Aliens vs. Predator (comics)


Aliens vs. Predator is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics between 1989 and 2020 on an intermittent basis, written and drawn by various artists. Dark Horse also published the Aliens and Predator lines of comics.
AVP is part of the crossover franchise originated and published by Dark Horse Comics.
According to the notes which accompany the first Aliens versus Predator graphic novel, the original idea of combining the Aliens with Predators was the result of a late 1980s brain-storming session between the comic's creators and Dark Horse executives. AVP artist and editor Chris Warner is credited with suggesting the concept. Eventually, a film, Alien vs. Predator, was made in 2004, with a sequel in 2007 including a hybrid of a Xenomorph and a Predator. However, the films did not follow either the settings or the stories of the original comic series.

Original ''Aliens vs. Predator'' comic

The first Aliens vs Predator centers on Ryushi, a recently colonized planet, and Machiko Noguchi, the Chigusa Corporation's administrator there. The settlers on Ryushi raise cattle-like quadrupedal ungulates called for export to other solar systems, and at the time of the story are in the process of assembling a shipment of the native livestock.
Unbeknownst to the colonists, Ryushi is a traditional hunting ground of the Predators, and they are returning for their initiation rites. On board the Predator ship, the prey are prepared: an Alien queen lays eggs for delivery to Ryushi. Confounding the Predator's safeguards, this queen manages to slip an egg containing the seed of another queen into the shipment.
On reaching Ryushi, the eggs hatch and infect. Led by a Predator elder, "Broken Tusk", the Predators arrive expecting to encounter Aliens. However, they soon encounter the settlers and, after Broken Tusk is incapacitated, change their plans to hunt them instead.
Meanwhile, the infected have been loaded aboard a cargo transporter and, with a queen among their number, an Alien colony quickly takes hold. The Predator assault continues to the settler colony itself, and the surviving settlers find themselves pitched between the Aliens and Predators. Broken Tusk, now recovered due to the intervention of a human doctor, sides with Machiko, and together with the cargo ship's crew they arrange for the transporter's massive orbiter to crash into Ryushi and destroy the colony and the Aliens.
In the ensuing fight, Broken Tusk is mortally wounded, but, admiring the courage of his human comrade, "bloods" Machiko with the mark of his clan. The story concludes with Machiko the sole inhabitant of Ryushi, the surviving settlers having been evacuated from the planet. She awaits, and is rewarded with, the return of the Predators and another hunt. One of Broken Tusk's former Predator rivals greets her and, recognizing Broken Tusk's clan symbol, accepts Machiko into the hunt.

Limited series

  • Aliens vs. Predator
  • Aliens vs. Predator
  • Aliens vs. Predator
  • Aliens: Space Marines
  • Illegal Aliens
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species — In this story, the aliens have overrun the Earth and the rich have left the surface to live in skyliners. In one of these airships a girl is having strange dreams and they are about to start coming true.
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Blood Time
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Booty
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Duel
  • Aliens vs. Predator: War — In this story, Machiko Noguchi, disgruntled with her life amongst the hunters, turns on the Predators as they conduct a xenomorph hunt on a planet with a human exploratory colony. Three refugees from a prior corporate-staged Alien encounter have just arrived on the planet and also trying to battle their way to freedom.
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Booty
  • Dark Horse Classics - Aliens versus Predator
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Eternal — An old man uses technology from a salvaged Predator ship to gain fame and fortune, and uses Predator body parts to unnaturally extend his life. In the near future, a self-serving reporter gets caught up in his schemes just as the man unwittingly unleashes xenomorphs from the ship, attracting a Predator hunting party.
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Annual — Contains Hell-Bent, Pursuit, Lefty's Revenge, Chained to Life and Death and Old Secrets.
  • Aliens vs. Predator: The Web
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Xenogenesis
  • Alien vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt
  • Alien vs. Predator: Whoever Wins... We Lose
  • Alien vs. Predator: Sand Trap
  • Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus: Volume 1
  • Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus: Volume 2
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Deadspace
  • Alien vs. Predator: Civilized Beasts
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Three World War
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Special Collector's Edition
  • Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone
  • Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death
  • ''Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood''

    Crossovers

Other series have thrown extra combatants into the mix in a range of crossovers:
Aliens vs. Predator was introduced in Dark Horse Presents #36 in February 1990 as a conclusion to a three-part story arc. The two previous issues had separate stories for the two franchises, #34 had an Aliens story and #35 had a Predator story with #36 bringing the two franchises together for the first time.

Collected editions

A number of Aliens vs. Predator trade paperbacks have been published:
  • Aliens vs. Predator
  • Aliens/Predator: Deadliest of the Species and full art by Eduardo Barreto collects:
  • * Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species Book 1
  • * Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species Book 2
  • Aliens vs. Predator: War
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Booty
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Eternal
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Xenogenesis
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Civilized Beasts
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Omnibus - Volume 1
  • ''Aliens vs. Predator: Omnibus - Volume 2''