July 30, 1984

50 huge, saucer-shaped ships hover over major cities across the world. The aliens reveal themselves as appearing human, but requiring special glasses to protect their eyes and having a distinctive resonance to their voices. Referred to as the Visitors, they reach out in friendship, seeking help to obtain chemicals and minerals needed to aid their ailing world. In return, the Visitors promise to share their advanced technology with humanity. The governments of Earth accept the arrangement, and the Visitors, commanded by their leader John and his deputy Diana, begin to gain considerable influence with human authorities.

TV cameraman Michael Donovan boards one of the Visitors' ships and discovers they are carnivorous reptilian humanoids. He escapes with the evidence but just as the exposé is about to air on TV, the broadcast is interrupted by the Visitors, who announce Donovan and his assistant Tony are fugitives to be hunted down.