Looper’s review of “Alien: Earth” praises the new series, as the show offers plenty of philosophical ideas as well as bloody mayhem. The Xenomorphs are on full display, giving fans of the franchise everything they could want when it comes to these iconic movie monsters. But if you need a refresher on what Xenomorphs are capable of — just to get a sense of what to expect from the show and any potential future seasons — then check out our explainer video above to learn everything there is to know about this perfect organism. 

Xenomorph life cycles are well documented going back to 1979’s “Alien,” in which a Xenomorph Queen lays some eggs (known as ovomorphs). If a biological entity gets too close to an egg, a facehugger bursts out to attach itself to the host. Little does the host know they’re now incubating a Xenomorph, and a baby version, known as a chestburster, will soon burst out of their, well, chest, most of the time. From there, it’s a pretty quick progression into adulthood, and before you know it, a full Xenomorph is stalking around a spaceship. 

Of course, as you go through the “Alien” series, there are various permutations of this cycle. For example, “Alien: Covenant” introduces a Neomorph, which begins its life cycle as a fungal growth that spreads through spores. Xenomorph-human hybrids are also a possibility, like the Offspring introduced in “Alien: Romulus.” No matter the shape or size, every version of the Xenomorph is highly dangerous.

There’s a reason why Xenomorphs are often referred to as the perfect organism, and it’s because they’re exceptional killing machines. Their exoskeleton effectively functions as armor, and in the event someone can actually pierce through it, they leak acid blood that’s corrosive enough to burn through the metal hull of spaceships. They possess claws and long, pointed tails that have aided them in battle on plenty of occasions, and you don’t want to get too close to their mouths: Xenomorphs have a second mouth that can protrude outward, moving with such force as to smash through a human’s skull.

“Alien: Earth” is the first time a Xenomorph will reach Earth in a film or TV series, but it’s not for a lack of trying. The corporation Weyland-Yutani has frequently put human lives in danger to acquire a Xenomorph, like in the first “Alien.” The synthetic Ash (Ian Holm) has a directive to bring the alien back and acknowledges that the actual humans are deemed expendable. Robotic entities frequently view Xenomorphs as superior to humans in every way, as evidenced by David (Michael Fassbender) in “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant” wanting to create his own line of them. The idea was that he could surpass his own creators, becoming a god in his own way by going beyond what the Engineers (featured in “Prometheus”) accomplished.

Xenomorphs represent cosmic horror in a way few movie monsters have managed. Don’t get left behind when “Alien: Earth” premieres on FX on August 12 — be sure to check out our Xenomorph explainer video above.