David Postlethwaite

David Postlethwaite was one of the inmates in the Fiorina “Fury” 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit and stayed on after Weyland-Yutani had closed the prison down.

David was killed by the Xenomorph when the prisoners were using themselves as bait to lure the Xenomorph into the lead mold. David appears in 1992’s Alien 3 and is played by Pete Postlethwaite.

Biography

Early Life

David was sentenced to a twenty-year sentence on Fiorina 161 for rape.

Ripley’s Arrival on Fiorina 161

An EEV, ejected from the USS Sulaco, carrying Ellen Ripley, Corporal Hicks, Newt and Bishop the android crashed onto Fiorina 161 in 2179. There was just one survivor – Ellen Ripley.

In the mess hall, David was sitting near Dillon, Junior and Gregor when Ripley came over and thanked Dillon for the prayer he had said at Newt and Hick’s cremation.

After Andrews is killed later, David takes Aaron and Ripley to the stores of the chemical quinitricetyline. The survivors planned to use the quinitricetyline to drive the Xenomorph into the toxic waste tank.

While the plan was executed too early, the inmates did trap it inside. Later, Golic releases the creature back into the prison. The inmates go to the assembly hall and Dillon suggests they stay in there. David is opposed to this and Morse suggests they go to the furnace instead. David and the other inmates agree and they go there.

Dillon and Ripley come up with a plan to use themselves and the inmates as bait to lure the Xenomorph into the lead mold. David and the other prisoner reluctantly agree to take part. Once the Xenomorph was in the foundry, David came across Vincent’s body who was killed first.

He soon spotted the Xenomorph and got its attention by throwing a flare. He ran out of the tunnel and tried to close the door which initially failed to close. He closed the door just before the Xenomorph could get through. It then wandered off through other tunnels while David stood guard at his door.

The creature entered a ventilation shaft and dropped behind David who was still guarding his door. David didn’t realise it was there until it was too late. He turned around slowly and saw it standing there. The Xenomorph killed David with a head-bite attack.

Personality and Traits

Despite the crime he was convicted of, David was one of the more amicable and intelligent inmates and got on well with Ripley.

Other Media

Alien 3 Novelization (1992 Novel)

In the Alien 3 novelization by Alan Dean Foster, David appears as in the film. The novelization mostly follows the same path as the Alien 3 Assembly Cut.

Alien 3 Comic (1992 Comic)

The Alien 3 Comic is a mixture of the theatrical and assembly cut with some new additions.

Gallery