BeforePrometheus , theAlienfilm series had not adequately addressed the origins of theXenomorph . In the twisting - off film seriesAlien vs. Predatorand in the spin - off laughable Bible lineAliens , the tool have a place planet , cognise as Xenomorph Prime , where the creatures presumably acquire of course . However , these origins are still vague , and the spin - offs themselves arguably exist in alternate timelines .

WhenAlienwas released in 1979 , the creature ’s origin was a mystery , and of path , this was by excogitation : the alternation between abbreviated glimpses of the fauna and the characters ’ struggle to control an unknown repugnance make a severe tenseness that builds up throughout the motion picture . If a elaborated origin story were provided , this tension would belike either disappear or be belittle . The interrogative sentence the moving-picture show endeavor to reply was not , where does the creature come from ? Instead , it was the age - honest-to-goodness question , are we alone in the universe ? The answer to this question was a resonant no .

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The Xenomorph ’s origination was not only a enigma to the film ’s characters and its hearing , but also to the film maker themselves . Ridley Scott claimed in several interviews that no one had ever explored the alien ’s origin ; this was the impulsion for the history in the prequel - likePrometheus , which was then preserve inAlien : Covenant , where the film implies that David is the creator of the Xenomorph . While theoriginal backstorythat Scott had in mind for the brute was that it was a biologic weapon used by the quad jockey wash , this was never explicitly mentioned in the films .

Why Does Alien’s Xenomorph Need An Origin Story?

The answer to this query is simple : the Xenomorph require an stemma write up because that ’s what hearing want . Ridley Scotthas admit that the Xenomorph was finally re - introduced inAlien : Covenantbecause interview “ missed him ” . The original intent behindPrometheuswas not to provide an explicit origin story for the alien , but to create a film in the same universe that explored a novel readiness of potentially frightening issue , such as foundation , man ’s bequest , and the import of life .

face the unknown , no matter how horrifying , is a part of being human , and there is something about it to which every soul can relate . The mystery of the Xenomorph ’s origins is one of the elements that made the original flick so frightening : an unknown repulsion lurks in the darkness , hold back for unsuspecting victim who have strayed too far from the illumination , whether literally , figuratively , or both .

As with other highly effective alien horror films , likeJohn Carpenter’sThe affair , this element of the unknown in the originalAlienseries is not an chance event , nor is it lazy written material ; it is a part of the textile of the film . irrespective of how many questions are answered about the Xenomorph ’s origin , it is almost guaranteed that young , unrequited dubiousness will come forth in subsequent films and another forty years of debate will ensue .

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