Everyone was scratching their heads over a mysterious object washed ashore.

Tiny, grayish-purple, multiholey thing about the size of a small adult hand and having an almost wing-or-skeleton-like silhouette. Friends who thought it was alive even prodded it gently with a stick.

Nothing happened.

Initially, they all sort of made sense. Could it be a shark egg case? A pelican breast bone? Maybe part of a skate or ray?

The response was far more sentimental.

It Was from a Vintage Kenner Alien Toy

Turns out the mystery item was a wing from a Kenner Alien action figure from the ’90s.

In particular, it resembled the wing on Kenner’s Flying Alien Queen from its Aliens toy line. When you compare the beach find to the complete toy it is obvious.

The Queen’s immense wings “are inextricably associated with the holes of an unusual shape, and a ribbed structure, sharp edges, and smoky purple color.”

That would explain why the object appeared so patently biological. It was the color scheme and overall way that Kenner designed their toy to look like a horrific cross between an insect, a bat, and a nightmare.

A Hilarious Memory from the Toy Chest

Kenner’s Aliens figures were known for their inventive designs and posing options. The Flying Alien Queen was available with huge flapping wings and was one of the more dynamic of all the toys in the line.

Some decades later, for instance, one disembodied wing reportedly washed ashore — looking much less like a Christmas decoration than an unflown sea animal.

That is exactly why this small mystery is delightfully enjoyable.

There are times when the mystery object that washes up on the beach is neither ancient,3 rare, cult or even biological.

Or just a little piece of someone childhood.