Predator: Captive is a one-shot comic book that was first published by Dark Horse Comics in May 1998. It was written by Gordon Rennie, illustrated and colored by Dean Ormston, lettered by Fiona Stephenson, and edited by Philip Amara and Ian Stude, with cover art by Dean Williams.
In Dark Horse's Predator comics line, Predator: Captive was preceded by Predator: Hell Come a Walkin', and was followed by Predator: Demon's Gold.
Publisher's Summary[]
Tyler Stern is a reclusive billionaire industrialist who has everything. Everything except his own living, breathing Predator. But with the help of some friends in high places, it's not long before Stern has that, too. Fascinated by the creature, he creates a biosphere to study the alien killing machine in its own environment. But has the billionaire's fascination turned to obsession? Stern may be studying the Predator, but it's becoming clear who the real captive is.
Plot[]
The Captive Predator observed by Stern and Falkner.
Reclusive billionaire and founder of Stern Industries Tyler Stern is able capture a live Predator, the first to do so. He imprisons the creature within a biosphere, amputating his right arm to prevent it activating its Self-Destruct Device. With its arm kept in a tank, Wrist gauntlet still intact, Stern would observe the creature, studying its behavioural patterns by providing it human test subjects to hunt down and kill. Stern ultimately desires to make contact with the Predator, believing that it will eventually communicate after realizing that escape is impossible.
Tyler's new head of security, Falkner, is sceptical of Stern's methods. Being the survivor of a prior Predator encounter in Nicaragua, leaving him disfigured, Falkner believes that Stern is underestimating the creature, and notes that the biosphere has lately been suffering from surveillance blackouts and implications of unauthorised exiting of the dome.
Eventually, the Predator manages to intentionally lower its pulse, respiration and heartbeat to critical levels, creating panic and luring a security team to enter the biosphere to investigate. The creature suddenly springs to life and slaughters the unsuspecting team, unleashing chaos within the facility.
As Falkner radios in a special forces unit, Stern kills him for bringing the situation under government jurisdiction, bludgeoning him to death with the tank containing the wrist gauntlet.
Stern decides to face the Predator personally, bringing the wrist gauntlet with him and entering the creatures' enclosure. He eventually encounters his prisoner, and after a brief skirmish, Stern is able to shoot it with a lethal poisoned dart, before having his arm partially ripped off. As both begin dying, the Predator activates its Self-Destruct Device, and the blast destroys the entire facility.
Reprint History[]
Dark Horse Comics[]
Predator: Captive was eventually collected as part of Predator Omnibus: Volume 4 in September 2008.
The comic was released digitally through Dark Horse Digital on June 19, 2013, using new cover art by George Pratt.
Marvel Comics[]
Following Marvel Comics' acquisition of the rights to Predator comic books, the comic was collected as part of Marvel's Predator: The Original Years Volume 2 collection, alongside many other early Dark Horse stories. The collection was released on May 21, 2024.
Behind the Scenes[]
The name of the military attack group sent in to raid Stern's compound at one point in the story is "Nimrod Squadron". Coincidentally, Nimród Antal was the name the director of the 2010 film Predators.
The elusive subject of trying to capture a living Yautja for study and observation has been the subject of a number of Predator stories throughout the history of the franchise, perhaps most notably the film Predator 2. Captive is one of the only stories to feature such a capture attempt actually succeeding, although that success, of course, is merely finite.
Writer Gordon Rennie was also the author of Predator: Nemesis, while artist Dean Ormston previously illustrated Predator: Hell Come a Walkin'.
Trivia[]
- An easter-egg in the form of two Facehuggers in tanks appears within the series, serving as a nod to the Alien franchise, specifically Aliens.
Gallery[]
