 Michael Myers made his first appearance in the original 1978 film , Halloween , although the masked character is credited as " The Shape " in the first two films . In the beginning of Halloween , a six @-@ year @-@ old Michael ( Will Sandin ) murders his teenage sister Judith ( Sandy Johnson ) on Halloween , 1963 . Fifteen years later , Michael ( Nick Castle ) escapes Smith 's Grove Sanitarium and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield , Illinois . He stalks teenage babysitter Laurie Strode ( Jamie Lee Curtis ) on Halloween , while his psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis ( Donald Pleasence ) attempts to track him down . Murdering her friends , Michael finally attacks Laurie , but she manages to fend him off long enough for Loomis to save her . Loomis shoots Michael six times , before Michael falls over the house 's second @-@ story balcony ledge ; when Loomis goes to check Michael 's body , he finds it missing . Michael returns in the sequel , Halloween II ( 1981 ) . The film picks up directly where the original ends , with Dr. Loomis still looking for Michael . Michael ( Dick Warlock ) follows Laurie Strode ( Curtis ) to the local hospital , where he wanders the halls in search of her , killing security guards , doctors , and nurses that get in his way . Loomis learns that Laurie Strode is Michael 's younger sister , and rushes to the hospital to find them . He causes an explosion in the operating theater , allowing Laurie to escape as he and Michael are engulfed by the flames . 
