Origins of Ash in the ALIEN canon.

[Seekerpilgrim]

   I'm hoping that with this huge resource of speculative fiction fans someone will be able to give an answer to a plot hole that has been bothering me since the first ALIEN film. Both the film and the novelization hint that Ash, the robot posing as a science officer was transfered to the Nostromo at the last minute by the Company (the corp that was funding the Nostromo's ore assignment) in order to observe and protect the xenomorph, suggesting that A) they already knew about it and B) knew where it was, sending the Nostromo past the asteroid where the other alien ship containing what has become known as the Space Jockey (the huge alien in the gunner seat) has crashed. SO...DID the Company know about the Alien? If so, how and when did they find out about it? If not, why was Ash transfered? I remember some Dark Horse B&W comics in the '90's that told a bit about the Space Jockey's species, and that may have explained it, but I can't remember THAT particular point. Thanks in advance for any (genuine) info, and please get back to me soon...I'm beginning to feel a slight tightness in my chest.

[Ocicat]

You're right - it's strongly implied that the company has had previous contact, but we have no information about any previous expeditions.  Presumably there was one.

Recently, Ridley Scott started making an Alien Prequel movie.  He said it got into the story of the "Navigator" (Space Jockey) and there were also human characters.  So presumably the very story you want told.

The film is still being made, BUT - it's no longer officially an Alien Prequel.  It will be called Prometheus, and apparently still is roughly along the same lines, but I imagine the continuity doesn't quite jibe with the previous films.

I know they hired Giger to do the design work, and I know that he hates to repeat himself.  So my guess is that he turned in fantastic stuff, but that was so different from the existing creatures that if it was labeled as an Alien movie the fans would revolt. 

Personally I'm glad he's doing it as a new thing.  Sequels are okay to a point, but the movies really need more original stuff...

[Seekerpilgrim]

Thanks for the info...I don't know whether to feel happy that there is a piece of the puzzle that IS missing and I didn't somehow let it slip by, or sad that this rather large plot hole hasn't been explored. Perhaps, with this new project that you mention, it finally will. Cheers!

[FamilyGuy]

I hope that if there are any Prometheus sequels that Giger doesn't get short-changed like he did with the Alien sequels.

[Sgarre1]

Well, maybe not contact but maybe the "contact" resulting from (*HACK-PTOOOOI*) ALIENS VS. PREDATORS at least let them know something was out there, maybe from that general area?

I never subjected myself to  (*HACK-PTOOOOI*)  AVP2....

[Seekerpilgrim]

Good point. I agree that since AVP and AVP2 take place before ALIEN chronologically that would explain about humans knowing of the existence of both the Aliens and Predators, but since ALIEN was released in 1979 and AVP didn't come out until 2004 that doesn't explain the plothole when it originally came out.

[Fenrix]

Well, maybe not contact but maybe the "contact" resulting from (*HACK-PTOOOOI*) ALIENS VS. PREDATORS at least let them know something was out there, maybe from that general area?

I never subjected myself to  (*HACK-PTOOOOI*)  AVP2....

The only nice thing I can say about AVP it that it's the best adaptation of In the Mountains of Madness that I've seen on the big screen.

[DKT]

Not so much Ash (unfortunately), but Damon Lindelof (the screenwriter) talks a little bit about what it means to write a prequel, and how he approached it, etc. (Scroll down to Prometheus.)

It started as an Alien prequel. That is what everybody wanted it to be. Obviously, Ridley Scott has not made a science fiction movie in 25 years, since Blade Runner, so the idea that he's returning to this genre is huge. But there is a real issue which is - what is the state of the Alien franchise at this point in our lives? There has been Alien vs. Predator and all these things, and its been completely and totally diluted. I've always felt that really good prequels should be original movies. And the sequels to those prequels should not be the movie which already exists because, with all due respect to anyone who makes a prequel, but why would you ruin the greatest twist in the history of cinema, "Luke, I am your father", by showing me three movies which basically spoil that surprise. You can do movies which take place before Star Wars, but I don't need to see the story of the Skywalker clan. Show me something else which I can't guess the possible outcome of. There is no suspense in inevitability. So a true prequel should essentially precede the events of the original film, but be about something entirely different, feature different characters, have an entirely different theme, although it takes place in that same world. That was my fundamental feeling about what this movie wanted to be.

I don't completely buy the "no suspense due to inevitability" but his complaint about the SW prequels was always one of my biggest as well...

Anyway, sounds kind of cool. Definitely better than AvP (never saw the second one either).