Aliens ' Bug Hunt'

rob clayton

Hi Guys, I'm new to this site but so glad I found it! I'm sure this question has already been asked however I was watching Aliens again last night and in the scene where Ripley is briefing the marines, Hudson asks if the mission is going to be another bug hunt. Do any of the comics touch on this and if so what Aliens have they previously encountered? Could have the potential for an Aliens spin off movie like Rouge One?

Durp004

It's been a little while since I've watched any of the Alien movies so I'm not completely sure about the context of the statement. It could just be a way of saying something like wild goose chase 

dk

rob clayton

Welcome!

That is a good question. I always wondered if the Marines encountered the Xenomorphs prior to that mission. I have only seen the movies so IDK about the comics or books.

ali81

from theyr reaction from getting theyr asses kicked in the hive I very much doubt they have encountered the xeno before but interesting idea for a spin off movie

dk

Hudson asked if it would be a stand up fight or another bug hunt. That seems to suggest their last bug hunt (whatever it was) was not a stand up fight and they lost. Maybe it was an adlib that got left in- IDK.

MuzzleNZ

'Bug hunt' to me suggests it's possibly just that - a search for potentially hazardous life. Doesn't suggest they've actually encountered 'bugs', just that they've been tasked with 'hunting' around for some.

Given what we know of the colonial marines, I think the 'stand up fight' probably referenced their role in resolving (by force) human related disorder on colony planets (which, in my opinion, would be an interesting area to explore further). 'Big hunt' suggests to me their role in either investigating a prospective planet for terraforming, and 'neutralising' any alien threat, or doing the same with an existing colony that may come across some alien life. There is discussion in the mess hall on the Sulaco about other alien life the marines have come across, so we know at that time they have come across alien life before (albeit harmless by the sound of it).

Clearly they have never come across a threat of the magnitude that they eventually suc***b to in Aliens, regardless of how much firepower they are packing (Better to be over prepared than under prepared).

S.M

A 'bug hunt' is dealing with hostile life forms.  As opposed to a 'stand up fight' which might be dealing with insurrectionists or terrorism. The inference in the scene is that the latter is the preferred option.

There's a short story anthology coming out in a few months that will deal specifically with different Colonial Marine adventures.

dk

How do we explain this quote based on when Aliens came out and there wasn't any colonial marines backstory (to my knowledge) back then?

S.M

You don't need a backstory.  You just judge it in terms of the context that's mentioned.  Ferro mentions earlier, in scoffing terms, that apparently Ripley saw an alien once.  Hudson similarly scoffs as if it's no big deal.

dk

I think Paxton's quote was an adlib that got left in. Still, it is tantalizing to entertain the thought.

S.M

That was scripted - though originally it was "Whoooah!  No ****?  I'm impressed."

dk

They obviously weren't prepared for the Xenomorphs, but it seems they dealt with other creatures in the past. At the time, it was a mysterious question. I was unaware of the original script- thanks.

ninXeno426

I looked into it a little and surprisingly what a "bug hunt" is has never  been properly explained.I think this idea is wide open for interpretation.

ninXeno426

Sorry for the double post.Just corrected it.

S.M

"They obviously weren't prepared for the Xenomorphs, but it seems they dealt with other creatures in the past. At the time, it was a mysterious question. I was unaware of the original script- thanks."

Yeah they've dealt with other species before - but nothing like the Xenomorph.

ninXeno426

On the side of the drop ship there's a little logo that says "bug stomper" with a slogan that says "we endanger species".That could give us more insight on what they do.

dk

Never noticed that nin thanks!

ninXeno426

It's real easy to miss.I only reason i know about it is from Aliens behind the scenes features.I also had to look it up to make sure i had it right.It's on the right side of the ****pit.

ninXeno426

I'm trying to post pictures of it here but they've been downloading for a half hour.

dk

This?

Myrddin365

While military accuracy was never a priority in this film, a corporal would never fly anything with people on it. That's a warrant officer or higher gig.

ninXeno426

That's the one.I tried to get it here but it never downloaded.My phone sucks.

dk

"While military accuracy was never a priority in this film, a corporal would never fly anything with people on it. That's a warrant officer or higher gig."

Depends on availability and ability. Rank doesn't matter for emergencies. If that situation happened for real, no one would say that you can't pilot a ship because it's above your pay grade. It would be more like "You can do it? Make it happen!"

ninXeno426

We're also talking futuristic military.

ali81

'hey,whos snow white?' 'apparently, she saw an alien once'

this convo between the marines suggests to me that the marines have never encountered anything or heard of anyone encountering anything that we would consider an intelligent extra terrestrial life form before. hudsons question about it being another bug hunt is a sarcastic question that says to me 'are we being sent on another wild goose chase involving some phantom creature wer never going to find?'. the stand up fight bit probably refers to theyr encounters with pirates and companies illegal activity on worlds that weyland has claim to

Myrddin365

@dk you are technically correct, but this is not an emergency situation their names are stencilled on the side. Those are the people who always fly the dropship.

@ninxeno there are a lot of reasons that the military makes significant rank a pre requisite for operating expensive equipment that carries people.  

It is a position of high risk and responsibility

It requires long, intensive, expensive training

The one flying needs to be the one in charge en route, not a guy in the back. corporal is not a rank that facilitates that understanding.

Passing time changes none of these facts. James Cameron even admits in interviews that he completely misrepresented military personnel in the film.

ninXeno426

I know what you mean Myrrdin.I was really just pointing out that this is science fiction where people make up a lot of their own rules,accuracy be damned.

Rick

I have to back Myrddin on this.  Flying is NOT an NCO job.  Would have taken Cameron 30 minutes of reading up on the subject to figure that out, and at the same time they hired a military consultant that surely fumbled the ball there. To get back on subject there is a Titan Book coming out called Aliens: Bug Hunt that might be worth checking out.  I don't know if it will be canon or not but would make for a good read anyhow

ali81

rank differs depending on which branch of the military u r in. and remember this is a fictional colonial marine squad so cannot be completely compared to modern real life marines. that being said, it wouldv made more sense if it did and as Cameron has stated he should researched this better. slight element of nit picking though IMO