Alien: Prototype

Ingeniero

Alien: Prototype

Alien: Prototype by Tim Waggoner is set in between Alien: Isolation and Aliens: Resistance.  The DEDICATION starts off perfectly as follows:

"This one's for Lance Henriksen, science fiction and horror's MVP."

In the novel, Zula Hendricks has been tasked to attend to deadly cargo.  Hendricks, a Colonial Marine veteran, is in charge of hazardous environment training for personnel in preparation for operations on new planets.  The team encounters a "creature more hideous than any Zula has encountered before."

Here is an enhanced image of the Xenomorph on the cover of Alien: Prototype, below, created to bring out the detail of the beast.

"Venture, a direct rival to the Weyland-Yutani corporation, will accept any risk to crush the competition. Thus, when a corporate spy 'acquires' a bizarre, leathery egg from a hijacked vessel, she takes it directly to the Venture testing facility on Jericho 3.

Though unaware of the danger it poses, the scientists there recognize their prize's immeasurable value. Early tests reveal little, however, and they come to an inevitable conclusion. They need a human test subject..."

Zula Hendricks

Zula Hendricks is tough and looks great during surgery in Aliens: Defiance, below.

Manticore

A ship in the story has a name that sounds very familiar, below.

"This had started as another routine smash-and-grab job. The Manticore was a pirate vessel, and the crew had thievery down to a science."

There will further updates to the analysis and tie-ins to the new Alien novel soon....

dk

Given the time line, it seems Amanda being found and involved would be a good way to go about it. On the other hand, it may risk becoming a story with Ripley Lite. 

The additional slime (nice enhancement) that seems to cover the xeno body makes me wonder more about its purpose/function.

Ingeniero

The Necromorph

I think what we might be looking at is called the "Necromorph" dk...and the slime (resin) is mentioned too.

"The Necromorph was calmer."

"There it would find a host, and take the human to a secluded area. It would seal the human in resin--leaving the mouth exposed, of course--and then it would produce an Ovomorph."

Alien: Prototype, page 274.

dk

Thanks- I am only tracking on the movies and Isolation game.

Ingeniero

You're most welcome dk.

The novels are great and it's a pleasure to report.

MonsterZero

So glad Fox is continuing these Alien novels!

Just bought for my Kindle...will start to read tonight.

I.Raptus

Manticore

A ship in the story has a name that sounds very familiar, below.

"This had started as another routine smash-and-grab job. The Manticore was a pirate vessel, and the crew had thievery down to a science."

....as in Blackwinter Witch's ship of the same name?!

Ingeniero

I Raptus...I had a dog and his name was Bingo.

Ingeniero

Are you still awake MonsterZero reading the novel or have you finished yet?

BigDave

"....as in Blackwinter Witch's ship of the same name?!"

Conspiracy lol...  i never did read her stuff, i have to make the Effort to do so ;)

Pirate Ship is Interesting as a few times i mentioned as far as making a NEW Alien Movie, that some kind of Space Pirates or Space Scrap Junkers who encounter a Stranded Ship and attempt to STEAL or SALVAGE from the Ship, soon encounter the Reason the Ship in Question became a Space Hulk..

So as far as this Novel goes i guess it seems Interesting, but for me the Problem i have is the Novels and Comics seem to be about the Same/Similar thing...

Discovery of a Egg/Eggs, Face Huger or Infected Person with Said Face Hugger and then this leads to a Xenomorph/Xenomorphs that are Very Similar/Same as from either ALIEN/ALIENS or the AVP Movies.

Thats not knocking the Novel... there is a Market for these, i just would like to see a Novel/Comic that has something different.  Because just as Ridley Scott had said, there is only SO MUCH of the Face Hugging, Chest Bursting that can be done before you have to think of something FRESH.

I think the Prequels with the Various Horrors within (aside from Xenomorph) offer a Variety of Different things to cover.  So you can have that ALIEN VIBE without the Xenomorph we are used to from the Original 4 Movies and AVP's.

BigDave

Necromorph is Interesting i think it depends on WHAT its purpose would be that Warrants such a Name!

A Hybrid/Evolution that Does-Not Die?

Ridley Scott had said about the Xenomorph that you have to Evolve it and Explore different kinds of Procreation.

So looking at that and if someone came to me and said right, we gonna introduce a Different Xenomorph that we are going to call the NECROMORPH. and so what ideas do you think we should look at.

I would SUGGEST that this Hybrid/Evolution can INFECT a Dead Host and so we dont need a Alive Host.. 

The Dead Host would then Be Infected by the Necromorph and either.

1) Its Body Mutates into a Egg.

2) Multiple Eggs Spawn from the Decomposing/Infected Corpse.

3) The Infected Dead Corpse Produces a Chest Buster like Organism inside.

4) The Infected Dead Corpse would come back to LIFE and Mutate into a Xenomorph like Horror.

This would be something NEW and would Warrant being called a Necromorph.  It would also make the Organisms Procreation Options not as Limited as the Originals... thus MORE of a Threat ;)

MonsterZero

Just finished it!

Wow...vicious book! Really good.

Would love to see this made into a movie.

Necromorph is really cool.....Don't want to spoil too much?

BigDave is on the right track. ;-)

Black goo is mentioned! 

It's worth 5.99$ .......support the franchise at least? Buy it!

I'll discuss it more in a couple of months. Let everyone read it.

BigDave

I will have to give it a TRY!

I should Start to Read more to HELP me sleep, as my Brain does-not switch off at Night lol

I am open to Reading Novels that expand but dont contradict the Movies and Prequels.. sadly quite a Number of them do this....

But i guess its always best to take them as a Alternative Universe, like how the Dark Knight Batman Series and the 90's Movie Series are....  about Batman but set in different Universes.

I DO have a FEAR that with Disney the ALIEN Franchise would be seeing Similar.... be it Movies and TV Series and so that could even mean a Alternative Universe version of Ellen Ripley thats played by someone else.

Or a Blomkamps like Alien 5... reboot of Alien 3

chli

I think the novel was quite alright although the necromorph was a bit of an overkill. :)

I like "Out of the Shadows" best and "The Rage War Trilogy".

Kongzilla

Ingeniero

"There it would find a host, and take the human to a secluded area. It would seal the human in resin--leaving the mouth exposed, of course--and then it would produce and Ovomorph."

Like egg-morphing scene from Alien Director's Cut?

Kongzilla

"Because just as Ridley Scott had said, there is only SO MUCH of the Face Hugging, Chest Bursting that can be done before you have to think of something FRESH."

*sigh*

People love all this not because of hopelessness. People adore facehuggers, chestbursters, aliens. Some alien books have new organic ideas - plagiarus praepotens in The Cold Forge, medieval world in Phalanx, this book, many stories from Bug Hunt, F&S and L&D saga, Alien RPG (table game with Prometheus and Alien stuff). Something fresh is already on the table! Key word is - organic.

Ingeniero

Alien: Out of the Shadows is hard to beat chli...I loved it too.  The two parts below remind me of Planet 4 a little.  

“‘It’s a ship,’ he said.
‘What?’ Ripley gasped. She hadn’t even considered that possibility. Buried almost a mile beneath the planet’s surface, surely this couldn’t be anything but a building, a temple of some sort, or some other structure whose purpose was more obscure.’”

Alien: Out of the Shadows, page 167.

“The entire left half of the exposed surface might have been a wing, curving down in a graceful parabola, projections here and there seemingly swept back for streamlining.”

Alien: Out of the Shadows, page 168.

Necromorph Traits

The Necromorph trait that was most impressive, in my opinion, was where the host's infection (cellular necrosis) was synthesized by the pathogen and refined into a defense mechanism (black goo filled pustules).

"Before she could take hold of the thing, the pustules on its back erupted, spraying black snot-like goo."

Alien: Prototype, page 142.

Ingeniero

Alien Queen Ovomorph

"Like egg-morphing scene from Alien Director's Cut?"

Exactly Leto.  It seems that each of the new novels may try to reveal a little regarding the pathogen and the Xenomorph.  

Alien: Prototype grabs and pulls the little chain hanging from the lightbulb, illuminating the wall with a chalkboard filled with notes on the Xenomorph life cycle, Queen generation.

"With any luck, one of the hatchlings would be a queen, and there would be more eggs and more Necromorphs.

Many-many."

Alien: Prototype, page 275.

Ingeniero

The video below may help us better understand the necrosis aspects of the Necromorph.