USCSS Prometheus

Lore & Background

The narrative of Prometheus is rooted in the franchise's fictionalized origin of humanity, where an ancient humanoid species called the Engineers sacrifices himself so his DNA can spark the genesis of mankind. The film depicts how the Engineers' other experiments, designed to exterminate the human race using a deadly mutagen, inadvertently pave the way for Xenomorphs to rise and populate through the traumatic implantation of larvae in hosts. Developed initially by Jon Spaihts but rewritten by Damon Lindelof in 2010, the story shifted focus from the aliens themselves to their creators. Released in 2012, the film grossed over $400 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews.

In Their Own Story

In Prometheus, characters are manipulated by unscrupulous entities as they navigate space journeys requiring cryosleep. The story follows the trajectory where an ancient Engineer's sacrifice leads to human genesis, while subsequent experiments with mutagens lead to Xenomorph proliferation.

Reader's Guide

The USCSS Prometheus serves as a narrative vehicle within the Alien franchise to explore the origins of the Xenomorph and humanity. It operates within a future where space journeys last months or years, requiring cryosleep, and is set against the backdrop of the Weyland-Yutani Corp's unscrupulous profit-seeking. The film's production history reflects its thematic pivot: originally intended to explore alien origins via Jon Spaihts' script, it was rewritten by Damon Lindelof in 2010 to focus on the Engineers. This shift resulted in a story that connects ancient human creation myths with the biological horror of Xenomorph implantation.

Did You Know?

• The film Prometheus was released in 2012 and grossed over $400 million worldwide.
• Director Ridley Scott initially had Jon Spaihts write the first screenplay, but later hired Damon Lindelof in 2010 to rewrite it to focus on the creators of the Aliens rather than the Aliens themselves.
• The franchise fictionalizes human origins by depicting an ancient humanoid species called the Engineers sacrificing himself to spark the genesis of mankind through his DNA.