Bishop (artillery)

The Bishop was the nickname of a British self-propelled artillery vehicle based on the Valentine tank, armed with the 25 pounder gun-howitzer, which could fire an 87.6 mm (3.45 in) 11.5 kg (25 lb) HE shell or an armour-piercing shell. A result of a rushed attempt to create a self-propelled gun, the vehicle had numerous problems, was produced in limited numbers and was soon replaced by better designs.

Design and development

The rapid manoeuvre warfare practiced in the North African Campaign led to a requirement for a self-propelled artillery vehicle armed with the 25-pounder gun-howitzer. In June 1941 the development was entrusted to the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company. A prototype was ready for trials by August and 100 were ordered by November 1941. The result was a vehicle with the formal title: "Ordnance QF 25-pdr on Carrier Valentine 25-pdr Mk 1".

The vehicle was based on the Valentine II hull, with the turret replaced by a fixed boxy superstructure with large rear doors. It was nicknamed the "Bishop" for its high mitre-like superstructure.

Bishop (Eastern Orthodox Church)

A Bishop in the Orthodox Christian Church is the highest spiritual office within the Universal Church. Unlike in some other Christian denominations, an Orthodox bishop cannot interfere with other dioceses that are not under his own jurisdiction.

Episcopal ministry

A bishop is the successor to the Apostles in the service and government of the Church. The bishop thus serves εις τόπον και τύπον Χριστού (in place and as a type of Christ) in the Church. No bishop in Orthodoxy is considered infallible, even the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who is considered to be 'First-among-equals'. None has any authority over or apart from his priests, deacons, and people or the other bishops. A bishop holds the responsibility of maintaining the unity of the Church throughout the world by ensuring the truth and unity of the faith and practice of their diocese. The bishop represent his particular diocese to the other churches or dioceses, and represents the Universal Church to his own particular priests, deacons, and people.

List of Alien characters

This article lists characters and actors in the Alien series of science fiction films. The series spans four films: Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien: Resurrection (1997). The only recurring actress in all four films is Sigourney Weaver, who portrays the series' central character Ellen Ripley.

The film series was subsequently crossed-over with the Predator films with the releases of Alien vs. Predator (2004) and its sequel Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). Together the two Alien vs. Predator films serve as prequels to the Alien series. The only actor from the Alien films to appear in one of the prequels was Lance Henriksen, who had played the android Bishop in Aliens and a man claiming to be the android's creator in Alien 3. Henriksen returned for Alien vs. Predator, in which he played Charles Bishop Weyland.

Characters overview

Table shows the actors who portrayed the characters in the franchise.

Alien

Ash (Ian Holm) is the Nostromo's inscrutable science officer. He administers medical treatment, conducts biological research and is responsible for investigating any alien life forms the crew may encounter. It is at Ash's insistence that the crew investigates the mysterious signal emanating from LV-426. Ripley becomes suspicious of him when he breaks quarantine protocol by allowing Kane, Dallas, and Lambert to re-enter the Nostromo while the Alien facehugger is attached to Kane. Captain Dallas later informs Ripley that Ash had abruptly replaced the ship's previous science officer, whom Dallas had done five previous missions with, just as the Nostromo left Thedus for its return journey to Earth. Over Ripley's objections, Dallas entrusts Ash with all science-related decisions.