Animal Spawned Xenomorphs

Started by Number13, Apr 27, 2019, 04:05:41 AM

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Animal Spawned Xenomorphs (Read 12,907 times)

Number13

Number13

As we know, Aliens take features from the host, first stated by Ridley Scott and first utilized in Alien3. I had been thinking why the Alien franchise never tried to do a film that introduces Aliens spawned from different animals. I mean, we've seen the dog/ox Alien in Alien3 and the Predalien in AVPR, and they did draw up plans for the Alien that would birth from the Space Jockey/Engineer, the Ultramorph as it was called, that was never used. And of course, there's the Kenner Alien toys that started the idea showing off toys with animal Alien crossbreeds, and most of them being realistic, like a bull Alien, snake Alien, panther Alien, gorilla Alien, even a bat Alien could happen, you just need the biggest bat in the world, which would be the flying fox which is a bat about the size of a dog. Though some of them are ridiculous, like a mantis Alien, that can't happen since a mantis is so tiny and the Facehugger is twice its size, though there's the idea of a mantis exposed to the black goo. Anywho, I'm just surprised why no one ever tried that. I mean, Colonial Marines tried something like that with the Crusher, Boiler, Spitter, and Raven, but I felt those were unrealistic since they gave no explanation of where they came from, so they just came out of nowhere.

I actually used those crossbreeds in my second animated Aliens film, and I thought they were fun, I customized a lot of the models using the ACM models and combining them with different animal features. It was fun.

Monster Man

Monster Man

#1
In regards to animal-bred Xenomorphs, I feel it needs to be done tastefully. People sometimes overestimate just how much the alien inherits from it's host thus we get pure 80's material such as the Kenner toyline, although that's all in good fun and I won't ridicule it for being so.

So let's say that a Facehugger managed to have nabbed itself some aquatic creature capable of being facehugged -- I believe the ensuing alien isn't going to be a full on Xeno-Mermaid looking thing but rather a creature who feels more comfortable in a aquatic environment and will have a couple characteristics to aid itself underwater. Not to say it will be barred from walking on land, it just prefers the sea if anything. Much like how The Dragon had digitigraded legs and traveled on all fours, although it could've walked upright like any ordinary Xeno, it just preferred quadrupeded movement.

Also the alien crossovers with Judge Dredd are exempt from this rule, because Judge Dredd fighting the Aliens Kenner Toyline is just about the coolest damn thing and is testament to why I love Dredd.

Corporal Hicks

Corporal Hicks

#2
Quote from: Monster Man on Apr 27, 2019, 06:10:20 AM
In regards to animal-bred Xenomorphs, I feel it needs to be done tastefully. People sometimes overestimate just how much the alien inherits from it's host thus we get pure 80's material such as the Kenner toyline, although that's all in good fun and I won't ridicule it for being so.

For the time, I think the Kenner stuff is ace! I wont begrudge any nostalgia on that part. Honestly, I'm liking seeing NECA's attempt to modernize them. I'm still waiting for that Bull...

I do like the idea of the hybridization. But as above, needs to be done tastefully for the more serious entries. I certainly don't object to the concept, it's all down to execution.

SuperiorIronman

SuperiorIronman

#3
I think the way to do it is to have the right ratio of things. At the very least it still need to look 60-70% Alien. That other 30-40% however must include smaller or major elements that communicate what that Xeno is.

I think the films didn't really go that far with it was because they never got to that point. The Predalien and the Runner is pretty much as far as it got because the next film was Alien: Resurrection and they'd been working on AVP for some time. Anything after was dependent on film sales and of course Ridley Scott did the Prequels and we ever got Alien 5.

Xenomorphine

Xenomorphine

#4
From what I recall, the Kenner stuff wasn't necessarily meant to indicate those were the hosts. The story was meant to be along the lines of genetic splicing experiments which escaped and ran amuck, if memory serves right.

And the scorpion one, while labelled that, had to do with really massive insectoid things from another world, which characters just termed 'scorpions'. Was strange.

Xenomrph

Xenomrph

#5
I'm a real big fan of the Kenner stuff, even today. Don't get me wrong, I adore the Runner and i think it gets the job done, especially since it's technically conveying the lineage of two completely different hosts. :P

That said, I agree with SuperiorIronman that the Alien should convey via quick visual shorthand what the Alien's host was. Be that dreadlocks and mandibles, horns, a snake tail, wings, I'm pretty okay with any of that.

Quote from: Xenomorphine on Apr 27, 2019, 06:05:55 PM
From what I recall, the Kenner stuff wasn't necessarily meant to indicate those were the hosts. The story was meant to be along the lines of genetic splicing experiments which escaped and ran amuck, if memory serves right.

And the scorpion one, while labelled that, had to do with really massive insectoid things from another world, which characters just termed 'scorpions'. Was strange.

I never got that impression from the toys' mini-comics re: genetic manipulation. Even the little intro with each mini-comic says the Space Marines are going from planet to planet, encountering ever more dangerous Alien evolutions as they go - that implies that the Aliens' forms are occurring naturally, rather than the result of an outside artificial force.

Stitch

Stitch

#6
Quote from: The Old One on Apr 27, 2019, 04:29:58 PM
The Dragon is enough variation, the PredAlien's overindulgent.
I'm actually a fan of the predalien design. I like the DNA reflex aspect, though I think it's pushing the limits of what should be done. The Kenner toys were awesome, but a bit too much.

Still Collating...

I'd also like to see more animal variations, but like people have said, the alterations need to be moderate.

An aquatic alien can be like a dog alien, just with arms and legs which are not as long, slightly webbed fingers, differently shaped back pipes and a thicker tail for swimming. Include the tail fin but do it like AVP 2010. Keep the creature biomechanical. Maybe give it a dolphin like exaggerated forehead, always keep the phallic look.

And I will always want a proper Predalien. Some of the comics, artwork and AVP 2010 have gotten close, but there's a better version out there.
Biomech, dark, no dreds, few spikes maybe, bugger than the predator by far, good looking mandibles, and for onec use a longer, not a shorter head. The predator has a bigger skull than a human does, so the Predalien should have a bigger head than that of a normal alien. A tad bit longer, keep it phallic, just thicker...  :laugh:

The Old One

The Old One

#8
Agreed Still Collating...

Quote from: The Old One on Apr 19, 2019, 01:55:40 AM
Only one solution available.

f**k the dreadlocks/horns/wings etcetera.
And f**k the idea it's-
substantially divergent from the Alien 1979 Design, Aliens 1986 Warrior Design, Alien³ 1992 design or Alien Covenant Design.
But the PredAlien is tougher and stronger.
Perhaps a upright Alien, influenced by the original Alien design and the Dragon.

The Requiem PredAlien's garbage.

Retract the dreadlocks and Dave Dorman's the best Official design.

Xenomrph

Xenomrph

#9
I was ultimately okay with the Requiem Predalien, and I've come to like it more over time. Is it my favorite Predalien design? Not at all (see the Dorman picture above), but I don't mine the Requiem design at all. I especially like the translucent dome with the Predator skull inside, I think that's a nice touch.

The Old One

The Old One

#10
For myself, it's representative of everything
that could ever go wrong with Alien,
instead of going right.

Still Collating...

Yep, that Dave Dorman art is quite something.

I don't hate the Predalien in Requiem, I even like it especially when it's in the dark and you see so little of it clearly. But in the light? Full daylight? To me it looks ridiculous like no other alien does.

Monster Man

Monster Man

#12
Quote from: Still Collating... on Apr 27, 2019, 06:49:31 PM
I'd also like to see more animal variations, but like people have said, the alterations need to be moderate.

An aquatic alien can be like a dog alien, just with arms and legs which are not as long, slightly webbed fingers, differently shaped back pipes and a thicker tail for swimming. Include the tail fin but do it like AVP 2010. Keep the creature biomechanical. Maybe give it a dolphin like exaggerated forehead, always keep the phallic look.

And I will always want a proper Predalien. Some of the comics, artwork and AVP 2010 have gotten close, but there's a better version out there.
Biomech, dark, no dreds, few spikes maybe, bugger than the predator by far, good looking mandibles, and for onec use a longer, not a shorter head. The predator has a bigger skull than a human does, so the Predalien should have a bigger head than that of a normal alien. A tad bit longer, keep it phallic, just thicker...  :laugh:

Pretty much this. I mean just look at the concept for the Ultramorph and you can figure where a good balance comes from.

[cancerblack]

[cancerblack]

#13
Restraint is the crucial factor for me. Teeth and jaws, and pelvis/hind-legs should be the most obvious changes at first glance, torso length/mass and cranial structure come next. For example if you cut out the middle of the classic Alien skull, you more or less have a human skull. You can keep the phallic nature of the head while changing the "tip" (;)) based on the back end of the hosts skull for some light variation. Then you can work towards limb thickness/length and hand/foot shape.


Pic related is what I mean by altering the rear of the head structure, although I'm a fan of Deacon/Neomorph style fluted thorn heads too, and I think more elaborate one of those (with an upwards curve) would suit a Predalien well.


SuperiorIronman

SuperiorIronman

#14
I don't think their really is anything wrong with the various Predaliens over the years, but it definitely shows that they can't get it right. Unlike the Runner, you don't really see a consistent Predalien. Nobody really has ever hit that design in a way that works as a nice balance of Predator and Alien visuals. It's something that still has to be tweaked. All of the Predaliens tend to do something better than the others, but none really work as the definitive Predalien which is probably why none exist.

And frankly, if the head was redesigned to be more like a triceratops frill (like an extension of the crest concept) and you draped dreads behind that, you would solve the issue of where to put the damn things. Just make the crest vaginal in design to retain the sexual design concept and you've basically solved the issue of the dreads.

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