Alan Grant (JN)

Disambiguation Links – Alan Grant (IDW-JPR), Alan Grant (CB-Topps), Alan Grant (C/N), Alan Grant (S/F)

A renowned paleontologist, Dr. Alan Grant’s primary field of expertise was Velociraptors. He had more theories on them than any other expert in his field. For the longest time, he severely disliked children; he once terrified an obnoxious boy with a fossil Raptor claw and a detailed description of how the dinosaurs killed their prey. Grant’s closest friend and colleague was paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler, who was also his girlfriend for a brief period. It was during a dig in Snakewater, Montana, that Dr. Grant was contacted by John Hammond, the CEO of InGen Bioengineering, who had been funding Grant and Sattler’s digs. Hammond wanted Grant to be one of the experts to come down to Isla Nublar, to endorse what he called a “biological preserve.” Grant was reluctant at first, but finally agreed when Hammond offered to continue funding his digs for a further three years.

Once on Nublar, Grant was at first delighted to learn that InGen had successfully cloned living dinosaurs, but his awe and wonder quickly gave way to common sense. He told Hammond that with dinosaurs and humans being mixed together after so long, they had no idea what to expect. Soon he was proven right; power to the park was lost, and the dinosaurs began escaping and killing people. Grant came through, though. Overcoming his dislike of kids, he rescued Hammond’s grandhildren, Tim and Lex from the threat of the Tyrannosaurus rex, and guided them back to the safety of the park visitor’s center. During that time, he also discovered that Dr. Ian Malcolm’s theory was correct – the dinosaurs were breeding.

Following the Nublar incident, Grant returned to paleontology, despite lack of public interest due to the incident in San Diego. It was this lack of interest in paleontology that was slowly but surely killing Grant’s profession, prompting him to go from university to university in a usually vain attempt to gain funding. At this point, Grant had decided the dinosaurs created by InGen were but cheap imitations, “genetically engineered theme-park monsters,” and he attempted to convince others of this, with limited success. It was around this time that Grant was approached by Paul and Amanda Kirby. Supposedly wealthy adventurers, Kirbys wanted Grant to be their guide on an aerial tour of Site B on Isla Sorna. Grant refused at first, but badly in need of funds, he accepted when Paul offered to pay him any amount of money.

Grant soon learned he had merely been suckered into helping the Kirbys find their missing son, Eric. At first cold, certain the boy was dead after eight weeks on Sorna, he soon warmed up to the Kirbys. Separated from them and rescued by Eric from a pack of Velociraptors, he rejoined the Kirbys with their boy. Together, they escaped the island alive with the timely arrival of the US Navy and Marines. Later, he started the Bureau of Ancient Animal Affairs to research the dinosaurs on Sorna. He was blackmailed by Eric Kirby into letting Eric visit Isla Sorna again.

Working with Deborah Holland, Grant assisted with creating a base of operations for people to study the animals and manage conditions on Isla Sorna.  When an unidentified aircraft entered Sorna’s airspace, several parachutists ejected and Grant had opposing views with Deborah, wanting to wait until a full team was ready for a rescue effort.

After picking up Eric, who had run off on his own to rescue the parachuters, he and his rescue team was pursued by a Carnotaurus.  After firing a sonic cannon when the dinosaur was attacking a fallen Humvee, inhabited by Simon Tunney and company, he was shocked to find that he recognized the particular carnivore in front of him.  While the dinosaur was distracted, he learned Simon’s age to be eighteen and decided to put him on trial as an adult.

Moments later, Grant found himself and the others surrounded by two more Carnotaurus when the one he recognized returned.  Knowing it was him the predator wanted, he ran into the woods with the trio following him.  Hiding until the Carnotaurus trio got bored, he was rescued by a helicopter and returned when the dinosaurs were taken care of by the security force.

Alan Grant was involved in capturing the escaped Pteranodons and returning them to Isla Sorna.