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''Invasion America'' is an American animated
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
television series that aired in the
prime time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
lineup on
The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
from June 8 to July 7, 1998. Produced by DreamWorks Television Animation (then part of DreamWorks proper, now owned by
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
), the series was created by
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
and Harve Bennett, who also served as
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
s. The show involves an attempt by aliens from the planet Tyrus to overthrow the Earth.


Plot

The story of ''Invasion America'' begins in the early 1980s, when
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of ...
aliens from the planet Tyrus begin to initiate their plans for making contact with Earth. Cale-Oosha, the ruler of Tyrus, looks into his uncle's project with Earth. However, his uncle, The Dragit, claims that their dying planet ought to invade Earth and take hold of its resources. Cale refuses, and a
civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
breaks out. Cale and Rafe, his bodyguard, trainer, and trusted friend, escape to Earth, disguising themselves as humans. Cale meets Rita Carter, a human woman; he falls in love with her, and they marry. After a long time of running from the Dragit's forces on Earth, Cale returns to Tyrus to help strengthen his loyalist forces, the Ooshati, leaving Rita and their young son, David, under Rafe's protection. In the present day, when the Dragit finally finds the family, he is determined to kill them, and David Carter's teenage life is thrown into a devastating adventure of stopping the Dragit, losing and gaining friends, and finding out just who he is.


Characters

* David Carter (Oosha) (voiced by Mikey Kelley) - The main character of the story, a teenage half-human Tyrusian and the future ruler of Tyrus. David lost his house, his mother and his possessions, and learned the truth of his identity all in one night. Possessing royalty in his blood, he discovers he can harness his Tyrusian powers. However, this is difficult for him to do of his own accord so he needs the help of the Exotar, a glove that enhances these powers. * Rafe (voiced by Edward Albert) – Somewhat like an uncle to David, he goes undercover as a county sheriff in Glenport, but is, in reality, a commander in the Ooshati forces. Rafe was told by Cale, his friend and king, to watch over David and his mother. Only a day after he rescues David from a group of captors, he is asked to lead an attack on the Dragit's headquarters on Earth. After this successful attack, during which all other involved Ooshati were killed, Rafe succumbs to wounds inflicted by a stowaway Mangler. Right before he dies, he gives encouragement to David and passes on the task of saving the world. * Rita Carter (Ooshala) (voiced by Kath Soucie) – David's human mother. She is a kind woman who saved Cale from death and eventually married him. When a group of Tall Men invade her house, Rita holds them at bay with a gun while she tells David to get out of the house. The orb Cale gave to her before his departure years ago suddenly activates during this ordeal and, shortly thereafter, the house implodes, and Rita and the Tall Men disappear with it. Her fate is left uncertain. * Cale-Oosha (voiced by
Lorenzo Lamas Lorenzo Fernando Lamas (born January 20, 1958) is an American actor and producer. He is widely known for his role of Lance Cumson, the irresponsible grandson of Angela Channing—played by Jane Wyman—in the soap opera ''Falcon Crest'' (1981� ...
) – David's Tyrusian father, and the true ruler of Tyrus. After a few years of staying on the run, he leaves his family under Rafe's protection to help his band of loyalist forces, known as the Ooshati, in their war against the Dragit. * The Dragit (voiced by
Tony Jay Tony Jay (2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006) was a British actor. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive raspy ...
) – The lead antagonist of the story, and David's great-uncle. He currently has control over much of the Tyrusian armed forces, and is presented as a great orator and dictator, possibly having almost complete control over Tyrus. Although this is uncertain, his forces appear far larger and sophisticated than the ragged band of Ooshati. Throughout the story, the Dragit tries to brainwash David into joining his side or to have him killed. * Major Philip "Phil" Stark (voiced by Greg Eagles) – An
intelligence officer An intelligence officer is a member of the intelligence field employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a r ...
and an OH-6A Cayuse pilot. He has a heart for David and cares for his safety, going around his orders to help him out. Stark's original search started with the discovery of a Mangler skeleton in a cave where Rafe's fingerprints were found. He was also once school buddies with the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
. * Sergeant Angela "Angie" Romar (voiced by Kristy McNichol) – Stark's partner and friend. Proud of her
Gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...
heritage and a brave young woman, she accompanies Stark wherever he goes. Romar is also the one who usually plants the ideas and advice into Stark's head. The two agents at one point hid David in her apartment. * Jim Bailey (voiced by Rider Strong) – David's best friend. He helped support David through some of his toughest trials, and eventually went with him into outer space on the final mission of the story. * Doc (voiced by Ronny Cox) – A Tyrusian once positioned in Charles Air Force Base, he deserted upon hearing of the Dragit's attempt to assassinate Cale and "went native." Now an old man living in the middle of the
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
desert, Doc initially stayed away from any involvement in the war against the Dragit. However, knowing what David was up against and seeing his spirit, he eventually changed his mind and tapped into the Dragit's information network, becoming a big help in the final mission. * Blue – Doc's pet Mangler. Like Doc, Blue is a survivor of the attempted assassination of Cale-Oosha. Doc tamed Blue, who has quite an appetite for steaks. Though Doc believed that Blue only cared for the meat, Blue nearly attacks and is shot by a police officer who assaulted Doc. Later, while hiding in the
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
swamps, Blue hunted alligators for Doc to cook for David and his companions. * General Konrad (voiced by
Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...
) – The first main antagonist as the show begins, a Tyrusian who has risen to the rank of an
Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
general. He is the leader of the Dragit's agents on Earth. Konrad is a seemingly heartless man who releases Manglers on his own men in an attempt to kill Ooshati warriors. After the destruction of Charles Air Force Base, he tries to kill David and Rafe, but David is successful in turning the situation around. As a direct result, Konrad dies in a plane crash. * General Gordon (voiced by James Sikking) – Once a
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
, he is promoted after General Konrad is killed. Gordon directs Stark and Romar's missions when the two agents become suspicious. Later, it is confirmed that he led the attack on Maple Island to capture David and Rafe. Gordon also ordered his men to shoot down Stark and Romar's OH-6A Cayuse when the two attempted their own investigation. When the space shuttle lifted off for the Moon, he tried to follow in a stealth fighter and shoot it down, but flew too high for the fighter to take and fell back to Earth. Gordon is presumed dead. * Major Lomack (voiced by
Jim Cummings James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in over 400 titles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., serving as the offic ...
) – An alien
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of ...
from the planet Chaon with the ability to morph into a hulking, fearsome creature as well as imitate other beings, including humans. When in his real form, Lomack is relatively immune to bullets and other weapons. * Simon Lear (voiced by Thom Adcox-Hernandez) – A human/Tyrusian hybrid like David, he and his sister are bounty hunters working for General Gordon who attempts to capture David. He and his sister are their mother's only successful attempt at blending the two species DNA. He has a hissing voice and an anger management problem, often resorting to killing without thought. After losing a fight to David, Simon takes Jim hostage and threatens to kill him, convincing David to come with him and Sonia. He then tries to kill David by enhancing his Tyrusian powers using the Exotar, but the Exotar twists and crushes his hand, just as Rafe warned would happen, if any but the rightful heir attempted to wear it. * Sonia Lear (voiced by Kath Soucie) – Simon's twin sister, a human/Tyrusian hybrid like David and fellow bounty hunter, also after David. She keeps Simon under control through Tyrusian
psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use powers rooted in parapsychology, such as extrasensory perception (ESP), to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance; or who performs acts that a ...
bonding; in turn, she loses her nerve and sense of violence without him. While hiding from security on an island to board a space shuttle to the moon, Simon tries to help General Gordon find the group by coming back into contact with his sister, but Sonia, now helping David and his friends, leads them away. She is implied to have romantic feelings for David. * Dr. Hazel Lear (voiced by Jennifer Darling) – Sonia and Simon's "mother," a geneticist who, for years, tried to combine the genes of Tyrusians and humans with mostly failed results. Unable to wait any longer, General Gordon orders Major Lomack to kill her as a hidden Sonia watches in safety.


Episodes

''Invasion America'' consisted of 13 half-hour episodes, and was shown as five one-hour segments and one hour-and-a-half segment for the final episode.


Reception

The show received a mixed reception from critics. Howard Rosenberg of '' The Los Angeles Times'' gave the show a largely negative review, criticizing the writing and "thin plot". Anita Gates of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' noted that the animation was "impressive", but at the same time that "there's no heart in it". The '' Sun Sentinel'' wrote that the cartoon leaves viewers bored, while in a mostly positive review ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' stated "''Invasion'' is at least as involving as any of the current variations on Star Trek, and handsomer to look at than all of them. B+".


Versions

DreamWorks released two versions, one being edited for younger audiences. The edited version was aired on
Kids' WB Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming block that originally aired on The WB from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006, and later on The CW from September 23, 2006, to May 17, 2008. Initially launched as a co ...
, while the uncut version was aired in the
prime time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
lineup on
The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
. In addition, the story of ''Invasion America'' was never completed, with the series ending with the words "End of Book One." Like '' Toonsylvania'', the series is currently owned by Amblin Television, but did not currently owned by DreamWorks Animation Television, with the series is currently presented in the uncut version.


Novels

Two novels, specifically an adaptation of the series titled ''Invasion America'' and an original prequel novel titled ''Invasion America: On the Run'', have been written in the show's setting. Both were written by Christie Golden.


References


External links

* {{The WB 1990s American animated television miniseries 1990s American children's television series 1990s American science fiction television series 1998 American animated television series debuts 1998 American television series endings Television series set in the 1980s American children's animated action television series American children's animated space adventure television series American children's animated science fiction television series American English-language television shows American teen animated television series The WB animated television series Kids' WB original shows Television series by DreamWorks Animation Television series by DreamWorks Television Television series created by Steven Spielberg Television about alien invasions Animated television series about extraterrestrial life Television series about alien visitations Television shows adapted into novels