A (mis) interpretation :
Name : Unknown
Codename : "The Predator".
Species : Unknown / Suspected extraterrestrial.
Origin : Unknown.
Excerpt from National Security Agency Classified Report 1990 ref case file : The 1987 Val Verde Incident - Special Agent Peter Keyes.
A United States Army Special Forces unit led by Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer suffered near 100% casualty during a covert operation to eliminate the Val Verde revolutionary army and was officially reported as killed in action by the Joint Special Operations Command. The explosion observed and reported at the border was officially reported to have been caused by an air burst caused by asteroids or comets. During a confidential interview and debriefing session with the former Major and separate interrogation sessions with guerrilla prisoner Anna, both gave a similar accounts of what actually taken place throughout the entire period. Primarily due to the explosion near the border, it is deemed as a high security risk as to the possibility of the revolutionary army possessing a weapon of mass destruction.
Two special teams were formed to re-look into the entire incident and an expedition is sent to re-visit and investigate the site of the explosion. Based on the evidences gathered, it is not plausible that statements by both witnesses could be factual. At the site of the explosion, meteorologists and mineralogists rule out any air bursts caused by asteroids or comets. Scientists theorise that the explosion may have been caused by some form of anti-matter "bomb". The entire area is devastated with no trees standing. There is no visible crater. The ground zero is shaped like a gigantic spread eagle butterfly. The second team investigation team re-traces back the elite team path, from the landing zone to the ground zero of the explosion. Forensic evidences reveal traces of human remains. Five miles away from ground zero, a pile of human skulls are found in between a groove of a tree branch. Subsequent DNA analysis concludes that it matches all five members of the elite team led by Dutch, six members of Green Berets elite team sent in earlier and one CIA agent. There are evidence of minerals which does not match any of the existing elements on the periodical table. When interviews are separately carried out by anthropologists with the native tribes whom lived nearby and witness the explosion, they mentioned that when the hottest period of the year occur, the men would not dare enter the jungles due to the fear of the presence of what they called, "The Monster Who Make Trophies of Men". When pressed further for information on this legend, the chieftain of a tribe shares that this taboo has been observed and passed on from generation to generation. It is their culture to observe this taboo, for those who is foolish enough to ignore it, would enter the jungle and never to be returned. Their bodies would be left alone for the jungle to claim it but not their skulls, which would be missing. The chieftain adds that at as a young age, he had seen the bravest people of his tribe went into the jungle to track their fellow missing men. What they discovered and brought back are only former fellow tribesmen without skins, their bodies hollowed out and without their heads. The men said that the bodies were strung high on tree tops.
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The Hunter of Men.
The creature which decimated Major "Dutch" Schaefer's entire elite squad belongs to a race of extra-terrestrial hunters which revolves around the primary objective of collecting skulls of other living organisms as trophies and for prestige. The more exotic skulls collected, the greater it re-enforces and defend their hierarchical relationships within its community and amongst individuals. The creature would disembowel and skin its prey immediately after the killing it. In the case of the human preys on Earth, the creature, upon collection of the skulls, would discard the bodies by stringing it up high on top of the trees to avoid trace. The creature and its kind have been visiting Earth since the dawn of humankind. Initially viewed as secondary level of difficulty game, the creatures, through the millenniums, have came to recognise humans as one of the most prized game, primarily as humankind began to evolved and become more technologically advance. Although their hunting grounds on Earth do cover geographical areas at higher altitudes and colder climes (refer the Tusguska Incident - 1908), their preferred range would be along the entire jungles of the tropical equator, where the temperatures are high all year round, with the exception of periods during the wet seasons.
The creature would be launched from a expedition space shuttle via a drop pod onto the Earth. Their hunting expedition is based on cyclical pattern. The hunting range would include any inhabited planetary systems spanning across the entire galaxy. At the end of a hunt, a retrieval shuttle would rendezvous with the creature, and continue onward to another planet until the completion of the entire hunting expedition. The creature and its kin do not have permanent planet of origin. They are galactic travellers on perpetual hunting expedition. They would set up a temporary colony on any habitable planets suiting them and settle there for a time before embarking on another expedition.
The creature possessed strong physical physiology in terms of it's strength, speed, dexterity and agility. It is also very cunning with acute senses of its surroundings. Its average height is estimated to be approximately seven and a half feet. The creature would silently observes and select its prey, using the tree tops and canopies as its primary vantage point prior to trapping/ambushing the target.
Its blood naturally produced bright green bioluminescence. Its dietary requirement is unknown but suspect to be carnivorous. The creature prefers to be armed lightly, by its standards, during a hunt. This is because they believe in absolute challenge when ambushing their preys, the less worthy ones will be killed quickly and effortlessly with their standard weapons. The most prized game would be engaged directly, and ultimately the creature would prefer to subdue and kill a difficult game with their bare hands to prove its worthiness and physical prowess. This is considered the ultimate challenge of which every of the creatures would be looking forward to, which provides them the greatest satisfaction of a hunt and also proves which hunter would be the strongest and effective amongst them, an all important prestige which the creature held with high esteem. However, prey which is given such honour is usually a rare occurrence. An average or lesser game deserves no less than a shot into their vertebrae or dissected with their blade weapon. Nonetheless, one of their customary laws which is strictly observes is that the creature will not hunt an un-armed, sick, young or pregnant game. To do so would be dis-honourable and the creature would be unfavourably stigmatised for it or even casted out from its clans or tribes. The custom of not hunting a young or pregnant game is also suspected to be subscribing to the concept of "sustainable hunts".
Its blood naturally produced bright green bioluminescence. Its dietary requirement is unknown but suspect to be carnivorous. The creature prefers to be armed lightly, by its standards, during a hunt. This is because they believe in absolute challenge when ambushing their preys, the less worthy ones will be killed quickly and effortlessly with their standard weapons. The most prized game would be engaged directly, and ultimately the creature would prefer to subdue and kill a difficult game with their bare hands to prove its worthiness and physical prowess. This is considered the ultimate challenge of which every of the creatures would be looking forward to, which provides them the greatest satisfaction of a hunt and also proves which hunter would be the strongest and effective amongst them, an all important prestige which the creature held with high esteem. However, prey which is given such honour is usually a rare occurrence. An average or lesser game deserves no less than a shot into their vertebrae or dissected with their blade weapon. Nonetheless, one of their customary laws which is strictly observes is that the creature will not hunt an un-armed, sick, young or pregnant game. To do so would be dis-honourable and the creature would be unfavourably stigmatised for it or even casted out from its clans or tribes. The custom of not hunting a young or pregnant game is also suspected to be subscribing to the concept of "sustainable hunts".
The creature is equipped with a medical aid kit for usage in the event of a non-mortal injury. Amongst the standard equipment employed by the creature include the bio-helmet, a mask-like apparatus which primarily served as an atmospheric adjusting breathing system. The creature seems perfectly capable of breathing without the bio-helmet in an oxygenated environment like Earth. Built into the helmet is an array of tracking and vision devices. This includes a built in electromagnetic spectrum scanner which enables the creature to scan the entire electromagnetic radiation wavelength. It could view objects in thermal imaging, making it possible for the creature to "see" one's environment with or without visible illumination as well as "listen" to the Earth's radio broadcast and human conversations amongst others. It also enable "mimicry" of their preys communication, which allows the creature to understanding their preys' behaviour and mis-lead them into traps or ambush for the kill. The creature actual perspective of its surrounding is infrared, just above the human visible spectrum wavelength. One disadvantages of the scanner in thermal imaging mode is that it would not be able to detect a surface or object which does not emit heat. Major Schaefer discovered this accidentally which he used to his great advantage to reverse the game play on the creature.
The creature is clad in a light bending mesh-like stealth suit, effectively enable the creature to blend into its environment like a chameleon, making it extremely easy to stalk prey without alerting them. Although the active camouflage works on dry land, it is extremely vulnerable to malfunction when in contact with water. For long range hunting weapon, the creature is armed with a plasma caster, which is mounted on its shoulder. Part of the mechanism contains a certain fuel material and when fired, the fuel material is energized into plasma and unleashed as brightly glowing "bolts" of pure energy. This energy is encased in a magnetic containment field that prevents the plasma "bolt" from dissipating before reaching its prey. Once the plasma comes into contact with a solid material, the magnetic field ruptures, venting the superheated energy onto the prey. A triangular laser range finder incorporated as part of its bio-helmet is used to assist aiming the shot and moves in accordance with the creature's field of vision.
For short range attack, a pair of serrated blades are incorporated onto the creature's right armour wrist. It is capable of retracting and extend up to two feet in length. It is made of an incredibly strong steel-like material. To sharpen it, the creature uses its laser sight, adjusted extra strong and heat it. The creature carries a form of computer attached to its left wrist. All analytical inputs as well as data are stored within this device. Part of the device also contain a self destruct bomb which contains a minute quantity of anti-matter. The bomb would be used only as last resort, usually means the creature complete failure in capturing and killing its preferred prey or being trapped and mortally wounded. Instead of facing the humiliation of defeat, which is worse than death itself, the creature would commit honourable suicide as well as to eliminate any trace of its existence.
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The Predator is the extra terrestrial alien antagonist of which Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer and his team of special forces encountered (and annihilated, save for Dutchy boy) whilst on a rescue mission deep within a South American jungle in the fictional nation of Val Varde. It is an inter galactic head hunting and skull collecting, alien life form. This concept is akin to a big game hunter. No proper name is assigned to it. In the movie, it is simply credited as "the creature".Originally Jean Claude Van Damme was listed to play the creature but due to suppose lack than professional commitment from the action actor, as well as a revision of the design by the late Stan Winston (the original design was a bipedal, long neck, dog like creature), the late Kevin Peter Hall was enlisted instead (he appeared as the helicopter pilot in the end scene). The original concept of the Predator was said to have been inspired by real life big game hunters of the early 20th Century and the Masai tribe and their lion hunting tradition. The Predator is one of my "big two" bad ass monsters from moviedom, the other being, what else, the Alien.
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