Forum Topic
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 8:59 AMVery often we have seen members, and staff, claim that Prometheus and the Alien franchise (and other franchises that may or may not be part of the same universe) have very few certain facts, and that everything else is open to interpretation and speculation, therefore being ambiguous.
Is this true, or is it just a simple case of reading between the lines and unraveling the puzzles to reveal the facts.
So, in this debate we may or may not dispel the alleged ambiguity of aspects of this universe.
Therefore, I ask the following question(s)...
[u]Questions[/u]
Q1 - How long does it take for a Chestburster to mature into an adult Alien?
[b]FACT - Less than 1hour.[/b]
Q2 - How, and with what does a Facehugger impregnate its host?
[b]FACT - Upon locating a host the Facehugger coils its long tail, launching itself at the host’s head, gripping with its legs and tightening its tail around the neck; the Facehugger suffocates the host.
Upon rendering them unconscious, the Facehugger extends a proboscis into the host’s throat, supplying breathable air and nutrients while implanting its EMBRYO. Once the embryo is securely attached inside the host’s chest cavity, the Facehugger retracts its proboscis and dies.[/b]
Q3 - What caused the death of the Engineer seen inside the derelict Juggernaut in Alien?
[b]ASCERTAINABLE FACT - Juggernaut in flight over/near LV-426 - Egg hatches, sensing pilot above - Pilot is facehugged -Juggernaut forced to land on LV-426 - Pilot awakens and transmits signal/beacon - Chestburster born.[/b]
Q4 - What is the difference between the domed-head Aliens or Warriors (Alien, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection & AVP ) and the ridge-head Aliens or Drones (Aliens and AVPR).
Q5 - How big is the dead Engineer inside the Derelict seen in Alien?
Q6 - Is the egg-morphing form of Xenomorph reproduction seen in Alien part of the creatures lifecycle?
Once we have, or do not have, an universally accepted answer for the last question(s) (which will be posted underneath the question), we will move onto a new question(s), and so on...
But beware, sometimes there may be trick questions, or will there be?
[center](This thread will help us, the staff, compile a series of FAQ's)[/center]
NOTE - We are all aware of some peoples opinions on the AVP movies, but they will only be cited when needed, the aim of this thread is to get the answers, or the best answers to the questions to compile FAQ's for all the movies, not just Prometheus, hence why this thread is in the Alien Discussions board and not the Prometheus Discussions board.
129 Replies
David 1
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 9:06 AMQ1 - You actually have that question's answer on "ALIEN": a very very short time. Or, if you prefer, the time that takes the crew of the Nostromo to search for it [which is almost immediatly after Kane's demise].
Q2 - It seems the facehugger wraps its tail around the poor victim's neck, gets a tight grip on the victim's face, sends his tube down the throat of the victim and thus suplies air and a nice alien embryo.
Q3 - Something erupted from the SJ's insides.
Q4 - Not only I disagree with that "SJ droping out of FTL" 'cause there is no evidence AT ALL that he was "flying FTL", as this FAQ aparently is to bring AVP-ness into a FAQ about Prometheus. Done. I'll answer no more questions. But It was fun till this point.
EDIT:
you droped the FTL thing for Q3. cool. Nice call.
Snorks:
awwww.... you're a sweet guy. thanks for the mentioning. Keep it up with the questionaire.
*bro huggs*
[b]Ask nothing from no one. Demand nothing from no one. Expect nothing from no one.[/b]
oduodu
MemberXenomorphAug-15-2012 9:19 AMRipley: "because just one of those things managed to wipe out my entire crew in less than 24 hours". Was "entire crew" including kane's chestbursting ? Then its less then 24 hours. The crew of the betty after landing immediately offloaded the cargo and that same night they were on the us auriga the alien broke free although I could be wrong about the latter.
Red Wolf
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 9:39 AMIn Requiem, it seemed to be mere moments, as the Predlien killed several Predators on their ship...
And in Alien3 the xeno is born almost grown, or at least larger than the typical chestbuster.
BigDave
MemberDeaconAug-15-2012 9:48 AMI agree it appears they grow fast...
i always thought they had a exo skeletal look to them when they are Xenos well a combination of Scorpion crossed with say Dolphin anatomy.
So maybe they grow like some Arachnids, like say a Spider.
Spiders start as small babies but can grow really fast.
But the thing that determines the rate of growth depends on the environment and food/nutrients. Plenty of Food and Warm Humid conditions and they grow faster Colder and dry and they grow slower.
So maybe the Xeno while it grew fast in Alien, maybe it grows depending again on the environment its in?
But if we take away speculation and only look at actual evidence then yes it would point to a Chest Buster can grow to Adult in less than 24 hours.
R.I.P Sox 01/01/2006 - 11/10/2017
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 9:51 AMAny detractors that say otherwise to the fact that Aliens mature into Adults from a Chestburster very quickly?
genjitsu17
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 9:56 AMPretty fast i'd say. But AVP has it fully grown in 10 minutes. That was silly.
I may work for the company, but im really an OK guy.
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 9:59 AMWell if they grow damn fast why can't it be within 10 minutes, one would imagine that would be terrifyingly hypnotic to see on film?
oduodu
MemberXenomorphAug-15-2012 10:05 AMSnorkelbottom and staff: please persevere with this ambiguity questions. This is sorely needed.
genjitsu17
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 10:14 AMGuess it just felt dumb and not thought through to me. (the 10 min. thing) But yes, i'd like to see a rapid molting scene.
I may work for the company, but im really an OK guy.
Svanya
AdminPraetorianAug-15-2012 10:19 AMFrom what I understand, they grow very fast and live only a short time. I read somewehere, the Alien raided a locker and ate everything in it in order to feed it's rapid growth, even batteries. It was in the escape pod not because it was hunting Ripley down, but because it was at the end of it's life and wanted to die in peace. So, it basically went from a baby to death in 24-48 hours? I am not sure how long Kane was incubating it so I am talking about after chestburster stage.
@Red Wolf; Lets keep AVP out of this plz. Ty. We are talking about Alien here, lets not mix franchises.
xeno_alpha_07
MemberFacehuggerAug-15-2012 10:25 AMOriginally the creatures life-span was very short. Based on 'Alien' i believe it's with-in an hour. Why? Because if you take into account the time it took to clean the mess hall and prepare Kane's funeral we don't know how much time was spent doing this.
In a deleted scene the crew re-gather in the mess hall and discuss their next plan of action. Brett comes with with the idea of the cattle prods. Dallas asks Brett how long it would take to come up with both the cattle prods and nets Parker says [b]"20 minutes to an hour"[/b], then we see the crew on the bridge before they go in search for what they believe is a small creature.
xeno_alpha_07
MemberFacehuggerAug-15-2012 10:40 AMThis is an unused shot from Alien 3. This 'x-ray' shot shows a facehugger [b]'tube'[/b] working it's way down Ripley's throat.
[img]http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/2848/alien3disc20.jpg[/img]
Ripleys neuroscan results in Alien 3 really tell where the Embryo is planted and develops.
Red Wolf
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 10:50 AM@Svanny: Snorky was seeking comment on "Prometheus, the Alien franchise and other franchises that may or may not be part of the same universe." Last time I checked, Requiem falls within that realm.
Personally, I hope the Questions become a bit more thought provoking...
oduodu
MemberXenomorphAug-15-2012 11:02 AMMy theory
It wraps its tail around the hosts throat and suffocates it until its unconscious and then using its proboscis it implants an embryo down the hosts throat. The embryo then gestates on the yolk provided by the hugger. How it gets from the digestive track to chest cavity without damaging the internals ? I have no idea. It must go to the chest cavity because when it gets to big where else is there enough space to stay in the chest until chestbursting ? I suspect it might produce some kind of anastesia to prevent the host from feeling it inside him.
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 11:23 AMSo you would all agree with the following statement...
[i]Upon locating a host the Facehugger coils its long tail, launching itself at the host’s head, gripping with its legs and tightening its tail around the neck; the Facehugger suffocates the host.
Upon rendering them unconscious, the Facehugger extends a proboscis into the host’s throat, supplying breathable air and nutrients while implanting its [b]EMBRYO[/b]. Once the embryo is securely attached inside the host’s chest cavity, the Facehugger retracts its proboscis and dies.[/i]
Red Wolf
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 11:29 AMQ 2: there's no better shot of this than in AvP when they clearly show an "oralpositor" extend from the facehugger (phallic symbol comments need not be made) during Sebastian's interpretation/story of the cave inscriptions.
What EXACTLY is deposited into the throat? Not sure THAT'S ever been confirmed -- but rather is inferred/implied to be a "baby alien" or embryo that gestates to a point where it is capable of "bursting" out of its host.
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 11:35 AMIt has been confirmed, in Aliens
Bishop - "removed before embryo implantation"
Xenothinker
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 11:53 AMTo be honest, Q2 seems rather...obvious? I would say, if anything, the facehugger and its life and duties are some of the only 'for sure' knowledge about the creature in any of these films.
I would be interested in seeing a question posed about the lifespan of an adult creature, as well as its life cycle. I have a few ideas of my own, but will reserve them until that topic appears.
craigamore
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 11:56 AMThat's debateable Red Wolf.....but anyhoo.....................As to Q2, aside from the Alien 3 scan provided by xeno_alpha_07, there are numerous lines from the first four films that establish what is happening here.
In Alien, Ash and Dallas discuss what is happening to Kane and mention that the facehugger is forcing something down his throat that they assume is feeding him oxygen. Logically, from the events that ensue, it can be accepted that a proboscus, we've all seen, forces itself down the victim's throat to impant an egg or embryo.
[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5de14MNfe1rxkmq2o1_1280.jpg[/img]
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 11:57 AMyou'd think so wouldn't you, but not according to [url=http://www.anchorpointessays.com/]THIS GUY[/url] (check the facehugger section).
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 12:10 PMEr Craigamore, two proboscis' never seen that in the movies, nor any Facehugger teeth for that matter (except cuddles).
craigamore
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 12:20 PMThe Development theory as referenced by Snorkelbottom's link...
"The current, and most widely accepted theory, suggests that the use of the tube-like mouth parts may not be for the depositing of an embryo in the chest of the potential host organism, but possibly a means of regulating TTXIR which renders the host unconscious and the introduction of a viral agent - which would then make the host body responsible for the creation of an embryo in much the same fashion that an organ may be produced through the creation and designation/specialization of various cells, via restructured genetic coding. Under such an idea it is easily seen how an Alien embryo would be able to adapt to varying host organisms, and vise versa. This idea would also better explain the positioning of the embryo in the host's mediastinum, when the Facehugger's mouthparts are known to only extend part way down the host's esophagus.
The use of the host's esophagus is still vital to the play of this particular theory. The esophagus' lining is a mucus membrane, which would greatly aid in the transmission of genetic material. Once the DNA restructuring material has successfully altered the host's genetic code the host body would then begin the development and growth of the I. raptus embryo as if it were part of its own physiology. In effect the host organism's body is being told to create the embryo in the "free area" of the chest by it's own modified DNA. An additional benefit to altering a host's DNA so as to plant an embryo is there would be no rejection of the embryo as it is now seen as part of the host organism's natural structure."
I do like this idea, however, the proboscus appears to have an opening at the end that would suggest implantation of some kind. So, based on that and the details suggeswted above, I would posit that the viral genetic material is implanted as previously believed, through the end of the proboscus, and the oxygen exchange is achieved by either a second tube, as shown in the picture above, or through the primary proboscus, which then might actually be entering the lungs through the tracea.
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 12:26 PMEr Craigamore, as already stated many post up...
[i]It has been confirmed, in Aliens
Bishop - "removed before embryo implantation"[/i]
craigamore
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 12:28 PMAbout the second proboscus Snorky, When the facehugger in Alien is found, the underside is noticeably ambiguous and there's no reason to believe it's not possible. We are guessing here.
[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y267/Division6/Alien/Face%20Hugger/ALIEN_SE_US_DISC1-196.jpg[/img]
It is possible that the one proboscus performs botfunctions by splitting upon entering the victims throat or in enters the tracea and lungs, then functions as the oxygen exchanger while it simultaneously secretes the viral material needs to make the body form the the embryo as suggested.
craigamore
MemberOvomorphAug-15-2012 12:32 PMThat doesn't mean in Aliens that thewy new exactly how the implantation occurs. For all anyone knows the viral exchange may hjappen in stages and until every stage is added, the facehugger must remain on the the victim and once it leaves, the embryo forms from there.
Gavin
MemberTrilobiteAug-15-2012 12:35 PM"...removed before embryo implantation", not viral infection. Aliens clearly states the Facehugger implants an actual embryo, Anchor point essays discounts that FACT, despite being written 12 years after the fact.
And in the films we always see one proboscis, which I suspect goes no further than meeting place of the hosts esophagus and trachea, therefore able to feed nutrients and oxygen simultaneously while implanting the embryo.
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