Was the Nihilanth a human being?

[Raptor6]

Was the Nihilanth a human being?
Sure, some people say, he is another form of a Controller, but i looked closer to the nihilanth.mdl and found some things which dont fit really to this theory.

I have attached 2 pictures of the model, you can look at them

His body looks very human for me (~), do you see his nipples?
I could not find them on the skin of the controllers.

Another thing is his 3rd arm, which looks like it where attached to his body later, to look more xenish!

In the 2nd screen you can see his legs....or parts of them.
Like they burned away for some reason....where they too long? I don't know.

Or was the Nihilanth the product of Xen and Human love? (*urghs*)
This scares the shit out of me, hopefully we get some answers in hl2.

 

[Sprafa]

I have the particualr theory that he's a Comb

 

[SMT]

No, you guys are both wrong.

It's so obviously Gonarch combined with a Strider combined with ham salad.

 

[Hazar]

Definetly.


But not human.

 

[SMT]

I have the particualr theory that he's a Comb

A Comb? He doesn't look like a comb to me. Where the hell are his teeth? And what use is a comb when none of the Xen creatures have any hair?

 

[Moejoe]

no really i think this is a nice find...his body has too many human features to go unnoticed. I'm not saying he was necessarily human, but he coulda been some kinda freaky hybrid...?

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Whoa, I never had noticed those leg stubs before, like they were cut or burned or something. Interesting.

 

[Skeeze]

The first combine, a prototype, if you will.

 

[<RJMC>]

I am the one who created that teory
but dont worri I will not ask for copirights

 

[Skeeze]

I am the one who created that teory
but dont worri I will not ask for copirights

?????????What??????

 

[Skeeze]

I am the one who created that teory
but dont worri I will not ask for copirights

Also...who's to say what I said is a theory?

 

[SMT]

The first combine, a prototype, if you will.

The first combine was a giant floating telekinetic space baby and the Combine of ten years later is a human sized, human proportioned paramilitary sharpshooter? Oh, okay.

 

[Darkside55]

I just think he's something the Controllers made to be their God, and I don't think the Controllers would view humans as being godlike creatures. Nothing to do with humans, despite human features. Human nipples != human.

 

[CreamOfetus]

it is interesting that his third arm looks stitched on. but i think the real reason it is that way is because the folks at valve thought it looked cool...
you guys read way too much into little details.

 

[Darkside55]

Keep in mind that the Half-Life series was penned by an author who is the master of little details meaning something. Go read a Marc Laidlaw book.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

I don't know what Nihilianth is, but I always got the distinct impression that he was in a lot of pain. (physical or otherwise)

 

[G-Dub]

I don't know what Nihilianth is, but I always got the distinct impression that he was in a lot of pain. (physical or otherwise)

how do you mean? please expand on your comment

 

[AJ Rimmer]

The way he sounded, the way he moved, the way he looked.
Either that or I'm full of crap.

 

[Eejit]

As I've said before it looks like the nihilanth was chopped to pieces and sewn back together at some point.
I think he'll reappear in HL2 and kill Alyx just after you marry her, and in HL3 you have to chase him to the North Pole where he eventually kills himself.

 

[NeLi]

Frankenstein sucks

 

[Brian Damage]

His face is all messed up... I doubt he sees with his eyes...

 

[dæmon]

The big metal part at the back looks similar to the material of the bracelets he is wearing. I always thought that looked out of place, as if nihilanth was "combined" with it at some point.

 

[Rupertvdb]

he is dressed like the alien slaves, interesting no?

 

[Esquire]

And the plot thickens once again.

it sure is interesting. I only noticed that Nihilanth was wearing shackles today. "We are their slaves".

Eijit's first sentence of his last post is very interesting. Could HL2 really have a genetic engineering/super warrior manufacturing storyline?

 

[Livewire1138]

it sure is interesting. I only noticed that Nihilanth was wearing shackles today. "We are their slaves".

whats this from?

 

[Esquire]

try http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24548&highlight=slaves

 

[Brian Damage]

It's something the Nihilanth says in-game. Or at least, it's one of his sound files.

 

[Eejit]

he is dressed like the alien slaves, interesting no?

The fact that the Nihilanth has a bracelet on his 3rd arm, and no collar might be significant, also they're a different colour.

 

[Esquire]

this is so wierd. The first time i played HL i missed all of this stuff. I come onto these forums and it's like i've been playing an almost completely different game.

But the HL series is becoming much more interesting to me now. All these things i never noticed before. I never cared about. Nihilanth's nipples.. his stitched on 3rd arm...

really interesting.

It's also interesting that Nihilanth, Vortigaunts, Controllers and the Alien Grunts (and Gargantuan too?), all bear a common resemblance.. the 3rd arm. Also, snarks look a bit like Vortigaunts because of they're large round eye and coloration.

Nihilanth is the most human of them all with its nipples and Earth language, it is also the most mechanical with its mechanical looking ass. But Xen itself was kind of mechanical anyway. Check out the attached pic. It's some sort of piston. Not really what you'd expect a planet to produce. So maybe some organism of the planet has made it.

But back onto Nihilanth. ok... i have a mechanical arse, a stitched on 3rd arm, my legs are no longer present for some reason, and my head opens like a flower....

Was the Nihilanth a human being? Based on the fact that it has nipples and a completely different flesh tone to everything else on Xen (actually there is the headcrabs & Gonarch that have similar flesh tones), i think no, Nihilanth was not a human being, but, it is instead an alien being, adapted with some human attributes to increase its intelligence. In addition, as a control measure, the Nihilanth was placed in shackles and had a big metallic looking thing shoved up its arse.



Edit: Alright i'm going to join the "Nihilanth was the escaped Combine prototype" group (aka the Frankenstien group).

Nihilanth gets its skin tone from the Gonarch, it's arms (minus the 3rd stitched on arm which is probably needed for making portals or something) from the Vortigaunts, its bulbous flowering head from 'the controllers', it's language from its creators and its mechanical arse from its creators who made it to allow Nihilanth to float about.

 

[Eejit]

Edit: Alright i'm going to join the "Nihilanth was the escaped Combine prototype" group (aka the Frankenstien group).

Nihilanth gets its skin tone from the Gonarch, it's arms (minus the 3rd stitched on arm which is probably needed for making portals or something) from the Vortigaunts, its bulbous flowering head from 'the controllers', it's language from its creators and its mechanical arse from its creators who made it to allow Nihilanth to float about.

Maybe it added the mechanical arse (anti-grav unit? X-Com 'Floaters' anyone?) itself.

Also, I like the Frankenstein's monster comparisons, but don't think it's necessarily a combine prototype, it could be a Controller creation, be the last of a self-modifying species without having a connection to the HL2 combine.

 

[BraveFencerKirby]

You people scare me. It's a giant alien creature with a huge head, three arms, and a collection of giant metallic hemorroids. It is also capable of producing balls of electricity and teleportation portals (and throwing them at you), and it uses large yellow crystals as an energy source.

Now what the bloody hell makes you think it is and/or used to be human?

 

[Brian Damage]

Go back and read the thread again.

 

[EVIL]

his bum is sexy

 

[BraveFencerKirby]

Go back and read the thread again.

Just because you people think his boobies are sexy doesn't mean that he is/used to be human.

 

[Brian Damage]

Well, there's the obviously added third arm, the odd skin tone, the amputated lower legs, the face that looks (to me) like a mutilated human's...

[EDIT]: W00T! Post Number Six Thousand!

Now, who wants to get drunk with me?

 

[Rupertvdb]

the general of spam mister George Michael would.... what the **** is wrong with me today?

 

[Esquire]

Now what the bloody hell makes you think it is and/or used to be human?

Mainly because it knows the English language and can communicate it pretty well.

 

[SimonomiS]

Well, there's the obviously added third arm, the odd skin tone, the amputated lower legs, the face that looks (to me) like a mutilated human's...

[EDIT]: W00T! Post Number Six Thousand!

Now, who wants to get drunk with me?

6000? says Posts: 5,999 to me.

Anyway on topic. Im not too sure, but all the clues seem to point to it being human, im just totally dumbstruck by the metal thing. "Floaters" in X-Com were controlled by something else though, whereas we were led to believe that Nihilanth is the "Leader" of Xen.

 

[Bicka]

Its has arms, stumped legs and a face...........doesn't mean he's human.

vv Is this guy human? vv
http://www.planethalflife.com/nostalgia/halflife/artwork/alien_grunt.jpg

*Actually the grunt almost does in this picture lol*
http://www.planethalflife.com/nostalgia/halflife/artwork/alien_grunt_ad.jpg

Btw the text in the pic says the grunts an alien, so no weird theorys

 

[Sulkdodds]

I believe in the 'controllers built him as god' theory. Look, he's about 50 metres tall. He really is not human.