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The Air is Gone

During the great Horde Wars warring factions sent tailored biological disease to ravage the enemy which were answered with chemical clouds of death. Most of the earth was scorched with huge deserts where nothing could grow. In these new battlefields the survivors wrap themselves in thin suits whose fabric prevents a horrible death, while the survivors of this apocalypse huddle in caves like their ancestors did thousands of years ago.

Reality:March 16, 1938, when 2,000 volunteers fully equipped, from rubber boots to masks, for the mock gas “invasion”.

Our Technology is Dead

The first sign of invasion was thousands of blinding stars high in the sky. It was only later that we learned that rather than angels these lights were the devils from space whose EMP explosions dragged our civilization from the space age hundreds of years to the industrial. Yet we fight back! Raiding our museums for weapons equipped with saved modern armaments, we will resist.

Reality:De Havilland Mosquito FB VI during night time test firing of its guns

Broadside

As the crew starred at their system screens they saw the proximity alerts scream danger as they slid effortlessly through space only metres from the Alien ship. With sweat dripping down their faces they anxiously waited for the command to fire all weapons. Yet the captain waited as years at the helm had taught him when the right time was to maximize damage. As the ships passed each other in the cold darkness of space the captain cried out FIRE! The Lasers charged seemingly paused like they too wanted to wait, and then in a blinding flash they unleashed their energy of death, tearing into the invaders ship.

Reality:Light from the rocket exhaust as the projectiles hurl towards Communist-held targets in Wonsan, Korea July 1, 1951

Tending the Enemy

When human ground forces had over run the Insect colony, deep underground in the labyrinth of tunnels they had stumbled upon hundreds of thousands of larvae, the next generation of Insectoids. In hopes of studying and perhaps taming this new enemy they took the larvae and carefully tried to hatch the young.

Reality:Women workers groom lines of transparent noses for deadly A-20 attack bombers.” Alfred Palmer, October 1942.

Stabbing the sky

As the ships rained down from the sky Anti-Aircraft weapons, like giant swords, swept through the sky hoping to strike down the foreign invaders.

Reality:Searchlights on the Rock at Gibraltar, 1942

Boom

As the power core overheated the ship seemed to contract upon itself before expanding with unbelievable speed, and then the ship was gone. In its place was a huge fireball of pure energy expanding, vaporizing everything in its path.


Reality:Sequence of photos, via Rapatronic cameras, that was taken six miles from the first nuclear bomb explosion site.

Artifact

When they pulled the artifact from the ice they new it would change the world. What was it? How did it work? Was it a threat to humanity, a gift or garbage some star jumping lifeform had tossed from their starship?

Reality:A scientist holds a hammer at the end of a chain to demonstrate the Columbia cyclotron’s magnetic power

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What is this?

For cracked.com I’ve been doing a series of articles on unbelievable old war photos. While searching through endless slideshows and websites for pics I came across a few that seemed from the future. Thought I’d give each a story.

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