Shapeshifters are inorganic, human hybrids from the Alternate Universe. Also known as the First Wave, the shapeshifters were created with the aid of William Bell to infiltrate the Prime Universe and lay the groundwork for a full-scale invasion that would result in the destruction of the Prime Universe in favor of saving the Alternate Universe from complete destruction. The Alternate Universe, believing that Walter's initial actions in 1985 that caused devastating destruction were the first actions in a coming war that would see one of the universes completely destroyed, deployed the shapeshifters to ensure that it was their universe that survived.