Aliens: Xenogenesis is a four-issue limited comic book series that was first published by Dark Horse Comics from August-November 1999. It was written by Tom and Mary Bierbaum, pencilled by David Ross, inked by Andrew Pepoy, colored by Dan Jackson, lettered by Sean Konot, and edited by Philip Amara and Mike Hansen, with cover art by Ross and Pepoy.
Aliens: Xenogenesis formed the Aliens component of Dark Horse's franchise-crossing Xenogenesis event in 1999, and was released in conjunction with Predator: Xenogenesis and Aliens vs. Predator: Xenogenesis. The three loosely interconnected stories all share a similar new art and storytelling style that was a departure from the those typically found in the series until then.
The conclusion of Xenogenesis also marked the beginning of a ten-year hiatus in the Aliens comics line, during which time no new Aliens comics would be released. It was preceded by Aliens: Apocalypse, and when the Aliens line eventually resumed, it was followed by Free Comic Book Day: Aliens/Predator.
Publisher's Summary[]
#1: This is it: the future of Aliens starts now with Xenogenesis! In the distant future, the existence of the horrific Aliens is no longer a secret. Now, with space colonies scattered throughout the galaxy, a mega-corporation has formed a strike force to take the offensive against the monsters. For the first time, humanity has a fighting chance!
#2: Something — or someone — is murdering colonists on the planet of Salazar VII, and Strikeforce is caught smack in the middle. When a small contingent of would-be Alien hunters steals Max Sakada's ultra-tech weaponry, things go from bad to bloody in a hurry. Plus, Robbie Mulligan starts to suspect that teammate Sierra Cruz might be as dangerous to humans as she is to Aliens.
#3: Eden Alexander can handle her share of trouble and then some, but even she has her limits. She reaches those limits when she and Bishop Hawke are caught in the middle of a freak storm and a conspiracy seeded by the very powers behind Strikeforce! As this duo faces a terrifying underwater battle with Aliens, Strikeforce's resident berzerker, Xerxes, is about to become the unwilling host for a Chestburster!
#4: Whatever yarns Xerxes may spin about being immortal, he's the only one who could ever walk away from a Chestburster. But his Strikeforce comrades had better find him in the bowels of the hive before Aliens rip him to shreds. And through it all, Bishop Hawke has been following a trail of deception that now leads straight to the Company man known as Shaw. Is he the man pulling the strings behind Strikeforce? And if so, does that mean the team has been a pawn from the start?
Reprint History[]
Dark Horse Comics[]
Aliens: Xenogenesis was eventually collected as part of Aliens Omnibus: Volume 6 in December 2008.
The complete comic was released digitally through Dark Horse Digital on July 24, 2013, reusing David Ross and Andrew Pepoy's cover art from issue 1.
Marvel Comics[]
Following Marvel Comics' acquisition of the rights to Alien comic books, the comic was collected as part of Marvel's Aliens: The Original Years Volume 3 collection, alongside many other later Dark Horse stories. The collection was released on November 22, 2022.
Behind the Scenes[]
Marking a drastic departure from the traditional style of the Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comics previously produced by Dark Horse, the Xenogenesis event was heralded by the company as the beginning of "the future of Aliens" comics. Instead, the stories were so poorly received they led to the almost complete cessation of the three lines for an entire decade. The Xenogenesis stories are mostly panned by fans as contradicting previous material and for being written/drawn in a "comic-booky" style completely inconsistent with the spirit of the rest of Dark Horse's historic material for the lines.
Husband and wife writing team Tom and Mary Bierbaum were best known for their work on DC Comics' Legion of Superheroes series.
The future military organization known as Strikeforce seen in the story was first introduced in Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species.
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