| 1 | !USCSS Nostromo |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | A modified Lockmart CM-88B Bison M-Class starfreighter captained by Arthur Dallas, registered to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation out of Panama. The ''Nostromo'' operated as a tug, connecting to and pulling loads like a tractor truck rather than carrying those loads on board like a traditional freighter. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | '''Warning: Unmarked spoilers galore''' |
| 8 | |
| 9 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 10 | !!The Nostromo Crew |
| 11 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/AlienCast_491.jpg]] |
| 12 | [[caption-width-right:350: The crew of the ''Nostromo''. [[note]]Brett, Ash, Kane, Lambert, Dallas, Ripley, Jones the Cat and Parker.[[/note]]]] |
| 13 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/VeronicaCartwright, Creator/IanHolm, Creator/JohnHurt, Creator/YaphetKotto, Creator/HarryDeanStanton, Creator/TomSkerritt & Creator/SigourneyWeaver |
| 14 | |
| 15 | The ''Nostromo'' is a commercial towing vessel owned by the enormous Weyland-Yutani Corporation. It hauls a massive ore refinery along with 20 million tons of raw ore. It also has a self-destruct sequence and an escape shuttle, the ''Narcissus''. It's manned by seven crew members... and one cat. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | * Captain Dallas |
| 18 | * Executive Officer Kane |
| 19 | * Warrant Officer Ripley |
| 20 | * Navigator Lambert |
| 21 | * Science Officer Ash |
| 22 | * Chief Engineer Parker |
| 23 | * Engineering Technician Brett |
| 24 | * Jones the Cat |
| 25 | [[/folder]] |
| 26 | |
| 27 | [[folder:Dallas]] |
| 28 | !!Captain Arthur Koblenz Dallas |
| 29 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dallas_4.jpg]] |
| 30 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"[[ThatsAnOrder Standard procedure is to do what the hell they tell you to do!]]"'']] |
| 31 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/TomSkerritt |
| 32 | |
| 33 | ->''"Mother's interrupted the course of our journey. She's programmed to do that should certain conditions arise. They have. It seems that she has... intercepted a transmission of unknown origin."'' |
| 34 | |
| 35 | The laid-back captain of the ''Nostromo''; he has sole access to Mother, the on-board computer. Despite his nonchalant and casual-seeming attitude, his leadership and decision-making skills become increasingly evident. |
| 36 | ---- |
| 37 | * AMFMCharacterization: In one scene, he relaxes in the shuttle listening to Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart's ''Eine Kleine Nachtmusik''. |
| 38 | * BluntYes: Does this in a deleted scene, after Ripley refuses to let him and Lambert back into the ship with Kane while he's facehugged, citing a quarantine protocol. |
| 39 | -->'''Dallas:''' Alright. Ripley, when I give an order I expect to be obeyed.\ |
| 40 | '''Ripley:''' Even if it's against the law?\ |
| 41 | '''Dallas:''' [[SuddenlyShouting YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT!]] |
| 42 | * TheCaptain: He's the captain of the ''Nostromo'', and barring alien interference, he's a pretty good one. |
| 43 | * ColourCodedCharacters: His pressure suit is red. |
| 44 | * DeathByTransceiver: [[spoiler:He's killed while in communication with the rest of the crew over a transceiver.]] |
| 45 | * DecoyProtagonist: Tom Skerritt had the first name on the cast list (and was the biggest star at the time of the film's release) and comes across as the most heroic character; he's a rugged and courageous leader who cares about his crew. However, Ripley is the main protagonist, and [[spoiler:Dallas winds up the third to die]]. |
| 46 | * FatalFlaw: Recklessness. He doesn't listen to Ripley when she warns him about quarantine, and volunteers to chase after a creature which he knows nothing about in a dark shaft alone. He is repeatedly warned how dangerous these things are and doesn't listen [[spoiler:leading to his death.]] |
| 47 | * FateWorseThanDeath: In a deleted scene, he is held hostage in an alien hive, where he (and Brett) are being transformed into additional alien eggs, [[AndIMustScream and he's alive and conscious through the entire thing]]. When Ripley finds him, [[KillItWithFire he begs her to incinerate them both]]. |
| 48 | * AFatherToHisMen: His absolute refusal to wait the necessary 24-hours before letting Kane in smacks of this. [[spoiler:As well as his willingness to take the most dangerous job in the plan to defeat the Alien when Ripley initially volunteers]]. |
| 49 | * IdiotBall: [[spoiler:Dallas opts to go crawling about in dark, terrifying shafts to search for a creature he knows absolutely nothing about and which killed a man just by being born and killed another man mere hours afterwards. He does this ''by himself''. He mainly does it because Ripley volunteered and he insisted to be the bait for the airlock trap. Dallas may also be trying to atone for his failure to stop the alien to this point, especially when he brought it into the ship rather than following proper quarantine procedures. Sure he knows it's dangerous to go after the creature, but he is TheCaptain.]] |
| 50 | * JustFollowingOrders: As he explains to Ripley, he doesn't question the company's orders regardless of how strange they might seem. All he wants is to do the job, get paid, and go home. He has no desire to make waves. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for him, ''this'' time the company's orders and his own survival are mutually exclusive.]] |
| 51 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: |
| 52 | ** Dallas lets the alien onto the ''Nostromo'', but it's hard to blame him: he was trying to save Kane and he couldn't have known what would happen. It was still irresponsible of him to endanger the rest of the crew, however. Though it is downplayed in that he was helpless to actually get [[ProperlyParanoid Ripley]] to let them back aboard the ship, who was going to leave them out there until quarantine was lifted, and it was actually [[TheMole Ash]] who broke protocol deliberately and let them back aboard. |
| 53 | ** Later still, he gives Ripley the order to launch the ''Nostromo'' back to orbit before repairs are finished, despite Ripley's protests they still haven't even restored power to the lower decks and only giving the excuse that he wants to be off the planet as soon as possible. |
| 54 | * NothingIsScarier: As Parker notes, [[spoiler:all they found in the ducts was his flamethrower; no body, no blood, nothing.]] As it turns out, a deleted scene reveals he's undergoing a FateWorseThanDeath. |
| 55 | * TakeUpMySword: [[spoiler:After the Alien takes him out, Ripley uses his flamethrower for the remainder of the film.]] |
| 56 | * TeamDad: Of the ''Nostromo''. |
| 57 | * ThatsAnOrder: He uses this phrase on Ripley in order to convince her to open the hatch. Ripley, however, still turns him down. |
| 58 | * WrongGenreSavvy: In most other sci-fi films, Dallas' would likely be vindicated in most of his decisions: his desire to leave the planet, the way he ignores standard procedure (Ripley comes across as a cold-hearted ObstructiveBureaucrat initially), his heroic volunteering to go into the vents...but he inhabits a much more cynical universe where ruthlessness is often rewarded. Dallas' attempts at heroism ultimately help nobody and get nearly everyone [[spoiler:including himself]] killed. |
| 59 | [[/folder]] |
| 60 | |
| 61 | [[folder:Kane]] |
| 62 | !!Warrant Officer Gilbert Ward Kane |
| 63 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kane_4.jpg]] |
| 64 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"[[ButtMonkey I do remember some horrible dream about smothering, and...]]"'']] |
| 65 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/JohnHurt |
| 66 | |
| 67 | ->''"The pit is completely enclosed. And it's full of leathery objects, like eggs or something."'' |
| 68 | |
| 69 | The Executive Officer aboard the ''Nostromo''. During the investigation of the derelict space ship, he incautiously moves to get a closer look at one of the unusual 'pod' forms encountered and from this an unknown life-form (later known as an Ovomorph, or face-hugger) attaches itself to his face and (unknown to him and to the crew) impregnates him with an alien creature. |
| 70 | ---- |
| 71 | * BurialInSpace: The only victim in the movie who gets a proper burial, actually. |
| 72 | * ButtMonkey: Though he did volunteer to go down into the egg chamber. |
| 73 | * ColourCodedCharacters: His pressure suit is yellow. |
| 74 | * ContinuitySnarl: His first name is either Thomas or Gilbert Ward. |
| 75 | * CruelAndUnusualDeath: He is the first to die from a chestburster in the alien series. As well as having the dubious honor of being the first to die in the entire series as a whole. |
| 76 | * DramaticSpaceDrifting: During the BurialInSpace. |
| 77 | * MisterSeahorse: Though not ''literally'' his child, Kane is still the first man in motion picture history to "give birth" '''onscreen.''' |
| 78 | * NameOfCain: Yeah, you should have figured this the instant [[spoiler: Ash calls the adult xenomorph "Kane's son" after it takes Brett]]. |
| 79 | * NiceGuy: Kane gets along with everybody onboard. He's as laid-back and easygoing as Dallas. |
| 80 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: Fiddling with the eggs was a very bad idea. He also insisted on entering the derelict. |
| 81 | * NumberTwo: To Dallas, apparently, as the Executive Officer. He would be in charge when Dallas is off the ship, if he hadn't gone along. |
| 82 | * TheSmartGuy: He was indicated to be this on his record screen on ''Aliens'' (it indicated he had multiple flight and science majors, but had to drop from one school due to medical treatment abuse). However, he doesn't get to use it to full effect. |
| 83 | * SurprisinglySuddenDeath: It may not be exactly surprising -- first time viewers probably expect ''something'' will happen to him during the dinner scene -- but they probably didn't expect ''that''. |
| 84 | * TooDumbToLive: For all his intelligence, sticking his face over the egg makes him this, even after seeing there was an organic unknown being inside it, and after it opened up, to rather predictable results. |
| 85 | * UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: His act of messing with the alien eggs causes a [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong facehugger to be attached to him]], thus setting up the disastrous events onboard the ''Nostromo''. |
| 86 | [[/folder]] |
| 87 | |
| 88 | |
| 89 | [[folder:Ripley]] |
| 90 | See [[Characters/AlienMain Main characters]] |
| 91 | [[/folder]] |
| 92 | |
| 93 | [[folder:Lambert]] |
| 94 | !!Navigator Joan Marie Lambert |
| 95 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lambert_3.jpg]] |
| 96 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"[[LetsGetOutOfHere I say that we abandon this ship! We take the shuttle and just get the hell out of here!]]"'']] |
| 97 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/VeronicaCartwright |
| 98 | |
| 99 | ->''"Well, how about a little something to lower your spirits?"'' |
| 100 | |
| 101 | The navigator of the ''Nostromo''. Disinclined to taking risks beyond the confines of her console, she resents being chosen as one of the team to explore the derelict, and later angry with Ripley for her decision to leave Kane, Dallas, and herself outside of the ship when the facehugger was attached to Kane. |
| 102 | ---- |
| 103 | * AudienceSurrogate: According to Creator/RidleyScott, she's supposed to be this. |
| 104 | * CruelAndUnusualDeath: The last time we see Lambert alive, she's screaming in horror as the Alien's tail slowly works its way between her legs; the scene then cuts to Ripley's point of view as she's listening to all of this transpire on her radio. Suddenly, [[NothingIsScarier Lambert's screams are cut short and everything goes silent.]] We probably dodged a bullet by not seeing what happened to her. |
| 105 | ** The book, "Alien: Out of the Shadows" reveals what happened to her: [[spoiler: the alien ripped a hole through her face and hung her from the ceiling]]. |
| 106 | * ColourCodedCharacters: Her pressure suit is blue. |
| 107 | * DamselInDistress: Parker gets killed trying to save her. |
| 108 | * DeadpanSnarker: She keeps up with the rest of the crew in this regard until the dinner scene. After that she's doesn't snark much, and after Dallas is taken she becomes the HystericalWoman. |
| 109 | * DeerInTheHeadlights: Freezes up when she sees the alien near the end of the movie. Unfortunate, as Parker has a flame thrower but if he uses it he'll get her, too... |
| 110 | * FaceDeathWithDespair: She cannot bring herself to move an inch, even after Parker distracts the alien, which ends up horrifying her even further, leading to this as the alien comes for her next. |
| 111 | * GenderBender: Downplayed, but her personnel file in the second movie (which can be [[https://www.cbr.com/alien-joan-lambert-trans/ seen briefly while Ripley's being debriefed]]) confirms she was born male and received a "Despin Conversion" procedure shortly after birth. While her file goes on to claim that she shows no apparent signs of trauma, [[TransTribulations her other character traits noted throughout suggest a latent awareness of what happened]]. |
| 112 | * HystericalWoman: A classic example, but probably justified. How many co-workers do you know who would act exactly the same way if a deadly alien was crawling around the air ducts in your office and had just offed your boss? |
| 113 | * LetsGetOutOfHere: |
| 114 | ** Says the exact phrase upon seeing the derelict spacecraft for the first time. |
| 115 | ** She screams at Dallas to get out of the air shafts over the radio as she sees the alien getting closer to him on the motion tracker. It doesn't help, since it causes Dallas to panic. |
| 116 | ** After Dallas is taken she suggests the survivors abandon ship and run for it in the shuttle. Ripley has to remind her that the shuttle can't support four, and it's only after they learn the AwfulTruth and Ash's betrayal that they decide they'll take their chances with three. |
| 117 | * TheLoad: As mentioned above, she's pretty useless after the dinner scene, save for the fight against Ash, where she finishes him off with the cattle prod. |
| 118 | * NeutralFemale: During the fight between the alien and Parker. |
| 119 | ** But, to be fair, she managed to kill Ash when he had Parker pinned and Ripley incapacitated, so she wasn't completely useless after all. |
| 120 | * SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Alongside Parker. They are the final human casualties of the film, meaning that from here on out, Ripley is all alone against the Alien.]] |
| 121 | * ScreamingWoman: Goes hand in hand with being a HystericalWoman. |
| 122 | * SoundOnlyDeath: And possibly the most disturbing in the movie. |
| 123 | * TokenMinority: The confirmation that she was transitioned in infancy makes her the only character in the first film that was known to be a part of the LGBT+ community. |
| 124 | * WhatTheHellHero: In a deleted scene, she smacks Ripley in the face the moment she sees her, after Ripley refused to let her, Dallas and a facehugged Kane back on the Nostromo. |
| 125 | [[/folder]] |
| 126 | |
| 127 | [[folder:Ash]] |
| 128 | !!Ash |
| 129 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ash_7.jpg]] |
| 130 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"[[FauxAffablyEvil I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies.]]"'']] |
| 131 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/IanHolm |
| 132 | |
| 133 | ->''"I do take my responsibilities as seriously as you, you know. You do your job and let me do mine, yes?"'' |
| 134 | |
| 135 | The ''Nostromo's'' inscrutable science officer. He administers medical treatment, conducts biological research, and is responsible for investigating any alien life forms the crew may encounter. It is at Ash's insistence that the crew investigates the mysterious signal emanating from LV-426. |
| 136 | ---- |
| 137 | * AdmiringTheAbomination: A textbook case. |
| 138 | -->'''Ash:''' [[UltimateLifeform The perfect organism]]. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility. \ |
| 139 | '''Lambert:''' [[DiscussedTrope You admire it]].\ |
| 140 | '''Ash:''' I admire its purity. |
| 141 | * AIIsACrapshoot: Unless the Company programmed him to be so utterly sadistic towards his human comrades, he's got some serious malfunctions. It's played with in the sense that he's not really going rogue, and is perfectly following his given orders. They just come from the Company, not the rest of the crew. |
| 142 | -->'''Parker:''' The damn company. What about our lives, you son of a bitch?!\ |
| 143 | '''[[spoiler:Ash the Android]]:''' I repeat, all other priorities are rescinded. |
| 144 | * AllForNothing: Despite his efforts [[spoiler:he ultimately fails to bring the alien specimen back to the company and his actions only ensure the destruction of the Nostromo, the payload, and almost all of the crew. Which cost the insurers millions.]] |
| 145 | * AntiMutiny: A variation. He betrays the crew due to his orders but the others aren't aware of them. |
| 146 | * ArtificialHuman: The rest of the crew is notably surprised that Ash in particular is a robot, but not surprised at the existence of human-appearing robots. |
| 147 | * BadLiar: Perhaps his programming forbids him from misrepresenting reality, but either way Ash is a ''terrible'' liar. His reluctance to take action against the Xenomorph or at least pretend he's being productive eventually gets the already-suspicious Ripley exasperated with his bullshit. |
| 148 | * BarbieDollAnatomy: Ridley Scott says in the commentary track on the [=DVD=] that his assault on Ripley was his attempt at emulating sex, as he lacked the equipment needed. |
| 149 | * BetrayalByInaction: You quickly realize he has ulterior motives as he does nothing to protect the Nostromo from the Alien stowaway, neither containing it, nor assisting the crew in killing it as it slays [[DwindlingParty the crew members]]. He starts his ''[[InvertedTrope betrayal by action]]'' when the survivors can no longer tolerate him idling. Even his final words once defeated are a HopeCrusher. |
| 150 | * BigBadEnsemble: At first he may simply seem like an UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom with his actions on LV-426, but it later becomes clear he was manipulating from the beginning to ensure the alien would be born and the crew would be unable to fight it until it was too late. In this case, the Company serves as the GreaterScopeVillain, planning to use the alien for their own purposes. He shares the role of BigBad with the Alien, though considering they're both trying to wipe out the crew, they may qualify as a BigBadDuumvirate. |
| 151 | * BlueIsHeroic: Horribly averted. His working suit may be light blue, but he's easily the most dangerous character in the movie after the Alien. |
| 152 | * BrainUploading: ''Literature/AlienOutOfTheShadows'' reveals that he uploaded a copy of his AI to Ripley's escape pod, keeping her adrift for 37 years in hopes of encountering the Xenomorphs again. |
| 153 | * CranialProcessingUnit: ImpliedTrope. Ash doesn't turn murderous until Ripley shoves him against the wall of the computer room, and he hits his head so hard he starts bleeding in the next scene. Shortly afterwards, Parker knocks his head off, and Lambert stabs him in the neck stump with an electric cattle prod to put him down. They have to repair his head and neck stump to get him functional again. |
| 154 | * DeadpanSnarker: Gets a good one when Ripley is interrogating his head. |
| 155 | -->'''Ripley:''' What was your special order?\ |
| 156 | '''Ash:''' You read it, I thought it was clear. |
| 157 | * DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:From the very beginning, Ash has been setting up the crew to be killed by the Alien to ensure its survival, making him the biggest obstacle to the crew's efforts to kill the creature. The crew can't even confront the Alien until Ash is out of the picture.]] |
| 158 | * DyingSmirk: Gives one last [[CheshireCatGrin winning smile]] before Ripley yanks out his plug, freezing his expression in place. Then Parker [[KillItWithFire burns the grin off with a flamethrower]]. |
| 159 | * DyingVocalChange: [[spoiler: After getting decapitated, battered into submission and hastily reactivated, Ash's voice has turned distinctly tinny and metallic from all the damage; it's clear he's almost beyond repair, but just to make sure of it, Parker incinerates him with a flamethrower.]] |
| 160 | * EvilAllAlong: He's revealed to be a robot working for The Company to bring an alien back, at the expense of the other crew members if necessary. |
| 161 | * EvilBrit: One of the main antagonists of the movie played by the British Ian Holm. |
| 162 | * EvilPlan: [[spoiler:Ash seeks to bring a Xenomorph to his bosses on Earth, regardless of who gets hurt.]] |
| 163 | * {{Expy}}: As ''Alien'' was always inspired by ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'', it stands to reason that Ash is this film's HAL 9000, being a seemingly benevolent machine secretly manipulating events to ensure the death of the crew. The difference between them is that HAL had just [[AIIsACrapshoot gone crazy]], whereas Ash is more or less following orders. It's also ironic how HAL refused to open to pod bay doors, while Ash ''opens'' the door to let them carry the infected Kane aboard despite Ripley's orders. |
| 164 | * FaceHeelTurn: It sort of comes across this way, but he was [[TheMole never really on their side to begin with]]. |
| 165 | * FauxAffablyEvil: Just look at him gleefully waving at his “friends” as they march to their doom. |
| 166 | * {{Hypocrite}}: He's quite quick to remind the crew [[EncyclopaedicKnowledge of the clause in their contract requiring all transmissions of alien-origin to be investigated]], failure results in total forfeiture of shares. Yet as a ''Science Officer'', he conveniently violates Science Division's basic quarantine laws to suit his own agenda. |
| 167 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: By [[TheLoad Lambert]], no less! |
| 168 | * LogicBomb: Once found out, Ash drops the facade of being human and starts behaving erratically. Some have theorized that the conflicting orders of "[[ThreeLawsCompliant Do not kill]]" and "Bring back lifeform, all other priorities rescinded" proves too much for him. |
| 169 | * LosingYourHead: His crewmates knock his head off, but it's still capable of spouting exposition if you hotwire it. |
| 170 | * MadDoctor: He seems more interested in his specimen than in general safety. |
| 171 | -->'''Ripley:''' You're ''still'' collating?! |
| 172 | * ManipulativeBastard: From the get-go. It's Ash that insists that the ''Nostromo'' make a check on what the signal is on LV-426, particularly informing the money-hungry Parker that unless they do so, all shares are forfeit. Since Parker's main priority is money, he has to comply. |
| 173 | * MarionetteMotion: After sustaining damage, he starts spinning like a top and making insane whirring noises. |
| 174 | * MissionControl: Ash monitors Dallas, Kane, and Lambert's progress to the derelict until they enter. |
| 175 | * TheMole: Ash was placed on the ship specifically to ensure Special Order 937 was carried out. Most of his "suggestions" for containing the alien are useless, or do the bare minimum to keep the crew members appeased until it's too late. |
| 176 | * MrExposition: As Science Officer, his tasks include informing the crew of the company's policies, checking the atmosphere of LV-426, and (via dialogue) what the Alien's attributes are. |
| 177 | * MusclesAreMeaningless: {{Justified}} as he's a robot, but if you didn't realize that it would likely come as a shock when he's able to throw Ripley across the room with ease, fend off and make [[TheBigGuy Parker]] cry out in pain just by using one hand while he's still trying to suffocate Ripley with the other despite not at all being physically-imposing. |
| 178 | * MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Losing his head doesn't stop Ash from filling his role as MrExposition, nor does his permanent deactivation do much to hamper his mission of bringing back the alien alive. |
| 179 | * NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Had he taken Parker's suggestion to put Kane on ice with the facehugger still attached to him, he very likely could have succeeded in getting the alien (and the ship's cargo) into The Company's hands since it would have been secured and the crew, while suspicious, ultimately wouldn't have learned about the deeper plot and would have been satisfied getting paid or could have been buried in The Company's red tape and bureaucracy if they tried anything. Instead, likely as a combination of ensuring the alien's safety and deciding the rest of the crew should be KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade, he lets things take its course.]] |
| 180 | * NotQuiteDead: Parker breathes easy once the android is decapitated... only for it to rear back up and come at him with karate-hands. |
| 181 | * PercussiveMaintenance: "Ash, can you hear me?" ''(SMACK!!)'' |
| 182 | * RoboticReveal: A milky substance from his forehead after Ripley throttles him. And if that didn't clue you in, the fact he spews the stuff everywhere as he gets injured and Parker ripping his head off should. |
| 183 | * TheSmartGuy: Well duh, he is the scientist. |
| 184 | * TheSocialDarwinist: There's a definite element of this to his admiration of the Alien. |
| 185 | -->'''Ash:''' I admire its purity. A survivor. Unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality. |
| 186 | * StrawHypocrite. Subverted, given that he was actually ordered to deliver the alien by any means necessary. Ash disturbingly [[AdmiringTheAbomination admires]] the Alien's hostility; unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality. [[spoiler: As a self-aware android he ''hates'' the fact [[ThreeLawsCompliant he's mostly held in check by programmed safeguards]] and adores how the alien is free to kill indiscriminately.]] |
| 187 | * ThreeLawsCompliant: Subverted. The Hyperdyne Systems A/2 series understand they ''should not'', rather than cannot, harm a human being through action or inaction. Ash pulls some erratic faces and involuntary movements as he tries to suffocate Ripley. Clearly struggling with obeying the company's orders, more than the crew themselves fighting back. Newer androids like Bishop noted the A/2 models were always "twitchy". |
| 188 | * VillainHasAPoint: Was him preventing Parker from stabbing the chestburster [[spoiler: defending the alien to follow his secret order]]? Yes. Did it also prevent the alien from getting wounded and pissing HollywoodAcid blood all over he place and possibly causing an ExplosiveDecompression once it melted through the ship's hull? [[PragmaticVillainy Also yes]]. |
| 189 | * [[YouHaveNoIdeaWhoYoureDealingWith You Have No Idea What You're Dealing With]]: Or so he says to the crew. |
| 190 | -->'''Ash:''' You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? Perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility. |
| 191 | [[/folder]] |
| 192 | |
| 193 | [[folder:Parker]] |
| 194 | !!Engineer Dennis Monroe Parker |
| 195 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/parker.jpg]] |
| 196 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge I'm not for drawing straws. I'm up for killing that god-damned thing right now.]]"'']] |
| 197 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/YaphetKotto |
| 198 | |
| 199 | ->''"So, um, we think we should discuss the bonus situation..."'' |
| 200 | |
| 201 | The chief engineer aboard the ship, with Brett as his assistant. Assertive and acerbic, he is a dauntless complainer and, abetted by his sidekick Brett, demands more money for investigating the alien transmission. Occasionally at odds with Ripley, his respect for her resourcefulness and plans to combat the growing crisis prevails. |
| 202 | ---- |
| 203 | * TheBigGuy: He's technically a GeniusBruiser since he's the crew’s Chief Engineer; he makes flamethrowers for himself and Dallas, and he's always one of the first to throw himself physically into the fray. Notably, when the chestburster rips its way out of Kane, while everyone else is staring in shock and horror it's Parker that grabs a knife off the table and looks ready to lunge at it when Ash yells at him to stop. |
| 204 | * ClothingDamage: His shirt is ripped apart during the struggle with Ash. |
| 205 | * DeadpanSnarker: He takes the lead in snark. |
| 206 | -->'''Parker:''' We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space. |
| 207 | * DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:When the Alien has him pinned down and is opening its jaws to blow a hole in his head, he lets out a snarl while continuing to struggle]]. |
| 208 | * HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Despite likely knowing that he couldn't physically match the Alien, he tries to save Lambert by attacking it. Unfortunately, it's a SenselessSacrifice due to Lambert's fear.]] |
| 209 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Parker is loud-mouthed, greedy, and sarcastic but he's a good man at heart. [[spoiler:Notably, he's devastated by Brett's death and tries his utmost to save Lambert.]] |
| 210 | * NotInMyContract: He doesn't want to investigate the distress signal, pointing out that it isn't his job to respond to distress calls. He tries to parlay this into getting more money before being abruptly told by Ash that his contract would be voided entirely if he refused. |
| 211 | * OnlyInItForTheMoney: Much like Brett. He doesn't even entertain the possibility of investigating the distress signal without a discussion of a possible reward. |
| 212 | -->'''Parker:''' I hate to bring this up but, uh, this a commercial ship, not a rescue ship... and it's not in my contract to do this kind of duty. Now what about the money? If you wanna give me some money to do it, I'll be happy to, uh, t-to, you know, oblige. |
| 213 | * OnlySaneMan: He frequently voices the rational approach to a situation. Parker and Ripley ought to get along better. |
| 214 | * PayEvilUntoEvil: [[spoiler:He gets to do the honors by executing Ash with a flamethrower.]] |
| 215 | * PrecisionFStrike: During [[TheReveal the reveal]] with Ash. |
| 216 | -->'''Parker:''' What about our lives, [[PrecisionFStrike you son of a bitch?]] |
| 217 | * RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler:Following Brett's death, Parker quickly becomes the most passionate voice calling for the death of the Alien.]] |
| 218 | -->'''Parker:''' I'm not drawing any straws. I'm for killing that goddamn thing right now! |
| 219 | ** He takes great pleasure in burning Ash to cinders. |
| 220 | * SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Alongside Lambert. They are the final human casualties of the film, meaning that from here on out, Ripley is all alone against the Alien.]] |
| 221 | * SitcomArchNemesis: To Ripley, at least in the beginning. It's implied that while they get along well enough, Parker sees Ripley as an ObstructiveBureaucrat, and Ripley sees Parker as irresponsible, so they both get on each other's nerves. He also grits his teeth at her asking him to refuel his flamethrower, though this is implied to be because he is angry about Brett and Dallas. When Dallas is killed, the two are forced to set aside these differences, and they work together pretty effectively. |
| 222 | * ThoseTwoGuys: With Brett, his employee and friend. They're always seen together [[spoiler:until Brett's death.]] |
| 223 | * TokenMinority: Parker is the only non-white crew member. |
| 224 | * {{Troll}}: About 20 minutes into the film, Ripley is talking with Parker about repairs, but can barely speak audibly thanks to [[ExcessiveSteamSyndrome several gusts of steam jetting from the pipes around them]]. When Ripley walks away, Parker reveals that he was intentionally drowning out Ripley's voice by controlling one of the steam vents. |
| 225 | * TheWorfEffect: Despite being the biggest, burliest member of the crew, he's quickly caught off guard by [[spoiler:the robotic Ash and later goes down almost instantly against the Alien.]] |
| 226 | [[/folder]] |
| 227 | |
| 228 | [[folder:Brett]] |
| 229 | !!Engineer Samuel Elias Brett |
| 230 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brett.jpg]] |
| 231 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"[[CharacterCatchphrase Right.]]"'']] |
| 232 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Creator/HarryDeanStanton |
| 233 | |
| 234 | ->"''You see, Mr. Parker and I feel that the bonus situation has never been on a-an equitable level.''" |
| 235 | |
| 236 | An engineering technician on board the ''Nostromo'' and a good friend of his engineering chief, Parker. As a 'regular working Joe', he persistently angles for the increased pay and bonus awards he feels are due. |
| 237 | ---- |
| 238 | * ButtMonkey: He's the lowest on the totem pole, as evidenced by the crew's dismissive treatment of him. He's also the one sent off all alone to chase the cat, though he ''was'' the one who let Jones get away in the first place. |
| 239 | * CharacterCatchPhrase: "Right". {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Parker and Ripley. |
| 240 | -->'''Ripley:''' Whenever he says ''anything'' you say "right," Brett, you know that?\ |
| 241 | '''Brett:''' Right.\ |
| 242 | '''Ripley:''' Parker, what do you think? Your staff just follows you around and says "right". Just like a regular parrot.\ |
| 243 | '''Parker:''' ''[laughs]'' Yeah, shape up. What are you some kind of parrot?\ |
| 244 | '''Brett:''' Right. |
| 245 | * CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:The uncut shows more of his death in detail; the Alien crushed his head in with its bare hands, violently bleeding him while he’s still alive. The Alien’s tail began impaling his back, and finally the Alien struck him with its inner mouth, whereupon it finally dragged him away into the vents to finish its work. All while Brett either fidgets in shock or screams for Parker in terror.]] |
| 246 | * DeerInTheHeadLights: [[spoiler:When the Alien first reveals itself, Brett is frozen in place. He clearly has no idea just what the hell he's looking at, and is transfixed in fascination and horror.]] |
| 247 | * DumbassHasAPoint: Brett is the one who suggests that the facehugger uses acid-like blood, which is the case throughout all the films. |
| 248 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: Even Parker looks down on him, blaming him for their mutual unpopularity with the rest of the crew. Brett seems to understand this, but takes it in stride. [[spoiler:Nevertheless, Parker's fearless insistence on destroying the alien, after it kills Brett proves he really did care for him.]] |
| 249 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:The Alien kills him this way, with its inner mouth.]] |
| 250 | * OhCrap: [[spoiler:His usual blank, bored expression drops into astonished terror when the alien rises before him.]] |
| 251 | * OnlyInItForTheMoney: Like Parker, he'll take any chance to chime in if he thinks there's an opportunity to inflate his paycheck. |
| 252 | * SignatureHeadgear: Brett's usually seen wearing a baseball cap. [[NeverBareheaded He only takes it off]] to get cool from some condensation. |
| 253 | * ShoutOut: Brett is named for George Brett, a longtime [=3rd=] baseman for the MLB's Kansas City Royals. |
| 254 | * StaticStunGun: Brett rigs together a shock stick not much different from a cattle prod. |
| 255 | * TheStoic: He doesn't register much emotion. |
| 256 | * ThoseTwoGuys: With Parker, his co-worker and friend. They're always seen together, usually complaining about something or other. [[spoiler:Coincidentally, when Brett does go to do something by himself, he gets killed by the Alien.]] |
| 257 | * WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Brett has the dubious honor of being the first victim of the full-grown Alien. While searching for Jones the cat, he stumbles upon the Alien and is subsequently taken by it.]] |
| 258 | * YourHeadAsplode: [[spoiler:The uncut version of the film shows the Alien was violently crushing his head in its hands before it went in for the kill, with his head beginning to gush out blood like a squished grape before he was finally taken away.]] |
| 259 | [[/folder]] |
| 260 | |
| 261 | [[folder:Jones]] |
| 262 | !!Jones the Cat |
| 263 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aliens01_5.jpg]] |
| 264 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Here kitty... Here kitty, kitty... Jonesy!"'']] |
| 265 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Various Cats |
| 266 | !!!'''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Alien}}'' | ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' |
| 267 | |
| 268 | ->''"Hiiiiisssssss!!"'' |
| 269 | |
| 270 | The ship's pet, and the only non-human to survive the movie (and ''Aliens'' too). Ripley is particularly attached to him, even going back to retrieve him before leaving the ''Nostromo''. |
| 271 | ---- |
| 272 | * ApatheticPet: He sits and watches Brett get eaten by the alien. Might just be pragmatism, as he had backed away hissing and hid to begin with, showing that he realized just how much threat the Alien posed to their survival. |
| 273 | * CatsAreMean: Scott initially wanted to suggest that Jones and the Alien were somehow in league with one another; this is subverted in the director's cut when the Alien violently tosses Jones's carrier box aside. |
| 274 | * CatScare: Just how did Jones get into that locker in the first place? |
| 275 | * CuteKitten: Not even the Xenomorph nor the audience can resist thinking Jones is cute, which ironically enough saves the cat's life multiple times from the Xenomorph. Even though he's a fully grown cat (and not a kitten) and is played by fully grown cats in both ''Alien'' and ''Aliens''. |
| 276 | * DamselInDistress: Former {{Trope Namer|s}}. |
| 277 | * EvilDetectingDog: Cat in this case, Jones is the only member of the ''Nostromo'' crew who can naturally sense the Xenomorph. Sadly, Brett doesn't take warning to Jones' sudden bout of hissing. |
| 278 | * ImprobableInfantSurvival: Encounters the xenomorph multiple times, but him and Ripley are the only survivors at the end. In the director's cut, the alien inspects Jones in his carrier cage up close before shoving it aside, apparently deciding he's an unsuitable host (though this could be the CuteKitten factor in play as seen above as the Xenomorph found the cat too adorable to kill and use as a host). In fact, Jones is the only passenger of the ''Nostromo'' who never ends up suffering a horrible fate in the end (that we know of). |
| 279 | * LowerDeckEpisode: The comic book ''ComicBook/{{Jonesy|2018}}'' is focused on Jones' whereabouts during the first movie. |
| 280 | * OnlySaneMan: Jones is the only one who can naturally sense when the Xenomorph is present and basically tries to alert the crew of the ''Nostromo'' when the Xenomorph is nearby. |
| 281 | * SoleSurvivor: The only creature on the Nostromo to ''not'' die an eventual Xenomorph-related death. |
| 282 | * TeamPet: For the crew of the ''Nostromo''. [[AllThereInTheManual External materials]] say that Dallas had him officially exempted from the company's no-pet policy by registering him as needed for vermin control. [[LoopholeAbuse However]], since most vermin would be killed being outside of shielded cryopods during FTL translation, this was just an excuse to allow him. |
| 283 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Jones doesn't show up anymore after the first arc of the second movie. Ripley tells him he's staying there while she leaves for the colony with the marines, so presumably she left him with someone else while she was away (she had expected to come back, after all). If so, then Jones has the happiest ending of any of the characters in either of the first two movies, presumably living a cosy life on Earth until he dies of natural causes or old age. |
| 284 | [[/folder]] |
| 285 | |
| 286 | [[folder:Mother]] |
| 287 | !!MU-TH-UR A.K.A. "Mother" |
| 288 | !!!'''Portrayed By:''' Helen Horton [[labelnote:Other Languages]] Creator/PerrettePradier (European French)[[/labelnote]] |
| 289 | |
| 290 | * AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler:Averted. Ripley actually misses the deadline to abort the self-destruct sequence by several seconds. Mother clearly announces "The option to override detonation procedure has now expired" while Ripley is still going through the [[NoOSHACompliance ridiculously complicated abort procedure.]] She tries to convince Mother that the units are back on, but it's too late. The ship's reactors are overloading at that point and nothing can stop it. Subverted in that Mother was complicit with Ash in carrying out Special Order 937, even though she never actively tried to hurt the ''Nostromo'''s crew.]] |
| 291 | * BetrayalByInaction: While it never explicitly took action to harm the crew, it was complicit with company order's to bring back the Alien stowaway, providing no assistance to the crew whatsoever in destroying it. |
| 292 | -->'''Dallas:''' ''WHAT ARE MY CHANCES?''\ |
| 293 | '''Mother:''' ''DOES NOT COMPUTE'' |
| 294 | * ExactTimeToFailure: To override [[spoiler:[[JustFollowingOrders Special Order 937]] and escape, Ripley sets the Nostromo's engines [[SelfDestructMechanism to self destruct]]. Mother can only announce how long is left to abort, and then how much time until both ship and cargo are utterly destroyed. Typical for the Company, the sequence is just as [[NoOSHACompliance fiendishly obtrusive to abort]] as it is to initiate. There's no quick reset button. Mother cannot abort unless Ripley turns the cooling unit back on, by manually disengaging several safety interlocks and inserting the control rods back in. Doing so, [[FailsafeFailure wastes precious time]] and misses her window by several scant seconds. Leaving Mother to countdown to its own destruction.]] |
| 295 | * IdiotBall: Though not entirely its fault. [[spoiler: Ripley is able to use the captain's special override password to find out about Special Order 937. Whoever programmed Mother should have made that inoperable.]] |
| 296 | * MasterComputer: An old-school central computer. Responsible for the operations of the Nostromo. It even has a central terminal. |
| 297 | * SapientShip: Averted. The best it can do is answer questions and react. Much of its time is spent "collating". |
| 298 | [[/folder]] |
| 299 | |
| 300 | !The Eighth Passenger |
| 301 | [[folder:Xenomorph Drone a.k.a. "Kane's Son"]] |
| 302 | !! Kane's Son |
| 303 | !!!'''Portayed By:''' Bolaji Badejo, Eddie Powell, Roy Scammell, Percy Edwards (vocal effects), Roger Dicken (vocal effects) |
| 304 | |
| 305 | ->''"A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality."'' |
| 306 | |
| 307 | See [[Characters/AlienMain Main characters]] for the Xenomorph species as a whole |
| 308 | ---- |
| 309 | * AcidAttack: Which nearly burns a hole in the hull. |
| 310 | * AmbiguousGender: While the phallic elements of its design and brutal sexual violence code it as male, a deleted scene shows it producing eggs out of Brett and Dallas. |
| 311 | * ChestBurster: The ur-example, making Kane the first casualty of the film. |
| 312 | * ExtraDigits: For this film only, the Xenomorph sports six webbed fingers while specimens from other films have as few as three. |
| 313 | * HeroKiller: Takes down four members of the Nostromo's crew. |
| 314 | * ItCanThink: Not as smart as a sapient creature, but possesses a cunning base instinct, skulking in the dark and only attacking isolated crewmembers. |
| 315 | * NonMaliciousMonster: In-universe it's a creature driven solely by instinct, and as Ash says it's devoid of any degree of emotion. On a thematic level, however, it's the personification of sexual violence. |
| 316 | * ThrownOutTheAirlock: Its ultimate fate, courtesy of Ripley. |
| 317 | |
| 318 | [[/folder]] |
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