Doctor H. G. Groves[1] was a Weyland-Yutani Corporation employee and Karl Bishop Weyland's top scientist on BG-386, and as such was in charge of the Xenomorphs bred for study there. He is arguably the main antagonist in the Alien campaign in the 2010 video game Aliens vs. Predator (although the player never directly fights him).
While Groves survived the events on BG-386 and escaped the planet, he was later cocooned by Specimen 6 in a separate outbreak and presumably impregnated with a Chestburster.
Biography
Breeding Xenomorphs
Groves was placed in charge of the Xenomorph breeding program on BG-386 by Karl Bishop Weyland. As such, he was present during the birth and "harvesting" of all of the Xenomorph specimens being studied at the research facility on the planet. During one such procedure, one of the specimens (later christened Specimen 6) escaped from its containment tube by re-entering its deceased host and emerging from the corpse's mouth; Groves immediately attempted to gas the creature, killing two of his own scientists in the process, but was stopped by Weyland before the Xenomorph could be permanently harmed.
Obsession
Following the incident at her birth, Groves became enamored, even obsessed, with Specimen 6. As he watched her grow and develop, he trained Six to become the perfect killing machine, using civilian colonists and even members of his own staff as live prey in combat tests towards this end. He also had a special reverence for the Matriarch, with which he was fascinated; his research regarding the Matriarch implied the creature was tens of thousands of years old.[1]
Escape and fate
- "All facility staff, this is Dr. Groves. We have experienced a containment breach. Try to stay calm and follow procedures. I assure you, everything will be alright."
- ―Groves, during the catastrophic containment failure (from Aliens vs. Predator)
During the catastrophic containment failure that ultimately doomed BG-386, Groves apparently managed to escape (in the process locking one of his co-workers in a room with Specimen 6 to buy himself some time). It is presumed that he left the planet. However, Groves was later reunited with Specimen 6 when the Xenomorph was recaptured by personnel under Weyland's command before the destruction of BG-386.
Some time later, Six escaped once more. Groves was captured and cocooned in a new Hive created by Six, who subsequently molted into a new Queen, an event witnessed by Groves. It is unknown whether or not Groves was impregnated with a Chestburster afterwards, although it seems likely that he was.
Personality and Traits
- "It is ridiculous, I know, but these combat androids... They unnerve me unlike any Xenomorph."
- ―Groves (from Aliens vs. Predator)
Groves is a sadistic and amoral scientist who showed no compassion or emotion for those who died as a result of the events on BG-386. He was willing to use civilian colonists and even other Weyland-Yutani employees as live test subjects in his Xenomorph research, and was happy to sacrifice even other members of his team, such as when he locked a hapless scientist inside Specimen 6's holding chamber when the Xenomorph outbreak first started.
Likely linked to his position as head Xenomorph researcher on BG-386, Groves had a reverence for the Xenomorph and he appeared to behold the species in a near-messianic light. This admiration did not diminish once the creatures escaped and began slaughtering the personnel on the planet; in fact, if anything, his fascination with the Xenomorphs only grew as they ravaged BG-386. Despite Groves' apparent lack of fear in the face of the Xenomorph species, he was notably wary of the Weyland-Yutani combat androids stationed on the planet, bemoaning the fact that many of them outranked his own staff, and once stating that he found them far more terrifying than any Xenomorph subject.[1]
Trivia
- Groves is voiced by actor William Hope, who portrayed Lieutenant Gorman in Aliens. Hope also voiced Marshal Waits in Alien: Isolation, as well as providing voice work for the various Predator characters in Aliens versus Predator, Aliens versus Predator 2 and Aliens vs. Predator.
- Many players expressed regret at the fact Specimen 6 never gets to fight or otherwise defeat Groves in the game — the beginning of the Alien campaign sets him up as something of a villain for Six, but following the breakout the doctor simply vanishes from the game, only returning very briefly in the (non-interactive) closing cutscene.
- Some fans have proposed that Six cocoons Dr. Groves, rather than killing him, as a result of her hatred towards him for his role in her initial captivity and testing.
- In some ways, Groves is very similar to Jonathan Gediman from Alien Resurrection, in that both characters are researchers who worked as underlings to their respective superiors (Karl Bishop Weyland in Aliens vs. Predator, Mason Wren in Alien Resurrection), and whose goals involved Xenomorph procurement for the purpose of furthering scientific study into the creatures — regardless of the human cost. In addition, both suffer a nearly identical fate, being captured and cocooned by the very creatures they sought to contain. Where they differ is their level of humanity — Groves is a completely immoral man with no concern for anyone or anything harmed in the study of the Xenomorphs, whereas Gediman showed genuine remorse for his involvement in the procurement of the creatures and the lives lost breeding them.
Appearances
- Aliens vs. Predator (video game)