With 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) falling under Walt Disney’s umbrella, Marvel Comics - another subsidiary of the Mouse House - has taken the opportunity tolaunch an imprint dedicated to 20th Century Studios franchises, includingAlien,Predator,andPlanet of the Apes. It has also led to crossovers with the Marvel Universe, particularly the Predator,who’s tangled with Wolverineandthe Black Pantherin two seperate miniseries. It’s the latest crossover, though, that’s piqued interest:Aliens vs. AvengersbyJonathan HickmanandEsad Ribic. True to its title,Aliens VS Avengerspits the heroes of the Marvel Universe against a Xenomorph invasion… and ends with a surprising twist concerning one hero.
‘Aliens vs. Avengers’ Reveals That the Symbiotes Can Beat Xenomorphs
Aliens Vs. Avengers#1takes place in a bleak futurewhere the Shi’ar empire weaponized the Xenomorphs and unleased them on various planets in the Marvel Universe, overrunning their heroes. The Black Panther has taken to the stars with the rest of Wakanda, training his son Azari — who is revealed to have inherited the powers of his mother Storm — to take his place. The only heroes who remain are Bruce Banner/Hulk, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel,Miles Morales' Spider-Man, and Valeria Richards, thedaughter of The Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Valeria has brought a Xenomorph to experiment on, sealing herself in a lab…but in trueAlienfashion, the beast breaks free and infects her before attempting to attack the other heroes.
What happens next is unexpected: a Facehugger latches onto Miles, and the young web-slinger seems done for until his trademark red-and-black costume slithers off to cover the Xenomorph. That’s right:Miles Morales had a symbiote, and it is able to overcome the corruptive force of the Xenomorphs. “Parasite co-opts parasite. Symbiote seemingly trumps Xenomorph,” the new Symbiote says, granting the Avengers a fighting chance against the monsters that have conquered the galaxy. This isn’t the first time a Xenomorph hybrid has been created, asAlien vs. Predatorintroduced a Xenomorph/Yajuta hybrid, but the symbiote’s ability to absorb a Xenomorph isn’t too out of the question giventhe introduction of their god, Knull.
‘Aliens vs. Avengers’ Pits the Nihilism of ‘Aliens’ Against the Optimism of the Marvel Universe
Aliens vs. Avengersisn’t just notable for its high concept premise, but also forhow it manages to blend two different franchises that are at completely different odds(at least philosophically). The Alienfranchise has always had a dark streak to it; no matter the movie, the cast will usually fall victim to either the Xenomorphs orthe capitalistic machinations of Welyand-Yutani.Aliens vs Avengers#1 even reveals that the last stronghold of humanity is a city constructed by Weyland where the Avengers reside. In contrast, the Avengers and other Marvel heroes manage to triumph even when the odds seem impossible.Aliens vs. Avengersleans more on the hopeful side, as the Avengers now have a weapon in the form of Miles' Xenomorph/Symbiote hybrid that can turn the tide of the Marvel Universe’s survival.
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It’s also been a cornerstone of Hickman’s work —particularly theSecret Warscomic he and Ribic worked on. That miniseries began with the Marvel Universe crumbling away and its remains being forged into anew world under Doctor Doom. But soon, Reed Richards defeated Doom and restored the universe, repairing what was damaged. Hickman andMarco Checchettoalso spin a story of hope triumphing over darkness in the recentUltimate Spider-Mancomic where an older Peter Parker learns that the Maker (a darker version of Reed Richards) manipulated history so that no superheroes rose up. Peter chooses to embrace the mantle of Spider-Man, becoming the hero he was meant to be.
It’s no surprise that Miles Morales and the symbiote have proven to be the last hope for mankind; anyone who’s watchedSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseknows that Miles and anyone else who’s ever been Spider-Man lives by a simple code: “No matter how many times I get hit, I always get back up.” That applies to supervillains, life in general, or an alien invasion. The symbiote saving Miles' life is also a great example of how far it’s come — from a villainous parasite to a symbol of hope. This layered storytelling makesAliens vs. Avengersstand out from your usual crossover event, and a story that both Marvel fans andAlienfans will enjoy.
Aliens vs. Avengers#1 is available to buy on Amazon.
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