Predator Timeline: Order Of Movies And Comics

Drawn to heat and conflict, the Predators have visited Earth occasionally throughout the human history. In the Predator books and comics, they have taken part in the biggest and bloodiest wars of mankind. Some Predators even encountered real-life historical figures. Here is a Predator timeline of historical Yautja hunts, including taking trophies in World War 1, World War 2 and the Vietnam War. The Alien vs. Predator timeline(considered canon by some fans) is also included here to piece together a full chronology of Predator movies in order.

First Predator Hunts on Earth: 2000 BC in Central America

Thousands of years ago, the Predators had a prominent presence on Earth. They taught humans to build and were worshiped as gods in return. In actuality, the humans were used as slaves and as victims for breeding the Aliens. Back then, the Predators were not interested in hunting the inferior humans, but only the Xenomorphs. These Yautja hunts happened inside and on the exterior of the pyramids that humans had built. The Predator presence on Earth was cut back when the Xenomorph infestation got out of hand and the Predators had to detonate a self destruct device on top of one of the pyramids, wiping out the entire civilization with it.

1718: Guinea

The Elder Predator nicknamed "Greyback" from the end of Predator 2 was at least 300 years old and had his share of historical hunts. One of his first hunts was at the coast of Guinea in the year 1718, as seen in the Predator: 1718 comic. A group of pirates mutinied against their captain Raphael Adolini over a case of treasure. The Predator observed the mutiny and was thrown into the middle of it, fighting side by side with Adolini against the mutineers. Together they managed to take down the pirates, however, Adolini was mortally wounded. His last act was to give the Yautja his flintlock pistol, with "Raphael Adolini 1715" engraved on it. Greyback later gave it to Mike Harrigan.

1719: North America

Predator: Prey is a prequel to Predator and it hinted that the Feral Predator's hunt in the Great Plains in 1719 might have been the first Yautja hunt on Earth ever. However, this might have only been the first hunt for that particular Predator type or clan, so it still leaves the possibility of preceding events, like the pirate massacre in Guinea or the AvP temple worshippers. The Feral Predator spent days in the forests of North America, killing bears, Indians, and even French trappers. It met its match in the Comanche Tribe, particularly in the female warrior named Naru who became a worthy adversary. The Feral's technology was a bit less advanced than the Predator's proceeding him, which makes sense for the time period.

Early 18th century: Feudal Japan

The Predator's connection to the samurai is often depicted in comic books and fan-art. In Predators, we saw a Yakuza called Hanzo fighting a Super Predator with a samurai sword. The short fight ended in a tie, with both participants dying. In the Predator: Blood Feud comic, an old Yautja returned to Earth to hunt down a decadent of a samurai he fought hundreds of years ago in feudal Japan. During the feudal period, a big battle between dozens of Yautja and hundreds of samurai took place on the plains, with most participants dying. A long-living samurai called Subotai also shows up in the Predator: Xenogenesis comic series, and is mentioned in Aliens vs. Predator: Eternal.

1861-1865: The American Civil War

At least two Predators have been known to have hunted during the American Civil War, both encountering real-life historical figures. The first one had a run-in with Jesse James in the Predator: Hell Come a Walkin' comic. Before his outlaw career, Jesse was a soldier amongst a unit of Confederate soldiers. They joined forces with Union soldiers to take down a Predator who had been slaughtering soldiers on both sides. Another Predator hunt during the Civil War occurred in the Predator: If It Bleeds anthology novel, in the short story titled Stonewall's Last Stand. In the book, Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson joined a group of criminal soldiers to scout the Union lines. They encountered a Union soldier who warns them about a Predator hunting nearby. The Yautja proceeded to slaughter the group, but was finally killed by Union cannon fire. Jackson was accidentally shot and mortally wounded by his men when returning to his own lines, something that happened in real-life.

1896: Victorian London

In the Predator: Nemesis comic, a lone Predator visited Victorian age London in the year 1896. This happened a few years after the killing spree of Jack the Ripper and the additional murders by the Yautja made him to be nicknamed the "Springheeled Jack". Mycroft Holmes, a high ranking Victorian British intelligence officer and a character from the Sherlock Holmes novels, dispatched Captain Soames to investigate the case. Soames discovered the Predator's ship and trophy wall hidden in the sewers. Soon after, they had a bloody duel with the Predator being shot through the shoulder and chest. Soames cut his arm off with a machete and the Predator drowned in the waters of the Thames river.

1904 October: Razorback Point Whaling Station Incident, Antarctica

The first Alien vs. Predator movie established that Predators tend to visit Earth every 100 years to send their Young Bloods on ritualistic hunts to become blooded. In the Alien vs. Predator Unrated Edition, we are briefly shown what happened at the Razorback Point Whaling station a century before the events of the movie. In October 1904, at least one Predator and a Xenomorph were loose on the whaling station, having probably escaped from the underground temple. A sole survivor (possibly of Nordic origin) tried to escape from a cloaked Predator but was confronted by the Xenomorph instead. Most likely, everyone at the station was massacred but no evidence of any unearthly presence was left behind and the temple remained hidden.

Early 20th Century: The Wild West

One of the best Predator expanded universe stories was Predator: Big Game, a comic series about Enoch Nakai fighting a crazed but determined Yautja in the New Mexico desert. However, this wasn't the first time that Enoch's family had encountered a Predator. After the events of Big Game, his grandfather revealed that his own father(Enoch's great-grandfather) had possibly fought the same Yautja in the early 20th century. The Predator was drawn to the conflict of Native Americans and an oil drilling company that was using mercenary cowboys to do their dirty work. When a dispute about sacred land at the Two-Witch Mesa got out of hand, the Predator joined in the fight between the Indians and the cowboys, killing men from both sides. The Yautja was wounded in the arm and disappeared soon after but would show up 75 years later to fight Enoch.

1914-1918: World War 1

A Predator fought and hunted on the muddy Western Front in World War 1 in the Predator: Bloody Sands of Time comic book. In the story, ordinary French soldiers in the trenches observed the Predator killing soldiers from both sides. They told their superiors but the story was so outlandish that they thought they were mad. One of the memorable scenes from the comic is the Predator taking down a British Mark 1 tank and being wounded by a mustard gas attack. The Predator also seems to be one of the few to survive, taking the head of a disbelieving French general as a trophy in the end.

1926: Everglades National Park

Predator: God's Truth was another comic where a lone Predator hunted in the United States in the expanded Predator timeline. In this short story, an escaped convict ran to the Everglades marshes and was followed by three armed guards. The guards did not have an easy task, the prisoner had set up traps, and worst of all, a Yautja was stalking all of them. Two of the guards were taken out by the hunter, while the leader got trapped hanging upside down. While the prisoner taunted the guard, the Predator shot him through the chest with the shoulder cannon and took his head as a trophy. The guard was left alive but hanging, as said that everything he witnessed was "God's Truth".

1936: Kenya

One of the few Predator stories set in Africa, Predator: The Pride at Nghasa took place in Kenya when the country was a colony of the British Empire. Railroad workers in the Nghasa basin had been slaughtered by an unknown assailant and a small crew of British hunters was put together to investigate. Although they accuse local villagers at first, soon it was revealed that the killer was a Predator. In the following clash, the Yautja was wounded and the British hunters were killed except a man named Copeland. Copeland followed him and witnessed the Predator being mauled by both hyenas and crocodiles, losing a limb. The Predator then leaves on a ship hidden in the marshes with the amazed man looking upon it.

1939-1945: World War 2

The Predators could not keep away from the biggest human conflict ever. However, there are no records of them participating in the main hotspot - Europe. The black and white comic book Predator: Demon's Gold has a Yautja encountering a group of SS soldiers in South America who were looking for ancient treasure to bolster Germany's war effort. The nazis had kidnapped a boy from a nearby village that they burned down. The child took them to a cave in the mountains that was said to contain ancient gold. Instead, a Predator appeared and massacred the whole unit of soldiers, taking the head of the commanding officer as a trophy. The boy survived and later told the story which became a legend. As mentioned by Peter Keyes in Predator 2, a Predator most likely hunted on Iwo Jima as well.

1930ties and 1940ties: Mob Violence

The Predators were also drawn to the mob violence that swept through the United States in the 30ties and 40ties. In the Predator: Concrete Jungle video game, a Yautja nicknamed Scarface had some run-ins with the mob in New Way City in 1930, where he ended up dishonoring himself while losing his tech to the Borgia family. In 1947, another Predator hunted down mob members in the heart of New York, as described in lesser-known three-part comic Predator: Hunted City. The story followed a journalist named Max investigating the gruesome deaths of two different crime families. In the end, Max unwillingly teamed up with crime boss Tony Vincenzo and stabbed the Predator between the armor plates, leaving his final fate unknown.

1955-1975: Vietnam War

Most of Dutch's squad from the first Predator movie fought in Vietnam or Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Obviously, they didn't encounter any Yautja or this would have been mentioned. However, in Predator 2, Peter Keys mentions that mankind has encountered Predators before in Cambodia. Furthermore, in The Predator movie prequel comic - Hunters and Hunted, a CIA agent named Pappy Elliot had his squad slaughtered in Vietnam during the war. The incident haunted him to present day and motivated him to put together a Predator hunting squad - the Reapers, a predecessor to the Stargazer task force seen in the movie. Pappy Elliot met another Predator in the book who killed him while escaping the Stargazer facility, a familiar scene from the movie.

1987: The Val Verde/Guatemala Incident

The first Predator movie takes place in 1987, the same year that it was released. However, there is some conflicting evidence of where exactly it took place. The common knowledge was that the country where Dutch Schaefer's team made their incursion was Val Verde, a fictional country that pops up in some other Hollywood movies, like Die Hard 2 and Commando. In Predators, Isabella mentions that the Predator hunted in Guatemala, which is also supported by the Predator novelization by Paul Monette. However, the Dark Horse Predator comics mention Columbia, which is further south. It can be agreed that the movie's events happened either in Central or (Northern) South America, crossing the border from one country to the next and then back again.

1997: The Los Angeles Hunt

Predator 2 takes place in 1997, when Los Angeles was experiencing a record-breaking heat wave and an explosion of drug gang violence, which drew the attention of the Lost Tribe Predators, particularly the City Hunter. The tribe hid their ship in the sewers and most likely only one or two of the Predators actually ventured into the city. The City Hunter massacred many members of the gangs and came into conflict with the LAPD, namely detective Mike Harrigan. Harrigan chased the Hunter to the ship, killed him in a duel, and met the remaining members of the Lost Tribe. He was awarded the same flintlock pistol that Greyback had acquired early in the 18th century. The Lost Tribe left Earth and has not been heard from since.

2004 October: The Charles Bishop Weyland Expedition to Antarctica

A 100 years after the Razorback Point whaling station incident, the Antarctica clan of Predators returned to Earth to let three Young Bloods prove their worth in the underground temple. Weyland Industries also picked up the heat signature of the temple activating under the ice and Charles Bishop Weyland led an expedition to the remote island. The expedition met an ill fate of both Xenomorphs and Predators, and there only was a sole survivor - Alexa Woods. The Predators did not fare better - although Scar managed to get blooded, he died fighting the Alien Queen on the surface. Scar was doomed anyway, he had a Predalien chestburter growing inside of him. Scar blooded Alexa Woods who then met the Elder Predator of the clan and was rewarded a ceremonial dagger.

2004 October: Gunnison, Colorado Wipeout

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem picked up straight after the events of Alien vs. Predator, so possibly only a few days passed between the two movies. In early October 2004, a Predalien born from the body of Scar Predator caused a Yautja scout shop to crash near the small town of Gunnison, Colorado. A Xenomorph infestation quickly spread from the ship to the nearby town. Wolf Predator was sent to clean up the mess and was successful at first, but the sheer number of Xenomorphs and the ferocity of the Predalien overwhelmed him. The situation was solved by the US army, who dropped a nuke on the town, destroying any evidence of both Aliens and Predators for the time being.

2010: Game Preserve Planet Hunt

Predators (also known as a Predator 3) is a bit difficult to place in the Predator timeline as there was no indication when it took place. Most Predator timeline wikis place the Game Preserve Planet hunt in 2010, the same year as the movie was made. A group of humans was kidnapped from Earth and placed on the planet for the pleasure of the Super Predator clan. The Super Predators then hunted and killed most of the outcasts, but all three members of the hunters were killed as well. In the end, only Royce and Isabella survived, being left stranded on the planet. Predator: Hunting Grounds later revealed that Isabella reached back to Earth on a Predator ship and that Royce left to an unknown location.

2018: Fugitive Predator Escapes To Earth

The Predator is the final movie entry in the Predator timeline, taking place during Halloween in 2018. It is the only Predator movie that spans multiple locations across a wide area, including Mexico, and a secret Stargazer base in the US. Seemingly, a Predator Civil War had erupted on Yautja Prime and the Fugitive Predator escaped to Earth with the secret Predator Killer technology, which he was supposed to give to humans to help fight the Assassin Predators, that were going to take over the planet. Instead, the Fugitive Predator went on a killing spree of humans and got stupidly killed himself by the big Assassin Predator. In the end, a group of human veterans nicknamed the Loonies killed the Assassin Predator and the US military acquired the Predator Killer technology.

2001-2021: War in Afghanistan

At least two different Yautja hunted during the still ongoing war in Afghanistan, not to be confused with the Soviet Afghanistan War. Predator: Hunters reveals the story of mercenary Tyler Swain who was working as a contractor to safeguard a convoy of supplies. His car was hit by a mortar and he lost consciousness. When he came to, he saw that a single Yautja had massacred and taken trophies from his whole squad, including a group of Taliban that had ambushed them. In Predator: Hunters II, the whole story took place in Afghanistan with the group of Predator Hunters traveling to the mountains to take down a lone Predator. The Yautja had established a cave full of trophies, including weapons from the war. The Predator managed to massacre a squad of Stargazer soldiers but was finally taken down by Predator Hunters squad.

2018-2025: Reappearance Of Dutch Schaefer

In 2018, the OWLF was shut down and replaced by Project Stargazer, which in turn was almost ended by the Fugitive and Assassin Predator's attacks. By 2025, a 78-year-old Dutch, after surviving a Yautja attack and getting a treatment that mixed his DNA with a Yautja’s, joined the reinstated OWLF. He worked with Sean Keyes, admiring the group's progress and Sean's knowledge, but was worried about more frequent Yautja attacks and their potential threat to humanity. Despite this, Dutch stayed focused on fighting the Yautja, teaming up with like-minded individuals in a critical part of the ongoing struggle between humans and the Yautja.

For more emphasis on the Alien universe, check out the Alien movie timeline. Want to know more about the Yautja? Check out the list of the best Predator comics and look over the Predator and Samurai encounters.