In addition, a three-issue comic book miniseries was published by Marvel Comics. Issue #0 was a prequel to the story while issues #1-2 adapted the movie. I think I got #1-2 at Walmart or Kmart or something. I found #0 in a gas station. I will always defend the comic book spinner rack.
Issue #0 opens in Roswell, New Mexico on July 4, 1947 during a thunderstorm. An alien ship is struck by lightning and crashes on Mac Brazel's ranch. Discovering something not human, Brazel notifies the government who pick everything up and declare the downed alien ship a weather balloon. In a secret location, the alien they captured is dying, it is able to probe the mind of Dr. Rose for a few seconds before dying, repeating just a single word: Kill.
In 1967, Dr. Rose has become the preeminent scientist trying to figure out how the alien ship works and keeping the dead alien in some kind of tube. Dr. Rose is retiring and the government thinks it has a replacement in Dr. Okun, who currently is a lazy hippie. Talking with Okun, Dr. Rose tells him to keep studying the alien and their ship, keep everything secret, and keep away from Nimziki. Jump to 1986, where cropduster Russell Casse is abducted by an alien ship and probed. Unfortunately, no one believes Russell was abducted and he takes to drinking and stops going outside. Russell's anger only grows because he knows the aliens will return.
Meanwhile, President Whitmore's approval ratings have tanked. Being reelected is a hard-to-reach goal. He begins wondering what kind of national emergency he could lead the country through. Back at Area 51, an alien escapes and goes on a killing spree. Luckily, it's just a dream Dr. Okun is having. But he still thinks there's behind the cold, dark eyes of these aliens. On July 2, 1996, the signal at Compact Cable is terrible and the person who can fix it, David Levinson, is in the park playing chess with his father. But David probably can't fix this, a massive alien ship has disabled our satellites and is approaching Earth.
Issue #1 begins the same way the movie does. The large ship is passing over the Moon and the American flag where the Moon landing happened. No one knows what is going on because satellites have been destroyed. President Whitmore opts to remain in the Situation Room rather than go to a secure location as the large ship begins sending smaller ship to major cities. David discovers there's a code embedded in the signal the aliens are sending and that it's a countdown to an attack. He calls his ex, Constance, who doesn't believe him. David and his father then try their best to get to Washington to let the president know. Back in Los Angeles, Steven's leave has been canceled and he has to leave Jasmine and her son to return to base. President Whitmore is reluctant to listen to David until witnessing the aliens disintegrate several Apache helicopters. They have less than an hour to get out of the major cities. Barely making it, the aliens attack, destroying New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and every major city around the world as the President, Constance, David and his father, head to Area 51.
Issue #2 opens with the classic scene of Steven downing one of the alien ships and punching it while saying "Welcome to Earth!" At Area 51, the purpose of the aliens are discovered. They essentially just kill all living things, use up all the planet's resources and leave it an unusable husk and move on to the next planet. The alien notifies President Whitmore that there can be no peace, only the death of humanity. So President Whitmore makes the executive decision to nuke the aliens. David discovers a way through the alien ship's force fields--a computer virus. They will upload a virus onto the ships allowing aircraft with weapons to maneuver in and destroy the ship. Every able-bodied pilot is asked to find and man a plane, including Russell Casse, who is trying to be a good father and wants to get revenge on the aliens that abducted him.
President Whitmore gives his "Independence Day" speech to the troops and the pilots all head into the air. Steven and David arrive on the mothership where David can upload the virus. Unfortunately, what the pilots do only do minimal damage until Russell figures out how to inflict real damage. Russell flies his plane and missile up into the ship, destroying it completely and dying a hero. Still trapped on the mothership, Steven enters the launch codes to launch their missile while he and David tell each other good-bye. Being shaken loose, Steven attempts to guide the ship out of the mothership and back to Earth. Barely making it, the nuke destroys the mothership. Everyone is reunited and, without the mothership, watch as all the other ships crash to the Earth, defeated.
For an adaptation, these comics are serviceable. The events seemed rushed and the coloring seems darker than it needs to be. Also, the choice to put the narration in dark gray boxes with black text was...a choice. Happy Independence Day, Americans, and Happy Fourth of July to everyone else.
Credits:
Issue #0 Written by Phil Crain; Penciled by Terry Pallot, Steve Erwin, Rod Whigham, Gabriel Gecko; Inked by Terry Pallot, Phil Moy, Larry Welch, Steve Moncuse; Colored by Moose Baumann; Cover by Terry Pallot. Issue #1 Written by Ralph Macchio; Art by Leonard Kirk; Colored by Moose Baumann; Cover by Kevin Nowlan. Issue #2 Written by Ralph Macchio; Penciled by Leonard Kirk, Rod Whigham, Steve Erwin; Inked by Terry Pallot, Scott Reed, Steve Moncuse; Colored by Moose Baumann; Cover by Kevin Nowlan.
