The Complete Alien, Predator and Prometheus timeline

Hello my friends.

Welcome back to my blog. Today I'm sharing something similar to my previous watch orders, and that is a timeline for the combined universe of the Alien, Predator and Prometheus films. 

This is a universe I've been a fan of for a long time, and I did a very in-depth episode (one of my longest in fact) on the then twelve films in this combined franchise. Since then however more films, video games, comics and novels have continued to add lore to this universe, and as it now stands this is a series that spans a timeframe of over a thousand years, from the early 18th Century deep into the far future, with a variety of comic series and novels from several different publishers all building on this world. 

As a result this turned out to be one of my most complex projects to date, as while I was always planning to add the available video games, all of the recent short films, as well as certain comics and novels to this list, I instead found that many of the newer comics still make references to older works, including featuring some returning characters, and that many of the older novels and comics are also still available through Omnibus editions released by Marvel Comics and Titan Books. As a result it simply made more sense to just do my best to find a complete timeline for all of this content, regardless of any conflicts of canon, which is possible as some of these works were created before certain films in the franchise. 

And so here is my attempt at the most complete timeline possible for this expansive franchise, sourced using various other fan timelines across the internet when dates are unavailable in the works themselves, and when dates are disputed between other fan sources I have gone for the one I believe to be the most accurate to the more established works on the timeline. I have also omitted a couple of items that are unavailable in modern collections, as well as a couple that cannot be fit into the timeline.

So let's get stuck in! As always I will give a bit of information about each entry in the timeline, including any major recurring characters that appear. I will list the main films in all caps to make them easier to find at a glance.

Also as a final note - the canon of this series is a mess. These are films, novels, games and comics produced by multiple creatives and companies over the span of decades. Various films and entries invalidate other works, some of the original comics featured Hicks and Newt before Alien3 came out and revealed they were both dead, and the origin Prometheus and Covenant give for the xenomorphs contradicts directly with many comics and the Aliens Vs Predator series. However regardless of whether things count as canon or not there is a lot of interesting stories here, so I would advise doing your best not to worry about the canon and just to enjoy the stories. 

Before the Mid-20th Century

The stories in this era are largely concerned with the visits of Predators to Earth throughout history. 

Aliens: Stalker

• Aliens vs Vikings! One of the only historic set Aliens stories, this Dark Horse comic was collected by Marvel in their third Aliens Original Years Omnibus. 

Predator: 1718

• The first entry on the timeline is an encounter between pirate captain Raphael Adolini and a Predator in this short story by Dark Horse, collected in the first Predator Original Years Omnibus by Marvel.

PREY

• Taking place the following year, this features Comanche nation member Naru confronting a Predator to protect her tribe. Raphael Adolini also appears, inspired by the comic portrayal above. 

Predator: Hell Come A-Walkin'

• Set in 1864, during the American Civil War, with some Confederate and Union soldiers teaming up to hunt a Predator. Collected in the second Predator Original Years Omnibus by Marvel. 

Predator: Nemesis

• Another Dark Horse comic collected in Marvel's second Predator Omnibus, this one is set in Colonial India in 1896, featuring military officer Edward Soames, who's great-granddaughter will appear later. 

Predator: No Beast So Fierce

• A short comic featuring several hunters searching for a man-eating lion who encounter a Predator. Set in the early 1900s. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus. 

Predator: God's Truth

• Set in 1926 a prison guard tells his story of an encounter with a Predator while hunting an escaped convict in the Everglades. Collected in the first Predator Omnibus.

Predator: Strange Roux

• In 1931 a Predator inspires a legend in the Louisiana bayou. Available in the first Predator  Omnibus.

Predator: The Pride at Nghasa

• Set in 1936, this features a Predator on the Serengeti, interrupting the building of a new railroad, and being hunted as a result. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus. 

Predator: Demon's Gold

• A Predator kills a load of Nazis! What's not to love? Set during World War II and collected in the second Marvel Omnibus. 

Predator: The Hunted City

• A Predator in gangland post-war New York. Set in 1947. Collected in the first Omnibus.

Aliens: Earth Angel

• Our last Aliens story for a while sees a Xenomorph outbreak in a small-town in 1954 America. Written and drawn by comic legend John Byrne. This was collected by Marvel Comics in their second Aliens Original Years Omnibus. 

Predator: Invaders from the Fourth Dimension

• Set in 1959, and a child wearing some special glasses must convince the adults around him that the Predator he can see isn't just his over-active imagination. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus.

Late 20th and Early 21st Century

Again this is where the majority of the stories with Predators in a starring role exist, overlapping mostly with what we would think of as recent history.

PREDATOR

• The first Predator film, featuring Major Dutch Schaefer (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his men on a secret mission in Guatemala where they encounter a Predator. Later entries reveal that it took place in the year it was released, 1987. 

Predator: Kindred

• 1988, a small midwestern town, unusually hot and humid weather, escaped convicts, a sheriff and deputies on vacation, and a Predator. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Concrete Jungle

• Our first entry on the list that can be enjoyed in several different ways. This was originally Dark Horse's first Predator comic back in 1989, and then collected in the first Marvel Omnibus, however it was also turned into a novel in the 90s by Bantam Books, in a more expanded and sightly different alternate telling. This novel was then collected as part of Titan Books' Predator Omnibus. Plotwise this features Dutch's older brother John, an NYPD detective, investigating some brutal murders, a plot which inspired parts of Predator 2.

Predator: Big Game

• Considered by many to be one of the best Predator stories from Dark Horse, the comic can be found in the first Marvel Omnibus, while the novelisation is in the Titan Omnibus. An original story introducing the character of Enoch Nakai, who goes on to make several more appearances. Set in 1990.

Predator: Cold War

• Again a story available as a comic and novel, in either the first Marvel Omnibus or the Titan Omnibus respectively. Features John Schaefer getting recruited to stop Predators in Soviet Russia in 1990.

Predator: The Bloody Sands of Time 

• In 1992 a CIA operative uncovers evidence of a Predator being behind murders a soldier is accused of, and compares it to similar events in the first world war and 1968. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Blood Feud

• A centuries-old Predator comes to modern Japan to fight the descendant of someone he faced in fuedal Japan. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Bad Blood

• A psychotic Predator on a tear through New Jersey finds itself hunted, by another Predator. Also features the character Mandy Graves. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Blood on Two-Witch Mesa

• Several years after his last appearance, Enoch Nakai returns, learning of a shared history between his family and the Predators. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Dark River

• John Schaefer returns to hunt another Predator, although this time in the jungles of South America. Collected in the first Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Hell & Hot Water

• A Predator in an undersea adventure, using humans as bait for deep-sea creatures. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Primal

• A Predator, a forest ranger, and a grizzly bear clash during a forest fire. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Bump in the Night

• Some boys sharing ghost stories encounter a Predator. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

PREDATOR 2

• Ten years after Dutch's encounter in Guatemala, LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan, played by Danny Glover, while dealing with a deadly gang war, gets caught in another conflict between Special Agent Peter Keyes and a Predator. Features a Xenomorph skull in the final moments, as well as Raphael Adolini's pistol, but the skull is what launched this series' full crossover potential.

Predator: Captive

• Billionaire industrialist Tyler Stern captures a Predator to study it, but who is the real captive? Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Homeworld

• As an Elder Predator hunts three younger renegade Predators, a naturalist explores the theory that the Predator race (the Yautja) have a deeper connection to Earth. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

AVP: ALIENS VS PREDATOR

• Set in 2004, making it the earliest crossover of the Yautja and the Xenomorphs in this timeline. Focuses on a hidden arctic pyramid where Predators lure humans in order to breed Aliens to fight, as part of a right of passage. There's an extended Unrated Cut with extra scenes that is a much better version of the film, but I honestly think its still pretty good anyway. Also features Charles Bishop Weyland, a billionaire who's relatives will become incredibly important.

AVP2: REQUIEM

• Set in the immediate aftermath of the previous film, as the Predalien is unleashed on smalltown America, hunted by a Predator. Not a great film with some pretty terrible characters, but the monster action is decent and some scenes are truly quite horrifying. Has a cameo from Yutani at the end, a name that will also be important in the future.

Predator: Prey to the Heavens

• A private military group working security in East Africa is caught up in a conflict between two groups of Predators. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

Predators: A Predatory Life

• This comic focuses on Adrien Brody's character of Royce, exploring his backstory before he wound up a captive of the Yautja. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

The Predator: Hunters and Hunted

• An official prequel novel for the film The Predator, as Project Stargazer try to capture a Yautja. Available as a novel and audiobook. 

Predator: Hunters

• A trilogy of comic mini-series featuring Jaya Soames, Enoch Nakai and Mandy Graves returning from previous stories, to form a group called the Hunters, determined to monitor and eliminate Yautja activity. Collected as part of the second Marvel Omnibus.

THE PREDATOR

• Shane Black's recent Predator film, set in 2018 and introducing several interesting elements to the universe, such as the Upgrade Predator, Project Stargazer, and the Predator Killer suit. Unfortunately many of these ideas have not been explored since, and many of the later entries in this timeline were made earlier in real life, meaning they aren't called back to. 

TED Conference 2023

• The first short film on this list, made for Prometheus's marketing campaign, and featuring Peter Weyland setting out his company's plans for the future. It is available on the Prometheus blu-ray, but part of it is also available on the official Alien Anthology Youtube channel here.

Predator: Stalking Shadows

• The prequel novel for the latest Predator video game, this is a story told over many years, featuring new character Scott Devlin as well as the return of Dutch. Best read here as this is where it ends. 

Predators: Welcome to the Jungle

• A prequel comic for the film Predators showing the tale of Drake, a previous victim of the Predators on the Game Preserve Planet. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

PREDATORS

• Despite it being unclear in the film when this takes place there is evidence from later entries that Predators takes place at some point in 2024, with some evidence of time travel being involved in plucking the combatants to the Game Preserve Planet, where they confront new Super Predators. The blu-ray contains two motion comics, Crucified and Moments of Extraction, that shed a bit more light on how some of the protagonists ended up captured by the Yautja, and the short film The Chosen elaborates a bit more on some of the characters as an extended trailer. 

Predators: Surviving Life

• Continuing the story of Isabelle and Royce after the conclusion of the film is this official sequel comic. Collected in the second Marvel Omnibus.

Predator: Hunting Grounds

• The latest Predator video game, this is an asymmetric multiplayer game, featuring human hunters going up against a Yautja. As well as the new characters the game also features the return of Dutch, Isabelle and Sean Keyes of Project Stargazer, with audio logs adding to the story of the characters. 

Predator: Concrete Jungle

• No this isn't a typo. Concrete Jungle was also used as the title for this video game from the Playstation 2 and Xbox that has remained a bit of a cult classic. The story also flashes back to 1930 and features a Predator going up against the Mafia, but you play as the Predator Scarface trying to restore your honour by coming back to Earth 100 years later to clean up its mess. This game features links to plenty of other elements in the franchise, including the MOTHER computer system, Weyland, Yutani, and even Xenomorphs, with several other elements that possibly influenced other ideas in the Predator franchise seen in above entries. The game itself is generally unavailable at present on modern hardware, but there are plenty of Let's Plays available to watch on YouTube, and of course old copies can be played on old consoles or emulated. 

Mid-21st Century to Early 22nd Century

This is where we start to get the more Engineer focused stories, as we explore some of the origins of the fear to come.

Aliens vs. Predator: Eternal

• A story featuring a man extending his life using Yautja technology, a reporter investigating him, and a mercenary hunting Predators, as well as loose Xenomorphs. This has yet to be collected by Marvel, but I imagine it is only a matter of time. 

Predator Vol 1: Day of the Hunter

• Our first Marvel published comic on this list, released since they bought 20th Century Fox. Starts a new connected storyline featuring the character of Theta Berwick, a veteran Yautja hunter. The Marvel volumes are widely available as trade paperbacks.

Predator Vol 2: The Preserve

• Theta's story continues as she teams up with some abductees on a Game Preserve Planet. 

Predator Vol 3: The Last Hunt

• Continuing Theta's story, and also seeing the return of John Schaefer, as they confront a Super Predator. 

Happy Birthday, David

• An in-universe marketing piece for the David synthetics that is included as an extra on the Prometheus blu-ray.

Quiet Eye: Elizabeth Shaw

• Another marketing short for Prometheus that is included on the blu-ray, giving an introduction to the character of Elizabeth Shaw.

Aliens: Steel Egg

• This novel was designed to show the first encounter between a human starship and xenomorphs. It is collected in Titan Books' Complete Alien Omnibus: Volume 6, part of a series of seven volumes they made collecting old Aliens novels from previous publishers.

PROMETHEUS

• Finding evidence of Engineers that created human life, Elizabeth Shaw leads a mission to an uncharted planet, only to find some new horrors. The synthetic David as well as a very old Peter Weyland also appear, and in a possible link to Blade Runner it may even feature a Replicant character. Plenty of interesting new ideas and creatures. The blu-ray also contains a short film called Prometheus Transmission, introducing the crew to the Engineers via an in-universe broadcast.

The Crossing

• Beginning after Prometheus, and serving as a prologue to Alien: Covenant, this short bridges the story of Elizabeth Shaw and David between the two films. Its included on the Alien: Covenant blu-ray, but is also available on YouTube here.

Aliens: Elder Gods

• A story of xenomorph worshipping cultists destroying a space colony. Collected by Marvel in their third Aliens Original Years Omnibus. 

Meet Walter

• Another in-universe advertisment, this time for the line of Walter synths. Included on the Alien: Covenant blu-ray.

Alien: Covenant - Origins

• An official prequel novel, dealing with a conspiracy to prevent the launch of the colony ship Covenant, also revealing the origins of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which will serve as a major antagonist across the rest of the series. 

ALIEN: COVENANT

• A film designed to follow on from the revelations in Prometheus and continue the evolution of the xenomorphs, this is an interesting film with several very good accompanying shorts, as Phobos, Last Supper and a series of Crew Messages all serve to reveal more details about the cast of characters we see threatened by the creatures David has created. Phobos and Last Supper are included as extra features on the blu-ray, while the Crew Messages can be found on YouTube, for Daniels, Oram, Rosenthal, Lope and Tennessee respectively. 

Advent

• A final message from David after the ending of the previous film, sent as a transmission to Weyland-Yutani. Included on the Alien: Covenant blu-ray.

Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven

• A xenomorph is on the loose in a facility on Jupiter's moon Europa. Collected by Marvel in their fourth Aliens Omnibus.

David's Lab: Last Signs of Life

• Released on YouTube for the anniversary of Alien: Covenant's home release, this sees a Weyland-Yutani team exploring David's abandoned lab from that film. Available here.

22nd Century

This is where the Aliens focused stories start to begin, and we get to experience the uncaring apathy of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, as events it causes destabilise the governments of Earth.

Alien: Earth

• Set in 2120, two years before the events of the first Alien film, this is an upcoming series by Noah Hawley that is due to be released this year, and will feature a mysterious vessel crash-landing on Earth. 

ALIEN

• The original film by Ridley Scott featuring Ellen Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo dealing with a lone xenomorph after the Company forced them to land on LV-426 to investigate an Engineer ship. The film that started everything and still holds up as a tremendous experience. 

Alien: Containment

• The first of the 40th Anniversary short films on this list, featuring the survivors of a doomed colony ship. Can be found on YouTube here.

Predator: Xenogenesis

• Featuring a much more explicitly comic-book presentation than the majority of the entries in this timeline, this series features a team of mercenaries hunting Yautja. Collected by Marvel in the second Marvel Predator Omnibus.

Alien: Isolation

• A recent video game featuring the character of Amanda Ripley investigating a Xenomorph outbreak on Sevastapool space station, 15 years after the disappearance of her mother. Not only is the game still widely available and playable on modern consoles, but there are several other ways to experience the story. Firstly there is a novel adaptation, which also introduces the character of Zula Hendricks and expands on the story, but there is also a digital series made using in-game assets available on YouTube in seven episodes (Playlist here.) The fourth Marvel Aliens Omnibus also features a prequel comic with more details on other characters on the station, with the game's DLC maps Corporate Lockdown, Trauma, Safe Haven, Lost Contact and The Trigger also featuring self-contained stories focusing on several characters on the station before Amanda's arrival.

Aliens: Defiance

• Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks goes A.W.O.L. to eliminate a Xenomorph threat to Earth in this 12-part comic series. Also introduces her synth companion Davis, who will appear in many of her later stories. Collected in Marvel's fourth Omnibus. 

Alien: Prototype

• A novel continuing Zula Hendricks' story as she faces a new creature called the Necromorph. Available as its own novel or collected by Titan Books with two other novels in The Complete Alien Collection: Symphony of Death, or as an audiobook.

Aliens: Resistance

• A direct sequel to Alien: Isolation, as Amanda and Zula team up to expose the Company's silencing of the Xenomorph threat. Collected in Marvel's fourth Omnibus.

Alien: Rogue Incursion

• A recent VR exclusive game where the player takes control of Zula in her latest adventure. 

ALIEN: ROMULUS

• The latest film in the series, set 20 years after the first Alien film and seeing a group of colonists discovering a Weyland-Yutani station that has been breeding the xenomorphs after finding the creature from the Nostromo. Also features an elaboration of the Pathogen from Prometheus and a new creature called the Offspring that shares traits with both the Xenomorph and the Engineers. Marvel also released a one-shot comic prequel for the film. 

Alien: Apocalypse

• Alongside its tie-in Aliens: Once in a Lifetime, this series explores some of the ideas behind the adaptability of the xenomorphs. Both are collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

Alien: Ore

• A mining colony encounters a Xenomorph. One of the 40th Anniversary short films, it can be watched on YouTube here.

Alien: Specimen

• A lone worker in a greenhouse facility deals with a facehugger, with only her dog for protection. Another 40th Anniversary short that can be watched here.

Alien: Harvest

• The crew of a ship in distress try to evade a Xenomorph as they head for an evacuation pod. Another 40th Anniversary short that can be watched here.

Alien: Alone

• A lone synthetic abandoned by her crew forms a strange bond with an Alien after exploring a quarantined lab. Another 40th Anniversary short that can be watched here.

Aliens: Rescue

• A direct sequel to Resistance, featuring Alec Brand from that series now as a Marine, and also seeing the return of Amanda and Zula. Collected in Marvel's fourth Omnibus.

Alien: Out of the Shadows

• The first of Titan Books' own Alien novels, this features Ellen Ripley being found by a mining vessel, but having to deal with not just xenomorphs but also the surviving consciousness of the rogue AI Ash. There is a closed loop explaining how Ripley can have this adventure in between films. As well as the novel, which is also collected in the collection The Shadow Archive, and the audiobook, there is also a full cast audio drama for this exclusive to Audible, starring Rutger Hauer as Ash. 

Alien: Echo

• A young adult novel featuring Olivia Shipp and her sister trying to escape a xenomorph outbreak on the colony world of Zagreus. Available in print and audiobook.

ALIENS

• The second Alien film, made by James Cameron. I recommend only watching the Extended version if you can, but the theatrical cut is available on Disney+. Features Ripley being awakened only to learn that LV-426 has been settled, and turned into the colony Hadley's Hope. Yet when contact is lost with the colony, Ripley returns to face the Xenomorphs alongside a squad of Colonial Marines, including Corporal Hicks and the android Bishop, and once there they find the lone human survivor Newt. This is probably my favourite of the films and one of the best entries in this franchise due to its character focused story, thrilling action, thick tension, and incredible effects.

Aliens: River of Pain

• A new novel showing the fall of Hadley's Hope, and how Newt ended up as the last survivor. As with Out of the Shadows above this is not only a standalone novel and audiobook, it is also included in The Shadow Archive, and it also has a full-cast audio drama from Audible, with cast members including Anna Friel, Colin Salmon, Philip Glenister and Alexander Siddig. 

Aliens: Field Report

• While exploring Hadley's Hope, the Colonial Marines learn that a ship, the Onager, managed to escape from the colony before it fell. Takes place during events of the film as Hicks files a report. This is collected as part of the Fire and Stone crossover between the Aliens, Predator, AVP and Prometheus lines, which has its own entry further down this list.

Aliens: Newt's Tale

• As she dreams in hypersleep, Newt relieves her entire ordeal on Hadley's Hope. Collected for the first time as part of Marvel's first Aliens Omnibus. 

Stasis Interrupted

• A single player DLC expansion for the Aliens: Colonial Marines game (more on that below), but notable for explaining the events on the Sulaco that led to the xenomorphs being unleashed, and revealing that Hicks is alive, having been removed from his cryotube before it was ejected. The first two acts overlap with Alien3 while the third is a prequel to the game. 

ALIEN3

• Ripley's story comes to a close as her cryopod is ejected onto a prison colony, where she has to contend with a new Xenomorph, as well as the knowledge that she has been impregnated with an alien Queen. Its an interesting film, but divisive due to choices it makes, including killing Newt.

Aliens: Colonial Marines

• A highly infamous video game that launched to terrible reviews due to some terrible gameplay, however fan mods for the PC version have amended the coding error that made the game's AI so terrible, greatly improving the challenge. It features a new group of Colonial Marines returning to LV-426 and encountering Hicks and the Sulaco, as well as Xenomorphs and Weyland-Yutani's machinations.

Alien: Night Shift

• A spacer turns out to have something worse than a hangover when he arrives to a colony bar late at night. The last of the Anniversary shorts, and can be watched here.

Alien: The Cold Forge

• Weyland-Yutani has a station known as The Cold Forge, working on weaponizing the Xenomorphs, but there is a spy onboard. This novel is available as a standalone or in the Symphony of Death collection, or as an audiobook

Aliens: Bishop

• Directly following from Aliens and Alien3, and seeing a restored Bishop on the run from his creator because of the Xenomorph knowledge in his brain. Available as a standalone novel or an audiobook. 

Alien: Into Charybdis

• A sequel to The Cold Forge, featuring a tech team led by Shy Hunt on a colony caught between two nations, but with a dark and buried history. Available as a standalone novel, part of the Symphony of Death collection, or as an audiobook. 

Alien: Colony War

• Dealing with the political fallout of the previous novel, but also featuring Shy's sister Cher, Davis, and Amanda's husband Chad McLaren. Available as a standalone novel and an audiobook.

Alien: Inferno's Fall

• An Engineer ship unleashes Neomorphs on a colony world, with their only hope being a group of Colonial Marines including Zula Hendricks and Olivia Shipp. Also introduces the synth Mae, Zula's surrogate daughter. Available as a standalone novel and an audiobook.

Alien: Enemy of My Enemy

• A colony located on a moon is facing destruction as the moon crashes towards its planet, while the divided nations make talks to avoid war. Available as a standalone novel and an audiobook.

Alien: Seventh Circle

• As the Engineer's Pathogen continues to be unleashed on colony worlds, Mae is found by a family of scavengers. A direct sequel to Inferno's Fall and the most recent novel on this list. Available as a novel and an audiobook. 

Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000

• An incredibly influential shooter allowing you to play as a Colonial Marine, a Yautja and a Xenomorph all in their own campaigns. Takes place approximately ten years after the fall of Hadley's Hope. The game is widely praised by fans and gamers, and is available on Steam and GOG. 

Aliens vs Predator: Xenogenesis

• Another series taking on a much more traditional comic book approach. Like most other AVP comics this has yet to be republished by Marvel.

Aliens: Vasquez

• What begins as an examination of Vasquez's background soon turns into an investigation by her children into the events of her death at Hadley's Hope. Available as a standalone novel, an audiobook, and as part of the Living Nightmares Collection by Titan Books. 

Aliens: Theory of Alien Propagation

• A scientist we will see a lot more of soon speculates on a Xenomorph homeworld. Collected by Marvel in their first Aliens Omnibus.

Alien3: Alone

• A man tells a story of a Xenomorph in a sanatorium. Collected for the first time by Marvel in their first Omnibus. 

Aliens: Outbreak/Earth Hive

• The first Dark Horse comic published, and originally a sequel to Aliens starring Hicks and Newt, whose characters were renamed to Wilks and Billie in reprints after Alien3 revealed the characters had died. It is the first part of a three part story featuring these characters and plots, while also setting up an important status quo shift for the universe as an Xenomorph outbreak begins on Earth. The original comic was known as Outbreak, but an expanded novelisation retitled the story as Earth Hive. Outbreak is collected in its original version in the first Marvel Omnibus, while Earth Hive was collected by Titan Books in the first volume of their Complete Aliens Omnibus.

Aliens: Countdown

• Three Marines try to escape the Xenomorph infested and abandoned Earth. Collected in Marvel's first volume.

Aliens: Horror Show

• While the Aliens rampage on Earth, on the moon people dream of the xenomorphs. Collected in Marvel's second Omnibus.

Aliens: Nightmare Asylum

• Continuing the story of Hicks and Newt/Wilks and Billie, depending on which version you read. The original comic is collected in the first Marvel Omnibus, and the novel is collected in the first Titan Omnibus.

Aliens: Earth War/The Female War

• Another entry with multiple titles, concluding the trilogy of stories that began with Outbreak/Earth Hive focusing on Hicks and Newt/Wilks and Billie, with Ripley also heavily involved in this one (either the original or a synth clone depending on the version) as they try to retake a Xenomorph infested Earth. Again the original comic is collected in the first Marvel Omnibus and the novel is collected in the first Titan Omnibus.

Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species

• A 12 issue series written by comic legend Chris Claremont, and tying in to the Earth War by taking place on a space station above the infested Earth, with the mysterious trophy wife Caryn Delacroix having an unclear past involving both Xenomorphs and Yautja that is gradually revealed. This has yet to be collected by Marvel, just like other AVP comics.

Aliens: Alien

• This awkwardly named comic features a human tribal colony dealing with a Xenomorph they call the Night Reaper. Collected in Marvel's second Omnibus.

Alien Vol 1: Thaw

• Published by Marvel as the first part of a multi-arc storyline, this features a facehugger being found under the ice on the frozen moon of LV-695. Available as a trade paperback from Marvel.

Aliens vs. Predator: Rift War

• An exotic world used by a cartel to harvest narcotics is infested with eggs by Yautja hunters, leading to a range of strange hybrid Xenomorphs hatching from the local animals. Available as a standalone novel or as an audiobook. 

Aliens: Dark Descent

• An isometric squad-based strategy game, in the vein of X-COM, where you play as Colonial Marines trying to contain an Xenomorph outbreak on the planet of Lethe, and featuring many new Xenomorphs. Available on PC, Playstation and Xbox.

Aliens: Crusade

• This comic story was originally unfinished, having been cancelled by Dark Horse in its initial run, but Marvel collected it for the first time and completed it as part of their second Omnibus. It shows what happened to England during the Earth War. 

Aliens: Lucky

• The same team that produced Dark Horse's first Aliens stories in Outbreak come back to do a new story, with one crewman trying to survive a Xenomorph infested ship. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

23rd Century

Predators and Engineers return alongside the Xenomorphs as the schemes of Weyland-Yutani continue into the first half of the new century. 

Alien Vol 1: Bloodlines

• A different Marvel Vol 1 to Thaw, and unrelated to the trilogy of stories that that started. Marvel does this a lot, and it can be frustrating to non-comic readers - essentially every couple of years they start new comics with the same name but different volume numbers. It used to be the volumes were numbered but now they are done after the year the first issue released, eg Avengers (2018) ran until it was ended, then it was replaced by Avengers (2023) which had a new creative team. These comic volumes will then be collected every four to eight issues as trade paperbacks, which will be given their own volume numbers under a unified title. In this case Bloodlines is the first trade paperback volume of the 2021 comic volume, and Thaw is the first trade paperback of the 2023 volume. Takes place on Epsilon station and features an estranged father and son. 

Aliens: Infiltrator

• The official prequel novel to the Fireteam Elite video game, which we will get to shortly. The company are testing the Xenomorphs against living subjects and researching the results, and Colonial Marines have to be bought in for clean-up. Available as a standalone novel, and audiobook, or as part of the Living Nightmares Collection by Titan Books.

Alien Vol 2: Revival

• In the sequel to Bloodlines a religious colony of traditionalist terraformers find themselves threatened by Xenomorphs. Available as a trade paperback.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite

• In this co-operative horde shooter video game you play as a Colonial Marine uncovering what Weland-Yutani have been up to on LV-895. There is a full set of story campaigns, and you will battle both Xenomorphs and rogue synthetics, as well as creatures created by the Engineer's Pathogen. Olivia Shipp appears as part of the story. Available on Xbox, Playstation, Switch and PC.

Aliens Vol 3: Icarus

• The final chapter in the Marvel story arc that began in Bloodlines, featuring a synth special forces team battling a new Xenomorph hybrid. Available as a trade paperback.

Aliens: Rogue

• Professor Ernst Kliest is using his lab on Charon Base to experiment on the Xenomorphs to create the perfect super-soldier. This early Dark Horse comic is available in the second Marvel Omnibus, but there is also an expanded novel adaptation that is collected in Titan Books third Omnibus.

Aliens: Colonial Marines

• After the events of Rogue we get this comic series featuring a cast of Colonial Marines, including the younger sister of Vasquez, politician's son Joseph Henry, and self-proclaimed bug hunter Herk Mondo, as they hunt down a group known as the Bug-Men, soldiers mutated after exposure to Xenomorph Royal Jelly. The entire run was collected in Marvel's second Omnibus.

Aliens: Mondo Pest

• Herk Mondo reappears from his lone appearance above to take on a Xenomorph hive. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus. 

Aliens: Mondo Heat

• Mondo is trapped in an infestation above a soon to blow volcano. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

Aliens: Glass Corridor

• A hired killer running from his past becomes the only hope for a freighter crew facing a Xenomorph. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

Aliens: Border Lines

• A soldier on a distant outpost comes face-to-face with a Xenomorph. Collected as part of Marvel's third Omnibus.

Alien Vol 2: Descendant

• Concluding the story that began in Thaw, as the Yutani family lead a crew back to LV-695. Available as a trade paperback that also included the Alien Annual, containing a story of the Xenomorphs in between the two series. 

Aliens: Tribes

• Something between a comic and a novella, this story was collected by Marvel in their first Omnibus.

Aliens vs. Predator

• Released by Sega and developed by Rebellion, the developer of AVP Classic, this video game from 2010 sees a new Weyland family member discover a Yautja pyramid on a colony world, bringing elements from the AVP films into the video game. Like the two previous games in the series it has a story campaign for a Colonial Marine, a Yautja hunter, and a Xenomorph, all of which connect to create a combined storyline. It is still available on PC and with console backwards compatibility. 

Aliens: Advent/Terminus

• A group of treasure hunters encounter Xenomorphs in a pyramid. Collected in Marvel's first Omnibus. 

Aliens: The Alien

• This short story, collected as part of Marvel's first Omnibus, ties up a plot thread from Outbreak and leads directly into the next story, explaining how Earth was restored. 

Aliens: Genocide

• Billionaire Daniel Grant leads an expedition to the Alien Homeworld, and finds two types of Xenomorphs in a civil war. The comic version is collected as part of Marvel's first Omnibus, but like many of Dark Horse's early stories this also has an expanded novelisation, and this is reprinted in Titan's second Omnibus.

Aliens: Sacrifice

• A survivor of a ship crash takes shelter in a remote village with a secret. Collected as part of Marvel's second Omnibus.

Aliens: Tourist Season

• On a Wild West themed amusement planet a sheriff has to fight against a Xenomorph horde. Collected in Marvel's third volume.

Aliens: Hive/Harvest/Alien Harvest

• A scientist is recruited by a thief to use a synthetic xenomorph to infiltrate a hive to steal Royal Jelly. This series was originally known as Hive, and then re-released as Harvest, with the novelisation getting the title Alien Harvest. The comic is collected in the first Marvel Omnibus, and the novel is collected in the second Titan Omnibus.

Aliens: DNA War

• An anthropologist finds a group of Xenomorphs that don't attack on sight, and refuses to leave the planet she found them on. A novel collected by Titan in their fifth Omnibus.

Aliens: Aftermath

• 35 years after the fall of Hadley's Hope a group of journalists led by Vasquez's nephew head to the lost colony to learn the truth. While not reprinted by Marvel as yet it is available digitally and on Marvel Unlimited. 

Aliens: Lovesick

• A spurned scientist unleashes a Xenomorph to go after the woman who rejected him. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

Aliens: Pig

• Space pirates use a pig to infiltrate a Xenomorph hive. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

Aliens: Cargo

• A smuggler of Xenomorph products has arranged his own retirement benefits, but it goes wrong. Collected in Marvel's second Omnibus.

Aliens: Kidnapped

• An egg infected with a contagion is accidentally unleashed on a luxury celebrity resort. This is collected in the third Marvel Omnibus.

Aliens: More Than Human

• Originally simply titled Aliens, this was Dark Horse's return to the world of Aliens after almost a decade away, and features new synthetic character David Sereda. This series is established as taking place in Earth's recovery after Genocide. Collected as part of Marvel's third Omnibus.

Aliens: Dust to Dust

• A mother and son try to flee a colony which is being evacuated due to a Xenomorph outbreak. Collected in Marvel's fourth Omnibus.

Aliens: No Exit

• A detective awakens from cryosleep and is hunted down for the Company secrets he knows. Collected in Titan's seventh Omnibus. 

Aliens: Backsplash

• A prequel to the series Labyrinth, this tells the story of the perfect mission gone bad. Collected as part of Marvel's second Omnibus.

Fire and Stone

• A crossover between Dark Horse's Aliens, Predator, AVP, and Prometheus lines, set on the same planet as the Prometheus film, and featuring some unknown survivors of the Hadley's Hope colony. Each series gets a 4 issue miniseries, and the plot eventually concludes in an Omega issue. The entire crossover was collected several times by Dark Horse, most recently in 2018, but has yet to be collected by Marvel. 

Aliens: Reapers

• Some never before seen humanoids explore the interior of a Xenomorph hive. Collected in Marvel's first Omnibus.

Alien vs. Predator: Thicker Than Blood

• A series interrupted by Covid and then the Disney buyout of Fox, and so was only completed in its trade paperback form. Features a child android trying to save his human sister from a luxury spacecraft. Has yet to be collected by Marvel but is likely only a matter of time. 

Life and Death

• Another crossover in a the same style as Fire and Stone crossover event, featuring several miniseries for each of the four lines and a conclusion issue called Final Conflict. Serves as a direct sequel to the Fire and Stone crossover by also taking place on LV-223 a year later. Had a hardcover trade release from Dark Horse in 2018 that collected the story, but like all Aliens vs. Predator comics has yet to be reprinted by Marvel. 

Aliens: Xenogenesis

• Just like the other Xenogenesis titles this is presented in a much more traditional comic book style, with a designated strikeforce to take offensive against the Xenomorphs. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus. 

Aliens vs. Predator: Prey

• This is it. Dark Horse's first story combining their Aliens and Predator licenses, and the origins of this connected universe. The ranch planet Ryushi finds itself caught between Yautja and Xenomorphs, and Machiko Noguchi is caught in the middle. Like may other early Dark Horse there was an expanded novelisation, which is where the subtitle Prey comes from. Titan did collect this and two other AVP novels in an Omnibus, but the comics were only collected in a Dark Horse Essential Comics Volume in 2019. 

Aliens Salvation

• Comic legends Dave Gibbons (Watchmen) and Mike Mignola (Hellboy) team up to give us a story about a religious man encountering the Xenomorphs. Collected by Marvel in its second Omnibus.

Aliens: Stronghold

• Expanding on ideas introduced in Harvest, this story centers around a scientist and his synthetic Xenomorph. Collected by Marvel in their second Omnibus. 

AVP: Lefty's Revenge

• A Predator is seeking revenge on a human that bested him and chases her to a Xenomorph Hive. Another issue that has yet to be collected by Marvel. 

Aliens: Survival

• A geological surveyor trapped in an underground escape pod relives the events that led to his predicament. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus. 

Aliens vs. Predator II

• Machiko returns two years later and is now a part of a Yautja clan. Again this has yet to be collected by Marvel, but elements of this story are adapted into the following AVP novels. 

Aliens: Music of the Spears

• A composer plans to use the sounds of a live captive Xenomorph to create the ultimate concert. Collected in Marvel second Omnibus, with a novelisation that is collected in Titan's fourth Omnibus. 

Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet

• This novel tells a completely original story featuring Machiko after having left her Yautja pack behind, when she is hired to hunt Xenomorphs on a private reserve. It is collected with the other AVP novels in the Titan Omnibus. 

Aliens vs. Predator: Blood Time

• Machiko's Yautja ally Top-Knot trains several young hunters. Yet to be collected by Marvel.

Aliens vs. Predator: Duel

• This story returns to Ryushi, now a wasteland. Yet to be collected by Marvel. 

Aliens: Berserker/Frenzy

• A Weyland-Yutani squad equipped with a Berserker combat unit is sent against Xenomorphs. Introduces the characters of Brian Ellis, who will return in later stories. The comic was later retitled Frenzy, but the novelisation retains the original title of Berserker. The novel is collected in Titan's fourth Omnibus, while the comic is collected in Marvel's third Omnibus. 

Aliens vs. Predator: War

• The three survivors of the previous storyline return, alongside Machiko Noguchi and Top-Knot, caught between a Yautja pack and the Xenomorphs. The comic is yet to be collected outside of a Dark Horse Essential Comics Volume in 2019, but the novelisation is collected in Titan's AVP Omnibus. 

Aliens: Purge

• A facility studying Xenomorphs has its funding pulled and liquidators arrive to seize the assets. Collected as part of Marvel's third Omnibus.

Aliens: Inhuman Condition

• New state-of-the-art synthetics are put into production, so the old units are sent into a Xenomorph Hive. Collected in Marvel's fourth Omnibus.

Aliens: Labyrinth

• Crespi returns from Backsplash to investigate a possible homicide at a station where a scientist is studying Xenomorph behaviour. Collected in Marvel's second Omnibus.

Aliens vs. Predator: Booty

• Imposters posing as Marines have captured a Queen, but get attacked by pirate Predators, with several ordinary humans caught in the middle of their battle. Yet to be collected by Marvel. 

Aliens: Headhunters

• Two aging bounty hunters plan to sell Xenomorph skulls. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

Aliens versus Predator 2

• Developed by Monolith and published by Sierra Entertainment, this game is the original sequel to AVP Classic, however unlike the two Rebellion made games, rights issues have prevented this from being made available to purchase on Steam or GOG. It also has an expansion called Primal Hunt that is likewise unavailable at present. However just as with Predator: Concrete Jungle, which is also unavailable on current hardware, I am choosing to mention this not just for the sake of completion, but also because this is a fan favourite that can be emulated, or experienced via Let's Plays on YouTube.

AVP: Three World War

• Containing plot threads and characters from several previous series, including Prey to the Heavens, Berserker/Frenzy, More Than Human, Predators, and AVP: War, this series brings together all of these elements as a new threat emerges among the Yautja. Yet to be collected by Marvel, but as most of the series leading up to it have been I believe it is only a matter of time, however it was collected in a Dark Horse Essential Comics Volume in 2019.

Aliens: Havoc

• An artist "jam" comics, where the artist changes every two pages. Featuring a salvage crew hired by Weyland-Yutani to explore a derelict luxury liner. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

AVP: Chained to Life and Death

• An elder Predator engages in his last hunt on a Xenomorph hive world. Not yet collected.

Aliens: Criminal Enterprises

• A pilot trying to pay his brother's debt must make a pick-up at a drug lab guarded by Xenomorphs. This novel is collected in Titan's seventh Omnibus.

AVP: The Web

• Thirty years after AVP: Prey, the crew of a freighter finds themselves on a dangerous orbital factory. A minor character from the original series returns with a larger role. Yet to be collected by Marvel.

Aliens: Wraith

• On a farming colony, a teenager looking for friends and romance finds something far more threatening. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

Into the Future

After Weyland-Yutani's collapse the threat from the Xenomorphs is far from over, and humans continue to find themselves in danger millennia into the future.

Aliens: Cauldron

• A hive of hibernating Xenomorphs awakens in a cargo hold, and put the crew of two ships at risk. This novel is collected in Titan's sixth Omnibus.

Aliens: Dead Orbit

• At the end of a the 23rd Century a crew come across a damaged space station with a crew in cryosleep. Collected by Marvel in their fourth Omnibus. 

Aliens: Alchemy

• A second generation survivor of a crashed vessel might have a way to escape, provided he can avoid the Xenomorph the ship was carrying. Collected in Marvel's third Omnibus.

AVP: Thrill of the Hunt

• A comic series taking place in the 24th Century and deliberately designed to bridge the gaps between the established Dark Horse comic canon, the AVP film, and the future seen in Alien Resurrection, by establishing a new canon event called the Big Deletion that saw the loss of much human information over a hundred years previously. Yet to be collected by Marvel but a fan favourite. 

AVP: Civilized Beasts

• Picking up 8 months after where Thrill of the Hunt left off, this story serves as its direct sequel. Yet to be collected by Marvel.

ALIEN RESURRECTION

• Taking place over 200 years after Ellen Ripley's death on Fury 161, placing it in the late 24th Century, this story sees Ripley and the Xenomorph Queen inside her cloned, allowing the Aliens to return again, and also seeing the introduction of a terrifying new creature in the Newborn. Takes place on a military ship called the Auriga, with the pirate crew of the Betty also thrown into the mix. An expansive cast of colourful characters and solid action helps to carry this one, but it is not one of the better entries in the film franchise. 

Aliens: Original Sin

• The survivors of the Betty continue their exploits, with Ripley's clone as their new captain, and encounter new threats from the Engineers. Collected in Titan's fifth Omnibus.

Alien: Uncivil War

• A former marine and his two daughters escape a Xenomorph-infested ship, only to crash-land in a new dangerous situation. Available as a standalone novel or audiobook.

Aliens: Sea of Sorrows

• Dormant Xenomorphs are found in the mines under a terraformed colony, over a century after the downfall of the Auriga. The Company return, and a descendant of Ripley debuts. Available as a standalone novel or audiobook, as part of Titan's The Shadow Archive collection, or as a full cast audio drama on Audible.

Aliens: Phalanx

• In the early 26th Century, on a planet that has a more medieval level of technology after centuries of separation, a society deals with the Xenomorph demons that haunt them. Available as a standalone novel and audiobook. 

The Rage War

• A trilogy of novels that bring together humans, synthetics, Xenomorphs and Yautja in the late 27th Century, making it the latest officially dated entry in the timeline. Each of the novels is also available as an unabridged audiobook from Audible. The first novel is Predator: Incursion, the second is Alien: Invasion, and the final novel is Alien vs. Predator: Armageddon, but despite these titles Aliens and Predators feature in all three stories and they combine to tell a singular narrative. 

Anthologies

Before I get to the end I should also mention there are several anthology novels and at least one anthology comic series that I am aware of, as well as a couple of alternate universe stories, such as adaptations of William Gibson's unproduced Alien3 script. Several stories in the anthologies can tie into other stories on the timeline, such as by featuring returning characters. If you were to follow this timeline then I would read all these anthologies here. The anthologies are:

Predator: If It Bleeds - A novel and audiobook.

Predator: Eyes of the Damned - A novel and audiobook.

Alien: Black, White and Blood - A comic series collected in a trade paperback by Marvel.

Aliens: Bug Hunt - A novel and audiobook.

Aliens vs. Predator: Ultimate Prey - A novel and audiobook.

And so that is the complete timeline!

This has been a labour of love and has taken a LOT of work. Originally I was planning to include a few supplements, but seeing as the new Marvel works call back to previous works by Dark Horse, and all the connections between the old comics and novels, I eventually bit the bullet and included everything, which ironically is something that also happened when I did my Aliens and Predator podcast. 

I hope you've enjoyed this, and that it has maybe inspired you to check out some of these very cool novels or comics. I'll be back with another blog, and possibly another timeline, before too long.

Until next time I hope you all look after yourselves, and take the best care of your physical and mental health.

Bye for now.

Garhdo