Ridley Scott's Alien is one of the most influential and iconic horror films in modern history. Dozens of other films have been made by taking the format of that 1979 classic and moving it to another location or substituting another monster. Other movies, however, simply put the same monster in a new setting.

The Xenomorph is a grab-bag of all the most horrific features one could imagine on a monster. Shiny black skin, an eyeless face, back spines, spindly limbs, razor teeth, and even something as specific as acid blood and explosive birth could make its way into another creature. Hundreds of horrific creatures share elements with H. R. Giger's masterpiece, but a few seem just a bit too close to feel like a coincidence.

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Pumpkinhead

Pumpkinhead

Perhaps the most infamous example, and it's easy to see why. The titular Pumpkinhead demon who starred in four low-budget horror films looks like the Xenomorph in a shoddy disguise as he tries to elude the police. He has the same body shape, phallic head and all. His face is noticeably different, given that he actually has eyes. His hands are much larger and his stride is often more upright, but the differences are harder to spot than the similarities. There's a certain charm to Pumpkinhead, partially because his head looks nothing like a pumpkin and partially because his most iconic on-screen kill is a WWE-style backbreaker. It's hard not to love the big goofy fellow. He is the opposite of Giger's creation in many ways, overflowing with personality whereas the Xenomorph is a soulless living weapon.

The MUTOs - Godzilla

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The second American Godzilla film had a lot going for it and a lot working against it. The previous western attempt at the franchise had been a massive embarrassment and the franchise was getting tired. While the 2014 reboot wasn't anyone's favorite kaiju blockbuster, it was a fun return for everyone's favorite radioactive lizard. The Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms are towering insects The MUTOs aren't an exact match for the Xenomorph. They're sleek, their faces lack the most notable features, their posture is similar, and they have unusual mouths. They behave more like Xenomorphs, however. They hatch from eggs that gestate in the bodies of other giant organisms, and they lay countless eggs. If things had gone worse for the people of 2014's Godzilla, they'd have a giant version of the first few minutes of Aliens on their hands.

Species

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The aliens and hybrids of this series resemble humans wearing Xenomorphs as clothing, but this one isn't a case of one artist ripping off another one, it's a case of an artist retreading old ground. H. R. Giger provided the design work for the first film and remained a consultant on the sequel, offering a very clear explanation for this franchise's general vibe. Giger regularly complained that too much of the film's plot was similar to Alien, changing large elements of the story to distance it from his previous work. He did not do that for his designs, however, as many of the beings feature his trademark unnerving mix of human and inhuman traits. Multiple beings look like an attempt to make the Xenomorph sexually attractive, which never fails to be viscerally unpleasant. Though they often have humanoid faces, the unnamed species from Species borrows just about everything from the earlier work of its creator.

The Killer - Split Second

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Fans of this strange creature feature have endearingly rebranded this mysterious being the Scorpio Demon. Whatever his name is, he's the star of one of the most misguided and unintentionally hilarious monster movies of the 90s. The late great Rutger Hauer stars as a hard-nosed cop, paired with a rookie partner as he seeks the serial killer who eluded him years earlier. That serial killer is either a demon or some sort of lab accident, it's never really made clear. It looks like the exact midpoint between the Xenomorph and Venom. It's black and shiny, it doesn't have eyes, its teeth are long and sharp, and its hands are long and pointy. It certainly behaves more like a Xenomorph, silently dispatching and consuming its prey, often in hilariously implausible moments. Split Second isn't a particularly good film, but anyone who wants to see Rutger Hauer shoot at an overenthusiastic Xenomorph cosplayer should check it out.

Outriders - Avengers: Infinity War

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Even the MCU isn't above borrowing from Giger. Thanos' charging hoards of shiny black faceless quadrupedal monsters bear a striking resemblance to the Xenomorphs. It's reminiscent of Aliens when they charge the shield wall in Wakanda, but it's even clearer when they're chasing down Hawkeye in a dark hallway. They look a lot like Xenomorphs in their comic book source material as well. The limited lore surrounding the Outriders make it clear that they may as well be Marvel's take on the concept. They're living weapons who blindly slaughter whatever they're pointed at. One wonders how much better or worse the Avengers would've fared against Thanos if he had just brought the original 1979 model to battle instead.

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