In 1955, Domergue appeared in another Western, "Santa Fe Passage", playing an ammunition retailer opposite John Payne and George Keymas. Domergue then appeared in a series of science fiction, monster, and horror films. The first of these was "Cult of the Cobra" (Universal Pictures 1955), in which six American Air Force officers discover a Lamian cult of snake worshippers. This was followed with a role in Columbia Pictures's "It Came from Beneath the Sea", a science fiction-monster film which was a major commercial success, grossing $1.7 million at the box office. The following year, Domergue starred in "This Island Earth" (1955), Universal's first color science fiction film. The film received moderate critical praise for its performances and writing, as well as its inventive special effects. Domergue's tenure in these pictures earned her a reputation as an early scream queen.