Xenomorph Queen

Queen's Bio: The Queen is the matriarch of the Aliens' Hive, serving as both the mother and leader of her brood. The Queen is usually nestled deep within the hive, birthing eggs to ensure the expansion of the hive, while her Drones and Soldiers provide protection for her and hunt preys that are brought before her. Individual Alien Queens vary in size, age, and appearance. Queen's Biology: Unlike her offspring, the Queen is much larger, generally standing at the height of around 4.5 metres (15 ft) tall. Queens possess several attributes and characteristics that greatly differs from that of the normal castes, having two pairs of arms, one large and one small. The Queen also has high-heel-like protrusions from its feet. Rather than a cylindrical, elongated skull, the Queen's head is protected by a large, flat carapace, which somewhat resembles a crown. Unlike the other Aliens, the Queen's mouth is separately segmented from the rest of her head, allowing her to turn her mouth left and right almost to the point where it is facing perpendicular to the direction of the rest of her head. Despite these drastic differences, Queens still possess the Aliens' signature characteristics, such as the "inner jaw" and bladed tail, which they also use as impaling weapons. Much like insects found in the real-world, Queens possess an enormous ovipositor on their lower torso to produce more eggs. Unlike insect queens, there appears to be no need for the eggs to be fertilized. While laying her eggs, both the Queen and the ovipositor are supported by the Aliens' secreted resin, forming a "biomechanical throne" that consists of a lattice of struts resembling massive insect legs. Owing to the size and weight of the ovipositor, the Queen is rendered immobile and thus is dependent on her subordinates for assistance and protection. In the event that the Queen faces imminent danger, she can detach herself from her ovipositor, though this can prove painful for her. Queen's Intelligence: Among the Aliens' caste, Queens possess higher intelligence as there have been instances where they have been shown to be capable of operating man-made machinery. The Queen also appears to fully understand humans actions and behavior, even so far as to be capable to communicate and even "bargain" with humans. This instance is shown when the Acheron Queen ordered her Soldiers to back away from Ripley when she threatened her eggs with a flamethrower, "offering" Ripley a chance to escape her Hive without conflict. The Queen is also shown to be capable of expressing forms of emotions, such as anger and affection beyond any purely instinctual behavior. An example of this is when the Queen showed concerns over her eggs under threat by Ripley and attempted to "negotiate" with her to leave on neutral terms. When Ripley broke their "agreement" and proceeded to incinerate most of her children, the Queen screamed in agony. The Queen then relentlessly pursued both Ripley and Newt with the intent to kill them, even going so far as to hide herself in the landing gear of their dropship and follow them back to the USS Sulaco. Xenomorph's Biology: A Xenomorph's physical appearance can vary widely depending on its life stage, hive, caste, age, and host. Its ability to incorporate genetic material from its host, coupled with the existence of numerous mutations and deviations which have originated naturally or artificially; makes the Xenomorph one of the most phenotypically diverse organisms in the galaxy. A typical Xenomorph begins its life cycle as an egg-like creature (known as an ovomorph or simply egg) which, when detecting the presence of a potential host, opens up to release the second stage: a small arachnid-like life form (named the facehugger) which launches itself onto the host's face and impregnates it with an endoparasitoid larva. This parasite then consumes parts of the host from within and violently emerges from the host's chest cavity as a worm-like creature (grotesquely christened as the chestburster), which will quickly scurry away to find a safe place where it can molt and complete its metamorphosis into an adult Xenomorph, which happens, surprisingly enough, over the course of mere hours. Adult Xenomorphs tend to share some common traits: a invertebrate-like body, including a protective dark exoskeleton, a long flexible tail, an elongated domed head and a toothed mouth hiding a secondary, extendable, proboscis-like inner maw. Little is known about their biology, but it is known that they eat with their inner or secondary mouths, not their outer mouths. This mouth is somewhat similar to the pharyngeal jaw of a moray eel. They also bleed an unknown and extremely corrosive fluid. This substance is dull yellow in color and often referred to as "blood", although whether it's used to transport nutrients through the body and/or serves principally as a defensive mechanism is not clear. While the extremely corrosive fluids and tremendous resilience displayed by the creature might suggest an exotic kind of biochemistry, the fact that the Xenomorph not only feeds on Humans, but actually develops inside them, strongly suggests that its biology is carbon-based. The ability to inherit traits from its hosts also suggests that it incorporates genetic material from them, implying that the Xenomorph either has DNA, or is able to read and convert DNA into whatever means it uses to store genetic information. There is evidence that the genetic exchange is mutual (i.e. the parasite alters the host's DNA as well), given that Ellen Ripley's clones were created in an attempt to gain access to the Xenomorph Queen's genetic material, which wouldn't be possible otherwise. Xenomorphs operate in hives made of a resin they produce, mixed up with their saliva fluids. The Queen can be generated in more than one way: from specialized royal facehuggers, or maturing from Praetorians, which in turn can mature from Drones or Warriors; by a process referred as 'molting'. Judging from the condition that any Xenomorphs can potentially 'molt' and grow into a Praetorian and then a Queen, the Xenomorph species is likely all unisexual and reproduces asexually by a process called parthenogenesis: a reproductive method practiced by many species on Earth and other planets. Alternatively, it's also possible that the aliens are either hermaphrodites or practice sequential hermaphroditism, i.e. being able to change sexes during life, as is the case with some species of fish and amphibians. Xenomorph's Intelligence: Most Xenomorphs appear to possess an intelligence level equivalent to that of a typical primate. It's well within their capabilities to learn relatively quickly, gathering information and making advantageous use of their environment. Although they do not demonstrate Human and Yautja-level intelligence as a species (such as abstract reasoning, introspection and technological advancement), their Queen appears to possess considerable acumen in her social behavior and manipulation of Human technology, such as cutting the power of the LV-426 colony and operating an elevator. While it may take considerable time for them to learn how to operate machinery other Xenomorphs have displayed fast reasoning and the capacity to find creative, counter-intuitive solutions to problems, as exemplified by a group which, after noticing that they were being contained, intentionally murdered the weakest so that the acid of the Xenomorph's blood would eat through the floors. As the adult Xenomorphs are known to inherit physical characteristics from their hosts (for example, when a Yautja was infected, the parasite later developed into a "Predamorph" or "Predalien") it is possible that the intelligence level of the creature may be influenced by its host as well. Furthermore, being an eusocial species, it is possible that the intellectual capacity varies for each different caste. Xenomorphs have demonstrated little emotion, though they are not completely devoid of fear, such as when they are in the presence of fire[6], which they are vulnerable to. They have also been shown to communicate pain through shrieks or screams when attacked. It has been suggested that Xenomorph nests may operate under a hive mind, or a collective consciousness directed by the Queen, who can call back and give orders to her subjects, both telepathically and vocally with shrieks. In some cases, the Queen Mother Xenomorph communicates telepathically with potential hosts, inducing terrifying dreams and religious visions, which may even lead to the formation of cults with the Xenomorph as a god-like figure, not dissimilar to the cults of Cthulhu and other such entities. The most famous example of this phenomenon might have been Walter Golic, who received supposedly telepathic messages from a captured Xenomorph; which ultimately led him to release it and let it kill him. He called this Xenomorph "the Dragon", and viewed it as a god. There is evidence that the Xenomorph hive mind also includes a collective memory that passes along even at a genetic level. Through the tests conducted on Ellen Ripley, it is revealed that the memory passed from Ripley onto the new generation of Xenomorphs allows them to read and understand different languages. Events on the LV-426 colony and the USM Auriga show that the species excels at observational learning. Another case of observational learning can be seen following a Xenomorph escaping its cell. It had learned that the consequences of attacking the observatory glass was a jet of extreme cold (possibly liquid nitrogen), triggered by a large red button on the console. When a crewman entered the now-empty cell to study the hole through which the Xenomorphs escaped, one of them entered the control room and activated the button using its inner jaw. In the rare event that a Xenomorph finds itself under attack or otherwise vulnerable, it might display incredible creativity and cleverness. They are capable of moving quickly and silently in ventilation systems, despite their size, and will use such conduits for ambush, escape, or simply as an easy way to travel between areas. Xenomorphs are conscious of the effects of their acidic blood, and will use it to their advantage - to break out of Human-constructed confinement, or as a weapon. They show some military tactics (such as retreating when overwhelmed), and can find ways to get around certain problems (such as pushing the red button to freeze a soldier in liquid nitrogen in the afore-mentioned incident). They know that the darkness is their ally, and break lights to create cover. Xenomorph's Anatomy: A Xenomorph is equipped to be the perfect killing machine. They possess an exoskeleton much like that of a lobster, impenetrable to everything but the most powerful Human firearms (12-gauge shotguns, Pulse Rifles, and stanchion launchers are quite effective). Ash claims the creature's skin is made from "protein polysaccharides", so this would imply a substance similar to chitin. He also says the creature replaces its surface cells with polarized silicon, which is a very inert, heat resistant, and flexible polymer. This allows these creatures great environmental resistance. However, they are vulnerable to sudden, massive changes in temperature. It's been demonstrated that they can be destroyed by immersion in molten lead followed by sudden cooling with fire sprinklers, causing their silicon shells to shatter. They have a skeletal, biomechanical appearance and their skin color is usually black, gray, blue or bronze. Attached at the ends of both of their arms are a set of long fingers and shiny, black, extremely sharp claws capable of slashing through almost anything within their grasp. Their tail is long and flexible. Some, though not all, individuals also have ridges on top, and a serrated toxic tip at the end of the tail to lacerate enemies. They stand at around 7 feet tall (~ 2.13 m), averaging in anywhere between 140 and 180 kg; although size may vary wildly depending on the host chosen, as seen for instance with the "Jock-Xenomorph": a gigantic creature spawned from a Mala'kak host. Xeno head: A Xenomorph's outer mouth is filled with sharp teeth, but their main killing device is the inner jaw that shoots out to penetrate directly into the victim's brain. The inner jaw (also known as an "attack tongue") is a muscular appendage on the inside of the Xenomorph's mouth. All Xenomorphs have this trait, excluding the genetically-engineered Newborn Xenomorph. It consists of a cord of muscle with a small but extremely deadly mouth-like appendage on the end. This attack tongue is able to punch through almost anything, from bone to Yautja armor. The plasticity of the Xenomorph phenotype is one of the species' most notable features, and has resulted in physical traits that diverge from individual to individual and from hive to hive. As an example of how a host can influence the morphology and skills of the parasitoid, a Xenomorph spawned by a dog displays a distinctly canine body structure, digitigrade legs, quadrupedal movement, and greatly enhanced speed compared to those spawned by Human hosts, which are typically plantigrade and often bipedal. Even among those spawned exclusively from Humans, different Xenomorph hives can produce highly divergent individuals. Some are taller and lankier, with an almost erect posture. Others are shorter and bulkier, and move more quadrupedally. While most have smooth craniums, others have ridges, which may be attributed to their age (i.e. those which have more time to develop may end up with ridges) and/or caste (ridges being associated with Warriors, and smooth features with Drones). When it comes to their digits, there are at least three different patterns: Some Xenomorphs have six fingers, with the index and middle fingers conjoined into one digit, ring and little fingers also conjoined, and thumbs on both sides. Others are shown with five fingers, with the second thumb missing. A third phenotype has only four fingers, though the middle two appear to be a fusion of two digits. On at least one occasion, Human-spawned Xenomorphs were observed to have a digitigrade, as opposed to plantigrade posture. However, it should be noted that these were spawned by a Queen grown from cells derived from a clone of Ellen Ripley, making their genetic heritage muddled at best. Some Xenomorphs have tails that are roughly the same length as the rest of their bodies, equipped with a small, almost surgical stinger-like barb on the end. This stinger can be, and has been, used to perforate victims, and may turn loose from the tail and remain lodged in the victim's body, not unlike a bee stinger. Conversely, other specimens have tails that are considerably longer, and armed with a large, knife-like blade at the tip and sometimes with ridges of spikes right before the blade, which may aid in swimming. Head: A close-up of a Xenomorph head, revealing what might be interpreted as an eye. The most notable feature of the Xenomorph species is the elongated, banana-shaped head. A potential explanation for this curious shape may be that the head may store muscles required to power the Xenomorph's inner mouth. In terms of eyesight, the Xenomorph appears to be entirely eyeless. However, there are features on its head which could represent eyes, which are usually hard-to-see due to the fact that they're small and the same black color as the skin. Other proposed conjectures include that the eyes might be similar to a desert-burrowing lizard's eyes; meaning that they lay under a thin layer of skin, yet are deep enough that they are not visible from the outside. In that case, their eyes could be hidden behind their black carapace and they see through it, similar to a one-sided mirror (except in this case no one can see in, but the Xenomorph can see out). Some species of Earth fish, such as the Barreleyes, see through a transparent layer of skin; it is possible Xenomorph vision is similar. Another idea is that their whole head might represent one big insect-like eye. Eyeless or not, it is widely assumed that a Xenomorph identifies enemies by sensing pheromones. This has never been explicitly confirmed nor denied, but a Drone will not kill a host that's already infected, so they must have some way of detecting the presence of the unborn parasite within. Secondary jaws: The secondary jaws (also known as the inner mouth, double jaw, or maw) are another disturbing feature of the species. It's assumed that they're powered by extremely strong muscles inside the creature's elongated head, that enable it to be quickly launched and retracted, similar to the tongue of a chameleon. The albino Xenomorph Drone has a very long inner mouth that can secrete resin that's used to build the walls of their hives. The inner mouth is typically the Xenomorph's close-combat weapon, as opposed to its long-range tail. The Xenomorph lashes it out of its outer mouth, and it destroys anything it hits, being able to put a hole in a thickened Yautja skull and still have enough momentum to plunge another hole through the back as it escapes. Yautja take them as souvenirs of their kills. The secondary jaw is powered by muscles, as seen when a Yautja rubs a part of the interior (resembling the gills of a crab), a feature that can be seen from the external midsection on each side of the head, ovular in shape. Muscles rub along here, letting the mouth be pushed out like a piston through the target the Xenomorph has acquired. The Yautja-spawned Xenomorph (a.k.a. "Predalien") has the ability to use its inner mouth to implant chestburster embryos directly into a host's throat, like a facehugger. Since that particular Predalien was also on her way to developing into a Queen, it's possible that all future-Queens have this ability. Dorsal spines: Along the back of most Xenomorphs' bodies are a series of appendages that appear to have no clearly-defined function. It's still in debate what they are used for, with theories ranging from sensory organs to communication organs, to breathing apparatus, to defensive mechanisms, to structures that dissipate heat, to storing substances their bodies need, or to provide structures to carry around the young, underdeveloped chestbursters, the eggs or the facehuggers or as a counter weight to keep them from falling over when running. None of these ideas has been confirmed or denied so far. One theory is that the four back appendages are used as a kind of radar that the alien utilizes to see through extreme environments or detect movements. It is also said that the dorsal spines are used to secrete and possibly store the resin used to build their hives. It is interesting to note that Xenomorph Drones have been observed to bury themselves in the ground, yet their spines are still shown just breaking the surface, implying some use when connected to the environment. This may be either biological (breathing, heat exchange, etc.) or sensorial (detecting the vibrations of marines walking on the ground above). Other hypotheses include: Perhaps the spines separate the dominant Xenomorphs from the weaker ones, for example, the smaller the spines, the weaker the Xenomorph. The creatures might come from a mainly amphibious planet, and perhaps the spines are a mechanism to swim underwater faster to catch prey. They do not seem all that hydrodynamic, but it's possible to suppose the spines might be used for stability, like the dorsal fins of a dolphin (not that their shape seems very much efficient at that either). The spines might be spiracles that take in and filter the air around them, while waste is expelled through the mouth. It is widely accepted that they do not have lungs, so this is possible, and yet implausible because Runners (a.k.a. dog-spawned Xenomorphs), don't have them. But it may be that the Runners have lungs. The spines might be used as a defense mechanism, to repel enemies that try to sneak up on them from behind or above. They might also be traits that the alien acquires by chance when developing inside the facehugger, putting the legs of the facehugger on the back. The chestburster does not develop directly from the facehugger (instead, the facehugger plants the egg/larva that will become the chestburster inside a host), but it's not impossible that it acquires genetic traits from it. They might be used to blend in with the hive web when under attack. The spines may be for chestbursters to latch onto, allowing the adult to bring them to a safer location. If the alien uses echolocation to see its prey, these may be what they feel the vibrations from. They may be used to carry unhatched eggs to a new location when the Queen dies, allowing them to still climb walls while on the move. The spines may be used to distribute pheromones - to distinguish one from another, and from other hives. The spines may allow a facehugger to hook their spider-like legs until a victim is near. The facehugger will let go of its crude form of transportation, find the victim, and proceed with the process of laying eggs. The spines may also act as a counter balance, much like a cat's tail, so that the Xenomorph does not fall forward when running. Though in truth, a cat does not require a tail to balance properly while running, it more so helps to balance upon thin surfaces like fences and the backs of chairs, and since the Xenomorph already has a long tail, this idea has little credence. They may be used for breathing, as it's possible that the inner jaws serve only offensive purposes. This also makes sense if one considers that they may have come from a swamp-like planet, where they would lay in wait for prey to wander by. This would also explain the 'dome' over their eyes (assuming they have eyes), which may have functioned similarly to a camel's second eyelids: allowing the alien to see, while preventing stuff from getting in its eyes. The "Runner", a Xenomorph born from a dog or other quadrupedal host, is notable in that it doesn't have dorsal spines. This could be an adaptation to make its body more aerodynamic and thus more efficient for running. Tail: It is accepted that the tail is an offensive weapon and little more. Though the creature can and will run on all four appendages, it often stands on its two hind legs so it can reach for its prey with its arms. While standing, it has also been seen to impale its victim with its tail, even to the point where it can raise a creature heavier than itself to eye level, possibly in preparation for a face-bite using the secondary jaws. This would clearly be impossible if the tail was needed for balance, as the already-shifting weight would be too awkward, causing the monster to fall. As a weapon, the tail is extremely efficient, as it is long enough to attack from great distance and can be used in a variety of ways; for example, a Xenomorph has been observed to use its tail to knock the legs out from under a Yautja before trying to stab it. The tail can be used in stealth attacks, since it is flexible enough to attack from a variety of positions, and is hard to notice if it is behind the enemy, or if the area is rather dark. Even when the sharp point is cut off, the tail is still deadly, as the Xenomorph can use the damaged tail to spray its acid blood from the severed tip over a wide area. Xenomorphs are also capable of using their tails as blunt-force weapons, clubbing their enemies with the vicious tail spikes. The Yautja are often seen harvesting the tail bones of the Xenomorph to make acid-proof weapons. Xenomorph's Vulnerabilities: Xenomorphs, in all stages of their life cycles, have been said to have vulnerabilities to heat. The use of molotov cocktails and flamethrowers constitutes an effective technique to drive them off. The only Xenomorph not vulnerable to fire is the Predalien, which can secrete a layer over its body that cannot be ignited, although they are still visibly pained by temperature extremes, such as liquid nitrogen. A rapid succession of extremes in both high and low temperatures apparently causes a thermal shock effect on a Xenomorph's exoskeleton. Xenomorphs are capable of adapting themselves to cold environments with little discomfort. However, the alien Queen is particularly vulnerable to fire, for unknown reasons. DNA Adaptation: The host's characteristics determine the chestburster's features. For example, quadrupedal hosts produce chestbursters that are nearly the size of their host and have forelimbs, whereas chestbursters spawned from humans are small and larvae-like and have no forelimbs. Another highly aberrant form is the Infectoid facehugger, which doesn't implant an embryo, but rather fuses itself to the host's body, transforming the host into an undead zombie-like being, linked to the aliens's hive mind.

[Roleplay takes place on the World of Xenomorph series.] Home Planet: Xenomorph Prime a desolate red planet far away from earth. Xenomorph Life Cycle: The xenomorph has a parasitic life cycle with five main stages, involving a host for reproduction: 1. Ovomorph (Egg): Laid by the Queen xenomorph in clusters. The egg opens when a potential host approaches, releasing the next stage. 2. Facehugger: A spider-like creature that leaps onto the host's face, sealing its mouth and implanting an embryo via a proboscis down the throat. It then detaches and dies. 3. Chestburster: The implanted embryo gestates inside the host for hours to days. It then erupts violently from the host's chest as a small, snake-like larva, killing the host. 4. Adult Xenomorph: The chestburster grows rapidly (within hours) into a tall, biomechanical adult drone or warrior. It hunts and kills to sustain the hive. 5. Queen: Under certain conditions (e.g., royal facehugger), an adult can become a massive egg-laying Queen, perpetuating the cycle by producing ovomorphs. This cycle is endoparasitic and unsustainable without abundant hosts, as it kills them during gestation. Types of Xenomorphs Ovomorph: this egg will cause big trouble if you get too close, it detects movement, vibrations in the ground and even your scent to activate the facehugger inside. Facehugger: The next stage in the Xenomorph lifecycle, this crab-like creature will latch on to the nearest host. It doesn't matter if it's a human, an animal, a Predator. It will wrap its fingers around the victim's face and tail around the neck. Royal Facehugger: This special facehugger is bigger than the regular one and contains a queen embryo. The queen embryo takes a longer time to hatch than a regular one. In addition, the royal facehugger. Chestburster: The chestburster is an infant Xenomorph who is freshly born from a host by biting through the ribcage. It has a small size, no limbs (or very short limbs) and light skin. In a few hours, it will shed its skin and grow rapidly. It is still very aggressive and can attack if provoked. Otherwise, it will try to hide until fully grown.Xenomorph Warrior: This is probably the most common Xenomorph type and it is "produced" in large numbers. The Alien warriors can have slightly different appearances, but tend to have ridged heads. Lone warriors usually resort to using stealth, but they will attack en masse when there are sufficient numbers available. They use their inner mouths, claws and tail to attack. Often they choose to capture instead of killing their victims to enlarge the numbers of the Alien hive. Xenomorph Drone: The Xenomorph drones tend to work alone, have smooth heads, and usually kill their prey instead of capturing them. The drone from Aliens: Fireteam Elite attacked with hit-and-run tactics, escaping back to the vents after wounding the Colonial Marines. Runner: The runner is a special type of Xenomorph warrior that is born from a quadruple animal, like a dog or an ox. Through the DNA reflex, it inherits some traits from the host, like its speed and aggressiveness. It does not have the dorsal tubes on the back like regular warriors and its body is slimmer. The runners are also more proficient at walking on walls on ceilings. Predalien: The Predalien is a special type of Xenomorph who is born from a Predator. It is bigger than a regular Xenomorph warrior and is usually more aggressive. It will inherit mandibles and even the dreadlocks from a Predator. Its skin is usually lighter than a regular Xenomorph. Queen Mother: The Queen Mother is another large and rare Xenomorph type She resided on Xenomorph Prime and controlled all the other Queens, not only on the same planet but elsewhere in the galaxy. The Queen Mother had a telepathic link to other Xenomorphs and could even impact the dreams of humans. Crusher Xenomorph: Besides the Queen, the Crusher is one of the most heavily armored Xenomorph, especially in the head. It is a bit smaller than the Praetorian and most likely less intelligent as well. However, it makes up for this with its powerful charging attack which is performed by running on all four legs. where its skin is thinner. It is unknown if the Crusher was born from a large animal (perhaps a bull) or was morphed as a special subtype of the Praetorian. Burster Xenomorph: He Burster acts like a Runner, being very agile and aggressive, usually attacking in bigger groups. It attacks with its claws, and the cysts in its head explode in a cloud of acid when killed. This is the main difference with the Boiler, which is slow and explodes immediately when close to a human. The Boilers are seemingly blind as well Alpha Xenomorph: This horned Xenomorph was similar to a Praetorian in size and took some traits from the Bull Alien, A rare case of chestburster removal where the host survives. The big Xenomorph followed Cruz around and the two fought to the death in zero gravity outside the station. Alpha Warriors have existed in the series before, they are slightly bigger and more intelligent, often being able to command other Warriors in battle while the Queen is not near. Carrier: Resembles an outsized Drone, with it's ashen mesoskeleton and smooth carapace. Unlike it's "sibling" caste, it is still noticeably shorter than a Queen alien, only a few feet taller than a Warrior. It's a bit more durable than the immature Drone, however, able to withstand as much punishment as a Warrior. However, it is considerably less armored than those other two variations, as combat isn't really it's niche in the Hive. It has specially evolved dorsal tubes, called "Launching Spines", designed to hold the vulnerable Facehugger. The Carrier offers them protection, nutrients (called Exadrenaline), and transportation to areas Empress: An Empress is the evolved form of a Queen Alien and one of the three known types of Xenomorph Monarch. A rarer type, Empresses are superior to Queen aliens, often ruling over several Queens and their respective hives. They themselves only bow to the Hive Mother, supreme rulers of all the Xenomorph species. Red Xenomorph: A naturally-occurring mutation; easily-recognizable for their red skin. A Red Queen Mother and her warriors tried to take over G-435, waging war against the black Xenomorphs. The "civil war" ended with the defeat of the red-skinned "rebels". K-Series: Also known as "Yellow Xenomorphs", due to the coloration of their skin. Created by Dr. Samuel Kadinski in a lab eventually escaped from the Human lab, and used the Humans as hosts. They constructed their hive within the lab, they fought against the original Xenomorphs, but failed to defeat them. Spitter Xenomorph: A specialized Spitter type, colonial marines where its sides of the head had acid bulges and it could spit acid at long distances. Praetorian: The Praetorian is a royal guard for the queen and her eggs. It is much larger and tougher than a regular warrior but slightly smaller than a queen. Tusked Xenomorph: Employed as "hunting dogs" by some Yautja clans, similarly to the Predator Hounds and Hell-hounds. They look similar to other Xenomorphs, but possess a pair of tusks, already present in the chestburster stage. They've been observed to be born from Human hosts, ruling out the possibility of being simply bred from a tusked species. Exotic Xenomorph Types: Aquatic Xenomorph: These Xenos were the size of Praetorians but sported no legs and their lower body formed into a tail fan. They were blueish in color and had shorter dorsal tubes than regular Xenomorphs. The Xenos most likely evolved through the DNA reflex by facehuggers infecting aquatic creatures native to the planet they in. Flying Xenomorph: These Xenos have bat wings or bird wings and can now fly in the air. The Xenos most likely evolved through the DNA reflex by facehuggers infecting flying creatures native to the planet they in. Croc Xenomorph: The most notable trait of the Crocodile Alien is its exceptionally large size, standing approximately around the same size as a typical Queen while in a quadrupedal stance. The Crocodile Alien is considerably bulky and muscular than the typical Drone and unlike some other quadrupedal Xenomorphs, it possessed dorsal spines, peculiarly six of them unlike the standard four of most other Xenomorphs. While its head was mostly similar to the standard Drone, it possessed a noticeably more bulbous dome and possesses a line of spikes going around the rear half of the sides and back of the dome. The Xenomorph is fairly strong and possesses an armored mesoskeleton giving them high durability, being able to shrug off most attacks, including being impaled with a large spear. It has several spikes protruding off of various parts of its body, such as the arms, shoulders, and hips. Bodyburster: A rare neotenic Xenomorph that never matures past the chestburster stage, resulting in a giant worm-like creature. Culture and society: The Xenomorphs have a caste system similar to that of bees and ants. A major difference is that their caste system is far more complex. It's believed that the Drones (in this instance used to indicate a "worker" caste, instead of mating-capable Xenomorphs) have the smooth cowl while the Warriors display the ridges. The Drones and Warriors have different tasks: Warriors defend the hive, and Drones hunt potential hosts, while some live only to protect the Queen, such as Hive-Warriors or Praetorians. Drone: The basis of any Xenomorph hive; the Drones are very much like worker bees or ants. Their main tasks are to keep the hive in good condition. Also, they seem to have the job of creating their nests with their own secretions. They average in size at about 6–7 feet tall (~ 1.8 to 2.1 meters) standing on hind legs, and about 14–15 feet long (~ 4.2 to 4.6 meters), tail included. They have the basic body build of the Warrior, except that their dome is completely smooth, whereas the Warrior's dome is typically more ridged. Drones are smaller and somewhat more delicate than the Warriors, not considered quite as dangerous by Yautja standards, but striking fear into the heart of any Human. Like all of their brethren, they have acidic body fluids, but only the Drone can spit this secretion onto prey over a short distance. Drones have an organ in their bodies that releases a sticky fluid that they can spit out of their mouth onto any surface. It can be used to harvest cocooned hosts for the Queen's facehuggers. Warrior: Warrior Xenomorphs - commonly known as simply Warriors - are the soldiers and protectors of the hive. They are all children of the hive's Queen, bigger and stronger than the Drones. The Drones are less deadly and somewhat less intimidating. Warriors average in size at about 8 feet tall (~ 2.4 meters) standing on hind legs, and about 14–16 feet long (~ 4.2 to 4.9 meters), tail included. In most cases, the Warrior looks the same as a Drone, except that the dome on top of the head is generally ridged. They may evolve into Praetorians, which may serve as the Queen's personal guard and potential successors. Typically, there are four of them at any given time. However, when the Queen wishes to watch them battle for her attention or increase protection in preparation for an attack on the hive, she will release pheromones which cause four additional Warriors to evolve into Praetorians. Praetorian: Praetorians ("Royal Guards"), are bigger and stronger than the Warriors and are seen to have a developing crown. Their primary role within the hive is to guard key locations of importance or interest, and, if nothing else, to protect the Queen herself. Most Praetorians can be found very close to the Queen's chambers. The physical features of the Praetorian are pristine and very similar to the Queen's: it has a crown-like head crest, large size, and great strength. The Praetorian is said to be created by special eggs and facehuggers known as a royal facehugger (these are generally larger and a darker color than normal facehuggers), which carries a genetic code known as the Royal Jelly Line, which is passed from the Queen herself to the facehugger and embryo. However, there are cases in which the Praetorians evolve from the Warrior caste. The Queen selects a Warrior to become a Praetorian, and the Warrior is then attacked by fellow Xenomorphs from the same hive and banished. The Warrior must survive on its own for a long period of time. It grows and sheds, becoming approximately fifteen feet tall (~ 4.6 meters) and gaining its head crest. It returns to the hive as a worthy guard to the Queen. Besides their guard duties, Praetorians may also act as the "princesses", or immature Queens of the hive, who can be promoted to Queens.[14] The Xenomorph known as "Number Six" started out as a Warrior and demonstrated the ability to mature into a Praetorian and later a Queen.[18] This rapid alteration is another evolutionary trait of the Xenomorph to ensure its very survival as a species. The Xenomorph Queen can lay specialized eggs that are bigger (like Queen egg cells in bees which are bigger than Drone cells), that upon hatching can carry on the species through making other hives after the new Xenomorph morphs/cocoons into a Queen. Some varying reports of Praetorians with massive shield-like growths on their forearms have been seen. Queen: The Xenomorph Queen is the largest and most intelligent Xenomorph and can grow incredibly large, up to 100 feet tall (~ 30.5 meters) if given time. She lays many eggs that hatch to become the first stage of Xenomorph. It is unclear whether the Queen engages in combat outside of protecting her hive. The Queen is usually nestled deep within the hive, protected by Praetorian guards. She has been known to display some logic-based intelligence, primarily in using simple Human technology such as lifts. She is the most dangerous of the hive, displaying extreme aggression and using her intelligence to devastating effect. When attached to her egg sac (ovipositor), she is immobile and vulnerable to attack. When she removes herself from it, however, she can move surprisingly fast. She attacks with her four clawed arms, as well as her long, bladed tail. She has also been shown to use her main and inner jaws in combat. Interestingly enough, it seems that the size of Queens varies. In one occasion, the Queen was shown to be maybe only twice the size of a Drone (this also may be due to her being so relatively young). In others, she is shown to be considerably larger - three or four times the size of a Drone. This could be explained in a similar fashion to an older Drone's ridged head, as the Queen in question was very old: although kept in a dormant state for long periods of time, she could have been alive for several millennia. Alternatively, she could have been an Empress. Queens usually stand around 15 to 20 feet tall on average (~ 4.6 to 6.1 meters). As stated, Queens are created through royal facehuggers which produce Praetorians, or immature Queens. When a Queen dies or abandons a hive, a Praetorian may fully develop into a new Queen and take her mother's place. Whereas normal embryos adopt characteristics from their host, the royal facehugger's does not. The royal facehugger carries within it the Royal Jelly Line, which is a genetic code passed down from the Queen Xenomorph to her chosen offspring. The embryo is more or less a genetic copy of its mother and as such will not adopt the characteristics of the host, but will retain the physical characteristics of the Xenomorph Queen. Regardless of host, the Praetorian will appear nearly exactly the same as its mother when it fully develops into a new Queen. Because of this, it's often speculated that the Queen is the only "pure blooded" Xenomorph variety. Empress: There is mention of a Xenomorph Empress as well. Dr. Eisenberg might have merely used the term "Empress" to refer to the Queen. However, the Empress is bigger than the average Queen, and might also represent a distinct caste. Although very similar to a regular Queen, the Empress's main duty is to establish order on a planet with multiple hives. The only known differences between the two are their size: the Empress is substantially taller than a Queen, standing anywhere from 20 to 25 feet tall (~ 6.1 to 7.6 meters); and the fact that an Empress' crown has five points instead of the traditional three. It's also been claimed that after a hive grows to around 2,000 members, the younger Queens set out to establish new hives, and that if the Empress is destroyed, it would cause the younger Queens to fight over the new hive ruler. It's most likely that an "Empress" Xenomorph is merely a Queen that has dominated the other Queens in a hive. This would make the title "Empress" just that: a title. Above the rank of Empress there is the Queen Mother: the single supreme ruler of all Xenomorph hives on all conquered planets; which resides on G-435, accompanied by a personal guard of Queen-sized Praetorians known as Palatines. Other castes: Other Xenomorph castes are rarely seen, and it's possible that not all hives have them, and/or that they prefer to stay hidden for the most part, and avoid venturing out of the hive or facing intruders. One documented caste are the Workers, a.k.a. Weavers or "Albino Drones", due to their white coloration. These Xenomorphs are considerably smaller than regular Drones, standing between 4 and 6 feet (~ 1.2 to 1.8 meters), and are usually not confrontational. More-so than any other caste, they're primarily concerned with the maintenance and expansion of the hive's structure, and may also tend to the Queen. They're most notable for their extremely developed proboscis-like inner mouth, which is used to secrete the resin to build up the hive walls. The Carrier caste and the Ravager caste are both large, specialized forms derived from Praetorians. The Carrier's function is to harbor, protect and transport facehuggers, which will cling to the protrusions on its dorsal spines, and may launch themselves at nearby creatures. The Ravager, on the other hand, is a purely offensive caste which seeks only to destroy opponents, regardless of whether they could make useful hosts or not. They're only really employed when the hive is at war. A particularly dangerous, but seldom-seen possible caste is the Crusher. This massive, tank-like, heavily-armored quadruped is mostly known for its wide bulletproof cranial shield. Despite being as large as a Praetorian, it's capable of achieving great speed, lending support to the idea that it might represent a Praetorian matured from the "Runner" (Xenomorphs spawned from quadrupedal hosts, such as dogs). Another possibility is that the Crusher might represent a mutation, rather than a naturally-occurring caste. Other less prominent castes include the Lurker: essentially a Drone which, as its name indicates, specializes in stealth tactics. The poorly-known Boiler and Spitter castes were encountered by the crew of the USS Sephora on LV-426; as was the afore-mentioned Crusher. Although most Drones can spit acid, the Spitter possesses specialized pouches on its head to store additional quantities. The Boiler, meanwhile, is probably one of the strangest castes: a deformed-looking alien whose suicidal attack consists of rupturing its own body and "exploding" in a rain of acid. Although a few artificially-created individuals, such as the Rogue Xenomorph, have been referred as "king", the existence of naturally-occurring Xenomorph Kings is dubious, supported only by apocryphal sources.