Aliens Xenomorph Queen NECA Deluxe Figure Review

The NECA Aliens Xenomorph Queen is one of those figures where the sheer size makes an immediate impression. At more than 15 inches tall and stretching roughly 30 inches from her head crest to the end of that massive segmented tail, she absolutely dwarfs the other Xenomorphs in NECA’s Aliens line. There’s a ton to appreciate in the sculpt as well, especially all of the layered ribbing, tubing and smaller details packed into the torso, limbs and head. I really like the dark blue and black paintwork and the clear teeth, although some of the brighter gold and copper areas feel a little heavy compared with the Queen’s appearance in the film. As impressive as she looks, she can also be frustrating to work with. Some of the joints on mine are extremely stiff, getting her balanced takes patience, the back spines can bump into the enormous head crest, and swapping the inner mouths is trickier than I expected. Those issues keep her from being quite as much fun to handle as she is to look at, but once everything comes together, there’s no denying what an imposing centerpiece she makes in an Aliens collection. Huge thanks to Big Bad Toy Store for sending the NECA Aliens Xenomorph Queen over for review.

Overall Impressions

The NECA Alien Queen is one of those figures where the sheer size and presence make an immediate impression. The sculpt is fantastic, and there is an incredible amount of detail packed into the head, body, limbs, and tail. I especially like the predominantly blue and black paintwork and the way the washes bring out all of those sculpted textures. The clear teeth are another nice touch and help capture that wet, organic look of the Queen from Aliens. My one issue with the paint is the gold/copper used throughout the body. There are hints of those tones in the movie, but I think NECA pushed them a little too far here, and I would have preferred something more subdued.

Where the figure becomes more challenging is actually posing it. There is plenty of articulation, but some of the joints are extremely stiff, while other areas simply don’t give you as much useful movement as I would like. The Queen’s unusual proportions also make balancing her difficult, so the included stand and wired tail can become pretty important depending on how you want to display her. I also ran into the issue with the removable back spines interfering with the large head crest when turning or angling the head. The interchangeable inner mouths are a cool inclusion, although getting them seated properly can be frustrating, and personally, I prefer the look without the extended inner mouth anyway.

Even with those frustrations, I really like this figure. Once you get the Queen into a display you are happy with, the size, sculpt, detailing, and overall likeness are hard to ignore. It’s not perfect, and I think collectors should know going in that posing her can require some patience, but as a representation of the Alien Queen, NECA did an impressive job. For me, the strengths comfortably outweigh the issues, and she looks fantastic alongside the rest of an Aliens collection.

Packaging

The front of the oversized box uses a hive-chamber backdrop lined with Xenomorph eggs, including several beginning to open. An irregular window cutout breaks up the artwork while still giving collectors a substantial look at the packaged Queen.

The back of the box features a dramatic, blue-lit image of the Xenomorph Queen alongside a human figure that really drives home just how enormous she is. The feature panel also highlights the included display stand and two interchangeable inner mouths.

The side panel features a great piece of artwork with the Xenomorph Queen looming over a Colonial Marine. The dark blue lighting and the Queen’s massive size give it a really cool Aliens feel that works perfectly with the rest of the packaging.

The opposite side features a window that gives you another look at the Xenomorph Queen inside the box. I like how NECA worked the window into the industrial Aliens-style artwork, surrounding it with grilles, control panels, warning stripes and electrical effects rather than leaving it as a simple opening in the box.

Acceesories

The Xenomorph Queen fills an enormous clear tray, with the head and torso dominating the layout and the long tail packed across the top. The 2 Inner mouths, spine sections, and display stand are secured alongside the larger body sections.

The Queen includes six separate spine pieces that attach along her back, along with two interchangeable inner mouths. The spines vary in size and shape and carry the same dark blue, black, and copper paintwork used throughout the figure.

The 2 Inner mouths come in noticeably different lengths, with one compact version and one fully extended piece. Both carry the same layered organic sculpt and rows of clear teeth, which are especially nice against the dark blue-black finish.

A closer look at the back spines shows all of the ribbed and organic sculpting packed into each piece, with dark blue running along the longer sections. This is also where the copper paint really stands out, and for me it’s a little too bright and heavy compared with the Queen’s much darker appearance in the film.

Figure Details

With all six back spines attached, you really get a sense of just how massive the Xenomorph Queen is, stretching roughly 30 inches from her enormous head crest to the end of her segmented tail. I really like how NECA captured her unusual proportions, from the long legs and secondary arms to that oversized crest that gives the Queen that massive look.

The Queen’s enormous head crest is one of my favorite parts of the figure, with rough grooves, pitting and overlapping sections surrounding that deeply recessed face. NECA also did a great job with the jaws, especially the clear teeth and all of the smaller folds and textures around the mouth.

From the side, you can really appreciate just how enormous the Queen’s head crest is, extending well beyond her face and running back in several overlapping sections. There’s also a surprising amount of sculpting tucked underneath it, with open areas revealing more ribbed detail around the head and neck.

The top of the enormous head crest is raised bands breaking up a surface covered in fine grooves and textures. I especially like the large hooked points running around the outside, which give the crest an even more detailed shape.

The Queen’s primary arms are much heavier than her secondary pair, with large armor-like sections covering the shoulders and forearms along with those long projections extending from the elbows. NECA still leaves plenty of the ribbed, sinewy sculpt exposed between the larger sections, which keeps them consistent with the rest of the figure.

The Queen’s long, fingers end in sharp silver claws, with plenty of sculpted tendons and ridges running through the hand and wrist. Copper paint works its way into some of those details and helps bring out the sculpt against the darker blue-black finish.

A closer look at one of the Queen’s larger hands shows just how long and skeletal the fingers are, with plenty of ridges and smaller sculpted details running through each one. The silver-painted claws are a nice touch and stand out against the glossy blue-black finish.

There’s an incredible amount of sculpted detail packed into the Queen’s torso, from the overlapping ribs and spinal sections to all of the smaller tubes and grooves running between them. The dark blue-black paint settles nicely into those deeper areas and really brings out how intricate the sculpt is.

NECA includes a clear display stand with a metal support post and cradle that helps support the Queen’s massive body. It’s fairly simple and doesn’t distract from the figure, which is exactly what I want from a stand like this.

The long legs continue the skeletal look of the rest of the Queen, with deep channels, open sections and plenty of sculpted detail running all the way down to the feet. I especially like the hooked toes and large rear claws, which look appropriately nasty without feeling oversized.

The massive segmented tail is covered with vertebra-like ridges and hooked spines that gradually get smaller toward the end. There are also copper accents worked into some of the smaller details, although this is another area where I think the brighter copper can be a little heavy compared with the Queen’s appearance in the movie.

Even the Queen’s much smaller secondary arms get the same treatment as the rest of the figure, with lean forearms, tiny clawed hands and plenty of ridges running through the sculpt. I like that NECA didn’t simplify these just because they’re such a small part of an already enormous figure.

The neck is packed with tightly sculpted ribs and cage-like sections layered over deeper grooves underneath. Copper paint picks out some of the raised areas, although again, I would have preferred NECA to go a little darker and more restrained with it.

With the back spines installed, you can see how they emerge from the heavily sculpted upper section of the Queen’s back and blend into the surrounding plates and ribbed details. There’s a lot going on in this area, but the different shapes and textures all feel like they belong together.