Xenomorph

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The xenomorph as it appears in Alien vs. Predator (2004).

The xenomorph, or alien as they are commonly known, is a member of the fictional extraterrestrial species that is the primary antagonist of the Alien film series and its subsidiary literature and video games. The name is derived from the Greek word for "alien form", and was first spoken by the character Lt. Gorman in the film Aliens as a euphemism to indicate any non-terrestrial life-form. Because the films did not give a specific name, this was adopted by fans as a taxonomic classification for the Alien series' titular monsters. The Alien Quadrilogy DVD identifies the scientific name of the creatures as Internecivus raptus (literally "murderous thief"). The comic books identify it as Linguafoeda acheronsis ("foul-tongued [being] of Acheron"). [1] [2]

A Xenomorph's life cycle begins as an egg which is laid by a queen. Inside the egg is a parasitic creature known as a "Facehugger". When the egg hatches, the Facehugger leaps out, attaches itself to a host, implants an embryo inside of the host's chest, and dies shortly afterward. The embryo is incubated in the host for a short period of time, until it breaks out of the host's chest (known as a Chestburster) and grows into an adult Xenomorph. The rate of growth is extraordinary, reaching full maturity within 24 hours. An adult is usually depicted as slightly humanoid, standing approximately 2.4 metres (8 ft) tall, and has a long, whip-like tail, a semitransparent carapace enclosing its head, and several rows of silvery teeth.

The xenomorph design is credited to Swiss surrealist and artist H. R. Giger, originating in a lithograph called Necronom IV and refined for the series' first film, Alien. In that film, the xenomorph was played by an actor in costume (the 2.1 m (7 ft) tall Bolaji Badejo) and make-up, a technique used in later films of the series. The queen was depicted in Aliens and Alien: Resurrection using animatronic puppets and in Alien vs. Predator using computer-generated imagery. The species' design and life cycle have been extensively added to and altered throughout each film, so that its complete biology is not always consistent.

Characteristics

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Kane inspects a xenomorph egg.

Socially, in ideal situations, xenomorphs are hive-minded lifeforms with a defined caste system which is ruled by a queen. They reproduce as parasitoids and grow to full size very rapidly. The alien queen lays eggs that eventually release a single parasitic facehugger when a host is detected nearby. Facehuggers attack a host and slide a tubular proboscis down the victim's throat, implanting an embryo within their chest, which later develops into what is called a "chestburster". The facehugger also injects a powerful general anesthetic into the victim rendering it comatose, and provides oxygen for respiration. A facehugger possesses several natural defenses to prevent its removal from the host: over time facehuggers' outer epidermis becomes solidified and hardened by a chitinous layer of silicon; acid blood may burn those attempting to cut or scrape the facehugger from the host; strangulation and laceration of the internal organs of the host is a risk if there is an attempt to pry or peel the facehugger off. In Aliens, a number of facehuggers are observed in stasis and accompanying medical notes indicate that the human hosts died during removal. After implantation, facehuggers die and the embryo's host wakes up afterwards showing no considerable outward negative symptoms. Symptoms build acutely after detachment of the facehugger, the most common being sore throat, slight nausea, increased congestion and moderate to extreme hunger. In later stages where the incubation period is extended in preparation of a queen birth, symptoms will include a shortness of breath, exhaustion, and hemorrhaging (detectable through biological scanners and present in nosebleeds or other seemingly random bleeding incidents), as well as chest pains inflicted either in lack of chest space due to the chestburster's presence, or even premature attempts to escape the host.

The embryo may take on some of the host's DNA or traits, such as bipedalism, quadrupedalism (shown in Alien³ with the alien born from a dog (or Ox dependent on which edit) instead of a human), or also having mandibles (shown in Alien Vs. Predator with the "predalien") and other body structure changes, possibly owing to the need to adapt using indigenous wildlife as a reference for what features to retain for use in that particular environment. Over the course of 1-24 hours (Undeterminable in some cases, and sometimes up to a week, in the case of some queens) the embryo develops into a chestburster, at which point it emerges, violently ripping open the chest of the host. Without medical assistance and/or surgical removal, the victim will die as a result of the emergence. Shortly after emergence, the creature grows rapidly to adult size and will feed on either the host or other prey to aid in its resource intake. Xenomorphs are roughly humanoid with a skeletal, biomechanical, or insectoid appearance, like an exoskeleton. As xenomorphs grow into adulthood they generally have less and less of an endoskeletal structure as most or all of their skin is shed within the first day after leaving their host. The DVD collection Alien: Quadrilogy shows a skeletal structure in x-ray images of a stage in its life cycle in each animated menu selection. Also, as noticed in Alien Vs. Predator and Predator 2 it shows what appears to be a xenomorph skull.

File:Alien chestburster.jpg

The chestburster that grew to be the xenomorph in the first Alien film

In addition to reproduction through an alien queen, a single alien drone can reproduce on its own. In the book "Nightmare Asylum," General Spears comments that a drone alien can develop into a queen through the means of a 'Hormone storm'. The 'Hormone storm' consists of the chemicals found in the royal jelly that is fed to the growing queen: it lies dormant in a xenomorph's DNA until needed.

Typical adults are about 2.4 m (8 ft) in height and have a hard outer shell which is usually muted shades of gray, dark green, brown and black. They have an elongated, cylindrical head but lack visible eyes. The creature's lack of visible eyes serves to remove a massive weak point from a nigh invulnerable beast. Symbolically, a lack of eyes helps to emphasize the alien quality in the creature. In the original Alien film the top of the creature's head was semi-transparent, with empty eye sockets of human appearance visible within - this element was dropped in later movies. In Alien 3, a fisheye lens (which creates a perspective similar to that of a peephole) was used to depict how the alien "sees." Whether this can be considered sight or just a filmed representation of the creatures' sensory perception is unknown. Due to the absence of clearly visible eyes, it is possible that the creature uses echolocation to "see" its environment, much like bats. It may be for this reason that xenomorphs hiss almost constantly. And as depicted in the Aliens vs. Predator games, the aliens can detect their prey using pheromones, much like a colorful aura around the body. All xenomorphs also have six-fingered hands with two thumbs each: one on each side of each hand.

Behavioral and defensive attributes

The xenomorph as it first appeared, in Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien

The adult Xenomorph is essentially a living weapon, noted for its ferocity and deadliness in any condition. It has strong, sharp claws and a blade-tipped tail. The Xenomorph's mouth contains double mandibles; that is, it has one mouth inside another mouth. The first mandible, which is similar to a human's, lowers and the second mandible (which could be called its tongue) extends outwards from inside the first. It is rigid enough to penetrate bone or body armor with the secondary jaws at its tip. It is employed almost exclusively as a weapon to incapacitate prey, usually through head trauma. It can be seen when the Xenomorph opens its mouth slowly. The Xenomorph can kill its victim by using its claws or its tongue, which could rapidly bite and kill its victim easily; sometimes it can use its tail to stab the prey, as seen in the 2004 movie Alien vs. Predator and also in the 1986 movie Aliens, when the alien queen used its tail to impale the android, Bishop.

Xenomorphs, once fully matured, possess great physical strength and agility. They appear to possess an intelligence roughly similar to that of a typical predatory mammal. Despite their ferocity and savagery, like any skilled predator, they are masters of stealth. A favored method of acquiring prey is to simply wait in a dormant state until an appropriate victim strays near and then drop down silently from behind. The prey is generally blind to the fact that a Xenomorph is present, due to its propensity to camouflage itself within its nest walls or the surrounding artificial environment given its biomechanical appearance. Xenomorph blood^[a] is an extremely potent acid similar to hydrochloric acid (although their acid blood is significantly more effective against metal) and is capable of dissolving on contact almost any substance with alarming speed- in the movies (notably the first one) it is referred to as "Molecular Acid" or similar to it. However, as seen in the movie Alien vs Predator, the exoskeletons of the creatures themselves are impervious to their acidic blood. The creature also has the ability to spit this acid, though this seems to be a rare behavior seen only in Alien³ and Alien: Resurrection as well as various comic books and video games — it seems this is used to incapacitate prey rather than kill (although in one viewed case, it led to one victim's gruesome death). Xenomorphs can produce a thick, strong resin, previously used to build their hives and cocoon victims. Much like termites, they mix their viscous saliva with solids, like dead victims or dead/cannibalized xenomorphs. It shows amazing heat and moisture-retaining qualities, as seen in the hot, moist atmosphere of the hive in Aliens.

Adult Xenomorphs are quick and agile, and can run along ceilings and walls, a skill they exhibit freely whether they are evading others, attacking, or hunting prey. They can survive in extreme temperatures, are well-adapted to swimming, and can survive in vacuum for unknown lengths of time. Their movement tends to be silent, and they do not radiate heat as their exoskeletal temperature matches the ambient temperature. They also salivate profusely. They are extremely aggressive and persistent, but not totally devoid of fear, especially for their eggs. And although they do not demonstrate human-level intelligence as a species (either through writing, tool use, or the development of any sort of technology), their queen appears to possess considerable acumen in its social behavior and manipulation of human technology.

Through cloning in the events surrounding Alien: Resurrection (noted in the novelization), it appears that the alien's hive mind includes a collective memory that passes along even at a genetic level, and through the tests conducted on Ellen Ripley, it is revealed that the memory passed from Ripley onto the new generation of Xenomorphs allows them to read and understand different languages. Xenomorphs are considered 'fast-learning', quickly understanding cause and effect, demonstrated in Alien: Resurrection, as a scientist 'punishes' a group of Xenomorphs by exposing them to jets of liquid nitrogen when the creature attempts to break through the barrier dividing them. When the creature moves to do so again the scientist places his hand over the activation device, and the xenomorph quickly halts. Prompting the scientist to remark "So, we're a fast learner". The xenomorphs escaped by killing one of the three in their pen allowing the acidic blood to burn a way out and killed a guard who went in to investigate by using the same activation device the scientist had used on them.

The books also mention an "incubation cave", where thousands of eggs are stored, though most of them dead, and the walls are adorned with murals depicting the evolution of the species: from predators to cunning hunters using spears and nets, then on to something akin to cavemen, and ending with a human-level society, where the aliens have lost their viciousness, and have even adapted a less fearsome appearance, with smoother skin and smaller teeth (although their predatory nature was reawakened to give the species a chance to survive after an impending asteroid impact).

In the rare event that a Xenomorph should find itself under attack or otherwise vulnerable, it once again displays incredible creativity and cleverness. As stated earlier, they are able to move quite well and quickly in ventilation systems, despite their size, and will use such conduits for ambush, escape, or simply as an easy way to travel from point A to point B. Should a Xenomorph become separated from its hive, it will often try to re-establish contact as soon as it can. As a result, installations that study or experiment on these creatures have developed strategies that force escaped Xenomorphs upwards rather than downwards, locking down ventilation systems at the same time, simultaneously containing the creature in areas accessible to security teams and preventing it from reaching areas where vital systems, such as electrical generators, are present, which xenomorphs will often recognize as a source of light output. Even these measures have been known to fail, however--the alien organism will go so far as to sacrifice another in an effort to escape, using the dead creature's acidic blood to effectively melt a hole for escape.

Xenomorphs, in all stages of their life cycles, have shown vulnerabilities to heat, such as fire and flame-throwers, but cold temperatures are an inadequate precautionary measure--except at the extremes, such as liquid nitrogen. Since they can adapt to a vacuum and endure cold climates, it is unlikely they would be driven off by chilly conditions, but blasts of hot steam or cold air can be effective, especially when paired together. It is postulated that applying both hot and cold temperatures in rapid succession would achieve a very lethal, "cracking" effect on a Xenomorph's exoskeleton, as shown when the exoskeleton of the xenomorph from Alien³ exploded after both falling into a vat of liquid lead and being sprayed with water, similar to rapidly heating and cooling glass.

Queen

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The alien queen with her eggsac

Xenomorphs have an insect-like life cycle, fairly similar to that of the digger wasp. The queen regulates the whole hive and it is possible that the hive can't survive without her.

Queen xenomorphs are significantly larger than the drones, approximately 4.5 m (15 ft) tall. Their body structure differs also, having twin sets of arms and being built more similarly to a theropod dinosaur than a humanoid. Queens have a much larger braincase than the average adults, protected by a large crest above their heads. Another well-known feature of the xenomorph queen is an immense ovipositor in its lower torso, which is responsible for creating facehugger eggs (similar to a queen termite). The queen is able to detach from the ovipositor if necessary (as in the case of an emergency). Queens also have a higher ability to relate cause and effect to make observations and deductions, allowing them rudimentary understanding of technology in the same way as some primates, such as the Queen's use of the elevator in Aliens. At the end of Aliens, when the xenomorph drones cut off Ripley's escape route, she threatens to burn an egg. The Queen perceives this and beckons the drones to clear out of the way. The queen is also considered to be the strongest caste of Xenomorph, able to evenly fight Ripley in a Power Loader in the film Aliens, and due to its superiority in the Aliens versus Predator game series. Queens seem even more resilient to damage than the rest of the hive (even when adjusted for size) as demonstrated in Alien vs. Predator. She receives several deep throat wounds and is speared through the head, yet even this is not enough to kill her.

Finally, it must be remarked that the alien queen values and protects the survival of her species just like any good mother would. Nothing short of her own destruction will stop her from seeking deadly vengeance upon the one who harms her offspring. In one of the comic book series released by Dark Horse Comics, a caged alien queen becomes incensed at a human soldier who resorts to killing an attacking alien warrior, becoming herself hell-bent on killing the human soldier. This same, all consuming killing rage is vividly observed in the alien queen's pursuit of Ellen Ripley for the slaughter of her children.

Hive relationships

Most of the relationships of the xenomorph hive established and recognized are supposition. It is likely, though, that after a few weeks a new Queen would lead a contingent of drones away from the previous hive. The drones would then begin construction anew. Early on, all efforts would be concentrated on finishing the hive so that the Queen can begin laying eggs again. Rival creatures would be used to reinforce the hive and protect the Queen when she begins breeding. It is known that the host of a Queen Chestbuster is able to be recognized as such by Drone and Warrior xenomorphs.

If needed they can even go as far as protecting the host from harm in order to ensure the survival of the future Queen.

Design

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The Queen from Alien vs. Predator

The design of the queen was created by Aliens director James Cameron in collaboration with special effects artist Stan Winston, based upon an initial painting Cameron had done at the start of the project. The Winston Studio created a test foam core queen before constructing the full hydraulic puppet which was used for most of the scenes involving the large alien. Two people were inside working the twin sets of arms and puppeteers off-screen worked her jaws and head. Although at the end of the film the queen was presented full-body fighting the power-loader, the audience never sees the legs of the queen, save those of the small-scale puppet that appears only briefly. In Aliens, Cameron used very selective camera-angles on the queen, using the "less is more" style of photography. Subsequently the movie won an Oscar for Visual Effects.

It was only during the climax of the 2004 film Alien vs. Predator that for the first time audiences could see the queen actually running and fighting because of the computer-generated imagery (CGI) techniques employed to create it. The queen's basic design was also altered to make her more "streamlined" in appearance and 12.2 m (40 ft) tall. Other changes include the removal of the "high-heel" protrusions on her legs, altering the joints so she could run faster, and making her waist thinner because there was no need for puppeteers inside her chest. The new Queen was built from scratch. The legs were made proportionally larger to the body, giving the new queen a sturdier appearance.

Variations

The xenomorph has been portrayed in noticeably different ways throughout the films. Much of this was due to the continuing advancements made in the field of special effects, technology and techniques used to bring it to life. It has also been suggested, both on screen and in the games based on the alien series, that the alien's form is dependent upon its host, so that different species of host will create different xenomorphs, and variations within a host can also explain possible variations within the xenomorph spawned from the host. An example of this is seen in Alien 3 in which a dog (an ox in the extended edition) spawns a xenomorph with distinct canine movement and body structure.

Upper torso

In the original Alien film, and sequel Aliens, they are depicted as tall, slender creatures with a roughly human biomechanical design. Notably, the being in the first film is far taller than those in the second. However, in later films, like Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs. Predator, they are depicted as being shorter and bulkier organisms, as well as being more quadrupedal, portrayed by either the traditional men-in-suit technique for close-ups or full form using computer-generated imagery.

Originally, the xenomorph's tail was roughly the length of the rest of its body with a small, almost surgical stinger-like barb on the end. From Alien³ onwards, however, the tail has extended in length and featured a large, knife-like blade at the tip. In Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs. Predator, the tails had also supported a ridge of spikes right before the blade. This was introduced in Alien: Resurrection to help them swim convincingly, and was left intact in Alien vs. Predator. The tail itself is shown to be of incredible length during Alien vs Predator, easily measuring at least twice its body length, as depicted when the "Hero" Alien (as mentioned in "the making of" section of the DVD) impales a Predator from a ledge.

The original shooting script for Aliens featured a scene in which Lieutenant Gorman was "stung" by a xenomorph’s stinger. He was not killed, merely stunned, and the barb remained lodged in his shoulder, having torn loose from the xenomorph’s tail, much like a bee stinger. The novelisation also included this scene, though the movie itself does not. This attribute is used later on in various games.

In Aliens, xenomorphs are depicted as having ridges along their cranium, while in all other films they have smooth cowls covering their skulls.

In Alien and Alien³, the xenomorph has six fingers, with the index and middle fingers conjoined into one digit, ring and little fingers also conjoined, and thumbs on both sides. In Aliens, the xenomorphs are shown with three fingers. In Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs. Predator, the aliens have four fingers. No explanation is given in the films for the fluctuating number of digits.

Lower torso

In Alien and Aliens, the xenomorphs have legs like that of a human, with a single joint at the knee and feet roughly in the same configuration as a human. Also in Alien vs. Predator, the xenomorphs have this same humanoid leg, though it is sleeker and more skeletal in appearance, due to the use of computer visuals and hydraulic puppetry, rather than costumes. This is notable because the xenomorph resembles the species from which it bred. In Alien³, the xenomorph is born from a different animal, and therefore has a different body design, including legs more like the dog in which it was incubated (in the extended edition the host is an ox and the resulting xenomorph bears only slight similarities to its host) . However, there was a dramatic change in Alien: Resurrection wherein the xenomorphs which escaped from containment have avian legs with long bones in the foot and the toes used for walking. This is apparently a change taking advantage of the digital representation of the xenomorphs rather than costumes, done to make them seem more menacing and predatory. The different leg and foot can be clearly seen in a forward shot in which a xenomorph closes in on the surviving characters, who are trapped by a blocked door.

It is almost impossible to tell the sex of the xenomorph; however the xenomorph never appears to need reproductive organs, relying on eggs alone. In Alien: Director's Cut, the xenomorph has a second method of reproduction, whereby it could transform humans into eggs, as shown when Ripley discovers Brett and Dallas, cocooned in a viscous liquid.

In another omitted scene from the script for Alien³, these "eggs" were actually cocoons, inside of which a human was painfully transformed into a full-grown alien, which then emerges from the cocoon like a perversion of a butterfly. This non-canon tertiary version of reproduction bypasses queens and Facehuggers entirely. However, this scene was never filmed so the true nature of the egg/cocoons in Alien: Director's Cut remains unknown.

These offer an origin for the eggs that did not require a queen, which seems to have been superseded by the queen in Aliens. None of the other films—including deleted scenes—has continued with this method and it is mostly considered atypical for the xenomorph life-cycle. However it is still plausible that a warrior Alien can use this secondary method of reproduction in the absence of a Queen.

(In Alien³ another addition was made: that of a "super Facehugger" that could impregnate two hosts with, presumably, a Queen and regular embryo and was larger and darker compared to normal. This would explain why both Ripley and a dog were impregnated from one Facehugger. The super Facehugger was found by some of the inmates, who thought it a type of jellyfish. Still, the previous paragraph remains true of the superfacehugger as well.)

Human-Alien/Newborn

This Alien is a genetic cross between a human and an Alien. It is first seen in Alien: Resurrection and its appearance is more similar to a human rather than the xenomorphs. The Newborn is roughly 2.4 m (8 ft) tall. It has yellowish skin instead of dark blue or black. However, the size and description may not be the same as its final evolution, as, like the chestburster, it may go through serious physical changes as it matures. The inner mouth is replaced with a tongue and the human/alien also has eyes. When it is first born it kills the alien queen and another cocooned host (the latter is only seen in the Special edition.) It also believes that Ripley is its mother. It is killed by Ripley when it is drawn into space through a small hole that she created in the window of a bulkhead. In the Alien: Resurrection PlayStation game, it is referred to as the Newborn and has green blood.

Facehugger

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Facehugger

A Facehugger is the second stage in the life-cycle of a xenomorph, (the first being an egg). The Facehugger is hatched from an egg laid in groups by an Alien Queen. Once laid, the egg remains immobile until it senses a suitable host organism to support an alien embryo, at which point, the egg opens and the Facehugger erupts from it, launching itself at high speed towards the intended host. Its bony finger-like legs allow it to crawl rapidly, its long tail can launch it in great leaps. These particular appendages give them an appearance somewhat comparable to Chelicerata arthropods such as arachnids and horseshoe crabs.

The Facehugger's only purpose is to make contact with the host's mouth for the implantation process, by gripping its long, bony finger-like legs around the victim's head and wrapping its tail around the host's neck, then slowly tightening the tail in order to make the host suffocate and making the host gasp for oxygen. At this point, the facehugger will insert a tube-like proboscis into the mouth and down the throat of the victim, feeding the host oxygen and inserting an embryo into the chest cavity. Attempts to remove Facehuggers generally prove fatal — the parasite will squeeze the host's neck with its tail. The Facehugger's acid blood deters cutting it off. Once the alien embryo is safely implanted, the Facehugger detaches and dies. Later, a larval Xenomorph (Chestburster) will erupt from the host's chest.

In the two Facehugger examinations, one performed by Ash and the other by Bishop, some chemical change has occurred at or about the time of the Facehuggers' expiration, or else the surgical tools should have been dissolved by the acidic blood. It may be that the actual xenomorph is simply the proboscis itself; neither examined Facehugger specimen retained any such appendage, nor was one in evidence when Hicks examined one on the end of his shotgun during the Marine incursion into the reactor.

In this case, either by the species having manipulated the Facehugger's genetics (just as sexual drives are genetically derived), or neurologically controlling the Facehugger, the Facehugger is compelled to attach itself to a host, at which point the xenomorph draws off whatever remaining chemical resources the Facehugger has. It then detaches from the Facehugger, which crawls away to die just as drone honeybees die after mating. Unless the xenomorph is securely implanted, the Facehugger can survive to seek another host.

Predalien

A Predalien is a Xenomorph born from a Predator host (or in some cases, a deliberate genetic recombination by human scientists). A Predalien is born when a Facehugger attaches itself to a Predator and the embryo incubates inside a Predator. Owing to the Xenomorph's ability to incorporate traits from its host, Predaliens are frequently depicted with Predator characteristics such as mandibles and "dreadlocks". Predaliens are typically much stronger than Xenomorphs born from a human hosts for the same reason. The Predalien appears as a chestburster in AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) and may also appear in the upcoming film Aliens vs. Predator (2007). Predaliens have also featured prominently in the Aliens vs. Predator video game series. Pictures have been released onto the web showing photos of maquettes of what the Predalien might look like in the next film, Aliens vs. Predator. This is still unconfirmed that it is the actual creature.

Depictions of Predaliens have been even less consistent than depictions of human-born drones. 1999's Aliens vs. Predator depicted Predaliens as bulkier, brownish drones with shortened heads and mandibles. Its sequel gave them a pale, whitish-gray coloration and distanced them further from the general biomechanical appearance of the Xenomorph species. The film Alien vs. Predator showed only a Predalien chestburster, which was distinguished from other chestbursters in that film only by its characteristic mandibles.

King Alien

There are speculations of a possible King caste of Xenomorph in the Alien series, considered to be the supreme caste in the Xenomorph hierarchy. The King is occasionally mentioned or shown in outside Alien source or fictional material, such as the King Alien in Kenner's toy series[3] and in the Aliens: Rogue comic where a mad scientist creates a King. In the comic, the king was an artificially created queen injected with male hormones. Superficially, it resembled a heavily built queen with tendrils around its mouth. Though created as a weapon to use against the queen, the king was unable to defeat her in combat and was killed. However, the King Alien is largely considered non-canon, and the Queen is generally regarded as the ultimate Xenomorph.

Alien classifications

• Queen
• Eggs
• Facehugger
• Queen Facehugger
• Chestburster
• Drone
• Runner
• Warrior
• Praetorian
• Pred-alien
• Ravager
• Snake
• Dragon
• Human-Alien/Newborn

Video game aliens

• Praetorian
• Ravager
• Carrier
• Praetorian Egg
• Praetorian Facehugger
• Hive Node
• Drones
• Pred-aliens
• Cystic Drones
• Cystic Pred-aliens
• Cystic Runner
• Cystic Warrior
• Xenoborg
• Infectoid Facehugger
• Arachnid
• Smasher
• Defender

Theories

DNA assimilation

While the Chestburster is still in an embryonic stage, it uses the host's DNA to augment its own and acquire any useful traits that the host has garnered through natural selection. The Aliens of the first two films were all implanted in humans and could walk in a bipedal fashion; the "dog/ox-alien" of Alien³ was visually very different from those in the first two films. It preferred to move in an animal-like manner, often running at high speed on all four legs. This new type was far more streamlined and aerodynamic in appearance (the Runner also appears in the video games Aliens versus Predator 2 and Aliens versus Predator: Extinction).

The Aliens of the fourth Alien film, Alien: Resurrection, are an exception because they are far more human-like, to the point that the Alien queen gives live birth to a "human-alien hybrid": this is because these Aliens are the result of cloning experiments by the military, not a result of the normal implantation-DNA-assimilation process, and are not the "true" form of the species, having been spliced with substantial amounts of human DNA.

In various comics and the Aliens vs. Predator video game series, this is taken a step further when an Alien embryo is implanted into one of the Predators (Predator); the result is an Alien with Predator characteristics: a "pred-alien". This hybrid is bipedal, and has the basic body-outline of a Predator, having lost the elongated head shape. It sports inner jaws characteristic of other Aliens, and a set of mandibles reminiscent of those of the Predator. Its head also has the "dreadlocks" reminiscent of most Predators. This motif is also repeated at the end of the Alien vs. Predator film. Other comic books have shown further Alien crossovers with other species.

Origin of the species

The origins of the Aliens are never fully explained in the films. In the Alien DVD commentary Ridley Scott merely states the Aliens may have been bio-weapons used by an ancient race the "Space Jockey" belonged to. The expanded universe indicates that more than just one of the Space Jockey race remains alive, though their civilization is in ruins.. An unknown amount of time later, the Aliens are discovered by the Predators, a race of trophy hunters. The Predators then exploit the Aliens, considering them the prey used in the "Blooding" ritual or Right of Passage for young hunters.

A similar theory is briefly expounded in the spin-off novel Aliens: The Female War, suggesting that the Xenomorph were originally engineered as weapons for a long-forgotten war, and speculating that their creators lost control of them.

Another alternative theory presented through the Aliens vs Predator comics is that the Xenomorph is a genetically engineered being, created by the Predators for use as training and as a way to let young pre-Hunter Predators go through a trial of fire (a graduation or exam of sorts) to gain their status as hunters, and thus being allowed to go on hunts such as in the first Predator movie. This is especially implied in the first Aliens vs Predator comic book since the planet of Ryushi was seeded by Predators in order to go on an arranged hunt with their young hunter-students.

Overall, there is a concensus that the Xenomorph are most likely an engineered species. The strangely high intelligence that the Xenomorph exhibit, given their extreme ferocity and predaciousness, combined with their incredible resiliance and biological adaptability, makes natural evolution seem unlikely.

Films

1. Alien (1979) - Directed by Ridley Scott
2. Aliens (1986) - Directed by James Cameron
3. Alien³ (1992) - Directed by David Fincher
4. Alien: Resurrection (1997) - Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
5. Alien vs. Predator (2004) - Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
6. Aliens vs. Predator (2007) - Directed by Brothers Strause

See also

• List of variations of the Xenomorph not given in the films
• Aliens (comic)
• Space Jockey
• Predators—The alien race from the film Predator

Notes

a. ^{^} In the Alien novelisation by Alan Dean Foster and Dan O'Bannon, the acid is not blood but a fluid maintained under pressure between a double layer of skin.

References

• Alien - Released on May 25 1979 - On-line script. Retrieved 02 March 2007.
• Aliens - Released on June 18 1986 - On-line script. Retrieved 02 March 2007.
• Alien³ - Released on May 22 1992 - On-line script. Retrieved 02 March 2007.
• Alien: Resurrection - Released on November 26, 1997 - On-line script. Retrieved 02 March 2007.
• Goldman, Willie. "Sideshow Collectibles, Inc". HAIL to THE QUEEN. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Nathan. "PlanetAVP.com". Alien universe. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Internet Movie Database. "IMDb.com". Awards for Aliens. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Unknown author (Last updated 2002). "Alien Collectors Homeworld". Xenomorph.org. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Check date values in: |year= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• Unknown author. "Predalien". Predalien information. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Aliens versus Predator (computer game).
• Aliens versus Predator 2 (computer game).
• Aliens Colonial Marines Technical Manual, HarperCollins 1996, ISBN 0-06-105343-0.
• Aliens: A Comic Book Adventure (computer game) [4]

External links

• H.R. Giger online - A website about the creation of the xenomorphs' body.
• Serena Dawn Spaceport - An Alien RPG
• The Alien Universe Timeline and Encyclopedia - © Scott Middlebrook
• Visions Of Terror - Aliens Special Feature - © Bj's Web Design Services
• Knightmare6.com, Aliens FAQ