Terrans, extraterrestrials, warriors and the last (wo)man standing

In science fiction and horror thriller films, black protagonists are rare; even rarer are black female protagonists who not only survive, but also prevail as heroic figures. This article explores the trope of the last woman standing, the one who survives in combat and struggles for existence regarding humans in conflict for survival with Others - powerful technologically-advanced extraterrestrials. Through examination of two film franchises, Alien and Predator, this article examines the role of two female lead protagonists, representations of females and the feminine, the narratives in which they are situated and considers the questions of race, gender, power and the heroic. This article posits that black women can perform as heroes in non-stereotypical ways and that science fiction films (and for that matter, literature by black writers in particular) offer possibilities for black women to perform in ways that are emancipatory, not only as warriors in the traditional sense, but also as warriors in defense of humanity in terms of community and ethical agency.