Also what happens to you if you accept a trick telephone call from the Black Lectroid Wing Commander. For more information, see the most excellent film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension.

RAWHIDE: "Buckaroo, where in Hades are you?  I'm getting a lot of static."

BUCKAROO: "Yeah...that's me...I've been ionized, but...I'm all right now..."

Apparently ionized people get to see Lectroids as they really are. Now, to our eyes, they're not very pretty. Nothing personal, John Parker.