Kane

Curiosity on the derelict ship led to the crew's first fatal encounter with the Xenomorph life cycle.

During an investigation of a derelict Engineer ship on LV-426, he approaches an egg for a closer look, resulting in a facehugger attaching to his face and impregnating him with an Alien embryo without his or the crew's knowledge. After remaining unconscious until the parasite dies and detaches, Kane joins the crew for dinner. He suddenly suffers convulsions before an infant Alien bursts through his chest, killing him instantly. The crew subsequently jettisons his body into space as a funeral.

Lore & Background

Kane held the rank of executive officer on the Nostromo, placing him second in command behind Captain Dallas. While searching for the source of a distress signal, Kane moved closer to an egg-like structure. The object reacted by releasing a facehugger that latched onto his face, rendering him unconscious and effectively using him as an incubator. Upon returning to the Nostromo, Kane appeared to recover. However, the embryo gestated rapidly within his chest cavity. An infant Alien erupted through his sternum, killing him instantly. His body was then jettisoned into space by the remaining crew members as a funeral rite.

Reader's Guide

Kane represents the tragic catalyst of the original Alien film. His removal from the crew leaves them vulnerable and initiates the chain of events leading to the destruction of the Nostromo. Kane, played by John Hurt, is most closely associated with the "chestbursting" scene.

Did You Know?

Director Ridley Scott originally cast Jon Finch as Kane, but replaced him halfway through filming after Finch suffered an episode of hyperglycemia.
John Hurt had initially declined the role due to a scheduling conflict before returning to replace Finch for the remainder of production.
During the filming of the chestbursting scene, actors were told only that a 'creature emerges' and were not given specific details about the mechanics or timing.
Veronica Cartwright was hit in the mouth with fake blood during the chestbursting take, resulting in a genuine reaction captured on film.