1. A system for extracting and aligning complex, variable length computer instructions from a stream of complex instructions, each complex instruction being subdivided into a variable number of instructions bytes, the system comprising: (a) first means for receiving the stream of complex instructions; (b) second means, responsive to said first means, for extracting a set of the instruction bytes from the stream of complex instructions; (c) third means, responsive to said second means, for determining the number of the instruction bytes corresponding to a first one of the complex instructions; (d) fourth means, responsive to said third means, for aligning said first one of the complex instructions based on said corresponding number of instruction bytes; and (e) fifth means, responsive to said fourth means, for outputting said first one of the complex instructions.