What to know about the ‘Alien’ series, from A to xenomorph

In space, silence reigns, but in the movie theater, the screams echo. This week, the bone-chilling sci-fi horror saga, “Alien,” makes a comeback with “Alien: Romulus,” introducing a fresh group of young, determined space adventurers. Unfortunately for them, they’re not alone—facehuggers, chestbursters, and xenomorphs lurk in the shadows, as teased in the trailers and a nerve-wracking viral marketing campaign featuring facehugger puppets attacking actors on Earth.

If “Alien: Romulus” marks your first venture into this dark and twisted universe, you might find yourself a bit adrift in the vastness of space.

So, where does “Romulus” fit within the “Alien” timeline? Is the legendary heroine Ripley making a return? And what’s with these creatures bursting out of people’s chests? Here’s what you need to know about the “Alien” series before diving into the latest chapter.

What are xenomorphs?

These elongated, sharp-fanged, perpetually drooling creatures rank among the most terrifying monsters ever depicted on screen. Beyond their formidable extraterrestrial strength, towering stature, and sinister intelligence, they possess acidic blood capable of corroding through spaceships. But their true goal is even more horrifying—they seek to colonize space by implanting their embryos within human hosts. Most who cross their path meet a swift and gruesome fate.

A xenomorph’s life cycle begins with a “queen” laying eggs, which can remain dormant for years, waiting for the presence of a suitable host.

When the moment is right, a creepy, spider-like facehugger emerges from an egg and, living up to its name, attaches itself to a host’s face, forcing an embryo down their throat. Soon after, the unfortunate host experiences agonizing chest pain—pain that has a sinister purpose. The host meets a gruesome end as a tiny, fanged chestburster tears through their chest, taking their life in the process. Out emerges a small, bloodthirsty xeno with a whip-like tail.

Once the chestburster has violently exited its host, it rapidly matures into an adult xenomorph and begins its deadly hunt for the remaining crew members. Among the adult xenomorphs, the queen is the most formidable, towering over the others and ferociously protective of her offspring. However, even she is no match for the indomitable Ellen Ripley and the cold vacuum of space via an airlock.

A contentious xenomorph-human hybrid species also appeared in “Alien Resurrection,” the fourth film in the franchise, released in 1997. It sounds as unsettling as it does.

The xenomorphs are the archetypal villains: vicious, deadly, and unearthly. The leaders of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, a global corporation that seeks to rule the universe by surrendering its gullible workers to the aliens it eventually intends to capture and transform into weapons, are, nonetheless, the overtly malevolent antagonists of the “Alien” series. The aliens are worried about ensuring the survival of their own species, at least!

Who are we rooting for?

Ellen Ripley, a space crew warrant officer portrayed with unwavering tenacity by Sigourney Weaver, is the most memorable character in the series. She is joined in space throughout the course of four films by a group of scientists, soldiers, or officers; nevertheless, almost all of them perish, generally at the hands of the xenomorphs; she is the ultimate last girl.

“Alien: Romulus” features a whole new crew. They are commanded by Rain, portrayed by Cailee Spaeny, who is a standout in “Priscilla,” and her group of youthful space explorers. They are searching for fuel on an unapproved journey to an abandoned space station in order to flee a hopeless future. When we meet them, they are unaware that their situation is not as hopeless as dying at the hands of a xenomorph.

A number of androids may also be seen in the “Alien” movies, occasionally passing for human space crew members. Some appear kind, such as Andy, the new artificial character in “Alien: Romulus,” who takes on the role of Rain’s brother. Others, like Ash, the scientific officer from the previous movie, who was told to bring the alien back to Earth so it could be researched and let his crewmates perish, help forward the goals of Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

In the universe of “Alien,” androids—who prefer to be referred to as “artificial persons”—have met brutal ends in the films, losing their heads or whole synthetic bodies, and vomiting a milky white fluid in place of blood. Andy, good luck!

What are the other ‘Alien’ films?

There are currently seven official “Alien” movies, counting “Romulus.” Four of them star Ripley: the 1979 original; the 1986 James Cameron-directed sequel “Aliens”; the 1992 David Fincher-directed “Alien 3”; and the 1997 Jean-Pierre Jeunet film “Alien Resurrection.” (The final one, which is considered the worst in the series, features Ripley returning as a heightened clone following her self-sacrifice at the conclusion of “Alien 3.” She simply can’t seem to shake those xenomorphs.)

Additionally, there are two prequels to the “Alien” movies, “Alien: Covenant” from 2017 and “Prometheus” from 2012, both directed by Ridley Scott. In those flicks, David—an inconspicuous blond servant who is preoccupied with creating a “perfect” living form—possibly plays the most wicked android in the series. David resembles an extraterrestrial who is strikingly similar to a xenomorph.

Where does ‘Alien: Romulus’ fall in the series timeline?

The first two “Alien” movies, which take place more than 50 years apart and both include Ripley, who lived in cryostasis, are intercut with “Romulus.”

Even if the crews of “Alien” and “Romulus” are unconnected, “Alien” events could be connected to “Romulus.” The trailers for the next movie hint that Weyland-Yutani is hunting for the “perfect specimen,” which is the lone xenomorph from the first movie that Ripley killed by firing her spacecraft into space and releasing the airlock.

The series was broken down chronologically by Space.com:

“Prometheus”: 2093

“Alien: Covenant”: 2104

“Alien”: 2122

“Alien: Romulus”: around 20 years after “Alien”

“Aliens”: 2179

“Alien 3”: 2179

“Alien Resurrection”: 2381

Regarding the title of the next movie, Fede Álvarez, the director, has stated that Romulus is a reference to Roman mythology and the bond between the twin brothers Romulus and Remus. To avoid giving away too much about the tale, we won’t say too much about “Romulus,” but we will say that a prominent theme will be family.

How about those “Predator vs. Alien” movies?
They’re not exactly regarded as canon in the “Alien” world. The crossover movies are fascinating for fans anxious to see the titular nasties square off and imaginatively kill humanity, even if they don’t quite fit neatly into either genre. They even combine in the second “AVP” movie to create the terrifying “Predalien.”