Understanding Black Goo

“Alien: Romulus” has arrived, presenting a tale of a group of young individuals – including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu – who venture to a derelict space station to secure their escape from a dilapidated mining planet. The film unravels certain profound mysteries, especially towards its climax, leaving even fans with a degree in “Alien” lore questioning particular elements. To delve into these aspects, major spoilers lie ahead.

Towards the film’s conclusion, as the protagonists near their departure from the nightmarish space station – divided into Remus and Romulus sections – they’re instructed by Rook (portrayed by Daniel Betts, channeling Ian Holm’s Ash from the original “Alien”) to carry a vial of blackish goo. This directive stems from its critical importance to the Weyland-Yutani corporation and, broadly, the “Alien” franchise.

Rook calls it “the Prometheus strain,” explaining that Peter Weyland (played by Guy Pearce in “Prometheus”) embarked on a doomed mission seeking this very substance. The goo has been reverse-engineered from the aliens aboard the station, supposedly to help humans evolve into beings as perfect as the aliens themselves.

Despite Rook’s assurances about the goo’s safety, footage reveals a rat injected with this serum, replicating an unsettling moment from “Alien: Covenant.” The rat experiences a gruesome scene reminiscent of a chest-buster, but this time emerging from the spine. This anticipates a key event later in the movie when an injured Kay (Merced), who is pregnant, injects herself with the fluid.

As Kay, Rain (Spaeny), and Andy (Jonsson) prepare to leave the space station, a creature that’s a blend of alien, human, and Engineer (the towering creators of the aliens and the liquid) emerges from Kay, killing her in the process. This Offspring, as listed in the credits, then turns its attention to Rain. In an eerie moment, the creature appears to suckle Kay’s breast, though specific details are presumably omitted due to executive decisions.

This is essentially what the black goo does. The fluid’s diverse effects are evidenced in “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” where it impregnates characters with monstrous creatures and decimates an entire planet of Engineers, respectively. It’s a fundamental element in developing the alien entity we recognize—essentially serving as a multifaceted tool of terror.

In “Alien: Romulus,” these aspects make sense. The story situates itself between “Alien” and “Aliens,” thus knowledge of the preceding events from “Prometheus” would be widespread. The company’s ongoing engagement with aliens logically includes attempts to manipulate the goo, fitting seamlessly into the franchise’s narrative mosaic.

“Alien: Romulus” is currently showing in theaters.

Source: TheWrap