There are dozens of iconic aliens that have come from the sci-fi genre, but the Alien franchise may have provided one of the absolute scariest. The Xenomorph first appeared in Alien, where it immediately left its mark on the sci-fi genre with all the horrific things it did to the crew of the Nostromo. Unfortunately for humanity, there is far more than just a single Xenomorph to worry about.
Over the years, fans have been able to see a wide array of different Xenomorphs as the franchise has rolled on. While they typically share the same core design, it is clear that not all Xenomorphs serve the same function. It’s finally time to take a look at Xenomorphs and see how the terrifying alien species has changed over the decades.
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The Life Cycle Of The Xenomorph
The Life Cycle Of The Xenomorph:
- Egg
- Facehugger
- Chestburster
- Adult
Typically just listed out as a variety of different Xenomorphs, the creepy alien species does have a unique lifecycle that sees them taking on many different forms. Xenomorphs start as simple eggs that have been laid by Xenomorph Queens, but interestingly they seem to be able to act as independent creatures instead of standard eggs, with Xenomorph eggs having the ability to feed and even open to release Facehuggers. Speaking of which, Facehuggers are the next stage of the Xenomorph lifecycle, a relatively short stage that sees them attempting to attach to the face of the nearest living creature in order to implant a Xenomorph embryo, with the Facehugger then dying shortly afterward. It’s at this point that the Chest-Burster comes into the equation, as the Xenomorph has quickly grown to the point that it is ready to leave the living being’s body (by force), before fleeing to continue its evolution.
Once a Xenomorph has completed its journey through its implanted body, it is free to grow into its full form. As seen in the original Alien, it does not take very long at all for a Chest-Burster to become a full-fledged adult Xenomorph, a creature that is ready to kill anything living creature it comes across. It is fascinating to think of how different Xenomorphs could have been from their now iconic design, something that is covered in a piece from Bloody Disgusting:
“Also early in the development process, Dan O’Bannon worked with artist Ron Cobb on some concept art for Alien, which saw Cobb design a version of the Xenomorph that was once again a far cry from what Giger would soon bring to the table. Cobb’s design, seen above, envisioned the Xenomorph as a crab-like, four-legged Cthulhu monster with hook-like claws for hands.”
Adult Xenomorphs
Notable Adult Xenomorph Roles:
- Drone
- Warrior
- Praetorian
- Queen
- Empress
Interestingly enough, the adult Xenomorphs, or at least the ones that are seemingly done evolving, take on a variety of different roles based on their size and overall shape. The entire species works on a similar level to bees, with different Xenomorphs taking on different roles. There are dozens of different roles thanks to the extended media (which will be touched on later), but for now, the focus will be on the most common adult Xenomorph types.
It seems like the general system from least to most important in the Xenomorph hierarchy includes Drones, Warriors, Praetorians, Queens, and an Empress. While mentioned least often, it seems that a Xenomorph Empress acted in a similar fashion to a Queen, but instead oversaw entire planets with multiple colonies of Xenomorphs. Moving a step down, the Queen, like the ones seen in Aliens, Alien Resurrection, and Alien Vs. Predator has the function of laying eggs to bolster the Xenomorph’s numbers. This means that the vast array of Drones, Warriors, and Praetorians are all in existence thanks to a Queen Xenomorph.
Praetorians and Warriors share similar functions, with the Praetorians being the larger of the two and tasked with protecting the Queen. These are the largest standard Xenomorphs and typically stand out as the most terrifying. Warriors typically have ridged heads that allow them to stand out from the similar though slightly more sleek Drones that are seen in Alien: Isolation. It is commonly believed that a standard Warrior is what ravages the crew in the original Alien. While the Warriors tend to handle battle, the Drones seem to be used more for scouting purposes or maintaining their nests. It is important to note that though there is this complex caste system, it seems to be the case that any Xenomorph is capable of moving up the caste should it continue to develop.
The Obscure Xenomorphs
It is also worth noting that there is a wide array of rather obscure or one-off Xenomorphs that have appeared both on and off the big screen, though it is key to point out that the Deacon, Neomorph, and Protomorph of the more recent Alien franchise prequel films including 2012's Prometheus aren’t technically Xenomorphs, but instead earlier iterations of the iconic aliens. Those alien creatures are far from obscure, but the many extended Alien media Xenomorphs are, with Spitters, Crushers, Bursters, Tarkatan Xenomorphs, Xenomorphs of varying colors, and all other manners of bizarre comic appearances standing out as some of the most obscure Xenomorph types out there. Of course, the canonicity of all of these extended Xenomorphs is questionable at best unless they appear in the mainline film franchise.
One of the more notable oddballs from the films is the Newborn from Alien Resurrection, a combination of a human and a Xenomorph to create the ultimate abomination. This Xenomorph creature is unique in that it actually viewed Ripley 8 as its creator, something that Ripley was able to use to her advantage until it was time to ditch the Newborn in outer space. Fans likely won’t have forgotten about the Predalien either as it featured prominently in the Alien Vs. Predator crossover franchise. Essentially, this bizarre and terrifying creature was what happened when a Xenomorph and a Yautja came together to create a powerful mixture that could put standard Xenomorphs and Yautja to shame.
Alien: Romulus is set to release in theatres on August 16, 2024.
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