Summary
Warning: Spoilers ahead for What If…? Aliens #5!TheAlienfranchise’s new nickname for theXenomorphis the best description of what the creatures actually are, even if it goes againsttheir previous description as a “Perfect Organism.“Since the Xenomorph first appeared on-screen in Ridley Scott’s iconic 1979 sci-fi horror film,it’s been described as a species whose evolution is so perfect that no organism can rise above it. While this does make the Xenomorph one of the scariest creations in fiction, a new nickname for the monster gives it the perfect description 45 years later.
InWhat If…? Aliens#5 by Leon Reiser and Guiu Vilanova,redeemedAliensvillain Carter Burkereturns to his office in the heat of a Xenomorph attack to rescue his coworkers. He fends off a barrage of creatures with a machine gun that shreds through them, saving their lives. However, the Queen Xenomorph attempts to break through the barricade. Hiding behind Burke in fear, one of the employees exclaims “We’ve gotroyalspace roaches now?!”
Comparing the Xenomorph to a cockroach is an incredibly simple way to describe the creature.However, it absolutely works when looking at the alien’s physiology and what it does to survive.
The Xenomorphs are Essentially Cockroaches from Outer Space
It’s a Bug Problem of Galactic Proportions
Diving into what makes the Xenomorphs tick, it’s easy to see where the cockroach comparison comes from.Xenomorphs love to hide in dark and tight crevices where no one can see them.While cockroaches aren’t as deadly as their interstellar counterparts, it still benefits their survival because they can navigate airtight spaces to ensure they’re not killed on sight.Plus, when attacked, it can be incredibly hard to kill them.Cockroaches have a uniquely designed exoskeleton that makes it difficult for them to be crushed, while Xenomorphs have acidic blood to ward off attackers.
What’s most interesting, though, is how the 1986 filmAliensbrought the Xenomorphs in line with this apt comparison. Unlike the originalAlienfrom the ’70s, this big-budget sequel spawned creatures by the thousands as they picked off the marines one-by-one.It’s true to what real cockroaches are like as they live in groups called “intrusions” rather than fending for themselves.This allows them to fester everywhere and ensure they overtake an area without much resistance.
The Xenomorph’s New Nickname Feeds intoAlien’s Central Theme
It All Comes Full Circle
“Comparing the creatures to roaches is a brilliant way to drive home the concept behind the series…”
Perhaps the most interesting thing regarding the new nickname for Xenomorphs is how it circles back to what makesAlienso scary in the first place.The whole idea behind the franchise is asking what would happen if bugs were so big that people became their problem.The result is a horrific series of events that lead to countless deaths fromvarious Xenomorph hybridswhere no one can hear the victims scream. Comparing the creatures to roaches is a brilliant way to drive home the concept behind the series as humans acknowledge them for what they are: bloodthirsty roaches with the instinct to kill.
This new description of the iconic creatures will undeniably stick in the minds of fans for years to come. The cockroach comparison is just so perfect for explaining to newcomers what theXenomorphsare without having to dive too deep into what fans already know. It’s a nickname that encapsulates what makes theAlienfranchise so scary, even if it goes completely against how some humans view them as a “Perfect Organism.”
Alien
Cast
Alien is a sci-fi horror-thriller by director Ridley Scott that follows the crew of a spaceship known as theNostromo.After the staff of the merchant’s vessel perceives an unknown transmission as a distress call, its landing on the source moon finds one of the crew members attacked by a mysterious lifeform, and they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun.
