Hello everyone, Kroft here! Today, I’m going to explain the complete Xenomorph life cycle, which can be quite complex and varies under different circumstances. We’ll cover every single stage in detail, from the origins of alien eggs to the transformation of Facehuggers into Chestbursters, and their progression into fully grown Xenomorphs. Additionally, we’ll delve into the evolution to more advanced stages, such as the Alien Queen, as well as other obscure stages found in comics and video games.
Before the Xenomorphs emerged, Prometheus revealed the sequence of transformations that preceded the original Xenomorph cycle. So to understand the origins of the xenomorph egg, let’s first delve into what came before the egg.
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In Prometheus a prequel to the original alien, the black goo serves as a catalyst for a series of horrific transformations that ultimately lead to the birth of a Deacon, a distance xenomoprh ancestor.
When the crew of Prometheus lands on LV-223, they seek answers about humanity’s origins. In that process , they discover mysterious cylindrical vases containing the black goo or the pathogen, a potent biological agent capable of rewriting genetic material, triggering rapid and often grotesque mutations in any life form it contacts.
The black goo first infects Charlie Holloway when The android android, contaminates Holloway’s drink with a drop of the goo. Holloway then soon begins to exhibit symptoms of mutation and becomes gravely ill. Despite their best efforts to treat him, the infection rapidly progresses. During this time, Shaw, who is sterile, engages in intimate relations with Holloway. This encounter results in her becoming impregnated with a rapidly growing alien organism, later referred to as a trilobite.
Shaw soon realizes that something is terribly wrong then a scan reveals a non-human organism is growing inside her. Desperate and horrified, Shaw uses an automated medical pod and performs a high-tech cesarean section, extracting the trilobite. The creature, resembling a squid-like organism, is removed from her body.
But after its removal, the trilobite continues to grow at an accelerated pace. Meanwhile, Shaw and the surviving crew awaken one of the Engineers, the ancient beings they believe to be humanity’s creators, but their encounter turns violent.
In the subsequent chaos, the trilobite, now significantly larger, encounters the Engineer. The creature attacks, overpowers the Engineer and impregnates him by inserting an embryo into his throat, similar to the Facehugger’s method in the Xenomorph life cycle.
The Engineer, now infected with the trilobite’s offspring, succumbs to the gestation process. The embryo rapidly matures within him, leading to a gruesome and violent birth of a new creature e known as the Deacon.
Although script version of the deacon was way different, the deacon creature we saw on screen didn’t have any clear way of reproducing. Just like the neomoerphs and protomorphs in Alien: Covenant that had the exact same problem. The black goo’s interaction with the fauna resulted in egg sacs that led to the emergence of Neomorphs. Like the Deacons, these Neomorphs were unable to reproduce. Recognizing this flaw, David mentioned in a deleted scene that he had only one thing to perfect “my queen,” which would complete the Xenomorph life cycle.
Therefore before the egg, there was the black goo, a potent mutagen that David used to revive or possible even create the alien egg and the xenomoph species.
He may have also used Daniels to develop a Queen, perfecting his Xenomorph design into a self-reproducing species. Although there is still a gap in the timeline after Alien: Covenant about how extactly he did it, here’s a full overview of the complete xenomorph life cycle as we currently know it.
Since David either revived or possibly created the alien eggs, he may have used Daniels to develop a queen and perfect his xenomorph design. Although there is still a gap in the timeline after Alien: Covenant about how extactly he did it, here’s a full overview of the complete xenomorph life cycle as we currently know it.
Ovomorphs
The Ovomorph, commonly referred to as the Egg, is the first stage in the life cycle of the Xenomorph species. The ovomorph is an egg-like capsule that contains a Facehugger. These eggs are produced and laid by a Queen, but they can also be created through a process called morphing where a captured victim undergoes metamorphosis to become a viable ovomorph. In the deleted scene from the original Alien (1979), Bret was captured but a xenomorph and brought to a hive where his body was morphing into an egg with a face hugger inside.
Xenomorph Eggs, are often seen as inert vessels for Facehuggers but in reality they are complex organisms in that exist in a symbiotic relationship with the Facehugger. These eggs can detect nearby hosts, causing four “petals” to open and release the Facehugger. Typically containing one Facehugger, but sometimes up to four, an Egg and its occupant weigh around 60 pounds. They thrive in hot, humid environments and can sustain Facehuggers for centuries without external nutrients. The longevity of Eggs is due to locking energy-generating acid blood into stable salts that decay slowly. Despite this, Eggs eventually expire, as seen when an Egg on LV-426 didn’t respond to contact.
It is unknown whether an empty Egg can produce more Facehuggers. However, the fact that spent Eggs are typically found hollow and empty suggests that this is unlikely.
Dissection of Eggs reveals they have a basic central nervous system linked to thermo- and pressure-sensitive veins on their surface, enabling them to detect nearby hosts. It’s suggested that the Egg’s skin may have sensory organs for distant host detection, allowing the Facehugger to orient and assess host viability accurately.
In the original Alien of 1979, some eggs appear almost transparent, suggesting that the outer shell might allow for visibility of the internal Facehugger,
Over time, undisturbed Eggs develop tendril-like roots that may absorb nutrients or facilitate communication between Eggs, which can be seen in the movie Alien of 1986. This communication could inform other Eggs of a host’s approach, detect hosts directly or even enable communication the an aline queen nearby.
Another mystery surrounding the alien eggs is the blue mist. The Eggs on Acheron were covered by a bluish mist that interfered with radio communications and reacted when broken. It’s unclear if this mist was artificial or generated by the Eggs.
The only other time this mist is seen on screen is in Alien: Romulus, which may provide further insights into its origin.
The mist might be a mechanism created by the Engineers since it was only seen in the space jockey juggernaut.
The true origin of the eggs remains one of the biggest mysteries. It appears that David created the first Xenomorph eggs, or at least a version of them, in Alien: Covenant. There is also evidence suggesting that he designed his Xenomorph eggs based on another ancient egg he discovered on Planet 4.
Additionally, there is a theory that the eggs found on the Space Jockey’s Juggernaut on LV-426 were actually bioweapons, literal bio-bombs intended to be deployed on hostile targets. Another theory also suggests that black goo urns in Prometheus eventually morph into eggs however, there isn’t much evidence for it.
When a host is detected, the Egg releases a catalyst that frees stored acids, transferring energy to the Facehugger, which becomes “live” at this point. The Ovomorph sacrifices its bio-electrical potential to activate the Facehugger for attack. The Egg’s top then splits open to release the Facehugger, which is one of the scariest jump scares in cinema.
Facehugger
The Facehugger is a parasitoid stage of the Xenomorph species that hatches from an Ovomorph. It represents the second stage in the Xenomorph life cycle and exists solely to implant a Chestburster in a living host through the mouth. Despite lacking real offensive capabilities, the Facehugger relies on stealth, surprise, or immobilized victims to achieve implantation. Facehuggers are deceptively strong, possessing extreme strength for their size, often requiring several people to prevent them from impregnating a host. Notably, a Facehugger dies shortly after completing its task.
The Facehugger resembles skeletal hands with a spine-like tail and eight finger-like legs for rapid crawling and leaping.
A Facehugger’s long, strong digits enable rapid movement and a firm grip on a host’s head, making removal nearly impossible and ensuring implantation. Its tail aids in leaping and additional grip, sometimes strangling hosts and The potent acid blood complicates removal.
When a Facehugger senses a nearby host, it attempts to attach and subdue them. It leaps at the host’s face with force and accuracy, wrapping its tail around their neck and digits around their skull. Once secured, it renders the host unconscious with a cyanose-based paralytic chemical, causing vivid, distressing dreams. Humans, Predators, or similarly sized beings are the most compatible hosts, as smaller hosts, like cats, are unsuitable. However, larger hosts like Engineers can be impregnated. The Facehugger inserts a proboscis down the host’s throat to supply air and implant a Xenomorph embryo, a process taking several hours. Various theories exist about the impregnation process, primarily that the proboscis invades the host’s esophagus to implant an embryo.
Another theory suggested that the Facehugger implants cellular clusters of tumors, prompting the host’s body to construct the Chestburster internally. The currently accepted theory, however, is that the Facehugger does not implant an embryonic Xenomorph. Instead, it deposits a mutagenic substance called Plagiarus prepotens into the host’s esophagus. This mutagen restructures the host’s cells, causing the host’s body to form the Chestburster from its own biological material. While there are no visible signs while the embryo is growing, hosts may sometimes develop a fever. sweat and increased appetite.
While it is possible to remove Facehuggers before embryo implantation, the procedure is usually fatal for the host. The Facehugger’s strong grip, sedative chemicals, and acidic blood make safe removal nearly impossible. If a Facehugger detects an attempt to detach it, it will kill the host to ensure they do not survive. However, there have been rare cases of Facehuggers failing to subdue a host. For instance, on Acheron, Ellen Ripley managed to block a Facehugger’s attack with her hands, and with immediate assistance, she was able to remove it before losing consciousness.
Since the xenomorph is highly adaptive lifeforms, there exists a few face hugger variants:
For example The Royal Facehugger from Alien 3 with the ability to lay a queen embryo inside a host.
Or The Octo-Facehugger a deleted creature from prometheus that was supposed to be an accent version of a facehugger.
Once the xenomoph embryo is implanted reaches a certain size a Chestburster the most gruesome xenomoprh stage emerges from a host.
The Egg sacs from Alien: Covenant are also noteworthy. Their exact origin and role in the Xenomorph life cycle are unknown, but they appear to combine the roles of Ovomorphs and Facehuggers. Once their spores are inhaled, they result in a Neomorph embryo growing inside the host.
Chestburster
The Chestburster, the infant form of the Xenomorph species, represents the third stage in its life cycle and is infamous for its gruesome gestation process. As it matures, it violently bursts from the host’s chest, causing a bloody and traumatic death. Typically small, Chestbursters resemble large worms and are usually beige or brown with metallic teeth and a tail for swift movement.
Chestbursters incorporate about 25% of the host’s genetic material, allowing them to adapt to their environment and evade the host’s immune system. This genetic assimilation causes physical variations in adult Xenomorphs, such as the Yautja mandibles in Predalien Chestbursters. The emergence of a Chestburster causes severe trauma, organ rupture, and massive blood loss, leading to a swift but excruciatingly painful death.
The Chestburster stage is the Xenomorph’s most vulnerable. Despite rapid growth, these infants are almost defenseless and rely on their acidic blood for protection. Although they can attack humans, they typically hide until they reach maturity. After emerging, Chestbursters quickly grow into adult xenomorphs, with the Alien on the Nostromo reaching adulthood within hours. They seek hiding places and consume organic materials and raw metals to increase their mass, shedding their skin repeatedly as they grow. While the birthing process is fatal, there have been instances where removing a Chestburster before emergence leaves the host unharmed, such as the removal of an alien queen embryo from Ripley 8 in Alien: Resurrection.
Adult Xenomorph
The Xenomorph, commonly known as the Alien and classified as XX121, is an extremely aggressive extraterrestrial species. These predatory creatures have one and only goal which is the propagating their species and the destruction of any other life form they encounter along their path. Similar to wasps or bees, Xenomorphs are hive creature, with a Queen breeding numerous subordinate castes. They are known for their potent acidic blood and secondary inner jaws, but their defining characteristic is their gruesome lifecycle discussed earlier in the video.
Besides their frequent conflicts with humans, Xenomorphs are closely associated with the Yautja. The Yautja regard Xenomorphs as highly dangerous and worthy prey, using them in initiation hunts to test young members of their society and mark their transition into adulthood, which is explored in AVP movies.
Xenomorphs have a durable exosceleton, blade tipped tails and biomechanical appearance which allow them to seamlessly merge in the ships interior. When standing upright, Xenomorphs have a roughly bipedal appearance. They are incredibly strong, able to break through metal and welded steel doors effortlessly. Their main weapon is their inner pharyngeal jaw, which can extend from their mouth with piston-like force, capable of piercing bone and metal.
Xenomorphs adapt their physical appearance during development based on their host’s physiology. Despite their seemingly fragile construction, their tails are powerful weapons capable of impaling and lifting a Yautja. These tails are used for stabbing, slashing, and blunt force trauma. Lacking traditional eyes, Xenomorphs have sensory structures on their heads to detect vibrations, and their elongated skull functions as a biological sonar using echolocation to scan their surroundings.
Their blood is a highly potent molecular acid, yellowish-green in color, capable of corroding almost any substance on contact. This acidic blood acts as a component of a biological “battery” that powers the creatures and is pressurized to spurt out defensively when wounded. The level of Xenomorph sentience and intelligence is debated, but they exhibit some form of communication that synchronizes them with the Queen.
Before new get to the Queen, there are two rare and relateviely unknown casts that are regulars xenomorph can evolve into
Praetorian
The Praetorian, also known as the Royal Guard, represents one of the final stages in the traditional Xenomorph life cycle. When a hive’s population exceeds 300 individuals, the Queen selects several Xenomorphs to be fed royal jelly, which transforms them into Praetorians. These formidable creatures are larger and stronger than regular Xenomorphs but still smaller than the Queen. Praetorians serve as commanders of the hive and primary protectors of the Queen, ensuring her safety and maintaining order among the other Xenomorphs.
Crusher
The Crusher, mainly featured in video games, is an advanced stage of the Xenomorph life cycle, evolving from the Praetorian. Crushers share similar traits with Praetorians but are even larger and stronger, characterized by a massive head crest used to deliver devastating blunt force trauma.
All regular Xenomorphs, Praetorians, and Crushers are subordinate to and controlled by the Alien Queen, who serves as the mother and leader of the xenomorph hive.
Alien Queen
The Queen is the largest, strongest, and most intelligent Xenomorph stage seen on screen. The Queen’s appearance significantly differs from smaller variants. Typically stationary within the Hive, Queens are primary egg-layers, while regular xenomorphs and Praetorians handling defense and offense. When laying eggs, their massive ovipositor renders them immobile.
Queens are notably more intelligent than regular Xenomorphs, exhibiting traits of wrath and vengeance, problem-solving skills, and the ability to issue commands to subordinate castes. Physically, they stand around 5 meters tall, twice the height of most Xenomorphs, with older Queens growing even larger. Their thick mesoskeleton and additional armor allow them to withstand extensive gunfire.
The exact process of a Queen’s creation is unknown. In the novelization of Aliens, Bishop theorizes that the introduction of Royal Jelly at the egg stage may lead to the creation of a Queen, similar to how honey bee queens are created. This suggests that a Queen is determined from the earliest stages of its life cycle. This theory was supported in Alien 3, where Ripley was impregnated by a Royal Facehugger capable of implanting a special Queen embryo into a host.
However, the 2010 AVP video game presents a different perspective. In the game, “Specimen 6” evolves into a Queen from the Praetorian stage, indicating that a Xenomorph can transform into a Queen later in its life cycle under certain conditions. This variation highlights the complexity and adaptability of the Xenomorph species.
An Alien Queen Can eventually evolve into
The Empress
The Empress is an obscure stage in the Xenomorph life cycle, appears briefly in video games. Empresses are physically larger and superior to regular Queen, often ruling over multiple Queens and their respective hives. They are only subordinate to the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother
The Queen Mother, also known as the Mother Queen or Hive Mother, is the supreme controlling force of the Xenomorph species, encountered only on Xenomorph Prime. Queen Mothers are enormous in size and they rule over equally massive hives, often spanning over continents or entire planets, and are believed to control every Xenomorph within their domain. Due to their rare appearances and obscurity, Queen Mothers remain somewhat inconsistent in their portrayal.
Besides different xenomorph stages there exists over 60 xenomorph variants, so click on this video to learn about every single type of xenomoph.