V: THE ORIGINAL MINISERIES

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

Major cities all over the world witness the sudden appearance of 50 gigantic saucer-shaped Motherships which broadcast that they come in peace. When these self-described "Visitors" reveal themselves, they appear remarkably human and explain that their leader has sent them to Earth on a desperate mission to save their dying planet. In exchange for our help in producing the chemical compounds they need to survive, the Visitors offer to share their advanced scientific knowledge with all mankind. A fascinated world quickly falls under the spell of these seemingly benevolent extraterrestrials as they insinuate themselves into human society. Things suddenly turn ominous, though, as several prominent scientists appear on television warning of a world-wide scientific conspiracy against the Visitors, triggering a wave of paranoia directed against the scientific community. Not everyone is convinced that such a conspiracy exists including Michael Donovan, a journalist whom the Visitors have taken into their confidence. Sneaking aboard the Los Angeles Mothership, Donovan learns that the Visitors have manufactured the entire conspiracy and that they are not human at all, but reptilian invaders in disguise. Capturing all of this on film, Donovan attempts to broadcast it to the entire world. However, the Visitors prevent this by seizing control of all broadcasting facilities, claiming that a series of attacks on Visitor installations have required the imposition of martial law. With the support of human collaborators, the Visitors introduce a new fascist order on a global scale. Thousands of people and entire cities begin to disappear. However, a small but growing group of resistance fighters is determined to fight back and adopts the "V" symbol used by the anti-Nazi resistance during World War II. Having joined this new resistance, Mike Donovan returns to the L.A. Mothership and, with the help of a few Visitor allies, learns that the chemical compound is just a smoke-screen which hides the true purpose of the Visitors' mission: to steal earth's water and harvest its people for food.

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS:

THE VISITORS: Extraterrestrial beings from the fourth planet orbiting the star Sirius. They have adopted simple names from earth and appear outwardly human except for an unusual resonance in their voices and an extreme sensitivity to light. In reality, they are reptilian, eat live prey, and spray a neuro-toxic venom. Their red uniforms are emblazoned with a symbol that vaguely resembles the Nazi swastika.

THE LEADER: Supreme and absolute ruler of the Visitors. Described as charismatic and ruthless. Battles a powerful enemy.

JOHN: Supreme commander. Describes himself as an admiral in charge of the fleet of Motherships sent to earth.

DIANA: Chief science officer. Brains behind the Visitors' mission. Seductive and sadistic. Developer of the conversion process which she uses to brainwash prominent scientists and other potential enemies of the Visitors.

MARTIN: One of Diana's chief lieutenants. Secret member of the Fifth Column, a group of Visitors opposed to the Leader and his plans. Aids the human resistance.

BRIAN: Visitor youth leader in charge of the Visitor Friends organization which recruits young humans friendly to the Visitors' cause. Participates in mating experiment with a human subject at Diana's direction.

WILLIAM: Also known as Willie. Unassuming Visitor technician assigned to L.A. processing plant which makes chemical compound for the Visitors. Has tenuous grasp of English language because he was supposed to be sent to the Middle East.

THE DONOVANS:

MICHAEL DONOVAN: Freelance journalist/cameraman. Visitors take him into their confidence until he sneaks aboard the Los Angeles Mothership and learns the truth about their mission. Becomes a fugitive and joins the resistance in Los Angeles.

MARJORIE DONOVAN: Ex-wife of Mike Donovan who lives outside L.A. in the small town of San Pedro. Abducted by the Visitors after the citizens of San Pedro revolt against the Visitors.

SEAN DONOVAN: Son of Mike Donovan. Abducted along with his mother by the Visitors.

JULIET PARRISH: Biochemist/medical student. Goes into hiding after her colleagues begin disappearing and her mentor, Dr. Rudolph Metz, is implicated in the scientific conspiracy. Becomes the leader of the Los Angeles resistance.

THE MAXWELLS:

ROBERT MAXWELL: Anthropologist/biologist. Takes his family into hiding when his colleagues begin to disappear. His neighbors, the Bernsteins, are the first to provide refuge. Eventually, he and his family join the resistance. However, he gives the location of the resistance's secret mountain camp to Visitors after they capture his daughter, Robin.

KATHLEEN MAXWELL: Wife of Robert Maxwell. Killed during Visitors' unsuccessful raid on the resistance mountain camp.

ROBIN MAXWELL: Oldest daughter of Robert and Kathleen Maxwell. Falls for Brian, the handsome Visitor youth leader. Eventually captured by Visitors and used by Diana in mating experiment with Brian. Becomes pregnant. Rescued by Mike Donovan with help from Martin.

POLLY & KATIE MAXWELL: Two younger daughters of Robert and Kathleen Maxwell.

THE BERNSTEINS:

DANIEL BERNSTEIN: Teenage slacker who finds new purpose to his life when the Visitors arrive. Joins the Visitor Friends and is promoted to Brian's second-in-command. Has a crush on Robin Maxwell, but is rebuffed. Tells the Visitors that his parents are hiding the Maxwell family.

STANLEY BERNSTEIN: Father of Daniel Bernstein. Taken prisoner by the Visitors when his son informs the Visitors that he has been hiding the Maxwell family. Tortured by Diana, but released to serve as a warning to others. Ends up helping the resistance.

ABRAHAM BERNSTEIN: Holocaust survivor and father of Stanley Bernstein. Convinces his son to hide the Maxwell family from the Visitors. Eventually taken prisoner by the Visitors and presumably dies in custody. Leaves a letter to his family urging them to fight on.

LYNN BERNSTEIN: Wife of Stanley Bernstein. Taken prisoner along with her husband, but later released. Abraham's letter convinces her to help the resistance.

THE TAYLORS:

CALEB TAYLOR: Foreman at processing plant used to manufacture chemical compound for the Visitors. Rescued by Willie during an accident at the plant. Secretly joins the resistance after his son, Ben, is killed by the Visitors. Participates in the bombing of the plant by the resistance.

BENJAMIN TAYLOR: Oldest son of Caleb Taylor. Medical student and friend of Julie Parrish. Killed by Visitors while attempting to steal medical equipment for the resistance.

ELIAS TAYLOR: Petty hood and youngest son of Caleb Taylor. Joins the resistance after the death of his brother, Ben.

V: THE FINAL BATTLE

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

Four months after the arrival of the Visitors, the Los Angeles resistance continues its uphill struggle against the alien invaders. Willie is captured by the resistance and eventually joins up. Robin discovers that the Visitors are really reptilian and attempts to have an abortion. However, this proves unsuccessful, and she has no choice but to carry her pregnancy to term.

Meanwhile, it is learned that the Visitors' supreme commander, John, will make an appearance at Los Angeles Medical Center to announce a cure for cancer. The resistance crashes the event, and Julie Parrish unmasks John on live television. Unfortunately, Julie is captured as she tries to escape and is taken aboard the Los Angeles Mothership where Diana attempts to convert her. However, before the conversion process is completed, Julie is rescued by the resistance with help from the Visitor Fifth Column. Upon her return, she meets a new addition to the team named Ham Tyler who questions her fitness to lead the resistance. Despite some suspicions that she might have been converted, Julie's comrades stick by her.

Meanwhile, the Visitors discover that they have Mike Donovan's son, Sean, and propose to exchange Sean for Mike. Mike agrees to the exchange and is taken aboard the Los Angeles Mothership where Diana tests a new truth serum on him. Unable to resist the effects of the serum, Mike exposes Martin's involvement in the Fifth Column. Luckily, Martin is able to take Mike and escape from the Mothership.

Back on earth, Robin gives birth to twins, a humanoid female and a reptilian male. The reptilian child dies because of a lethal bacteria in its body. However, the human-like child, Elizabeth, does not die even though her body contains the same bacteria. This leads Julie to suspect that the bacteria, known as the red dust, may be deadly to the Visitors but harmless to humans. The resistance kidnaps Brian to serve as a test subject. The Visitors blame Daniel Bernstein for Brian's capture and dispose of him. Robin confronts Brian and exposes him to the red dust which kills him. Julie then exposes herself to the red dust and finds that she is unaffected. The decision is then made to mass produce the red dust and use it to drive the Visitors from the planet. An antidote, though, is developed for members of the Fifth Column.

While this plan is being set in motion, Elizabeth grows at a phenomenal rate until she resembles a nine-year-old girl. A Jesuit priest, who is a member of the resistance, takes Elizabeth to the Los Angeles Mothership in an effort to convince Diana that humans and Visitors should live together in peace. However, Diana is unmoved and kills the priest. Diana also learns from Sean Donovan, whom she has converted and planted as a spy, that the resistance intends to steal fighter jets from various air bases and use them to release the red dust. However, the resistance already suspects that Sean is a spy and uses him to pass this false information to the Visitors.

While Diana deploys her forces earthside to meet the anticipated attack, the resistance, with the help of the Fifth Column, infiltrates the unprotected Los Angeles Mothership where they release the red dust into the air system, trapping Diana on the bridge with John and Elizabeth. Back on earth, thousands of hot air balloons release the red dust into the atmosphere, causing the other Motherships to flee the planet. Realizing that she has been beaten, Diana, as a final act of revenge, decides to activate a doomsday device on the Mothership which will destroy the entire planet. When John refuses to authorize such an act of senseless destruction, Diana kills him and activates the device. As the final countdown commences, Julie, Mike, and Martin storm the bridge , but Diana manages to escape in a shuttle. Martin attempts to pilot the Mothership away from earth while the others try unsuccessfully to disarm the doomsday device. Just as the device is about to reach critical mass, Elizabeth steps forward and, to everyone's surprise, uses incredible telekinetic powers to shut it down . Victorious, they head back to earth in the captured Mothership unaware that Diana is not far behind.

NEW CHARACTERS:

HAM TYLER: Former government agent specializing in covert operations. Antagonist of Mike Donovan. Claims to be part of larger resistance network. Agrees to help the L.A. resistance.

ELIZABETH MAXWELL: Also known as the starchild. Human/Visitor hybrid. Daughter of Robin Maxwell and Brian. Outwardly human in appearance. Exhibits accelerated growth patterns and amazing telekinetic abilities.

FATHER ANDREW DOYLE: Jesuit priest who joins the resistance. Takes Elizabeth to Diana in attempt to convince her that humans and Visitors should live together in peace. Diana kills him.

CORLEY WALKER: Nobel prize winning doctor at Los Angeles Medical Center. Outspoken criticism of Visitors gets him in trouble. Diana converts him.