'Alien: Romulus' one-shot comic reveals dark secrets of deadly xenomorphs

It's been seven long years since we loyal acolytes of the xenomorph were haunted by those wicked biomechanical horrors, thanks to the most recent Hollywood entry of the revered sci-fi franchise, "Alien: Covenant."

Now director Fede Alvarez ("Evil Dead," "Don't Breathe") has teamed up with executive producer Sir Ridley Scott to bring restless fans " Alien: Romulus ," which premieres on Aug. 16. The plot centers around a brave band of 20-something space colonizers who discover an abandoned space station and decide to investigate its dank innards. They disturb a nest of xenomorphs — nasty facehuggers, chestbursters and murderous alien adults.

Once you take in the innumerable terrors of this seventh official 'Alien' installment , stay tuned for Marvel Comics' "Alien: Romulus #1" in October, a special prequel one-shot that delves deep under the skin of one of the movie's most puzzling mysteries.

Here's the full description:

"'Alien: Romulus #1' will be written by horror master Zac Thompson ("Absolute Carnage: Avengers," "I Breathed a Body") and drawn by rising star Daniel Picciotto ("Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider," "X-Force"). Marvel's one-shot will take place prior to the events of the film, providing an illuminating backstory behind the film's main threat. Made in close partnership with Director Fede Alvarez and frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues, both of whom wrote 'Alien: Romulus,' the comic is a must-have companion to one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer."

Related: Everything we know about 'Alien: Romulus'

The creative team has crafted an original story adding to the complex mythology of the "Alien" saga by presenting untold secrets of the film's disturbing monsters that tie into the overarching "Romulus" narrative.

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— Terrifying new 'Alien: Romulus' trailer unleashes the facehuggers (video)

"The 'Alien' franchise is responsible for my lifelong love of body horror, so needless to say, I'm ecstatic to be contributing a small piece to the canon," Thompson said in a statement. "Working with Fede Alvarez to craft a prequel to 'Alien: Romulus' was a genuine dream come true and a responsibility I don't take lightly. The result is a thrilling, terrifying story that slowly gestates into something wholly unpredictable."

Blessed with a main cover from artist Leinil Francis Yu and a killer variant by Björn Barends, Marvel Comics' "Alien: Romulus #1" invades comic shops on Oct. 16, 2024.