Night of the Blood Beast

After the American space program launches an experimental satellite that is designed to eject astronaut Maj. John Corcoran back to earth to record data on descent, the landing devices for the X100 satellite fail to deploy, sending the satellite crashing to earth. Satellite designer Dave Randall and photographer Donna Bixby, part of a scientific team stationed at a remote Florida radar tracking post, drive out to the crash site, and report the pilot's death to the others in the team--Dr. Alex Wyman, John's fiancée Dr. Julie Benson and Steve Dunlap. Alex and Julie arrive at the crash site where Alex is startled to find that John still shows signs of life despite having no heartbeat. Returning John's body to the station's makeshift laboratory for further study, Alex and Julie find a strange cut in John's arm that appears to have been made from the inside. Julie is further mystified to find that John registers a blood pressure although his blood does not appear to be circulating. Steve and Dave advise Alex that the transmitter is malfunctioning, temporarily disrupting communication with Cape Canaveral. While investigating the transmission tower, Dave is attacked but not seriously injured by a mysterious creature that is unaffected by the gunshots Dave fires at it. When the power fails inside the lab, the group is forced to depend on a sole storm lamp. Julie studies a blood sample from John and is horrified to find an unidentified cell amongst the usual red and white blood cells. Although Alex surmises that John's strange blood contamination is unlikely to be contagious, he asks Steve to drive to the nearest town to send for assistance. Steve returns to report that the coils in the jeep and truck are burnt out just as Dave realizes that all the clocks have stopped, suggesting the station has been affected by a powerful magnetic force. The team decides to hike out the next day for help. That night, Steve is awakened by a strange sound and upon investigating with Dave, finds Alex violently murdered and John's body missing. A few moments later, Julie and Donna are terrified when John, apparently alive, stumbles into their room. Steve and Dave question John, who only recalls struggling to land the X100. Confused by John's resurrection, the men are further puzzled by his precise scientific explanation about his survival. When Steve observes that John sounds like Alex, John admits that he feels as if he has some unusual bond with the dead scientist. Julie takes another blood sample from John and finds that the mysterious cells are missing. John suggests they examine him with the still functioning fluoroscope, and the others are startled to see several alien fetuses floating in John's body which Julie believes have mutated from the strange cells. John claims that if the fetuses are killed, he will also die. When Steve demands an explanation, the door bursts opens to reveal a large alien which lurches into the laboratory. Panicked, Dave shoots the creature, but it is impervious to his bullets and only reacts when Steve hurls the storm lamp at it. After the alien flees, John asks why the others are determined to kill the creature before finding out what it might want. Steve points out that Alex's brutal death makes them distrustful. The next morning Steve and Dave arm themselves with flare guns before going in search of the alien and ask Julie to administer a sleeping drug to John. Dave, Steve and Donna follow the creature's tracks and realize they are returning to the crash site. While the men cautiously examine the ship, the alien attempts to drag Donna away, but the men repel it with gunfire. At the station, John, immune to the sleeping drug, attempts to convince Julie that the scientists must try to communicate with the creature to learn about it. Although John admits sadness over Alex's death, he acknowledges that he has a strong link to the alien. After the others return and describe Donna's near kidnapping, John promises to lead them to the creature the next day if the team vows not to kill it until they can establish communication. Still uneasy, Steve and Dave put together several "Molotov cocktails" or gas grenades, as the alien appears susceptible to fire. The next day as promised, John leads the team to a remote cave where the alien is hiding. John confronts the alien alone and finds to his surprise that the being is now able to speak, having assimilated knowledge after ingesting Alex's blood. The alien asks John to help him convince the team that it means them no harm. Outside, John asks the others to hear out the alien who tells them that his planet nearly wiped itself out after discovering an ultimate power and then asserts that the survivors of his race wish to spare humans the same fate. When the alien says others of his kind are arriving to prevent humanity's self-destruction, John realizes that the fetuses he is carrying are meant to dominate, not save, the world. John orders Dave and Steve to kill him, and when they hesitate he stabs himself to death with a knife. Dave and Steve toss the gas grenades at the creature and as it burns, the alien tells them others will follow eventually. After the creature incinerates, Julie, Steve, Dave and Donna wonder if they have done the right thing.