Xenomorphs

Facehugger After the egg opens, a facehugger, an arachnid creature resembling two fused human hands, will jump out. Attaching itself to the face with its tentacles and strangling the future host creature with its muscular tail, it renders the creature unconscious. It places a xenomorph embryo inside the creature, which quickly develops inside the organism. Apparently, the "spider" legs are hypertrophied fingers, and the "breathing sacs" are transformed rudiments of lower limbs. The head is rudimentary due to its uselessness, the functions of the brain are taken over by the nerve nodes along the spine.

After two hours, the facehugger dies and the host creature regains consciousness.

Physical data An adult xenomorph is a living weapon, known for its brutality and relentlessness. At full maturity, a xenomorph has great physical strength and agility. They are masters of stealth; their favorite method of hunting is to attack from ambush. Their black skin color helps them to be more stealthy at night. In the movie "Aliens" it is shown that they prefer a nocturnal lifestyle. Xenomorphs are ready to do anything (even get seriously injured) just to destroy their enemy.

Adult xenomorphs are very agile creatures. They are able to climb even vertical surfaces. They are also very maneuverable and can dodge any attacks. Xenomorphs can withstand conditions that are critical for many other life forms: in the film Alien: Resurrection, a xenomorph withstood short-term exposure to liquid nitrogen, and in the film Alien 3, it got out of a vat of molten lead alive (although it died when it exploded when it was suddenly cooled). In addition, xenomorphs can regrow lost limbs and, if necessary, discard them themselves.

Life expectancy Lifespan is unknown, but some queens have been known to be many thousands of years old, such as the Queen Matriarch in Aliens versus Predator (2010) who is about 100,000 years old. Soldiers can also be measured in millennia. They are likely subject to aging, as the comic Aliens: Wraith shows an aged private Alien. Older Aliens are light gray in color and have less strength and speed.

Does not emit heat, since the internal body temperature is equal to the temperature of the environment (poikilothermic - cold-blooded), as a result of which it is not visible in the infrared spectrum. The endocrine system consists of glands, some of which are transformed into an attack system: some produce high-molecular acid, others - a neurotoxic paralytic poison, others - a biopolymer resin (for building a nest) and pheromones. The toxin introduced by the Alien into the victim's body selectively paralyzes some functions of the cortex and brainstem, completely immobilizing the victim. However, the poison does not affect the functioning of the lungs, heart and glands, but only sharply slows it down. The poison is used only in some games. In the films, the presence of poison was hinted at in the film "Aliens", when the queen tried to hit Ripley, who was in a working robot, with her tail, and in the book "Aliens", Lieutenant Gorman was infected with poison, but was cured by the synthetic Bishop.

Physiology Acid is not their blood! Acid only fills the space between the horny cover and the skin, polarized cells with acid-containing bubbles are constantly peeling off from the body, which provides high pressure of this liquid and splashes when the skin is damaged. Acid does not damage the outer horny cover, but is dangerous for the insides of the Alien itself, corroding them like any other creature. Xenomorphs also have a "spitting" gland in their mouth with a stronger acid - another reason for the development of the inner jaw (so that the acid does not damage the digestive tract).

It is known that the Neomorphs have a much weaker body acid, but they have a special organ in their mouth - a ball of acid gland under the tongue, which during development shifts to both sides of the pharynx and sinks into the tissue, forming pockets with acid. In Aliens, these pockets apparently have become a system of cavities and canals throughout the body.

Lytic (highly reactive) enzymes of the blood (in this case, acids) transform it into organic high-molecular sulfonic acid - a real antifreeze, which allows the xenomorph not to be afraid of low temperatures. This substance is a unique absorbent, it is very toxic and even at low concentrations kills any infection. After the death of the creature, the acidic liquid fills the space between the cells, reacting with the intercellular fluid and neutralizing, partially oxidizes some tissues and can lead to the complete dissolution of the body.

The metabolic activity of Aliens is not suppressed under almost any environmental conditions. The interstitial fluid is capable of absorbing oxygen and nitrogen necessary for cell metabolism from the atmosphere, extracting the necessary components from any gas mixtures and delivering them to tissues, and the ability to control internal pressure in a wide range helps to withstand even a space vacuum for a long time. Accordingly, it can survive in space.

They navigate by smell, using a pheromone locator. Aliens easily distinguish androids from people and usually do not touch them.

Aliens have a developed brain (the elongated shape of the skull is due to the hypertrophy of the cerebellum, which provides a huge number of complex movements and coordination, helping to navigate and move quickly even on vertical surfaces and the ceiling) and an excellent vestibular apparatus. Also along the spine there are nerve nodes, providing more unconditional reflex arcs.

Xenomorphs have very strong and sharp claws that can cut through even metal. The tail is long and can be used to plunge it into the body of its victim and kill it. Its mouth is full of sharp teeth. At the end of the powerful tail there is a sting that can pierce a person.

The elongated head, covered with a bony helmet shell, ends in a blunt forehead shield over a toothy mouth, inside which the inner jaw or second mouth (hypertrophied pharyngeal teeth) is hidden, extending approximately 30-40 centimeters. A similar apparatus is found in some fish (moray eels, catfish, groupers), turtles (griffon turtle, matamata) and birds (some fish-eating herons and albatrosses). In the film "Alien: Resurrection" it is said that this is its tongue (because Ripley hardly knew that this is a pharyngeal apparatus).

The chest is protected by internal ribs, which are duplicated by horny growths of the skin, forming a segmented shell.

On the back they have 4-6 curved and semi-mobile growths - false ribs ("wings"), which serve for identification and communication. Blood vessels can also grow into them - then they play the role of tracheal tubes.

In their internal structure, the Aliens are similar to chordates - they have a skull, spine, limb bones like terrestrial vertebrates, lungs with pockets and a digestive system like reptiles, on the head - a solid translucent shield, clearly different from those on the body (possibly a hypertrophied scaly plate of the "third eye"). The language as such is absent or rudimentary - instead, the pharyngeal apparatus is used.

The Aliens have lungs (otherwise how do they hiss), underdeveloped, small in size with "pockets" - additional bags, with a tightly closing exit into the throat, which allows for long-term breath holding under water and in a vacuum. The small size is not able to fully satisfy the body's need for energy, so the Aliens acquired other mechanisms - direct oxidation of sugar and the formation of acid as a by-product of the oxidation cycle in cells.

Anatomy The xenomorph is about 2 meters tall and weighs 150 kg.

The alien is a bipedal, upright individual capable of moving quickly on all fours, as well as jumping and swimming, its body consists of both organic and inorganic compounds and is a synthesis of silicon-metal and carbon structure. The external exoskeleton (although it is not complete, as in insects) consists of polarized organic silicates, silicate cells have metal in a bound state. In addition to the external exoskeleton, there is an internal bone structure similar to terrestrial vertebrates.

The skin of the xenomorphs is very durable, covered with horny armor. The shoulders, forearms, thighs and knees have protective ribbed plates. A long vertebral tail with a spear-shaped tip serves as a counterweight, helping to coordinate the precision of movements and quickly change the direction of running, while simultaneously being a weapon used to inject a paralyzing neurotoxin into the victim's body (helps to incapacitate the enemy for some time). Also in the films (especially in the latest ones), you can see how Aliens (both ordinary xenomorphs and their queens) very often use their tails as "whips" with a sharpened tip, which is very effective in close combat.

Parasitizing on various biological species, Aliens can differ significantly in appearance from each other, as if "inheriting" certain features of the host, but in most cases this is practically unnoticeable. Xenomorphs are covered with a strong exoskeleton, similar to the exoskeleton of a lobster. It is practically impenetrable for many types of weapons (the exception is heavy armor-piercing charges and powerful plasma charges). Ash claimed that the cover of the Alien (as well as the facehugger) is covered with protein (protein) polysaccharides and, when cells are lost, replaces them with polarized silicone, which increases its resistance to environmental conditions.

Intelligence Xenomorphs have a higher intelligence than primates, and are sometimes smarter than humans. Although they do not demonstrate their highly civilized level of development (for example, abstract reasoning, introspection, and technological progress). The alien is a skilled hunter, hunting littoralopes.

Capable of rapid learning, they show signs of both collective and individual intelligence (depending on the presence of the Queen and the distance to it).

Unlike the queen, who has a more developed intellect, the intellect of an ordinary Alien, although superior to that of an animal, is in no way inferior to that of a human, but his amazing ability to adapt, highly developed instincts and ability to mimicry give him an undeniable advantage in a fight.