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In Ridley Scott's Prometheus, why were the primordial beings known as the Engineers planning on heading to Earth before they were attacked?

In Ridley Scotts 2012 sci-fi mystery, Prometheus, why were the engineers heading to Earth? The central themes that pervade both Prometheusand its 2017 sequel, Alien: Covenant,can help one better understand this, as both movies deal with the fraught relations between creator and creation, reflecting a classic tussle for power amid the two. Prometheus follows a human expedition headed by archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), wherein humanity seeks knowledge about belief, immortality, and death from beings that appear god-like in comparison to mortals.

The opening shot of Prometheus features an unforgettable sequence wherein an Engineer named Sacrifice drinks the black goo - which was later discovered by the android, David, on LV-223 - from an urn to create humanity itself, which is accomplished through an act of literal disintegration. The ritualistic sacrifice of this particular Engineer is not different from the lore surrounding the Mayans and the Incas and carries religious undertones, which is subtly hinted at throughout Prometheus, especially when it is revealed that an Engineer was sent to Earth so as to prevent humanity from being consumed by cruelty and aggression, who is believed to be Christ himself. Although very little is known about these beings, their origins, and motivations, it is established that Engineers are a primordial species, with access to cutting-edge technology, which also involved genetic engineering.

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When the human expedition team enters the Derelicts Orrery, the murals on the walls, along with the corpse of an Engineer, exemplify that they were equipped with bio-spacesuits and hazmat suit-styled bio-masks, which could potentially be protection gear for the bioweapons found at the alien temple. The crew of the UCSS Prometheus, especially Peter Weyland, are on a doomed quest right from the start. Weyland wishes to prolong his lifespan, and demands so from his maker, without a clear understanding of the core beliefs of the alien race. What ensues is a reversal of the creator-creation dynamic in Blade Runner, as here, the primordial creator views Weylands request as a fall from grace, which is an indication of failure as a race that does not deserve redemption. Prior to this, Weylands daughter, Vickers, questions his hubris, driving the point home: "A king has his reign, and then he dies. It's inevitable.

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Prometheus: Why The Engineers Were Heading To Earth | Screen Rant - Screen Rant