War of the Colossal Beast

In Los Angeles, advertising copy writer Joyce Manning sees a televised report of the mysterious disappearance of a supply truck in Mexico, prompting her to contact the truck's owner, John Swanson. Believing the accident might somehow provide her with information on her missing brother, a military officer, Joyce arranges to meet Swanson accompanied by U. S. Army Maj. Mark Baird. At the meeting, Joyce questions Swanson about the site where his truck vanished and whether he or the police have discovered any strange tracks nearby. When Swanson expresses bewilderment, Joyce explains that her brother Glenn Manning was accidentally contaminated by radiation in a plutonium atomic bomb blast that caused him to grow to the height of sixty feet. Although Glenn was thought to have died falling into Boulder Dam, Joyce believes that he may have survived and drifted down the river into Mexico. Swanson then reveals that his supply truck's young driver, Miguel, was found catatonic in the desert near the truck's tracks. After Swanson's departure, Baird counsels Joyce to give up her notion that Glenn may still be alive, but Joyce disregards his advice and travels to Mexico to interview Miguel. Although the teenager remains in shock, Joyce sits with him in the hospital and in the early morning after an agitating dream, Miguel shouts out "giant" in Spanish. When Joyce excitedly contacts Baird with the information, he agrees to come to Mexico to investigate with Dr. Carmichael, a specialist familiar with Glenn's case. Along with Mexican police sergeant Luis Murillo, Joyce, Baird and Carmichael visit the area where Swanson's truck vanished. Luis finds a strange series of tracks that Joyce recognizes as enormous feet. Following the footprints into the hills, the group find Swanson's empty, battered truck but are then driven away by a sudden rockslide. Suspecting that Joyce's hunch about Glenn's survival may be correct, Baird contacts the local military and lays out a plan to return to the top of the hills the following day. Upon their trip back to the hills, Joyce, Baird and the soldiers find several empty, crushed food trucks on the highest peak. Then, the group sees the gigantic Glenn, who has suffered a serious injury to one side of his face, yet has managed to survive by eating the food from the supply trucks. Returning to town to plan how to proceed, Baird meets with Carmichael and they decide to plant a number of trucks carrying drugged bread for Glenn. Joyce protests, but Baird assures her that putting Glenn into a deep sleep is the only way he can be transported safely back to America. The plan is successful and Glenn is taken to California via a troop carrier transport. Although Baird and Carmichael receive governmental praise for their recovery of Glenn, none of the agencies, including the city of Los Angeles, want to support Glenn's expensive maintenance. Joyce objects to her brother being housed in an airplane hangar in Los Angeles, but Baird points out that there are no facilities large enough for Glenn and insists that he must be bound for security reasons. Although Joyce wonders if Carmichael might be able to restore Glenn's deteriorated mental capacities, Baird remains unsure that he can be rehabilitated. Meanwhile in the hangar, Glenn partially revives and is overwhelmed by memories of the atomic explosion, his contamination and startling growth and the eventual pursuit by the military which caused his fall into the dam. Emotionally overwrought by these memories, Glenn awakens in a fury and, breaking the binding ropes, crashes out of the hangar. Baird quickly launches an emergency recovery effort using fighter jets which shoot gas pellets at Glenn, causing him to pass out. Glenn is returned to the airfield hangar and bound in chains while Baird and Carmichael arrange tests they hope will stimulate Glenn's mind. Carmichael tells Joyce they cannot be certain if Glenn's erratic behavior is due to the contamination or the injuries he suffered at the time of his fall. When Carmichael runs memory tests on Glenn and asks Joyce to call out family memories to her brother, Glenn becomes agitated, forcing them to halt the exam. Due to their uncertain results and concern about Glenn's state of mind, Baird confesses to Joyce that the decision has been made to place Glenn on a deserted island. Joyce is deeply disappointed, but Baird assures her Glenn is not the man she once knew. Later, Glenn rouses, breaks out of the hangar again and disappears. When Baird discovers that Carmichael has been killed in Glenn's escape he orders a city-wide military search for Glenn. That afternoon, Glenn is spotted in Griffith Park near the observatory. Although the park is cleared of people, a high school tour at the observatory does not hear the evacuation order. Confused by the crowd of soldiers nearby and glaring searchlights, Glenn threatens the busload of students. Joyce insists that she be allowed to help, then drives to the observatory where she pleads with Glenn not to harm the students. Glenn leaves the bus safely, reaches for Joyce and calls her name, only to abruptly turn away. Walking to a collection of power lines, Glenn purposely grasps them and is vaporized by the electrical shock.