Mortaxians - Outer space aliens on the sci-fi series WAR OF THE WORLDS (The Second Invasion)/SYN/1988-90. Based on the classic sci-fi film War of the Worlds (1953) starring Gene Barry, this series continued the saga about Martians who invaded Earth in the 1950s. In the original movie, the Martians were killed by air-born bacteria that naturally occurred in Earth's atmosphere. The TV series continues the tale as the remains of the aliens which were sealed into metal drums and stored away at a government security facility are reanimated by an accidental radioactive spill. As in the original movie, the aliens had long slender, suction-cup tipped fingers and a single eye mounted in the center of their head with three triangular shaped lenses. To survive on Earth, the aliens assumed human form by merging with the cellular structure of unsuspecting earthlings and thus, reactivating their plan to control and eventually annihilate the people of Earth.

"In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens, but it didn't kill them. Instead, the aliens lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now the aliens have been resurrected, more terrifying than before. In 1953, aliens started taking over the world. Today, they're taking over our bodies!"

Ironhorse	Blackwood	Drake	McCullough
Members of the Omega Squad

Fighting this Martian menace (now called the Mortaxians) was a team of scientists and military personnel known as the Omega Squad. They included Dr. Harrison Blackwood (Jared Martin), Dr. Suzanne McCullough (Lynda Mason Green), Lt. Colonel Paul Ironhorse (Richard Chaves), and computer expert, Norton Drake (Philip Akin). Located in a secret rural headquarters, the group sought to find the answers that would defeat the invading aliens. Later in the series, a different group of aliens took the place of the Mortaxians. It seemed that the survivors of the Planet Morthrai arrived on Earth and battled the Mortaxians for Earth (and won). The new aliens were lead by the Eternal (a large floating blob that communicated via telepathy). The Morthrai aliens were commanded by Malzor (Denis Forest) and Mana (Catherine Disher). At the end of the series, it appeared that the Morthrai aliens found out they were betrayed by their leaders and formed an alliance with Earth to build a new world together.

The Mortaxians emerge from Toxic Waste Storage

TRIVIA NOTE: In the summer of 2005, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds epic sci-fi movie hit theater screens. Starring Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, the film follows the struggle of one family as they battle for survival against the overwhelming power of alien tripod fighting machines.

Director Spielberg told British magazine Empire, "If my movie is effective on audiences, hopefully they'll be looking all around the theatre for somewhere to hide! That would be my tribute to Welles, if I was ever that lucky."

Spielberg's movie is based on the original 1938 "Mercury Theater on the Air" radio play produced by Orson Welles. Intended as a Halloween prank, the radio play convinced many Americans listening to the mock news report that Martians from outer space had, indeed, invaded the suburbs of New Jersey.