- "Listen to me, I don't like this any more than you do. You murdered my parents. I'd rather let that other creature rip you apart. But we're all in a bad situation here. If we're going to survive it, we need each other. Do you understand me?"
- ―Maria to Hook (from Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood)
Maria Ward was the civilian daughter of Lydia Ward, captain of the luxury spacecraft USSC Double Down. Maria and her family were on a luxury cruise when it was raided by a family of Yautja, attacking them for invading their sector of space. Ultimately, Maria and her synthetic 'brother', Tyler, were forced to ally themselves with Elder Predator Hook after the Xenomorph held captive by the Predators broke loose and began wrecking havoc within the Double Down.
Biography[]
Early life[]
- "Mom and Dad didn't buy you to play with me -- they bought you to raise me! They never wanted to be parents. If not for you, I'd have grown up in some stupid boarding school."
- ―Maria to Tyler (from Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood)
As Maria's mother and father were often too busy to cater to her, they purchased Tyler to serve as a psuedo-brother and playmate for her. Maria and Tyler were initially close, though their relationship was soon strained after Maria perceived Tyler as being her mother's "favourite". After Maria had grown up, she was no longer interested in Tyler's company or companionship, treating him with a bitter coldness.
Terror aboard the Double Down[]
- "You were programmed to play with me when I was a baby. So how the hell did I end up being the one babysitting you?"
- ―Maria to Tyler (from Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood)
Maria angrily confronts Tyler.
The luxury ship USSC Double Down had entered unknown territory, prompting a Yautja Mother Ship to unknowingly board the cruiser. Maria was busy sunbathing on the artificial beach lido-deck, before being approached by Tyler, who alerted her to the presence of 'pirates'. After dismissing his claims, the Predator Splitter emerged on the beach and began slaughtering the civilians mercilessly with a plasma-whip. The two psuedo-siblings ran from the lido-deck and into an elevator. Maria angrily pinned Tyler to the wall and slapped him, forcing him to reveal that their mother gave him orders to escort her off the ship. Instead, Maria and Tyler went to the forward lounge where they reunited with their parents. Whilst discussing their options, an Elder Predator, Hook, suddenly emerged from the shadows and killed Tyler and Maria's father. Lydia, shocking the creature with a stun-baton, bought the children enough time for them to enter the elevator before being killed. The Predator suddenly jammed its arm and leg into the elevator door and attempted to pry it open, but after the siblings worked together, they bisected the creatures' limbs by closing the door.
Tyler opened the jammed lift to another floor, allowing the two to escape from the elevator. However, Maria opted to find her friends instead of going to the Tender, forcing Tyler to physically restrain her after a brief argument. Maria eventually apologized for her rashness, and the two reached the airlock to the Tender which was being inconveniently blocked off by the Predator ship's boarding ramp. The two ultimately decided to board the Predator ship, and encountered the Predator Pig Iron gleefully torturing a captive Xenomorph with his wrist-mounted flamethrower.
Tyler and Maria hide from the Xenomorph aboard the Predator Mother Ship.
Tyler and Maria entered the ship's deck and Tyler attempted to access the controls, before being electrocuted by its handprint countermeasures, alerting the Predator. With his back turned, the chained Xenomorph seized the opportunity to pounce on Pig Iron and brutally kill him, before managing to free itself from its constraints. The siblings hid under a desk as the Xenomorph began stalking the ship interior, before escaping into the Double Down. After the close call, Tyler deduced that they would need one of the Predator's arms to properly access the ship, and could use one of Hook's. The children left the ship and briefly encounter the ship Lieutenant, Denver, who intended to blow up the ramp with explosives from the geo-lab. However, after Maria dismissed his plan, he angrily stormed off. The two return to the forward lounge, where they witnessed Splitter battling the loose Xenomorph. As they dragged the unconscious body of Hook into the elevator, the Xenomorph defeated and decapitated Splitter.
Alliance with Hook[]
- "Your ship is blocking our way out. We tried to move it ourselves, but we couldn't. We need you to do it. So we'll make you a deal...We'll help you kill the creature if you promise to leave right afterward. All right? We go our separate ways and we call it good."
- ―Maria to Hook (from Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood)
Hook offers a temporary truce to the siblings.
The siblings took the amputated hunter to the lido-deck, and Maria began demanding the Predator's help, keeping him conscious by electrocuting him with shock prods. After Hook responded with hostility, Maria angrily dismisses him as nothing more than an "animal", opting to drown him under the waves and cut his arm off with a knife. After trying to locate a knife, Tyler reveals that he was put on sale by their mother, and Maria eventually reconciled with him, and realized that he has always been by her side, not only as a brother and playmate but as a foster too. As the two shared an embrace, Hook approached them from behind, offering them a truce to kill the Xenomorph running amok within the ship.
The three travelled to the med-center, and Maria managed to attach a prosthetic leg to the Elder. They subsequently went to the geo-lab to find Denver, only to notice that he had been killed by the Xenomorph, who was currently distracted chasing Denver's parrot. After the creature noticed them, however, Tyler valiantly sacrificed himself to save Maria, causing him to be torn to shreds whilst Hook retreated with the protesting Maria in his arms.
Final battle against the Xenomorph[]
- "This is for my brother, you ugly A-hole."
- ―Maria to the Drone (from Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood)
Maria donning Pig Iron and Splitter's gear to combat the Drone.
The Alien promptly caught up with the two and attacked the Predator. A brutal battle ensued, and Hook managed to hold his own despite his loss of limbs, but was soon overwhelmed by the creature, Maria supported the Predator by retrieving Pig Iron's flamethrower and Splitter's whip, blasting the Alien with fire. Eventually, she threw Hook his son's whip, and he finally managed to kill it by splitting its head in two, ending its rampancy. Maria passed out from exhaustion.
Departure[]
- "I used to think he was dumb for believing he could ever grow up to be like his hero...but I was the dumb one for ever doubting him. He's my brother and I love him."
- ―Maria regarding Tyler (from Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood)
Tyler is repaired by Maria and put into stasis.
Maria awakened at the entrance of the Tender, revealing that Hook held his end of the bargain. He also retrieved Tyler's mangled corpse and gave it to her, which she was immensely grateful for. After being thanked by Maria, Hook 'calls it good' and boarded his ship, recalling the boarding ramp. The subsequent decompression almost blew the two children into space, but Maria managed to safely board the Tender with Tyler whilst Hook's ship departed from the Double Down.
With a reinvigorated love and appreciation for her little brother, Tyler was partially repaired by Maria and taken to a hypersleep chamber. Before being put into stasis, she informed Tyler that they were roughly two weeks from the closest safe harbour.
Personality and Traits[]
Maria held a precocious and bratty nature about her, and expressed an openly hostile and abusive attitude towards Tyler. This largely stemmed from the neglect she suffered from her parents, and her deeming that Tyler was the 'favorite' of the two. The experience aboard the Double Down mellowed her out, however, and she came to realize how much she truly cared for her 'brother'.
Appearances[]
Gallery[]
