Aliens (1986) – Act III Summary

Setting

• After a Xenomorph kills PFC Spunkmeyer and Corporal Ferro, the dropship "Bug Stomper" crashes.
• The survivors are stranded inside Hadley's Hope on LV-426.

Main Characters

• Ellen Ripley: Consultant, survivor, and protagonist
• Corporal Hicks: USCMC, emerging leader
• Carter Burke: Weyland-Yutani executive, secondary antagonist
• PFC Hudson, Vasquez: Colonial Marines
• Bishop: Synthetic executive officer ("android")
• Rebecca "Newt" Jordan: Young survivor
• Lt. Gorman: Marine officer (injured, later recovers)

Plot Key Points

Danger Escalates

• Hicks tells the group rescue will take 17 days, causing panic.
• Ripley and others barricade themselves, but MedLab and Operations remain vulnerable.
• Ripley learns Burke plans to take live Facehuggers back to the company, exposing his unethical behavior.
• It’s revealed that Burke caused the original colonist tragedy by ordering investigation of the derelict ship, triggering the infestation.

Time Pressure

• Damage from previous battles makes the facility unstable—will explode in 4 hours.
• Only hope: Bishop must exit via conduit to remotely call down a backup dropship from the USS Sulaco.

Burke's Betrayal and Xenomorph Assault

• Ripley is taught to use a pulse rifle by Hicks (building their bond).
• Ripley and Newt almost killed by Facehuggers released by Burke; rescued by Marines.
• Ripley exposes Burke’s plot, but before the Marines can punish him, Xenomorphs attack en masse through ceiling ducts.
• Hudson and Burke are killed. Vasquez and Gorman sacrifice themselves with a grenade during the retreat to the landing zone.

Newt Taken; Ripley’s Daring Rescue

• Explosion causes Newt to fall to a sub-level and be captured.
• Hicks is injured by acid blood escaping to the dropship.
• Ripley arms herself and returns to rescue Newt, with Bishop piloting and a 16-minute deadline before explosion.

Confrontation with the Queen

• Ripley finds and rescues Newt from the Hive, narrowly escaping Facehuggers.
• Encounters the Xenomorph Queen and destroys her egg-laying chamber.
• Queen chases Ripley and Newt; they narrowly escape to Bishop’s dropship.
• Facility explodes as the dropship returns to the Sulaco.

Final Battle — Power Loader vs. Queen

• Queen, having stowed away, attacks Ripley’s group on the Sulaco.
• Bishop is torn in half protecting Newt.
• Ripley uses a power loader to fight the Queen, eventually ejects her into space via the airlock.
• Survivors—Ripley, Bishop (damaged), Newt, and Hicks—enter cryosleep for journey to Earth.

Ending / Thematic Resolutions

• Ripley evolves into an action hero, emphasizing her maternal instincts (especially regarding Newt).
• Weyland-Yutani’s greed and disregard for human life reemphasized, as seen through Burke’s actions.
• Bishop is revealed as a trustworthy Synthetic, unlike the original’s Ash.
• The Xenomorph Queen’s role in the life cycle is established.
• LV-426’s Xenomorph infestation is seemingly eradicated (until Alien 3).
• The film explores themes of corporate exploitation, motherhood, teamwork, and survival.

Iconic Moments

• Pulse rifle & flamethrower sequence
• Power Loader battle: "Get away from her, you bitch!"
• Bishop’s act of loyalty and self-sacrifice
• Ripley saving Newt, fulfilling her promise

Notes

• Highlights difference between regular Xenomorphs (soldier/warrior) and Queen.
• Undercurrents of trauma, resilience, and the dangers of unchecked corporate ambition.

Conclusion:
Act III of Aliens is a tense, action-packed sequence blending sci-fi horror, military action, and emotional stakes, cementing Ripley as one of cinema’s great heroes and expanding the Alien mythos.