They Can Probably Hear You Scream in Space: The Xenomorph Breakdown
Xenomorphs are one of the most well-known sci-fi alien lifeforms, and their history in and out of universe is some of the most interesting.
The Alien series is one of the longest and most beloved horror movie series out there. And the iconic Xenomorph alien is at the heart of that fandom. These creatures would be paralyzingly terrifying to see in person, but their design and history come together to make a monster that we all know and love.
Biology and Life Cycles of a Xenomorph
The Xenomorph life cycle starts with a three-foot tall, sixty-pound egg. These eggs are laid by the Queen Xenomorph and have a dark, leathery appearance. They are incredibly tough, able to withstand great falls and seem to be designed to lay dormant and sustain the Facehugger for long periods of time.
Once the egg detects a potential host, it will open, revealing the Facehugger form of the Xenomorph. This will attach itself to the host’s face and impregnate them with a larval parasite, which will, in turn, grow inside of the host’s chest cavity before eating its way out in a “Chestburster” form before scurrying off to molt and grow in safety. From there this tiny young Xenomorph will grow into an at least seven-foot-tall adult Xenomorph in just a few hours. The entire process can take place in under a day.
Because the Xenomorph egg can be greeted by any number of or a variety of hosts, they are genetically ready to work with just about anything. Throughout the films, we primarily see Alien-Human combinations, but there are also known Alien-Dog, Alien-Yautja, and Alien-Mala’kak variations. These variations have slight differences in physical appearance, bipedal or quadrupedal walking, intelligence, and critical thinking skills. But there is also evidence to support that some of these differences may come from the subspecies or caste of the alien themself
The Xenomorph’s Appearance
All Xenomorphs have a tall and lanky appearance, long, smooth heads, long tails, sometimes with a sharp or barbed tail that they can use as a stinger or knife, and a second lightning-fast mouth inside of their main mouth, similar to a Moray Eel’s pharyngeal jaw. While both mouths are full of sharp teeth, the inner mouth is the one that the alien primarily uses for eating. Xenomorphs bleed a highly corrosive bodily fluid and have been known to weaponize their own or their pack-mate’s blood in order to melt floors or walls in order to escape confinement. There is also evidence of a hive mind, collective memory, and possibly even the ability of the queen to communicate telepathically with potential hosts.
History
Little is actually known about where Xenomorphs come from, but there are unconfirmed theories. The most heavily implied theory suggests that the Mala-kak “Engineers” used the Black Liquid on LV-223 to create an alien precursor. This creature would have been more hostile and uncontrollable than anticipated. When the Prometheus arrived on LV-223 in 2093 the Weyland-Yutani android, David, infected a member of the crew and accidentally created an Alien-Mala’kak hybrid known as the Deacon. From there he stole a Mala’kak ship and traveled to their home planet, decimated the population with the Black Liquid, and went to work experimenting with combinations of human and Mala’kak genetic material in order to create a batch of Xenomorph eggs as we know them.
This theory is contradicted by the Predator series, though. There it is known that Xenomorphs are a pre-existing species that are bred and hunted for sport by the Yautja.
Real World History of the Xenomorph
Concept Art By H.R. Giger
The Xenomorph can thank artist H.R. Giger for some of its recognizable looks, from Egg to Chestburster, and of course the mature Xenomorph creature. But before the very stylized artist had even gotten involved, the Alien was designed to be scary and “hit buttons” for just about everybody. Early on in the drafting process, Alien screenwriters Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett knew about one key element of the creature. It would involve the monster impregnating one of the members of the crew. Under all of the layers of sci-fi and monster movies, the idea of a violent assault is scary in the real world, and the writers knew that. “That’s scary because it hits all of our buttons,” O’Bannon Said in the documentary, Alien Evolution.
Once the written concept was squared away, Giger went to work creating an alien that looked vaguely human–with a few key, frightening changes. Armor made it impenetrable. A lack of visible eyes made it impossible for the crew–or the audience–to know where it was looking. And of course, in typical Giger fashion, it was meant to have a look that was both organic and mechanical. So his initial mockup was made using both real bones and old car parts.
Do you have a favorite Alien movie or a favorite variety of Xenomorph? How do you think you’d fare in a Xenomorph encounter? Let us know in the comments!
Happy adventuring!
