RIPLEY 8 The Resonance

While I find the idea of human/xenomorph hybrids mildly interesting.

However I always disliked Ripley 8, she is not the original Ripley that we know and love from the prior films because she is a clone and a hybrid.

Also I am not a fan of Joss Weadon's writing and I feel that he was trying to turn Alien Resurrection into a pseudo-super hero movie. 

Adding to the above, I am not a fan of Ultimate Lifeforms or end-goal evolution on principal that it conflicts with real-world biological evolution which is random and goaless. A creature that no longer can evolve is good as extinct, ultimate means last in Latin which means they are end of the road creatures.

Xenomorphs since they are artificial creations and not products of natural biological evolution they still adhere to its rules. They are a highly adaptive species more a kin to a virus than a predatory animal however the xenomorph has several fatal flaws; they require hosts to reproduce and have aversion to extreme temperatures. 

A Human-xenomorph hybrid may lift some restrictions of the xenomorph but may also give them more weaknesses. Humans lack an exoskeleton, sharp claws, a tail, razor sharp teeth, and the secondary jaws of a xenomorph. Sure they gain human intelligence and added super-human abilities but it seems to me they are actually weaker than a garden variety xenomorph warrior/drone.

Also being a hybrid, Ripley 8 would more than likely be sterile thus ending any sort of future for these hybrids. The xenomorphs themselves who copy DNA of their host get around this by genetic mimicry/adaption rather than taking its hosts DNA thus the xenomorph genome is pure and not hybridized.

Interesting topic, though BigDave.

I actually liked Ripley 8 very much and would say she was more human than Xeno and did have plenty of feelings. To wit:

She ripped out part of a xeno and offered it to Call- "Want a souvenir?"

The obvious basket ball Johner taunting.

The emotional response upon finding the other seven clones.

I thought it was a perfect blend of Ripley's humanity and already wry wit and the more cunning survival/intelligence of the Xeno. She would have shredded Either David or Ash (but had an affinity for Call).

I just don't know how that story could continue while staying fresh, at least in a cinema format.

Ripley 8's story continues in Alien vs Predator vs Terminator.

Also, in the book - Alien: Original Sin.

@dk

Give her time, there is bound for unforeseen consequence of blending human biology with xenomorph

I felt that Ripley 8 was something Interesting and offering a Different take on the Xenomorph and what could be gained by the Organism.  While Leto she may have been covered in some Comics its not quite Canon, well like Alien vs Predator vs Terminator should be considered Canon.

I will have to take a look at Alien: Original Sin However ;)

Looking at what would be Next for Ripley 8 is interesting as it seemed as Time went on, then she Started to gain more of Ripleys Memories, but earlier she did seem to have more Emotional Detachment towards Humans, so it would be Interesting to see her Humanity/Xenomorph Psychology/Needs be Contested against each other.

As she is not Human, it is likely she may be treated differently and Not accepted well by other Humans... she may feel more of a Connection with Synthetics.  While she has the Memories of Ripley, indeed she is NOT at all Ripley, and being Superior to Humans, and yet NOT accepted by Humans could IMPACT how she could behave.

Being Sentient, having some Emotions, and being Superior Psychically could Potentially make her Unstable and Dangerous like David was.

I think it will be a Tough Time for her as she would have some Humanity in her, but its likely that People would want to USE her to their Benefit.

From a Military Standpoint then she is a Super-Solider, Quicker, Faster Reactions, Strength, Speed, Agility, Resilience to Pain, Regeneration etc etc.....  

But she is more Human/Mortal than a Synthetic is, which could pose Problems.   From a Military Agenda i feel that Cloning of Ripley 8 would be a more Efficient Military Asset than a Xenomorph.

Xenomorphs would be HARD to Control and Contain and would really be a NUKE! Type of Weapon.... with a NUKE there is the Fall-Out and after that the Land is yours... so with a Xenomorph we know they will Procreate and so it would come down to HOW LONG do Xenomorphs Live for before they Die-Out and the Eggs Remain?

so on Paper a Ripley 8 Clone may sound a Great Military Asset if Produced in Number,  i would say a Ripley 8 can Out Muscle most Synthetics, and Predators...  While Xenomorphs have their Claws, Tails and Teeth, they are shown to still be able to be thrown about by Stronger Beings.  Give a Ripley 8 Clone the Colonial Marines Weapons and they would be more Efficient than the Marines as far as Killing!  Give them Predator Tech and they could be more of a threat than a Predator.

The DISADVANTAGE to using a Ripley 8 Clone would be as far as can these beings have as much Empathy and Judgement as a Human?  Which can be a Advantage/Disadvantage.

But the Biggest Danger is that they could potentially be Sentient beings, and Sentient beings with a Hive Mind to Communicate between Each Other is a Recipe for Rebellion and Potentially them Overthrowing Mankind and so the Creation of Ripley 8 and Potential to then Mass-Clone her does offer a Hubris that fits with the PROMETHEUS themes.

Of-course this depends on her Life-Span as with the Xenomorphs, would  Ripley 8 only live for another few Days?  Weeks?, Months? Years? Decades?  there was reasons WHY the Replicants had Limited Life Spans... a Ripley 8 with a Limited Life Span would be more Beneficial, a Ripley 8 who could LIVE for Hundreds of Years would be a Problem if they are MASS CLONED.

There is another Potential Problem..... the Xenomorph is also a Hybrid, it is a Creation that likely came from Cross-Breeding and Experiments, but there is ONE thing that stands out for the Xenomorph.... SURVIVAL they set out to Survive to Procreate and its via HOW they do this that they are a Threat to other Species....

As Ripley 8 is Part Xenomorph can we rule out the Ability to Procreate?  Would she require a SEED to do this but that would make her into a SIL from Species.  Or could she Procreate Asexually, so we can only Speculate, that maybe she could make herself Pregnant and Give birth to Live Young and this Process is Rapid Compared to a Human, and these Young if they become the same as Ripley 8 then that would POSE a Massive Problem.

So there are some Interesting things to Speculate about, i would say that any Would Be Company like Weyland-Yutani was (USM for example) would surely look at Ripley 8 for various Benefits.... not only as far as Genetic Engineering (Quest for improving our Mortality) but also for Military Applications.

I understand for some this would be just NOT ALIEN!

We would be looking at like Super Hero Movie... well more a Cross Between Bladerunner meets Universal Solider that is even more Superior and less Mortal.

HOWEVER.... some things to Consider!

1) Ripley 8 is a Hybrid she is Part Human/Part Xenomorph, while Emotionally she could Wrestle between her Humanity and her Alien Identity, what we forget about is Genetically!  The Xenomorph DNA is about adapting to its Environment, Survival.... Evolution if you would, and so over time we cant say if her Xeno DNA will start to take over her Human and so she would become Less and Less Human, Certainly maybe Aesthetically..

2) As a Hybrid then Ripley 8 has Xenomorph DNA and so someone could attempt to OBTAIN her Xenomorph DNA to try and Create the Xenomorphs or Similar.

So a Ripley 8 could lead to something that would become more ALIEN.  Both 1 and 2 are Explored in a Idea i had for Alien 5 a Long while back that i revised a bit last year (ALIEN: VANGUARD)

But this Topic is to Speculate and Discus what Potential Path is Next for Ripley 8 and what could be Gained/Obtained from her DNA, in Context to what everyone thinks and not just my Alien 5 Idea.

Is Ripley 8 vengeful? Is she even sane? What answers(if any) do you think she would seek?("Ripley 8 the library years")

Well i think thats a Interesting Question.

While she is Technically NOT our Ripley, its a case of How Many Memories will Re-Surface and do they effect her Emotions you can be SURE that Ripley would want to RID the Galaxy of the Xenomorph... but then would such Thoughts for Ripley 8 Conflict her Inner Xenomorph?

Certainly such a Conflict could cause her to become Unstable.... and that could be Dangerous!

It would be interesting to see her get caught up with the Military Industrial Complex to manufacture super soldiers. When it all comes down, the super soldiers destroy themselves and their creators while leaving innocents alone- the foresight and humanity from Ripley coupled with the killer instincts of the xeno. Except it turns on the creators. LOL- just a weird idea to bring a conclusion to the story.

I had came up years ago with TWO ideas on how to Expand on the Franchise after Alien Resurrection, a In Effect Alien 5 both of which would dealt with such Super Soilders using Ripley 8 DNA but only ONE of the ideas would actually have Ripley 8 (as in Sigourney) the  latter one i Modified a bit for the Alien Vanguard idea i put on here last year ;)

So i had felt the Potential was there to continue with the Franchise as far as Exploit Ripley 8 or her DNA

Leto had mentioned Alien: Original Sin which i have not read, looking into it then we do get our Ripley 8 but it seems she comes across more as a Ripley from the Prior Movies.  I am not 100% sure how much it covers anyone after Ripley 8 for her DNA... just seems that someone has Discovered a Xenomorph again... and in comes Ripley to the Rescue again...

I'd like to see Ripley 8 get a job. Something to give her purpose.....

Like finding out what happened to all those colonies that went missing in the 22nd century.

Earth doesn't care what happened to them(they have their own problems..besides colonist's wanted there freedom and didn't want earth snooping on them).

I'd like to read about Ripley 8 visiting these lost colonies.

The unforeseen consequence of Ripley 8's partial xenomorph biology is what I was talking about. Xenomorphs tend to molt over the coarse of their lives and some even undergo further metamorphosis. It wouldn't make much sense that Ripley 8 would live a normal human life. Its not a big stretch for Ripley 8 to undergo further biological changes as she ages. I believe Ripley 8 would eventually develop an exoskeleton, she would still retain somewhat of a human appearance but her xenomorphic nature would grow stronger and stronger the longer she lives.

So Ripley 8 getting a job, she'll eventually eat her human employers or try to force mate with them to spawn more Hybrids. I think this would suit Ripley 8 better than being a psuedo-super hero character which is out of place in the Alienverse.

As a clone, I think R8 would have a limited life span. She (yes, she) would have to get something done fairly quickly before dying, sort of like the O.G. Big Chap. I would like that "Something" be both her and Call bringing themselves to WY/Walmart's doorstep and basically raise all kinds of hell.

You sold out humanity for a percentage and we are your dividends.

Something like that.

@DK Please no, I do not want that route for the Alien Franchise. It sounds too much like a super-hero movie. Ripley 8 should evolve into an antagonist, like she starts off heroic in the beginning but slowly starts to metamorph into the very thing she hates. Like what happened to the protagonists brother in the werewolf movie Bad Moon

R8 already hates everything. She barely cares enough to carry on. She is about survival with just enough humanity to not harm anything that doesn't get in her way. She seemed aimless at the end of Resurrection but also had a sense of awe at what might happen.

All the more reason for her inevitable metamorphosis. The xenomorph genes takes completely over, her drive to survive becomes twisted and so does her hate. She becomes the very monster she sought to destroy and is now she and her offspring would become the new terror in the frontier of space. 

Yeah...what would Ripley 8's children look like?

The children of Ripley 8 might be a better story.

Possibly being more refined versions of Fitfield (deleted scene version), tiny pale abominations that have no humanity in them.

". . . what kind of Career can she expect?"

NBA! :D

"Speed, Strength, Skill as well as Regenerative Ability"

Who would not like to have her in their team? It's effing obvious :D

As far as Ripley in movies is concerned she is done. Someone could write about her clone in some fan-fiction but other than that they should let it rest.

@Thoughts_Dreams

I was thinking of a villain route for Ripley 8, like Alien Resurrection is her start of darkness; as I mention above. It would indeed erase her marvel super-hero characterization that was setted up in Resurrection and return to the cosmic horror story of the original alien. Hell I would even suggest that she would gradually molt into a xenomorph-like creature as her humanity slowly disappears over the coarse of the story. 

R8 transforming sounds pretty good, but if it would be a continuation of Resurrection, Call would have to have a role. The way the movie ended, they seemed like a package deal- unless they pull an Alien 3 and Call dies in the first couple minutes. It might be tricky since a lot of people don't want the franchise to be a Ripley story anymore, but I would be down with it.