Although this pairing of aliens and vampires has never been done before and may perhaps appear improbable to some, it results in a fantastic story. Dynamite Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics released the six-issue limited crossover comic book series Aliens/Vampirella in 2015 and 2016.
There have been a number of xenomorph crossovers, but this one in particular seems to hold the most promise. Without a doubt, Vampirella has had a variety of crossovers, including with figures from the Archie comics like Betty and Veronica. But this crossover really steals the show. In this six-part comic book series, Vampirella and Lars are the main characters as they navigate a Mars base that Xenomorphs have contaminated.
If you want to learn more about xenomorphs or Vampirella, this comic book series, which includes a little bit of everything, might be the ideal crossover. But beware— this comic book series can lead you into a comic book rabbit hole. Let us start this roller coaster trip right away, shall we?
The creation of the xenomorph-vampire hybrid
One of the strongest opening action sequences ever depicted in a Xenomorph crossover comic, the first issue opens with two cloaked characters being chased by a Xenomorph. When the hooded person eventually emerges, it is a vampire who is desperately trying to battle the xenomorph but failing horribly since the xenomorph’s corrosive blood causes its face to melt off. Vampirella is aboard the ship as it approaches from somewhere on Mars.
More characters are presented at the Mars colony station, however this time they are humans instead of aliens. They spoke about how they had to behave themselves and how they could not believe that Vampirella was more than just a legend they had heard. The fact that Vampirella and probably other vampires are aboard the ship that is sailing toward them and that their colony station was constructed on a potential vampire resource are both alluded to.
They all encircle Vampirella as soon as she reaches the station to make sure she is secure and has everything she needs. This may be one of the few times when Vampirella is not wearing her recognisable outfit or a space suit. She reassures them and begins to praise them for discovering what might be the most important find of the century. They tell her about the base they have found underneath the one they are on and how it might be centuries old, and only Vampirella can tell them more about it and help investigate further.
Before they can discuss it further, we are finally introduced to everyone there, including Tucker, Lars, Jake, Suse and Vicky. Vampirella assures them that she will only be staying for a few days as they prepare themselves to explore what’s underneath. As the much due exploration begins, Vampirella realises that something isn’t right about the place, and while the people on the walls might be dead, this place wasn’t built by Nosferatu.
She concludes that these vampires weren’t hibernating here, but instead, they were attacked and not by something that was human. Soon, they spot a nest of egg-like things, again, not belonging to humans or vampires, which only makes them more curious and careful at the same time. However, the reader knows that these are ovomorphs. Vampirella knows better and tells them they must seal this entire area off.
Still, before they can, the eggs break open, revealing small yet deadly alien creatures,facehuggers that will later transform into xenomorphs that begin to attack the crew and Vampirella. Soon after, the facehuggers fall to the ground as everyone gains consciousness, realising they have been down there for about twenty-six hours. Lars admitted to having sealed the door and refused an evacuation team and a medic because he didn’t want to infect the base with whatever was down there.
The rest of the team isn’t pleased with his decision-making. They soon realise that they are stuck down there, but before they can discuss the issue further, they all begin coughing, and Vampirella spurts out blood and what looks like a chest burster, bringing the first issue of this comic to an end.
As the second issue begins, we are taken back to the colony station on Mars, where the rest are discussing Lars’s promotion and then wondering if anyone was able to get through to him. Lars begins to help Vampirella, who survives the attack and starts healing; however, to be fully healed, she needs blood. Lars is apprehensive about letting Vampirella feast on him, but he also realises that this is possibly his only chance of surviving whatever is down there.
With a brief apology, Vampirella bites down on his neck, the fear in his eyes is evident, but with a dead crew, this was their only option. Meanwhile, at the base, the rest are beginning to worry about what has happened and finally manage to get a view of the base below. They are shocked to see most of the crew dead and blood everywhere. They get in touch with Lars, who reassures them he is okay, but Vampirella isn’t doing great now.
The crew have a hard time believing him because Vampirella was meant to be a strong vampire and also doubt that maybe she was behind all this. However, the truth was that these creatures weakened Vampirella, and even Lars’ blood didn’t help her. While the others at the base arm themselves to try and rescue Lars and Vampirella, the two are still downstairs, worried about how this alien species has caused so much damage as babies and what they might be capable of when they grow.
Nevertheless, Vampirella does her best to calm Lars down, assuring him that everything will soon be over. As they make themselves comfortable, waiting for the time lock to end, the armed Martians burst in, immediately targeting their weapon at Vampirella. Lars quickly asks them to back off, understanding that they have the wrong idea.
Before they can have a calm conversation, a huge xenomorph presents itself, attacking everyone, which should be enough for them to believe that Vampirella wasn’t the villain here, should they make it out alive. Vampirella and Lars manage to escape as she grabs him by his hood and flies away with the help of her wings, and lands on a surface away from the xenomorph.
As the two of them find a hiding place, Lars is ridden with guilt when he thinks back to how Tucker didn’t believe him and was ready to attack Vampirella, but once again, she reassures Lars that this was in no way his fault. Vampirella then talks about her kind and how everyone assumes that they are all monsters, but in reality, neither Lars nor his team should fear Vampirella, and she can only hope he believes her. Before Lars can respond, he looks around where they are hiding, spotting several dead bodies, some hanging above, and the horrors have only just begun.
We are taken back to the station at the beginning of the third comic, where the crew monitoring the base are beyond stressed when the live feed goes out, and all they have is footage from the last few seconds, which only scares them when they realise that the creature attacking them is far from human. Even after seeing a clear picture of the xenomorph, Tucker thinks that this creature might be Vampirella, considering everything that has gone wrong has happened after she arrived on Mars.
Meanwhile, Lars inspects the pile of dead bodies, thoroughly creeped out by the sight, while Vampirella is simply indifferent towards it. Vampirella tells him they must try their best to get out of here, and Lars has the idea of trying to make the view screen work so they can see what they might be up against. They eventually managed to get it working after using the batteries from the flashlight, which were meant to be a great power source.
They finally manage to get some footage of the things that escalated down there, mainly consisting of vampires being hunted by xenomorphs, just as we see at the beginning of the first comic. Meanwhile, another ship approaching Mars, including Lars’s wife, has been asked to stop where they are because of some infestation until they get it under control.
However, Sarah, Lars’s wife, is determined to go check out whatever is happening and even volunteers to go down there with an evacuation team, so the ship doesn’t have to land on Mars. Meanwhile, Tucker is trying to think of solutions, including getting rid of that base below by potentially flooding it with something toxic. Tucker talks about how space is harsh, and everyone knows the risk when they take such missions. If he had to sacrifice Lars and Vampirella for the safety of everyone else on Mars, he would consider it.
Tucker even has some things mapped out in his mind already, one that includes the vents of the base below and a leak which could create a toxic fog of ammonia, which should be enough to destroy the entire base. Tucker is quick to label this as self-defence and not murder.
Meanwhile, Lars and Vampirella are trying to figure out ways to get out of there while also forging weapons should they need to fight these monsters again. It isn’t long after that, a xenomorph attacks Vampirella, but before they can do anything, toxic gas starts pouring through the vents, which forces them to escape yet again, making their way to a room without any vents. They only make the cut as some acid from the xenomorph enters the sealed from, waking a sleeping vampire and killing it just after.
Lars and Vampirella are confused about where they are but know that they are other vampires deep in slumber. Soon after, the door starts melting, and they realise that one xenomorph has escaped from the base through a tunnel. The comic ends with a woman witnessing the xenomorph.
The fourth issue of the comic series takes place somewhere on Mars, where two people find the dead body of the woman who saw the xenomorph in the previous comic. Her eyes are still wide, and her guts spilt everywhere. Meanwhile, Tucker wonders if his plan worked and how they must retrieve Lars’s body, so his wife has something to say goodbye to. Neither Tucker nor Norm has told the rest of the crew about what they have done.
Now, Tucker expects Norm to suit up and wander down to the base to make sure that the threat has been eliminated. If this comic series wasn’t about evil xenomorphs, it could be about the evil Tucker. Back in the sealed room, Lars and Vampirella have almost accepted their fate, but Vampirella isn’t one to back down as she figures a way out that doesn’t involve facing the xenomorphs or their acidic blood.
With the help of her wings, they try and make their way through the tunnel but the ruthless xenomorph claws through her wing, resulting in excruciating pain. Despite this, they make their way through the tunnel, reaching that part of Mars where the woman was killed earlier. Vampirella and Lars decide to find a hiding place as the remaining xenomorphs now make their way onto the ship.
ampirella wishes her wing wasn’t injured, and this time Lars offers his blood to speed her healing process, but she refuses, worried he might not live to tell the tale if she does feed on him. There’s a sense of relief when Lars and Sarah are finally able to connect, and Sarah asks him about what’s going on, clearly worried sick about her husband. Lars and Sarah both discuss everything that happened, and Lars is visibly upset by Tucker and the fact that Tucker is willing to sacrifice Lars. However, Lars and Vampirella must hurry as the line cuts off, leaving Sarah even more worried than she was before.
Their escape plan isn’t executed well. Lars and Vampirella separate for a moment before they reunite and see something even deadlier before their eyes, something they cannot use as a weapon. There it was, the chest burster hatched out of Vampirella, making it a hybrid. If you thought xenomorphs couldn’t get any deadlier, you were wrong. Just when they thought they had seen everything, they faced Nosferatu himself.
The fourth comic issue ended at the best possible cliffhanger for its fans. The fifth issue begins with Nosferatu transforming into his ultimate form as he flies away with Lars and Vampirella. Undoubtedly, Lars is terrified about being flown by yet another vampire, but Vampirella is quick to reassure him that this is better than being killed by a xenomorph-vampire hybrid.
Once they escape the hybrid, Vampirella communicates with Nosferatu, asking him whether or not he is okay because transformation like that cannot be easy. She also speaks in their own language, which he refuses, but before they can continue, the hybrid presents itself again. As they escape, Vampirella shows Nosferatu some gratitude for helping them escape earlier, but he doesn’t respond.
Instead, he grabs Lars with the pure intention of hurting him. Meanwhile, Sarah is furious and unwilling to talk to Tucker. Sarah tries to convince his fellow crewmate that Lars is still alive because she had just spoken to him, and Tucker is spreading misinformation and is in the wrong.
Tucker tries to explain himself, but before he can, Sarah disconnects from them, unwilling to hear anything he might have to say about this situation. Tucker and his crew finally see the footage of a xenomorph killing their crew member, realising that they hadn’t killed them all through the toxic gas.
As they try to digest this information, Vampirella is protecting Lars from Nosferatu, convincing him that Lars is her creature, which causes Nosferatu to back down and apologise immediately. Nosferatu then explains that it feels like forever has passed since he has been asleep and that on Mars, the regular rhythms have been disrupted for his people.
He was one of the first ones of his kind to go to Mars, as this planet had always appealed to him. It would also mean that he would be free from the ties he had on Earth and could live without the fear of immolation. He was eventually allowed to emigrate with the first of many waves of colonisation, or so they thought. However, they ultimately ran out of food and were constantly on edge, but Nosferatu wasn’t one of them.
He still quite liked this red planet. He had requested a transfer to the water diviners, which meant finding the water and drilling down on it. Although, they soon realised they weren’t the first to do this. All their questions had been answered when several of their kind had been killed and how it was the beginning of the end. Vampirella and Lars listen to Nosferatu talk, worry clearly written on their faces, but soon enough, Lars gets a call from Sarah.
She tells him that Tucker has been lying to everyone, telling everyone that Lars was dead, and clearing Sarah’s ship for the final approach. It is almost like it had been too long since the hybrid had appeared, and so it did, only this time, it killed Lars, splitting him into two pieces as Sarah watched her husband die. Vampirella and Nosferatu escape the hybrid but are soon met with armed crew members. All Vampirella wants is a chance to explain herself.
The final issue of the series begins with Sarah’s crewmates trying to console her after what she just witnessed. Although Lars might be dead, Sarah wasn’t going to back down and let Tucker come out of this, looking like they hadn’t made any mistakes, even if he wasn’t the one who killed Lars. While everyone is against Vampirella, Sarah isn’t and is trying to make sure that they don’t just leave her to die.
Meanwhile, Vampirella is trying to convince everyone that she and Nosferatu aren’t their enemies and that they have been grossly misinformed about the situation. The situation, however, doesn’t make Vampirella look too good, but she still tries to reason with them, which only angers Nosferatu.
Before Tucker can attack them with his weapons, he is attacked by a xenomorph. Sarah, on her ship, is determined to execute her plan, which involves rescuing whoever is left and blowing up the entire place. Her crewmates tell her that she isn’t thinking straight, assuming this might be a part of her grieving process, but it wasn’t. There is nothing that can stop her from executing her plan.
Back at the station, Vampirella tries her best to fight off the xenomorphs when several facehuggers crawl out. Finally, the humans and vampires try and get on the same side, trying to escape these vicious creatures. Nosferatu soon realises that humans have built this base and these beasts control it too, and Vampirella soon tells him that they have control over Mars and Earth, too, apologising for not telling him sooner.
Soon enough, as they lose hope, Sarah calls them from her launch pad, asking for details of how many people are there. After knowing that four are still alive, Sarah tells them that landing is too risky and that they will have to meet her in mid-air by using their short-range vehicle. They must make their way to the docking bay, where their vehicle is ready to go. There are two humans, two vampires and two rifles between life and death at this point.
They take the shortest route possible and make their way to the docking bay, but the xenomorphs reach there on time, killing one of the crew members as the rest hurry for their lives. They get into the vehicle and take flight immediately, but the xenomorph is hot on their trail and catches up immediately. Vampirella and Nosferatu both fly out of the vehicle, taking the pilot with them as they try to escape, but as they fly, Nosferatu says that he refuses to go the entire way.
This wasn’t for him anymore, and his whole family was dead. He sacrifices him, distracting the xenomorph as Vampirella and the pilot get on board Sarah’s ship. With that, Sarah drops the payload, destroying the entire base. As everything blows up in flames, Vampirella tells Sarah that Lars was a good man and apologises for everything that happened as they make their way home.
This comic series gives us an insight into how even humans, such as Tucker, can be an antagonist in the presence of something as vicious as a Xenomorph and how a bloodsucking vampire is a protagonist and the hero who tries her best to save Lars.
Funnily enough, this wasn’t the first franchise to explore the xenomorph and vampire hybrid since Buffy the Vampire Slayer: In Space, No One Can Hear You Slay! features a Xenomorph that was clearly born of a vampire and is killed when it is exposed to sunlight. So, if you want more of this hybrid, you know exactly where to go after you watch this video. Interestingly enough, we get to see another vampire and Xenomorph hybrid in the comic Buffy the Vampire Slayer: In Space, No One Can Hear You Slay.