In the year 1999, Earth has been ravaged by a global war. Brother battled brother as the conflict raged across the planet, but the devastation paled in comparison to a new threat which appeared to alter the course of human history forever. Astronomers discovered an alien spaceship that had broken through hyperspace on a collision course with Earth. Alarm increased as reports of the giant spaceship were confirmed by scientists around the planet. Eventually, they determined that the landing site would be Macross Island in the South Pacific.

The uncontrolled descent produced shock waves of incredible force; however, there was little damage to the island or, surprisingly, to the spaceship itself. The armored hull had taken the brunt of the fall, leaving most of the sophisticated technosystem intact. The gigantic craft was explored with a mixture of awe and anxiety. There was no sign of the alien crew, but the remains of the battlefortress gave evidence of a civilization that was centuries ahead of Earth’s most advanced technology. That alone was the most sobering discovery. Neither the look of the spaceship nor the material found inside indicated its creators were a peaceful race. Annihilation by invaders from another planet had become a terrible possibility.

The Global War ground to a halt. A cease-fire was ordered, and world leaders banded together to form the United Earth Government. Under this new administration, a research team consisting of the most brilliant minds on the planet was formed to investigate and restore the battlefortress. The team labored to decipher parts of documents from an incredibly complex technology called Robotech.