Evolution is and has always been the cornerstone of the Alien franchise, and while the recent canon is teasing that human/Xenomorph hybrids are the next logical evolutionary step in the series, Prometheus’ forgotten sequel seems to argue that it isn’t humans Xenomorphs should be merging with–it’s synthetics, and the reason is actually rooted in the Xenomorphs’ true origin.
The Xenomorph is a parasitic alien creature that requires a host in which to gestate for reproduction. One thing that is interesting about the creature is that it doesn’t just grow inside a host, but it actually adopts certain characteristics from that host in a process known as DNA reflex. The most obvious example of this is the Predalian from AvP–resulting from a Xenomorph using a Predator as its host–but this trait can actually be seen with every Xenomorph in the franchise. Xenomorphs only look the way they do because of the influence human DNA has on their fetal development–and most of the Xenomorphs fans see come from human hosts, giving the illusion that this is their natural form. Just this simple process of parasitic reproduction already proves how ingrained evolution is into the Xenomorph species, which is why the next stage in their evolution is imminent–and one comic already revealed what that should look like.
Xenomorphs Should Merge with Synthetics to Truly Become ‘Biomechanoids’
In Prometheus: Fire and Stone #3 by Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra, space explorers have charted a vessel for LV-223 in search of the long-lost Prometheus crew. When they get to this world, they find that it didn’t have the rocky, desolate landscape they thought it would, but it was lush and filled with life. However, upon taking a closer look, it became immediately apparent that the lifeforms on this world were just a little bit off, in the dark and twisted sense. Everything was alive, but it all looked dead–and that’s because life formed on this world from a massive spill of the Black Goo–the mutagen used by the Engineers to wipe out entire civilizations. Upon seeing what the Black Goo was truly capable of, one of the scientists on the crew decided to run a few off-book experiments with the crew’s synthetic by injecting the Black Goo straight into the synthetic’s body–and what happened next was equal parts beautiful and grotesque.
The synthetic started to shed his robotic parts as the Black Goo began taking shape within his body, effectively fusing the new, mutated flesh with the synthetics pre-existing mechanics. The flesh that started to form was reminiscent of the Xenomorphs’ chitinous skin and scaly texture that could almost be compared to exposed pipe or layered paneling, as if the original Xenomorph itself was some kind of cross between biological creature and a machine. Interestingly enough, that isn’t an accident. The design of the Xenomorph was created by artist H.R. Giger, who practically invented the idea of ‘biomechanic’ and pioneered its aesthetic that is still culturally impactful to this day. However, since the start of the Alien franchise, there has always been something of a disconnect between Giger’s Xenomorph design and the story behind the creature’s existence.
While the creature remained a mystery in Alien, Aliens revealed the Xenomorph species has a queen and a hive system–but, if that’s the case, where does the ‘biomechanic’ aspect of its design come into play? The Xenomorph became a fully biological organism with its roots firmly planted in Giger’s biomechanics. Now, with this synthetic being mutated with Prometheus‘ Black Goo (which is what originally created the Xenomorphs) the creatures are finally able to explore what is assuredly the true intention of their origin by actually becoming ‘biomechanoids’–which would be the perfect endgame for the Alien franchise as it ties the Xenomorphs’ future all the way back to their pre-Alien inception.
