In 2009, a race of aliens piloting giant robots have conquered Earth and forced humanity to live underground. They have done this by altering the environment, causing constant rainfall and darkness. Over 300 years later, after many generations of living underground, a small group of human rebels plan to finally take back their world from the mechanical invaders. They soon learn however that the aliens do not pilot the robots, but are the robots.
Following the mysterious disappearance of an oil rig and a reconnaissance mini-submarine in the Gulf of Mexico, scientist Dr. Margaret Adams (Nicole Dickson) initiates the Armada Program, which consists of giant robots designed for deep sea rescue. The three robots—piloted by Red (David Chokachi), Tracy (Jackie Moore) and Jim (Treach)—dive nearly 800 fathoms to the sea bed, where they not only discover the mangled remains of the oil rig, but encounter the monster that brought it down. Red pursues the monster against orders from Admiral Hadley (Graham Greene), prompting the Admiral to order every naval fleet on the East Coast to converge to the oil rig's site. Red emerges on a beach to warn the bystanders to leave the premises for their safety when he is suddenly attacked from behind by the monster as their fight takes its toll on the city. An F-18 Hornet piloted by Spitfire (Jared Cohn) assists Red in taking the monster down. Red, however, is arrested for disobeying a direct order. He is locked in solitary confinement until he is briefly released by Adm. Hadley and later given a medal of honor for his heroic actions before serving the rest of his confinement.