Aliens: Berserker (aka Aliens: Frenzy) was a four-issue limited comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics from January-April 1995. It was written by John Wagner, drawn by Paul Mendoza, and inked by Andy Mushynsky. It was lettered by Steve Dutro, colored by Cary Porter and edited by Edward Martin III & Ryder Windham. Painted covers were provided by artist Kilian Plunkett.
The series was eventually collected under the new name "Aliens: Frenzy" as part of Aliens Omnibus: Volume 4 in July 2008.
Berserker was also adapted into a novelization of the same name by S.D. Perry in 1998.
Characters from Berserker would go on to appear in Aliens vs. Predator: War (May-August 1995) and Aliens vs. Predator: Three World War (2009-2010), which therefore serve as sequels to the story.
In the Aliens comics line, Aliens: Berserker was preceded by Aliens: Earth Angel (August 1994). It was followed by Aliens: Mondo Pest (April 1995) and Aliens: Incubation (Sepember.-October 1996).
Plot[]
Official description of individual issues:
There's a ship cutting through space like a bullet, its crew a five-man surgical strike team with a single mission: Destroy Aliens! But when the crew members of the Nemesis land smack in the middle of a full-blown hive, they're not sure if it's the answer to their prayers or the beginning of a nightmare!
The Nemesis team hunts and destroys Alien hives: small, medium, or large. But Terminal 949 carried a crew of nearly a thousand people, and that makes it the biggest hive in history. It would be a touch-and-go situation even with a properly functioning Berserker unit, and their particular slaughter-machine has been showing some... problems... lately. No back-up, no cavalry, and no hope, but there's one slim chance they can make it out alive -- if they're willing to make the ultimate sacrifice!
The crew of space station Nemesis face off against the mother of all hives in a barrel-blazing, thermonuclear, blow-out bonanza! Their outer space paradise has been infested, and this issue they unload all they've got to make a clean sweep of the station. But the bugs apparently aren't the only problem in paradise: a traitor walks among them! Can they blow away the bugs and keep the knives out of their backs, or is paradise lost?
It's down to the wire now and with more casualties than firepower, the crew of the Nemesis find themselves hip deep in trouble and watching the next load coming! Their Berserker unit is a slug of cold, dead steel and their only hope lies in the direction they least expect. Don't miss this mile-a-minute, slash-and-burn finale to the most pyrokinetic Aliens adventure ever!
Behind the Scenes[]
Comics writer John Wagner was the co-creator of popular British comics character Judge Dredd in the pages of the anthology series 2000AD, and the writer/creator of Vertigo Comics' A History of Violence, which was turned into a film starring Viggo Mortensen.
Cover artist Kilian Plunkett, a veteran of Aliens comics starting with his first comics works Aliens: Backsplash and Aliens Labyrinth, eventually moved on to doing cover art for Dark Horse's Star Wars line. He now serves as the main character designer on the Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The events of Berserker lead directly into the events of Aliens vs. Predator: War.
Gallery[]
