Thomas Kane

Gilbert Ward Kane, better known as Thomas Kane, is a supporting character in Alien and a minor character from a separate universe in the 1987 film Spaceballs.

Biography[]

Kane was the first member of USCSS Nostromo. Following this, he was posted as Executive Officer aboard the UKMS Outreach hospital ship, although while there his medical addiction resurfaced. He was relieved of his post, and though he was able to get clean of his addiction, he subsequently descended into alcoholism. He was transferred (despite ostensibly being promoted to Captain) to the UKCS Powell, a commercial towing vehicle, before serving as Executive Officer aboard the USCSS Giler. By the time of his posting to the Nostromo, Kane had been clean of his addictions for some time.

When the Nostromo landed on LV-426 in response to a mysterious signal detected on the moon, Kane volunteered to be part of the team sent out in search of the signal's origin. Kane, Captain Dallas and navigator Lambert soon tracked the signal to a derelict spacecraft. After discovering the fossilized remains of the ship's pilot, Kane elected to investigate a lower area, accessible through a hole burned in the floor. As the others lowered him down, Kane found himself in a huge, cavernous chamber filled with what looked like eggs.

As Kane investigated further he slipped and fell into one of the numerous shallow pits in the cargo hold's floor, disrupting a blue mist suspended above the Eggs as he did so. While inspecting one of the Eggs it opened, and as he peered incautiously inside a Facehugger leapt out and quickly burned its way inside his helmet before subduing him. Dallas and Lambert carried the comatose Kane back to the Nostromo, gaining access despite Ripley's refusal to let an unidentified alien lifeform aboard.

Death[]

Surgery to remove the Facehugger failed, although the creature later detached by itself and subsequently died. Kane awoke from his coma apparently unscathed but incredibly thirsty. He described how he suffered from a nightmare involving smothering, much to the bemusement of the crew. Before returning to hypersleep, Kane and the others elected to eat one final meal, and while they ate, Kane began choking, before violently convulsing and collapsing on the table. As the rest of the crew attempted to restrain him, the Chestburster inside him emerged, gruesomely killing Kane and subsequently escaping the mess hall.

James gave his death the Golden Chainsaw award because of how legendary and shocking the kill is.

After his death, the crew held a short funeral for Kane before they jettisoned his remains into space.

Trivia[]

He reappears in the 1987 film Spaceballs where he is killed in the same manor at the end of the film, but less bloody.
His death is the most memorable.