Aliens: Rescue is a four-issue limited comic book series that was first published by Dark Horse Comics from July-October 2019. It was also published simultaneously in the digital format via Dark Horse Digital. The story was written by Brian Wood, pencilled by Kieran McKeown, inked by J. L. Straw, colored by Dan Jackson, lettered by Nate Piekos, and edited by Spencer Cushing, with cover art Roberto de la Torre. Variant cover art was provided by Mack Chater.
The comic is one of the few Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comic books to serve as a direct sequel to earlier stories. Specifically, it is a continuation of Aliens: Resistance, and as such features the return of Amanda Ripley-McClaren and Zula Hendricks.[1]
In the Aliens comics line, Aliens: Rescue was preceded by Aliens: Resistance, and was followed by Alien: The Original Screenplay.
Publisher's summary[]
#1: The fate of Amanda Ripley! Following the events of Aliens: Resistance, Alec Brand, the colonist rescued by Amanda Ripley and Zula Hendricks, has grown up into an elite Colonial Marine. A secret mission brings him back to the Alien-infested moon where he was rescued... and face to face with the past.
#2: Amanda Ripley, Zula Hendricks and Alec Brand team up on a new mission. A classified planet houses a powerful resource that could save millions in the right hands. With Weyland-Yutani ever-threatening, will the team manage to secure the planet? Or will the Alien threat overwhelm them?
#3: The Colonial Marines are the best at what they do, and what they do is kill bugs. Amanda Ripley takes her command deep into a nightmarish Heart of Darkness — a massive Alien lair.
#4: In Aliens: Resistance, Amanda Ripley and Zula Hendricks rescued Alec Brand from certain death. He has the chance to repay the favor, but was this mission doomed from the start?
Plot[]
Selection[]
Bowden showing Brand the photos of Amanda and Zula
Some time following the events of Aliens: Resistance, Alec Brand, now a Private in the United States Colonial Marine Corps, is summoned to be interviewed by Lieutenant Commander Lena Bowden in a USCM base on Luna. The woman shows Brand photos of Amanda Ripley-McClaren and Zula Hendricks and Alec recalls the events that unfolded on the black site. The woman cites that Brand's experience guarantees him a place on "Deep Space Recon", to which Brand accepts on a condition - to have the executive reveal to him the name of the moon he was stranded on. The executive refuses, as the name is classified.
The three months following, Brand becomes an experienced elite marine in exterminating insectoid Aliens on Mars. He is later once again approached by Bowden, who reveals to him that Amanda and Zula are alive, showing him pictures of the two taken three days ago. She tells Brand that the two are at an undisclosed location and are supposedly in need of personnel to undergo a large operation. Brand immediately accepts the offer to join.
Recon[]
Brand reunites with Amanda and Zula.
With the help of navigation from Davis One, Brand is piloted in the ship Borneo to a USCM forward operating base in an unknown sector of space where Ripley and Zula reside. Brand reunites with the two and embraces them. Amanda explains to him that the nuclear explosion triggered on the moon resulted in it splitting apart and causing debris to collapse onto the home planet's atmosphere. Zula and Amanda reveal that the Weyland-Yutani Corporation is looking to purchase copyright over the planet and retrieve bacterial Xenomorph samples from the meteorites. Alec is initially reluctant to have the marines involved in the affair but subsequently agrees. Amanda and Zula fly Brand onto the planet's atmosphere and from a distance, show him hundreds of Xenomorphs roaming the surface. Zula tells Brand that the Xenos have been migrating North and that he, she, Amanda and thirty other marines are going to "take the fight to them" and eradicate them all.
Projection[]
Brand, Zula and Amanda explore the planet.
Amanda and Zula escape the black sited moon with the help of Davis.
The platoon land on the planet, with Davis, no longer confined to Zula's rifle, surveying the air in a drone. Brand is still bewildered as to how his two rescuers survived a nuclear explosion. In a flashback, it is shown that Amanda and Zula successfully escaped the planet, boarding a ship recalled by Davis. At dawn, the question is raised whether Weyland-Yutani are controlling the Xenomorphs somehow. Davis refutes this proposal, stating that the company have changed tactics - instead of sidelining military laws, they have taken the laws unto themselves. After paying a large fine following their exposure at the hands of Amanda, Davis explains that they began paying triple on political bribes and lobbyists and now this sector of classified space belongs to them, making any activity of theirs legal.
As Brand is on a nightly patrol, a flash flood suddenly occurs, and Davis' detects a large Xenomorph migration to higher-ground. Brand suddenly encounters a large horde of Aliens rushing past him, with one stopping and inspecting him. However, it continues onwards. Instead of waking the rest of the platoon, Brand decides to go alone and follow the horde to their destination, deducing that something is definitely controlling them.
Deniability[]
The platoon encounters three Xenomorph Queens inside a large egg chamber.
The following morning, Brand, Amanda, Zula and the rest of the platoon arrive at a large Xenomorph hive. After battling hordes of Xenomorphs and pushing themselves deeper and deeper into the nest, the group encounter a ghastly sight: a large chamber with hundreds of eggs and three Xenomorph Queens. Brand deduces that the chamber has a thin ceiling, and suggests combining the door breaches with Davis' seismic charges to bring the hive down and bury the Queens. As the remaining marines keep the Xenomorphs at bay, Brand rushes the three Queens and places the breaches down as Davis drops the charges. The platoon retreats as Brand stays behind as the chamber collapses. A while later, Brand emerges from the rubble, contacting Davis to inform the rest that he survived.
Meanwhile, Lena Bowden is being interviewed by the Department of Justice in regards to sending a marine platoon to a classified sector of space with the intent of destroying classified evidence. Bowden reveals that she reported to her chain of command that the mission was a failure. Any further information about the mission was classified and beyond the department's reach. She finishes her interview with a smirk as she leaves the disgruntled suits.
Characters[]
Reprint History[]
Dark Horse Comics[]
All four issues of Aliens: Rescue was collected as a trade paperback and was released on February 11, 2020. Cover artwork was reused from issue 2 by Roberto de la Torre.
Marvel Comics[]
Following Marvel Comics' acquisition of the rights to Alien comic books, the comic was collected as part of Marvel's Aliens: The Original Years Volume 4 collection, alongside many other later Dark Horse stories. The collection was released on March 14, 2023.
Trivia[]
- A visible inconsistency in issue 1 has Alec Brand wearing a headband prior to him boarding the Gaspar in a flashback. However, in issues 1 and 2 of Aliens: Resistance Alec does not possess one.
Gallery[]
Issue covers[]
Variant covers[]
