Machiko Noguchi

Machiko Noguchi (Japanese: 野口真千子), also known as Da'dtou-di ("small knife") and by fans and the media as either The Human Predator or She-Predator, is a fictional character in the Alien vs. Predator franchise. Created by writer Randy Stradley and artist Phil Norwood, with a backstory by Steve and Stephani Perry, she first appeared in Dark Horse Comics' 1990 Alien vs. Predator comic book series. Machiko became a breakout character, her initial limited comic series receiving three sequels and novelizations. She is a morally questionable but honour-bound former colony administrator who initially joins the hunting party of the Yautja to hunt the Internecivus raptus, later brokering peace between the Yautja and human race against a common enemy. Machiko was the first original character from the Alien and Predator series not from the films to lead a comic series.

Machiko Noguchi Da'dtou-di
Alien vs. Predator character
Machiko on Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet (November 1, 1997)
First appearance	Aliens vs. Predator #1 June 1, 1990
Created by	Randy Stradley (comics) Steve and Stephani Perry (novels) Phil Norwood (artist)
Portrayed by	Breanna Watkins (The Predator deleted scene) Kendrick “Kunkka” Lim (Sideshow Collectibles, likeness)
In-universe information
Full name	Machiko Noguchi Da'dtou-di (small knife)
Nickname	She-Predator
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Title	The Human Predator Killer of Queens
Occupation	Hunter Colony Administrator (formerly)
Affiliation	Yautja Chigusa Corporation
Family	Akira Noguchi (father) Keiko Noguchi Ueda (mother)
Significant other	Dachande "Broken Tusk" Yeyinde Hiroki Shimura Brian Ellis
Origin	Japan, Earth
Nationality	Japanese

Character

Described as "What Ellen Ripley is to Alien is what Machiko Noguchi is to Predator," referred to by ComicBookInvest as "a shiny new toy to play with in these franchises." after the character's rights were purchased by Marvel Comics from Dark Horse Comics, Machiko is a corporate representative turned hunter driven by honor and respect, who seeks to live for the sake of living and find the perfect hunt.[1]

Speaking of the character after returning for Three World War in an interview with IGN, Randy Stradley looked to what he called "Machiko has become a more fun character to write in my fifteen years or so away from her. Her own unique perspective on the situations in the story are helping me find new things to do with the Aliens and the Predators."[2] Described her arc, he added:

As a result of bond she formed with the lead Predator character (known as Broken Tusk) in the first AVP series, as his dying act he used the Aliens' acid blood to mark Machiko with the symbol of his clan. When she later encountered other Predators, that brand brought her acceptance into their culture. For a while Machiko enjoyed her sojourn with the Predators (AVP: War), but when one of their hunts put humans in their sights, Machiko betrayed the Predators and rejoined human society. Now, in AVP: 3WW, she has to find a way back into Predator society - for the sake of mankind, and for the Predators themselves.[2]

Speaking to ComicAttack with Rick Leonardi, Stradley additionally stated of Machiko that "[i]n addition to the action-adventure Machiko everyone has already met, you’ll get to see a side of her that may surprise you. She has mellowed and matured with age, but that mean that she’s any slower to action," expressing interest in the character being written to meet Ellen Ripley in the future.[3]

Fictional character biography

Early life

Machiko is a human woman of Japanese descent. As a young woman, Machiko witnessed her father, Akira Noguchi, commit seppuku (a suicide honor-killing) when he was fired from the Yashido company for embezzlement. Before dying, Akira told his daughter to restore their family's honor; he'd composed a Death Poem for Machiko, but her mother, Keiko, refused to let her read it until many years later. Machiko would grow up to be a loner, but hoping to fulfill her father's wishes she began training in martial arts.

Prey and War

Later in life, Machiko sought to regain her family's honor by working for the Chigusa Corporation. She would managed to rise through the ranks to a managerial position, and ended up being stationed at Prosperity Wells, on the planet Ryushi. Machiko was originally not well liked there, primarily for her loner nature and unwillingness to get to know the local settlers like her predecessor, who was very well liked. Machiko's life changed drastically however, when a Predator hunting party came to Ryushi to seed the planet with Xenomorph eggs. Unfortunately, the Predators were unaware that humans had started colonizing the planet recently, just as they were also unaware that the Queen that had laid the eggs had secretly managed to sneak a queen egg into the batch. After an altercation with the colony's doctor who managed to injure the clan leader, the younger Predators of the group began hunting every human they came across - whether armed, unarmed, young, or old.

After many conflicts, Machiko gained a friendship with the Predator leader, Dachande. This relationship led Dachande to giving Machiko the Predator name Da'dtou-di (meaning "small knife") and accepting her as a human Predator. Machiko eventually even managed to slay a Xenomorph Queen, and kept its head as a trophy.

Because she now bore the mark of Dachande, Machiko was allowed to hunt alongside a clan of the Predator hunters. Over the years, she came to prove her strength and skill in the ways of the hunt, but she was still often ridiculed by Predators because of the fact that she was nevertheless, still a human. When she gained her own armor however, she finally managed to gain some respect. Machiko also later took part in a successful hunt to capture a Xenomorph Queen alive for an upcoming hunt with several other clans.

A year or so after the Xenomorph Queen hunt, Machiko began to feel as if she didn't truly belong with the Predators, and when her clan embarked on a human-killing mission, she ultimately came to choose being human over being a Predator. Machiko therefore abandoned the Predators, and settled down on Bellatrix 2, a settlement just off the left of Orion's shoulder.

Hunter's Planet and Three World War

However, after returning to her rather mundane life, Machiko began to crave for the freedom of the hunt once again. And so, when she received an offer one day, from a wealthy man named Livermore Evanston to attend his very own hunting planet, she promptly accepted. She eventually came to run her own business as a guide for hunting parties.

When a group of Yautja known as "The Killers" attacked a human mining colony, Machiko's aid was requested for by the Colonial Marines. She initially refused to even listen to what they had to say to her, but when she was shown footage of the attack on the mining colony, she quickly became interested upon recognising this rogue demographic of Yautja, which are not part of the mainstream culture of the species, are working alongside the xenomophy, and pose a threat to virtually all life. Agreeing to help, he then went with the Marines to Ryushi in order to seek out her former Yautja clan. Once they found the clan, Machiko swiftly killed one of the Predators as a show of dominance and negotiations for an alliance with the Predators began.

Other appearances

Film

In Peter Briggs' unproduced 1991 Alien vs. Predator script, titled The Hunt: Alien vs. Predator, the lead character was named Hiroko Noguchi, an amalgamation of Machiko Noguchi and Hiroki Shimura from Prey. In the final Alien vs. Predator film, the character of Alexa "Lex" Woods (portrayed by Sanaa Lathan) is based on Machiko, who additionally fights alongside a Yautja to kill an Alien Queen, who provides them with a mark identical to Machiko's own, after which point an elderly Yautja provides her with a combat spear as a trophy. In February 2015, Christopher Marc of The GWW expressed interest in Rinko Kikuchi portraying Machiko in a future film.[4]

The Predator (2018)

In three separate alternate endings that were filmed but not used in The Predator, stuntwoman Breanna Watkins portrayed Machiko, Ellen Ripley, and an adult Rebecca "Newt" Jorden, all with their faces not visible. In the final version of the film, the "Predator killer" title originally referring to the three women is established as referring to a transformative suit of armor allowing a human to take on the attributes of a Yautja, dubbed "Predators" by the film's protagonists.[5][6][7]

Related works and promotional material

Machiko Noguchi is mentioned in Aliens vs. Predator: Duel, in which the protagonists come across the ranch on Ryushi where she now supposedly lives, not knowing she has long since left with the Yautja clan. Machiko Noguchi is additionally a playable character in the 2020 asymmetrical multiplayer PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows video game, Predator: Hunting Grounds.[8]

Impact and reception

Merchandising

In May 2014, Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles released an action figure set of Machiko Noguchi and the various members of her Yautja clan, including Dachande "Broken Tusk" Yeyinde, "Hot-Rod" and "Shorty", using the likeness of Kendrick “Kunkka” Lim as Machiko.[9][10] In November 2017, a remodelled set was released by the National Entertainment Collectibles Association as part of their Series 18 Predator line.[11][12]

References

1. Joslin, Clint (July 26, 2020). "Val Verde incident #2: Machiko Noguchi". ComicBookInvest. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
2. George, Richard (January 6, 2010). "Aliens and Predators Return to War". IGN. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
3. Leonardi, Rick (February 15, 2010). "Dark Horse's Randy Stradley talks Aliens and Predators with ComicAttack.net!". ComicAttack. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
4. Marc, Christopher (February 17, 2015). "How to Make New Alien and Predator Films Badass: Part 2". The GWW. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
5. Squires, John (December 29, 2018). "[Images] One Alternate Ending Filmed for 'The Predator' Featured the Arrival of… Ellen Ripley?!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
6. Elderkin, Beth (January 2, 2019). "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream About Ripley or Newt Almost Being in The Predator". io9. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
7. Prell, Sam (September 19, 2018). "The Predator ending almost had the perfect twist - how the Predator killer could have saved the movie". GamesRadar. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
8. https://screenrant.com/predator-hunting-grounds-arnold-schwarzenegger-dutch-tapes-backstory/
9. Pahle, Rebecca (July 24, 2018). "What You're Missing at SDCC: Sideshow Collectibles". The Mary Sue. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
10. Collectibles, Sideshow (May 15, 2014). "Presenting Machiko Noguchi, the She-Predator". Sideshow Collectibles. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
11. Moore, Joe (June 14, 2017). "Detailed Look at Sculpt for Predator Series 18 Machiko Noguchi". Toyark. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
12. Collectibles, Sideshow (July 27, 2017). "The Foundation of Good Design: an interview with sculptor Mark Newman". Sideshow Collectibles. Retrieved July 27, 2017.