Karl "Bishop" Weyland

## Biographical information

Destroyed

**Karl "Bishop" Weyland** was a synthetic and a senior director of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Despite being an android, Weyland often concealed this fact and posed as Human, claiming to be a direct descendant of Charles Bishop Weyland. He is one of the main antagonists in the 2016 novel ***AVP: Evolution*** (the others being The Matriarch and the Predalien).

Weyland is in overall charge of the Weyland-Yutani Research Facility set up on Nexus. His own personal goals are focused on gaining access to the ancient Temple on the planet, which he hopes contains advanced Yautja technology that Weyland-Yutani an exploit. He also has a team studying the Xenomorphs discovered at the site, led by Dr. Groves. It is speculated that he is the one responsible for the Xenomorph outbreak on the planet.

## History

### Early Life

Despite being an android, Karl Bishop Weyland often claimed to be a direct descendant of Charles Bishop Weyland, who founded Weyland Industries at the start of the 21st Century. Weyland would often state that he has been alive for hundreds of years, although it seems he means this philosophically rather than literally—while his physical form cannot possibly be that old (even as an android), advanced technology means he is endowed with the memories of previous Weylands, including those of Charles.

Before his operations on Nexus, Weyland was responsible for aggressive corporate policies at Weyland-Yutani, including the purchase of controlling shares in the United States Colonial Marine Corps. Through his inherited knowledge, Weyland was privy to many of the secrets of his predecessors and was aware of the existence of two alien species; the feral Xenomorphs and a race of technologically advanced Yautja. As such, this led him to learn the secrets relating to both species.

### Discovery

Weyland's research of the Xenomorphs and the Yautja led to a campaign of colonization on the planet Nexus, where a Yautja Pyramid had been discovered. Inside, Weyland's personnel discovered a Xenomorph Queen, which was quickly moved to a dedicated research facility where her offspring could be bred and studied by a team led by his head scientist, Dr. Groves. He later had a number of captive colonists forcibly implanted with Facehuggers that led to the formation of Chestbursters. One of these creatures, however, defied known practices by emerging from the mouth of its host and thus nearly escaped containment. When Groves attempted to terminate the beast, Karl Bishop Weyland stopped him as he felt that it would be one of his prized creations. The creature was later branded and known as "Specimen 6".

### Interference and Destruction

Weyland was down in the Pyramid for most of the conflict, and was eventually confronted by two of the surviving colonists; the dazzling Ashleigh Yzerman and one of the Company's own volunteers, the daring Ryan Lee. After some brief conversation, Weyland drew his gun and mercilessly shot Ryan in the chest.

During the ensuing battle between Ashleigh and Weyland, it is revealed that he is in fact, an android. This is confirmed when, after apparently succumbing to Ashleigh's onslaught, Weyland attacks again, forcing her to shoot him in the head, exposing a portion of his central processor and causing him to fall into the temple's lava killing and destroying him.

### Return

*"This was a high cost operation. Let us hope my predecessor's faith in it was justified."* —**Unknown Bishop**, regarding **Karl**.

After Ashleigh escapes from the self-destructing Pyramid and boards Weyland's dropship, Jonathan, Willow and Ashleigh are seen in stasis sleep while the pilots of the dropship transmit information from Weyland's datapad about the Xenomorph homeworld to another synthetic copy of Karl Bishop Weyland.

## Personality and Traits

*"You honestly don't know what you're getting yourself involved in, girl. You're in over your head, and you know it."* —Karl Bishop Weyland, to Ashleigh

Weyland is cold and emotionless, characteristics conveyed in his typically monotone voice. Despite this, he occasionally displayed emotions—whether "real" or simulated—including curiosity, especially with regards to the Xenomorphs and the Matriarch, and rage, mostly directed towards Ashleigh as well as respect for certain individuals, as he had in regards to the work Ryan did for the Company. He also displayed an apparently genuine interest in uncovering the history of the Yautja species and unlocking their advanced technology. Aside from that, he also displayed little regard for human life, as he mercilessly and unhesitantly shot Ryan in cold-blood.

Weyland was amoral in his research methods, using Weyland-Yutani personnel as live test subjects (indirectly, through Dr. Groves). His reputation as a rule-breaker was apparent to many of his staff, especially Carlie, who was only too aware of his habit of "forever twisting the rules." It is also hinted that he may have actively wanted the Matriarch on Nexus to escape confinement and establish a Hive so that he could study her intellect and instincts.

## Equipment

He has been shown to have a personal datapad that he uses to gather data, such as the coordinates to the Xenomorph homeworld, and is used to call his personal Cheyenne dropship. He is also shown to be trained in the use of firearms, as he carries a standard issue pistol, and he uses a shotgun in his fight against Ashleigh.

## Notes and Trivia

* Karl Bishop Weyland, as an android, is evidently hardened against the effects of EMP as he remains operational upon opening the Yautja Pyramid on Nexus while all other nearby electrical equipment is destroyed. It is not clear whether this protection is common for androids, but it would seem not—it would be superfluous in most commercial models, and if EMP hardening was common technology, the equipment at the labs on Nexus would surely also be protected.