This second alien force wiped out the Ring builders entirely, for reasons The Expanse has yet to address. Revealed to Holden by The Investigator (wearing the face of Joe Miller) in The Expanse seasons 3 and 4, the Protomolecule empire reigned supreme for a long time, but incurred the wrath of something beyond its domain. Saturn's Phoebe moon was likely thrown toward Sol for this very purpose, but got caught in the planet's gravity (nice save, Saturn!), and by the time Earth and Mars awoke the Protomolecule within Phoebe, its creators had already been dead for many millions of years. Utilizing the substance's hive mind, this ancient alien empire developed Ring Gates to spread throughout countless other systems.

Several billion years before James Holden was hauling ice and indulging in zero-G sex sessions aboard the Canterbury, those responsible for creating the Protomolecule dominated our Milky Way galaxy. The alien enemies have begun spiriting away ships as they pass through the Ring network, making them a direct threat to the Sol system. Related: Expanse Season 6 Pays Off Avasarala's Very First SceneĪlso known as dark gods, unknown aggressors, or goths (because they enjoy The Cure, presumably), these aliens have become increasing prominent throughout The Expanse season 6, and present one final villain for James Holden to overcome. As powerful as the Protomolecule is, however, a greater opposing force is balancing out the equation in The Expanse - the Ring entities. The Protomolecule continues to build and enhance itself before fulfilling its core purpose of transforming into a giant portal (later dubbed the Ring Gate) filled with doorways to other systems in the galaxy. Alongside wealthy researcher Jules-Pierre Mao, Earth and Mars begin delving into the science behind this strange blue substance. Eight years before The Expanse begins, Protomolecule is discovered within the Saturn moon of Phoebe.

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