| Movies | Games | Music | Timeline | Slideshow |
Corporal Dwayne Hicks is a fictional character in the Alien franchise. First appearing in the film Aliens, who was portrayed by actor Michael Biehn. The character is a Senior Corporal of the United States Colonial Marine Corps aboard the USS Sulaco and is one of the only 4 survivors of the Sulaco crew's expedition to LV-426, along with Ellen Ripley, Rebecca "Newt" Jorden and the android Bishop. Hicks is killed during the introduction of the film's sequel Alien 3, a decision that garnered negative backlash from fans of the franchise. Hicks later returns as the main protagonist of the "Stasis Interrupted" DLC in the videogame Aliens: Colonial Marines., and as a side character in the game's main story.
Corporal Dwayne Hicks and his unit were selected by Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope) to be dispatched on a mission to the planet of LV-426, accompanied by Weyland-Yutani Corporation representative, Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) and the sole survivor of the USCSS Nostromo, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). As with the rest of his crew, Hicks believed that the mission was a waste of time, and Ripley's belief that there were alien lifeforms on the planet was nonsensical and they were only going to uncover a communications breakdown at the colony of Hadley's Hope. Eventually, the group discovers a lab with contained "Facehuggers", holes in the floors from the Xenomorph's acid blood, and a young girl hiding from the creatures named Newt (Carrie Henn). The marines descend further into the colony, where they find the Xenomorph's hive. One of the colonists gave birth to a "Chestburster", which was set ablaze by Sergeant Apone (Al Matthews), which woke the aliens and attacked the marines. As the marine squadron was being massacred by the aliens, Hicks, along with Privates Hudson (Bill Paxton) and Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein) were able to escape back to the APC with Newt.
With Apone deceased, and Gorman unresponsive, Hicks automatically assumed command of the ragtag survivors, Ripley, Hudson, Vasquez, Newt, Burke, Gorman and android Bishop (Lance Henriksen). Ripley and Hicks devise a plan to decimate the complex with a nuclear strike from orbit to successfully ensure all Xenomorphs were eradicated. Before the survivors could be escorted back to the Sulaco to safety, a Xenomorph killed pilot Corporal Ferro (Colette Hiller), and crashed their aircraft into the APC. The group scavenge the wreckage for salvageable equipment, and retreat to the Operations Center to regroup with Bishop. They fortify the area by sealing access points and deploying sentry guns at key locations. Bishop then reveals to the group that Atmosphere Processor had been damaged in battle, and would explode in several hours, and that the dropship crash had destroyed the systems that would stop this from happening. In response to this, Hicks formulated a plan that would involve Bishop remotely piloting the second dropship aboard the Sulaco to the surface from the colony transmitter. During this, Hicks instructed Ripley how to use the M41A Pulse Rifle for self-defense. Hicks later responds to a fire alarm that had been set off in the medical lab, only to discover that Ripley and Newt were trapped inside with two live Facehuggers. Hicks rescues Ripley and Newt, and discovers that Burke had intended to smuggle the Xenomorph specimens back to Earth by impregnating Ripley and Newt. Hicks wanted to execute Burke for his treachery, but is stopped by Ripley who demands he face justice for his crimes back on Earth. During this confrontation, the Xenomorphs cut the power to the building and launched an assault on the group.
The ensuing battle claimed the lives of Hudson and Burke, causing the remaining survivors to escape through the colony's ventilation ducts, where Vasquez and Gorman are cornered by Xenomorphs and sacrifice their lives by detonating a hand grenade to avoid being captured and impregnated. The blast caused Newt to fall down a separate shaft, where, despite the best efforts of Ripley and Hicks to save her, she is captured by a Xenomorph. As they attempt to escape, Ripley and Hicks are cornered by a Xenomorph in an elevator, who's acid blood severely burns Hicks' face and begins to melt through his chest armor. Ripley and Hicks make it to the dropship, where Hicks is sedated by Bishop, and encourages Ripley to save Newt, revealing to her his first name and asking her to hurry back before he falls unconscious. Once Ripley returns with Newt and successfully defeats the Queen Xenomorph aboard the Sulaco, Hicks is placed in cryosleep for the return trip to Earth.
Alien 3
In the start of Alien 3, an alien egg hatches aboard the Sulaco, with a facehugger attaching itself to Ripley. It injures itself trying to get into her cryotube, with its acidic blood starting a fire in the sub flooring. This causes the cryogenic pods to be ejected into the ocean of Fiorina 161. The crash results in Newt being drowned in her Cryotube, Hicks being impaled and crushed by a support beam and Bishop being damaged further, leaving Ripley as the sole-survivor once again. Hicks and Newt's bodies are cremated and Bishop is later switched off after reporting the ship's log and after asking Ripley to put him out of his misery.
Aliens: Colonial Marines
In the game Aliens: Colonial Marines, it is revealed that Hicks attempted to send a distress call before entering cryosleep, but the message was blocked by Weyland-Yutani and was never transmitted. Hicks was awoken from his hypersleep by colonists Samuel Stone and Turk due to an emergency seeking military aid. A firefight between the Weyland-Yutani corporation and the colonists ensued, which caused a bullet to graze the Facehugger attached to Ripley, causing the acid blood to start an electrical fire. In the scuffle, Turk was knocked into Hicks' open cryotube, and became the casualty witnessed in Alien 3, retconning Hicks' death. Hicks and Stone travelled through the Sulaco, killing whatever Weyland-Yutani PMCs and Xenomorphs they came across before boarding a skiff to the planet Fiorina 161. Hicks and Stone would later observe Ripley sacrificing her life to prevent The Company from obtaining the Queen Chestburster she was inhabiting. Hicks's despair caused the two of them to be located and captured by Michael Bishop.
Hicks and Stone were taken to a Weyland-Yutani ship called "The Resolute" where they were interrogated for information, which resulted in Stone being executed for failing to comply. Hicks was freed by researcher Rick Levy and the two fought through the ship to transmit Hicks's distress call in the midst of a Xenomorph outbreak. Bishop destroyed the uplink before the transmission could be completed, but the incomplete transmission caught the attention of the USCM, who had sent a squadron to Hadley's Hope. Hicks would later be rescued by the squadron aboard the USS Sephora. The Sephora crew along with Hicks confronted Michael Bishop, which resulted in Hicks executing him, revealing that he was simply another android double.