Destroy All Humans is filled to the brim with fantastic references. The game has no qualms about taking jabs at pop culture, leading to some hilarious one-liners and memorable moments. But while much of the humor is easy to pick up on, some of the best nods are buried far below the surface and take a bit digging to discover. Here are some of the best easter eggs you may have missed during your time as Crypto-137.
What A Namesake
The best reference was in plain sight all along, and we never even noticed. Cryptosporidium-137, our lovable protagonist, is named after a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea in humans. Drinking, swimming, or otherwise encountering contaminated water is the primary method of infection and, oddly enough, water also happens to be one of Cryptosporidium-137's weaknesses.
So the next time you want to complain about your terrible name, just remember that it could always be worse — you could be named after a poopy parasite.
Movie Missions
Every mission in Destroy All Humans references an iconic film and often includes some sort of easter egg in the loading screen. Here are some of the best:
- Citizen Crypto is referencing Citizen Kane. The loading screen also features a recreated scene from Bodysnatchers.
- Teenage Zombies From Outer Space references the movie Teenagers From Outer Space.
- South by Southwest references the classic film, North by Northwest.
- Suburb of the Damned is a parody of Village of the Damned.
- Furon Down is referencing (surprise!) Black Hawk Down.
Silhouette Gender Reveal
Through most of the game, the gender of antagonist Silhouette remains a mystery. It's not until near the end of the story that you'll discover Silhouette is a woman — that is, unless you've been scanning Majestic agents during the early missions. If you're lucky, you'll come across one that can be "heard" thinking, "Why does Silhouette give me these jobs? I wonder if it's because I hit on her at the Majestic Christmas party? Wait, no one's even supposed to know Silhouette's a chick. Scratch that thought!"
Oops.
Elvis Everywhere
The King of Rock and Roll began his career in 1954 and was a worldwide sensation by 1956. Destroy All Humans takes place around 1959, meaning Elvis should be on everybody's mind. And while most people are thinking of him, it seems that they don't really know who (or what) Elvis is. Here's a thought that you can encounter when scanning some people: "What's an Elvis? Hm, must be a new model car. I gotta upgrade to one of those. The 1954 Elvis convertible."
Ah, yes. The classic '54 Elvis Convertible. Puts the Mustang to shame.
Some Rockwell citizens can also be caught thinking about Elvis, albeit in a very similar way: "What's an Elvis? Must be a new ten-gallon hat. I wanna slap an Elvis on my head!"
Beyond thoughts, it's also possible to come across a truck license plate that reads "ELVIS" in the town of Rockwell.
You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa!
During an early cutscene in the game, a young man is complaining to his girlfriend about the lack of excitement in his small, Midwestern town. After a brief exchange, the man turns his head towards the sky and laments, "It's tearing me apart!"
There are two schools of thought on this bizarre scene — some believe it's referencing the hilariously bad line from The Room, while others think it's from the popular film Rebel Without A Cause. Seeing as Destroy All Humans takes place in the 50s and Rebel Without a Cause was released in 1955, the timeline makes a lot of sense. However, The Room was released less than two years before the original Destroy All Humans came out, so it's possible the developers were just big Tommy Wiseau fans.
Source: Fandom