The Stalker was the adult form of the Praetomorph, a Xenomorph variant species created by the rogue Weyland Corp synthetic David. Though cosmetically similar to a Xenomorph Drone, the Stalker was larger and stronger but less intelligent.
Characteristics[]
The Stalker resembled a Xenomorph Drone and shared several of that caste's abilities, including the ability to transfix its prey with a hypnotic gaze and being equipped to capture prey and initiate their transformation into an egg with its prehensile, barbed tail. Furthermore, as with the Drone, the Stalker was able to move around on two limbs or four, and possessed acidic blood and an inner pharyngeal jaw. The Stalker also featured dorsal tubes on its back. Like the Drone, the Stalker matured from a parasitic creature that emerged from a live host, though its younger form, designated the Imp, was somewhat different to the Xenomorph chestburster.
Despite those similarities, the Stalker's form and function diverged from its phylogenetic equivalent in several ways, including its intelligence. Driven by an insatiable need to kill, the Stalker was markedly less wily and more aggressive than a Drone, opting to charge at its target rather than employing a more stealthy approach, and was much more vocal as it did so, howling and screaming as it closed in. The Stalker was omnicidal, and would not tolerate the existence of any other lifeforms, including humans and fellow alien entities such as neomorphs. It would also lash out at external stimuli such as security cameras. As a result of its feral behavior, the Stalker could be easily baited and duped. The Stalker was also more resilient than a Drone, with an enhanced resistance to fire, and was larger and more powerful. Moreover, its body lacked the biomechanical markings characteristic of a mainline Xenomorph, and instead had a more muscular appearance. The Stalker's teeth varied from the metallic fangs characteristic of typical Xenomorphs, being more blunt in shape and consisting of translucent bone.
Though the Stalker was part of a life cycle similar to that of the Xenomorph, it was possible for a human to be transformed into an imperfect Stalker by way of direct contact with a dangerous alien pathogen; Alexi, a worker at Romashka Outpost on the Union of Progressive Peoples mining planet Shānmén, suffered such a fate after the planet was attacked with the pathogen in 2186.
Behind the scenes[]
The Funko POP! figure of the Stalker, labeled as the "Xenomorph"
The Stalker first appeared in the 2017 film Alien: Covenant. However, it was not given this designation until the release of Alien: The Roleplaying Game in 2020; official materials and merchandise released prior simply dubbed it the "Xenomorph".
The novelization of Alien: Covenant portrays the Stalker—here referred to as "the Alien"—as retaining the biomechanical exoskeleton and intelligence of a standard Drone, though it is also specified that "the Alien" is an advanced model that matures substantially faster, a trait consistent with its official profile.
Appearances[]
- Alien: Covenant x Audi lunar quattro
- She Won't Go Quietly
- Alien: Covenant/novel
- Alien: The Roleplaying Game (profile only)
- EVAC
- Building Better Worlds (mentioned only)