Films: Dragon Wasps (2012)
Alias: None
Type: Mutant
Location: Jungle/Cave/Civilized Area
Height/Weight: That of average cattle.
Affiliation: Neutral
Summary: Wasps already make for some very intimidating creatures to put in a monster movie. But how to make them ten times worse? Well, the answer is simpler than one gives it credit for. When in doubt, just make it produce fire.
History: Somewhere in the jungles of Belize, some unethical experimentation has taken place. But the scientists there have no means of controlling what they have created. That being an entire swarm of gigantic wasps that not only take humans and turn them into nests, but breathe fire as well! The whole area is literally under fire as the warlords and other wayward humans struggle to get anything done with the swarm constantly bearing down on them.
Notable Kills: The process of being turned into a nest is not pretty at all. Also, one impales a guy in an outhouse, and some take the time to roast some cattle.
Final Fate: After the survivors manage to get into the wasp lair, one proceeds to blow the entire place up, taking the entire swarm with it. However, at least one drone managed to survive by staying in a corpse, though whether it'll do much without a queen to guide it or not is unknown.
Powers/Abilities: Aside from their venom, they can also breathe fire.
Weakness: Anything conventional, though rubbing certain leaves on one's self prevents them from wanting anything to do with you.
Scariness Factor: 3.5-A horde of giant insects that can light people up should be an insanely horrifying idea. And the film tries so hard to make it so with the wasps' large frames and somewhat intimidating designs. But once again, budget limitations reduce the bugs to weightless CGI flakes who are never convincingly there. They may not be the worst of Syfy's lot, but it's never not disappointing. If only one would do a better version of this three years down the line...
Trivia: -This wouldn't be the first time stingers screwed up a war. Just look at the Battle of Tanga, or more accurately, the Battle of the Bees. In short, it was the Brits vs. the Germans in 1914 East Africa, neither side was particularly competent, and then scores of bees agitated by the commotion descended on both sides and arguably caused them more damage than they could to each other. At least one soldier apparently got stung so many times that he kept wavering back and forth from unconsciousness just so the bees could keep stinging him.
-There is not a single animal that can generate pure fire. Sure, certain venoms and chemicals may feel like you're on fire, but that's all hyperbole.
