Dark Horse Announces "Predator: Life and Death" (FaS-style Crossover)

Started by Ultramorph, Dec 11, 2015, 12:07:00 AM

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Dark Horse Announces "Predator: Life and Death" (FaS-style Crossover) (Read 130,706 times)

SpreadEagleBeagle

Quote from: Xenomorphine on Dec 11, 2015, 05:27:37 AM
Actually, evolutionary principles dictate the land-dwelling humanoid body design would be the most likely form of life, in terms of species which naturally discover star travel. It's all to do with efficiency of energy and the psychology of invention. Mere tool-use, on its own, isn't enough.

Life might be very exotic, out there, but humanoid life is generally going to be what we communicate with.

Exceptons to that would be if something has, say, telekinesis or has been given technology by another civilisation (or is artificially created). That's when 'leap-frogging' factors could potentially arise.

But humanoid as in an exact copy of human physique including five fingers and all?  :-\

The Predators look so much like humans, except for their faces and feet, that it makes you wonder... I know about the theory you mentioned, but it has also been criticized and questioned, and to be fair there is no way to prove it until we actually run into two or more sentient intelligent alien species in order to compare and verify. Until then it's just pure speculation.
What we do know though is that an highly intelligent organism needs at least fine motor skills and at least one highly flexible and exact body-part (i.e. limb, trunk, tendrils, tentacle) free and available at all times to pick up things to use and fiddle with. With that said we could have a quadruped (or six-legged, or eight-legged...) creature with a set of arms, tendrils, or tentacles on the back, or the head even. Or why not an octopus-like organism able to erect itself to fully stand up when on land? Or a worm or snake-like organism with a set of "tongues" or retractable filaments able to grapple, carry and manipulate things with, or a fully mobile mollusk creature or crustaceanesque many armed intelligent organism - or something completely out of the box. Maybe a really large amoeba creature able to form and manipulate its body-mass to do the same things we can do with out arms and hands?

To me it would make sense if the Predators were "created" by the Engineers as well, just like us humans. I don't like the concept in the Alien universe, but as a crossover it kind of makes sense. Maybe the Predators were "created" way earlier by the Engineers and were somewhat and somehow forgotten about? Maybe a nixed project? Maybe the Predators the Engineers originally "created" were less impressive? Maybe the accelerant/black goo was less developed and didn't have the same effect and abilities as it has now, or maybe it was even more unpredictable?

Anyways, my biggest beef with the Predator design is their carbon copy human physique, and especially the fact that they have five fingered human hands. Always kind of bothered me.

Perfect-Organism

I think you have to consider that the Predator was initially created to be an alien hunter that is going to hunt Schwarzenegger's team in the jungle and they needed a guy to wear the suit.  That's it.  No further thought was put into it regarding how it fits into a grand Alien universe.  You're reading far too much into it.  We all are.  This interconnectivity with the Aliens universe is literary afterthought, no more.

The Alien Predator

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Dec 27, 2015, 09:36:38 PM
I think you have to consider that the Predator was initially created to be an alien hunter that is going to hunt Schwarzenegger's team in the jungle and they needed a guy to wear the suit.  That's it.  No further thought was put into it regarding how it fits into a grand Alien universe.  You're reading far too much into it.  We all are.  This interconnectivity with the Aliens universe is literary afterthought, no more.

True, back then they did try to go with a more alien design but there were problems with the suit apparently.

RakaiThwei

RakaiThwei

#108
Quote from: SpreadEagleBeagle on Dec 27, 2015, 09:13:36 PM
To me it would make sense if the Predators were "created" by the Engineers as well, just like us humans. I don't like the concept in the Alien universe, but as a crossover it kind of makes sense. Maybe the Predators were "created" way earlier by the Engineers and were somewhat and somehow forgotten about? Maybe a nixed project? Maybe the Predators the Engineers originally "created" were less impressive? Maybe the accelerant/black goo was less developed and didn't have the same effect and abilities as it has now, or maybe it was even more unpredictable?

I do not like the concept of the Predators being created by the Engineers and I really don't want to see it encouraged in the current "canon". The universe is a pretty big place, and I don't think even the Engineers have covered every area of it. While they have created many life forms, I don't like the idea of them creating EVERY life form and that includes the Predators. It just further places the Engineers on a pedestal that they're the Intergalactic Overlords and Masters of the Universe which... if you ask me, devalues the Alien and Predators.

As said, the universe is a pretty big place and there are infinite possibilities. Xenomorphine even pointed out that according to numerous astro-biologist, that a hominid shape would be the result of years of advanced evolution for a space faring race. And while the anatomy of the Predators is indeed hominid, there are other aspects which are extremely alien-- even when considering the idea of Engineers and our own similarities to them. For one, the blood is a luminescent green, but there is more to it.. in the old EU, it was shown that their blood and flesh has unique rejuvenation properties, and in the current and new EU, their blood apparently does grant healing properties-- which human biologist even considered on somehow using to benefit mankind in giving them minor healing factors. That's something very alien, even by well... alien standards.

I have to ask, why can't live evolve on it's own in this rebooted universe? Do the Engineers HAVE to create all life? No. That would be a very boring thing, suggesting that the Alien-Predator universe wouldn't be at all around without the Engineers. Lame.

I am all for the idea of the Predators being their own race, with no direct relation to the Engineers. If they are going to have a relationship, it should be one based on minor interactions between them in brief conflicts. But for Engineers to create the Predators? Sorry, but I just... cannot get behind that idea. For me that would ruin the character, and I already don't like where the new EU is going.

Do we really need an origin story for the Predators? No, we don't. We've already got one for the Alien and already that's divided fans, despite twenty years of speculation based on Scott's hints in previous interviews prior to Prometheus.

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Dec 27, 2015, 09:36:38 PM
I think you have to consider that the Predator was initially created to be an alien hunter that is going to hunt Schwarzenegger's team in the jungle and they needed a guy to wear the suit.  That's it.  No further thought was put into it regarding how it fits into a grand Alien universe.  You're reading far too much into it.  We all are.  This interconnectivity with the Aliens universe is literary afterthought, no more.

I actually agree with this because, while I am an Alien vs Predator fan.. the whole idea was just an after thought and no one really questioned it. For twenty years after a successful comic run, no one questioned it and we accepted it as it was. It was simple, and it was good. And go ahead and rally a lynch mob when I say this, but it was better that way. But now, because of the whole reboot which happened, now questions which no one asked are being answered. I mean the two franchises were once two separate universes until the original (and true but now forsaken) AVP comic but wasn't later solidified until Predator 2 as an in-joke by Stan Winston, and a nod to the comics.. and then came the movies which... while I liked and still champion, weren't well received. Then the franchises were separated again..

And now they're attempted to being joined again because of the shared universe craze which Hollywood is doing. Prometheus is fine as a strictly Alien only continuity, but throw Predator in? That's like... trying to have beer at a wine tasting party. It doesn't fit in the atmosphere. Because of Prometheus, we're getting answers to question no one asked.. in regards to the Predator character and series, I find this quite harmful.

We don't need an origin story for the Predator.

SpreadEagleBeagle

SpreadEagleBeagle

#109
Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Dec 27, 2015, 09:36:38 PM
I think you have to consider that the Predator was initially created to be an alien hunter that is going to hunt Schwarzenegger's team in the jungle and they needed a guy to wear the suit.  That's it.  No further thought was put into it regarding how it fits into a grand Alien universe.  You're reading far too much into it.  We all are.  This interconnectivity with the Aliens universe is literary afterthought, no more.

I know!  :P

Personally I think it works better for the movie to have an alien that has a very human body as it plays well with the concept and message of the movie - there is always someone bigger and stronger than you, so don't be a cocky macho a-hole and use your brain, drop the ego and work with what you have. If the Predator would've looked more alien than it does all of that would've been lost in translation so to speak. It would've been more of a man vs. space invader blob kind of thing.

It gets annoying when you mix the Predator universe with the Alien universe and the Prometheus add-on, as there are all of a sudden three race that have the exact same physique etc.




Quote from: RakaiThwei on Dec 28, 2015, 06:38:40 AM
I do not like the concept of the Predators being created by the Engineers and I really don't want to see it encouraged in the current "canon". The universe is a pretty big place, and I don't think even the Engineers have covered every area of it. While they have created many life forms, I don't like the idea of them creating EVERY life form and that includes the Predators. It just further places the Engineers on a pedestal that they're the Intergalactic Overlords and Masters of the Universe which... if you ask me, devalues the Alien and Predators.

I understand that you as a Predator fan don't like it, but it does make sense since humans, Engineers and Predators have the exact same body structure, proportions etc. - we even have the same kind of five-fingered hands!


QuoteAs said, the universe is a pretty big place and there are infinite possibilities. Xenomorphine even pointed out that according to numerous astro-biologist, that a hominid shape would be the result of years of advanced evolution for a space faring race. And while the anatomy of the Predators is indeed hominid, there are other aspects which are extremely alien-- even when considering the idea of Engineers and our own similarities to them.

That theory is not even a theory - it's pure speculation as there obviously is no verifiable data to compare and process i.e. it is NOT science, it's just a bunch of hypothetic assumptions tossed around based on well-educated guesses.

And as I wrote:
"I know about the theory you mentioned, but it has also been criticized and questioned, and to be fair there is no way to prove it until we actually run into two or more sentient intelligent alien species in order to compare and verify. Until then it's just pure speculation.
What we do know though is that an highly intelligent organism needs at least fine motor skills and at least one highly flexible and exact body-part (i.e. limb, trunk, tendrils, tentacle) free and available at all times to pick up things to use and fiddle with. With that said we could have a quadruped (or six-legged, or eight-legged...) creature with a set of arms, tendrils, or tentacles on the back, or the head even. Or why not an octopus-like organism able to erect itself to fully stand up when on land? Or a worm or snake-like organism with a set of "tongues" or retractable filaments able to grapple, carry and manipulate things with, or a fully mobile mollusk creature or crustaceanesque many armed intelligent organism - or something completely out of the box. Maybe a really large amoeba creature able to form and manipulate its body-mass to do the same things we can do with out arms and hands?"



QuoteFor one, the blood is a luminescent green, but there is more to it.. in the old EU, it was shown that their blood and flesh has unique rejuvenation properties, and in the current and new EU, their blood apparently does grant healing properties-- which human biologist even considered on somehow using to benefit mankind in giving them minor healing factors. That's something very alien, even by well... alien standards.

The Engineers have black blood, and we have no idea what their blood is capable of.


QuoteI have to ask, why can't live evolve on it's own in this rebooted universe? Do the Engineers HAVE to create all life? No. That would be a very boring thing, suggesting that the Alien-Predator universe wouldn't be at all around without the Engineers. Lame.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I don't think that the AVP crossover work or will ever work, and the implementation of Prometheus really messed things up even more. That's why I always see the movies of each franchise as the "canon" of each respective franchise. What happens in a Alien/Prometheus movie doesn't effect or direct the Predator universe, and vice versa. AVP to me is just a separate crossover pulp sci-fi franchise that has no bearing on the original franchises and their universes. Comics, games, novels etc. are comics, games, novels etc., they're EU - not movies. And so far we haven't seen anything from AVP or EU spill over to the movies. And personally I hope that they will keep it that way.


QuoteI am all for the idea of the Predators being their own race, with no direct relation to the Engineers. If they are going to have a relationship, it should be one based on minor interactions between them in brief conflicts. But for Engineers to create the Predators? Sorry, but I just... cannot get behind that idea. For me that would ruin the character, and I already don't like where the new EU is going.

I don't like the idea that the Engineers created us as I find the whole Ancient Astronaut concept lazy and stupid. But if the Engineers and the Predators indeed live in the same universe together with us, it becomes painfully obvious that the three of use look pretty much the same, and since the Engineers are known for fiddling with life it's not that farfetched that they had something to do with the Predators as well, unless their is a forerunner race to the Engineers that created both the Predators and Engineers and the Engineers just picked up from where the their creators left...


QuoteDo we really need an origin story for the Predators? No, we don't. We've already got one for the Alien and already that's divided fans, despite twenty years of speculation based on Scott's hints in previous interviews prior to Prometheus.

No we don't, but it looks like we're getting one anyways.

The Alien Predator

Wow, I never thought of it as the whole "there's always someone stronger than you" thing, that's a cool way of looking at the film's message, SpreadEagleBeagle.

It reminds me of my friend's saying when I told him about the Engineers in the AvP expanded universe, and he said "there's always a bigger fish in the sea".

Come to think of it, that's a scary thought in a universe like Alien... makes you wonder, is there something worse than a Xenomorph out there? Probably a good thing that we haven't discovered it!  :P

Perfect-Organism

Quote from: Guan Thwei 1992 on Dec 28, 2015, 02:41:42 PM
Wow, I never thought of it as the whole "there's always someone stronger than you" thing, that's a cool way of looking at the film's message, SpreadEagleBeagle.

It reminds me of my friend's saying when I told him about the Engineers in the AvP expanded universe, and he said "there's always a bigger fish in the sea".

Come to think of it, that's a scary thought in a universe like Alien... makes you wonder, is there something worse than a Xenomorph out there? Probably a good thing that we haven't discovered it!  :P

We've got (or had) something worse or about as bad as the Xenomorphs right here.  We have polar bears, and great white sharks, anacondas, crocodiles, poisonous spiders, peanuts.  We used to have T-Rexs.  Fortunately they're regional.  I have no doubt there is worse stuff out there though.

SpreadEagleBeagle

SpreadEagleBeagle

#112
Quote from: Guan Thwei 1992 on Dec 28, 2015, 02:41:42 PM
Wow, I never thought of it as the whole "there's always someone stronger than you" thing, that's a cool way of looking at the film's message, SpreadEagleBeagle.

I mean, you have freaking Conan the Barbarian, Apollo Creed & Jesse "The Body" Ventura going all Hollywood cocky macho American on a bunch of unsuspecting ruskies and South Americans in the jungle, mowing them down like they were fighting children, lifting cars with their hands, blowing shit up, using superior weaponry and taking their Russian/S.American targets by surprise and stealth - just like the Predator does later on against Dutch and his elite special forces unit. The reason Dutch survived is because he knew that he couldn't fight the Predator on the creature's own terms, he had to admit to himself that he in fact was the prey. A weak, tiny and unimpressive individual compared to the Predator. So just like Mculay Culkin in the HOME ALONE movies, Dutch had to become inventive and fight the Predator from an underdog perspective.


QuoteIt reminds me of my friend's saying when I told him about the Engineers in the AvP expanded universe, and he said "there's always a bigger fish in the sea".

Come to think of it, that's a scary thought in a universe like Alien... makes you wonder, is there something worse than a Xenomorph out there? Probably a good thing that we haven't discovered it!  :P

There probably is, or was, or will be, but the Alien does a pretty good job considering how well-adapted it is to the harsh indifference and hostility of space. It needs no technology to survive, only needs hosts, and if there are none around it can wait forever if it has to. The cold vacuum of space is like second nature to the Alien, and extreme heat only seems to merely annoy the beast. It's a primordial super organism - fire and ice (or fire and stone if you want). Hence the perfect organism remark by Ash. It's the purest form of survivor, especially considering that it doesn't have any moral obligations etc. Opportunistic yet equipped with endless patience. It's design and existence in that sense makes it flawless and really, really frightening. It's here to outlive us all.

It would be interesting to see what happened if an Alien was introduced to the Black Goo, or if the Black Goo is intact synthesized Xenomorph essence, further developed by the Engineers to be used in various different ways, one of the working as a terraforming and even evolutional accelerant? In ALIENS: F&S the Aliens that touched the goo seemed unharmed and unchanged, except for the one morphed together with-you-know-who.




Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Dec 28, 2015, 05:15:23 PM
We've got (or had) something worse or about as bad as the Xenomorphs right here.  We have polar bears, and great white sharks, anacondas, crocodiles, poisonous spiders, peanuts.  We used to have T-Rexs.  Fortunately they're regional.  I have no doubt there is worse stuff out there though.

Yes, those are scary in their own way (including the peanut), but they can't be compared to the parasitic nature of the Alien combined with its ability to survive in extreme temperatures, environmental conditions and the vacuum of space. It's acidic blood, its intelligence, its possible hive mind, its ability to morph living matter (egg-morphing), the DNA reflex, genetic memory, multiple reproductive systems, its patience, hive construction abilities etc. makes it into a completely different (i.e. bigger) threat than sharks, t-rexes, poisonous spiders etc.

Perfect-Organism

But you can't compare it to peanuts.   ;)  That stuff is instant death to some people...

SpreadEagleBeagle

Quote from: Perfect-Organism on Dec 28, 2015, 08:15:57 PM
But you can't compare it to peanuts.   ;)  That stuff is instant death to some people...

That's true! Peanuts - the perfect botanic organism. It's just as gastronomically delicious as it is instantly lethal (to some people), and you can find its betulaceae traces everywhere in factory made foods, especially in candy and baked goods, which makes it a a nut unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality, which is an interesting combination of elements making it a tough little son-of-a-bitch (to some people).

RakaiThwei

Quote from: SpreadEagleBeagle on Dec 28, 2015, 07:50:34 AM
Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I don't think that the AVP crossover work or will ever work, and the implementation of Prometheus really messed things up even more. That's why I always see the movies of each franchise as the "canon" of each respective franchise. What happens in a Alien/Prometheus movie doesn't effect or direct the Predator universe, and vice versa. AVP to me is just a separate crossover pulp sci-fi franchise that has no bearing on the original franchises and their universes. Comics, games, novels etc. are comics, games, novels etc., they're EU - not movies. And so far we haven't seen anything from AVP or EU spill over to the movies. And personally I hope that they will keep it that way.

Good to see that you agree with me for the most part but I still think that the idea of Engineers creating Predators is an awful and very harmful thing to the Predator mythology. I also understand why you view as each franchise having their own canon and continuity, something which I in a way view as well but differently and am championing a way for each canon and continuity to be organized and assigned. Remember my Multiverse idea? That was the whole reasoning behind the idea, to categorize, assign and organize it. But we're not talking about that now, but I do see your view point and understand it.

Let me say that I used to enjoy Prometheus but ever since it's introduction to the franchises, and while the movie contributed quite a lot of possibilities-- it also took something away from the previously established material. We gained something, but we also lost something. I'm not sure if anyone would understand that. Like as if all of it was made pointless.

I believe that AVP works as it's own franchise with it's own side-canon and continuity as well as a concept of it's own but when Prometheus is introduced to it, the concept is diluted and Prometheus takes over the center stage.

happypred

Quote from: SpreadEagleBeagle on Dec 28, 2015, 07:50:34 AM
Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I don't think that the AVP crossover work or will ever work

I think it has worked in the past (Prey, Hunter's Planet, War, Duel, Civilised Beasts). I've rather enjoyed all of those comics/novels

Predator Life and Death might turn out to be a great melding of Predator and Prometheus. I'm reserving my judgment.

The films haven't worked out...but with the quality of directors and writerd on board...what did you expect?


RakaiThwei

Quote from: happypred on Dec 29, 2015, 02:49:44 AM
Predator Life and Death might turn out to be a great melding of Predator and Prometheus.

As long as they don't attempt a Predator origin story, like whether or not the Engineers created them... as long as they don't touch that, whatever..

Quote from: SpreadEagleBeagle on Dec 28, 2015, 07:50:34 AM
No we don't, but it looks like we're getting one anyways.

I have to ask, how do you know this?

Corporal Hicks

Quote from: RakaiThwei on Dec 29, 2015, 03:17:23 AM
I have to ask, how do you know this?

I don't think he means towards your worry of the Predators and Engineers - he's talking about the Prometheus/prequel series. And the questions have been asked - they've been asked for a long time, since as far back as Alien. The answers (Prometheus) was just poor.

Whilst I can see why Engineers creating the Predators would make sense, I don't want to see that being the case either. I'd be interested in seeing some history between the 2 but it would seem from Fire and Stone that if there was any background between the 2, it's in the long forgotten past.

happypred

Even that would be cool...

Maybe Ahab becomes obsessed with finding out more about the Engineers? That'd be a cool arc...and would show a different side of his race

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