Marvel has now acquired the publishing rights to the Alien and Predator franchises, keeping the comic books in-house and drawing up new plans for the movie franchises on the printed page.

A combination of Swiss artist HR. Geiger’s love of biomechanical penis terror and Ridley Scott’s talent for making the unknown horrifying, the Xenomorph at its most basic form is a lethal and deadly reminder that in space, no one can hear you scream. Here’s ten particularly noteworthy examples of hostility perfected, just in time for the release of Alien: Covenant.

The beast is indeed back in Alien: Covenant, only this time evolution has taken a few steps further to the look and feel of the original nightmare fuel creature as the latest strain of hostile perfection goes from Neomorph through to the final Xenomorph design.

Expect an even newer strain of the chest-bursting bastard Xenomorph to pop up in Alien: Covenant.

Expect an even newer strain of the chest-bursting bastard Xenomorph to pop up in Alien: Covenant.

Bigger, faster and tougher than a R20 steak, the Queen was a Xenomorph that you wanted to avoid at all costs. And now, something bigger has come along. Behold, the Alien king.

The original Xenomorph design has remained relatively untouched over the years. Because you can't improve upon perfection.

A relentless and perfect killing machine. Absolute in its nature to survive at all costs as it utilises an entire arsenal of nightmare fuel phallic attacks to incapacitate its prey and introduce them to the worst face-hug in the history of cinema.