A cinematic touchstone with an enduring legacy, "Aliens" has influenced films which followed it. Although "The Terminator" was a success for Cameron, the critical and commercial success of "Aliens" made him a blockbuster director. The film expanded the "Alien" series into a franchise spanning video games, comic books and toys. Ripley and the alien creature originated in "Alien", but Cameron expanded on the creature's life cycle, added new characters and factions (such as the Colonial Marines), and expanded the films' universe.