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Aliens, Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope)

Site Rating: 58%
(ratings: 4)
Editor Rating: 66%
Writeup Rating: 60%
(ratings: 3)
Film: Aliens (1986)
Deceased Character: Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope)
Archetype: Goody (Minor)
Killed with: Grenade



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'Self-Sacrifice' icon 'Explosion' icon 'Suicide' icon
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Written by Mr. Mouseburger 15th Apr 2006

Kindly submitted by Buzz

When the colonial marines are abandoned on the alien planet, they are forced to retreat through an air duct, hotly pursued by the aliens. Private Vasquez was bringing up the rear, but has been wounded and cannot keep on moving.

Instead of deserting his comrade, Lieutenant Gorman bravely goes back to help Vasquez to escape, but it soon becomes clear that his act has condemned both of them to death when they notice that the aliens have caught them in a classic pincer movement. After dispatching an alien with his pistol, Gorman pulls out a grenade with the intention of taking a few of the aliens with him.

Vasquez realises what this from Gorman signifies, and she declares that Gorman is “an asshole” – which is macho marine talk for “I love you”. He pushes the detonation button in the three second fuse and they both put their hands on the grenade. As it detonates, the grenade kills Vasquez and Gorman, but it does manage to take out a few aliens as well.



3 categories : Self-Sacrifice, Explosion, Suicide

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Other Death Reviews for Aliens (1986)

Alien Queen ()
Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope)
Private Hudson (Bill Paxton)

This review has 7 comments. Reply to the comments
Comment 1 by 'Mr. Briggs Inc.' (reply to this comment)
Is Vasquez or Gorman the killer, this is why I suggested "two-in-one-blow"
Comment 2 by 'Mr Mouseburger' (reply to this comment)
do you mean something like "two birds, one stone"?

My view is that it is Gorman who is the self sacrificer here, he is the one with the grenade and the plan. Vasquez is resigned to dying anyway, but Gorman could have surivived if he had left her.

Comment 3 by 'Mr. Briggs Inc.' (reply to this comment)
2 birds with one stone, yes, depends on how you want to phrase it, not so recently ago, I submitted Dr. Carl Mortner from From a View to a Kill [www.moviedeaths.com]
Who the any dedicated Bond fan knows dies in the same explosion as Scarpine.
Comment 4 by 'Mr Mouseburger' (reply to this comment)
yes, i see what you are saying, but i think we can list these fellows out seperately and assign similar categories. i have tested a similar idea with Snitter and Rowf from the film, "The Plague Dogs".
Comment 5 by 'old bluffer' (reply to this comment)
I'm not convinced this is self-sacrifice myself, as it is debatable whether he believes he has no chance of coming back alive.
Blowing yourself up with a grenade when you're about to die anyway is just suicide, not self-sacrifice.
Comment 6 by 'Mr. Briggs Inc.' (reply to this comment)
He wanted to take the aliens with him.
Comment 7 by 'Chicken' (reply to this comment)
"After dispatching an alien with his pistol, Gorman pulls out a grenade with the intention of taking a few of the aliens with him."

Wrong, watch the movie again. His shots do NOTHING to the alien. They just bounce off.