Who Are The Brood From MODOK Episode 3?

Contains spoilers for "Marvel's MODOK" on Hulu

Fans have been wanting to see MODOK in a Marvel movie for quite some time, but given the Marvel Cinematic Universe's penchant for keeping character designs comparatively grounded, it's been difficult to imagine the giant, flying head with tiny arms and legs bringing his supersized ego to the big screen. Fortunately, Hulu's delightful new series "MODOK" is able to solve this dilemma by taking a stop-motion animation approach to MODOK (voiced by Patton Oswalt) and his madcap criminal organization.

Because of its uniquely comedic nature, "MODOK" has a tendency to use otherwise highly dangerous characters — like the powerful Super-Adaptoid (Jon Daly) and MODOK himself — quite liberally for entertainment purposes. The show also isn't to throw in as many strange and obscure characters as it can, from a Z-list villain known as the Armadillo (Dustin Ybarra) to the wonderfully named Angar the Screamer (Bill Hader). 

Even entire alien races get their brief moments in the limelight. In Episode 3, MODOK decides to unleash an alien invasion on a GRUMBLR business conference, just so he can play the hero. In a rapid-fire list of potential Marvel aliens to deploy, the ominous-sounding Brood stand out. But who, exactly, are the Brood from "Marvel's MODOK" Episode 3? Let's discuss.

The Brood are one of the deadlier threats in the Marvel comics, and definitely among the ickiest. A sadistic horde of red-eyed, sharp-toothed, nasty-looking alien beasts that are vaguely reminiscent of the Xenomorphs of the Alien franchise, this hive-minded race has conquered numerous worlds and is a constant threat to whichever group is unfortunate enough to cross their path. They reproduce by implanting their young in living creatures, and the host eventually (and painfully) transforms into a new member of the Brood. As such, they're the last alien race that you'd want invite to a party, even one that takes place in "Marvel's MODOK" — which, of course, is kind of the point.

Incidentally, the Brood is most commonly associated with the X-Men, so if you have an affinity for fan theories, this could be seen as one of Marvel Studios' shows' recent, lighthearted allusions to the mutants. Given that the events of "MODOK" are unlikely to be canon in the MCU proper, however, this almost certainly isn't a confirmation that Wolverine and his teammates are on their way to meet the other Marvel heroes. Still, along with other X-Men Easter eggs in "MODOK," it's a fun nod that shows Marvel Studios is keenly aware of the X-themed corner of its vast IP world.