Can you clarify these plot 'issues'?

Pretty sure the term "xenomorph" is a generic term for an alien life form.

Means alien form by definition.

It's scientific binomial name is "Internecivus Raptus". The xenomorph is a fictional extraterrestrial life form of unknown origin from the Alien universe, created by writers Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusset. The original alien design was created by Swiss surrealist artist H. R. Giger. The xenomorph is a hive organism, reproducing through parasitical means. The xenomorph lives to serve the hive and its sole purpose is that goal, being an efficiently designed killing machine. In the words of one observer, "A perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility, ...

Clarification for you... In Alien the signal from the Derelict was recieved by the Nostromo in space. In Aliens the signal was only picked up by the Jorden family as they approached the Derelict. Thus its range must have weakened in those 57 years. BTW The Jorden family were sent to the Derelict courtesy of the co-ordinates given by Ripley during her inquistition. The order to check the co-ordinates was signed by Carter Burke. In Aliens it was Lt. Gorman that used the term "Xenomorph", which is a generic term as genjitsu stated. Although the marines had not faced our Alien before, they must have fought something similar or searched for our Alien before because of Hudson's comment "Is this a stand up fight sir, or another bug hunt?"

Duh...I was just giving the definition of the word. It wasn't introduced as a term until Aliens.

In Aliens LV-426 is to be colonised. Yet this moon (or rather the spacecraft on the moon) was giving off a warning signal that the Nostromo picked up on easily. Why would the signal not have been picked up by the terraforming team/ colonists? If so the derelict would have been discovered much earlier. #1- we do not know if it actually was a warning signal, this is yet another Massive assumption on the part of the public and fans. - In Aliens, Burke says the suspected alien on LV-426 is a 'Xenomorph'. Doesn't this imply that this type of alien has been discovered before, and not just by Ripley and the Nostromo crew? This could be a nice tie-in to Prometheus. How does Burke know about this species? #2-No...He's read her med reports and know's she is dreaming of what happened to her 57 years ago. He's a company man who has all of her info down. Another thing. Many people are hypothesizing that the SJ ship in the trailer is the one from Alien. But this ship has been on LV-426 for a LONG TIME. So how can it be the one from Alien? Why does LV-426 need to be in Prometheus at all? #3-Because Ridley Scott wants us to know the origins of That partcular Space Jockey and it would make sense that near the end of this film we see and find out how it got there and why !!!

Thanx snork. Also, I think the tern "bug hunt" is a term meaning a non combat operation.

Could the signal have stopped due to damage? The derelict was broken apart when shown in Aliens.

I would almost agree with you there genjitsu except for the sticker on the dropship which said "Bugstompers". loss of signal because of damage, its possible.

But in the context of the film Aliens it means their hunting something living yet of unknown origin..."a bug" rather than other humans.

Archturians? Hah, what's up with this apparent planet of transgenders?

your guess on the arcturians is as good as ours, they are only mentioned in the mess hall scene, in references in EU isn't canon.

I want some cornbread.

the problem is that Alien was created over thirty years ago. Way ahead of personal computers cell phones ect. The movie was so ahead of its time. Yet held back due to the time it was conceived. Then you have a new Director and team coming in to do the follow up Aliens. They boxed themselves into several corners. Again look at technology advancement from when Alien came out vs today. How easy is it to find out niformation today vs 30 years ago. Whens the last time you used a Public pay phone??? Now just from today vs 50 some years ahead. How will technology be then? Will we be saying "whens the last time you used a cell phone"?? Access to info - communication - speed of knowledge incress? Probably - unless we fall into a new dark / middle ages. 50 plus years brings us to the Prometheus time line. Then another 50 plus years to Rippley. So now compare knowledge / Communication / Access from where we are now backwards. Incredible. So think of how easy / quick it is to find out how your local politition has had a affair today. Twitter / internet / TV. Now with Scott creating this Pre-Alien tie in, there are some loop holes. How would a group of scientist find keys to our creation not be known 50 years in the future? Would not this info be something taught in schools ten years after the fact? People will say simple - cover up. People in The Amazon are finding new species today. Up on internet quickly. Again knowledge / access / communication - Rippley / Dallas others would have known about found knowledge.

ehh???

I think by that point Weyland-Yutani have got their hands in everything. Not that hard to cover up something that happened in deep space.

exactly right

plus if you really pay attention, the ship in aliens has one of its arms broken off and the jordans enter through there. in Alien, the derelict is intact and they enter through two orifices that resemble vagina's between the two arms

easy to cover up - how can you cover up finding the keys to our creation???? How do you know Shaw worked for Weyland when the discover is found? Would have been knowledge known. Plain and simple. 9 year olds would have been taught about this in schools . If schools exist 50 years from now. :P

plus no one ever truely stated they were going to lv426 anyway. we all assumed this from the get go. maybe this is another world with another derelict.