All language subtitles for Ancient.Aliens.S06E19.Aliens.and.Superheroes.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.HEVC-Saon_track5_[eng]

NARRATOR: Super strength.

He's a normal guy,
becomes incredibly powerful.

NARRATOR: Super speed.

He had very
advanced capabilities.

NARRATOR: And
supernatural abilities.

Suddenly he's a god
with godlike powers.

NARRATOR: Throughout
history, humans

have told tales of beings
with incredible powers,

but could these
ancient stories that

continue to be retold today
have extraterrestrial origins?

There's an intuitive knowing
that these stories are true,

that beings did come from other
planets to save humankind.

NARRATOR: Millions of
people around the world

believe we have been
visited in the past

by extraterrestrial beings.

What if it were true?

Did ancient aliens really
help to shape our history?

And if so, could there be
a connection between aliens

and today's superheroes?

X-ray vision, incredible
strength, the power of flight.

These are just a few of
the superhuman abilities

of modern day comic book heroes.

But stories of beings
with extraordinary powers

have been told throughout
history, dating all the way

back to ancient times.

The most famous are those
involving the Greek gods known

as the Olympians.

These powerful beings could
create earthquakes, become

invisible, and even
harness lightning.

But there is an
important difference

between the Olympians and the
fictional superheroes of today.

The ancient Greeks believed
that the Olympians were real.

A huge difference
between the ancient world

and the modern world is we
have developed this very

strict sense of
real and not real,

which really didn't
matter so much back then.

The ancients believed that
these heroes had been there,

that they were real people.

We're always
looking at mythology

as a basis for our storytelling.

A character like Wonder
Woman is immediately

established in Greek mythology.

She's built on the
story of the Amazons.

There's Hercules.

There's Zeus.

The Olympian gods play
every aspect of who she is.

NARRATOR: Could it be
that today's superheroes

trace their origins back
to the ancient gods?

And if the people who worshipped
these gods believed them to be

real, is it possible
they actually were?

Perhaps the answer can be
found by more closely examining

the stories of gods and
heroes in the ancient world.

The Dictaean Cave on the
Greek island of Crete

is believed by some
scholars to fit the location

and description given by
the 8th century BC poet

Hessian for the
childhood home of Zeus,

the leader of the Olympians.

Archaeologists have found
remains of religious offerings

here that date back 4,000
years, to the exact period when

the stories of the
Olympians took place.

But could the ancient Greeks
have left these offerings

to a powerful
being they actually

witnessed with their own eyes?

We have these stories
of these gods that

had these supernatural,
magical powers.

Let's be honest.

Magical supernatural
powers don't really exist.

So what was it
that was described?

In my opinion, it
was people who had

access to advanced technology.

There's an old
saying, one man's magic

is another man's engineering.

Magic is just some knowledge
we don't understand.

It is therefore super,
or above, our understand.

It is transcendent.

That's what "super" implies.

NARRATOR: Ancient astronaut
theorists believe the notion

that our ancestors
actually witnessed

advanced technology is
supported by the fact

that similar stories
of godlike beings

can be found on every continent.

Historian and author
Joseph Campbell

found that even cultures
that had never had contact

with the outside world
develop similar hero stories.

So the fact that we have
all these similar hero stories

from all around the world,
from different types

of ancient cultures, to me,
suggests that they were visited

by the same teachers.

The myths came from
ancient oral culture.

We don't know when, but you
can see almost identical gods

showing up in ancient
India, ancient Greece,

and ancient Norway.

So it was a long time
ago before these people

started to spread out.

The power of flight,
magical objects

which allowed a superhero
to always be victorious,

talismans that
allowed a superhero

to change from an ordinary
human being to somebody who

can access those
magical powers, those

are part of a number
of different stories

of superheroes that really
span time and culture.

NARRATOR: But what ancient
astronaut theorists find most

intriguing is how
remarkably similar

the tales of ancient heroes
are to the superhero stories

of today.

It's fascinating to me
when you look at the Superman

stories, and how Superman has
come from this other planet,

one that exploded.

He comes here with super powers.

He can fly through the air.

And it's very much like the
ancient Sumerian stories

and Hindu stories of these
extraterrestrial gods

coming from other
planets to earth

in order to help us and
move our planet forward.

NARRATOR: Even the iconic
S on Superman's chest

seems to have been adapted from
legends told thousands of years

ago.

Heroes and gods from
ancient Greek, Buddhist,

and Christian
religions are portrayed

with symbols near their heart.

In Christian art, you will
see Jesus wearing a glowing robe

with a glowing heart.

So we see this correspondence
here of this imagery

of an archetypal figure
or a savior figure.

NARRATOR: Today,
almost every superhero

has an icon on his chest.

Could this be inspired by
some piece of technology

our ancestors witnessed
on an alien being?

Like the arc reactor
on Iron Man's chest

that powers his suit?

And might these similarities
mean the stories of Superman,

Batman, and Spider-man are based
on our ancestors' experiences

with extraterrestrials?

These are things that
are common and symbolic

throughout these
stories, and they, to me,

imply that we're talking about
similar figures, or figures

that are here for
the same reason.

And that is to
advance us forward.

What we may be
seeing is the reason

why Superman may resonate
so much with us is not just

because we've heard this
story before in other forms,

but because our ancient
ancestors actually experience

the story in a
very, very real way,

in a very, very ancient time.

NARRATOR: Is it possible
that the reason we continue

to be fascinated by
superheroes today

is that we're
trying to reconnect

with similar beings that lived
among us thousands of years

ago?

It is possible
some deep part of us,

perhaps in our DNA
or genetic memory,

is remembering that there
was a time in which the gods,

the extraterrestrials,
did interact with us,

and that may be
because in the past

there were beings who were more
advanced than we here on Earth

were, who were protecting
us from others who were very

dangerous and harmful.

There's an intuitive knowing
that these stories are true,

that these events actually
happened, that beings did come

from other planets, other
worlds to save humankind.

NARRATOR: Could our modern
stories of superheroes really

be inspired by encounters
that early humans had

with extraterrestrial beings?

Perhaps further
clues can be found

by examining mankind's earliest
stories, in which super beings

waged war not against humans
but against supervillains.

May 4, 2012, "The
Avengers" opens

in theaters across America.

This blockbuster film
chronicles six superheroes

who band together to battle
extraterrestrial forces

of evil.

Powerful superheroes have
been popular in comic books

and movies for over
half a century.

And nearly all have one very
dark and forbidding feature

in common, supervillains.

The arch nemesis
really defines the hero.

You can see how whatever
is most interesting

or powerful about the hero, the
best villains are the opposite.

The arch villain is
psychologically very powerful,

because there's an
echo of that archetype.

It's not just me versus
danger and chaos,

but it's us versus them.

NARRATOR: Stories of superheroes
fighting supervillains

with the fate of
the world at stake

are common across many different
cultures and time periods.

In the modern Avengers
pantheon, Thor does battle

with his evil adopted
brother, Loki,

to prevent Loki from
taking over the universe.

The story is inspired by ancient
Norse mythology, where Thor

engages in a similar
battle with Loki

and his children at Ragnarok.

The Greeks had their
own epic battle

of the gods, which they believed
created the world as we know

it.

The Titanomachy was a conflict
between the Titans, who

ruled the world, and an
upstart group of gods

called the Olympians.

Psychologists say these tales
of good facing off against evil

have always been popular,
because they allow people

to project their hopes and
fears onto fictional characters

in make believe worlds.

But could there
be another reason

that these stories are
told again and again

around the world?

Joseph Campbell concluded
that somehow these hero myths

had pervaded all cultures.

And you have to wonder if this
isn't because extraterrestrials

came here to our planet and
were heroes all over the world,

and so the same story was
repeated over and over again.

NARRATOR: Is it possible that
some of our ancient hero myths

recount specific
events involving

extraterrestrial visitors
in the distant past?

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and as evidence
cite a Sanskrit epic

that describes an enormous
war between gods that

came from the stars.

In old India, we
have clear descriptions

in the Mahabharata,
which is the fifth book,

the so-called Mausala Parva,
a clear description of a war

in heaven.

I mean, it reads like
modern day science fiction,

this incredible battle
between the gods.

Gigantic cities were said
to have orbited the earth.

And when they came
together at the firmament,

they were battling each other.

The city of Dwarka was right
at the edge of the Arabian Sea.

Some of the explosions
split the city,

and then the half of the
city fell in the sea.

And this described how two
of these cities were destroyed,

cities on heaven.

And for the people
on earth, it looked

as if 10,000 of little
stars would fall down.

They are describing what
are extraterrestrial gods

with super powers,
with airships, weapons.

And it would seem that these
ancient epic stories are

the same as these
superhero stories

that we're hearing today.

NARRATOR: Could it be that
modern stories in which

superheroes battle arch villains
for dominance over the earth

are actually based
on ancient wars

between extraterrestrial forces?

Perhaps further clues can
be found in the Babylonian

and Sumerian origin myths.

According to modern
interpretations

of the cuneiform
writing, the Enuma Elish

describes a celestial
battle some 5,000 years ago,

between two groups of gods
that may have actually resulted

in the destruction of a
planet in our solar system.

Sumerian texts make
mysterious references

to these other planets
called Marduk and Tiamat.

And within our solar system,
there was some destruction

here, where one of
them blew up, and this

would be the
theoretical planet that

was between Mars and Jupiter.

Astronomers have often said that
there should be a planet there,

but instead we have
the asteroid belt.

NARRATOR: Could
the asteroid belt

that circles the sun between
Mars and Jupiter really

be the remnants of a
planet that existed

in the distant past, a
planet that was destroyed

in an alien war?

And if so, are these
ancient events echoed today

in the plots of modern
superhero stories?

In many ways,
these stories which

are so familiar to us in TV,
and movies, and comic books,

are really coming to us
from these ancient Sumerian

and Hindu texts that are
thousands of years old.

Good versus evil is
a longstanding theme

that we see in many
ancient cultures in which

supernatural or extraterrestrial
beings are coming to our aid

and helping us against the
greatest evil the world has

ever known.

NARRATOR: Modern
stories of superheroes

fighting supervillains, based
on real extraterrestrial battles

that took place above the earth
for thousands of years ago,

could it be true?

Ancient astronaut theorists
believe the answer may be found

not with the stories
of the gods themselves

but with their technology.

Lemnos, Greece, 3,000 BC.

This island in the
Aegean Sea is said

to be the home of Hephaestus,
the Greek god of technology.

The son of Zeus and
Hera, King and Queen

of the gods, Hephaestus
grew up on Mount Olympus,

but he was a small and
physically deformed child.

Unhappy with her son's
physical problems,

one Greek legend says Hera
threw him off the mountain.

He fell for nine
days and nine nights,

and landed in the ocean.

There he was rescued by
sea nymphs, who took him

to the island of Lemnos.

Hephaestus became the
blacksmith of the gods,

and he set up his forge
on the island of Lemnos,

and volcanoes were said to
be entrances to his forge.

NARRATOR: Working underneath
an active volcano,

Hephaestus is said to have
forged magical objects.

He eventually created the armor,
weapons, and other technology

used by the Greek
gods and heroes.

Hephaestus is the
god of the great forge,

and he is the builder.

He creates the armor that is
impenetrable for Achilles.

He creates chariots.

Magical spears,
magical breastplates,

and so forth,
which gave the gods

all sorts of miraculous powers.

He's even said to have made
the chariot that the god

Helios, the god of the
sun, rode across the skies.

NARRATOR: Some myths describe
Hephaestus creating even more

fantastic devices, including a
bronze bull that breathes fire,

and is said to have had voices
coming out of its nostrils,

and a powerful robot
named Telos that

defended the island of Crete.

He made all these
wondrous creations.

And when we look back at
those stories, we have to ask,

is it possible that Hephaestus
was an extraterrestrial being

who brought some advanced
extraterrestrial technology

to earth?

Our ancestors
had no experience

with advanced technology,
so they would have described

alien visitors as having
superhuman powers because

of their frame of reference.

If they saw an
extraterrestrial with access

to incredible powers, which
are due to advanced science,

they interpreted that
as witnessing god,

and that was never the case.

NARRATOR: Magical weapons
have been a key feature

of heroic myths for
thousands of years,

but they play an even
larger role in the stories

of modern superheroes.

1939, with new Superman comic
books flying off the shelves,

publishers rush to
develop more heroes

to satisfy the public's demand.

The one that makes
the biggest impression

is a hero of modern
technology, Batman created

by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

The Caped Crusader leaps
onto the comic book page

and immediately into the
pantheon of pop culture gods.

The idea of Batman is
that he is a normal person.

Nothing has given
him super strength.

But he is a normal person who
depends on his technology.

He has a utility belt with
all kinds of modern gadgets.

And he has a Batmobile,
and he has a Batcopter,

so he is a technological
superhero in that sense.

Batman for us is probably
one of the most identifiable

characters that we have
with all of our fans,

with all of our audience.

Because he's a human.

He doesn't do something
that pushes the imagination

beyond something that we don't
believe people could actually

do.

NARRATOR: In 1963,
the comics gave birth

to another iconic character
that is completely

dependent on science for
his superpowers, Iron Man.

In the Iron Man story,
there's this incredible suit

that can make him virtually
into Superman, even though he's

a mortal.

This is a great melding of
the human-machine interface.

This is how we use technology
to do extraordinary things.

NARRATOR: Are Batman and Iron
Man modern representations

of what ancient astronaut
theorists believe

the ancient gods really were?

Mortal beings with
advanced technology.

We see a similarity with
modern day superheroes and some

of the ancient texts of a
god who wears a special ring,

or holds a certain
staff, and can magically

become a creature of flight
or can fly a magic carpet.

Many of the superheroes
that we have today

are just normal human
beings, but when they strap

on their technology, like
Batman in his super suit

or Iron Man and his
flying capabilities,

well, these are
just normal mortals,

but are using
advanced technology

and become superhuman
or godlike.

NARRATOR: Could modern day
superheroes like Batman

and Iron Man be the
true realization

of what our ancestors were
describing when they wrote

about powerful gods and heroes?

Was Hercules' great
strength the result

of a robotic exoskeleton?

Could Hermes power of flight
have been inspired by something

like a modern jetpack
or gliding suit?

And could Zeus's lightning
bolts have used electrical coils

to generate extraordinarily
large voltages?

The ancient people simply
used the vernacular of the time

to express what
they were seeing.

And as far as they
were concerned,

this could only be the
work of a supreme being.

NARRATOR: Superhumans
using advanced technology,

gods at war, and
extraterrestrials coming

from the heavens.

Could these ancient
tales really be

evidence of an otherworldly
presence on earth?

Perhaps further
clues can be found

in the stories of superheroes
hiding in plain sight.

July 3, 2007.

After spending decades as larger
than life toys and animated

television characters, the
Transformers hit the big screen

with the American premiere
of their first feature film.

The extraterrestrial
storyline is a familiar one.

The Transformers, in a way,
are like mechanical versions

of Superman.

They come from another planet.

They kind of adapt
to being here.

And then as in a lot
of Superman stories,

the enemy is from that planet.

There's some evil that follows
them, that chases them down.

And so they're having
this ancient battle

from their homeland, but
they're having it here.

NARRATOR: Unlike
Batman or Iron Man,

the Transformers aren't
humanoids that use technology.

They actually are technology.

But the most remarkable
power the Transformers

use against their foes is
one of the most important

in all of heroic
myth, the ability

to change from ordinary beings
into superheroes when evil

threatens.

It's the archetype
of metamorphosis

or transformation,
shapeshifting, if you will.

This comes down to us from
the ancient mythologies.

Shapeshifting allows gods to
interact with humans in a way

that they would not
otherwise be recognized.

In fact, oftentimes the god
or goddess cannot appear

to the mortal in their full
splendor because such a thing

would actually kill the mortal.

NARRATOR: Ancient
astronaut theorists

suggest that stories of gods
living anonymously among us

are common, because they
describe a time when

extraterrestrials did just that.

As evidence they
cite an ancient story

they believe bears an
uncanny resemblance

to the Transformers'
shapeshifting myth, a story

about the Mayan god
Kukulkan, who is portrayed

both as a flying
serpent and a man.

We have descriptions
of a winged serpent that

flew over our ancestors' heads.

But at the same time, we also
know that Kukulkan was also

someone that gave
instructions to the people

in pretty much humanoid form.

So does that mean that Kukulkan
was in fact a shapeshifter?

NARRATOR: Ancient
astronaut theorists

propose another possibility.

They contend that perhaps
the ancient people, being

unfamiliar with
advanced technology,

witnessed an alien
being in a spacecraft.

Imagine for a
moment a craft lands,

a hatch opens, and then
the pilot walks out

and gives instruction.

There isn't really
a differentiation

between the machine
and the person

coming out of it, because
they didn't understand

the technological
concept behind it.

The instructor then went back
in to the craft and took off.

All of a sudden, Kukulkan
becomes this winged serpent

that flies across the sky.

NARRATOR: Is it possible that
this scenario may have actually

played out in the distant past?

And if so, did it inspire the
shapeshifting myths that humans

have told for millennia?

We have the same stories,
the core of the stories

worldwide in most
of the mythologies.

They are all linked together.

They had different names,
were different heroes,

different personalities.

But at the end it
was all the same,

extraterrestrials having
contact with the humans

some thousands and
thousands of years ago.

NARRATOR: But could there
be an even deeper meaning

behind the tales of
otherworldly heroes,

like the Transformers and
Kukulkan, hiding among us?

Perhaps further clues can be
found by examining the stories

of godlike beings disguising
themselves as ordinary humans.

Superman hides his identity
by pretending to be mild

mannered newspaper
reporter Clark Kent.

Wonder Woman disguises herself
as a nurse named Diana Prince.

And spider-man's alter
ego is Peter Parker.

Virtually every
really popular superhero

has a clear and recognizable
ordinary human identity.

It's an essential part of
the superhero archetype

that they be able to look
like us, and feel like us,

and live like us, but
then be able to explode

into their superpowered self.

We have a deep inner longing
to have that story retold,

perhaps through some sort of
genetic memory written right

into our DNA.

We seem to be remembering
on some deep level

a part of us that
can come in contact

with extraterrestrial
capabilities

and actualize them, as we
ourselves reach the next level

of human evolution, or what may
have been a level that we had

long ago and was
deliberately turned off

in our DNA for some reason.

NARRATOR: Is it really
possible that we tell stories

of superheroes disguised as
humans because it is written

in our genetic memory, that we
have special abilities hidden

within ourselves?

And if so, what could be the
source of those abilities?

We may not have
originated on Earth.

We may have been seeded on
Earth by other humans who

are far older than we are, and
who are far more genetically

advanced than we are.

Perhaps some part
of us remembers

that there is a way in
which we could be exposed

to certain technologies that
activate this dormant DNA

within us, that propel us to
the next level of what it means

to be a live,
evolved human being.

NARRATOR: Could it be that
stories of superheroes hiding

among us are so popular
because extraterrestrials have

manipulated our DNA, hiding
extraordinary powers deep

inside all of us?

Perhaps the answer can
be found by exploring

the stories of heroes
whose powers are

the result of genetic mutation.

New York City, 1962.

Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee
wants to create a new breed

of superhero.

One of the masterminds
behind the Fantastic Four

and the Avengers, Lee invents
a character literally born out

of modern science, Spider-man.

Radiation was very much
in the news at the time,

and I figured, well,
let's let him get

his power through radiation.

And I figured the spider would
bite Peter Parker on the hand.

Since the spider
was radioactive,

I assumed that his
little spider sting

would insert some radioactivity
into Peter's bloodstream.

Now, having radioactivity
in your blood,

especially if it was
spidery radioactivity,

that should give you some of
the qualities of a spider.

Spider-man is just a normal
teenager until he's bitten

by a radioactive spider.

Suddenly, he's a
combination of normal person

but also a god with
godlike powers.

I thought, he'll have
the proportionate strength

of a spider.

In other words, if a spider
were as large as a human being,

that's how strong
the spider would be.

Which made Peter
Parker very strong.

I also figured he
could stick to walls,

like a spider or any insect.

NARRATOR: Although
exposure to radiation

scrambles Spider-man's
genetic material,

there's a precedent for it
in ancient mythology, genetic

manipulation through the mixing
of mortal and immortal blood.

Anjanari, India.

Two miles outside this small
village in a cave surrounded

by forests and
mountains is where many

believe one of Hindu
mythology's greatest heroes

was born, Hanuman.

Hanuman was part god because
his father was the god of wind,

and his mother is a
mortal human being.

So then obviously he has the
qualities, the power of a wind

god.

And he's able to fly.

And he's able to
multiply his size.

So because of that, he's
definitely a demigod.

NARRATOR: Hanuman
is often depicted

as half-man and half-monkey,
which underlines his mixed

bloodline.

Is it possible that this
is a non-scientific way

of describing genetically
engineered super beings

as ancient astronaut
theorists contend?

One of the common
themes in ancient texts

is ancient gods or
extraterrestrials coming here

and then manipulating
our DNA and changing us

into more superior beings.

NARRATOR: As evidence of
the genetic experiments

they believe took place
in the prehistoric past,

ancient astronaut theorists cite
depictions of hybrid creatures

found in cultures
around the world.

Winged horses in Assyrian
and Sumerian myths,

the elephant-headed deity
Ganesha in the Hindu pantheon,

and Khepri, the ancient
Egyptian god of the morning sun.

The Egyptian deity Khepri
is shown as either a beetle

or as a human with
the head of a beetle.

And you have to ask, what are
they trying to tell us here

about Khepri?

Could he have been
half-human, half-insect?

NARRATOR: Some ancient
astronaut theorists

believe the hybrids
depicted by the ancients

may have actually
been the results

of extraterrestrial
genetic experiments

in the distant past.

These things
aren't very far off

from what we have in our
ancient tales of creation.

In the Sumerian
epic of creation,

we hear about the
Annunaki literally

putting their
genetic marker on us

and creating us in their image
and after their likeness.

NARRATOR: Could genetic
experiments long ago

have been part of an
ancient alien effort

to create the human race?

Some very strange things
happen in the course

of human evolution.

We go from Neanderthals
with no apparent missing

link whatsoever,
and all of a sudden

our brain size doubles, our
thumbs become more usable,

we can walk erect more easily.

There's a large number of
changes that take place

in a very short time.

NARRATOR: Might the
entire human species

have been created by
extraterrestrial genetic

experiments in the past?

And could our genetic
memory of this

be the reason we create
genetically altered

superheroes today, including
mutants like the X-Men

and the Incredible Hulk, and
hybrids like Hawkman, Animal

Man, and Spider-man?

Is it possible that when we
are seeing superhero movies

that on some level we are
remembering having been changed

before?

That perhaps we were like
the Neanderthals before,

and this already happened.

We already had some
sort of genetic upgrade

that brought us to the next
level of human evolution.

NARRATOR: Are modern comic book
stories of hybrids and mutants

actually inspired by an
ancient alien intervention

thousands of years ago?

And might we create
these stories

because we are subconsciously
aware of something

greater within ourselves?

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and believe that our own recent
technological advances may

be bringing us closer
to a reconnection

with our alien past.

Livingston, New
Jersey, May 2001.

Scientists at the Institute
for Reproductive Medicine

made headlines
when they revealed

they had created the world's
first genetically modified

baby.

Using a process called
cytoplasmic transfer,

they implanted mitochondrial
DNA from a second mother

into an egg to make it easier
for it to bond with sperm

and form a viable fetus.

When scientists
performed genetic tests

on the babies born
out of this process,

they detected genetic
material from a third parent.

The reason the cytoplasmic
transfer is controversial

is because it's human
manipulation of the human germ

cell line.

In other words, the cell line
that is passed from parent

to offspring.

We typically just inherit
our genetic material

from both of our parents.

So there's a direct
line of descent.

With the introduction
of cytoplasmic transfer,

suddenly you have humans
manipulating that germline,

that cell line or DNA
line passed on from parent

to offspring.

NARRATOR: If perfected,
genetic manipulation

could allow scientists
to introduce DNA

from an unlimited number
of people into a fetus.

This would allow them to rid
babies of genetic disease.

But it could also
theoretically let

them tinker with natural traits
to create superhumans that

are much faster, stronger, and
smarter than those that have

come before.

You are altering the
genetic future of a human race

based on your sort of
current preferences,

let's say, for a
person's traits,

sort of into perpetuity
affecting the genetic line

of descent in humans.

And so that's something
very different

than had ever been
performed before,

and that's certainly
controversial.

NARRATOR: The concept
of altering genes,

whether these genes are in
food, animals, or humans,

has always created a
firestorm of protest.

In this case, the controversy
forced an American moratorium

on cytoplasmic transfer.

Even so, scientists say that
technology may eventually

be developed that will allow us
to give superpowers, including

amazing strength, eyesight, and
intelligence, to our children

while they're still in the womb.

Today, more than ever,
we're capable of playing god.

We have incredible
superpowers at our fingertips

with genetic technology.

And you have to
ask, are we trying

to duplicate what we
saw the gods possessing

in the ancient world?

Are we hardwired or programmed
to develop these technologies

so that we can equal our makers?

NARRATOR: Do we yearn to
become like the advanced beings

that ancient astronaut theorists
believe created us thousands

of years ago?

And might this be why
superhero stories continue

to fascinate us?

I think the reason why people
like these superhero stories

that literally go back
thousands of years

is because they're
possibly explaining

our actual human origins.

Every culture around the world
talks about an intervention

event, where beings
from the heavens

came down and gave us knowledge.

NARRATOR: If we
really are the product

of alien genetic
experimentation,

as ancient astronaut
theorists believe,

might our own DNA resemble
that of otherworldly beings?

And if so, are we becoming
more and more like our makers

through our own
technological breakthroughs

and genetic advances?

In many ways, our society
has come full circle, where

in ancient times we had
extraterrestrials here

manipulating our
DNA, and now we're

the ones who are manipulating
our own DNA to also create

a more advanced human species.

Who knows what's possible?

It's a brave new world.

Everything changes,
and we have abilities

that are so different
that it's as if a quantum

shift in human evolution
has taken place.

NARRATOR: Are ancient
stories of heroes and gods

with mythological powers
really based on encounters with

extraterrestrials?

And might modern day superheroes
be inspired by our desire

to reconnect with
these powerful beings?

Could characters like Batman,
Spider-man, and Superman

be the humans of tomorrow?

Perhaps as our technology
continues to advance,

we are drawing
closer to coming face

to face with our
alien ancestors.