Predator: Xenogenesis

Predator: Xenogenesis is a four-issue limited comic book series that was first published by Dark Horse Comics from August-November 1999. It was written by Ian Edginton, illustrated by Mel Rubi, inked by Andrew Pepoy, colored by David Stewart, lettered by Clem Robins and edited by Philip Amara and Mike Hansen, with cover art by Rubi and Pepoy.

Predator: Xenogenesis formed the Predator component of Dark Horse's franchise-crossing Xenogenesis event in 1999, and was released in conjunction with Aliens: Xenogenesis and Aliens vs. Predator: Xenogenesis. The three loosely interconnected stories all share a similar new art and storytelling style that was a departure from the those typically found in the series until then.

The conclusion of Xenogenesis also marked the beginning of a ten-year hiatus in the Predator comics line, during which time no new Predator comics would be released. It was preceded by Predator: Homeworld, and when the Predator line eventually resumed, it was followed by the Predator (2009 short story).

Publisher's Summary

#1: For decades, the alien Predators have come to Earth, hunting humans as prey. But their actions haven't gone unnoticed... years of research have revealed their secrets. Now, the ultimate strike team of rogues and mercenaries — armed to the teeth with state-of-the-art technology — has banded together to eliminate the Predators... permanently. Don't miss the battle that will spark the war!

#1: Predators live for the hunt. So does the black-ops team known as Spearhead. But this band of mercenaries and ex-heroes might be too confident for their own good. Though armed to the teeth with enough weaponry to send Predators scurrying back into the woodwork, there's one thing their enemy has that Spearhead does not: cunning. As Spearhead is unknowingly baited into battle, it wonders what the Predators' true agenda is.

#1: Subotai is an immortal Japanese samurai who's been fighting Predators since they arrived on Earth. Now, as part of Spearhead, Subotai realizes that the true monsters aren't always who you expect them to be. John Dancer, Commander of Spearhead and Subotai's oldest friend, has come unglued. Has Dancer's mission to protect Earth from Predators gone too far? And if so, will Subotai have the strength and the courage to stop him?

#1: The showdown between Subotai, the immortal samurai, and John Dancer, commander of Spearhead, has been a long time coming. But while these two former friends square off, planet Earth has become the newest vacation spot for dozens of Predators, all coming to hunt Spearhead for sport. One Predator in particular has come to hunt the most challenging prey of them all: Subotai. If Spearhead falls to the creatures, will that open the door for a full-scale Predator invasion?

Reprint History

Predator: Xenogenesis was eventually collected as part of Predator Omnibus: Volume 4 in September 2008.

The complete comic was released digitally through Dark Horse Digital on June 12, 2013, reusing Mel Rubi and Andrew Pepoy's cover art from issue 4.

Behind the Scenes

Marking a drastic departure from the traditional style of the Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comics previously produced by Dark Horse, the Xenogenesis event was heralded by the company as the beginning of "the future of Aliens" comics. Instead, the stories were so poorly received they led to the almost complete cessation of the three lines for an entire decade. The Xenogenesis stories are mostly panned by fans as contradicting previous material and for being written/drawn in a "comic-booky" style completely inconsistent with the spirit of the rest of Dark Horse's historic material for the lines.

UK-based writer Ian Edginton worked on a number of other Aliens, Predator and AVP comics for Dark Horse throughout the years. He first included a mention of the Xenogenesis character Subotai in the series Aliens vs. Predator: Eternal.

The concept of humans harnessing stolen Yautja technology in the near-future and turning it on the Predators themselves was also used in Aliens vs. Predator: Eternal and the video game Predator: Concrete Jungle.