Chestburster
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- "In a few hours it's gonna burst through your ribcage, and you're gonna die. Any questions?"
- ―Ripley 8, to Larry Purvis regading the Chestburster (from Alien Resurrection)
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The Chestburster is the infant (or nymph, because it resembles the adult and does not form a cocoon to reach maturity) stage of a Xenomorph. It is most well known for its horrific method of gestation — as an embryo it is implanted into a host lifeform's chest cavity by a Facehugger, and upon maturing it will erupt violently from the host's chest, killing them in an incredibly bloody and traumatic fashion. Chestbursters are small, generally not more than a foot tall and around two feet long including their tails, although larger examples have been seen.[1]
The Chestburster was first seen in Alien and was designed by the film's director Ridley Scott after the original concept by H. R. Giger proved inappropriate.[2]
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Characteristics
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Chestbursters resemble large worms, beige or brown in color and with a mouth of metallic teeth and a tail capable of propelling the creature at some speed. Some Chestbursters have been seen to possess arms,[3] but this is not always the case, with others merely having small stubs where presumably the arms will eventually develop. It is possible a longer gestation period may determine the presence of arms at birth; notably, Queen Chestbursters (which have a considerably longer gestation period) have been known to birth with all four of their arms present, as well as legs and a partially developed head crest.[4] In Alien3, the Chestburster seen at the beginning of the movie births fully formed, with arms and legs, essentially just a smaller version of the Runner that it subsequently developed into. Why this is so is not explained in the theatrical cut, although the extended Assembly Cut seems to imply the Chestburster was unable to escape its host's body (an ox) at the usual time, presumably due to the animal's stronger ribcage and chest structure, resulting in the premature death of the host and further development of the Xenomorph within.
Owing to the Xenomorph's tendency to assimilate a degree of its host's DNA, Chestbursters can also vary widely depending on the lifeform in which they gestate. For example, Xenomorphs born from Predators will feature the mandibles of their host at birth.
If born away the Hive, a Chestburster will actively search for a safe location to hide and a food source on which it can develop. It also will attack and kill humans and feed on them, although its proficiency in this regard is limited in the early stages of its growth. They will consume any part of the human victim (such as facial extremities or genitals), but prefer internal organs such as the brain, liver, or heart. Growth is rapid, and Chestbursters can mature into a full-grown Drone within a few hours.[5] It will repeatedly shed its skin like a reptile as it grows, and these skins are often the most visible sign that a Xenomorph is nearby.[5][6] Aliens: Steel Egg also shows that they do have regular body processes when one of the crew discovers a pile of excrement containing a human tooth while exploring the ventilation system. However, Chestbursters are adept at hiding and as such, immature Xenomorphs are rarely seen, remaining hidden until fully grown.
Gestation and birthEdit
A Chestburster is generally implanted into its host by a Facehugger, although in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem the Predalien was shown to be capable of inserting embryos directly into a host without the need for a Facehugger. It is speculated that Chestbursters develop in a manner similar to that of the immature heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), which migrates through the host body absorbing nutrients before establishing itself. It's unknown if the embryo travels to the host's stomach or to the bronchial tubes. Another theory is that the Alien begins its life in the host body not as an embryo but as a tumor that later takes the shape of an immature Alien. In this theory, what the Facehugger injects in the host is not an infant Xenomorph but a small egg that inserts its proteins in the host's DNA and commands its cells to "create" the Chestburster which has both Xenomorph proteins and those of the host.
The host's characteristics determine the Chestburster's features — embryos are thought to copy 10-15% of the host's genetic code. This genetic absorption is designed to help Xenomorphs adapt to the environment in which they are born and leads to variations in the resultant creature. The Predalien Chestburster, for example, sports the signature mandibles of the Yautja (and grows dreadlocks upon reaching maturity), while quadrupedal hosts produce quadrupedal Chestbursters.
When fully developed, the Chestburster releases enzymes that softens the bone and surrounding tissues of the host's chest cavity before finally forcing its way through the sternum. While the host may experience some discomfort in the minutes and hours leading up to the event, including mild chest pain and nausea, the actual birth itself is rapid, with the Chestburster exiting within seconds of the onset of severe pain upon the host.[5] The process often causes convulsions in the victim, as well as debilitating pain, shock and huge blood loss. Death is almost instantaneous, but unpleasant.
The Chestburster is arguably the most vulnerable stage of the Xenomorph's life cycle, and if born in a populated room a Chestburster will immediately seek escape (e.g. through open doors, air ducts or vents, possibly going as far as burning a hole in a wall or floor with its acidic blood). Stasis is known to halt Chestburster development, as seen in the 2010 video game Aliens vs. Predator when Corporal Tequila is placed into hypersleep to prevent the embryo inside her from birthing.
SurvivabilityEdit
While the birthing of a Chestburster is inherently fatal, in Alien3 it is said to be possible to remove a Chestburster before it emerges with no long-term residual effects to the host. This procedure is later shown at the beginning of Alien Resurrection, when a Xenomorph is successfully removed from Ripley 8, who then goes on to make a full recovery (although owing to her altered genetic structure, it is unclear how true this statement would prove to be for a normal human).
Conversely, Aliens: Colonial Marines claims that even if a Chestburster is successfully removed from a host, the host will later die anyway as the placenta the Xenomorph creates during development is highly cancerous and quickly fatal. It is not elaborated upon whether removing an embryo at an incredibly early stage would prevent this.
Prior to Aliens: Colonial Marines, the successful removal of a Chestburster from its host was often shown in many comics, including Superman/Aliens, Dredd vs. Aliens and Batman/Aliens II. However, these comics are not canon. An attempt to remove an embryo is also shown in the 2010 video game Aliens vs. Predator, when the android Katya uses some equipment to stabilize Corporal Tequila, however, Karl Bishop Weyland shuts down the device's power before the removal operation can be completed.
GalleryEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Vincent Ward (writer) and David Fincher (director). Alien3 Assembly Cut [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ↑ Ridley Scott, David Giler, Walter Hill, H. R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett. The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ↑ James Cameron (writer and director). Aliens [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ↑ "Weyland-Yutani Archives - Alien Queen Chestburster Alien 3". Retrieved on 2013-04-25.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett (writers) and Ridley Scott (director). Alien [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ↑ Vincent Ward (writer) and David Fincher (director). Alien3 [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
