In the First World War, and for the first time in the history of man, nations combined to fight against

      nations using the crude weapons of those days. The Second World War involved every continent on

         the globe, and men turned to science for new devices of warfare, which reached an unparalleled

              peak in their capacity for destruction. And now, fought with the terrible weapons of super-

                 science, menacing all mankind and every creature on the Earth comes the War of the Worlds.

Dr Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry), a world renowned physicist, is on a fishing vacation in the small town of Pine Summit when a giant meteorite lands in the hills above the town. Along with the townsfolk, he goes to investigate, but finds the meteorite too hot to examine immediately. While at the landing site, he meets Sylvia van Buren (Ann Robinson) and her uncle, Pastor Dr. Matthew Collins. He decides to wait in town for the meteorite to cool down.

Later, after most people have gone home, the meteorite unscrews and opens, disgorging a Heat-Ray device. It immediately kills three men who remained behind. When Forrester and the sheriff return, they are attacked as well, but survive. After the military are dispatched, the meteorite deploys three floating war machines. Pastor Collins approaches the Martians in peace, but they kill him with their heat ray without attempting to communicate.

The full force of the United States armed forces, up to and including an A-Bomb, is unleashed against the invaders, but human weapons prove to be totally ineffective; the Martians are protected by an impenetrable force field. Meanwhile, there are reports of other landings all over the world.....it would seem that humanity is doomed and there is nothing they can do to avoid it

Forrester and Sylvia flee, along with the rest of the civilians. Their plane crashes and they take shelter in a nearby abandoned farmhouse. They are trapped in the basement when another meteorite crashes into the house. The couple come in contact with an actual Martian, when the creature leaves its war-machine to investigate. They manage to fight it off and escape, eventually linking up with Forrester's co-workers, who are trying to find a way to defeat the aliens. However, widespread panic among the general populace scatters the research group and their equipment is wrecked. In the confusion, Forrester and Sylvia become separated.

All seems lost, with humanity helpless before the onslaught. Forrester frantically searches for Sylvia in the burning ruins of the city. He finally finds her among other survivors awaiting the end in a church. Then, suddenly, they see an approaching Martian war machine crash. Upon investigating, Forrester realizes that the seemingly all-powerful invaders are dying – simply because they have no defenses against the "smallest and humblest of Earth's living creatures.........viruses and bacteria. It would seem that all over the world these vessels are crashing.......humanity is saved.

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