Summary
- In Alien Annual 2023 #1, the origin of the new white Xenomorph hybrid is finally revealed through a crash-landing and genetic transfer process between the indigenous bug-like creatures and Facehuggers.
- The new white Xenomorph strain’s creation follows the established DNA Reflex of Xenomorphs, where genetic traits are passed on from hosts. This is similar to how previous Xenomorph variations, like the Predalien, came to be.
- The introduction of the white Xenomorph in Alien Annual 2023 #1 is reminiscent of the 90s Kenner comics, where toy variations of Xenomorphs were explained to have acquired specific traits from infecting aliens on new worlds. The white Xenomorph’s origin could have explored scientific hybridizations further, but it provides a satisfying official explanation.
Warning! This article contains spoilers for Alien Annual 2023 #1 After months of mystery surrounding Alien’s new Xenomorph subspecies, the answer to the question of how they came into existence has finally arrived, as Alien officially reveals the origin of the new white Xenomorph ‘hybrid’.
In Alien Annual 2023 #1 by Declan Shalvey and Danny Earls, readers are shown a spaceship containing a Xenomorph Queen and her brood crash-landing on LV-695 years before the events of Alien Vol. 3. When they hit the ground, they’re met with bug-like indigenous creatures who immediately investigate the Ovomorphs that litter the ground surrounding the crash-site. As per their nature, the Facehuggers leap out of their eggs onto the faces of these white ‘bugs’, and while the first few attempts at infection fail (given their faces are not the optimal size for Facehugger attachment), the aliens eventually find a way to release the genetic material needed to create Xenomorph life into the bodies of these ‘bugs’. The result is the white Xenomorph first shown in Alien Vol. 3, one of which overpowers the Queen and takes her place in producing Ovomorphs, with these new ones containing white Facehuggers.
Xenomorphs Took Genetic Characteristics From Alien Hosts To Create White Variant
While it is interesting to see Facehuggers infect their hosts in a new and horrific way, it’s a bit underwhelming that this exciting new Xenomorph strain came about exactly how everyone would have assumed. Xenomorphs’ DNA Reflex is a key aspect of their entire species, and it’s been established that a dominant gene picked up by certain hosts can carry over to the next Xenomorph Queen and her brood. For instance, the Xenomorph as fans know them only look the way they do because of the genetic characteristics they picked up from human hosts. That’s also why creatures such as the Predalien look different, as that’s a Xenomorph born from a Predator host. These white bugs of LV-695 are the latest in a long line of Xenomorph hosts passing on their genetic traits to these alien parasites. Unlike the Red Xenomorphs from Aliens: Genocide (which this story seems to be inspired by, given the Xenomorph civil war), that were naturally-occuring Xenomorph mutants who came to be without the influence of a specific host, these white Xenomorphs relied entirely on these ‘bug’ hosts for how they came into existence – which isn’t too dissimilar to another line of Alien comics.
Alien Annual 2023 #1 Is Reminiscent Of The 90s Kenner Comics
In 1992, Dark Horse Comics in partnership with Kenner Products published Aliens: Space Marines, a line of mini comics that were included with Aliens toys. The toys themselves were interesting variations of the classic Xenomorph, with ‘Mantis Alien’, ‘Scorpion Alien’, and ‘Rhino Alien’ being only a few examples. This was a creative way to sell kid-friendly Alien toys while also adding some variety, and the comics that were included explained that each of these Xenomorphs came to be after infecting aliens with those specific traits on new worlds. It was a great way to come up with new designs for Xenomorphs while also honoring the established lore, and it’s exactly what Alien Vol. 3 did with the white Xenomorph.
While there’s nothing wrong with how the white Xenomorph was brought into canon, it does feel like a missed opportunity to delve deeper into uncharted, scientific hybridizations rather than the classic DNA Reflex. In fact, this very series introduced perhaps the most disturbing human/Xenomorph hybrid in the Alien franchise, and there was definitely room to expand on that idea. These people were operating in unregulated territory, they consisted of a mad-scientist mother, a naive but brave daughter, and a synthetic totally loyal to the mother. No one knew what they had, and the experiments that could have been conducted in secret had the potential to explore the deepest aspects of horror and human depravity in the name of science. However, despite what could have happened, fans can at least be satisfied in knowing the official origin of Alien’s new white Xenomorph.
Alien Annual 2023 #1 by 20th Century Studios is available now.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
