Adele Rousseau

"Same principle as a condom. I'd rather have one and not need it, than need it and not have one."

―Rousseau (from Alien vs. Predator)

Adele Rousseau was a mercenary and a member of Max Stafford's private military team. In 2004, Stafford's team was hired by Charles Bishop Weyland to accompany a Weyland Industries expedition to Bouvetøya, Antarctica. The expedition's objective was to investigate an ancient Pyramid buried beneath the ice there, with Stafford's team present to provide security. The Pyramid was discovered to be a Yautja temple and hunting ground where the Predators would breed Xenomorphs for use in their Hunts, and the expedition soon became caught up in the battle between the two species.

Adele was impregnated by a Facehugger in the sacrificial chamber, and died when the Chestburster inside her emerged.

Biography

Expedition to Bouvetøya

Aboard the Piper Maru, Rousseau was confronted by Lex over her decision to bring a firearm on the expedition, the group's guide pointing out that she'd never seen a firearm save anyone's life during polar exploration, but Rousseau managed to placate her by pointing out that the weapon was simply a precaution against whatever unforeseen scenario they might face. She was among the first to descend to the pyramid, exploring the sacrificial chamber and correctly deducing that the human remains found there had died not from having their hearts removed — as Thomas suggested — but rather as a result of something bursting from the body.

When the team split up to cover more ground inside the pyramid, Stafford ordered Rousseau to stay behind in the sacrificial chamber and supervise the analysis there, placing her in command of Thomas and the other experts who stayed with her.

Xenomorph host

"What did you say this room was called?"
"Sacrificial chamber..."

―Rousseau and Thomas, shortly before their demise (from Alien vs. Predator)

When Stafford and his men removed the Yautja's Plasmacasters from the sarcophagus in which they were found, the sacrificial chamber began to seal. Although Rousseau attempted to block one of the descending doors with a crate of supplies, the giant stone slab simply crushed the crate flat and she was trapped inside with the rest of the researchers. The pyramid's mechanisms delivered several Eggs to the room, and despite Rousseau drawing her pistol, everyone inside was subdued by Facehuggers almost immediately. Soon afterwards, Rousseau awoke to find the Facehugger that had attacked her dead beside her, only to be killed almost immediately as the Chestburster inside her emerged.

Personality and Traits

Unlike the majority of Stafford's mercenaries, Rousseau was not openly aggressive towards the civilian advisors on the trip and was particularly amiable with Lex, whom she no doubt respected as a fellow woman working in a field typically dominated by men. One notable exception to her otherwise friendly attitude was Thomas, whose poor attempts at flirting were met by Rousseau with contempt. She was quick-thinking and intelligent, correctly deducing that the victims in the sacrificial chamber had not died by having their hearts removed. She was also the only person to react to the sealing of the sacrificial chamber when the pyramid began to shift. However, despite her quick reflexes, she was not fast enough to beat the Facehugger that subdued her.

Equipment

Rousseau carried a Beretta 84FS Cheetah as her primary weapon, wore thermal clothing with the Weyland Industries logo and had a radio.

Trivia

In the novelization of Alien vs. Predator, Rousseau reacts much faster to the emerging Facehuggers than in the movie, shooting one of the Eggs as the situation begins to deteriorate. However, the creature within was already airborne by the time the bullet hits, demonstrating their supreme agility.
Once the sacrificial chamber becomes "Hived", none of the original hosts' bodies are anywhere to be seen. However, in one scene, the bodies of Thomas and what appears to be Rousseau can be briefly glimpsed in the passage way leading to the chamber, although Adele's jacket is closed whereas it was open when she died. These bodies can be more clearly seen in the "making of" featurettes. The body that is likely Adele is cocooned upside down, while only the orange jacket of Thomas can be seen among the resin. The body that is seen is actually a dummy, like the one used for Joe Connor's body.