Ok in this video we will discuss why xenomorphs are so aggressive, and whether they are capable
of empathy at all, like we as humans are.
In the original Alien movie, the xenomorph starts killing crew members after emerging
from the chest of Kane.
But why?
Is the alien trying to protect itself and sees all other lifeforms as a potential threat?
Or is it simply hunting for food?
One could argue that the xeno wanted to be left alone, hence why it was hiding, but since
the crew members kept hunting for it, it had to attack in response.
In the deleted scenes we see Dallas and Brett being turned into eggs containing face huggers,
a process called egg morphing.
Some believe this is how Xenos reproduce when there is no Queen present, and the eggs likely
contain a royal facehugger, to produce a new Queen.
According to lore established in Aliens vs Predator 2 for the PC, an alien drone in the
absence of a queen will go into hibernation and begin moulting.
Its exoskeleton becomes harder as it goes through a type of mutation that ultimately
gives rise to a Praetorian-class Alien.
If one of these survives long enough (and if a queen is yet to rise) then it will eventually
morph into a new queen.
This is how new hives are established.
Perhaps the xenomorphs are most aggressive when a queen is present.
Aliens is the first time we saw the queen alien, and the warriors fiercely defended
the nest against the marines.
Here they appear to be a eusocial species similar to ants.
They even tried to carry out a sneak attack on the marines as evidenced by the gun turret
scene.
Little did the aliens know the marines were down to 10 bullets.
You should have carried on.
In Alien resurrection, we see that xenomorphs are willing to kill each other to ensure the
continuation of their species, when they kill one of their own to escape the cages.
This suggests social behaviour and hierarchy.
The Xenos picked one of their own to be sacrificed, suggesting he was lower on the pecking order.
It’s likely drones, warriors, praetorians and queens all have set positions and roles
within the hierarchy.
But what makes the xenomorph terrifying is the fact that, unlike animals, it appears
to enjoy making its victims suffer, as evidenced by the scene in Alien where the xenomorph
appears to violate Lambert.
Oh, by the way, in the original scene, it was Brett who was supposed to get violated
by the Xeno.
So anyway, the Xeno appears to have a sadistic nature, which shows high intelligence.
Another possible explanation is that they were engineered to be aggressive.
Prometheus certainly gave us some clues.
The deacon mural in Prometheus and the urn room suggest that the engineers have created
xenomorphs before to be used as weapons, possibly to wipe out existing life on a planet.
Maybe they're not animals.
Instead, with their hard exoskeletons and acid for blood, they're machines, built for
killing.
They are no more or less to blame for killing than a genetically engineered virus would
be.
Also, the derelict ship found in the original alien movie appeared to be a bomber of sorts.
The pilot was somehow killed by a chestburster, and the ship crash landed on lv-426.
The cargo?
Thousands of facehugger eggs.
Where was the pilot headed?
What was the purpose of the cargo?
It’s easy to think of the Xenos as single-minded killers, only concerned about the survival
and spread of their own species.
But one wonders if they are capable of empathy or mercy?
The queen alien in resurrection appears to bond with the new born, before the new born
kills it.
However, it’s important to remember this queen alien was infected with human DNA so
perhaps the perceived empathy was due to this.
The Xenos sometimes kill, but sometimes kidnap victims to be taken back to the hive, so this
shows that they are capable of restraining themselves from killing for a higher purpose,
which again shows intelligence.
One also wonders how the baby chestbursters get treated by the adult Xenos in a hive?
Do they get fed and looked after until they’re older like mammals do?
Do the babies need any training or do they operate on pure instinct?
Perhaps moments of empathy can be witnessed here.
So, to wrap it up, I guess the big question is, are xenomorphs simply acting on instinct
and mindlessly protecting their own species, or, are they much more intelligent than we
perceive and kill humans sadistically, since we’re seen as weaker life-forms?
Please let me know in the comments below.
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