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Xenopedia
"I HATE BUGS!"
Morse (from Alien3)

Robert Morse[2] was an inmate at the Fiorina "Fury" 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit, one of several who stayed behind after the facility was officially closed down by Weyland-Yutani. He was involved in battling a lone Xenomorph that was born in the prison in 2179.

Foul-mouthed and argumentative, Morse was nonetheless the only person to survive the Xenomorph incident, although he was shot and wounded by commandos under the command of Michael Weyland, and was subsequently taken into custody by Weyland-Yutani. Following the incident, Morse wrote a book, Space Beast, detailing his experiences, but the manuscript was banned.[3]

Biography

Early life

Morse was sent to Fiorina 161 for five counts of armed robbery.[2]

Ripley and the Dragon

"Why don't we just get her head and shove it through the fucking wall!"
Morse, threatening Ripley (from Alien3)

When Superintendent Andrews first notified the prison populace of Ripley's arrival on Fiorina 161, Morse angrily confronted the warden regarding the implications this may have on the inmates' strict vow of chastity. His hostility towards Ripley only increased once it became apparent that the Dragon was stalking the prisoners, and Morse blamed her personally for the situation. Following the disastrous failure of the plan to burn the Dragon out of the prison's vent system with quinitricetyline, Morse and Aaron almost came to blows before Dillon separated them.

Chase

"Why the fuck can't we wait for the company and have some guns on our side? Why do we have to go on some fucking suicide run?!"
Morse to Dillon, arguing with the bait-and-chase plan (from Alien3)

When Dillon and Ripley proposed using the inmates themselves as bait to lure the Dragon into the facility's lead works where it could be drowned in hot lead, Morse initially refused to take any part, preferring instead to wait for the company team that was on its way, allowing them to deal with the Xenomorph. However, when Dillon gave the survivors a rousing speech Morse relented and agreed to take part. As the plan deteriorated and Eric started the mould's piston prematurely, Morse came face to face with the Dragon when it killed Gregor right in front of him, just moments after the two men had accidentally collided whilst running through the foundry's corridors. The creature would likely have killed Morse too, if it were not for Ripley arriving and distracting the creature long enough for him to hide. When Ripley and Dillon finally succeeded in luring the Dragon in front of the piston, Morse personally closed the final door behind it, trapping it and forcing it into the mould.

Killing the Dragon

"Ripley! It's burning hot! Hit the sprinklers!"
Morse to Ripley, signalling the Dragon's demise (from Alien3)

With the Dragon trapped, Morse ran for the gantry overhead and poured the lead just moments after the Xenomorph had killed Dillon. However, the creature somehow survived the ordeal, leaping from the molten metal and chasing after Ripley. Noticing its exoskeleton was scalding hot, Morse shouted at Ripley to activate the overhead sprinkler system, hoping the cold water would induce thermal shock and either incapacitate or kill the Xenomorph. The plan worked, and the Dragon exploded violently, finally killing it.

Moments later Michael Weyland and his team of Weyland-Yutani personnel arrived, too late to recover the adult specimen but still hoping to acquire the Queen embryo gestating inside Ripley. When Ripley turned down Weyland's offer and Morse began moving the gantry on which she stood away from them, one of the Weyland-Yutani Commandos shot him in the leg, badly wounding him, but he still managed to position the gantry above the furnace so that Ripley could throw herself into it. Morse was subsequently taken into Weyland-Yutani custody, his wounds were treated, and he was taken off of Fiorina 161.

Assembly Cut

In the Assembly Cut, Morse is tasked with guarding Golic when he is restrained in the infirmary. After the Dragon is successfully trapped in the nuclear waste tank, he makes the mistake of informing Golic of the creature's location; Golic convinces Morse to undo his restraints, then knocks him unconscious and releases the Xenomorph from captivity. After waking, Morse sheepishly informed Dillon of what had happened. When the prisoners subsequently hole up in the assembly hall, a match lit by Gregor gives Morse the idea of moving everyone to the foundry adjacent to the prison, where hopefully they will be safer from the Dragon.

Later life

After being re-assigned from Fiorina 161, Morse wrote an account of the events on the prison planet called Space Beast. However, due to its sensitive nature, the book was banned.[3]

Personality and Traits

"We've got no entertainment center, no climate control, no video system, no surveillance, no freezers, no fucking ice cream, no rubbers, no women, no guns, all we got here is shit!"
Morse to Ripley (from Alien3)

Morse was a loud, foul-mouthed, argumentative individual. He had no reservations against openly insulting those he disagreed with or disliked — Aaron in particular was often on the receiving end of his abuse, which typically centered on the prison guard's inferior IQ. Additionally, he had no respect for authority[2] and would typically act out against authoritative figures regardless of the situation, good or bad; even when being led away by heavily-armed Weyland-Yutani Commandos, one of whom had in fact shot him just a short time previously, Morse remained argumentative and insulting.

While Morse's abuse was typically verbal in nature, he was not averse to attacking people physically, although his prowess in this regard was notably lower. Also, despite his routinely abrasive and confrontational personality, Morse was more friendly with Golic, who viewed him as a genuine friend.[4] His attitude towards Ripley also noticeably softened as the incident on Fiorina 161 progressed, particularly following the destruction of the Dragon. Several of Morse's teeth were notably capped in gold.[2]

Trivia

  • Actor Daniel Webb is rumored to reprise his role as Morse in Ridley Scott's 2015 Prometheus sequel.[5]

Appearances

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Vincent Ward (writer) and David Fincher (director). Alien3 (1992), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Alien 3 Collectible CardArt - 69. Morse
  3. 3.0 3.1 Ann Crispin. Alien Resurrection novelization, p. 99 (1997), Warner Books, Inc..
  4. Vincent Ward (writer) and David Fincher (director). Alien3 Assembly Cut (2003), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  5. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316204/?ref_=nm_flmg_prd_3
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