Marvel Teases A Xenomorph Civil War In Alien Annual #1

You've seen Xenomorphs pick off dozens of humans over the years. Now, get ready to see Xenomorphs fight one another, courtesy of Marvel Comics.

Writer Declan Shalvey ("Elektra," "Immortal Hulk") and artist Andrea Broccardo ("Star Wars: The High Republic," "Star Wars: Doctor Aphra") have been working together on Marvel's mainstay "Alien" comic book series for a while. There, they've set the stage for a thrilling new double-sized "Alien Annual" that promises to take the iconic monsters to new heights (and depths), bringing in a subspecies of Xenomorphs that have thawed from icy resting places.

Artist Danny Earls ("Extreme Venomverse") gets in on the fun for the annual, where he and Shalvey will explore a new side of the alien species' mythology while an all-out Xenomorph civil war breaks out. The official description from Marvel reads, "Alien vs. Alien: Pity the Xeno! A Xenomorph queen and her hive descend on a dark world. As always, they're eager to eliminate any species they encounter and stand poised to overrun this planet like they have so many others. Until the native life fights back..."

In short, Marvel is promising a new kind of "Alien" story, one that proves there's still plenty of life left in the iconic franchise.

Marvel Comics

Humans have a tough time taking down Xenomorphs, so to see this alien species battle a variant of itself presents intriguing possibilities. What kind of differences exist with this new subspecies? Could a new subspecies cross over into other "Alien" stories? There's a lot on the line, and for readers, "Alien Annual #1" will offer the opportunity to see how brutal the Xenomorphs can truly be when they're up against a more formidable foe than people with guns.

Reflecting on working on the "Alien" comic book series, Declan Shalvey said, "Writing 'Alien' has been a fantastic experience so far, digging into the desolate horror the franchise allows on the Thaw storyline with a diehard collaborator like Andrea Broccardo." Shalvey further explained how this links to "Alien Annual" #1 — and made a chilling promise, to boot. "With this upcoming annual, I get to expand on the world we've built with a ferocious battle of monsters by the excellent Danny Earls, whose stark shadows and organic shapes are perfect for a series like this. I promise that no humans will survive this tale."

"Aliens" is part of a new line of 20th Century Studios comics launched following Disney's acquisition of the studio, which also includes "Predator" and "Planet of the Apes." Fans can get in on the new era of Xenomorph stories when "Alien Annual" #1 arrives from Marvel Comics on October 4.