Prometheus: Life and Death is a four-issue limited comic book series that was first published by Dark Horse Comics from June-September 2016. It was also published simultaneously in the digital format via Dark Horse Digital. The story was written by Dan Abnett, illustrated by Andrea Mutti, colored by Rain Beredo, lettered by Michael Heisler, and edited by Freddye Miller, Randy Stradley and Kevin Burkhalter, with cover art by David Palumbo. Sachin Teng and Dave Dorman also provided variant covers for the first issue.
Prometheus: Life and Death formed the Prometheus component of Dark Horse's franchise-crossing Life and Death event in 2016/2017, and was released in conjunction with Predator: Life and Death, Aliens: Life and Death and Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death. The four series all form one continuous story and all were written by Abnett. Prometheus: Life and Death takes place after Predator: Life and Death.
In the Prometheus comics line, Prometheus: Life and Death was preceded by Prometheus: Fire and Stone - Omega, and was followed by Prometheus: Life and Death - Final Conflict.
Publisher's Summary[]
#1: Colonial Marines have commandeered a mysterious alien ship — wresting it from the savage Predators who also wanted it. But now the owner of the vessel has awakened, and the marines find themselves trapped in space with an angry god!
#2: The Engineer's ship finally makes planetfall, and the Colonial Marine stowaways find themselves on a world even more deadly than the one they left behind!
The Life and Death story cycle becomes the sequel to Fire and Stone as the characters end up on LV-223 — the planet of Prometheus!
#3: The Colonial Marines join forces with the survivors of the Fire and Stone story cycle and make a fateful decision to steal the Engineer's ship. But a second Engineer has awakened, and he's on the hunt for humans!
Aliens on one side, Engineers on the other, and humans in the middle!
#4: How do you fight a god? The Colonial Marines had better come up with a plan — because the battle has already begun!
Plot[]
Taking place after the events of Predator: Fire and Stone, Captain Paget, aboard the Hasdrubal is on the flight deck writing her report to Weyland-Yutani regarding her previous mission aboard Tartarus, in which she and her 33 marine platoon managed to seize an Engineer Juggernaut and bring it into orbit under the duress of various Yautja hunters. The Hasdrubal is close to the derelict, but are unable to contact the marine squad, led by Sergeant Roth, inside it.
As the marines inside the Juggernaut are trying to establish communications with the Hasdrubal, one of the marines, Indelicato, notices that the sarcophagus-like object that had been hit by gunfire (during a battle with a Predator), was leaking. The object suddenly opens, and an Engineer emerges. As the marine tries to peacefully introduce himself to him, the Engineer crushes Indelicato's head, with the other marines retreating.
Back on the Hasdrubal, the crew notices that the Juggernaut is no longer heading towards Ganymede station, the coordinates that the Synthetic Singer had given had suddenly changed, and Captain Paget demands that they follow the ship.
Six days later, the derelict lands on the moon LV-223 and the Engineer leaves the ship, the marines follow shortly after the Engineer is out of sight. It is revealed that the marines had been avoiding the Engineer for the entirety of his journey to the moon.
The marines set out in search of food, water and shelter and Roth orders Singer to setup a beacon that would alert the Hasdrubal of their position. During their exploration of the terrain, the group are attacked by a horde of mutated Xenomorphs. A battle ensues, resulting in Rucker being taken by the creatures and Jhalil being gravely injured by the Xeno's acid blood. The team are suddenly saved by Geryon survivors Angela Foster and Galgo Helder. After introducing the cautious marines to Ahab, a Yautja and the other survivors, Chris and Jill, Angela and Galgo bring the group back to their fortress where they have food, water and other supplies. They also treat Jhalil.
Angela and Melville discuss why the Engineers are so hostile. Foster suggests that it's possible that Engineers created humanity and see their creation as a mistake. Melville on the other hand believes that they are actually protecting humanity by keeping them as far away from the black liquid as possible, and anyone exposed by the substance has to be purged.
Meanwhile the Engineer from the Juggernaut reaches a temple containing a stasis-pod. He wakes a second Engineer from stasis and brings him outside the temple. Galgo and Ahab from a distance, observe the two Engineers; the first is carrying two urns back to the ship and the second is fully armored and equipped with a powerful rifle.
Galgo returns to the base to warn the others of the two Engineers. He figures that the second has been woken up by the other Engineer to hunt down and kill the group.
Singer suggests that they attempt to hijack their derelict so that the group could finally leave the moon. Angela plans for Ahab and Galgo to distract the second Engineer whilst she, Roth and Singer go to the derelict to deal with the first Engineer. Tartarus survivor Humble also volunteers to go. The rest of the team, Freebody, Wearing, Chris, Jill, and Melville are to carry the supplies as well as the wounded Jhalil.
Galgo and Ahab battle the second Engineer whilst Freebody's group is attacked by Xenomorphs. Roth manages to briefly distract the first Engineer and allow the others to board the derelict. But the Engineer, without knowing the team is on the ship, also boards it and takes flight in the vessel, leaving Roth and the rest of the group with the Xenomorph horde and the second Engineer. Freebody believes that Foster had abandoned them, whilst Wearing tells her to concentrate on the Xenos.
Characters[]
- Ancane
- Angela Foster
- Chris Hanlock
- Delaria
- Freebody
- Galgo Helder
- Humble
- Indelicato
- Jhalil
- Jill
- Melville
- Paget
- Roth
- Rucker
- Schrader
- Wearing
- Ahab
- Engineer (Life and Death)
- Second Engineer
Reprint History[]
Prometheus: Life and Death was collected and released as a trade paperback on January 11, 2017. The collected edition will reuse David Palumbo's cover artwork from issue 1.
In October 2018, the series was collected for inclusion in Prometheus/Aliens/AVP/Predator: The Complete Life and Death, a hardcover trade paperback that brought together the complete Life and Death saga.
Behind the Scenes[]
Prometheus: Life and Death was one of the comics selected to be a part of Dark Horse Comics' 30th anniversary variant cover program — issue 1 received a special Dark Horse Presents-styled variant cover by Dave Dorman.
Chronology[]
This story takes place approximately forty-three years after the events of the motion picture Aliens (and just over a year after the events of Fire and Stone)