User blog comment:TheUnknown285/A very interesting image from the remake of Halo (yes, this is ME-related)/@comment-4788104-20120411102958/@comment-1679409-20120418221245

Turians = Elites

While you're right that the Flood occupies the story niche of the Reapers (ancient enemy that destroyed the uber-advanced race that everyone builds off of), I think of the Flood as something closer to the thorian and the thorian creepers. Both are kind of secondary enemies, both use spores, both have largely stationary leaders that control their otherwise mindless minions, both turn people into zombie-like creatures.