On July 2, 1996, an extraterrestrial mothership, entering Earth's orbit outside the Moon, deploys its flying saucers, each 15 mi (24 km) in diameter, over major cities worldwide. U.S. Marine Captain Steven Hiller and his unit, the Black Knights fighter squadron stationed out of MCAS El Toro, are called back from Independence Day leave; his girlfriend, Jasmine Dubrow, decides to flee Los Angeles with her son, Dylan. Retired combat pilot Russell Casse, now an alcoholic single father and crop duster, sees this as vindication of the alien abduction he has been claiming for 10 years. In New York City, technician David Levinson decodes a signal embedded within global satellite transmissions, realizing it is the aliens' countdown for a coordinated attack. Aided by his ex-wife, White House Communications Director Constance Spano, David and his father Julius reach the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. and alert President Thomas Whitmore. Whitmore orders evacuations of Los Angeles, New York City, and the District of Columbia, but it is too late. Each saucer fires a beam, incinerating every targeted city, killing millions. Whitmore, the Levinsons, and a few others barely escape aboard Air Force One while Jasmine, Dylan, and their dog Boomer take shelter in a tunnel's inspection alcove and escape the destruction of Los Angeles. On July 3, Earth's military retaliations against the invaders are thwarted by the alien warships' force fields. Each saucer launches shielded fighters, devastating the human fighter squadrons and military bases, including Steven's. Steven lures one fighter into the Grand Canyon before ejecting from his plane, blinding the fighter using his parachute and causing it to crash in the Mojave Desert. He subdues the downed alien and flags down the convoy of refugees Russel joined with, transporting the alien to Area 51, where Whitmore's plane has landed. U.S. Defense Secretary Albert Nimziki reveals that a government faction has been involved in a UFO conspiracy since 1947, when one of the invaders' fighters crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. Area 51 houses the refurbished ship and three alien corpses from the crash. Chief scientist Dr. Brackish Okun examines the alien captured by Steven, which awakens, telepathically invades Okun's mind, and psychically attacks Whitmore before the alien is killed by Secret Service agents and military personnel. Whitmore learns the invaders' plan from the psychic attack; they intend to annihilate Earth's inhabitants while harvesting its natural resources, as they have done to other civilizations. Whitmore reluctantly authorizes a trial nuclear attack against a saucer above an evacuated Houston, but while Houston is destroyed, the saucer's force field protects it from the blast. All subsequent nuclear attacks are aborted. Jasmine and Dylan, having commandeered a highway maintenance truck and rescued several survivors, including the badly injured First Lady, Marilyn Whitmore, reunite with Steven who takes them to Area 51, where Marilyn succumbs to her injuries after reuniting with her own family. On July 4, inspired by Julius, David devises a plan to write a computer virus on his laptop and, using the refurbished fighter to dock with it, upload the virus into the mothership's operating system to disable the alien's shields, then using a tactical nuclear weapon to destroy the mothership. Steven volunteers as the mission's pilot, and the U.S. military contacts the remaining airborne squadrons through Morse code to organize a united counterattack. Lacking pilots, Whitmore and General William Grey enlist volunteers with flight experience, including Russell, to fly the remaining jets. Steven marries Jasmine, with David and Constance present, during which the divorced pair reconciles before Steven and David leave on the mission. Entering the mothership, they upload the virus. With the shields down, Whitmore's squadron engages a saucer targeting the Area 51 base. They exhaust their ammunition, and as the saucer readies to fire, Russell sacrifices himself by crashing into its primary weapon, destroying the saucer. Grey orders notifications to resistance groups worldwide about the saucers' critical weakness, leading to their destruction. Steven and David launch the nuclear missile and narrowly escape the destruction of the mothership and all the aliens in it. As humanity celebrates its victory against the aliens, Steven and David are rescued after surviving the crash, and are reunited with their families.

During the French Revolution, Marquis d'Apcher writes his memoirs in his castle. He recounts his experiences in 1764, when a mysterious beast terrorized the county, or historical area, of Gévaudan. Grégoire de Fronsac, a knight and the royal naturalist of King Louis XV, and his Iroquois companion Mani, arrive to capture the beast. Fronsac becomes interested in Marianne de Morangias, the daughter of a local count, whose brother, Jean-François, was also an avid hunter and a world traveller, whose arm was mangled and rendered useless while overseas. Fronsac is also intrigued by Sylvia, an Italian courtesan at the local brothel. While investigating another victim, Fronsac finds a fang made of steel. A traumatized child witness swears that the beast is controlled by what seems to be a human master. As the investigation proves unfruitful, the king's weapons master, Lord de Beauterne, arrives to put an end to the beast, and Fronsac is sent back to Paris. He realizes that the beast is actually an instrument of a secret society: The Brotherhood of the Wolf, which is working to undermine public confidence in the king and ultimately take over the country. Back in Gévaudan, the attacks by the real beast continue, and Fronsac returns to put an end to the beast's killings. At a secret rendezvous with Marianne, they are attacked by the beast, where it mysteriously refrains from attacking her. Fronsac, Mani, and a young Marquis set out into the forest and set up an array of traps to capture the beast; it is severely injured but escapes. Mani sets off alone in pursuit, where he finds a catacomb used as the beast's holding pen, inhabited by the Brotherhood. Outnumbered, Mani is shot and killed. Fronsac discovers Mani's body and performs an autopsy, finding a silver bullet —Jean-François' signature choice of ammunition. In a fit of rage, a vengeful Fronsac goes to the catacombs and slaughters many members, but is overpowered by the local authorities and imprisoned. Sylvia visits him in jail and reveals that she is a spy for the Holy See. She explains that Henri Sardis, the local priest and leader of the Brotherhood, believes that he is restoring worship of God to France. Pope Clement XIII has decided that Sardis is insane, and has sent her to eliminate him. She then poisons Fronsac, saying that he knows too much. Meanwhile, Jean-François comes to Marianne's room and reveals to her that he is the beast's master; it recognized his scent on her when it came near her, which is why it did not attack. He then rapes her when she rejects his advances. Sylvia's agents exhume Fronsac and he appears at one of the Brotherhood's sermons. He kills several members, including Jean-François, who reveals that he had regained use of his supposedly mangled arm. Sardis escapes into the mountains, but is mauled to death by a pack of wolves. Fronsac and the Marquis go to the beast's lair, where it lies severely wounded. It turns out that the beast was a lion that Jean-François brought back from Africa as a cub that was tortured into becoming vicious and trained to wear spiked metal armor. Fronsac takes pity and kills the beast in an act of mercy. Marquis d'Apcher finishes writing his account just before he is led to his execution by a revolutionary mob. He states that he doesn't know what happened to Fronsac and Marianne after the death of the beast; but he hopes that somewhere, they are happy together. A final scene shows Fronsac and Marianne sailing on a ship named Frère Loup—Brother Wolf.

A man narrates a letter addressing people he will miss. In the Indian Ocean eight days earlier, the man wakes to find water flooding his boat. It has collided with a wayward shipping container, ripping a hole in the hull. The man uses a sea anchor to dislodge the container, then changes course to tilt the boat away from the hole. He patches the hole and uses a manual bilge pump to remove the water from the cabin. The boat's navigational and communications systems have been damaged by saltwater intrusion. The man tries to repair the marine radio and connects it to one of the boat's batteries. When he climbs the mast to repair an antenna lead, he sees an oncoming tropical storm. When the storm arrives, the man runs before the wind. He intends to heave to, but as he crawls to the bow to hoist the storm jib, he is thrown overboard and regains the deck only after a desperate struggle. The boat capsizes and rights itself; during a second roll, which throws the man overboard again, the boat is dis-masted and most of the equipment is destroyed. After going below deck and being knocked out by colliding with a post, he regains consciousness to find the boat sinking, so he abandons ship in an inflatable life raft. When the storm has passed, he salvages whatever he can from his sinking boat and transfers it to the raft. Before the boat sinks, he tends to the gash on his forehead. As the man learns to operate a sextant, he discovers he is being pulled towards a major shipping lane by ocean currents. He survives another storm, but his supplies dwindle and he learns too late that his drinking water has been contaminated with sea water. He improvises a solar still from his water container, a plastic bag, and an aluminum can, producing fresh water, and he snags a fish, but it is snapped up by a shark before he can reel it in. The man's raft is passed by two container ships, but it is unseen despite his using signal flares. He drifts out of the shipping lane with no food or water. On the eighth day, he writes a letter, puts it in a jar, and throws it into the ocean as a message in a bottle. Later that night, he sees a light in the distance. He uses pages from his journal along with charts to create a signal fire. The fire grows out of control and consumes his raft. Falling into the water, he loses hope and attempts to drown himself. Underwater, he sees the hull of a boat with a search light approaching his burning raft. He swims towards the surface to grasp an outstretched hand.

In 1983, a highly realistic adult amusement park called Delos features three themed "worlds" — Western World (the American Old West), Medieval World (medieval Europe) and Roman World (the ancient city of Pompeii). The resort's worlds are populated with lifelike androids that are practically indistinguishable from human beings, each programmed in character for their historical environment. For $1,000 per day, guests may indulge in any adventure with the android population of the park, including sexual encounters and simulated fights to the death. Peter Martin, a first-time Delos visitor and his friend John Blane, on a repeat visit, go to Westworld. One of the attractions is the Gunslinger, an android whose programming allows guests to participate in gunfights using firearms that prevent them from shooting organic beings. After a night spent with two android prostitutes, John is accosted by the gunslinger Peter killed in the saloon the previous day and Peter once again shoots the android gunslinger dead. Peter is jailed for killing the gunslinger until John breaks him out. During their escape from town, a robotic rattlesnake bites John. The technicians running Delos notice the androids in Roman World and Medieval World experiencing various breakdowns and systemic failures, which may have also spread to Westworld. A serving wench android refuses a guest's advances in Medieval World and the failures escalate until Medieval World's Black Knight android kills a guest in a sword fight. The resort's supervisors try to regain control, but shutting down power to the park traps them in central control. The androids in all three worlds run amok, killing guests while operating on reserve power. Peter and John, recovering from a drunken bar-room brawl, wake up in Westworld's brothel, unaware of the park's breakdown. When the Gunslinger challenges them to a showdown in the street, John treats the confrontation as an amusement, but the android shoots him dead. Peter runs for his life through other areas of the park, pursued by the android. He encounters dead guests, damaged androids and a panicked technician attempting to escape Delos, who is killed by the Gunslinger. Peter descends into the underground control complex, finding the computer technicians asphyxiated. The Gunslinger stalks him into an underground android-repair laboratory. Peter pretends to be an android awaiting repairs, throws acid into the Gunslinger's face, and escapes to the surface inside the Medieval World castle. With damaged optical inputs, the Gunslinger tracks Peter using infrared scanners. Peter discovers burning torches mask his presence, and he sets the Gunslinger on fire and leaves it to burn. Peter encounters a chained woman in a dungeon, but giving her water causes her to short-circuit, revealing her to be an android. The burned shell of the Gunslinger attacks him once again before succumbing to its damage. Peter collapses on the dungeon steps, exhausted and shocked, as the memory of Delos' marketing slogan resonates: "Boy, have we got a vacation for you!"

The French Rubis-class nuclear attack submarine Titane (Titanium) in the original French version – is sent near the Mediterranean coast of Tartus, Syria to stealthily recover a French Special Forces unit operating in the area. The submarine sails under the command of Captain Grandchamp and Executive Officer (XO) D'Orsi. However, during their mission they encounter an unidentified sonar contact. The sonar expert of the submarine, Chanteraide – nicknamed "Socks", and serving as "golden ear", the officer specialized in underwater acoustics – first classifies the contact as a wounded whale, but it quickly turns out that the contact is an unknown submarine transmitting their position to an Iranian frigate and a maritime helicopter operating in the area. The helicopter launches depth charges in what seems to be an unprovoked act of aggression which, however, is a valid defensive measure as the Titan is in fact violating sovereign Syrian waters while recovering a foreign force that has already engaged in combat and killed Syrian nationals, which can also be considered justified intervention against a dictatorship in an ongoing civil war. After evading the barrage, the Titan surfaces, and the captain shoots down the helicopter with a Panzerfaust 3. They recover the Special Forces unit and return to base. When the Titan returns to base, the radio announces that Russia is invading Finland's Åland Islands, and that the French President has decided to send a naval task force to the Baltic Sea in support of Finland. The Russian government then threatens nuclear retaliation against the French Republic. Chanteraide, trying to identify the unknown contact in Syria, hacks into his superior officer's computer and after conducting research at a bookstore where he starts a romantic relationship with Diane, as well as the naval archives, discovers that it is in fact a Russian Timour III ballistic missile submarine, supposedly dismantled. Meanwhile, Grandchamp is promoted for his actions to command the Triomphant-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine SSBN L'Effroyable (Dreadful) in the original French version – while D'Orsi takes over command of Titan. During a test the day before the mission, Chanteraide, along with ALFOST and CIRA, also analyzed the spectrum of Russian, British and American submarines, as well as the sound spectrum of another Triomphant-class nuclear submarine, the SSBN L'implacable (Unbeatable) - in the original French version, which had been built together with L'Effroyable. By comparing the recordings from both submarines, Chanteraide finds that the L'Effroyable's reactor was re-machined after an incident. The L'Effroyable is launched with its new captain and the Titane as its escort submarine. Chanteraide is pulled aside during roll call and Grandchamp explains he has failed his drug test and will not be boarding the submarine. Chanteraide distresses at the now empty dock but after an air raid siren sounds, runs into the bunker where the naval staff have relocated. The French military command detects a Russian R-30 nuclear missile being launched by the Timour III from the Bering Sea, prompting the French President to order the L'Effroyable to launch one of its nuclear missiles against Russia in response. In the command bunker, Chanteraide finds an anomaly while listening to the recording of the launch - the missile sounds too light, because it was launched without a nuclear warhead. Chanteraide and his superior officer, the admiral in command of the Strategic Oceanic Force (the ALFOST) immediately call the Chief of Staff, but the Chief of Staff puts them on hold as the US Secretary of State has also called. The Secretary of State reveals critical intelligence that the terrorist organisation Al-Jadida had illegally bought the decommissioned Timour III submarine from a corrupt admiral and launched an empty missile at France, tricking the French into an irrevocable procedure to launch a nuclear counterstrike from the L'Effroyable. The ALFOST and Chanteraide are then flown by helicopter to the Titan in an attempt to stop the nuclear launch by all means necessary. Grandchamp prepares to fire the nuclear missile, following procedure and eliminating all outside communication while keeping the submarine in stealth mode. After D'Orsi is rebuffed in his efforts to communicate with Grandchamp via underwater telephone, he attempts to approach L'Effroyable by swimming to it in person. He is killed when Grandchamp launches a torpedo at Titan to prevent their attempts to foil his missile launch. This torpedo grazes the Titan and only causes minor damage. Titan then launches its own torpedo at L'Effroyable. L'Effroyable then returns fire. While Chanteraide breaks down under the pressure of targeting his former commander, the ALFOST is able to use his experience from formerly commanding L'Effroyable to predict Grandchamp's evasive actions. Titan 's torpedo explodes above the L'Effroyable 's bridge, as Grandchamp is able to release ballast air and throw the torpedo enough off target to prevent direct impact, although the control room is devastated. L'Effroyable 's torpedo hits Titan which begins to sink. Grandchamp orders the evacuation of the carbon monoxide filled control room and denies appeals to issue an SOS call, intending to follow orders and launch the nuclear missile first. On the Titane, Chanteraide and the ALFOST, the sole survivors of the torpedo impact, escape the burning area of the ship, Chanteraide makes a last call to the L'Effroyable over an underwater telephone. Chanteraide recalls Grandchamp's prior trust in him, and begs him not to fire the missile, before saying goodbye in the face of his impending death on the stricken Titan. With his dying breath, Grandchamp removes the nuclear targeting board, preventing the missile from being launched. The ALFOST is able to evacuate Chanteraide via the escape hatch, but is unable to evacuate himself. As Chanteraide surfaces in a lifejacket, his eardrums are destroyed. Chanteraide is rescued by a helicopter. A deaf Chanteraide attends a memorial held on a submarine for the fallen French sailors. The final scene shows Chanteraide reuniting with his girlfriend Diane.

The destruction of a large Earth-bound asteroid releases unknown chemicals. As a result, cold-blooded animals on Earth mutate into large monsters and kill off most of humanity. During the evacuation of Fairfield, Joel Dawson is separated from his girlfriend Aimee but promises to find her. However, a giant monster attacks their car, killing his parents. Seven years later, Joel is part of a small survivor group living in an underground bunker. While the rest of the group fight monsters and seek supplies, Joel, who freezes up in dangerous situations, is relegated to kitchen and base maintenance duties. After a giant ant breaches his colony, killing one of the survivors, Joel decides to set off on a quest to reunite with Aimee, so that he doesn't end up alone. The rest of the group support his decision, handing him a map, equipment and supplies. Passing through the suburbs, Joel is attacked by a giant toad but is saved by a stray dog named "Boy." The dog follows Joel on his journey, warning him against poisonous berries and other dangers. Joel falls into a nest of worm monsters called "sand gobblers", when two survivors, Clyde Dutton and Minnow, rescue him. They are heading north to the mountains, where fewer monsters live due to the colder weather and higher elevation. They teach Joel some basic survival skills, and that not all monsters are hostile. They invite Joel to join them, but he insists on continuing his journey to find Aimee. As they part ways, Clyde gives Joel a grenade. Continuing west, Boy becomes trapped by a giant centipede monster. Joel freezes, but eventually saves Boy with his crossbow. Sheltering in an abandoned motel, they meet a robot named Mav1s. Before her battery dies, Mav1s powers his radio long enough for him to briefly contact Aimee. She tells him that other survivors have reached her colony, promising to lead them to safety. The next day Joel and Boy are attacked by a queen sand gobbler. They hide, but Boy barks, giving away their position. Joel kills the queen with the grenade, and yells at Boy for putting them in danger, causing Boy to run away. After swimming across a pond, Joel is covered in venomous leeches and hallucinates, but is rescued before he collapses. Joel wakes to finally see Aimee. She leads a beach colony of elderly survivors who depend on her. He is introduced to the survivors, as well as Brooks "Cap" Wilkinson, a ship captain, and his crew, who had all recently arrived on a large yacht. As everyone celebrates their imminent departure, Aimee confesses to Joel that she is glad to see him, but that she has become a different person and is still mourning someone she was in love with. Crestfallen, Joel decides to return to his old base. He contacts his group on the radio and learns that it has become unsafe there, and that they too must leave. Cap sends Joel some berries to eat, which he recognizes as poisonous. Realizing Cap is not to be trusted, he rushes to warn Aimee but is knocked unconscious. Joel, Aimee, and the rest of her colony awaken tied up on the beach. Cap reveals that his group are pirates that will raid the colony, and that their yacht is towed by a crab monster controlled with an electrified chain. Cap sets the crab to feed on the colonists, but Joel and Aimee escape and are able to fight for their lives, and Boy returns to help. After a lengthy battle, Joel has the opportunity to shoot the crab, but he realizes it is not hostile. Joel instead severs the electrified chain, freeing the crab. The creature leaves Joel and the others unharmed and instead sinks the yacht, devouring Cap and his crew. Joel recommends to Aimee that she and her colony head north. They share a goodbye kiss, and Aimee promises she will find him. Joel treks all the way back to his colony, and they too decide to head to the mountains. On the radio, Joel inspires other colonies to take to the surface. As the colonies head north, Clyde and Minnow, already in the mountains, wonder if Joel will survive the next journey.

King Acrisius of Argos imprisons his daughter Danaë, jealous of her beauty. When the god Zeus impregnates Danaë, Acrisius banishes her and her newborn son Perseus to sea in a wooden chest. In retribution, Zeus kills Acrisius and orders Poseidon to release the last of the Titans, a gigantic sea monster called the Kraken, to destroy Argos. Danaë and Perseus safely float to the island of Seriphos, where Perseus grows to adulthood. Calibos, the malevolent son of the treacherous sea goddess Thetis, is betrothed to Princess Andromeda, daughter of Queen Cassiopeia of Joppa; but for committing several atrocities, including destroying Zeus' sacred flying horses (except for Pegasus), Calibos is transformed into a deformed monster to fit the ugliness of his evil heart. In revenge, Thetis transports an adult Perseus to an abandoned amphitheater in Joppa, where he befriends a soldier, Thallo, and an elderly poet named Ammon. Perseus learns that Andromeda is under a curse and cannot marry unless her suitor successfully answers a riddle concocted by Calibos. Zeus sends Perseus a god-crafted helmet which is from Athena which makes its wearer invisible, a magical sword which is from Aphrodite, and a shield which is from Hera. After capturing Pegasus, Perseus follows Calibos's giant vulture carrying off Andromeda's spirit during her sleep to learn the next riddle. Perseus is discovered and nearly killed by Calibos. In the ensuing fight, Calibos loses his left hand, and Perseus loses his helmet. The next morning, Perseus presents himself as a suitor and correctly answers the riddle—the answer is the ring given to Calibos by his mother which is still attached to the amputated hand—winning Andromeda's hand in marriage. Finding out that Thetis cannot act directly against Perseus, Calibos instead demands that she take vengeance on Joppa by unleashing the Kraken upon it. At the wedding in Thetis' temple, Cassiopeia declares that Andromeda's beauty is greater than Thetis'. Thetis, using the statue's head to speak through, declares that Cassiopeia will pay for her boasting and for the injury inflicted on Calibos and demands that Andromeda will be sacrificed to the Kraken on pain of Joppa's destruction. Perseus seeks a way to defeat the Kraken. However, Pegasus is captured by Calibos and his men. Zeus commands Athena to give Perseus her owl Bubo, but she refuses. Instead, she orders Hephaestus to build a mechanical replica that leads Perseus, Andromeda, Ammon, Thallo, and some soldiers to the Stygian Witches. By taking their magic eye, Perseus forces them to reveal that the only way to defeat the Kraken is by using the head of the Gorgon Medusa, whose gaze can turn any living thing into stone. Medusa lives on an island in the River Styx at the edge of the Underworld. The next day, Perseus and the soldiers continue on their journey while Andromeda and Ammon return to Joppa. Thallo stays behind, but gives Perseus a coin as a fee for the skeletal ferryman, Charon. On the Gorgon's island, the three soldiers traveling with Perseus are killed. Perseus fights and kills Medusa's guardian, a two-headed dog named Dioskilos. At the Gorgon's lair, Perseus uses the reflective underside of his shield to deceive Medusa, decapitate her, and collect her head. However, Perseus's shield is dissolved by her caustic blood. As Perseus and his fellow soldiers set to return, Calibos enters their camp and punctures the cloak carrying Medusa's head, causing her blood to spill and produce three giant scorpions, which attack the soldiers. One soldier is killed by a scorpion, but Perseus and Thallo kill all three scorpions. Thallo is then killed by Calibos, who attacks Perseus with his whip, but Perseus manages to overcome and kill him. Alone and weakened by his struggle, Perseus sends Bubo to rescue Pegasus from Calibos' henchmen. After reaching the amphitheater in Joppa, Perseus collapses from exhaustion. Andromeda is shackled to the sacrificial rock outside Joppa, and the Kraken is summoned. Bubo distracts the beast until Perseus, whose strength was secretly restored by Zeus, appears on Pegasus. Using Medusa's head, Perseus petrifies the Kraken, causing it to crumble to pieces. Perseus tosses the head into the sea, frees and marries Andromeda. The gods predict that Perseus and Andromeda will live happily, rule wisely, and produce children, and Zeus forbids the other gods to pursue vengeance against them. The constellations of Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus and Cassiopeia are created in their honor.

In Russia, the media covers Tony Stark 's disclosure of his identity as Iron Man. Ivan Vanko, mourning the death of his father Anton Vanko —a former Stark Industries employee, sees this and builds the same miniature arc reactor as Stark's using old Stark Industries blueprints left behind by Anton. Six months later, Tony wants to continue the legacy of his father Howard, and re-institutes the Stark Expo in New York City's Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. He also resists pressure to turn over his armored suits to the government and Stark's rival, Justin Hammer. However, Stark learns that the palladium core in the arc reactor that keeps him alive and powers the armor is slowly poisoning him, and he is unable to find a substitute. Growing increasingly despondent about his impending death, and refusing to tell anyone about his condition, Stark appoints his assistant Pepper Potts as CEO of Stark Industries and promotes Stark employee "Natalie Rushman" to replace her as his assistant. Stark competes in the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, where he is attacked in the middle of the race by Vanko, who wields electrified whips powered by his arc reactor. Stark dons his armor and defeats Vanko, but the armor is severely damaged. Vanko explains that he intended to prove to the world that Iron Man is not invincible. Impressed by Vanko's performance, Hammer fakes Vanko's death while breaking him out of prison and asks him to build a line of armored suits to upstage Stark. Vanko decides that unmanned drones are better to eliminate the human factor. During his birthday party, Stark gets drunk while wearing the Iron Man suit. Annoyed by Tony's recklessness, Stark's best friend, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, dons Stark's prototype armor and tries to restrain him. The fight ends in a stalemate, and Rhodes confiscates the prototype armor for the U.S. Air Force. Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approaches Stark. Fury reveals that "Rushman" is S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff and that Fury personally knew Howard Stark, who was a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury explains that Vanko's father and Howard invented the arc reactor together, but Howard had Anton deported when the latter tried to sell it. The Soviets then sent Anton to the Gulag. Fury gives Stark some of his father's old material. In a diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo, Stark finds a diagram of the atomic structure of a new element. With the aid of his A.I., J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark determines it can replace his arc reactor's current palladium core, and successfully synthesizes it. When Stark learns that Vanko is still alive, he goes to Hammer's exhibition at the expo. The armored drones are unveiled, with Rhodes – in a heavily weaponized version of the prototype armor, dubbed "War Machine" – as their leader. Just as Stark arrives to warn Rhodes, Vanko takes remote control of all the drones and Rhodes's armor and attacks Stark. Hammer is arrested for breaking Vanko out of prison while Romanoff and Stark's bodyguard Happy Hogan infiltrate Hammer's factory. Vanko escapes, but Romanoff gains access to Hammer Industries software and returns control of Rhodes's armor to him. Together, Stark and Rhodes defeat Vanko, who dies by suicide via blowing up his suit and the drones. At a debriefing, Fury informs Stark that because of his difficult personality, S.H.I.E.L.D. intends to use him only as a consultant moving forward. Stark and Rhodes receive medals for their heroism. In a post-credits scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson discovers a large hammer in New Mexico.

In 1194, English nobleman Robin of Locksley has spent years in an Ayyubid prison in Jerusalem, having followed King Richard the Lionheart on the Third Crusade. Robin and his comrade Peter Dubois escape, saving the life of a Moor named Azeem Al Bakir. Mortally wounded, Peter makes Robin swear to protect his sister Marian, and Azeem vows to accompany Robin until his life debt is repaid. In King Richard's absence, George, the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham, plots to seize the throne for himself, and has Robin's father killed for remaining loyal to King Richard. Arriving home four months later, Robin saves a young boy named Wulf from the Sheriff's ruthless cousin, Guy of Gisbourne. He finds his father Lord Locksley's corpse and his family's servant Duncan blinded by Gisbourne; Duncan explains that Lord Locksley was falsely accused of devil worship. The Sheriff consults the witch Mortianna, who foresees King Richard's return and that Robin and Azeem "will be our deaths". Robin tells Marian of Peter's death, but she sees little need for his protection. Fleeing the Sheriff's forces into Sherwood Forest, Robin, Duncan and Azeem encounter a group of outlaws led by Wulf's father Little John, who challenges Robin to a duel. Robin wins and earns John's friendship but the bandit Will Scarlet refuses to trust him. Confronting the corrupt Bishop of Hereford for his role in Lord Locksley's death, Robin humiliates the Sheriff, who sends Gisbourne to terrorize the peasants in the search for "Robin of the Hood". Despite the price on his head, Robin shapes the growing band of outlaws into a formidable force against the Sheriff. They rob rich folk passing through the forest and distribute the stolen wealth and food among the poor, and coerce the beer-loving Friar Tuck to join them. Marian offers Robin any aid she can and they fall in love. Robin's success and public support infuriate the Sheriff, who worsens his abuse of the peasants and kills Gisbourne for failing to stop the outlaws. Mortianna advises the Sheriff to recruit fearsome Celtic warriors from Scotland and that he must marry someone of royal blood: Marian, King Richard's cousin. Betrayed by the Bishop, Marian is taken prisoner and Duncan rides to warn Robin, unknowingly followed by the Sheriff's men. They storm Sherwood with Celtic reinforcements and burn Robin's hideout, capturing many of the outlaws and killing Duncan. With Robin presumed dead, the Sheriff threatens the prisoners and their families, forcing Marian to agree to marriage. Will bargains with the Sheriff to betray Robin and returns to Sherwood, but instead reveals that he is Robin's half-brother, and they reconcile. On the day of the wedding, Robin and his men infiltrate Nottingham Castle and save the outlaws from being hanged. With the help of Azeem's explosive powder, they free the prisoners, and Azeem inspires the peasants to revolt, forcing the Sheriff to retreat with Marian into his keep. The Bishop hastily performs the marriage but before the Sheriff can consummate it, Robin bursts in. Friar Tuck finds the Bishop fleeing with gold, burdens him with additional treasure and defenestrates him. In a fierce duel, Robin kills the Sheriff, and Azeem kills Mortianna in defense of Robin, thus fulfilling his life-debt. Later, Robin and Marian's wedding in Sherwood is interrupted by the return of King Richard, who blesses the marriage and thanks Robin for saving his throne.

A United States Coast Guard vessel intercepts and boards an American yacht in the Caribbean Sea and finds evidence that the ship's owner and passengers, American businessman Peter Hardin and his family, were murdered by the piloting Colombian crew. CIA analyst Jack Ryan learns that Hardin was laundering money for the South American Cali Cartel, the leader of which, Ernesto Escobedo, ordered Hardin's murder for embezzling millions in drug profits. U.S. President Bennett, Hardin's close friend, discreetly authorizes National Security Advisor James Cutter to initiate covert operations in Colombia to destroy the cartel. Ryan is appointed acting Deputy Director of Intelligence when Admiral James Greer undergoes treatment for pancreatic cancer. Ryan requests Congress to increase funding to support Colombians fighting the drug cartels, giving his assurance there is no U.S. military involvement, unaware that Cutter will use the funds to assemble RECIPROCITY, a special forces team recruited by CIA operative John Clark and aided by Robert Ritter, the CIA Deputy Director of Operations. President Bennett sends Ryan to negotiate with the Colombian government to allow the United States to seize Escobedo's assets, including $650 million hidden in off-shore accounts, while Escobedo's intelligence officer, Colonel Félix Cortez, secretly orders the Cartel to ambush Ryan's convoy. Ryan survives the fracas, though several colleagues are killed, including Dan Murray and FBI Director Emile Jacobs. Cortez's identity is ascertained after he murders Jacobs’ secretary, Moira, who was an unwitting informant. Blamed for the attack, Escobedo organizes a meeting with the other Cartel heads. RECIPROCITY discovers this and launches an airstrike on their gathering, though Escobedo and Cortez, en route, barely escape unscathed. Cortez learns Americans were responsible and brokers a deal with Cutter: Cortez will kill Escobedo to assume leadership, then will reduce drug shipments to the U.S. and allow American law enforcement to make regular arrests to influence public opinion on the United States’ declared war on drugs. As part of the exchange, Cortez wants the location of RECIPROCITY disclosed to him and all CIA support to RECIPROCITY eliminated. Clark's team is stranded when Cutter accepts Cortez's deal, and are overwhelmed by Cortez's mercenaries in the jungle. U.S. surveillance monitored Cutter’s conversation with Cortez unbeknownst to him and Ryan accesses Ritter's computer to obtain evidence regarding the illegal Colombian operations. Ritter, however, warns Ryan that because he secured funding for the operation, Congress will hold Ryan solely responsible, revealing that he and Cutter have been granted President Bennett's pre-emptive pardons from any wrongdoing. Greer succumbs to his illness and Ryan flies to Bogota after the funeral to seek out Clark, unaware Cutter and Ritter have led Clark to believe that Ryan betrayed RECIPROCITY. Clark captures Ryan, but teams up with him when he realizes Ritter and Cutter played them both. Ryan and Clark procure a helicopter and fly to RECIPROCITY's last known position, where they find team sniper Chavez, who reports that most members were killed, and learn Captain Ramirez and one remaining squad member were captured. Ryan meets with Escobedo and informs him of Cortez's deception, while Clark simultaneously commences the rescue of his men who are being held captive in a coffee facility fronting Escobedo's cocaine operation. Escobedo confronts Cortez but is killed by Cortez's associate. Chavez kills Cortez during the escape, and Ryan narrowly escapes along with Clark and the freed prisoners. Back in the United States, Ryan refuses President Bennett's request to help cover up the conspiracy and instead testifies before the Congressional Oversight Committee about the recent events.

In 2002 Toronto, 13-year-old Meilin "Mei" Lee lives with her parents, Ming and Jin, helps take care of the family's temple dedicated to her maternal ancestor Sun Yee, and works to make her mother proud. She hides her personal interests from Ming, such as the fact that she and her friends Miriam, Priya, and Abby are fans of the boy band 4*Town. One night when Ming, who is strict and overprotective, discovers Mei's crush on Devon, the 17-year-old local convenience store clerk, she inadvertently humiliates Mei in public. That night, Mei has a vivid nightmare involving red pandas; waking up the next morning, she finds that she has transformed into one. She hides from her parents and discovers that she transforms only when she is in a state of high emotion. When Mei reverts to human form, her hair remains red, and so she goes to school in a touque. Ming initially believes Mei is experiencing her first period, but learns the truth when she gets into an altercation with the school's security guard, causing Mei to transform from embarrassment and run home in panic and tears. Ming and Jin explain that Sun Yee was granted this transformation to protect her daughters and her village during wartime, and that all her female descendants have also had this ability. This has become inconvenient and dangerous in modern times, so the red panda spirit must be sealed in a talisman by a ritual on the night of a lunar eclipse, which will take place in a month's time. Mei's friends discover her transformation, but take a liking to it. Mei finds that concentrating on them enables her to control her transformations. Ming allows Mei to resume her normal life, but refuses to let Mei attend 4*Town's upcoming concert. Instead, the girls secretly raise money for the tickets at school by exploiting the popularity of Mei's red panda form while lying to Ming about how Mei is spending her time. To raise the last 100 dollars, Mei agrees to attend school bully Tyler's birthday party as the red panda. Before Mei leaves, Mei's grandmother and aunts arrive to assist with Mei's ritual. At the party, Mei is upset to discover that the concert will be on the night she is to undergo the ritual. In her rage, she attacks Tyler when he insults her family, frightening the other kids. Ming discovers Mei's activities and blames Mei's friends for everything. Mei fails to come to her friends' defense to maintain Ming's approval. While cleaning, Jin finds videos she recorded of herself as the red panda with her friends and tells her she should not be ashamed of this side of her, but to embrace it. During the ritual, as Mei's red panda form is about to be sealed, she decides to keep her powers and abandons the ritual to attend the concert at the SkyDome. In making her escape, she breaks Ming's talisman, releasing her red panda form as well. At the concert, Mei reconciles with her friends and Tyler. However, an enraged Ming, having become a kaiju -sized red panda, disrupts the concert while intending to take Mei back by force. Mei and Ming argue about the former's independence. As they fight, Mei accidentally knocks her mother unconscious. Mei's grandmother and aunts break their talismans to use their red panda forms to help drag Ming into a new ritual circle. Mei's friends and 4*Town join in singing to complete the ritual, sending Mei, Ming, and the other women to the astral plane. Mei reconciles with her mother and helps Ming mend her bond with her own mother, whom Ming accidentally scarred in anger in the past. The other women contain their red pandas in new talismans; Mei decides to keep hers, Ming accepting that she is finding her own path. One year later, the Lee family raises money to repair the damage to the SkyDome. Mei and Ming's relationship has improved. Mei balances her temple duties (where her red panda form is now an attraction) and spends time with her friends and Tyler.