Alien is an absolute triumph in Sci-Fi/horror, and has been a cultural phenomenon since the original film’s release in 1979. After the franchise’s popularity exploded following the release of 1986’s Aliens, it expanded beyond just the landscape of films alone, but into toys, video games, and – of course – comic books. The first publisher to print Alien stories was Dark Horse Comics, and the arcs that came from these comics expanded the Alien mythos in increasingly interesting and even groundbreaking ways.
The movies sold the Xenomorph as some kind of alien bug not dissimilar to an ant or bee. There was a Queen, a hive hierarchy, and a seemingly pheromone-based communication system. The prospect of encountering these human-sized space bugs was terrifying enough, making each film a horror-filled thrill ride. However, many of the comics published by Dark Horse argued that the Xenomorph was something more than just the ‘space bug’ 1986’s Aliens effectively labeled them as, and instead ventured into the mystery of the creature that was left completely open to speculation in 1979’s Alien. This allowed the stories that followed to either lean into the abstract cosmic horror of the Xenomorph, or the more action-heavy tone Aliens made popular (with a few unquestionably awesome crossovers added in for good measure). Here are 10 of the best of those Alien arcs from Dark Horse Comics!
10 Aliens Kicked Off The Dark Horse Continuity, & Was The Sequel The Franchise Deserved
Aliens Vol. 1 by Mark Verheiden and Mark A. Nelson
This comic series picked up right where Aliens left off, with Hicks and Newt arriving safely on Earth and Ripley being pulled away on another Weyland-Yutani mission involving the coveted Xenomorph specimen. This series gave Newt room to develop and become a badass heroine in her own right, while also highlighting the true impact the events of 1986’s Aliens had on Hicks. Plus, the series showed what the world became after humanity learned of the Xenomorphs’ existence, which spawned extreme militarization, waves of paranoia throughout society, and even the establishment of cults that actually worshiped the Xenomorphs.
This comic series was released before Alien 3, and acts as the skewing-off point for Dark Horse Comics’ Alien universe from 1986’s Aliens, as that film is canon in both continuities.
9 Xenomorphs Become Gods Worshiped By A Cult In Alien Lore
Aliens: Music of the Spears by Chet Williamson and Tim Hamilton
Dark Horse Comics’ Aliens only scratches the surface of Xenomorph-worshiping cults in modern society, while this series explores them to a truly disturbing degree. Music of the Spears primarily follows a musician as he attempts to use the recordings of the sounds a Xenomorph makes in his ‘Symphony of Hate’, but the world surrounding him is one that’s completely engulfed in Xenomorph obsession and worship. There are churches and holy leaders dedicated to worshiping Xenomorphs through the ritualistic dosing of a drug called Royal Jelly, which is a hallucinogen that taps the human mind into the psychic link shared by every member of the Xenomorph species (as Dark Horse oftentimes rejected the ‘pheromone’ theory in regard to Xenomorph communication). Plus, humanity became obsessed with Xenomorphs in their music and pop-culture, which allowed the series’ main character the ability to really run with his idea – to its ultimately horrific conclusion.
Aliens: Music of the Spears gave fans a twisted world that seemed infected by the Xenomorph species in a way that stretched far beyond what was shown in the films, and is perhaps the most fascinating Alien story ever told.
8 Dark Horse Introduces Jeri, Alien’s Xenomorph Synthetic
Aliens: Stronghold by John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke
Synthetics have been a mainstay in Alien lore since the original 1979 film, and have been presented as antagonists nearly as often as the Xenomorphs themselves. So, it’s only natural that the series would combine those two iconic aspects of the franchise into one glorious character: Jeri. Jeri is a Synthetic that looks exactly like a Xenomorph, and is used to infiltrate Xenomorph hives undetected by the alien creatures and steal Ovomorphs for scientific experimentation and study.
Jeri may not have been the first Synthetic to be used in such a manner (something that was shown in Aliens: Hive), but Jeri is the most memorable, as Arcudi and Mahnke really seemed to have fun with the character by having Jeri wield giant rifles and constantly smoking a cigar.
7 The Alien Homeworld & Xenomorph Civil War Was Revealed By Dark Horse
Aliens: Genocide by Mike Richardson and John Arcudi
A question the Alien film franchise has allowed the fanbase to ponder for decades was answered by the Dark Horse continuity: where do Xenomorphs come from? Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo found them on LV-426, but that’s not their homeworld, and the movies never uncovered their true planet of origin. Luckily, fans have Dark Horse, which revealed that the Xenomorphs do have a homeworld: Xenomorph Prime. Not only that, but the Xenomorphs also have a vast history, including a civil war between the classic black Xenomorphs and a subspecies that began spreading too quickly and dominating the planet, the red Xenomorphs.
One side was hellbent on wiping out the other, and the planet raged in a state of perpetual civil war for a long time before the human intervention that was shown in this storyline.
6 The Original Alien Film Was Redefined By Dark Horse Comics
Alien: The Original Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, Cristiano Seixas, and Guilherme Balbi
Dark Horse Comics didn’t just expand its own corner of the Alien mythos, but also took the time to explore alternate versions of the classic story, with this comic series being the perfect example. Alien: The Original Screenplay is just as it sounds – it’s the original screenplay brought to life in the form of a comic. Generally, the storyline plays out almost identically to what was produced in the 1979 film, with a few notable differences in terms of the characters involved and the appearance of the Xenomorph itself.
This limited series allows fans to explore every aspect of what the Alien universe could have been, while also being an interesting study in what went into the making of the original film – including and especially the ideas that didn’t get used.
5 1 Iconic Aliens Character Got The Perfect Prequel Story
Aliens: Newt’s Tale by Mike Richardson and Jim Somerville
Aliens was an integral step in establishing the Dark Horse Comics continuity. So, what better way to honor that legacy than by fleshing out one of Aliens’ most significant characters? Aliens: Newt’s Tale not only tells the story of how Newt survived the Xenomorph infestation of Hadley’s Hope (one that was caused by her very family, at that), but also gives the wider storyline shown in Aliens a much-needed dose of horror.
It’s no secret that Aliens traded horror for action, but Newt’s Tale returns the franchise to its horror roots in a way that arguably surpasses the original, as it’s told through the eyes of a scared little girl facing a horde of monsters all alone.
4 Dark Horse Comics Established Alien & Predator As A Shared Universe
Aliens vs Predator by Randy Stradley and Phill Norwood
While the idea that Alien and Predator were a shared universe would be introduced in Dark Horse Presents #36, Aliens vs Predator wouldn’t be fully established until Dark Horse Comics greenlit the official comic book series, as that would cement the combined continuities permanently within Dark Horse’s overarching canon. Aside from the AvP films that exist in their own pocket-continuity, Dark Horse Comics is the only place where Xenomorphs and Predators not only fight each other, but are significantly entangled in each other’s lives and cultures. Indeed, Yautja hunt Xenomorphs as a part of a ritual all hunters must go through as a rite of passage, and Predators are the reason Xenomorphs can be found on planets across the cosmos.
The lore in AvP runs deep, and impacts both franchises immensely, and it all started with Dark Horse Comics.
3 Dark Horse Gave Both Aliens & Prometheus Perfect Follow-Up Stories
Dark Horse Comics’ Fire and Stone & Life and Death crossover events
Fire and Stone and Life and Death are crossover titles that stretch across a number of comics within the Alien universe under Dark Horse Comics, including Aliens, Predator, Aliens vs Predator, and Prometheus. These two storylines are expansive, to say the least, and weave together a rich tapestry of lore stemming primarily from the films Prometheus and Aliens, which is why they are perfect follow-up stories to those two movies.
These two crossovers are one giant storyline that expertly ties together the events of Alien’s prequel and sequel films while also including Predators into the mix in a truly groundbreaking and wildly entertaining way.
2 Alien: Resurrection’s ‘Sequel’ Merged Alien With Another Sci-Fi Franchise
Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator by Mark Shultz and Mel Rubi
Another ‘sequel’ to an Alien film, Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator takes fans to the distant future set after the events of Alien: Resurrection (which was already set two hundred years after the events of Aliens/Alien 3). Readers follow Ripley8 – the clone of Ripley – as she works to fight not only a new crop of Xenomorphs, but ones that were mutated and enhanced by the remnant of Skynet and the Terminators.
This loose sequel to the Alien franchise explores a corner of the universe that hasn’t really been touched since the release of Alien: Resurrection, despite the ample opportunity to revisit this era of Alien continuity – and that’s what makes this storyline so special. Plus, merging Alien with The Terminator is pretty cool, too.
1 Alien’s Xenomorphs Prove To Be A Match Even For DC’s Superman
Superman vs Aliens by Dan Jurgens and Kevin Nowlan
Speaking of fun crossovers, Superman vs Aliens is perhaps the most unforgettable to date. In a collaborative effort with DC, Dark Horse Comics released this three-issue gem to explore what would happen if Superman found himself in deep space, and came across the dreaded Xenomorph species. Far from the light of the yellow sun, Superman’s powers are draining fast, as he’s becoming increasingly vulnerable to the Xenomorphs’ deadly attacks – including the very nature of the creatures’ reproduction!
Superman vs Aliens is too fun to put down, making it one of the 10 best Alien arcs from Dark Horse Comics.
