Karl Johanssen[2] was a highly experienced whaler. He was working at Razorback Point Whaling Station on Bouvetøya in 1904 when the settlement was attacked and destroyed by Predators.
Johanssen was the last survivor of the whaling camp.[3] The exact cause of his death is unknown; he may have been killed either by the warring Predators and Xenomorphs or simply succumbed to the elements after the camp was destroyed.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Johanssen was known to be the most experienced whaler in Oslo.[2] Since his first season as a whaler when he was just twelve years old, Johanssen had survived 27 seasons on the ice without serious injury.[2] In 1897, Johanssen quit whaling to travel to California and be with his brother. He subsequently invested heavily in the Alaskan gold rush, but was financially ruined when production collapsed. Now desperate for money, Johanssen returned to Norway and reluctantly agreed to join Captain Sven Nyberg and the Emma for the 1904 whaling season, on the promise of a potentially lucrative 5% share of any profits made.[2]
1904 season[]
Owing to Nyberg's inexperience, Johanssen acted as something of a mentor on the long journey to Antarctica aboard the Emma, teaching the inexperienced captain the secrets of the whaling hunting trade. The end result of Johanssen's tutelage was a particularly successful season for the Emma and her crew, with over three hundred whales brought ashore at Razorback Point, the Emma's base of operations.[4] However, as the season drew to a close, strange lights were spotted on the horizon near the camp. Johanssen led a team out onto the ice to investigate the strange occurrence. The group eventually discovered a crater in the ice and at its base, a strange metal pod. Against Johanssen's wishes, Captain Nyberg ordered the pod returned to Razorback Point, hoping that such an unprecedented find would further add to the crew's profits.[5]
The pod was placed into storage at the camp, but later opened, revealing a Predator within. The creature began slaughtering the whalers, removing their skulls as trophies. Johanssen managed to flee the carnage, but with insufficient protective clothing he realized escaping across the ice would be suicide, and so he hid nearby, planning to return later. After passing out for some time, Johanssen returned to the camp, his fingers now badly frostbitten and on the verge of death.[6] In the ruins of the camp he encountered both a Predator and a Xenomorph, and could only watch as the two creatures engaged in battle and fought a brutal duel.[3][1] It is not clear if Johanssen perished in the subsequent melee, or if he later succumbed to the elements.
Trivia[]
- Johanssen was not included in the theatrical release of Alien vs. Predator, although he still appears in the film's credits. The scene featuring him was later added for the extended Unrated Edition.
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Paul W. S. Anderson (writer and director). Alien vs. Predator Unrated Edition (2005), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Marc Cerasini. Alien vs. Predator, p. 11 (2004), HarperEntertainment.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marc Cerasini. Alien vs. Predator, p. 17 (2004), HarperEntertainment.
- ↑ Marc Cerasini. Alien vs. Predator, p. 12 (2004), HarperEntertainment.
- ↑ Marc Cerasini. Alien vs. Predator, p. 13 (2004), HarperEntertainment.
- ↑ Marc Cerasini. Alien vs. Predator, p. 15 (2004), HarperEntertainment.