10 Terrifying Monsters Sighted Around The World

The Flatwoods Monster is one of the most interesting cases of cryptozoology on this list - largely to do with the fact that the creature is cited as being of extra-terrestrial origin.

Appearing to a group of boys in 1952, their widespread recounting of the tale soon revealed many other sightings of the same creature hiding in the Flatwoods hills. Spotted first as a bright light in the sky, it was initially regarded as a UFO, with the boys and a group of locals going to investigate its landing site after watching it fall onto nearby farmer’s land.

What they discovered there was a creature 10 foot tall and four feet wide, clad in a metallic suit lined with thick pipework. With glowing port holes for eyes, long arms ending in sharpened claws, and emitting a sickening, eye-burning odor, the townspeople ran in horror after shining their light on it and hearing a terrifying hiss.

Later accounts of the Flatwoods Monster occur in the nearby Frametown, though interestingly the alien had then taken off its metallic armour from the waist up to reveal a reptilian humanoid inhabiting what is largely considered a space suit.

Those that got close enough to be exposed to the burning mist suffered symptoms similar to that of mustard gas, such as painful respiration and convulsions - though doctors also noted hysteria could be the cause of their pain.

Whilst the creature may not have had many sightings since, its effect on popular culture has lived on in numerous video games such as Space Harrier II and Tomodachi Life. At least in the virtual world there's opportunity to escape or fight back; reality doesn't seem to be so kind to previous encounters...