Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Predator: Badlands and Marvel’s Predator Badlands #1
Following the release of Predator: Badlands in theaters, a “secret” chapter has been released (making the movie even more tragic). Coming from director Dan Trachtenberg, Predator: Badlands is unlike anything we’ve seen before in the Predator franchise, with a young Yautja warrior named Dek as the movie’s main protagonist. Now, a brand-new story has fleshed out Dek’s story even further.
Released by Marvel Comics, the new Predator: Badlands #1 is an epic one-shot by Ethan Sacks and Elvin Ching, overseen by Trachtenberg himself who offered input into the prequel tale’s story and its intersection with the action-packed movie. Keeping that in mind, here’s how this new Predator comic makes Badlands even better (and far more tragic).
Marvel’s New Predator: Badlands One-Shot Dives Into Dek’s History With His Brother
Tasked by his father to retrieve a device from a nearby world, the young Yautja warrior Dek is desperate to be “blooded” as an official member of his clan. Joined by his older and much larger brother Kwei, Dek is eager to prove himself to their father so that he may finally begin his first hunt and earn the traditional Yautja cloak (as we see in Predator: Badlands’ opening scenes).
However, this issue shows us an earlier mission before the events of the new movie that not only confirms Dek’s prowess as a warrior despite his smaller size, but also delves more into his relationship with both his brother and father.
With the movie’s reveal that Dek once saved his brother’s life when they were children, Kwei is shown to be protective of his brother even before their father tried to kill Dek, an uncommon characteristic traditionally frowned upon amongst the Yautja.
Nevertheless, Kwei arrives to save Dek by the issue’s end, even after he fails to retrieve the power core his father wanted, having lost it after facing a deadly robotic defense system capable of replicating a Yautja’s strength and fighting style (imagine a Terminator-esque Predator).
Despite failing in his task, this issue shows that Kwei had long seen his brother’s potential to become a great warrior, regardless of their father’s ongoing disappointment. It’s why the movie starts with Kwei training Dek, wanting him to become as formidable and ready for his first hunt as possible.
This new one-shot also makes Kwei’s death that much sadder in Predator: Badlands, having given his life to save Dek and sending him off for his first hunt.
Badlands Director Dan Trachtenberg Confirms This “Secret” Chapter Fuels Dek’s Origins
After facing his father, Dek’s vow to become blooded and earn his cloak on the final page is the perfect lead-in to Badlands. The comic’s foreword from Trachtenberg also confirms the importance of this comic quite well:
“What you hold in your hands now is a secret. Our secret. When everyone sees Badlands in theaters on November 7th, they will meet Dek, who is being trained by his brother Kwei to be a hunter–the true calling of the Yautja. But there are many things fueling the relationship between the brothers and their ruthless father. And one of those things, one of those stories, is what you now hold in your hand. It’s our secret.”
Although the story might not be required to understand what’s happening in Predator: Badlands, this new Predator one-shot absolutely enhances the viewing experience with Dek’s complicated origins and family history, a must-read for anyone who loved the movie and wants to explore the franchise further.
Predator: Badlands #1 is now on sale from Marvel Comics. Predator: Badlands is now playing in theaters from 20th Century Fox.
- Release Date
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November 5, 2025
- Runtime
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107 minutes
- Director
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Dan Trachtenberg
- Writers
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Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, John Thomas, Jim Thomas
- Producers
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Brent O’Connor, John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Dan Trachtenberg, Ben Rosenblatt
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Elle Fanning
Thia / Tessa
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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Dek / Father
