Xenomorph
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The xenomorph is a member of the fictional parasitoid extraterrestrial species that is the primary antagonist of the Alien film series and its subsidiary literature and video games. The name was first spoken by the character Lieutenant Gorman in the second film of the series Aliens to indicate this non-terrestrial life-form. The term was also used by Ellen Ripley to identify the creature, in a deleted scene from Alien³. 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 name is also used throughout several Alien-based media. The species Binomial name has been alternatively shown to be Linguafoeda acheronsis ("foul tongue from Acheron") in the comic books, while the Alien Quadrilogy DVD identifies it as Internecivus raptus (literally "murderous thief").
Unlike many recurring enemy alien races in science fiction, the xenomorphs are not an intelligent civilization but predatory creatures with no higher goals than the reproduction of their species and the destruction of life that could pose a threat. In their disturbing life-cycle, an embryo is forcibly implanted in a living host and then bursts violently from its chest, is perhaps their most noteworthy aspect. Like wasps or termites, xenomorphs are eusocial, with a single fertile queen and a caste of sterile warriors.
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 (7 foot 2 inch 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 throughout each film. The Alien was voted as the #14 most memorable villain by the American Film Institute.
Characteristics
Xenomorphs are roughly humanoid with a skeletal, biomechanical, or insectoid appearance. They possess an exoskeleton, and a whiplike tail that, in later incarnations, possesses a bladed tip. As Xenomorphs grow into adulthood, they generally have less and less of an exoskeletal structure as most or all of their skin is shed within the first day after leaving their host.
The DVD box set collection, the Alien Quadrilogy, shows a skeletal structure in x-ray images of a stage in its life cycle in each animated menu selection. Also, Predator 2 shows what appears to be a xenomorph skull.
Typical adults (born from Human hosts) are about 7 feet 10 inches tall. They have a hard outer shell which is usually muted shades of black, bronze, or blue. They have an elongated, cylindrical head but lack visible eyes. It is thought that the aliens use smell/sound or sonar to "see". Xenomorphs have been depicted as having variously four or six-fingered hands. The first and second fingers are joined together as well as the third and fourth, and if present, also have a second thumb on the lower edge of the hand.
Xenomorphs possess strong, sharp claws and their mouths contain double mandibles; that is, it has one mouth inside another mouth, akin to the pharyngeal jaws of the moray eel.[1] The first mandible, which is similar to a human's, lowers and the second mandible is located at the tip of a tongue-like proboscis inside the mouth. The alien's tongue can become 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.
Xenomorph blood is an extremely potent acid and is capable of dissolving on contact almost any substance with alarming speed. Even the type of metal used by the Predators, which is nearly indestructible to any human type weapon, was melted by the acid blood. The acidic blood is highly pressurized within their bodies, and any piercing or puncturing wound causes it to violently spray out in all directions. During the movie Aliens, a large number of people were either killed or seriously injured by this blood after shooting the aliens. In Aliens3 they showed the capacity to spit this acid at victims such as certain species of cobra and it is obvious that they are aware of the effects of their acidic blood in later movie installments, in Alien: Resurrection, three aliens were put in the same room and two of them killed the third so the acid will melt the floor to break out. As depicted in the films Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs Predator, the exoskeletons of the creatures themselves are impervious to their acidic blood. In the Alien novelization by Alan Dean Foster and Dan O'Bannon, it is speculated that perhaps the acid is not blood but a fluid maintained under pressure between a double layer of skin- at least in the "facehugger stage," though there is little reason to doubt the same holds true in the adult stages.[2]
Physical abilities
The adult xenomorph is basically a living weapon, noted for its ferocity and deadliness in any condition. Once fully matured, they have great physical strength and agility. 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.
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, can respirate harsh atmospheres and can survive in vacuum for short 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.
The creatures possess no visible eyes; Giger mandated this in his original design, because he felt that it made the creatures much more frightening if one could not tell they were looking at them.[3] 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, but reused for the Predalien design, on the front portion of its skull. In Aliens, the adult creatures are lacking the smooth carapace covering their heads. In the commentary for Aliens, it was speculated that this was part of the maturation of the creatures, as they had been alive far longer than the original alien. In Alien³, a fisheye lens (which creates a perspective similar to that of a peephole) was used to depict the xenomorph's sight. Whether this can be considered sight or just a filmed representation of the creatures' sensory perception is unknown. However, in the novelization of the movie Alien, the creature is held mesmerized by a spinning green light for several minutes. 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.
The creatures also have the ability to spit acid, though this seems to be a rare act, seen only in Alien³ and Alien: Resurrection as well as various comic books and video games.
Xenomorphs can also produce a thick, strong resin, previously used to build their hives and cocoon victims. Much like termites, they mix their viscous saliva with solids. It shows amazing heat and moisture-retaining qualities, as seen in the hot, moist atmosphere of the hive in Aliens.
Intelligence
Xenomorphs appear to possess an intelligence roughly similar to that of a typical predatory mammal. 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, including, in Aliens, cutting the power to the colony and operating an elevator. In the director's commentary for Aliens, James Cameron noted that the xenomorphs in Aliens had been alive for far longer than the alien in the original, and so had more time to learn how to manipulate machinery, if only at the most basic level.[4] Xenomorphs have demonstrated little actual emotion, though they are not totally devoid of fear, especially for their eggs. They seem to produce basic vocal sounds of hisses, clicks and high pitched shrieks.
In the Aliens literature, it has been suggested that the creatures have a hive-mind, or a collective consciousness directed by the queen. In the Aliens comic book series, as well some novelizations (produced before the Alien³ film), it is suggested that the Queen alien communicates telepathically with its potential hosts, through terrifying dreams and religious visions, leading to the formation of cults with the xenomorph as a god-like figure. 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. 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', understanding cause and effect very quickly. This is demonstrated in Alien: Resurrection when 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. As the creature moves to do so again, the scientist places his hand over the activation device and the xenomorph quickly halts. The xenomorphs escape by killing one of the three in their pen allowing the acidic blood to burn a hole in the floor, they only do this whilst the scientists are distracted and not near the liquid nitrogen trigger. They later kill a guard who went in to investigate by using the same activation device the scientist had used on them. A similar situation occurs in Aliens, when Ripley ran into the Queen and was surrounded by Xenomorphs that were about to attack her. Ripley shot a jet of flame in the air with a flamethrower gun and then pointed them towards the queen's eggs (no words exchanged) indicating that she will destroy the eggs if attacked. It is strongly evident that the Queen realizes this and she directly commands the Xenomorphs to leave.
In the rare event that a xenomorph should find itself under attack or otherwise vulnerable, it once again displays incredible creativity and cleverness. They are quite capable of moving quickly in ventilation systems, despite their size, and will use such conduits for ambush, escape, or simply as an easy way to travel between areas. Also, as demonstrated in Alien vs. Predator, a xenomorph can use the acidic blood from its own wound as a weapon. The tip of a xenomorph's tail was severed, and the xenomorph thrashed its tail about, in order to spray its acidic blood as a chemical weapon. (This method was also used to free the Queen in AvP: numerous xenomorphs punctured her skin, allowing her acidic blood to melt the chains holding her.) Should a xenomorph become separated from its hive, it will often try to re-establish contact as soon as possible.
Vulnerabilities
Xenomorphs, in all stages of their life cycles, have been said to have vulnerabilities to heat, although this was never proven. In the first Alien, it is only assumed, but never actually demonstrated.
Cold temperatures are an inadequate precautionary measure -- except at the extremes, such as liquid nitrogen. In the first Aliens vs. Predator film, a Queen is shown to be quite active in the Antarctic environment. Since they can survive in 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. Applying both hot and cold temperatures in rapid succession apparently achieves a thermal shock effect on an 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.
Xenomorphs are shown to be vulnerable to high caliber and close-range small-arms fire as well as explosives, as demonstrated in Aliens, with the explosive rounds of a marine pulse rifle causing the creature to explode. The film "AvP:R" shows the aliens vulnerable to small arms fire, ranging from 9mm to 5.56mm. High energy beam weapons, such as plasma weapons or magnetically propelled projectiles "rail guns" appear to be the best way to kill or destroy the Xenomorphs as shown in AVP & AVP 2. They are not invulnerable to melee weapons, either, although such equipment is likely to be destroyed upon contact with its acidic blood, with the few notable exceptions of some Predator weapons.
Life cycle
Xenomorphs are depicted as eusocial 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 can lie dormant until such time as a host is detected nearby, whereupon it will release a single parasitic larva known as a facehugger. 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". 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 incubating embryo may take on some of the host's DNA or traits, such as bipedalism, quadrupedalism - as shown in Alien³ when the alien was born from a dog (an ox in the extended version) instead of a human - or also having mandibles (shown in Alien Vs. Predator with the 'predalien') and other body structure changes, possibly indicating 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 or surgical removal, the victim will certainly 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. It should also be noted that a new method of impregnation was introduced in Aliens vs Predator: Requiem where the young Predalien Queen had the ability to impregnate a host orally without laying eggs. The directors stated that this is a new feature in the mythos that they have invented in which a young Queen does not lay eggs, but directly implants embryos into hosts so it can quickly establish a new hive. Once a hive is established, a mature Queen will develop an ovipositor and lay eggs. It is heavily implied that the Queen's eggs can then be carried around different locations by drones along with a cocooned potential host, as seen in Aliens and Alien Resurrection.
Queen
Queen xenomorphs are significantly larger than the warriors, approximately 4.5 m (15 ft) tall.[5] 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. When attached to her ovipositor, the queen is supported by a "biomechanical throne"[6] that consists of a lattice of struts resembling massive insect legs.
Unlike insect queens, there appears to be no need for drones to fertilize a xenomorph queen's eggs. In various comics and games, the drones are simply a "worker" caste. Alien: Resurrection indicates that the queens are born fertile.
The various novelizations and media produced on the creature in the years since its introduction also indicate that in the absence of a Queen proper, the Aliens can make an ordinary egg hatch into a new Queen, through the introduction of the xenomorph equivalent of Royal Jelly.
Design
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 techniques employed to create it. The queen's basic design was also altered to make her more "streamlined" in appearance and her over-all size was increased to 6 meters (20 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. These changes could have resulted from the fact that the queen from Alien vs. Predator is much older than any other previously seen, although its age is never specified.
Egg
The eggs are large, ellipsoidal leathery objects about one meter high with four-lobed openings at the top. Eggs are laid by a queen. They do not require an environment in which to incubate. Once laid, the egg remains dormant until the network of sensory tendrils beneath the eggs are disturbed by a potential host. The sensory tendrils once disturbed by vibration in proximity to an egg, awaken nearby eggs and one or more facehuggers will hatch and immediately launch an attack upon potential host(s). According to the pen and paper role-playing game, Aliens Adventure Game, any adult xenomorph may lay eggs. However, eggs laid by drones and warriors last only a few months. The eggs laid by the queens will protect the facehugger within for several centuries.
Facehugger
A facehugger, or Ovomorph, as it is referred to in the Alien expanded universe, is the second stage in the life-cycle of a xenomorph. Its bony finger-like legs allow it to crawl rapidly and 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 is a parasitoid; its 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 gasp for oxygen and be rendered unconscious. By this point, the facehugger will have inserted a tube-like proboscis into the mouth and down the throat of the host, supplying the host with oxygen and implanting an embryo. 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. And its grip is so firm, peeling it off would result in tearing off the host's face. In Aliens, a number of facehuggers are observed in stasis and accompanying medical notes indicate that at least one of the human hosts died during removal. Over time, a facehugger's outer epidermis becomes solidified and hardened by a chitinous layer of silicon. Once the alien embryo is safely implanted, the facehugger detaches and dies. Later, a larval Xenomorph (Chestburster) will erupt from the host's chest.
Giger's original design for the facehugger was a much larger creature with eyes and a spring-loaded tail. Later, in response to comments from the filmmakers, Giger reduced the creature's size substantially.[7] Dan O'Bannon initially conceived the facehugger as somewhat resembling an octopus, possessing tentacles. However, when he received HR Giger's designs, which substituted tentacles with fingerlike digits, he thought Giger's design concept superior. Since no one was available at the time, O'Bannon decided to design the facehugger prop himself. The technical elements of the musculature and bone were added by Ron Cobb. Giger's initial design for the smaller facehugger had the fingers facing forward, but O'Bannon's redesign shifted them to the side.[7] When the foam rubber sculpture of the facehugger was produced, O'Bannon asked that it should remain unpainted, believing the rubber, which resembled human skin, was more plausible.[8].
Chestburster
The chestburster is the immature infant form of the xenomorph which emerges forcibly from the chest of its host, killing it. The chestburster is similar in form to the fully grown alien but far smaller and pale in color.
The chestburster was designed by Alien special effects master Roger Dicken. Giger had produced a model of a chestburster that resembled a plucked chicken and was far too large to fit inside a ribcage. Much to Giger's chagrin, his model reduced the production team to fits of laughter on sight.[9] Scott drafted a series of alternate designs for the chestburster based on the philosophy of working "back [from the adult] to the child" and ultimately produced "something phallic," so Dicken was given the task to design it.[9] Giger stated the finished form first resembled a dinosaur but the arms and legs were removed. The chestburster in Alien was armless, but arms were added to the chestburster in Aliens because Cameron believed that the chestburster in the first film was "too larval" for an upcoming adult Xenomorph.[citation needed] The chestburster in Alien 3 was far more developed, possessing complete limbs. The Queen chestburster depicted in Alien 3 has all four arms.
Adult
Little is known about the transformation that occurs between the chestburster and adult phases, although in Alien, Alien3, and Aliens vs Predator: Requiem the xenomorph appears to moult before reaching maturity. Maturity is reached in a matter of a few hours, and involves a dozenfold increase in mass, which would presumably require some form of nourishment. In the novelization of the movie Alien, Ripley comes across a food locker that had been raided, apparently by the alien to get food. Whether or not this was nourishment to grow was not specified. In the videogame, Aliens vs Predator: Extinction, the chestburster goes through a cocoon stage shortly after emerging from its host. A fully-developed xenomorph emerges from the cocoon afterwards.
Alternate life-cycles
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, with Brett almost completely enveloped by a distinctly egg-like mass. This method of reproduction allowed an alien a complete individual life-cycle, without the need for a queen.[10] The alien was described in the bonus DVD as being "ambi-sextrous". However, since this scene was cut in the final released version of the film, allowing the queen to appear in Aliens, its canonicity is uncertain. The same way of reproduction was also presented in Alien Versus Predator game for Atari Jaguar. There, while playing as Alien, player could transform humans into egg-like cocoons, similar to that shown in the scene from the movie. Notable that Alien Queen is also presented in this game.
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.
In Alien³, another addition was made. That of a 'super facehugger' that could impregnate two hosts with a Queen and a warrior embryo. This facehugger was large and black, very different to the normal tan variety. 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 was a type of jellyfish.
In Alien vs Predator: Requiem the Predalien has the ability to impregnate a host directly without eggs that form into chestbusters. The directors stated that this is a new feature in the mythos that they have invented in which a young Queen does not lay eggs, but directly implants multiple embryos into hosts so it can quickly establish a new hive. Once a hive is established, a mature Queen will develop an ovipositor and lay eggs.
Variations
The xenomorph has been portrayed in noticeably different ways throughout the film series. 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 affected by its host, so that different species of host will create different varieties of xenomorph. Variations within a host can also explain possible variations apparent in the xenomorph spawned. An example of this is seen in Alien³, when a dog (an ox in the extended edition) spawns a xenomorph with a distinct canine body structure and quadrupedal movement. It is also possible that there are different breeds of Alien that are not directly related, causing a difference in appearance. Furthermore, issues of the comic book and various versions of the Alien vs. Predator (video game) depict a "caste" system similar to ants and bees among the xenomorph hives (queen, warrior, drone, etc.), each with a different appearance.
Upper body
In the original Alien film, and in the 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 and third, possibly because it retained more of the genetic information from the giant Space Jockey that its parent spawned from. In the later films, such as 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 'man in a 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; but from Alien³ onwards, the tail has extended in length and currently features a large, knife-like blade at the tip. In Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs. Predator, the tails have 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, measuring almost its full body length, as depicted when the Grid Alien impales a Predator "Chopper" 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 novelization also included this scene, though the movie itself does not.[11] 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. It was speculated in the Aliens bonus DVD that this was due to these xenomorphs having had more time to mature, compared to the aliens in the other films. In the comics and various video games (Aliens versus Predator: Extinction, Alien vs Predator (SNES), Aliens versus Predator 2) this was depicted as one of the visual differences between the xenomorph drone and warrior castes. The drones (in this instance used to indicate a "worker" caste instead of mating-capable males) have the smooth cowl while the warriors display the ridges, but this is of course non-canon. In the movie there are only two castes of aliens, queens, and drones/warriors. The drone/warriors may have different tasks: Some defend the hive, others hunt potential hosts, while some live only to protect the queen.
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 five fingers, with the second thumb missing. In Alien: Resurrection and Alien vs. Predator, the aliens have four fingers, though the middle two appear to the fusion of two digits. No explanation is given in the films for the fluctuating number of digits.
Lower body
In Alien and Aliens, the xenomorphs were plantigrade (probably due to special effects limitations). In Alien³, the xenomorph is a runner type, owing to its quadrupedal host organism (see below). In accordance with the DNA assimilation theory, it is from its canine host that the xenomorph runner acquired digitigrade hind legs and quadrupedalism. Interestingly, the Alien³ special edition had the xenomorph emerging from an ox rather than a dog, in which case the DNA assimilation theory suggests that the runner's hind legs would have been unguligrade rather than digitigrade. Since these two hind leg types are relatively similar (ungulates walk on the tips of their extended toes), it is safe to assume that this change would have had minimal effect on the xenomorph's overall appearance. Alien: Resurrection saw a dramatic redesign from previously-encountered humanoid breeds: the xenomorphs that emerged from human hosts in this film walked on digitigrade hind legs in a manner that does not conform with the DNA assimilation theory (humans are plantigrade organisms). This is complicated by the fact that the xenomorphs of the film were spawned by a queen grown from cells derived from a clone of Ripley, making their genetic heritage muddled at best. Also, the xenomorphs in Alien: Resurrection were often entirely digital, so it is possible that the film makers used the versatility of the medium to make them seem more menacing and predatory. [who?] In Alien vs. Predator, the xenomorphs return to their roots as plantigrade organisms, though their legs are sleeker and more skeletal in appearance, due to the use of computer visuals and hydraulic puppetry, rather than costumes.
Hybridization (Alternate Forms)
'Runner'
The 'Runner', also known as the 'Dog alien', was introduced in the third installment of the Alien film series. The creature itself shares the same basic principles and instincts as the other xenomorphs shown in the previous films, although there are obvious genetic differences between a dog and a human host. When a canine is impregnated with a xenomorph embryo, its DNA is fused with that of the parasite, so the creature will have physical similarities and genetic traits of both. For instance, the Runner alien is primarily quadropedal. It is also an excellent climber, running on ceilings and scaling up walls at extreme speeds. Despite being less bulky and lacking the dorsal horns of the regular variety, the Runner is no less lethal, as was shown when it dispatched an entire prison of inmates in Alien³. It was destroyed when Ellen Ripley doused it with molten lead and activated the overhead sprinklers in the furnace of Fiorina 'Fury' 161, causing the beast to literally explode from the thermal shock.
Runners also make appearances in the video games Aliens versus Predator: Extinction, where they were said to have very high pressure circulatory systems that exploded when exposed to intense heat such as a flame thrower or laser, and Aliens vs. Predator 2, in which they are the result of a facehugger implanting a corporate mercenary.[citation needed]
'Newborn'
The Xenomorphs of the fourth Alien film, Alien: Resurrection are far more human-like. The Alien Queen eventually gives live birth to a human-alien hybrid after significant genetic engineering. This is because these Aliens are the result of cloning experiments by the military, not a result of the normal implantation process. Therefore, they are not the true form of the species, having been spliced with substantial amounts of human DNA when the deceased Ellen Ripley was brought back to life via the advanced process of cloning. She was impregnated at the time of her death, which is why the Xenomorphs from the fourth film have many human characteristics.
The human-alien Newborn itself is very different from it's brethren, being much larger, with a translucent skin, a skull-faced face with eyes, and a normal tongue. Strangely, it violently kills the Queen that birthed it and instead seems to recognize the Ripley clone as its "mother". The creature is also capable of showing different emotions, like anger or sadness. It also grows at an alarming speed: after about 10 minutes, it was more than 2 meters. It is unknown if it has more growing stages due to it being killed off shortly after its birth (in the meantime, it grew another half meters).
It is ultimately killed by a guilt-ridden Ripley clone when she burns a hole in a glass window with her acid blood, causing the Newborn to be sucked from the ship into Earth's atmosphere.
'PredAlien'
The result of a facehugger impregnating a Predator (or in some cases, a deliberate genetic recombination by human scientists), the "PredAlien" has been featured in many AvP videogames, but it is not until Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem that an adult hybrid makes its first movie appearance.
The "PredAlien" share many characteristics with their hosts, such as dreadlocks, mandibles, skin color and a similar roar. They are large, bulky creatures, and in most cases more powerful than regular Xenomorphs. Nevertheless its appearance has been largely different between media.
In Requiem, the "PredAlien" dominates the standard Xenomorphs through violence rather than subtle gesturing and vocalization of the Queen. By siezing a victim's face with its exterior mandibles, the Predalien can then insert its interior jaws into the mouth of its victims whereupon it forcefully deposits up to three embroyos down its vicims throat and into their abdominal cavities. Because the Predalien only does so with human women while it outright kills any male humans it comes across, its possible that the predalien is actually depositing genetic packets that bond to ova cells, effecively overwriting their genetic makeup from human to xenomorph which could suggest that the Predalien in "Requiem" is the saga's first male Xenomorph. Throughout the film, the Predalien leads the Xenomorphs spawned by itself and the facehuggers aboard the alien ship in their assault on the small town of Gunnison, Colorado. Establishing a hive in the town's hospital, the Predalien and the Predator Warrior "Wolf" engage each other in battle at the film's climax and succeed in mortally wounding each other before a tactical nuke dropped by the army incinerates both them and the remaining Xenomorphs
See also
- List of variations of the Xenomorph not given in the films
- Aliens (comic book)
- Space Jockey
- Yautja — the alien species from the film Predator
Citations
- ^ "Raptorial jaws in the throat help moray eels swallow large prey" Mehta and Wainwright, Nature 449, 79-82 (2007)
- ^ Foster, Alan Dean; O'Bannon, Dan, Alien, ISBN 0354044362
- ^ Alien Quadrilogy Boxset: Alien Evolution
- ^ James Cameron, director's commentary, Aliens, Alien Quadrilogy boxset
- ^ Sideshowtoy. URL last accessed 15 February 2006.
- ^ James Cameron, Alien Evolution: Aliens
- ^ a b HR Giger, The Beast Within: The Making of Alien, Alien Quadrilogy Box-set
- ^ Dan O'Bannon, audio commentary, Alien, from the Alien Quadrilogy DVD set
- ^ a b Alien Evolution, in the Alien Quadrilogy box set
- ^ From Alien Director's Cut. 1:30:20-1:32:30 - (hours:minutes:seconds)
- ^ PlanetAVP URL last accessed 23 February 2006.
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) [1]
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
- Knightmare6.com, Aliens FAQ
- The Anchorpoint Essays
