While Marvel set to begin publishing future stories from the Alien and Predator franchises, it's hardly the first time the worlds of Alien or Predator crossed over with a superhero universe. Over the years, both of those iconic movie monsters have met several heroes from the DC Universe.
Now, we're taking a look back at what happened when two generations of DC's most famous cosmic heroes, the Green Lanterns, encountered the Xenomorphs in the Dark Horse/DC crossover Green Lantern Versus Alien by Ron Marz, Rick Leonardi, Mike Perkins, and David Stewart.
HAL JORDAN VS. ALIENS
While fighting crime on Earth, Hal Jordan received a message from the Guardians alerting him to a crisis deep in the galaxy. Alongside a group of other Lanterns that includes Kilowog, Katma Tui, Tomar-Re, Green Man, and Salaak, Jordan investigates the death of a fellow Lantern named Barin Char. Tracking his damaged ring to a remote planet, the Green Lanterns encounter a hive of Xenomorphs. Hal is able to rescue the other Lanterns but argues that they shouldn't wipe the Xenomorphs out.
Comparing them to the Earth's sharks as deadly animals that aren't necessarily evil, Hal makes the point that the Xenomorphs should be spared lethal force unless absolutely necessary. The Lanterns capture the Xenomorphs and bring them to Mogo, reasoning that they'll get to live out their lives on this world, guarded by a Green Lantern they can't infect with their spawn. The problem is that in the ensuing years, the Green Lantern Corps was devastated by Hal Jordan when he became the villainous Parallax. That left Mogo a more barren planet, which meant that nothing was around to prevent a ship from crashing onto its surface, where its crew could be targeted by the Xenomorphs.
KYLE RAYNER VS. ALIENS
With Hal Jordan no longer an option, former Green Lanterns Brik and Salaak -- along with former potential Lanterns Ash, Tomar-Dar and M'hadahha -- approach Kyle Rayner to help them contend with the Xenomorphs and their increasing number. After reaching Mogo, the group ventures into the crashed space ship and find the last member of the crew, a woman named Crowe. Soon, the group is surrounded by Xenomorphs and attacked. Tomar-Dar, Brik, M'hadahha, and Ash are dragged into a pit created by the attacking Xenomorphs, with Tomar-Dar accidentally pulling Kyle's ring off his finger as he slipped from his hands. This leaves Kyle powerless as they venture further into the growing Xenomorph Hive.
Descending together, Salaak and Kyle discuss the ethics that go into being a Green Lantern, and whether or not they should be willing to use lethal force if need be. But after Salaak is captured, Kyle is finally reluctantly forced to open fire on the Xenomorphs to escape. Alongside Crowe, the pair reach the Xenomorph Queen as she lays eggs for the captured aliens. When Crowe sacrifices herself to buy him time, Kyle is able to reach his Green Lantern ring.
This also turns out to be just in time, as it gives Kyle the last-second chance to save himself from being caught by a Face-Hugger and becoming a host to a baby Xenomorph. Forced into a corner by the hive and with the dying words of Crowe in his ears, Kyle reluctantly uses the Green Lantern ring to do what Hal never could and eradicates all the present Xenomorphs. While some of the group survive, Kyle remains troubled by his choices.
With any other species, the restraint that Hal and Kyle consider for the Xenomorphs is commendable. Hal has a point when he compares the Xenomorphs to a shark, a force of nature that isn't wholly aware of its actions beyond instinct and therefore removed from concepts of good and evil. However, the Xenomorphs are also some of the most dangerous beings in all of fiction, a race of near-perfect killing machines that can adapt to any situation and wipe out entire planets if left unchecked. It's only thanks to the sheer power of the Green Lanterns that they even get the chance to have a choice about the Xenomorphs instead of being simply killed. Normal concepts of preservation of life have to be reconsidered when dealing with a species that is deadly enough to consume everything in existence if able.