Skip to main content

alien franchise - How did they clone Ripley?


Okay, so this is how I understood it: They found some drops of blood that Ripley lost during the third film (Alien3). So, they clone her. Easy peasy, far future, get it.



Now, that newly cloned human winds up with a clone of the parasite that infested the original human. From a drop of blood.


In addition: The parasite would age at the same speed as the host. They didn't wait a lifetime for Ripley to mature. I would guess it took only a couple years, given that the scientists didn't appear to have aged noticeably. Anyway, Aliens hatch rather quickly. It doesn't take them decades, it doesn't take them years, it doesn't take them days.


How does this make any sense?



Answer



Bad science abounds in this release of Alien: Resurrection. I will summarize what is supposed to have happened.




  • Ripley's blood is found. Her blood was compromised by the Xenomorph genes. I have discussed the idea of the Xenomorph utilizing the genetic structure of its prey, but this particular event implies the alien compromises ALL of the genetic structures of its target during its short time within its target organism.





  • When the gene sample is analyzed, the scientists were surprised to discover that her blood was not a single genetic structure but was instead hybridized by a queen.




  • This meant the scientists, if they were able to create a viable sample would have the potential to create and breed the aliens; and there was much rejoicing.




Here is where the movie becomes convoluted and loses almost everyone:




  • There are multiple attempts used to try and create a viable sample from which to recreate the queen. Two development paths are used during the study.





  • One path recreates Ripley's body after eight or more attempts. We only got to see the ones that were remotely close to viable. There could have been many others. You get to see those attempts when Ripley flames that lab near the end of the movie. All of those different creatures were an attempt to recreate the Ripley line of the creature's development. Once a viable Ripley is created, she gives birth to an alien queen. You do not see this. It is implied. Ripley calls herself the creatures' mother.




Clone lab where Ripley clones failures are stored.


Clone lab where Ripley clones failures are stored.



  • The Ripley path recreates Ripley, nearly complete with memory, attitude, and superhuman levels of strength, agility and senses. She reaches adulthood at a super-fast rate, much like the aliens do. She then appears to stop aging, otherwise she would have aged unto death by the end of the movie. The Ripley clone is the only viable version along the Ripley path of development.



Beautiful Ripley clone


Beautiful Ripley clone




  • On the Alien path, there is also one hybrid success, a queen who will need hosts to produce her normal offspring. Three offspring are the result which are stupidly put into the same cell. Two of them kill the third and escape through the acid-made hole in the floor.




  • Unfortunately, the queen has hybridized genes as well, and one of her offspring has a far more human appearance and is not born from an egg but a live birth. Don't think too deeply into this. You've already watched it. You can't un-see it.





Alien-Human hybrid, the ugly one...


Alien-Human hybrid, the ugly one...



  • The alien-human hybrid kills its mother moments after its birth as well as the annoying scientist who narrates its birth until it kills him.


If you want to follow this catastrophe in a discussion of its scientific merits on posthumanism, read this essay: 'Who Are You?': Alien/Woman as Posthuman Subject in Alien Resurrection


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...

aliens - Interstellar Zoo story

I vaguely remember this story from my childhood: it was about an interstellar zoo that came to Earth with lots of bizarre and unusual species, and humans would file through and gape at all the crazy looking creatures from other planets. The twist came at the end when the perspective shifted to the other side of the bars and we discovered that the "creatures" were traveling through space on a kind of safari. They thought they were the visitors and we were the animals. Neither side knew that the other side thought they were the zoo creatures. Answer Got it. Zoo, by Edward D. Hoch. Published in 1958. Link to Publication History Link to PDF