City Hunter Biographical information Rank Unknown Physical description Species Yautja Height 7'2 Chronological and political information Affiliation Los Angeles Hunting Party Notable Facts Killed numerous LA gang members, including King Willie Wiped out an OWLF taskforce Status Deceased as of 1997[1] Portrayed by Kevin Peter Hall David Smith[2]
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The "City Hunter" Predator, also known as Ghost, was a Yautja from the Los Angeles Hunting Party that conducted a hunt in the city during the heatwave and gang war of 1997. He eventually came into conflict with both a government taskforce attempting to capture him and veteran LAPD detective Lieutenant Mike Harrigan.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Hunting the drug gangs 1.2 Stalking Harrigan 1.3 The trap for the Predator 2 Weapons and Equipment 3 Trivia 4 Appearances 5 References 6 External links

BiographyEdit

Hunting the drug gangsEdit

Although part of a small group of Predators that landed in Los Angeles in 1997, the City Hunter was the only one of the creatures to actively hunt in the city during this time. Drawn by a ferocious turf war and sweltering heatwave in the city, the Predator soon set to stalking and killing the multitude of armed gang members the city had to offer, starting with a large group of thugs from the Colombian Scorpions cartel, bursting into their stronghold as they engaged the LAPD in a firefight and slaughtering them all single-handedly. Deeming its prey unworthy, the City Hunter the bodies strewn across the room, although at least one victim was left hanging from the building's rafters and later collected as a trophy. On the building's roof, the City Hunter first encountered Lieutenant Harrigan, although it did not attempt to attack him.

The Predator later struck at the Scorpions' rivals, the Jamaican Voodoo Posse, when several of the posse's members ritualistically murdered Colombian leader Ramon Vega in his luxurious down town apartment. Again the Predator easily overcame the large group of opponents, massacring the Jamaicans using its Plasma Caster, Net Launcher, Spear Gun, Combi-Stick and Wrist Blades, although it spared Vega's mistress, who was unarmed. When Harrigan and his team discovered the scene, now littered with skinned bodies hanging from the apartment's ceiling, detective Archuleta noticed a spear tip lodged in a vent in the ceiling; when he later returned to recover the item, the City Hunter was waiting for him. After killing him it boned the corpse like a fish.^[1]

Stalking HarriganEdit

Apparently developing a great respect for Harrigan, the Predator began following the detective. After Harrigan met with Jamaican Voodoo Posse leader King Willie to discuss the brutal killings in the city, the City Hunter struck again, beheading Willie despite his attempts to fight the creature off with a rapier. The Predator took his skull back to the hunting party's ship to be a trophy on the wall.

After stalking Harrigan to the cemetery where Archuleta had been buried and leaving Archuleta's necklace there for Harrigan to find, the creature attacked detectives Lambert and Cantrell as they attempted to break up an armed confrontation on the city's subway. While Cantrell was spared when the Predator discovered she was pregnant, several armed civilians were killed, as was Lambert, who had his head and spine torn from his body. Harrigan soon arrived at the scene and gave chase to the Predator, finally losing it as it neared the city's slaughterhouse district. The City Hunter climbed a nearby skyscraper and presented Lambert's skull as a trophy to the world, attracting a bolt of lightning with its Combi-Stick.

The trap for the PredatorEdit

When the City Hunter subsequently returned to a slaughterhouse that it had been using as a source of food during its time in the city, it was ambushed by Peter Keyes and his Other World Lifeform taskforce, who sought to capture the creature alive for study. Despite the advanced equipment being used by Keyes' team to shield their body heat from the Predator's sight, the City Hunter quickly adapted, using its alternative vision modes to see the light coming from the team's ultraviolet torches. It quickly decimated the team with its Combi-Stick and Wrist Blades, before finally duelling a heavily armed Harrigan, who had also arrived on the scene. Despite its Plasma Caster being destroyed, taking several shotgun slugs to the chest and being temporarily incapacitated, the City Hunter fought Harrigan off, sliced Keyes in two with its Smart-Disc, and then continued the fight with the police officer on the building's roof.

When it found itself hanging perilously over the end of the building, the Predator attempted to activate its Self-Destruct Device, but Harrigan used the Predator's own Smart-Disc to slice its Wrist Gauntlet in half, destroying the device. The Predator fell into a nearby apartment and administered emergency medical aid using its Medi-Kit before the chase continued down into the sewers. Harrigan eventually followed the creature to its Mother Ship and confronted it in a final hand-to-hand showdown, ultimately impaling it on its own Smart-Disc. The City Hunter's comrades collected the fallen Predator's body, and, knowing it had fallen in a fair match, honored Harrigan with an antique flintlock pistol before letting him go and leaving the planet.

Weapons and EquipmentEdit

The City Hunter was well armed, carrying a significant array of deadly weaponry and advanced technology.

• Cloaking Device
• Wrist Blades
• Plasma Caster
• Spear Gun
• Combi-Stick
• Net Launcher
• Smart-Disc
• Bio-Mask
  • Vocal Mimicry
• Wrist Gauntlet
  • Self-Destruct Device
  • Sat-Com
  • Gauntlet Plasma Bolt
• Medi-Kit

TriviaEdit

• After having the lower portion of its left arm sliced off, the City Hunter was played in wide shots by one-armed stuntman David Smith, who went uncredited for his work.^[2]
• Originally, the Predators in the first and second movies were never given names and were simply known as "The Predator". However, in the video game Predator: Concrete Jungle, the two creatures appeared as alternate skins for the player character under the names "Jungle Hunter — Central America, 1987" and "City Hunter — Los Angeles, 1997". These names have subsequently been adopted by fans to denote the creatures.
• To help differentiate the City Hunter from the Jungle Hunter, its mask was made more triangular in appearance and he uses a greater arsenal of weapons.
• Many fans were not very receptive towards the look of the Predator in Predator 2, believing that it lacked the intimidating and menacing presence of the creature in the original film.
• The City Hunter seems to be slightly larger than the Predator in the first film. In the film's commentary it is stated that he stands 8 ft tall.
• The fact that the City Hunter returned Danny's necklace to Harrigan in the cemetery could be evidence that he held some respect towards the cop, although it could also have been a means to taunt or intimidate him.

AppearancesEdit

• Predator 2/novel/comic (First Appearance)
• Predator: Concrete Jungle (video game, mentioned only)

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Jim Thomas, John Thomas (writers) and Stephen Hopkins (director). Predator 2 [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Stephen Hopkins, Kevin Peter Hall, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stan Winston, Joel Silver, John Davis, Jim Thomas, John Thomas. The Hunters and the Hunted: The Making of 'Predator 2' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.

External linksEdit

• Predator 2 - Hot Toys Predator 14 inch Fully poseable model kit (Battle Damaged Version)