Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death is a four-issue limited comic book series that was published by Dark Horse Comics from December 2016-March 2017. It was also published simultaneously in the digital format via Dark Horse Digital. The story was written by Dan Abnett, illustrated by Brian Albert Thies, colored by Rain Beredo, lettered by Michael Heisler, and edited by Freddye Miller, Randy Stradley and Kevin Burkhalter, with cover art by David Palumbo. Sachin Teng and Carlos D'Anda also provided variant covers for the first issue.
Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death forms the Aliens vs. Predator component of Dark Horse's franchise-crossing Life and Death event in 2016/2017, and was released in conjunction with Predator: Life and Death, Prometheus: Life and Death and Aliens: Life and Death. The four series all form one continuous story and all were written by Abnett.
In the Aliens vs. Predator comics line, Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death was preceded by Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone, and was followed by Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood.
Publisher's Summary[]
#1: The Predators arrive on LV-223! The question is: are they here to finish the fight with the Colonial Marines, or will they join the Marines in the battle against the Aliens? And who will Ahab — the Predator from the Fire and Stone story cycle — side with?
#2: The Alien horde is coming, but before they face that enemy, the Colonial Marines and Ahab, their Predator ally, have to win the help of a newly arrived Predator clan. Acceptance by the tribe means Ahab must fight their champion — to the death!
#3: The Alien hordes descend in a desperate attempt to repossess their fetus Queen from the escaping Colonial Marines. Even with the help of the Predator clan, survival for the humans doesn't look likely.
#4: On LV-223, it's the last stand for the Colonial Marines — and their Predator allies — against an overwhelming army of Alien warriors determined to protect their new queen. Only one thing can stop them... and it's the last thing anybody wants!
Plot[]
Set immediately after the events of Aliens: Life and Death, Laurence Goode is seen in a cell in the Hasdrubal as Lorimer rushes towards him and asks if he can open a weapons locker, citing that "they're onboard". The two are suddenly killed by a Predator. As Captain Paget contacts for evac, it is revealed that the Predator tribe from Predator: Life and Death had boarded the Hasdrubal and slaughtered everyone on the ship.
The Tartarus clan arrive.
The surviving marines back on LV-223 realize that no evac is coming, and that the Xenomorphs are coming to retake Chris, who is harboring the new Queen. Melville suggests that they return to the Engineer temple where they can defend themselves against the aliens. They travel to the site and set up base. As Freebody and Cross are attacked by creatures, they are saved by Galgo and Ahab, who had finally reunited with the crew.
The Xenomorph army.
Ahab later spots the Tartarus clan of Predators from a distance, who had tracked down the Hasdrubal during its travel to LV-223. Ahab is familiar with the tribe, and challenges their strongest warrior, referred to as Champion by Galgo, for dominance. Galgo suggests that the clan want to kill the marines in revenge for their actions as well as scavenge the Engineer temple for it's contents. Galgo says that his bond with Ahab is the last chance they have in staying alive. Ahab emerges victories, killing Champion and taking over as leader of the tribe.
Chris' death.
Galgo, relieved, remarks how they avoided an execution. Paget disagrees, as she sees an army of hundreds of Xenomorphs rampaging towards the temple. The Predators and marines, in a last stand, fight the onslaught of Xenos whilst they set up a freight bus from the Hasdrubal to auto-pilot and send them an evac. The groups defenses begin dwindling, as more marines and Predators fall victim to the horde. Chris, feeling the Queen inside of her, grabs a grenade and walks out into the mass of Xenos, the marines and Predators watching her. Jill helplessly watches on as a Queen bursts out of her wife's chest before activating the grenade, killing herself and the horde in the explosion.
The Second Engineer, still alive.
The remaining Xenomorphs retreat and the Predators roar in triumph and prepare to take their leave. Ahab follows, with Galgo bidding his companion farewell by offering his Engineer rifle to the hunter.
The marines set up camp, waiting for the freight bus. Roth suddenly hears a noise coming from the horizon, but Paget discloses it. In the distance, the Second Engineer, still alive and gravely injured, is seen limping towards the camp.
Characters[]
Reprint History[]
Cover to Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death trade paperback by Palumbo.
Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death was collected, alongside the one-shot Life and Death finale Prometheus: Life and Death - Final Conflict, as a trade paperback. It was released on August 09, 2017. The collected edition reused David Palumbo's cover artwork from issue 2.
In October 2018, the series was collected for inclusion in Prometheus/Aliens/AVP/Predator: The Complete Life and Death, a hardcover trade paperback that brought together the complete Life and Death saga.
Behind the Scenes[]
Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death was one of the comics selected to be a part of Dark Horse Comics' 30th anniversary variant cover program — issue 1 received a special Dark Horse Presents-styled variant cover by Carlos D'Anda.
Gallery[]
Issue covers[]
Variant covers[]
