Ernst Kleist

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Professor Ernst Kleist, later known as Father, was a research scientist for the Z.C.T. Corporation^[2] and the director of the company's Charon Base research facility. At Charon, Kleist was the head of Project Chimera, a secret research program that aimed to use gene-splicing to create a human/Xenomorph hybrid creature, the intention being to develop a means for humanity to control the Xenomorphs.

Kleist's genetic experimentation led to the creation of the Rogue, an immensely powerful human/Xenomorph hybrid. However, the Rogue proved not to be the tame organism Kleist predicated, and its escape from confinement initiated a Xenomorph outbreak at Charon that ultimately destroyed the base.

Kleist was presumed to be killed by the Queen that ruled the Hive on Charon. However, he actually mutated under the influence of Royal Jelly and became the cult leader of the Bug-Men.

Biography

Scientist

Unfortunately, Kleist's research involved quite a bit of preludial experimentation, and in this case the "lab rats" were members of the human staff at the station. Kleist also had a corporate security staff under Larsen, and a contingent of Colonial Marines under Sargeant Green. He had a synthetic personal aid and bodyguard named Grace.

While working to undo a plot to steal the secrets of his research and expose his murderous means of experimentation by the Grant Corporation spy known as "John Cray" and the Charon transport ship captain Joyce Palmer, Kleist discovered that John Kray's genes were by coincidence capable of hosting a new kind of Alien. Hence, Kleist was able to breed a male Xenomorph King Alien (sometimes referred to as the Rogue). Kleist deemed it a perfect evolutionary successor to the Aliens, and hoped to have his King challenge Charon's resident Alien Queen. Kleist believed the Rogue to be more powerful than the Queen.

In the final brutal confrontation between the Aliens, with the whole of Charon stations in ruins, the scientist was shocked to find that the Queen was in fact the superior specimen. While the Rogue was larger and stronger, the Queen's superior speed and intellect enabled her to dodge the Rogue's attacks and slowly wear it down and finally slaughter it.

Kleist was subsequently, apparently killed when he used a sound cannon on the Queen until it went critical, destroying the asteroid base.

The Bug-Men

Some time later, a much-mutated Ernst Kleist resurfaced as the leader of a group of mutated human/Alien hybrids called the Bug-Men, their genes altered through use of Royal Jelly, who were terrorizing a section of space in his name. Here, the maddened Kleist went simply by the name of "Father", and instead of desiring to eradicate the Xenomorphs, chose to assist them with their galaxy-wide infestation. He was eventually killed by Lieutenant Joseph Henry, who riddled him with bullets after confronting him in his stronghold, putting an end to Kleist's regime for good.

Personality

Kleist was an incredibly ambitious individual, searching for a solution to the Xenomorph threat and the way to properly eradicate them for good through constant experiments and gene-splicing. However, he was clearly insane and had very little value for human life, using all the marines stationed at Charon Base as disposable grunts and guinea pigs. His obsession with the Rogue also contributed to his unhinged nature, with his synthetic Grace expressing concerns over his mental state. He possessed a cold, blunt, humourless personality and had little interest in small-talking with associates. However, he did indulge in more personal conversations with Grace, the only individual to be on the receiving end of his maniacal rants.

Trivia

• The scene where Kleist surveys the failed "docile" Xenomorph Queens, preserved in giant tanks in his lab, is remarkably similar to the scene where Ripley 8 discovers the failed Ripley clones in Alien Resurrection, made four years later.
• Aside from inexplicably surviving the explosion of Charon Base, a goof as seen in Aliens: Colonial Marines is that Kleist still possesses a right arm, despite losing it to the Queen at Charon.

Appearances

• Aliens: Rogue/novel
• Aliens: Colonial Marines

Gallery

References