Aliens (fictional race) - Varieties. Biology of xenomorphs: how Aliens work From horror to action films

Xenomorph (Latin Xenomórph from the Greek ξένος - “alien” and μορφή - “form”: “alien life form” or “alien life form”) is a fantastic alien species from the film “Alien” and its sequels. History of the image creation

Name

The screenplay for the 1979 film Alien was originally developed by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

The film's title was decided upon at the end of the script's development. O'Bannon immediately rejected the film's original title, Star Beast, but could not think of another title to replace it. “I was going through names and they were all terrible,” O’Bannon said in an interview, “when all of a sudden this word ‘Alien’ came out of the typewriter. “Alien” is both a noun and an adjective.” The word “Alien” later became the name of the film and, accordingly, the name of the creation itself.

The term Xenomorph (from the Greek ξενος - “alien” and μορφη - “form”) was first used in the film “Aliens”, later in the director’s cut of “Alien 3”. Widely used in games and video games of the expanded Aliens universe.

On the DVD edition of all four Aliens episodes, the Latin name Internecivus raptus was indicated. In the comic book series, another Latin name was given - Linguafoeda acheronsis - in honor of the planetoid LV-426 Acheron, a gas giant satellite in the Zeta Reticulum system, where these creatures were first discovered, according to the legend of the Alien films.

Characters also call the Alien "bug", "creature", "monster", "beast", "dragon", etc.

Image

Initially, the image of the Alien, as well as the interiors of the alien ships found by human astronauts, was created by the Swiss artist Hans Rudolf Giger, who specialized in “dark” themes. He also designed the appearance of the alien creature for the science fiction film Species, which is very similar to Alien in many ways.

The Alien Queen was drawn by the director of the second film, James Cameron, together with artist Stan Winston. Winston's studio created a foam model with full hydraulic control especially for the film. It was this model that was filmed in almost all the scenes of the film that required the presence of the queen in the frame. For this work, the film received an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. It wasn't until the 2004 film Alien vs. Predator that computer simulations of the queen's running and fighting were used. In the film “Aliens,” the Aliens were portrayed by acrobats and stuntmen in disguise, imitating the gait of lizards.

Life cycle Egg

The Royal Facehugger is slightly larger, and can lay two embryos: the first - the queen, and the second - a simple alien, and then it dies.

Embryo

During development, the embryo receives genetic information from the carrier that influences the further development of the xenomorph. The embryo itself has only two chromosomes, and takes the missing ones from the host. this allows you to adapt to the environment. Cases of Alien infection of people, terrestrial animals, Predators and Space Jockeys are shown. Since Aliens sense their own kind, they do not touch the hosts. The development of an ordinary embryo lasts about a day and a half, and that of a queen embryo lasts about a week. Removing the embryo is not possible. Even surgically. The fact is that once inside the host, the embryo creates something like a placenta, which connects to the host’s organs. When the embryo is removed, there is a slow loss of organ function, and as a result, the death of the carrier.

Breastbreaker A mature embryo is called a “breast”, since it is removed from the host’s body by gnawing through the chest (in humans and other vertebrates), as a result of which the host dies. The breastfish is small in size and has no limbs, but in the film “Alien 3” the breastfish differed from the adult stage only in size. Covered with light skin. The queen breastbreaker has rudiments of a collar. Interestingly, the design of the creature proposed by Giger was considered unsuccessful in this case, and the final image of the breastbreaker was created by Ridley Scott and Roger Dicken. The main activity during this period of development is searching for shelter, eating food for rapid growth and development into an adult. An adult Grudolom, having consumed a sufficient amount of food, begins to develop rapidly, sheds its “milky skin” several times as it grows, and in a few hours reaches a size of 2-3 meters. At the end of growth, the adult can be classified as one of the varieties. The shell is usually dark in color. In films, adults, apart from “hybrid” varieties, are always black. In the future, much more slowly, the growth of the creature and the formation of its appearance continues.

Varieties

Soldiers and drones

They are responsible for protection and hunting, expanding living space, building a hive, collecting food, feeding the queen and caring for eggs. Under normal conditions, these individuals are not capable of reproduction, but in the absence of a queen they can lay from one to three eggs. Also, if the queen dies, an ordinary Alien can become a new queen and begin laying eggs like a full-fledged queen.

Externally, the drone and the soldier differ in size and head covering. Drones appear in the films "Alien", "Alien: Resurrection", "Alien vs. Predator", soldiers - in the films "Aliens" and "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem". In comics and computer games, several castes stand out among them, differing in appearance and behavior.

Queen

The Queen or Queen is the main and largest individual in the colony. The rest obey her unquestioningly, even if it costs them their lives. Moves only on two large limbs. Her exoskeleton is so durable that standard 10mm kinetic weapons cannot penetrate it. Unlike the constantly changing soldiers, from the moment she grows up, the queen’s appearance remains practically unchanged: her head is adorned with a huge comb-like “crown”, which turns into a head cover, the presence of additional limbs on her chest, the presence of huge spikes on her back instead of small breathing tubes, but her main feature - the presence of an umbilical cord of the ovipositor. This translucent biopolymer sac filled with eggs is so huge that because of it the queen cannot move independently and is therefore in a “cradle” - a kind of hammock made of salivary threads and strips of biopolymer resin that support the queen and her ovipositor in a suspended state. However, in case of danger, the queen is able to break off the umbilical cord of the ovipositor and move independently, after which after some time she can grow a new ovipositor and fulfill her destiny.

There is also a known fact, mentioned in Ridley Scott's books, that an adult queen, having fully completed her development, has an intelligence superior to that of an ordinary human. Also, a sign of intelligence can be seen in the film “Aliens”. When Ellen Ripley first demonstrated the action of a flamethrower and then pointed the barrel at the eggs laid by the queen, the queen understood her intentions and, in order to preserve them, ordered the two soldiers who were about to attack Ripley to retreat. Another time, the queen understood the transport purpose of the elevator, and then used it.

Runner

The Runner is a four-legged form of the Alien, the result of the development of an embryo in the animal's body. It is smaller and slightly faster than ordinary individuals, spits acid, and there are no visible breathing tubes on its back. First shown in the film "Alien 3", where the carrier is a dog. In the hive, thanks to their agility and speed, runners play the role of scouts and food getters.

Ripley Clones

From the remains of the deceased Ellen Ripley, infected by the Alien, she was cloned 8 times in the film “Alien: Resurrection”. The clones combined Alien and human properties to varying degrees, and also possessed Ripley's memory and Alien instincts. The first 6 clones turned out to be non-viable or soon died. Clone No. 7 was destroyed at her own request by Clone No. 8, who was completely humanoid and outwardly indistinguishable from the real Ripley, was able to survive.

Newborn The newborn is a human-Alien hybrid from the movie Alien: Resurrection.

The newborn is very different from ordinary individuals - it is larger, covered with translucent skin, and does not have a tail. Its short skull resembles that of a human. The eyes, nose, teeth and tongue are also more likely to be human. He is quite intelligent and capable of expressing emotions through facial expressions.

Predalien

Alien (from Predator - “Predator” and Alien - “Alien”) is a special type of Alien, a product of the development of an embryo in the Predator’s body. They have both the features of ordinary Aliens and some features of a Predator, for example, mandibles and dreadlocks. It was first illustrated by artist Dave Dorman in 1992. Then he became a character in books, comics and computer games. Later, in 2003, he appeared at the end of the film “Alien vs. Predator” in the form of a chest crusher, and in the sequel “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” he became an adult. In the film, it has the ability to directly implant an embryo into the human body, and in quantities of up to 4-5 pieces. The Alien Predator is a kind of “shame” for the Predator family, because it is a sign of the Aliens’ victory over the Predators and therefore for the Predator who killed the Spawn it is a huge honor.

Praetorian

The Praetorian is an elite hive soldier. The Praetorian is many times larger and stronger than the Alien Drone and Alien Soldier, but smaller than the Queen. When the hive population grows to a significant size, the queen chooses Aliens from among her subjects to become her personal guards - the Praetorians. Having received “permission” for further development, future Praetorians must leave the hive as soon as possible, otherwise they will be torn to pieces by their own, since their bodies during the development process begin to produce pheromones that irritate other Aliens. During the molt, Praetorians live separately from the community, obtaining their own food and avoiding encounters with other xenomorphs. Most of the praetorian candidates die, but the best are selected in this way. At the end of the moult, the Praetorian returns to the hive, becoming the queen's constant guard. The Praetorian no longer participates in the main life of the hive. Praetorians are either in the hive or in its vicinity. Praetorians only evolve from soldiers, drones, and sometimes runners. Alien predators can also become Praetorians, an example of this is the alien predator in the film “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem”. Physiology: outwardly, a Praetorian resembles a soldier who has grown twice as tall. Such a monster has enormous strength, powerful horns and higher intelligence. However, due to their heavy armor, they cannot move along walls and ceilings. The Praetorians have the right to command the rest of the Aliens, setting up ambushes and traps for their opponents.

Queen Mother

The various Queen Mothers are the supreme leaders of all types of xenomorphs, with other Queens and Empresses subordinate to them. Each Queen Mother rules her own variety of Aliens, such as black or red. They have telepathy and empathy. They are distinguished by five spines on the edge of the crest instead of three, like ordinary queens.

Empress

The Empress appears in Aliens Online and Aliens vs. Predator 2". A particularly large and ancient queen. Even stronger and more durable. It is possible that the queens in Aliens versus Predator (2010) and Aliens: Infestation are also Empresses.

Crusher

This Alien is an evolved form of the runner. He has a huge head with which he rams everything in his path. It is difficult to kill him, since the head of this Alien also plays the role of a shield. Appears in "Aliens Colonial Marines"

Alien mutant

Alien warriors mutated as a result of a nuclear explosion on LV-246. Completely blind. Focus on noise. The attack is a self-detonation. Appears in "Aliens Colonial Marines"

Spitter

Another type of mutated Aliens. Their heads glow in the dark. They spit acid from a decent distance. Very fast. Appears in "Aliens Colonial Marines"

Underdeveloped Praetorian Essentially the same Praetorian, only not fully developed. A distinctive feature is the head like that of a warrior. Only one individual is found. Only large-caliber weapons are suitable against him. Also, serious damage can be caused by a blow from the forklift arm. Appears in "Aliens Colonial Marines"

Hive

To create a hive, one facehugger entering a populated area may be enough. Once the xenomorph reaches the adult stage in the absence of a queen, it will transform first into a Praetorian, then into a queen. Having found a suitable isolated area, usually in the warmest place, and having eaten, it will grow an ovipositor and lay its first eggs. The first facehuggers will either attack those who approach, or will leave the hive and find carriers on their own. The hatched xenomorphs, having reached the adult stage in freedom, will return to the hive, where they will feed the queen and take care of the eggs as soldiers and drones. From this moment on, the facehuggers will not have to leave the hive, since the adults themselves will deliver future carriers there. Alien Anatomy Structure

The elongated head, covered with the shell of a bone helmet, ends with a blunt forehead shield, which turns into a toothy mouth, inside which hides the inner jaw, extending about 30-40 centimeters. The chest is protected by external ribs that converge on the back, forming a segmented shell from which emerge four corrugated tubes of curved trachea - the respiratory organs. In the absence of a favorable environment, breathing and other important vital functions are transferred to another position. All the necessary substances are obtained as a result of complex biochemical processes directly in the body of the individual. The shoulders, forearms, thighs and shins are covered with protective ribbed plates. The long vertebral tail with a spear-shaped tip serves as a counterweight, helping to coordinate precise movements and quickly change directions of running, while also serving as a weapon used to inject a paralyzing neurotoxin into the body of the victim. Also in films you can see how Aliens very often use their tails as “whips” with a pointed tip, which is very effective in close-range combat.

In terms of their internal structure, Aliens are similar to insects. These creatures are facultative anaerobes. There are two types of energy supply: in the absence of oxygen, amino acids, sugar and fatty acids are fermented; in the presence of oxygen, oxidation occurs in the usual way, through the trachea. Metabolic products are excreted into the intestines, where water is absorbed, and dehydrated excretory products are excreted. Diet: Most protein compounds of animal origin that can be ingested. Accelerated metabolism promotes rapid regeneration of the entire body.

Aliens do not have a single center for the entire nervous system - their nervous system is of the nodular type. There is only a complex of sensory organs from which nerve trunks extend, which converge into a number of large nerve nodes under the most protected parts of the body by silicon-metal shields, so even if one of the nerve nodes is damaged, the Alien still remains combat-ready. The bulk of neurons are concentrated in these interconnected nodes; the largest node located in the head is an analogue of the brain. The connections in the nodal nervous system are rigidly fixed, instead of synapses there is direct innervation, this gives an advantage in the speed and accuracy of responses. Unlike the queen, who has a more developed intellect, the intelligence of an ordinary Alien, although superior to that of an animal, is inferior to that of a human (approximately at the level of monkeys), however, the amazing ability to adapt, highly developed instincts and the ability to mimicry give him an undeniable advantage in battle. Physiology

The circulatory system is not closed: the heart with holes sucks in the blood located between the organs and pushes it through the vessels to various parts of the body, where it is pushed out into the cracks between the organs. Lytic enzymes in the blood transform it into organic high-molecular sulfonic acid - real antifreeze, which allows the xenomorph not to be afraid of low temperatures. This substance is a unique absorbent, it is very toxic and even at low concentrations kills any infection. After the death of a creature, acidic blood fills the space between the cells, reacting with the intercellular fluid and being neutralized, partially oxidizes some tissues.

The metabolic activity of Aliens is not inhibited under almost any environmental conditions. Interstitial fluid is capable of absorbing oxygen and nitrogen from the atmosphere necessary for cell metabolism, isolating the necessary components from any gas mixtures and delivering them to tissues, and the ability to control internal pressure over a wide range helps to withstand even the vacuum of space for a long time. Accordingly, it can survive in space. It does not emit heat, since the internal body temperature is equal to the ambient temperature, as a result of which the Alien is not visible in the infrared spectrum.

The endocrine and exocrine glands produce high molecular weight blood acid, a neurotoxic paralytic poison, biopolymer resin and pheromones. The toxin introduced by the Alien into the victim’s body selectively paralyzes some functions of the cortex and brain stem, completely immobilizing the victim. However, the poison does not affect the functioning of the lungs, heart and glands, but only sharply slows it down. Poison is only used in some games. In the films, the presence of poison was hinted at only in one scene in the film Aliens, when the queen tried to hit Ripley, who was in a working robot, with her tail.

Sense organs They navigate by smell using a pheromone locator. They sense electromagnetic radiation and use low-frequency ultrasound for navigation. It is unknown what kind of vestibular apparatus the Aliens have, but they are capable of dramatically changing their position in all three planes without losing orientation in space. Aliens easily distinguish androids from people and usually do not touch them.

Lifespan

Life expectancy is unknown, but some queens were many thousands of years old, for example, the Matriarch Queen in Aliens versus Predator (2010) was about 100,000 years old. The age of soldiers can also be measured in millennia. Old Aliens are distinguished by a light gray color and less strength and speed. Relationships with other species

With Predators

In the movie Alien: Resurrection and the game and comic book of the same name, Aliens were cloned by the military on the Auriga spaceship. In the game "Aliens versus Predator", the Weyland-Yutani corporation used Aliens to create security cyborgs, the so-called Xenoborgs, and created hybrids of Aliens and Predators. In the game Aliens versus Predator 2, the Weyland-Yutani removed Aliens using defenseless colonists and examined them. In the comic “Aliens: Sacrifice” (Russian: Aliens: Sacrifice), people left a cloned child for the Alien every two days, and for this he did not touch them. In the comic book Aliens: Alchemy, Aliens were the subject of a cult. In the comic book "Green Lantern Versus Aliens" (Green Lantern vs. Aliens), Hal Jordan did not kill the Aliens, but, considering them just animals, transferred them to the planet Mogo, which brought obvious troubles for the crew of the ship, which made an emergency landing there.

Planets where Aliens were encountered Earth

In the films "Alien vs. Predator", "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem", "Batman: Dead End"

Many thousands of years ago, Predators bred Aliens in a temple located in Antarctica and hunted them. When the situation got out of control, the temple was destroyed.

In October 2004, researchers accidentally awakened Aliens in Antarctica. The Predators found out about this, and three of them arrived at the scene. The Queen managed to free herself and mortally wounded the last of the Predators, but was drowned in the ocean. The rest of the Aliens were killed earlier.

The remains of the Predator were taken onto the ship by his relatives. On the ship, a chestnut hatched from it. The ship crashes near a small town and is overrun by Aliens. To stop them, the city is destroyed by an atomic bomb.

Analogies of Aliens and real-life animals

Outwardly, Aliens do not look like insects - they are a figment of the artist’s imagination. But their habits and social structure are borrowed from earthly colonial animals.

Arthropods shed their hard outer coverings as they grow.

Termites are practically blind and prefer darkness. The dwelling is built from their own waste and auxiliary materials. Foragers leave the nest at night in species that do not build tunnels for their movement. Termites can cause corrosion of metals. Their queen is not able to move independently, and she is fed by workers.

Ants are similar to termites, but they are faster, stronger and have a tough chitinous covering. Their body produces formic acid, which causes muscle paralysis in the enemy.

In bees, parthenogenesis is characteristic of an unfertilized queen, although in this case only drones emerge from the eggs. The jaws of the uterus are serrated, while those of the female workers are smooth. Female workers have a retractable tongue.

But the idea of an internal retractable jaw was actually borrowed from naiads - dragonfly larvae - which have a greatly elongated lower “lip” that forms a grasping organ - a mask. When capturing prey, it is thrown forward and, when at rest, covers its head from below and/or from the sides. The goblin shark also has “retractable” jaws, slightly reminiscent of the Alien’s jaws. The jaws of moray eels work in a similar way.

The sphex wasp paralyzes the nerve centers of its victim and leaves an egg nearby. The hatched larva begins to eat the motionless insect. The parasites lay an egg in the body of a living insect, and the larva eats it from the inside. The eggs of some insects can wait a long time for favorable conditions.

Many spiders wrap their prey in a cocoon.

The eusocial makeup of colonies, immunity to acids, poikilothermia, the ability to survive in the absence of oxygen, insensitivity to pain, as well as an acute sense of smell and touch are characteristic of naked mole rats.

Rotifers Bdelloidea, through horizontal gene transfer, obtain genetic information from the organisms they feed on. This process allows them to bypass sexual fertilization.

When hunting, scorpions use a poisonous sting at the end of the “tail” if the victim is too strong to cope with “hand-to-hand.”

A mole can dig under a victim located on the surface and drag it underground.

Unlike science fiction, there are no predators in nature in which adult individuals would eat victims of the same species that serves as a host for the larvae of these predators.

The theme of the consequences of a collision between a person and the unknown is always popular both in cinema and in art in general - from the cult opuses of Howard Lovecraft to the novels of Steve Perry. But often the unknown takes on specific forms, sometimes very cute like Spielberg’s, but mostly monstrous and deadly.

Cult movie character

Back in 1979, the young director, for whom the now legendary “Alien” was only his second full-length work in a big movie, created a picture that forever defined the face of sci-fi horror. Films about “Alien” are still released regularly. And other film stories often borrow elements of Scott’s masterpiece, which is not surprising, because “Alien” is a rare case when all the components are perfect: a gifted, ambitious director, a competent script, an unsurpassed cast and phenomenal work by the artists. Over time, the alien cinematic universe grew and acquired its own hierarchy of individuals, among which the alien Praetorian occupied not the least place.

Prince

The individual, called the Praetorian, definitely attracts attention, since it is several times more powerful, stronger and larger in size than an alien-drone or alien-soldier. In terms of his parameters, he is second only to the Queen, which is why he is often called the Prince. In short, he looks so terrifying that Jung and Freud would hug each other and cry with joy.

The Alien Praetorian has an impressive bony crest, almost identical to the Queen's. The powerful horny cover makes the monster invulnerable to any type of small arms. The height of the individual ranges from three to four meters. He has a by no means primitive intellect, he is capable of setting up ambushes and traps for the enemy, and commanding other xenomorphs. For all these advantages, he is positioned in the classification as an elite soldier of the hive. The Praetorian has a frightening beauty that combines the disgusting and the attractive overnight. There is an opinion that, if absolutely necessary, they can develop into a full-fledged Queen.

Transformations

When the hive population reaches its maximum size, the Queen selects several candidates from among her subjects to become her personal bodyguards. Having passed the selection, individuals receive royal “permission” for further transformation. Since the process is accompanied by a strong release of pheromones, the monsters must urgently leave the territory of the hive. Otherwise, they will be torn apart by their relatives, who are incredibly irritated by the products of the external secretion of the alien Praetorian at the stage of mutation. During the period of the process of changing integuments, the chosen ones live outside the population, independently obtaining food and diligently avoiding encounters with their own kind.

Return to the family

Most individuals cannot withstand the modification and die, but these sacrifices are justified - this is how the weak are weeded out and the best remain. At the final stage of molting, the alien Praetorian returns to the hive and begins its new duties. Now he is inseparable from the Queen, her personal bodyguard. Caring only about ensuring the safety of the Uterus, the monster does not take an active part in the main life of the xenomorph colony. They rarely leave the hive, only if there is an immediate threat.

Praetorians can evolve not only from soldiers and drones, but also from Alien Predators. This fact is confirmed by an individual in the film “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” who has a crown.

The disadvantages of elite soldiers include their inability to climb vertical surfaces, which is explained by the presence of impressive size, a bony crest and large body mass.

This type of xenomorph is more often found in the expanded Alien universe than in cinema, including books, comics, computer games, and toy lines.

Who are these xenomorphs? What appearance do they have? Whose idea was it to create a story about these creatures? What types of aliens (xenomorphs) exist? Answers to these and other questions can be found in our publication.

Creating an image

The idea of a story about an alien xenomorph monster belongs to the authors of the script for the film “Alien” - Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon. Initially, the horror film was planned to be presented to the audience under the name “Star Beast”. However, the producers of the film decided to abandon this option. The definition of “Alien” came out of the scriptwriters’ pens quite by accident. It was this word that later became the name of the bloodthirsty alien creature and appeared in the title of a whole series of successful films.

Xenomorph - this term appeared after the release of the second film “Aliens” (1986). Later, the definition began to be often applied to space creatures in the presented cinematic universe. In particular, this is what these creatures were called in the film “Alien vs. Predator.” The term has also been found in numerous video games.

It is worth noting that the xenomorph is an image that belongs to the famous artist Giger. It was he who worked on creating the appearance of the monster during preparation for the filming of the first film. In addition, the artist is the author of the sketches on the basis of which the interior of spaceships and the appearance of the scenery in the popular franchise were developed.

Appearance

Xenomorphs are fantastic bipedal creatures whose bodies have the ideal biological qualities necessary for survival in the harsh conditions of space. Being predators, such creatures have a wide arsenal of devices that bring death to any enemy. First of all, attention is drawn to their second jaw, which extends like a piston from the main toothy mouth. However, before biting the victim, xenomorphs prefer to grab it with their long clawed paws.

Another deadly part of the xenomorph's body is its powerful tail, divided into numerous segments. At its end there is a sharp tip that resembles a dagger or the tip of a spear. The tail often serves as an alien not only a piercing weapon, but also a device that allows one to knock down and disorient the enemy.

Xenomorphs have an elongated skull shape, where there are no clearly defined facial features. The main part of the head is occupied by a huge mouth. The organs of vision and hearing in such creatures are not externally visible. However, according to assumptions, xenomorphs are able to navigate in space thanks to rudimentary sensory organs. In the back area, such creatures contain breathing tubes.

Types of xenomorphs

Then comes the stage of embryonic development, which takes several days. During this period, the young individual adopts some genetic characteristics of the intermediate host.

Mature xenomorphs are called "breastbreakers". The latter rupture the body shell of the carrier, as a result of which he certainly dies. Such a creature leads a secretive lifestyle until it reaches the size of an adult.

Mentions in films

Xenomorphs appear in the following films:

"Alien" (1979).
"Aliens" (1986).
"Alien 3" (1992).
"Alien 4: Resurrection" (1997).
"Alien vs. Predator" (2004).
"Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" (2007).
"Prometheus" (2012).
"Alien: Covenant" (2017).

Good afternoon friends!

Today we will continue our story about the fictional race of xenomorphs, which we all know as Aliens, begun in the post « » and let's talk a little about how James Cameron filmed his film of the same name.

But first, let's talk about what types of aliens there are.

Soldiers and drones.

They are responsible for protection and hunting, as well as expanding living space, building a hive, collecting food, feeding the queen and caring for eggs. Externally, the drone and the soldier differ in size (the soldier is slightly larger) and head covering. Smooth - from the drone:

Ribbed - for a soldier:

Drones appear in films "Stranger" , "Alien: Resurrection" , "Alien vs. Predator" , soldiers - in films "Aliens" And .

Queen

The main and largest individual in the colony, several times larger than an ordinary Alien. Moves only on two large limbs. Unlike the constantly changing soldiers, from the moment she grows up, the queen’s appearance remains virtually unchanged: her head is decorated with a huge comb-like “crown”, which turns into a head cover, the presence of additional limbs on the chest, on the back, instead of breathing tubes, it is equipped with spikes.

But its main feature is the presence of an umbilical cord of the ovipositor. This translucent biopolymer sac filled with eggs is so huge that because of it the queen cannot move independently and is therefore in a “cradle” - a kind of hammock made of salivary threads and strips of biopolymer resin that support the queen and her ovipositor in a suspended state. However, in case of danger, the queen is able to break off the umbilical cord of the ovipositor and move independently, after which after some time she can grow a new ovipositor.

An adult queen, having fully completed her development, has an intelligence superior to that of an ordinary human. Also signs of intelligence are visible in the film "Aliens" . When Ellen Ripley first demonstrated the action of a flamethrower and then pointed the barrel at the eggs laid by the queen, the queen understood her intentions and, in order to preserve them, ordered the two soldiers who were about to attack Ripley to retreat. Another time, the queen understood the transport purpose of the elevator, and then used it.

During the filming of the film Aliens, in 1986, James Cameron and his team of technicians, for filming scenes of the Queen’s fight with the Loader, built a 4-meter hydro-mechanical structure, individual parts of which could move independently, due to hydraulic drives.

Decorative elements of the Queen's body parts were attached to this frame.

However, in some frames uncovered elements of supporting structures are visible. Let me remind you that almost no computer editing techniques were used in the film. Cameron began testing these technologies only in 1989, during the filming of the film "Abyss" , preparing the technical basis for Terminator 2.

Helen's loader was almost a real robot, the only difference being that it was controlled using a large number of cables connected to it. But thanks to special shooting angles, they are not visible in the frame, and a complete illusion is created that this is truly an autonomous mechanism.

To shoot some wide-plane scenes, miniature models were used.

But let's continue talking about the species.

Runner.

The four-legged form of the Alien, the result of the development of an embryo in the animal's body. It is smaller and slightly faster than normal individuals, and spits acid. First shown in the film "Alien 3" , where the carrier is a dog (in the director's version of the film - a bull). In the hive, thanks to their agility and speed, runners play the role of scouts and food getters.

Newborn

Human-Alien hybrid from the film "Alien: Resurrection."

As a result of genetic intervention by humans to create a clone of the dead Ripley, infected by the Alien queen, the cloned queen at some point stops laying eggs and gives birth to a new creature. The newborn is very different from ordinary individuals - it is larger, covered with translucent skin, and does not have a tail. Its short skull resembles that of a human, including its pronounced eye sockets. The eyes, nose, teeth and tongue instead of a double jaw are also more human-like. He is quite intelligent and capable of expressing emotions through facial expressions.

Predalien

A special type of Alien, a product of the development of an embryo in the body of a Predator. They have both the features of ordinary Aliens and some features of a Predator, for example, mandibles and dreadlocks. It was first illustrated by artist Dave Dorman in 1992. Then he became a character in books, comics and computer games. Later, in 2004, appeared at the end of the film "Alien vs. Predator" , in the form of a chestbreaker, and in continuation "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" became an adult. In the film, it has the ability to directly introduce an embryo into the human body, and in quantities of up to 4-5 pieces, since it is not an ordinary individual, but an intermediate species between an adult alien and the queen.

Deacon

Appears in the film "Prometheus" , which was originally intended to be a prequel to Alien, shows partial backstory to the emergence of Aliens as a species. Over the course of the film, the archaeologists become infected with the biological technology of the space jockeys (referred to as the Creators in this film). As a result, a squid-like creature (called the Trilobite by the authors) is removed from the body of one of the women. Soon it grows into a huge monster and attacks the only surviving Creator and introduces something into his body, after which a creature emerges from the Jockey’s body, vaguely similar to an adult Alien and called “Deacon” by the film’s director, Ridley Scott, due to the shape of its head. , similar to the miter of priests. It has a gray color, a sharper skull shape and elongated jaws. His build and limbs are more humanoid. Instead of two retractable jaws, this creature has one additional upper jaw near the roof of the mouth. In addition, there are no breathing tubes on the back and a tail. The creators make no mention of the connection between the deacon and the Aliens.

At the moment, the universe of aliens has long gone beyond the limits of the film adaptations known to us, and includes a large number of comics, computer games and various literary works, which together give us at least thirteen more different types of aliens, incl. The Empress, as a particularly ancient variety of the Queen, flying aliens, Praetorians, Spitters and many other similar reptiles.

You will find even more stories about cinematic characters in the section "

The Alien, or xenomorph - a creepy alien monster with an elongated skull, two pairs of jaws, a sharp tail and acidic blood - is known even to those who are not familiar with the film of the same name and its sequels. But they are definitely worth watching. After all, in addition to the legendary monster, “Alien” gave birth to an original and dark universe that continues to develop to this day, and not only on movie screens.

The appearance of the Alien

It's hard to imagine that such a huge franchise was born due to a lucky coincidence. When working on the Alien script, Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett did not expect their names to go down in cinema history. The original plot of Alien was far from what viewers saw: producers David Giler and Walter Hill rewrote it more than once. It was they who included the android Ash in the plot, adding notes of sci-fi drama to the horror. The result was an incredibly beautiful and daring film for its era about how seven space truckers find an abandoned ship with the larvae of unknown creatures on a distant planet. One of which gets on board their vessel and causes a bloodbath.

The idea of making ordinary hard workers the heroes of the film turned out to be successful. It was easy for viewers to associate themselves with such characters, empathize with them and understand the motives for their actions

The film was incredibly lucky with its design. O'Bannon collaborated on Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune, and although the project was canceled, it allowed the screenwriter to become familiar with the work of Hans Rudi Giger, both horrifying and erotic. Alien director Ridley Scott also liked Giger's work. The artist was tasked with coming up with the appearance of an alien at all stages of development, the setting of an alien ship and views of another planet. His facehugger models were so realistic that when he tried to bring them to filming in the USA, Giger was detained at customs. They couldn't believe that this was just decoration.

Frighteningly realistic and at the same time alien to our world, the biomechanical designs of Hans Rudi Giger are impressive at first glance. It’s unlikely that “Alien” would have become a cult film if a less eccentric and talented artist had worked on its design

Director Ridley Scott, the make-up artists, the set designers, and, of course, the cast gave their best. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley has become no less a striking image of a strong fantasy heroine than Princess Leia from Star Wars.

The story opened up enormous possibilities for creating sequels and prequels to suit every taste. The space of “Alien,” according to the canons of good old science fiction, is not at all friendly and is fraught with a lot of dangers and discoveries - just like the Earth with sinister corporations and robots that are indistinguishable from people that have seized power.

Alien Biology

An alien, or xenomorph (from a combination of the Greek words "alien" and "form"), is an upright creature that is composed of both organic and inorganic matter and has two powerful jaws, a sharp tail, a durable exoskeleton and acidic blood. The life cycle of an Alien consists of several stages.

The structure of a xenomorph colony resembles an anthill or a beehive. There are several types of Aliens, differing in appearance and abilities. The largest and smartest - queen. She lays eggs for procreation and manages the hive. Its inhabitants are divided into workers and larger and more aggressive warriors. The appearance and abilities of Aliens may vary depending on whose organism they used for development. There are more types of Aliens in comics and games than in the movies, and they can change their specialization if necessary. But it is not entirely clear which species, besides those shown in the films, can be considered canonical.

From horror to action films

Despite the excellent box office of Alien, Fox was in no hurry to greenlight the sequel. Few people had any idea in which direction to develop the series. As a result, David Giler bet on the up-and-coming director James Cameron. His script for The Terminator impressed the producer, and Cameron became both the screenwriter and director of the sequel, Aliens.

Through Cameron's efforts, the series turned from a horror film into an action film. The director was a longtime fan of Heinlein's Starship Troopers and wanted to make a film not about helpless victims, but about future soldiers ready to face an unknown threat. Their story reflected Cameron's interest in the Vietnam War. Like American soldiers, the Marines in the film are well armed and trained, but meeting an unknown enemy on foreign soil turns into a real nightmare for them.

After Ripley defeated the Alien Queen with the help of a robot loader, such devices became a popular weapon for fighting evil creatures

The Alien universe was perfect for an action movie, and even Ripley, who survived the first part, fit into the plot without any problems. For fifty years, while she was in cryogenic sleep, a colony was founded on the ill-fated planet where her team encountered the Alien. Communication with its inhabitants is cut off, and an armed detachment is sent there to investigate. Ripley flies with him, hoping that defeating an old enemy will help her restore her reputation and get rid of her nightmares. It's not hard to guess what happens next. Instead of one natural killer, the squad encounters a whole brood of creatures that have made the colony their home.

“Aliens” became a rare sequel that surpassed the original in popularity. The fast pace, bloody action and brave heroine impressed both audiences and critics. In addition, Cameron's imagination expanded the Aliens universe. It turned out that xenomorphs have an intelligent queen capable of laying eggs, and they themselves are divided into soldiers and workers, like ants or bees. Not only strong and tenacious, but also smart and organized aliens have become worthy opponents for people.

After Aliens, Ellen Ripley was jokingly nicknamed Rambolina. Well, she looks no worse than Stallone’s hero. And he can deal with enemies and save civilians

Evil corporation

The Weyland-Yutani Corporation is constantly trying to get its hands on a sample of the Alien. The main direction of its activity is the exploration of new planets and the production of all the equipment necessary for this, from spaceships to spacesuits and on-board food. It also produces androids indistinguishable from humans. The corporation appeared as a result of the merger of the American company Weiland and the Japanese Yutani. And although the company's history is told differently in Prometheus and the original tetralogy, its business model remains the same. Weyland-Yutani is a classic evil corporation that is ready to do anything to get new technologies and make money from them. She sends colonists to a planet inhabited by Aliens, conducts inhumane experiments and eliminates their witnesses. According to Ripley, it is not clear who is worse: Aliens who kill out of instinct or people who are ready to kill each other for profit.

Fall and oblivion

By the time work began on the third part of the saga, the authors' luck had turned away. The producers couldn't decide how to develop the story. Several scripts were written for Alien 3. But Shusett and O’Bannon were not satisfied with the story about the conflict between two powers competing in the development of biological weapons, about the transformation of animals on an agricultural colony into Aliens, or about the meeting of hermit monks with xenomorphs.

As a result, the film was based on a plot about criminals on a prison planet who are fighting a monster. Ripley gets there in the company of a facehugger, who upon arrival infects a dog with the Alien larva. Ripley again has to hunt a monster, this time especially fast, and the local prisoners are not eager to help her. In addition, the embryo of the Alien queen is developing inside the heroine herself, after which unscrupulous agents of the corporation are already flying.

Unfortunately, due to a conflict between the producers and director David Fincher, it was not possible to adequately present the story. The disagreements were so strong that the young director left the project as soon as he finished filming, and the film was edited without him. As a result, instead of a masterpiece, an average action movie with chaotic ideas came out. The film did not add anything new to the Alien universe. It just confirmed that xenomorphs can use not only humans for reproduction, and hybrids with other creatures will look a little different.

At the end of the third film, Ripley sacrifices herself to destroy the Alien queen larva living inside her. This could have been a beautiful ending to the heroine’s story. But the greed of the film company overcame common sense

The final scene of Alien 3 could have put a spectacular end to the history of the series. But, despite the protests of the franchise authors, the studio decided to earn some more money. The next script was ordered from Joss Whedon, and the director's chair went to the Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jeunet. They tried to find a fresh look at the series that was losing popularity, but instead they ended up with a film that was associated only with Ripley and xenomorphs with Alien. The interesting themes that the plot could have touched upon were not embodied in the typical story of cool kids exterminating evil aliens.

In the new film, the military clones the Alien queen (and Ripley for company) and breeds several xenomorphs. They scatter throughout the research ship and begin hunting for the crew. This time Ripley has to get rid of them in the company of space pirates. Moreover, the cloned Ripley is practically a superheroine. Thanks to the alien genetic code built into her DNA, she became significantly faster and stronger, and her blood turned into acid. This was not the ending fans were expecting. And the average viewer was not particularly impressed by another typical action movie, as evidenced by the modest box office receipts.

Ripley's clone, combining human and Alien traits, is an interesting character. But he failed to pull “Resurrection” out of the abyss of banality and mediocrity alone

Alien on paper and monitor

After 1997, Aliens disappeared from movie screens for a long time. But the franchise was not forgotten: video games and comics continued to be released about xenomorphs, and a crossover with “Predator” appeared.

Games based on the Alien universe began to be released shortly after the premiere of the first film. First, adventure games appeared for antediluvian computers and consoles, and later arcade machines came into fashion, where xenormorphs could be shot with light pistols. From the mid-nineties to the early 2000s, the horror-shooter hybrids Alien Trilogy and Alien Resurrection and the online team shooter Aliens Online, which was ahead of its time, saw the light of day.

Alien: Colonial Marines was one of the biggest gaming flops of 2013

Of interest to modern audiences may be the two-dimensional side-scroller Aliens Infestation for the Nintendo DS, the controversial shooter Aliens: Colonial Marines, released on PC and consoles of the previous generation, and, of course, Alien: Isolation - an excellent horror game in a retrofuturistic setting that you can play on modern consoles and PCs. The plots of the games do not blow your mind, but they allow you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the series.

Another thing is the amazing Alien: Isolation, in the spirit of the first film

In addition to films and games, many novels and comics based on Alien have been published, both included in the canon and remaining in the status of fan fiction. There are a variety of texts - from stories about how Ripley saves another group of colonists from the clutches of xenomorphs (and in the finale, to avoid inconsistencies with the plots of the films, loses her memory), to large-scale panels about the seizure of the Earth by aliens and the attempts of people to reconquer the planet. In the books, such undeservedly forgotten characters in films as Marine Hicks and the colonist girl Newt from “Aliens” were developed.

Alien and Predator

There were many crossovers involving the Alien, but only one developed into a large-scale series. In 1989, they came up with the idea of pitting an ideal killer against a natural hunter on the pages of the comic book Alien vs. Predator published by Dark Horse. They met on the big screen only in 2004, in the film “Alien vs. Predator.” The spectacle turned out bloody, but stupid. However, this did not prevent the release of a sequel of even lower quality three years later. It is not surprising that the creators of Alien disowned this duology and it is generally considered not to be canon.

The Alien vs. Predator crossover is not considered canon for the Alien series.

But the conflict between Aliens and Predators with people has become an excellent theme for video games. The first-person shooter series developed by Rebellion Developments was particularly successful. In it you could play as a hero of any faction, and each of the three had not only their own plot, but also an individual style of play. These games were loved for their frightening atmosphere and extreme cruelty. Well, where else can you tear out the spine from the back of a living person with your own hands? Except in Mortal Kombat. In the last part of which, by the way, you can play as an Alien and a Predator.

But if stories about fights between Aliens, Predators and humans still look convincing, then it’s hard to look at the covers of comics about the fight between Batman, Superman, Judge Dredd and Green Lantern with xenomorphs without smiling. But they were published not as a parody, but in all seriousness. Superman, for example, had to face an Alien on a planet with little sunlight, which is why the superhero lost some of his strength and was unable to quickly deal with the monster.

Forward to the past

The series truly returned to the big screen in 2012 with the release of Prometheus, an ambitious science-fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. Although it does not lead directly to the story of Alien, it is easiest to characterize it as a prequel to the main series.

The Prometheus starship is flying on a research mission to a distant planet. Scientists have calculated that in numerous drawings left by ancient civilizations, the gods pointed specifically to her. Hoping to find answers to questions about the origin of humanity and the meaning of its existence, the crew explores the ruins of alien buildings, one of which turns out to be a spaceship. He headed for Earth, but his entire crew, with the exception of one humanoid sleeping in a cryogenic chamber, died. An attempt to establish contact with the alien fails: he attacks the people who spoke to him. In addition, the hold of his ship is filled with vessels with black liquid, which causes terrible mutations in people. At the end of the film, this leads to the appearance of a creature similar to the Alien...

Thanks to the beautiful video sequence, “Prometheus” leaves a pleasant impression

"Prometheus" does not shy away from raising eternal questions about faith and the meaning of life, while at the same time discussing such popular themes in science fiction as the relationship between robots and people. Android David, played by Michael Fassbender, seemingly friendly, but in the depths of his digital consciousness harboring a grudge against his creators, became the main pearl of the film. The rest of the characters also turned out to be likable, although they acted illogically for professional researchers. But this is perhaps the only significant complaint about Prometheus. The film is imbued with the spirit of good old science fiction, whose universe is full of alluring and at the same time deadly dangerous secrets. And walking along the dusty paths of a distant abandoned world in the company of heroes turned out to be very pleasant. Not least thanks to the beautiful design of the film, combining Giger's design and modern, expensive special effects.

“Prometheus” complemented the “Aliens” universe well, lifting the veil of secrecy over the origin of the pilot of the alien ship that the heroes of the first film stumbled upon. At the same time, the film left many questions unanswered, hinting at the possibility of a sequel. And he didn’t have to wait long. Alien: Covenant was the first in a trilogy of films connecting the events of Prometheus and Alien. The film was released in May and got rid of some of the shortcomings of “Prometheus” - it brought back the Aliens themselves, answered several long-standing questions of the universe, and besides, it was just as beautiful. But his characters were also at odds with logic... Maybe they’ll fix it in the next film?

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The Alien series turned out to be tenacious, just like the monster of the same name. And although the first two films raised the quality bar so high that it is almost impossible to repeat their success, I still want to see their backstory and continuation. The universe created almost forty years ago, populated by bizarre monsters, insidious robots and unscrupulous employees of giant corporations, continues to excite the imagination. And I want to believe that the skill of the writers and directors will allow the world of Aliens to develop further, and not sink into oblivion.