During a violent thunderstorm, a local farmer witnesses something that he never thought he would see—a meteor crashes into his field, and soon after, a creature crawls out of it. The farmer is left alive even after he accidently shoots the creature. A few months later, a former Army veteran, Dale Charles, and his lifelong friend and Army comrade, Brecht Morehouse, are attacked by this mysterious creature while on a hunting trip. During the assault, Brecht is killed. With no evidence of the creature's existence, Dale is sent to prison. During the next few years, and after several encounters and aggressive attacks by humans, the once-peaceful creature, who was sent here to do research, has developed a taste for violence. After a full-out assault and the destruction of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the creature meets with the leaders of the United States and informs them of his race's intentions. Now the world must fight to survive.