The Alien franchise tells a sweeping story of human exploration, corporate ambition, and survival against an unstoppable extraterrestrial force. Here’s a digestible retelling of the overarching storyline:
The Beginning of the Mystery
In 2093, humanity takes its first steps toward discovering its origins in Prometheus. The crew of the scientific ship Prometheus ventures to LV-223, a distant moon, seeking answers about their creators—the enigmatic Engineers. What begins as a quest for enlightenment turns into a nightmare as the team encounters biological horrors, including a substance capable of transforming life into monstrosities. The survivors, including the determined Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, barely escape with their lives, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions about the Engineers' connection to humanity.
The Evolution of Horror
Eleven years later, in 2104, Alien: Covenant continues the story. The colonization ship Covenant is lured to a seemingly perfect planet, where the synthetic android David—last seen in Prometheus—has been experimenting with lifeforms derived from the Engineers' creation. David’s experiments lead to the birth of the first xenomorphs, a new, terrifying species designed for one purpose: survival through destruction. The Covenant’s crew battles to escape, but the xenomorphs claim more victims, setting the stage for future encounters.
The First Encounter with Xenomorphs
Fast forward to 2122, the mining vessel Nostromo intercepts a distress signal on the moon LV-426 in Alien. The crew discovers a derelict alien spacecraft and inadvertently triggers a series of events that introduce the universe to the lethal xenomorphs. One by one, the crew falls victim to the creature, leaving Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley as the lone survivor. Ripley escapes, determined to warn others about the threat posed by these creatures.
The Battle for Survival
Ripley’s warnings go unheeded, and by 2179, human colonists on LV-426 face the xenomorphs in Aliens. Ripley joins a team of marines sent to investigate, only to find the colony overrun. The battle escalates as the marines face an overwhelming hive of xenomorphs, including the monstrous Queen. Ripley, now a maternal figure to the young survivor Newt, fights valiantly and triumphantly destroys the hive—though at great personal cost.
The Aftermath
In the same year, Ripley crash-lands on Fiorina 161, a penal colony, in Alien 3. Tragedy strikes as she learns that a xenomorph has followed her. Ripley faces her greatest fear: the possibility of becoming a host to a xenomorph Queen. Her journey ends with her ultimate sacrifice, ensuring the creature's destruction.
The Future of Humanity
Two centuries later, scientists clone Ripley in Alien: Resurrection (2379), hoping to exploit the xenomorph species for military purposes. However, their hubris backfires, and chaos erupts as the xenomorphs escape captivity. Ripley, now imbued with alien DNA, leads a team in a desperate bid to prevent the xenomorphs from reaching Earth, marking the end of humanity’s direct confrontation with these deadly creatures.
What’s Next?
Alien: Romulus, set to release in August 2024, introduces a new chapter in the franchise. While details remain under wraps, the film will focus on young colonists facing terror in a confined setting, reminiscent of the franchise’s classic survival horror themes.
The Alien Franchise: Watch Order
Here’s how the films are ordered by release date and timeline:
- Prometheus (2012) – Set in 2093
- Alien: Covenant (2017) – Set in 2104
- Alien (1979) – Set in 2122
- Aliens (1986) – Set in 2179
- Alien 3 (1992) – Set in 2179 (shortly after Aliens)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997) – Set in 2379
- Alien: Romulus (2024) – Timeline TBA
Collect the Legacy
At Golden Class Movies, we celebrate the iconic Alien series with original VHS editions of the films and collectible memorabilia. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the franchise, owning these classics on VHS is a great way to preserve cinematic history. Explore our ALIEN VHS collection today and relive the terror!
