FINAL SUMMARY OF THE ENGINEERS' STORY

Introduction:

I have developed various possible theories regarding the Engineers' backstory over the years. Some I like better than others. Some I think are more likely than others. “Likely“ here means that it's roughly what's in Ridley Scott's head and what he'll eventually agree on with the production studio in a possible sequel (”Alien: Awakening"). That's assuming, of course, that he and his screenwriters have come up with a coherent backstory in the first place. I hope Ridley Scott will read this: "Please, don't mess this up!" :D

I have already put forward some of my theories in this forum. Now I have presented my theories to Grok and asked him to evaluate each of them and assess which is the most likely. Grok was then asked to give me two alternative theories. I left it up to him to use one of my theories as a basis and modify it as he saw fit. However, he only took my variants b) and c) and made minor changes to them, so I will leave that part out.

I would like to share the result with you below. On the whole, I'm happy with the result and Grok's assessment. What do you think? Which theory do you like best or which do you think Ridley Scott will choose in a possible sequel (“Alien: Awakening”)?

My theories:

a) There is only one Engineer faction. Among other things, the engineers have created humans on earth and visited and taught them at regular intervals. Later they changed their attitude towards humanity because it strayed from God's path. The Engineers created the alien or derivatives of it as a biological weapon to cleanse entire planets of living beings. The humanoids on Planet 4 are engineers. Why the Engineers on Planet 4 look slightly different from the Engineers in Prometheus has no deeper meaning (the film crew probably just wanted to save on make-up costs).

b) As before, but the humanoids on Planet 4 are not Engineers, but another of their creations (parallel to the humans on Earth). However, unlike the humans, the Engineers are still in close contact with these humanoids (David to Walter: “so [mankind] made newer models with fewer complications” - this could be understood as a comparison to the Engineers, the humans and the humanoids on Planet 4). The Engineers may even have “merged” with the humanoids on Planet 4 (if a creation proves worthy, the Engineers may incorporate it into their civilization).

c) There are two Engineer factions. The engineers who can be seen at the beginning of Prometheus are the good guys (the “God faction”). Among other things, they have created humans on Earth and visited and taught them at regular intervals. The biomechanical engineers from the end of the movie are the bad guys (the “Satan faction”). They were once part of the “God faction”, but eventually have split off from them (“fallen angels”). The “Satan faction” wants to destroy humanity for some reason - e.g. out of envy. It is unclear which of the factions created the alien or its derivatives as a biological weapon (presumably the “Satan faction”, but according to the Bible, God also cleansed the earth with a flood). The humanoids on Planet 4 belong to one of the two factions or are another creation of the Engineers.

d) There are two Engineer factions. The Engineers, who can be seen at the beginning and end of Prometheus, are the good guys (the “God faction”). Among other things, they have created humans on Earth and visited and taught them at regular intervals. They later changed their attitude towards humanity because it strayed from God's path. The reason for this is that humanity was regularly visited secretly by the “Satan faction”, which secretly brought humanity forbidden knowledge and corrupted it. The “evil” faction has therefore not yet made an appearance in the films. Alternatively the humanoids on Planet 4 might be the "evil" ones, due to their similarities to the Romans (which crucified Jesus and seem to be antagonistic to the “God faction”).

e) There are two Engineer factions. The engineers seen at the beginning of Prometheus are the “Prometheus faction”, who secretly have created the humans on Earth and visited and taught them at regular intervals. The biomechanical engineers from the end of Prometheus are the “Zeus faction” who found out about Earth and humanity at some point and now want to punish the humans (or possibly the “Prometheus faction”) for some reason - maybe out of lust for power, maybe out of fear of what humanity might become one day, maybe they are even dispassionate about humanity but simply want to punish the “Prometheus faction”. The humanoids of Planet 4 presumably belong to the “Zeus faction”.

Grok's assessment of the possibilities

a) One engineer faction, humanoids on planet 4 are engineers

- Pro: Simplest variant with the fewest assumptions. It explains the differences in the appearance of the Engineers (natural in Prometheus vs. biomechanical or humanoid on Planet 4) as stylistic or production choices, with no deeper narrative significance. The evolution of the Engineers from creators to destroyers could be explained by a disappointment with humanity (e.g. crucifixion of Jesus) (Christian symbolism). The biological weapon (xenomorph/derivative) fits the idea of a highly developed but morally ambivalent species.

- Cons: This variant ignores the starkly contrasting depictions of the Engineers (natural/divine vs. biomechanical/hostile) and the possibility that these differences indicate internal conflicts or factions. It also does not explain why the humanoids on Planet 4 look more like a mix of human and engineer, suggesting a deeper narrative meaning (e.g. Nephilim allusion). Also, the Roman-looking culture on Planet 4 doesn't necessarily look like the homeworld of a species that has developed biomechanical technology.

- Probability: Medium. This variant is narratively simple, but it leaves out many symbolic and visual cues that hint at more complex dynamics.

b) One engineering faction, humanoids on planet 4 are a creation

- Pro: This variant allows for a more nuanced view of the Engineers as creators of multiple species (humans, humanoids on planet 4, etc.). The close association between Engineers and humanoids (similar appearance) could indicate that the Engineers favor or are “merged” with this creation. The Nephilim allusion (Rose: “they were giants”) fits well, as the humanoids could be interpreted as half-breeds. The idea that the Engineers have changed their attitude towards humans (e.g. because of the crucifixion) remains plausible.

- Cons: Similar to variant a), this interpretation ignores the visual and thematic differences between the engineers (natural vs. biomechanical) and the possibility of factions. The Roman aesthetic on Planet 4 could also be indicative of a “fallen” or “evil” culture, which is not entirely consistent with a favored creation.

- Probability: High. This variant is coherent and takes into account the Nephilim symbolism as well as the Engineers' creator role, but leaves the faction question open.

c) Two factions: Natural Engineers (God/good) vs. Biomechanical Engineers (Satan/evil)

- Pro: This variant explains the contrasting depictions of the Engineers (natural/divine vs. biomechanical/hostile) as an expression of an internal conflict, which harmonizes with the mythological and religious motifs (God vs. Satan). The “God faction” could have created and taught humans, while the “Satan faction” wants to destroy them, perhaps out of envy or lust for power (see Milton's Paradise Lost). The humanoids on Planet 4 could belong to the “God Faction” (as another creation or as Engineers themselves), which would explain their Roman, but not biomechanical, aesthetic. The Nephilim allusion could mean that they are a “fallen” creation influenced by the “Satan Faction”.

- Cons: The films offer no direct evidence for two factions, and the assignment of “good” and “evil” remains speculative. It is unclear why the “Satan faction” is biomechanical and whether the humanoids on Planet 4 actually belong to the “God faction” or play a different role. The Roman aesthetic could also suggest a connection to the crucifixion (Romans as “evil”), which complicates the attribution.

- Probability: Medium to high. This variant is thematically rich and explains the visual differences, but remains speculative.

d) Two factions: Natural/biomechanical engineers (God/good) vs. corrupting engineers (Satan/evil).

- Pro: This variant combines Christian symbolism (God vs. Satan) with the idea that the Engineers who visited humans were partly “evil” and corrupted humanity (similar to Satan's role in Paradise Lost). The crucifixion of Jesus could be the catalyst for punishment by the “God Faction”, which includes both the natural and biomechanical Engineer. The humanoids on Planet 4 could be a creation or variant of the Engineers influenced by the “Satan Faction”, which would explain their Roman aesthetic (Romans as crucifiers, i.e. “evil”).

- Contra: It is difficult to attribute the biomechanical engineers to the “God faction”, as they appear hostile and are more likely to be associated with the “Satan faction”. The idea that the corrupting visitations come from a separate faction is plausible, but the films only provide indirect evidence for this. The role of the humanoids remains unclear.

- Probability: Medium. This variant is narratively interesting, but the assignment of the biomechanical engineers to the “god faction” seems forced.

e) Two factions: Natural engineers (Prometheus/rebellious) vs. biomechanical engineers (Zeus/divine)

- Pro: This variant takes up Greek mythology (Prometheus vs. Zeus) and explains the creation of humans as a rebellious act by the “Prometheus faction”, which acts in secret. The biomechanical engineers as the “Zeus faction” want to punish the humans (and perhaps the “Prometheus faction”), which is consistent with the hostile attitude of the biomechanical engineer in Prometheus. The humanoids on Planet 4 could be part of the “Zeus Faction”.

- Cons: The films place more emphasis on Christian than Greek motifs, which supports this interpretation less directly. It is unclear why the “Zeus faction” on Planet 4 developed a Roman aesthetic that could be associated with the crucifixion, but appear biomechanical on LV 223 and with their spaceships. The assignment of the biomechanical engineers to the “divine” side contradicts their destructive, “evil” appearance.

- Probability: Medium. This variant is mythologically consistent, but the Christian motifs in the movie make it less likely.

Most likely variant according to Grok

- Most likely variant: b) One engineering faction, humanoids on planet 4 are a creation. This variant is narratively simple, takes into account the Engineers' role as creators and the Nephilim symbolism, and incorporates the Christian motifs without assuming speculative factions.

- Best alternative: c) Two factions (God vs. Satan). This variant is thematically richer and explains the visual differences of the Engineers as an expression of conflict, but remains speculative as the films provide no clear evidence of factions.

Both interpretations leave room for the films' open questions, but variant b) is the most likely as it requires the fewest assumptions, while variant c) is the most narratively intriguing alternative.

As you can see, there are many different possibilities. I agree with Grok, insofar as I lean towards theories b) and c). But I also would say, that theory d) has a certain probability. Because what I think is safe to assume, is that the humanoids on Planet 4 belong to the same faction, that influenced the Romans! This assumption is due to the similarities in architecture, clothing and traditions. And since the Romans have crucified Jesus, the Engineers on Planet 4 and their faction seem to be opposite the "God faction"/"good Engineers"! I have made a topic on this (https://alien-covenant.com/topic/49760). Just see the following clips. What do you think?

Caesar entering Rome

https://youtu.be/3GJLfHj9lfE?t=64

David arriving at the city on Planet 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-bxPsxpE0