Palmer

Palmer was an assistant mechanic stationed at American Antarctic research station, U.S. Outpost 31.

During the winter of 1982, a group of Norwegians chased a shape-shifting extraterrestrial organism (imitating an Alaskan Malamute) from their ruined research station to U.S. Outpost 31. Palmer is one of the first men to encounter the Norwegians, who accidentally destroy their own helicopter; one of whom is killed in the blast and the other is shot by Garry after his actions are misunderstood as hostility. The men, ignorant of the creature's identity, decide to adopt the dog and carry the dead Norwegian to the rec room, where Palmer offers to fly Dr. Copper to the Norwegian camp (which he refuses without hesitation). As helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady and the doctor leave for the camp, the dog is left to roam the outpost - finding an isolated victim in the living quarters.

Several hours later, as evening fell, Copper and MacReady return from their investigation with the charred remains of a split-faced creature - which is laid out in front of all the men. During the night, the men are awoke by the building's fire alarm, triggered by MacReady after hearing a disturbance in the dog kennels. Palmer emerges from the earlier victim's room and heads to the kennel with the others, witnessing the Dog-Thing's attempted assimilation of the outpost's sled dogs. The creature is incinerated by Childs and its remains (following an autopsy) are temporarily put into storage, during the moving of which Bennings is assimilated. Palmer, along with the other men, is drawn outside by the discovery of the half-assimilated Bennings, who is promptly doused with kerosene and ignited. After being conspicuously absent during Blair's break-down and incarceration in the tool shed, Palmer reappears following Copper's discovery that the blood locker had been opened by key, its contents destroyed and locked again - preventing a possible blood serum test and creating paranoia as Garry and Copper are accused of sabotaging the supplies.

After the remaining biologist, Fuchs, goes missing during a deliberate power outage, MacReady organises a search party and assigns Palmer with Windows. The agitated man vehemently disagrees with the decision, stating that he wants to go with Childs instead - causing the paranoid men to argue. The situation is resolved when MacReady leaves Childs, Norris and Palmer behind, taking Nauls and Windows with him to investigate outside. After approximately forty minutes has elapsed, the men begin to suspect that something has happened to the search party and they begin to barricade the doors. After Nauls makes his way back to the entrance, Palmer lets him in and asks where MacReady is. Nauls explains that he cut the pilot loose after discovering a scrap of torn clothing containing his name tag. Palmer and Norris begin to theorize on when Mac was likely assimilated, with the former using the opportunity to once again hurl an accusation at Windows. Somehow finding his way back to camp without a guide line, MacReady attempts to open the door, but finds it locked. Palmer suggests opening it to incinerate him, but Childs decides to lock him outside in the severe blizzard. In desperation, MacReady breaks into the storage room and threatens the rest of the crew with dynamite. In the course of the stand-off, Nauls and Norris unsuccessfully attack MacReady from behind, causing Norris to seemingly suffer a heart attack.

The men rush him to the medical lab, where Copper attempts to restart Norris' heart by defibrillation. The electrical shock, however, reveals the man to be SUS and it attacks Copper, killing him by biting off his forearms. As a spindly creature explodes from the chest cavity MacReady torches it with a flamethrower, causing its head to tear away from its body and grow spider legs with pair of eyes on stalks. It hides under a nearby desk and then attempts to scuttle off, only to be incinerated when spotted by Palmer and Windows. In a bid to determine the identity of the remaining crew, MacReady improvises a rudimentary blood-test involving a heated copper wire and samples taken from the men. Noticing how every part of the Norris-Thing had an instinctive desire to survive, MacReady theorised that a creature's blood would attempt to flee from a hot needle. Dipping the heated wire into a Petri dish containing Palmer's blood, the organism unexpectedly reacts, jumping out of the dish with a shriek. Shocked, MacReady dropped the sample to the ground, where it promptly liquefies and flees. In the chaos, the Palmer-Thing, exposed, transforms and shreds off its bonds. It then fatally mauls Windows before being finished off by MacReady using a stick of dynamite.

Palmer was initially shown to be a very laid back individual and somewhat of a stereotypical stoner, always listening to music on a cassette with his headphones and smoking marijuana while watching quiz shows with Childs during lights out. He also appeared to have a good relationship with Nauls. He was somewhat of a conspiracy theorist and heavily believed the government was hiding alien life from the public eye, even referencing Chariots to the Gods?. As the film progressed, however, he slowly became more superstitious and even helped Childs turn on MacReady, prepared to burn him with a surprise attack. He retained his rather sarcastic sense of humor, even in the presence of the Norris-Thing's grizzly reveal and the Head Spider. He showed remorse for Copper and Clark, believing their blood testing to be unnecessary due to them being dead. However, it is important to note Palmer was assimilated and replaced with an imitation at this point, which would explain his sudden brash behavior, despite the fact his imitation was able to replicate the more calm and remorseful personality for a certain amount of time. He believed in alien life very unsuspiciously, believing the government to know all about them.

Palmer is a Thing in hiding; it is unclear if Things know they are Things or not. Palmer explodes in body horror when outed as a Thing. Palmer smokes weed and loves 70s horror movies.