Xenomorph

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The Xenomorphs are a species that feature in the Aliens universe.

Contents

History

Infant Xenomorph.

The Xenomorphs were a race of predatory extraterrestrial parasites whose origins were traced to that of the mysterious Engineers. This older civilization were responsible for creating a mutagenic compound that transformed creatures into various forms. Within their civilization, there were murals that depicted organisms that resembled the Xenomorphs.

David 8 later detonated the black liquid over the Engineer homeworld thus ravaging the population which he began to use as part of his experiments. He came to cultivate a number of hybrid parasitic species such as the Neomorphs with these all culminating in him attempting to breed the perfect lifeform.

Overview

Physiology

In appearance, the Xenomorph were parasitic generally humanoid organisms possessing a hard carapace and a tail. Their appearance varied depending on their host and the stage of their life cycle. The most common characteristic though was a hard chitinous exoskeleton that covered them. This skeletal, biomechanical appearance were usually colored in muted shades of black, gray, blue or bronze. Typically, they were bipedal in form that either adopt a more hunched stance, or remain quadrupedal when walking or sprinting. Their body heat matched the ambient temperature of the environment in which they were found and so they did not radiate heat making them indistinguishable from their surroundings through thermal imaging. Adult specimens were capable of running and crawling along ceilings, walls, and other hard surfaces. They had great physical strength having been shown to be capable of breaking through welded steel doors in numbers.

Their dull yellow blood was shown to be an extremely potential acid that was able to corrode almost any substance on contact at incredible speeds. It was seemingly pressured within the body as it often burst out at great force when the creature was wounded with this in turn wounding its attacker.

Lifecycle

The start of their lifecycle began with the laying of an egg that were large leathery ovoid shaped eggs created by a Queen. These were deposited in the ground and gestated the first stage of the creature with these being the Facehugger. These arachnid shaped organisms resided within the egg until it hatched or until another life form was in close proximity. At that point, the Facehugger moved to latch onto the face of the prey where they wrapped their long tail around the neck to force the mouth open. It then attached itself to the face where an ovipositor that dropped an egg inside into the organism. Inside, the egg slowly developed into the next stage of the Xenomorph cycle where it became a creature known as a Chestburster. These serpentine organisms drew nutrients from the host and resided beneath the ribcage. After several hours, the creature matured to the point that they broke through the chest of the host thus killing them allowing the creature to escape. It quickly then escaped to safety and to hide from any threats that could kill it. The Chestburster began to shed its skin over time as it developed into its more mature adult form.

Society

As a society, the Xenomorphs were eusocial life-forms with a caste system ruled over by a queen.

Notes

  • The Alien was created by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Carlo Rambaldi and H. R. Giger and made their first appearance in Alien.
  • The Alien Quadrilogy DVD referred to the Alien as Internecivus raptus (Latin: murderous thief).
  • The film Prometheus established that the Xenomorphs were born as a result of a mutation from the Engineers mutagenic material.
  • The Weyland-Yutani Report had the Alien encountered by the Nostromo being specifically designated as "Xenomorph XX121".

In other media

Video games

  • In Aliens versus Predator 2, Xenomorphs appeared in the setting of the 2001 video game where they featured in the story and as a playable class in the multiplayer mode with Warrior, Runner and Praetorian as playable sub-classes.
  • In Aliens vs. Predator, Xenomorphs appeared in the setting of the 2010 video game. Canisters of Royal Jelly appeared as a collectible item that unlocked a trophy. During the campaign mode, players could take control of an Alien designated as Specimen 8.
  • In Alien: Isolation, a Xenomorph appeared as the primary antagonist in the game set after the events of Aliens.
  • In Mortal Kombat X, the Xenomorph was introduced as a playable character in a DLC pack where it emerges from the Tarkatan Baraka.

Novels

  • In Alien, the Alien appeared in the 1979 novel adaptation of the film which was written by Alan Dean Foster and published by Warner Books. Ash speculated that the Xenomorphs 'saw' by way of electrical impulse, similar to a shark's lateral line.
  • In Aliens, the Aliens appeared in the 1986 novel adaptation of the film which was written by Alan Dean Foster and published by Warner Books. It first introduced the concept of Xenomorph-produced 'royal jelly' with it being mentioned by Bishop.

Comics

Appearances

  • Alien:
  • Aliens:
  • Alien 3:
  • Alien: Resurrection:
  • Alien versus Predator:
  • Alien versus Predator: Requiem:
  • Prometheus:
  • Alien: Covenant:

External Link

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