Prometheus (2012), directed by Ridley Scott, serves as a prequel to Alien, exploring the origins of humanity and the deadly xenomorph species. The film follows a deep-space expedition funded by the Weyland Corporation, led by the aging billionaire Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), in search of mankind’s creators—an ancient race known as the Engineers.
In the late 21st century, archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover ancient star maps in various human civilizations, all pointing to a distant moon, LV-223. Believing these maps to be an invitation from the Engineers—whom they theorize created humanity—they convince the Weyland Corporation to fund a mission to uncover the truth.
Peter Weyland, Weyland Corp’s enigmatic founder, secretly bankrolls the expedition aboard the spaceship Prometheus, hoping to meet the Engineers and secure immortality. Though officially deceased, Weyland is secretly in cryosleep onboard, waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.
The crew of the Prometheus, led by captain Janek (Idris Elba) and corporate overseer Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), land on LV-223 and explore a massive, ancient structure filled with strange hieroglyphs, mysterious black liquid, and the remains of long-dead Engineers.
Among the crew is David 8 (Michael Fassbender), an advanced android created by Weyland, who has his own hidden agenda. David, following secret orders from Weyland, begins experimenting with the mysterious black goo, a dangerous bioweapon engineered by the Engineers. He infects Holloway, causing horrifying mutations, while other crew members fall victim to grotesque alien organisms spawned by the substance.
As chaos ensues, Peter Weyland awakens from cryosleep and reveals himself to the remaining crew. Weak and near death, he believes the Engineers hold the key to eternal life. He, David, Shaw, and a small team seek out the last surviving Engineer, hoping for answers.
When they awaken the Engineer, Weyland demands the secret to immortality. However, the Engineer coldly dismisses him, violently killing him instead. David is decapitated, and the enraged Engineer prepares to launch a deadly bioweapon payload toward Earth, revealing the Engineers’ true intent: to eradicate humanity, not guide it.
Realizing the imminent danger, Janek sacrifices himself by crashing the Prometheus into the Engineer’s ship, preventing Earth’s destruction. Meanwhile, Shaw, the last survivor, recovers David’s severed head and, instead of returning home, chooses to search for the Engineers' homeworld, seeking answers about why they created and then sought to destroy humanity.
As the film ends, the black goo mutates an infected Engineer, giving birth to a terrifying proto-xenomorph, hinting at the origins of the creatures that will later terrorize the Alien universe.
Though Peter Weyland dies in his desperate quest for godhood, his corporation’s insatiable thirst for knowledge and power ensures that the nightmare of the xenomorphs and biological warfare will continue. His actions directly set the stage for the future horrors that Weyland-Yutani will later unleash in its reckless pursuit of alien lifeforms.