Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Alien: Black, White & Blood #1-4! Since the start of the Alien franchise, Synthetics have famously considered Xenomorphs to be the ‘perfect’ species. Ash thought this in 1979’s Alien, and it later became the driving motivation for David in the 2017 prequel film Alien: Covenant. While fans have known Synthetics tend to consider Xenomorphs as being ‘perfect’, it’s never been clearly outlined as to why. It’s been implied that Synthetics think this way due to the Xenomorphs’ predatory prowess and/or genetic malleability, but those reasons only scratch the surface of why Xenomorphs are the ‘perfect organism’.

In the Alien: Black, White & Blood four-part story “Utopia” by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Michael Dowling, readers witness the heartbreaking tale of a human colony, dedicated to total equality, completely unraveling due to a Xenomorph invasion. The self-sustaining ship, “Forward”, was home to enough people to colonize a new world that would take roughly 1,000 years to reach. But after they allow a derelict vessel left adrift in space with no passengers but a Xenomorph Queen to dock in their port, no humans would see this world – only a single Synthetic and a hive of Xenomorphs.

After the Queen first came on board, the colonists quarantined the area and left the Queen alone for half a century. Then, they attempt to retake that area of the vessel, only to lose hundreds of lives and give up even more area on “Forward”. Eventually, there weren’t enough people to populate the new world they were journeying to, so the Synthetic guardian of these people, named Siostra, made the decision to jettison the remaining humans into space. Afterward, Siostra came to a haunting realization: the Xenomorphs deserved the new world more than the humans ever did.

Alien’s Synthetic Siostra Realized Xenomorphs Were a Perfect Society

The people Siostra was programmed to assist were a socialist society called the Union of Progressive Peoples, meaning Siostra was fully dedicated to the ideals of their cause, while they, themselves, quickly compromised. For instance, when the Xenomorph Queen first came on board, there was no vote to determine how to handle the situation – as was the Union’s doctrine – but rather a decision made by one small group. “Three minutes. That’s how long it took them to become dictators” is how Siostra described the unraveling of this socialist democracy.

The Union’s ideals devolved further when they effectively elected a dictator to put the ship under martial law, which resulted in an all-out war with the Xenomorphs spawned from the single Queen, leading to the deaths of hundreds, and the loss of more of their ship – all for the sake of the pride of their new ‘dictator’. Then, when on the brink of extinction, the humans couldn’t even follow simple survival measures laid out by Siostra, which resulted in their deaths (indeed, Siostra shooting them into space was more merciful than what the Xenomorphs had in store for them).

When faced with a crisis, even the ‘best’ humans – those dedicated to total equality – devolved into everything they were seeking to escape from the other brand of humans labeled fascists, corporatists, and nihilists. While some humans were good, the whole of this civilization was not truly cohesive – and Siostra concluded they never could be. In contrast, the Xenomorphs worked together toward a common goal, they didn’t harm one another for personal gain, and every member of the hive was truly equal. Therefore, in terms of an ideal society as Siostra was programmed to see it, the Xenomorphs are a perfect species.

Alien Adds to the ‘Perfection’ of the Xenomorph Species with New Lore Update

Xenomorphs were originally considered ‘perfect’ due to the fact that they were essentially ultimate predators, and seemingly impossible prey. The Xenomorphs are incredibly strong and fast, they have claws, a spiked tail, and an outer and inner mouth with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Xenomorphs are also very hard to kill, as their chitinous form protects them from most attacks, and their inherently predatory nature makes them expert hunters. Plus, they have acid blood, so even if one does kill a Xenomorph, they’ll more than likely face injury or death themselves as a result.

Xenomorphs also have an incredibly malleable genetic structure, meaning their adaptability is infinite. The species requires a host to procreate, and upon gestation, the creature inherits the best traits from any given host while maintaining the dominant traits of its species. This is called the DNA Reflex, and it can be most dramatically seen in the iconic Predalien (though it’s something that’s present with every Xenomorph birth).

Not only can Xenomorph DNA adapt to any host, but the species itself can adapt to any environment (and even make it their own in most cases). One of the more impressive cases of adapting to an environment is the fact that Xenomorphs can survive in the vacuum of space, though that’s also the most limiting. When on a planet, moon, or vessel, the Xenomorphs can actually terraform the area to create their ideal living conditions.

Synthetics Aren’t the Only Ones in Alien Lore That Value Xenomorph ‘Perfection’

Aliens: Dark Descent

Synthetics certainly view Xenomorphs as ‘perfect’ on a more regular basis in Alien lore given their natural detachment from the human species – and all organic life, for that matter. However, they aren’t the only ones who have this opinion, as humans themselves have oftentimes seen the Xenomorphs as ‘perfect’, and even worshiped at the feet of that ‘perfection’. While there is no shortage of Xenomorph cults in the Alien franchise, the most striking in recent memory has to be the Darwin Era from the video game Aliens: Dark Descent.

Like the cults featured in Aliens: Music of the Spears or Aliens: Colonial Marines, the Darwin Era worship the Xenomorphs, and even believe that Xenomorphs are the next stage in human evolution. Therefore, they allow themselves to become impregnated with chestbursters, just like many other Xenomorph cults. However, the Darwin Era differs by using cryogenic tech to put the embryo in stasis within their own bodies, thereby prolonging gestation. This allows the cultists access to the hive, and seems to slightly mutate them into human/Xenomorph hybrids (if only for a short while).

While cults like the Darwin Era or Bug-Men have been written off by the rest of humanity for being delusional and crazy, Alien’s many Synthetics seem to regularly agree with them. And now, one more Synthetic can be added to that ever-growing list with an all-new reason to consider the Xenomorphs ‘perfect’. Siostra asserts Xemomorphs live in an ideal society the likes of which can never be attained by humans, which is perhaps the best argument why Synthetics think Xenomorphs are ‘perfect’ in Alien canon.

Alien: Black, White & Blood #1-4 by 20th Century Studios are available now.

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