It was always billed as the perfect organism, a lethal predator with acid for blood, a powerful second jaw, and — thanks to its parasitic lifecycle — a penchant for body horror. Since its debut in 1979's "Alien," Xenomorph XX121 has been a serious contender for the title of "greatest monster in the history of cinema," but its killer legacy is being tarnished by a liquid with some very strange properties.
Ever since the research vessel Prometheus landed on LV-223 — or, to be more precise, since android David spiked Charlie Holloway's drink — the "Alien" saga has been held back by a substance that's more viscous than vicious. This implausibly versatile black goo seems to do something different to everyone it touches, more of a narrative convenience than a plausible addition to the 45-year-old franchise's mythology. Now that the magic slime has returned in "Alien: Romulus," it looks like it's here to stay.
