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"What kind of person would do this to a dog...?"
Murphy (from Alien3)

Thomas Murphy[1] 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 killed by a lone Xenomorph that was born in the prison in 2179.

Murphy was the Xenomorph's first victim, rolling into a large ventilation fan when the Alien spat acid in his face.

Biography

Early life

Murphy was involved in criminality from a young age, and spent most of his life on the run from the authorities.[4] He was a career thief, preferring to take from others rather than earn for himself, although he also had a tendency towards sexual deviancy.[4] He was ultimately imprisoned on Fiorina 161 for grand theft of a space vehicle[5] and his responsibility in the deaths of four people. He was given a life sentence.[1]

On Fiorina 161

When Ellen Ripley's EEV crashed on Fiorina 161, Murphy was among those who responded, helping to gain access to the damaged escape pod. During the recovery operation Murphy's dog Spike accompanied him, and unbeknownst to its owner the canine was attacked by a Facehugger hiding within the wreckage. Murphy later found Spike in his room, his face lacerated from the attack, and assumed the damage had been done by a malicious inmate.

Death

"Poor sod backed into a nine-foot fan."
Clemens, informing Ripley of Murphy's death (from Alien3)

Later, while cleaning a ventilation shaft at the prison, Murphy encountered the Dragon, which he initially mistook for Spike as in lurked in the shadows, the dog having again gone missing. As he bent to investigate, the Xenomorph spat acid in his face, and in his agony Murphy rolled into a nearby ventilation fan, shredding him and killing him instantly. The prison's other inhabitants were alerted to his death when some of his remains jammed the fan's mechanism, sounding an alarm.[6] Clemens, Aaron and Superintendent Andrews surveyed the scene, and while Andrews assumed the incident was a simple accident, Clemens' suspicions were aroused by the fact the fan that killed Murphy had been blowing at the time.

Assembly Cut

"What do you think killed old Babe?"
Murphy, to Frank (from Alien3 Assembly Cut)

In the Assembly Cut, Murphy and Frank dragged Babe into the prison's abattoir after her death, planning to return later and cut her up for meat for the prisoners. Unknown to them, the Dragon was gestating inside the dead ox at the time.

Personality and Traits

Despite his crimes, Murphy was noted as being a well-behaved inmate.[5]

Trivia

  • There are several differences with Murphy's death in the comic adaptation of Alien3. Before he is killed, the song he sings is "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones; he was originally to sing this in the film, but the scene was later edited so that he instead sings "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Dennis Zager and Richard Evans.[7] Instead of cleaning out an air-duct like in the film, the comic has Murphy mopping a floor when the creature spits acid in his face while he's near an intake fan. Instead of being ripped to pieces, Murphy is simply decapitated.

Appearances

References

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