Night of the Blood Beast

A rocket carrying astronaut John Corcoran lifts off for the United States' first crewed space mission and reaches orbit. The ship is struck by an unknown object, forcing an abort and an attempted return. The descent is brutal and crashes in the woods, killing Corcoran.

Two technicians locate the wrecked capsule and recover Corcoran's body. They notice a giant tear in the spacecraft's side and a mud-like substance clinging to the wreckage. The discovery raises questions about what happened during the crash.

Lead scientist Dr. Alex Wyman and technicians join Randall, Dunlap, and Julie Benson to examine the body. They note Corcoran's lack of rigor mortis and an abnormally maintained blood pressure despite no heartbeat. Microscope analysis reveals unidentifiable cells resistant to destruction by human white blood cells.

Efforts to contact aid fail as the radio goes dead. Randall investigates the station's power transformers and is ambushed by a large creature lurking outside. He escapes with only a hazy description of something bear-sized.

The infirmary is trashed and Corcoran's body disappears from view. The team assumes the creature stole the corpse, but Corcoran later regains consciousness, revealing that he has survived against all odds. This rebirth shocks the scientists and raises new questions.

A re-examination of Corcoran shows no trace of the earlier cells in his blood. Yet internal analysis reveals the cells have transformed into lizard-like fetuses inside his abdomen. The discovery confirms a parasitic transformation linked to the alien.

The creature returns to the lab, infiltrates the facility, and kills Dr. Wyman, severing part of his head. The team grapples with the possibility that Corcoran is connected to or responsible for the events. The creature's presence heightens the tension.

Randall and Dunlap grow suspicious that Corcoran is involved in the deaths, while Corcoran experiences a telepathic connection with the creature. He maintains that the being is not evil, just misunderstood. The team debates the moral implications of the alien's actions.

Corcoran flees the station and seeks out the creature in a nearby cave. The creature learns to speak by consuming Wyman's brain, borrowing his voice and knowledge through a form of photosynthesis. Corcoran asks why the brain death was required, and the creature claims it was necessary.

The human team returns to the station intent on destroying the creature with improvised gas and flares. Corcoran stands in the way, refusing to step aside as the others prepare their assault. The creature argues that it is not an evil monster, but an intelligent visitor with a different mission.

The creature explains its true motive: to save humanity by seeding Earth with its embryos, effectively preparing for a takeover. Corcoran learns that his body has been implanted, spreading the embryos further. The stakes shift from misunderstanding to existential threat.

Realizing the danger, Corcoran commits suicide to prevent the embryos from spreading. The others detonate explosives and kill the creature, which in its dying breath warns that more aliens await in space. Humanity's fate hangs in the balance as the call to return remains.