Xenopedia
Register
Advertisement
Xenopedia

Aliens vs. Predator: The Web is a two-part comic book story that was first published by Dark Horse Comics in the anthology series Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 1 #146-147, from September-October 1999. Published in black and white, the story was written by Ian Edginton, pencilled by Derek Thompson, inked by Brian O'Connell, lettered by Clem Robins, and edited by Philip Amara. Issue #146 also featured an Aliens vs. Predator cover by David Michael Beck.

The short black and white story is an off-shoot comic from Aliens vs. Predator and features the return of Robert Sheldon, previously a minor character from the original series.

In the Aliens vs. Predator comics line, Aliens vs. Predator: The Web was preceded by Aliens vs. Predator: Annual #1, and was followed by Aliens vs. Predator: Xenogenesis.

Publisher's Summary[]

The starship Herakles is on a collision course with the galaxy's two deadliest species in Aliens vs. Predator: The Web.

Plot[]

Thirty years after the wholesale annihilation of Prosperity Wells, the crew of the space freighter Herakles is awoken from stasis in an unknown sector of space only to find out their navigational systems have been destroyed. Upon receiving a computer-activated distress beacon, the crew land on an unknown planet to take the beacon's computer system for scraps that they will use to repair their own.

AVPWRobert

Robert Sheldon reveals himself.

Upon investigating the signal on foot, the crew encounter a gigantic orbital factory, before being suddenly attacked by Xenomorphs. With only crewmembers Rebeck, Icart and Cord left alive, they flee into the factory's interior, only to be met with an unusually grandiose interior decor. They are subsequently encountered by billionaire industrialist Robert Sheldon, whose grotesque body is confined to a large mechanoid spider. Originally the son of colonist Bob Sheldon, who was bought up within the Chigusa-Corp-owned colony of Prosperity Wells, Robert was one of the few survivors of a massacre at the hands of a hunting party of Yautja, and he has since dedicated his life to eradicating the species, being driven insane by his lust for revenge.

Sheldon uses a distress beacon to lure unsuspecting hunters onto the planet, before unleashing a horde of Xenomorphs onto them and subsequently detonating a tactical nuke, killing them all. Compromising his security, he also intends to pacify the Herakles' crew's escape desiring to transplant their heads into his mindless drone servants, as he has done with other unfortunate victims.

AVPWeb

The Predators battle a horde of Xenomorphs.

Fleeing from the madman and his drones, Cord is shot and abandoned by Rebeck and Icart, and the two make a break to their ship whilst a recently arrived party of hunters battle a wave of Xenomorphs. However, Robert detonates his nuke, killing everyone within the vicinity.

Introspectively, Robert reveals that he is fully aware that he has become a monster, and although he initially believed he killed Predators out of revenge, he realizes now that he does so out of sheer pleasure.

Characters[]

Reprint History[]

Aliens vs. Predator: The Web was eventually collected as part of Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus: Volume 1 in June 2007.

It was released digitally through Dark Horse Digital on February 20, 2013, using a piece of Derek Thompson and Brian O'Connell artwork from the comic as cover art.

The comic was collected and released again as part of Aliens vs. Predator: The Essential Comics Volume 2, released on August 5, 2020.

Behind the Scenes[]

The Web is notably the only black and white Aliens vs. Predator comic that has never been reprinted in color.

Writer Ian Edginton worked as writer on numerous series and stories for Dark Horse's Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comics lines, his first effort being the well-received Aliens: Rogue.

Artist Derek Thompson previously worked on well-received Predator miniseries Predator: Bad Blood.

The Web marks one of the rare occasions in the Aliens, Predator or AVP lines where a writer handles a character created by a previous writer.

Trivia[]

Gallery[]

Advertisement