The Predator franchise is hell-bent on expanding and diversifying its cast of characters. Some Predators are dependent on alien mechanical beings, while others may have absurd origins and assume the guise of Archie, yes, the famous comic book character.
Splicing Predator DNA with other organisms or giving them genetic alterations are the only ways to expand the franchise. While some of these mutations, such as the Mutated Predator or the Upgrade predator, are exciting, others, such as Archie Predator, have received less attention and admiration.
Regardless, all of the hybrid Predators are as fascinating, lethal, and intriguing. We’ll take you on a rollercoaster ride through the backstories of these apex hunters in this video. We’ve covered hybrid Yautjas from movies, books, comics, and video games, as well as stand-alone Yautjas from toy lines.
Infected Predator
The infected Predator or the mutated Yautja appeared in the comic Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone, which Dark Horse published in 2014. The comic is set in the year 2219 in one of the outer rings of the Zeta 2 Reticuli system. If we consider the timeline of this comic, it is set between the events of Prometheus Fire and Stone #4 and Predator Fire and Stone #1.
In it, a crew of mercenaries attempts to leave LV 223, where a broken Prometheus lays between Xenomorphs, but their escape was interrupted by a construct named Elden, who was exposed to the black liquid of the Engineers. The Black Liquid has the ability to transform and mutate any organism that comes in contact with it. Elden has a vendetta against his creators and intends to destroy the Geryon Armada.
Meanwhile, Predators in a nearby star system plan to hunt aliens and, if possible, more lethal prey. As Elden attempts to kill the humans, the ensuing chaos attracts the Predators. Finally, it’s a battle between the Predators and Elden, who has constantly been transforming and mutating into a deadly beast. Elden’s maw in the stomach manages to bite and infect one of the Predators; this gives rise to a new kind of Yautja; he’s cannibalistic and extremely powerful; he kills what he sees without discrimination, fear, or remorse.
After the indirect exposure to the black liquid through Elden, the typical Predator transformed into a bestial behemoth with immense power and cannibalistic tendencies. The heavy mutation gave it pitch-black eyes, extra arms, ten mandibles, and exaggerated height. It hardly represented the others of its kind. Furthermore, the mutated Yautja could tear off the arms of his brethren with sheer brute force. His mandibles were so mighty that they could rupture the Yautja skull. However, at the end of the comic, Elden fights the Mutated Yautja in a fierce and deadly brawl.
Meta Predator
According to the comic JLA vs. Predators, the Dominators captured Predators and genetically transformed them. The Dominators are a DC Comics species from the outer regions of the universe. They are technologically advanced and master geneticists with the greatest level of knowledge when it comes to DNA splicing and gene enhancement. Like the Xenomorphs, the Dominators also follow a caste system, which is based on the size of the red circle on their forehead.
The Meta Predators were created by Dominators when a group of the hunter species reached a moon controlled by the Dominion. When they found a band of Yautjas on a moon controlled by them, the Dominators spliced the Predator DNA. The already mighty apex hunters were given powers held by the prime enemies of the Dominators, i.e., the Justice League of America. The Predator counterparts that were formed were Wonder Woman, Superman, Plastic Man, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Atom, and Aquaman.
When the Meta Predators woke up after the little science experiment, they slaughtered their creators in cold blood. Only three of the Dominators managed to escape their wrath, but the Meta Predators continued to hunt them. In a desperate bid to get to safety, the surviving Dominators headed towards Earth.
They hoped that the Justice League would either join hands with them in fighting the Meta Predators or that the Meta Predators would destroy the Justice League itself. However, they could only reach as far as our moon when their ship was destroyed. Here, there was the JLA Watchtower that the Martian Manhunter guarded. He brought them to safety, but the Meta Predators weren’t far behind.
The hunters successfully infiltrated the lunar Watchtower, only to face the formidable Martian Manhunter, but the warrior was heavily outnumbered and was attacked brutally. Fortunately, his physiology saved him from a gruesome and painful death. The Dominators were quick to use this distraction and teleported themselves to three different locations.
Later, the Justice League arrived to help their fallen comrade, after which they left for Earth to hunt the Dominators. Green Lantern, Flash, and Atom found one of the aliens in the dense Amazon forests, but their Metas immediately confronted them. This battle between the Earthly heroes and their alien counterparts remained inconclusive as the other two Dominators had been found, and all the heroes retreated to the Watchtower.
However, the Meta Predators followed them and attacked. The ensuing battle is one of the most interesting ones in the history of DC and Predator comics. Initially, each League member was fighting their own mirror, but when they realized that it would be a battle with no results, they were quick to switch opponents with the others. Batman and Flash pinned down the Green Lantern Predator, while GL took out the Flash and Atom one. Only the ultra-powerful Superman took on his own Meta.
Upon noticing that all the Yautja were about to lose, they blasted a hole in the space station and disappeared into the depths of outer space. Their fate, however, remains unknown. Let us know in the comments how you feel about watching a Justice League vs. Predator live-action movie.
Predalien, Earth Predalien, or Scar Predalien
The Predalien was first featured at the end of Alien vs. Predator and then took center stage in the sequel Requiem. It was created when a facehugger impregnated a Yautja hunter named Scar. Scar came with his brothers Chopper and Celtic to Earth at the Razorback Point Whaling Station in the Antarctic to get the status of a blooded Yautja by killing a Xenomorph.
Under the whaling station lay an ancient Yautja pyramid which was to be the new hunting ground for the young blooded Scar and his brothers. Scar successfully slew a Xenomorph Drone and removed his helmet to mark him with Xenomorph blood, but unfortunately, a facehugger impregnated him before he could put the mask back on.
Scar then made a seemingly impossible alliance with a woman named Lex, and they both went on to fight the Xenomorph Queen, better known as the Antarctic Queen. Scar and Lex managed to drown her in the frozen waters of the cold Arctic ocean, but she managed to impale Scar and mortally wound him. After his death, the Yautja Mother Ship appeared and took away Scar’s corpse with honor and respect. Unfortunately, the Predators who gathered the body didn’t know that a chest-burster was growing inside.
The Mother Ship left Earth and began its journey, probably to Yautja Prime, the homeworld of Yautjas. But not before long, an infant Predalien chest-burster erupted from Scar’s chest and went straight to the Scout Ship that was attached to the Mother. The Predalien molted at an accelerated rate and soon matured into an adult Predalien. It attacked the crew of the Scout Ship but alerted another named Bull, who was busy observing the holographic image of another planet.
He attempted to kill the Predalien with a plasma caster, but he missed his mark, and the resultant explosion created a hole in the ship, which crash-landed on Earth in Gunnison, Colorado. Although Bull died in the process, he did manage to send a distress signal and alert his kind about the Predalien. The signal was picked up by Wolf, however, the Predalien freed the facehuggers that were imprisoned on the ship so that they could impregnate humans.
The Predalien resorted to hunting the homeless people living close to the sewers. Here, the face-huggers imbued several of them, but when the Predalien saw a woman, it went up to her and impregnated her directly with royal embryos to get a Queen chest-burster. Wolf reached Earth and tracked the monstrosity down to the sewers. Unfortunately, the Predalien and its newly formed Xenomorph Army escaped onto the streets above.
Next, the Predalien started searching and impregnating pregnant women with its embryos. It reached the local hospital and entered the maternity wing, and let us just say that the scene was catastrophic. Wolf reached the town hospital where he discovered that the Xenomorphs were trying to make a Hive. The Predalien attacked Wolf once again at the roof, but after a high-octane battle, everything culminated into a stalemate. Outside this, the US government sent a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor loaded with a nuke, which was the end of Wolf and the Scar Predalien.
Alpha Predator- Kaail
To understand the Alpha Predator, we have to dive deep into the history and evolutionary process of the Yautjas. While there have been many theories about their evolution, we will stick to the one given by NECA as the Alpha Predator was released as a figure by them, and they were kind enough to attach a small but crisp piece of lore behind their statuette. The Yautjas originated from an ancient race called the Hish Qu Ten.
The Hish planet was invaded by an insectoid race called the Amengi who were parasitic: once their planet’s resources got exhausted, they started to look for newer worlds to conquer and exploit. One important question that arises here is how did they use up all the resources of their planet? Well, much like humans, the Amengi was in a relentless pursuit of technological innovations, and in the process, they lost everything. After this point, they became a nomadic race that would travel from one planet to another like a swarm of locusts and consume whatever they could find.
The Amengi came to the planet of the Hish, our Yautja ancestors. Back then, the Hish looked more animalistic and beastly than they do today. Furthermore, they lacked the contemporary levels of intelligence and expertise in technology. These drawbacks made them a primal race of organisms that had no control over the attack of the Amengi. Ultimately, the Amengi enslaved and ruled the Hish for thousands of years.
The Hish were subjected to cruel experiments and slave labor. Furthermore, they were also a food source. But the Amengi was most pleased with the Hish because they used the Hish as game for hunting. Eventually, Hish hunting became a loved sport among the Amengi. It became especially lucrative to the upper class, much like the love of Ancient Romans for Gladiators. Initially, the Amengi sought out the larger and more powerful of the Hish, but to make the competition tenser and more exciting, the Amengi started to change the genetic structure of the Hish to turn them into bigger opponents. To sum it up, the Amengi transformed the Hish into living weapons and turned their body parts into deadly tools.
Many centuries passed, and the Hish were reduced to lesser denizens in their own planet. However, there emerged the largest and fiercest of Hish that was not only feared by its own kind but also respected by the Amengi themselves. It was an albino Amengi called Kaail. But Kaail was not all brawns and no brains. It appeared loyal to the Amengi and successfully gained their trust, but its intentions were far from serving the Amengi. Kaail forged an alliance with the other powerful Hish and started to lead an insurrection against the Amengi in secrecy.
In all the previous millennia, no one dared to challenge the Amengi. So, despite advanced technology, their leaders had grown arrogant and reckless, while their armies had lazy and weak. When the insurrection came to life, the Hish annihilated the Amengi in a bloodbath. After killing one of the powerful Amengi, Kaail took its face and wore it as a trophy; and the others followed him. Those who were left were put to slavery or slain.
The Hish eventually evolved into Yautjas. So, the Yautjas basically were the result of thousands of years of training and genetic engineering. And the highly advanced technology left behind by the Amengi was then used by the Yautjas in their hunts. Kaail came to be known as the first Predator or the Alpha Predator.
Assassin Predator
Before we go into the Assassin Predator or the Upgrade Predator, we should learn a thing or two about the Fugitive Predator to have a better understanding. Consider it a bonus. The Fugitive Predator was a rogue predator who wanted to give humanity a weapon called the Yautja killer in their fight against the prime hunters. He was a hybrid between a human and a Yautja and was captured as a part of Project Stargazer.
He managed to escape and then went on to hunt his missing pieces of technology that were stolen by an American officer named McKenna. To keep the device safe from getting seized by the government, he parcelled it to his home, where his autistic son Rory discovers it. But while the Fugitive Predator was on his way to Earth, his spaceship was being pursued by a Predator Mother Ship. He managed to escape the Mother Ship by opening a wormhole and flying through it, only to crashland on Earth. The Assassin Predator was leading this very Mother Ship.
The Assassin or the Upgrade Predator arrived in the Earth’s orbit and scanned for the Fugitive. Upon entering the atmosphere, Upgrade Predator turned on the cloaking device of the ship, but Rory inadvertently turned off the cloaking mechanism. Despite turning the cloaking mechanism back on, the government could sense the anomaly, and they quickly scrambled a few F-22s to find out what happened. While the F-22s were looking for the anomaly or a spaceship, Rory once again turned the cloaking mechanism off, but this time, Upgrade Predator’s ship was noticed by the jets.
He blasted off his Mother Ship, and the resultant fire destroyed one of the fighter jets. Upgrade finally landed in the middle of a forest, where he sent his Yautja dogs to sniff and locate the Fugitive and the device. The dogs track Rory at his school, where Fugitive was already throttling Quinn McKenna. Here, Fugitive and Upgrade get into a battle, but it soon becomes clear that Fugitive is no match for the mighty strength and powers of Upgrade. His armor is so strong that even the razor-sharp wrist blade broke down upon touching it. Upgrade kills Fugitive and informs his clan that the traitor is now dead.
His next mission is to retrieve the stolen technology and take it back. He kills several government agents in his quest and goes to the Fugitive’s spaceship. Interestingly, Upgrade seems to understand and speak in English. He achieved this by reversing the translation device that the humans were using to decode the Predator communication. He tells the humans that he intends to destroy Fugitive’s spaceship, and they should run for their lives before that happens. After detonating the spacecraft, he pursues the humans but ultimately gets killed after a long, high-octane battle.
The Fugitive Predator was a result of the hybridization of Yautja and human DNA, but the Upgrade Predator was one step ahead as he was created by splicing Yautja DNA with the code of various lifeforms from different parts of the universe. Although the base DNA was that of a Yautja, the other genes gave him superb abilities, even by Yautja standards. Furthermore, he chose Rory as the leader of humans because he didn’t see his autism as a disability but a super-ability. Like the Mutated Predator, the Upgrade Predator was stronger, taller, and faster than a regular Yautja. He could transform the biomass of his body to create armor and didn’t need a bio-helmet.
However, the most notable aspect of the Upgrade Predator will have to be his ability to communicate with humans.
White Hybrids
The White Hybrids appeared in Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species. They were an artificially formed race created by splicing the DNA of humans, Yautjas, and Xenomorphs. Interestingly, they were formed by an AI computer mainframe named Toy; it was a revolutionary technology that served as a conscious gaming and environmental nexus. As we mentioned earlier, the White Hybrids were an amalgamation of all three species. Therefore, they reproduce like Xenomorphs using facehuggers and chest bursters while also having Xenomorph traits like a eusocial society and acid in their blood. They can communicate and use firearms and other tools, much like humans and Yautjas do.
The comic revolves around the events on a giant spacecraft called Skyliner, which the White Hybrids took over. The comic saw one of the most improbable alliances between a Yautja named Big Mama, a Xenomorph Queen, and the protagonist Caryn Delacroix, who was a synthetic trophy wife.
Since we have done multiple videos explaining the events of this comic, the White Hybrid and Big Mama, we will refrain from further explanations. But don’t worry, we’ll leave a link in the description.
Spiked Tail Predator
We know that Yautjas respect their code of honor more than their brethren and even themselves. They live and die for glory. However, every once in a while, comes a rogue Predator who doesn’t believe in this code and hunts using illegal weaponry, often killing those who are unarmed and defenseless. The Spiked Tail Predator was not just a rogue, but the leader of a space tribe of traitors. The Space Tribe Predators were the allies of the Laser Shot and Armored Predators.
After a certain point in time, Spike Tail got his hands on a spacetime invention that allowed him to visit the far reaches of the universe, thereby expanding the variety of targets. In their quest to get deadlier and more advanced prey, Spike Tail and his group started hunting mechanical beings instead of organic ones.
Although hunting mechanical beings was tougher, Spike Tail would keep the remains of his victims and use the technology to build himself better weapons systems. It is believed that Spike Tail used robotic trophies instead of skulls and spines; these not only gave him respect amongst his followers but also improved his armor and weapons. Interestingly, his spikey tail was actually an extension of his dreadlocks and not an actual tail.
Unfortunately, Spike Tail has not appeared in any comics, novels, or films, and therefore, information regarding him is fairly limited.
Four-Armed Predator
In the 2010 film Predators, we learned about a game preserve planet where humans are dropped and forced to survive the Yautjas who hunt them. These planets are specially designed and sometimes terraformed by super-predators to serve the purpose of hunting. The four Armed Predators was introduced in the comics Predators: Surviving Life that Dark Horse published in July 2010. The comic revolves around one such game planet on which Royce and Isabelle are trapped on. As the story was set a few months after the film’s release, many take it as the film’s official sequel.
After defeating any and every Predator variant that came before Royce and Isabelle, the super Predators overlooking the reserve send the hulking Four armed Predator. Tasked with killing the two of them, Four Arm proved that he was not just a hulking monster, but was intelligent as well. The cause of his mutation remains unknown, and it is argued that he was the result of a natural defect or a rare genetic disorder that gave him an extra pair of limbs.
No matter what the cause, the result was terrifyingly beautiful. He is certainly mightier and stronger than other Yautjas and keeps the Gauntlet attached to his arms. This four-armed beast’s body armor seems to be more resilient than other armors we have come across, with the obvious exception of the Mutated Predator and the Upgrade Predator.
Archie Predator
Archie Predator was introduced in the comic Archie vs. Predator. A vicious Predator lands in a forest close to the Los Perdidos Resort, where Archie and his friends go for Spring Break. The Predator follows Betty, Veronica, and Archie to their hometown of Riverdale, where he targets Veronica and kills several others.
The father of a teen was a US Military General, and he recognized the Predator from a picture that Betty had taken. They set up a trap and use Jughead Jones as bait, but the plan almost fails, and the Predator slaughters most of the men who were supposed to kill it. In a strange turn of events, Betty uses a healing machine to transform the Predator into Archies’s clone because the Predator killed Archie.
In the second issue, Betty and Veronica escort the Predator to Memory Lane, where they intend to go back in time and change the sequence of events so that Archie comes back. However, they somehow reach an alternate universe where everyone is alive. One of the kids named Dilton inadvertently activates a bio helmet, and a band of Assassin Predators intercepts the signal. The Archie Predator now looked exactly like Archie, and he spent his time with the two girls, but he always remained mute. When the Assassin Predators arrived, the Archie Predator fought them and lost his left arm as well as his Archie appearance.
At the end of this obnoxiously weird comic, the Archie Predator resembled a Yautja, but donned Archie’s clothes and continued to stay with Betty and Veronica.
Hunter Borgia
Hunter Borgia appeared in the 2005 game Predator: Concrete Jungle. He would have died as an infant had he not come in contact with the blood of a Yautja named Scarface. Ultimately, Borgia lived for more than a century, thanks to the prolonged use of Yautja Blood. He grew up to become the CEO of Borgia industries and reconstructed the city of Neonopolis after the Predator Scarface nearly destroyed it. The encounter of Borgia with the Yautja blood made him obsessed with the species, and he used his family’s resources to develop pieces of technology that were based on Yautja science.
Later, his obsession reached greater levels, and he started to experiment on himself. He wished to transform his genetics and become the first-ever human Yautja. Until now, Yautjas had genetically engineered their own kind, but the base DNA used to be that of a Yautja.
Hunter wanted to reverse that trend. Scarface had come to Borgia’s city and massacred people but left behind his technology, which Borgia stole. His scientists reverse-engineered the tech and used it to capture several Yautjas and experiment with them. These actions clearly weren’t meant to go unnoticed, and Scarface returned to Neonopolis to get his equipment back.
As the news of Scarface’s return reached Borgia, he started the next phase of his research and became the first subject of a program that would transform a human into a Yautja-like super-soldier. However, the program got interrupted midway by Scarface, who breached into the facility and massacred everyone. The semi-completed experiment gave Borgia powers, but Scarface proved more than a match for him.