the original K-9 created by a human scientist, but his successive models after the original was left behind on Gallifrey with Leela in ''Doctor Who'', including ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'''' Mark IV, were presumably built by the Doctor</ref>, from ''[[Doctor Who]]'', who seems to function as something of a phlebotinum delivery service for people he likes.
** Sarah-Jane was given her sonic lipstick and robot dog K-9 by the Doctor <ref>the original K-9 created by a human scientist, but his successive models after the original was left behind on Gallifrey with Leela in ''Doctor Who'', including ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'''' Mark IV, were presumably built by the Doctor</ref>, from ''[[Doctor Who]]'', who seems to function as something of a phlebotinum delivery service for people he likes.
* Quite a few ''[[Doctor Who]]'' plots have been sparked by something like this- a society or groups abuses or gets abused by alien technology they don't understand. For example, in "The Curse of the Black Spot", a pirate ship is plagued by a siren who takes any person who is ill or injured. {{spoiler|The siren is actually a holographic computer program who functions as a doctor for a crashed alien ship.}}
* Quite a few ''[[Doctor Who]]'' plots have been sparked by something like this- a society or groups abuses or gets abused by alien technology they don't understand. For example, in "The Curse of the Black Spot", a pirate ship is plagued by a siren who takes any person who is ill or injured. {{spoiler|The siren is actually a holographic computer program who functions as a doctor for a crashed alien ship.}}
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* Most research options in ''[[X-COM]]: UFO Defense'' are opened up by acquiring artifacts from or interrogating aliens. If you want to build some of these artifacts yourself, you need to consume the phlebotinum.
* Most research options in ''[[X-COM]]: UFO Defense'' are opened up by acquiring artifacts from or interrogating aliens. If you want to build some of these artifacts yourself, you need to consume the phlebotinum.
** To be specific, Elerium 115 is the fuel of the alien spaceships, it is used in pretty much ALL high-tech manufacture you can carry out at your base, and there is ''no way to acquire it'' except as salvage from downed enemy vessels.
** To be specific, Elerium 115 is the fuel of the alien spaceships, it is used in pretty much ALL high-tech manufacture you can carry out at your base, and there is ''no way to acquire it'' except as salvage from downed enemy vessels.
** Also, the [[UFO After Blank]] series and [[UFO Alien Invasion]] have this. In UFOAI, the scientist says that he doesn't even try to understand how aliens got their plasma tech working, since according to them it should be impossible.
** Also, the [[UFO Afterblank]] series and [[UFO Alien Invasion]] have this. In UFOAI, the scientist says that he doesn't even try to understand how aliens got their plasma tech working, since according to them it should be impossible.
* The widely panned game ''[[Predator]]: Concrete Jungle'' is set [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]] on an Earth technologically advanced by the study of accidentally-leftover Predator equipment.
* The widely panned game ''[[Predator]]: Concrete Jungle'' is set [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]] on an Earth technologically advanced by the study of accidentally-leftover Predator equipment.
* ''[[Mass Effect]]'': The Mass relays, the Citadel itself {{spoiler|and the Keepers}} having been created by the [[Precursors|Protheans]] pose as a type of [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum]], since it was left there for the previous races so that they could better understand element zero. {{spoiler|In truth, all were created by the Reapers in order to harvest the galactic civilization of organics for their own silly machine ideals by predetermining the path of evolution and exploration.}}
* ''[[Mass Effect]]'': The Mass relays, the Citadel itself {{spoiler|and the Keepers}} having been created by the [[Precursors|Protheans]] pose as a type of [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum]], since it was left there for the previous races so that they could better understand element zero. {{spoiler|In truth, all were created by the Reapers in order to harvest the galactic civilization of organics for their own silly machine ideals by predetermining the path of evolution and exploration.}}
** The molten-metal-shooting Thanix gun from ''ME 2'' also counts. It's based on {{spoiler|reverse-engineering Sovereign's weapons}}.
** The molten-metal-shooting Thanix gun from ''ME 2'' also counts. It's based on {{spoiler|reverse-engineering Sovereign's weapons}}.
* The TCS ''Midway'', from ''[[Wing Commander (Video Game)|Wing Commander]] Prophecy'', gets this later in the game, in the form of a [[Wave Motion Gun|plasma cannon that can obliterate entire fleets in one shot]].
* The TCS ''Midway'', from ''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]] Prophecy'', gets this later in the game, in the form of a [[Wave Motion Gun|plasma cannon that can obliterate entire fleets in one shot]].
** [[Invisibility Cloak|Cloaking devices]] used by humans, in ''[[Wing Commander (Video Game)|Wing Commander]] III'' and ''[[Wing Commander (Video Game)|Wing Commander]] IV'' were derived from captured examples of [[Mega Neko|Kilrathi]] equipment for the same purpose.
** [[Invisibility Cloak|Cloaking devices]] used by humans, in ''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]] III'' and ''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]] IV'' were derived from captured examples of [[Mega Neko|Kilrathi]] equipment for the same purpose.
* In science-fiction ''[[Four X]]'' strategy games, it's pretty much standard to get a bonus to your research if you find [[Precursor]] artifacts. It shows up in ''[[Galactic Civilizations]]'', ''[[Sins of a Solar Empire]]'', ''[[Master of Orion (Video Game)|Master of Orion]]'' and probably many others.
* In science-fiction ''[[4X]]'' strategy games, it's pretty much standard to get a bonus to your research if you find [[Precursor]] artifacts. It shows up in ''[[Galactic Civilizations]]'', ''[[Sins of a Solar Empire]]'', ''[[Master of Orion]]'' and probably many others.
** ''Galciv'' also allows you to ''literally'' import alien phlebotinum by trading techs with other races. Hey, Arceans, this is the Terrans. You guys have a pretty tasty military; I'm glad we're allies - my military angles are a bit low since I pumped all my research into diplomacy and trade enhancements. Say, I've noticed that you guys have lasers and the Drengin have gone pretty heavily into armour to screw over my mass drivers when the [[Conflict Ball|inevitable war breaks out]]; I don't suppose you'd be willing to swap your high-grade energy weapon tech for this [[Crimefighting With Cash|massive]] [[Fiction 500|fistful]] [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|of money]], this trade enhancer and my [[Lensman Arms Race|now-obsolete singularity drivers]]? You would? Pleasure doing business with you. (And then there's espionage, in which you can ''steal'' the alien phlebotinum; if you've been focusing on techs other than weapon upgrades, it's possible your spies will hand you the blueprints to a missile weapon that's significantly more advanced than your lasers, leading to an unpleasant surprise when you kill them with their own guns.)
** ''Galciv'' also allows you to ''literally'' import alien phlebotinum by trading techs with other races. Hey, Arceans, this is the Terrans. You guys have a pretty tasty military; I'm glad we're allies - my military angles are a bit low since I pumped all my research into diplomacy and trade enhancements. Say, I've noticed that you guys have lasers and the Drengin have gone pretty heavily into armour to screw over my mass drivers when the [[Conflict Ball|inevitable war breaks out]]; I don't suppose you'd be willing to swap your high-grade energy weapon tech for this [[Crimefighting with Cash|massive]] [[Fiction 500|fistful]] [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|of money]], this trade enhancer and my [[Lensman Arms Race|now-obsolete singularity drivers]]? You would? Pleasure doing business with you. (And then there's espionage, in which you can ''steal'' the alien phlebotinum; if you've been focusing on techs other than weapon upgrades, it's possible your spies will hand you the blueprints to a missile weapon that's significantly more advanced than your lasers, leading to an unpleasant surprise when you kill them with their own guns.)
* ''[[Prey]]'' takes it to the next level. Aboard this massive bio-mechanical alien spaceship, you eventually find a gun that ''the aliens themselves cannot identify''. Imported Alien ''Alien'' Phlebotinium!
* ''[[Prey]]'' takes it to the next level. Aboard this massive bio-mechanical alien spaceship, you eventually find a gun that ''the aliens themselves cannot identify''. Imported Alien ''Alien'' Phlebotinium!
** Assuming you speak of the {{spoiler|acid sprayer}}, it's built by {{spoiler|[[La Résistance]]}}.
** Assuming you speak of the {{spoiler|acid sprayer}}, it's built by {{spoiler|[[La Résistance]]}}.
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* The "Medi-porter" used in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' to justify the use of [[Death Is Cheap]] is based off of recovered Rikti technology. In the parallel world of Praetoria, where the Rikti did not invade, [[Fridge Logic|there is no explanation given]] as to why the medi-porter still exists.
* The "Medi-porter" used in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' to justify the use of [[Death Is Cheap]] is based off of recovered Rikti technology. In the parallel world of Praetoria, where the Rikti did not invade, [[Fridge Logic|there is no explanation given]] as to why the medi-porter still exists.
** In Praetoria the Medi-Port was created by Praetor Keyes (Anti-Matter). This is public knowledge and given in the Preatorian Tutorial. Later you also discover that he in fact stole and reverse engineered the technology from the Rikti.
** In Praetoria the Medi-Port was created by Praetor Keyes (Anti-Matter). This is public knowledge and given in the Preatorian Tutorial. Later you also discover that he in fact stole and reverse engineered the technology from the Rikti.
* In ''[[Metroid Other M]]'' the plasma gun Anthony Higgs wield is a reverse-engineered version of the Chozo plasma beam that Samus has in her [[Arm Cannon|arm cannon]]. It does the exact same damage too but it takes a longer time to charge up a plasma beam and fire it than the one Samus has inside her [[Arm Cannon|arm cannon]].
* In ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' the plasma gun Anthony Higgs wield is a reverse-engineered version of the Chozo plasma beam that Samus has in her [[Arm Cannon]]. It does the exact same damage too but it takes a longer time to charge up a plasma beam and fire it than the one Samus has inside her [[Arm Cannon]].
* In [[Super Robot Wars Original Generation]], it is established that the technology to make [[Humongous Mecha]] feasible was aquired from a trio of meteors that fell to Earth some time ago. These meteors ALSO contained further Phlebotinum, called Extra-Over Technology that allowed the creation of tremendous power sources that would be impossible without the Unobtanium.
* In [[Super Robot Wars Original Generation]], it is established that the technology to make [[Humongous Mecha]] feasible was aquired from a trio of meteors that fell to Earth some time ago. These meteors ALSO contained further Phlebotinum, called Extra-Over Technology that allowed the creation of tremendous power sources that would be impossible without the Unobtanium.
* In ''[[Free Space]]'', the only reason the Terrans and Vasudans survived their first encounter with the Shivans was because they stole a bunch of Shivan tech and adapted it to their fighters. In the sequel, they've even managed to copy the Shivan capital ship beams and outfit their own destroyers and cruisers with them. Despite this, the Shivans consistently remain far more advanced technologically.
* In ''[[Free Space]]'', the only reason the Terrans and Vasudans survived their first encounter with the Shivans was because they stole a bunch of Shivan tech and adapted it to their fighters. In the sequel, they've even managed to copy the Shivan capital ship beams and outfit their own destroyers and cruisers with them. Despite this, the Shivans consistently remain far more advanced technologically.
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* The titular perfume in ''[[Erikas New Perfume]]''.
* The titular perfume in ''[[Erikas New Perfume]]''.
* The interstellar transmitter which once sat in Bob's front yard in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]''. It eventually got blown up by [[Space Pirates]].
* The interstellar transmitter which once sat in Bob's front yard in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]''. It eventually got blown up by [[Space Pirates]].
* In ''[[El Goonish Shive (Webcomic)|El Goonish Shive]]'', the [[Transformation Ray]] Gun was brought to a [[Teen Genius|young Tedd]] by [[Insufficiently Advanced Alien|aliens]] who needed someone to upgrade its programming so they could use it to blend in better on Earth. He ended up using it recreationally to engage in temporary [[Gender Bending]] of himself and his friends. Through a chain of events, it ended up contributing to the creation of a bisexual female duplicate of Tedd's best friend and caused her to be endowed with the ability to emulate one of the its female transformation settings by shooting a beam from her hand.
* In ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'', the [[Transformation Ray]] Gun was brought to a [[Teen Genius|young Tedd]] by [[Insufficiently Advanced Alien|aliens]] who needed someone to upgrade its programming so they could use it to blend in better on Earth. He ended up using it recreationally to engage in temporary [[Gender Bending]] of himself and his friends. Through a chain of events, it ended up contributing to the creation of a bisexual female duplicate of Tedd's best friend and caused her to be endowed with the ability to emulate one of the its female transformation settings by shooting a beam from her hand.
* ''[[Drive (Webcomic)|Drive]]'': The titular Ring Drive is this to the protagonists, but the [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] who invented it are still around, and apparently want it back.
* ''[[Drive (webcomic)|Drive]]'': The titular Ring Drive is this to the protagonists, but the [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] who invented it are still around, and apparently want it back.




== Western Animation ==
== Western Animation ==
* Forms almost the whole basis of ''[[Ben 10 (Animation)|Ben 10]]'' and '' [[Ben 10 Alien Force (Animation)|Ben 10 Alien Force]]''. The Omnitrix from ''[[Ben 10 (Animation)|Ben 10]]'' fell to earth when Vilgax blew up the spaceship it was on in an attempt to seize it for himself. Given who wound up with it, it's a miracle the planet survived.
* Forms almost the whole basis of ''[[Ben 10]]'' and '' [[Ben 10: Alien Force|Ben 10 Alien Force]]''. The Omnitrix from ''[[Ben 10]]'' fell to earth when Vilgax blew up the spaceship it was on in an attempt to seize it for himself. Given who wound up with it, it's a miracle the planet survived.
* Subverted in most versions of ''[[Transformers]]'', as the main characters ''are'' the aliens whose technology their human allies (or enemies, depending on the faction) retrofit into their own designs.
* Subverted in most versions of ''[[Transformers]]'', as the main characters ''are'' the aliens whose technology their human allies (or enemies, depending on the faction) retrofit into their own designs.
** Oddly, despite them being a show about alien robots, ''[[Beast Wars (Animation)|Beast Wars]]'' plays this straight with Megatron using technology stolen and retrofitted by the even ''more'' alien Vok.
** Oddly, despite them being a show about alien robots, ''[[Beast Wars]]'' plays this straight with Megatron using technology stolen and retrofitted by the even ''more'' alien Vok.
** There have been some cases, such as in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'', where humans have reverse-engineered some Transformers parts (thus explaining today's rapid technology growth).
** There have been some cases, such as in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'', where humans have reverse-engineered some Transformers parts (thus explaining today's rapid technology growth).
* All the elements of this trope are used in ''[[Megas XLR]]''.
* All the elements of this trope are used in ''[[Megas XLR]]''.
* In ''[[Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (Animation)|Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers]]'', two aliens share their [[Faster-Than-Light Travel|hyperdrive]] with Earth in exchange for our help in defeating the evil Crown Empire.
* In ''[[Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers]]'', two aliens share their [[Faster-Than-Light Travel|hyperdrive]] with Earth in exchange for our help in defeating the evil Crown Empire.
* Isn't this the entire plot of ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]''?
* Isn't this the entire plot of ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]''?


Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Imported_Alien_Phlebotinum"