Lambert Freakin' Out (A few theories/character analysis)

[SiL]

Whatever calorie needs they have

Which appears to be zero, considering they grow to full size without ever being seen to eat.

[razeak]

I think the one in Alien 3 appeared to eat.

Was it the novelization that mentioned the chest burster in relation to the food stores or am I misremembering?

[SiL]

Alien 3 and Requiem show eating.

Alien had it scripted that the Alien raided the food lockers; the novel also has it, but it's conspicuously absent in the film. All films are consistent that they don't appear to need to eat to grow. Requiem, for what it's worth, shows that the domed/ridged distinction is made at birth.

Considering some of the Aliens in the hive are relatively fresh in Aliens, you'd still expect to see some domes even if it's a malnourishment thing.

[razeak]

I don't disagree. I think the theory can fit easily though.  I had just thought about a more recent batch of xenos a few minutes ago.

As for not needing to eat to grow, I agree there too. That's pretty much shown on film. I also think there is plenty of wriggle room to allow that they can't necessarily continue that metabolism for more than a couple of days without negative effects.

That's also assuming we are forced to explain away the lack of cowl in Aliens from an in-universe perspective. Could just be the newer ones weren't directly observed in all the confusion and chaos.

Now I've got this nagging foreskin comparison in mind trying to take hold. Lol. Yuck

[The Old One]

H.R Giger approves.

[SiL]

That's also assuming we are forced to explain away the lack of cowl in Aliens from an in-universe perspective.

Requiem offers a neat explanation: they weren't born with them.

[SM]

The bursters in Requiem all have smooth heads or am I missing something?

[SiL]

You are. What I mean is they all grow immediately into Aliens with no domes -- there's no moulting, no dome falling off, nothing. Whatever process would create the dome just doesn't happen and they go straight to exposed ridged skulls.

[The Old One]

Just disgusting. lol

[SM]

You are. What I mean is they all grow immediately into Aliens with no domes -- there's no moulting, no dome falling off, nothing. Whatever process would create the dome just doesn't happen and they go straight to exposed ridged skulls.

I just fansplained that away by saying they moulted off screen at a much faster rate similar to the sped up gestation in AvP.

[Voodoo Magic]

[Samhain13]

People can say it doesn't make any sense but I don't think Giger would have much of a problem with an alien doing that type of humping.

[The Old One]

You don't know the man then, H.R Giger's said when it becomes that devoid of subtext, it essentially becomes ridiculous.