Dr. Ivan Hood, Bruce Campbell, an astronaut and osteopath, returns to Earth after a 40-year space mission with his companion Kelly, Renée O'Connor, and two other astronauts. They re-enter near the ruins of Portland, Oregon, only to be swiftly captured by human bounty hunters. Among them, one team member is killed after suffering what looks like a sprain, though Hood notes that such an injury would have healed in a few days. The captives are forced into a work camp that, to their shock, is run by giant termite‑like aliens who arrived two decades earlier to feast on wood and who used EMP bombs to cripple Earth before their invasion.
Inside the camp, the captives witness how one of their teammates is eaten alive after refusing to work, underscoring the brutal conditions under alien rule. The camp is supervised by human bounty hunters, though they are treated better than the other captives. Hood and Kelly quickly observe how illiterate and savage the humans have become under the aliens’ influence, and this realization becomes a spur for escape. Rumors circulate that the President has somehow survived and is organizing a resistance, a glimmer of hope that fuels Hood and Kelly’s plan to break out the next day.
Their escape succeeds in part, but Kelly is recaptured, leaving Hood to press on alone in a dangerous quest. He travels across the wrecked landscape to find the President and encounters other resilient humans who still cling to the belief that their leader has survived. Hood and a convoy reach a secret headquarters that holds remnants of the old American government, including the President, who is now a shell of his former self. Fueled by frustration and a renewed sense of purpose, Hood resolves to rally the escaped slaves and mount a concerted assault on the alien camp where Kelly is being held.
Kelly endures punishment for attempting to escape, losing one of her fingers, yet she continues to fight alongside Hood’s growing coalition. The combined force stages a bold attack as the aliens unleash heavy artillery, and a surprise arrival from the President’s faction helps turn the tide by destroying the alien tanks. The enslaved survivors rally and join the effort, driving the invaders from the camp and finally breaking their hold on the region.
With the immediate threat pushed back, Hood and his rebels set their sights on a broader mission: to continue eradicating the insect-like invaders and to recruit more followers from other camps, widening the resistance network and spreading hope. The movement grows in stature and notoriety as Hood’s leadership and relentless drive earn him a formidable reputation among the liberated people. > In time he (Dr. Hood) became known as The Great Exterminator.
