Xenomorph: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|FictionalAlien franchise fictional extraterrestrial species from the Alien film series}}

The '''xenomorph''' (also known as a '''''Xenomorph XX121''''' or, '''''Internecivus raptus''''', andor simply '''the alien''' or '''the creature'''{{Efn|Common term before the xenomorph crossed over into other universes, such as that of Predator}})<ref name=WYreport>Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report</ref><ref>Alien: Sea of Sorrows</ref><ref name="A2">{{Cite AV media|people=[[Dan O'Bannon]] and [[Ronald Shusett]] (writers) and [[James Cameron]] (director)|title=''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]''|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1986}}</ref><ref name="A3">{{Cite AV media|people=[[Vincent Ward (director)|Vincent Ward]] (writer) and [[David Fincher]] (director)|title=''[[Alien 3]]''|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1992}}</ref> is the made up name of a fictional [[parasitoid|endoparasitoid]] [[Extraterrestrials in fiction|extraterrestrial]] [[species]] that serves as the titletitular main [[antagonist]] of the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'']] and ''[[Alien vs. Predator]]'' franchises.

The species made its debut in the film ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979) and reappeared in the sequels ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' (1986), ''[[Alien 3]]'' (1992), ''[[Alien Resurrection]]'' (1997), and ''[[Alien: Romulus]]'' (2024). The species returns in the prequel series, first with a predecessor in ''[[Prometheus (2012 film)|Prometheus]]'' (2012) and a further evolved form in ''[[Alien: Covenant]]'' (2017),<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gaska|first=Andrew E. C.|title=Alien: The Roleplaying Game|publisher=Free League Publishing|year=2019|pages=284}}</ref> and the 2019 short films ''[[Alien: Containment]]'', ''[[Alien: Specimen|Specimen]]'', ''[[Alien: Night Shift|Night Shift]]'', ''[[Alien: Ore|Ore]]'', ''[[Alien: Harvest|Harvest]]'', and ''[[Alien: Alone|Alone]]''. It also featured in the [[Alien vs. Predator (franchise)|crossover]] films ''[[Alien vs. Predator (film)|Alien vs. Predator]]'' (2004) and ''[[Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem]]'' (2007), with the skull and tail of one of the creatures respectively appearing briefly in ''[[Predator 2]]'' (1990), ''[[Predator: Concrete Jungle]]'' (2005), ''[[Predators (film)|Predators]]'' (2010), and ''[[The Predator (film)|The Predator]]'' (2018), as a protagonist (named '''6''') in the video game ''[[Aliens vs. Predator (2010 video game)|Aliens vs. Predator]]'' (2010), and will return in the upcoming [[FX (international)|FX]] television series ''[[Alien: Earth]]'' (2025). In addition, the xenomorph appears in various literature and video game spin-offs from the franchises.

[[File:Carlo Rambaldi al Giffoni Film Festival 2010 - cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Carlo Rambaldi]], the creator of the mechanical head-effects for the creature, was most famous for designing the title character of the film ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]''.]]

The species' [[binomial name]]s are given in [[Latin]] as either ''[[wikt:internecivus#Latin|Internecivus]] [[wikt:raptus#Latin|raptus]]'' (meant as "murderous thief") in the ''Alien Quadrilogy'' DVD or ''[[wikt:lingua#Latin|Lingua]] [[wikt:foedus#Adjective|foeda]] [[wikt:Acheron#Latin|acheronsis]]'' (meant as "foul tongue from [[Acheron]]")<ref group=NB>With ''acheronsis'' instead of ''[[wikt:acheronensis#Latin|acheronensis]]'', ''[[wikt:acheronteus#Latin|acherontea]]'' or ''[[wikt:acherunticus#Latin|acheruntica]]''.</ref> in some comic books.<ref>The comic book ''[[Aliens versus Predator versus The Terminator]]'' includes the binomial name ''Linguafoeda acheronsis''.</ref> The main Alien from ''[[Alien vs. Predator (film)|Alien vs. Predator]]'' is listed in the credits as "Grid", after a grid-like wound received during the film from a Predator's razor net.<ref name="AvP"/> ''[[Alien: Covenant]]'' actually credits the Alien as Xenomorph, while also listing a different variety of the creature as the [[#Neomorph|Neomorph]].<ref name=covenant>{{Cite AV media|title=[[Alien: Covenant]]|people=[[John Logan (writer)|John Logan]], Dante Harper, Jack Paglen, [[Michael Green (writer)|Michael Green]] (writers); [[Ridley Scott]] (director)|publisher=20th Century Fox|year=2017}}</ref><ref name=neo>{{Cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/alien-covenant-neomorph/|title=Alien Covenant Neomorph Revealed|date=April 20, 2017|website=/Film}}</ref> In ''The Weyland-Yutani Report'', the Alien encountered by the ''Nostromo'' was specifically referred to as "Xenomorph XX121".,<ref name=WYreport/> and this name is spoken out loud by the android Rook in ''[[Alien: Romulus]]''.<ref>{{Cite AV media|title=[[Alien: Romulus]]|people=[[Fede Álvarez]], Rodo Sayagues (writers); Fede Álvarez (director)|publisher=20th Century Studios|year=2024}}</ref>

At its core, the ''xenomorph'' is a hostile parasitic pathogen (Chemical A0-3959X.91) whose mutable [[enzyme|mechanisms]] are signaled by perturbances to its chemistry. It evolves to assume biological and physiological traits of its host, thereby enabling it to adapt to its environment. As the film series has progressed, the creature's design has been modified in many ways, including differing numbers of fingers and limb joints and variations in the design of the Alien's head.

When standing upright, the Aliens are bipedal in form, though, depending on their host species, they will adopt either a hunched stance or remain fully erect when walking, sprinting, or in hotter environments. Their overall stance and general behavior seem to result from the mixture of the respective DNA of the embryo and its host. They have a skeletal, [[biomechanicsbiomechanical art|biomechanical]] appearance and are usually colored in muted shades of black, gray, blue or bronze. Their body heat matches the [[ambient temperature]] of the environment in which they are found, so they do not radiate heat, making them indistinguishable from their surroundings through [[thermal imaging]].<ref name="A2"/><ref name="AvP"/> In most of the films, adult Aliens are capable of running and crawling along ceilings, walls, and other hard surfaces.<ref name="A2"/><ref name="A3"/> They have great physical strength, having been shown to be capable of breaking through welded steel doors over time.<ref name="A2"/>

Alien blood iscontains extremelyconcentrated [[hydrofluoric acid]] and [[sulfuric acid]]ic and is capable of corroding almost any substance on contact with alarming speed. It is dull yellow in color and appears to be pressurized inside the body so that it spurts out with great force when the creature is wounded. [[Ron Cobb]] suggested the idea of the Alien having acidic blood as a plausible means to make the creature "unkillable"; if one were to use traditional firearms or explosives to attack it, its blood would eat through the hull of the ship.<ref>''Alien'' commentary, Alien Quadrilogy boxset</ref> The ''Alien'' novelization suggests that, at least at the "facehugger" stage, the acid is not blood but a fluid maintained under pressure between a double layer of skin.<ref name="fluidnotblood">{{Cite book | last1 =Foster | first1 =Alan Dean | author-link =Alan Dean Foster | last2 =O'Bannon | first2 =Dan | author2-link =Dan O'Bannon | date = 1979 | title =Alien | publisher=Macdonald and Jane's | isbn =0-354-04436-2 | location =London }}</ref> In the ''Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' documentary "Science of the Alien", it is hypothesized that the Aliens' acid blood could contain [[sulfuric acid]] due to its corrosiveness and the conspicuously toxic effects on living human tissue. The documentary also speculates that Aliens are immune to their own acidic and toxic liquids due to an endobiological build-up, similar to the human stomach's ability to protect itself from its own digestive fluids. The documentary takes this hypothesis one step further and speculates that the Alien organism's protection system against its own acidic blood is a bio-organically produced [[Teflon]]-like insulation.<ref>[Shane Salerno (writer) Colin and Greg Strause (directors). (2008). ''Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.]</ref> In the original ''Alien'', the facehugger is shown to be able to "spit" acid, dissolving the faceplate of Kane's helmet and allowing the creature immediate access inside. This ability is also exhibited by adult Aliens in ''Alien 3'' and ''Alien Resurrection''; much like a [[spitting cobra]], they use it to blind their victims.<ref name="A3"/><ref name="A4">{{Cite AV media|people=[[Joss Whedon]] (writer) and [[Jean-Pierre Jeunet]]|title=''[[Alien Resurrection]]''|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1997}}</ref>

During various events in ''Alien Resurrection'' on the ''USM Auriga'', the crossover film ''Alien vs. Predator'', ''Aliens'' on the LV-426 colony Hadley's Hope, and ''Alien 3'' when they are trying to trap the Alien, the species displayed [[observational learning]] & [[problem solving|problem-solving]] skills.<ref name="A2"/><ref name="A4"/> It's also shown the ability to operate machinery at a very basic level, with the Queen in ''[[Aliens]]'' depicted operating an elevator.<ref name="mother" />

On the ''USM Auriga'' in ''Alien Resurrection'', the Aliens kill one of their own, using its blood to melt through their enclosure and escape (according to the novelization, it was inspired to do so from genetic memories inherited from the original Ripley); in ''[[Alien vs. Predator]]'', they use a similar strategy to free the queen from her chains. An Alien also uses acid spurting from its severed tail as an improvised weapon by flicking it, indicating they are fully awareawareness of the effects of their acid blood.

In the original film, it is implied that the Alien cut the lights on board the ''Nostromo.'', though it remains ambiguous. On LV-426, the xenomorphs cut power in a section of the complex to gain access to the humans. In ''Aliens'', the Alien queen learns to use an elevator after observing Ripley and Newt escape in the one beside it.

[[File:Alien (1986) - Alien queen.jpg|thumb|Ripley and Newt encounter a queen in ''Aliens''.]]

The pale-white Neomorph is featured in ''[[Alien: Covenant]]''.<ref name=neo/> It was created through exposure to spores found growing on the Engineer homeworld. The embryonic Neomorph gestates inside the host until it bursts out from wherever in said host they've metastasized (one is seen gaining entry through the ear and emerging from the spine, while a second one, inhaled by nose, later erupts from the host's throat; other means of entry and egress are not made clear), using mostly its head, which is sharp and pointed, not unlike the Deacon. Similarly, the Deacon and Neomorph share the same type of PharangealPharyngeal Jaw (similar to that of a Moray Eel) among other distinctly less biomechanical traits than the traditional xenomorph, though the latter does share with the Neomorph a tail strong enough to cause grevious injury; at one point, a violently thrashing Neomorph tail is seen to instantly remove a human jaw. This behavior is just one of several demonstrating the Neomorph's far more feral nature; they are voracious predators, often eating the corpses of their victims, and they appear to lack their xenomorph cousins' hive structure, possibly since they propagate through mutated animal life.<ref name=covenant/>