What is a reptilian shapeshifter? Airplane conspiracy theory erupts in wake of American Airlines viral video

A recent viral video showing a woman on an American Airlines flight accusing a fellow passenger of being "not real" has sparked shapeshifter and other conspiracy theories. The incident took place as the aircraft was set to depart the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

The original video was shared on Tiktok by @texaskansasnnn, on Sunday, July 2, 2023. but the user has since made their account private. In the clip, the woman, who looked highly distressed, can be seen going on a profanity-laced rant as she walked down the aisle to disembark.

"I am telling you right now, that motherf*cker back there is not real. And you can sit on this plane, and you can f*cking die with them or not. I’m not going to."

Trigger warning: The following video contains strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

As the video gained traction, netizens started speculating about what the woman actually saw and what exactly happened. This sparked wild theories, including those claiming that the being in question was an alien or reptilian shapeshifter or other non-human creature.

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A reptilian shapeshifter is a fictitious creature

A shapeshifter is a fictitious creature who is able to change its physical form at will. A reptilian shapeshifter is a reptile who can change its body and pose as a human.

The concept is not a novel one and was first introduced by author Robert E. Howard in 1929. Much like Marvel's latest television series Secret Invasion, claimed Earth was taken over by a fictional race of reptile-like aliens. In the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Skrulls can morph into and are pretending to be humans, and many have fallen prey to the conspiracy theory.

As the original video was reblogged and shared across various social media platforms, other videos of the same incident started cropping up. One was a doctored clip of a man in a green hoodie who many claimed was the subject of the woman's rant.

However, it was soon proven to be an old 2022 video that was merged with the original clip.

Soon, TikToker @cantkeepatiktok, who claimed to be present on the flight, described that the woman was having a one-sided conversation with a man wearing a hoodie. As the exchange continued, the woman was getting hysterical leading up the to incident.

She alleged that the man barely reacted even when the flight attendant was involved and the woman in question "did not seem drunk."

After she was let off the plane, the man turned and winked at the Tiktoker. However, instead of winking normally, his eyes winked vertically, fuelling the reptilian shapeshifter theory.

The author of the video revealed that it was a joke and he was not on the flight in question.

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According to the original video, the flight, which was bound for Orlando, was eventually delayed by three hours, and added that the woman "somehow didn't get arrested and got back through security after the whole plane had to deplane."

A representative from American Airlines confirmed the incident and stated that after getting off the aircraft, the lady "left the airport without incident." However, the identity of the woman still remains unidentified and many are left wondering what happened to her.