Why Did Ripley not Shoot the Queen in Aliens?

[Xenomorphine]

Again, all her nightmares had been about the eggs.

Technically, she didn't need to go crazy with gunfire, at all. She could have just left it for the colony explosion (which is what she was doing to the Queen), but she was facing her dream-demons down. It was a catharsis.

[whiterabbit]

Again, all her nightmares had been about the eggs.

Technically, she didn't need to go crazy with gunfire, at all. She could have just left it for the colony explosion (which is what she was doing to the Queen), but she was facing her dream-demons down. It was a catharsis.

But the first time she ever saw an egg, aside from open ones in the colony nest was the one with the queen. I'd assume.

Also the bottom line is that she was there to save Newt. Priority one, all other priorities rescinded.

[HuDaFuK]

Kill brain.  Kill living thing.

Who says its brain is even in its head? It's an alien.

[Primordial]

Again, all her nightmares had been about the eggs.

Technically, she didn't need to go crazy with gunfire, at all. She could have just left it for the colony explosion (which is what she was doing to the Queen), but she was facing her dream-demons down. It was a catharsis.

But the first time she ever saw an egg, aside from open ones in the colony nest was the one with the queen. I'd assume.

Nice point. She mentions Kane had seen thousands of eggs... sometimes imagination is good enough to give you horrible nightmares ?!

She was escaping with Newt, it is only when an egg hatched that she fired them, then came some drones which triggered her anger for good.
It is because of the aliens she wasn't able to see her daughter anymore.
I would believe that the majority of the audience, at least for a short amount of time, thought that with all this unloading of weapons, the queen would die.

[StrangeShape]

Yeah, but most things die when you shoot it in the face.
Just ask Hicks and Vasquez.

Just kill it.  Then the eggs and the drones.

Oh well. It's only a movie and they needed a climax.

Best answer:

"Ripley's shootout wasn't meant to kill the Queen (not right away). It was a revenge. Aliens killed her crew, friends and ruined her life. That is why she blasted the eggs first so their mother can look at her own breed dying and then hitting her in what is the mother's most precious and protected area, the womb. In this case the egg sack. In the process of that she got attacked by few aliens and spent the rest of the ammo on them. When she turned to the Queen again the only thing she had left was the grenades. She threw in an entire belt of grenades to kill the Queen (because she lost all of her ammo) and left.  Throwing a bunch of grenades at burning, wounded and stuck Queen sure seemed like something that would do the job." (http://www.jamescamerononline.com/AliensFAQ.htm)

[Vermillion]

Nice explanation. 

[oduodu]

That sounds about right. The queen was also affixed. She couldn't move. I think due to the explosions she came loose. I think Ripley saw her legs swinging wildly and saw that she couldn't move. So she realized that she could make the queen see all her offspring burn and the queen couldn't do anything about it. Like strange shape said.

[HuDaFuK]

Again, I stand by my assertion that, to the best of Ripley's knowledge, loosing a bunch of grenades into her egg sac and blowing her open is reasonable cause to assume she's going to die.

[Corporal Hicks]

And it's a perfectly reasonable assumption to make. There maybe further meaning hidden in it all but you can't fault that line of thinking.

[judge death]

Yeah, but most things die when you shoot it in the face.
Just ask Hicks and Vasquez.

Just kill it.  Then the eggs and the drones.

Oh well. It's only a movie and they needed a climax.

Best answer:

"Ripley's shootout wasn't meant to kill the Queen (not right away). It was a revenge. Aliens killed her crew, friends and ruined her life. That is why she blasted the eggs first so their mother can look at her own breed dying and then hitting her in what is the mother's most precious and protected area, the womb. In this case the egg sack. In the process of that she got attacked by few aliens and spent the rest of the ammo on them. When she turned to the Queen again the only thing she had left was the grenades. She threw in an entire belt of grenades to kill the Queen (because she lost all of her ammo) and left.  Throwing a bunch of grenades at burning, wounded and stuck Queen sure seemed like something that would do the job." (http://www.jamescamerononline.com/AliensFAQ.htm)

Reminds me this is the same thing you replied me with in another thread xD

But yes what is written above is the reason Ripley didnt shot the queen, at least the part we know is the queen. She probably thought the eggsack is a vital body part and by shoting it with the grenade launcher she were sure the queen was dying. A termite queen or any insect with that type of body would be dead within a few minutes.

[MrSpaceJockey]

Despite all the revenge she would be inflicting onto the Queen by torching the eggs,I think there's a bit of strategy to her escape of the hive too - she basically negotiates with the Queen, making her hold back the other Aliens from attacking Rip.  Then, once she felt that she was far enough, and once that single egg hatches, she kinda dealt with the threats in a logical order, didn't she?  Flame the eggs, kill the warriors on the wall.  Ripley get's swept in the moment but also, as far as she can tell, the Queen is also kind of glued to the hive - despite the Queen's size, not the immediate threat. 

[judge death]

In my opinion that was a dumb decision, or maybe good for us since the movie would have ended way faster if she did this:
The queen basicly gave up on newt and ripley and let them leave the hive and held the xeno drones7warriors etc back, I doubt the queen or xenos can controll the eggs which probably react on reflex when a host is nearby. So Ripley could just had either backed awayfaster and got away from the egg or just shot that one which hatched and left the hive, the queen wouldnt have followed, most likely not the warriors either and then the movie would have ended quicker and Bishop would be in one piece

[MrSpaceJockey]

Why are you so hung up on Bishop being left in one piece 

[judge death]

Why are you so hung up on Bishop being left in one piece 

I think I have just said that once xD Cant recall me saying it somewhere else but my memory could be faulty.

[MrSpaceJockey]

Oops, I guess Vermillion said it and I thought it was you!