Some Fun and Sun, and more than a little blood.
Archie Vs. Predator is a 2015 4-issue miniseries written by Alex de Campi and drawn by Fernando Ruiz released under the publication of Dark Horse Comics and Archie Comics. Similar to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Afterlife with Archie, its aim is to take the Archie cast and put them into a more mature Alternate Continuity setting, this time mixing up some sci-fi elements with the horror by pitting the iconic teen from Riverdale against 20th Century Fox's Predator. Unlike the other two series however, instead of being drawn in their more realistic style it's drawn in the usual Archie Comics style, with the story hitting more familiar Archie beats.
In 2019, a sequel series, Archie vs. Predator II, was released. Again written by Alex de Campi and drawn by Robert Hack, the series picks up in the aftermath of this series' events.
See also Archie Meets the Punisher for another not-fitting Archie crossover that's both more and less serious than this one.
This Comic Book Provides Examples Of:
- Adaptational Villainy:
- While the Predators in the expanded universe are anti-heroes at best (especially in AvP related storylines), this Predator doesn't seem to follow its species code of honor and is more of a trigger-happy Stalker with a Crush who kills several civilians simply because they hold something that can be consider as a weapon like a knife. Even rogue Predators prefer to hunt a prey who can give them an enjoyable hunt.
- Pretty much everyone on the Archie side, too. Sabrina even becomes a voodoo Satanist with bodies buried in her backyard. Veronica and Betty are more than willing to physically fight for Archie, who himself is a complete womanizer.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Archie receives a Super Serum that makes him strong enough to fight the Predator. This does little good as Archie is known for his klutziness and has no fighting experience.
- Anyone Can Die:
- Just one issue in and the Predator has already claimed the lives of Cheryl and Jason.
- Issue two steps it up by killing Sabrina, Salem, Pops, Midge, Moose, Reggie, Chuck, Kevin, and Mr. Keller.
- Issue three kills Jughead and Dilton. Archie is left near dead.
- Issue four kills Archie, Veronica almost dies but Betty saves her.
- An Arm and a Leg: Betty gets her forearm cut off when she tries to take on the Predator in issue four. Luckily, Lodge Manner is equipped with a very good medical station. Though it is left unanswered if her arm was actually restored as any shot that would fully answer the question is conveniently obscured.
- Art-Style Dissonance: The series' bright, colorful, and cheery art style makes for a morbidly hilarious contrast with the Predator ripping people's heads off or blowing them to pieces with the plasmacaster.
- Asshole Victim: A number of the characters end up as this thanks to their nastier-than-usual portrayals. When everyone else is wishing on a falling star, Cheryl wishes for the death of the poor, and Sabrina is now a Hollywood Satanist serial killer.
- Big "NO!": Archie's response when he discovers Jughead's decapitated head.
- Black Comedy: The series is filled with this, thanks to the fact that it features the usual Predator-level violence in the squeaky-clean Archie comics art style.
- Bloodier and Gorier: The story is the standard Archie hijinks... with an intergalactic hunter brutally murdering the characters in the process.
- Body Horror: Aside from The Predator's increasingly creative kills, we get two big moments in Issue #4.
- A nearly-dead Archie is strapped to a healing station inside the Lodge's panic room, and Veronica fiddles with the knobs until it is literally set up to eleven (and completely ignoring the note beneath the console warning the user to never set it above four). We get a panel of the table injecting Archie with various chemicals and he undergoes a horrifying Akira-style transformation. Fortunately, he not only survives, but it bulks him up to Predator-Size to better fight the monster.
- In the end, Betty takes pity on The Predator and straps the dying beast to the healing station. However, she figured out how to set the template using Archie's DNA and forcibly transforms him into an exact copy of him... and The Predator is awake and aware as the machine rewrites his genetic code!
- Butt-Monkey: Dilton feels this is how the world treats him.
- Clothing Damage: By the end, Archie, Betty, and Veronica's clothes have been torn to shreds.
- Darker and Edgier: Seeing as how the Predator is killing regular members of the cast, this is all but natural. However, it should be noted that it's somewhat lighter than its horror-themed counterparts, due to lessening the seriousness and focusing a bit on the Black Comedy potential.
- Deathbed Confession: As she is dying in Betty's arms, Veronica reveals that she thinks Betty is prettier then her, she also reveals that she and Betty had basically the same reason for liking Archie.
- Decoy Protagonist: The series is called Archie vs Predator but in terms of focus Betty and Veronica have a lot more.
- Deus ex Machina: The heal-machine in the panic room of Lodge's mansion.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Mr. Keller and Moose are abruptly killed off when the Predator drops a car on them.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Jughead. Though it's more of a case of "dude who's slim enough to wear Veronica's clothes."
- Falling Chandelier of Doom: Archie hurls an axe at a chandelier to bring it down on the Predator. Unfortunately, the Predator dodges it.
- Flanderization: Predators in their franchise do have a moral code allowing them to attack only humans with weapons, but the reason for this is because they are looking for preys capable of giving them a challenge. Unless specific conditions such as the need to remove witnesses, they typically attack only preys who can fight back, such as military veterans, and avoid more vulnerable targets like civilians and sick people. The Predator in this story doesn't seem to care if his victims are harmless civilians and teenagers, and is ridiculously Trigger-Happy to the point he will shoot and stab anyone holding something even remotely looking like a weapon, such as a kitchen knife.
- The only explanation given for its rash actions is that the predator itself is a teenager, and may be trying to show off for Betty and Veronica by showing how adept it is.
- It's also quite possible this particular Predator was one of the rogue "Bad Blood" Predators out there who don't follow the moral code that his people usually adhere to and can attack and kill civilians and/or the weak. Which makes it all the more unfortunate for Archie and friends because any other normal Predator out there would have left them alone.
- Foregone Conclusion: Since this is Archie and the mundane citizens of Riverdale going up against the Predator, it becomes pretty clear that they're not going to stand much of a chance against the Predator.
- Forgotten Fallen Friend: Our heroes spend very little time mourning the dead, even if their friend's head is exploded right in front of them, or are brutally murdered by a weird monster.
- Averted in issue three. Jughead laments the deaths of Moose, Kevin, Chuck, and Midge. Later on, Archie angrily mourns Jughead's death.
- Gosh Darn It to Heck!: Hilariously enough, despite the horrific violence inflicted on countless cast members, everyone maintains the squeaky-clean language, and changing lines from the original movie to a "gosh-darn sexual Tyrannosaurus" and "you are one ugly melon farmer!"
- I Just Want to Be Special: Dilton wants to be the hero that gets to cuddle with girls for once. Sadly, a hug from Betty ends up leading to his death.
- I Just Want to Be You: Dilton wants to be more like Archie, to the point that he designed his Mini-Mecha to look like Archie.
- I Will Only Slow You Down: When Veronica has been mortally wounded inside a house about to explode, she begs Betty to hurry up and get to safety, but Betty isn't willing to leave her. Luckily after the house explodes it's revealed that Betty dragged Veronica into the safe room and healed her with the healing machine.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Part of Pops' head (including one of his eyes) and a fair amount of his blood wind up on a cake after the Predator kills him. Jughead's totally cool with eating said cake, though.
- Kill the Poor: Cheryl wishes for the "death of the proletariat" when she sees a shooting star (actually the Predator's ship).
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- After wishing for the death of the poor, Cheryl and her brother are the first killed by the Predator.
- The Predator gets exactly what he wants... In the most horrifically satisfying way possible.
- Losing a Shoe in the Struggle: Betty and Veronica both lose their shoes while fighting and running from the Predator.
- MacGuffin: The dagger that Betty accidentally took from the ruins on the island, as it seems to be what led the Predator to start hunting down the cast. It's also capable of reforming itself after being broken.
- Manly Tears: Kevin, after the Predator kills his father.
- Mars Needs Women: The Predator is implied to be a teenager infatuated with Betty and Veronica, and trying to impress them with its prowess by killing everyone around them.
- Men Are the Expendable Gender: Played entirely straight. With the exception of the Predator himself, every main and secondary male character ends up horribly murdered, whereas not only do Betty and Veronica survive facing the Predator, but also Ginger, Nancy and Big Ethel manage to survive unscathed by deciding to skip town rather than risk facing the Predator. The only female characters who die are Cheryl, Midge and Sabrina.
- Mini-Mecha: Dilton has one...designed to look like Archie.
- Mr. Exposition: Kevin's dad, who knows what the Predator is since he's a general in the US Army and explains it all to the rest of the cast.
- Ms. Fanservice: Most of the female characters, but Veronica notably spends several panels in #2 in her underwear. Even the Predator is impressed.
- My God, What Have I Done?: The Predator is devastated when he accidentally stabs Veronica and cuts off Betty's arm in a fit of anger.
- Mythology Gag:
- When Betty & Veronica go to Sabrina for some info on the knife, the teenage witch pulls out the Necronomicom. She notes that it's really more for zombies than cursed items, but who ever saw a zombie in real life?
- In issue #3, Dilton comments that "A.V.P." is a pretty cool acronym.
- One of the pictures on Veronica's dresser shows her posing with The Punisher.
- Noodle Incident: Averted, Betty actually goes into quite a bit of detail about the time she saw her grandmother run over a Yorkie... with a lawnmower.
- Off With Their Heads: The Predator's favorite way to kill is to pull people's heads off with their spins still attached. This happens to Sabrina, Jughead, and Dilton. Although we only see the corpses and not the actual killings, we can assume that this was how Jason, and presumably Cheryl were killed, since we see the Predator holding their ripped-out spines and skulls.
- Police Are Useless: Played with; the police aren't around to help when the Predator arrives in Riverdale and starts blowing things up...but only because they've all been called to Sabrina's house after the discovery of a mass grave there. In issue three, it's shown the entire police force was turned into goats when the Spellman house vanished.
- That being said, it's revealed that the entire Riverdale police force can fit into just two squad cars.
- Punch Catch: After being given enhanced strength, Archie catches the Predator's fist when he tries to stab Archie in the head with his wrist blades. Unfortunately, the Predator then gets his hand free and stabs him in the head anyway.
- Revenge Before Reason: Salem leaps to attack the Predator after Sabrina is killed. The Predator immediately blows him to bits with a laser blast.
- Sanity Slippage: Betty has the most noticeable horrified reactions to all the non-Archie styled going-ons and killings. It gets to the point where Betty completely loses it after the Predator kills Archie, and while Veronica was unconscious uses the heal-machine to turn the Predator into another Archie.
- Scary Shiny Glasses: Dilton has these several times throughout issue #3 as he leads the other survivors to the A.V. room where his Mini-Mecha is stored.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Ginger, Nancy, and Big Ethel decide to leave Riverdale and head south to Ginger's aunt's beach house to escape the Predator.
- Security Cling: Betty and Veronica spend most of the comic clinging to each other.
- Shout-Out: Lots of homages to the original movie:
- "You are one ugly melon farmer!"
- "Veronica Lodge: Ain't got time...to read." Seen when despite the instructions she turns up the healing machine past 4.
- An incredibly buff Archie's arrival in the 4th issue is a clear one to the infamous "You son of a bitch!" handshake.
- The Predator kills Sabrina with a spine rip.
- When the gang is in Costa Rica, one panel shows a seaside cabana called "Dutch's". Dutch Schaefer was Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in the film. The bar is run by a guy who looks an awful lot like Jesse Ventura.
- Reggie repeats Blaine's "sexual tyrannosaurus" line from the original movie (only swapping out "goddammned" for "gosh-darned".
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: In the final chapter, Betty is forced by Veronica to wear a gown before the Predator attack and easily trips over the long skirt when she attempts to run.
- Taking You with Me: Attempted by Chuck, who uses a grenade and blows himself up in an attempt to kill the Predator. It doesn't work.
- Teen Horror: Archie and the gang versus a Predator who is himself also implied to be a teenager.
- Teens Are Monsters: Betty tried to use voodoo on Veronica for revenge (though this is Played for Laughs), Cheryl and Jason plot to rob a sacred temple of its treasures (and Cheryl wishes for the death of the poor), Sabrina is a serial killer satanist, and to top it all off, the Big Bad is a teenage Predator.
- Took a Level in Badass: Surprisingly, Veronica. As early as Issue 2 she takes the initiative to think of a plan to defeat the Predator and come Issue 4 she has no problems arming herself with an Uzi to kill him. She also mentions she always liked Maces as a weapon after she bludgeons the Predator with it.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Betty, whose removal of the dagger from the island ruins appears to have started the Predator's hunt.
- Vasquez Always Dies: Parodied. Midge comes dressed as the Trope Namer when the gang assembles in #2 and is the first to perish when they try to take the fight to the Predator.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Betty and Veronica exaggerate both parts, given that they are still best friends despite having literally tried to kill each other.
- Villainous Crush: Revealed to be the reason the Predator is after the gang - he's both a juvenile on his first hunt and he has a thing for both Betty and Veronica. His rather brutal method of killing Archie smacks of Murder the Hypotenuse.
- Weird Crossover: Pretty self explanatory.
- Wham Shot: The image of the Predator hiding in the trees and observing the Archie cast... with Jason and Cheryl's mutilated corpses hanging nearby.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: When people start dying, Betty assumes that her removal of a dagger from the ruins on the island has released a curse that's responsible, prompting her and Veronica to go to Sabrina for help. The alien monster who's actually responsible follows them and kills Sabrina and Salem.
- Your Head Asplode: How Archie and Pops die.
- Your Mom: How an injured Chuck lures the Predator into a spectacular, but ultimately futile, Taking You with Me moment.
