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In the phenomenal season 1 finale of Raised by Wolves on HBO Max, we learned so much. One of the startling revelations was the identity of the alien-in-a-box creature in Mother’s flashback vision from Episode 9. See photos from her vision and learn the theory behind who that creature really was.

This article has major spoilers for the season finale of Raised by Wolves. 

The Alien Is Likely Another Necromancer

So just what was the deal with Mother’s flashback vision? She saw a cult of creatures in hoods surrounding an alien-in-a-box-and-helmet. If you look back at it now, after watching the finale, the clues are all there that she was seeing another Necromancer. Perhaps its shape was different because it was designed for a slightly different race. Or it might have simply been an earlier version and she’s a newer model.

First, here are photos from her vision in Episode 9:

It seemed weird that the creature had a helmet over its head, until you remember the Necromancer’s ability to indiscriminately kill with its eyes. That’s why a helmet like that was needed. It also looks like the mouth is being held open — perhaps to give birth to snake babies? Mother had that strange look on her face during the Episode 10 scene when she found the creature’s body because she recognized it as one of her own kind.

Remember: the Mithraics did not invent the Necromancer. They got the blueprints from Sol, whom we now know is somehow connected to Kepler 22-B. Sol could be a number of thing. It could be an AI on Kepler 22-B whose sole function is propagating snake babies. Sol could be the “spirit” of the planet or the “spirit” of the snake baby’s architect. Whatever it is, it designed the Necromancers to give birth to snake babies, which are essentially hybrids of the androids themselves and a carbon-based lifeform that is native to Kepler 22-B.

First, consider the shape of the alien’s mouth when she found its skeleton in a cage. It looks like its mouth was being held open, possibly because Necromancers give birth to those weird snakes through their mouths. And that could also be the reason why it was being kept wholly enclosed in a metal box — to keep the alien snake baby safe. In this photo, you can clearly see android-white-blood coming from its mouth. This is definitely a birthing device, and the Necromancer’s face is wholly enclosed so it can’t kill everyone.

Now look at the skull of the alien’s head. It’s obviously artificial. In fact, you can see gold plating, similar to what we see on Mother when she goes full-Necromancer mode.

HBO MaxNot to mention, the “alien’s” eyes appear false, just like Mother’s.

Her Vision Reveals More about the Necromancers’ and Snake Babies’ Pasts

The Necromancers are artificial birth chambers, basically. I’m guessing that Sol on Kepler-22B sends out the blueprints whenever a new race nearby becomes sentient. Or, based on the similarity between the Neanderthal skeleton on Kepler-22B and the Neanderthals on Earth, it’s possible that humans originated on Kepler 22-B and were seeded on other planets. (Or it could be the opposite: that this isn’t the first time a human race has been enticed to Kepler 22-B.)

Either way, the Necromancers they build are basically birthing chambers for the snake babies.

In Mother’s vision, it looked like the hooded creatures were worshipping the Necromancer and wanted the snake babies. Which is weird to me, but maybe they were all under Sol’s control. Kind of like Marcus is now. They didn’t know any better.

My hope is that Marcus breaks free of his mind control brainwashing and becomes the ultimate badass Sol enemy, but that theory is for another story. (Hey, it looks like at least one of those hooded creatures broke free of its trance and tried to kill Mother. Or someone did and passed down that knowledge to subsequent generations, including the one that tried to kill a very pregnant Mother.)

We know that these snake creatures somehow died out, because all that was left were these huge snake skeletons and devolved Neanderthals. Likely there was a major war of some sort and the snakes lost. But now “Sol” is trying to birth them again.

Why was that one hooded creature that tried to kill Mother more evolved than the others? That’s a question for Season 2, but I’ll wager it has something to do with the other side of the planet. Remember, Paul said that the baby shouldn’t go on that side. I’m willing to bet that either there are still “people” on that side with the ability to kill the snake baby, or that side is “untouched” and ruled by another entity that has some kind of uneasy truce with Sol. Lots of speculation, but there you have it.

Aaron Guzikowski said in an interview with Newsweek about Mother’s baby: “Well, I call it a serpent, but that is not a technical moniker. It is definitely of the same ilk as the serpents whose bones they found in the fields, and all around the planet—these sorts of dinosaurs, these extinct giant snake-like creatures… All I can say beyond that would be that this one in particular may take on some of its mother’s attributes. So, it may have a few abilities that some of its ancestors did not have…  It is wise, and if it is something else, that is definitely trouble.”

That’s troubling.

Stephanie

Stephanie Dwilson started Post Apocalyptic Media with her husband Derek. She's a licensed attorney and has a master's in science and technology journalism. You can reach her at [email protected].

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