▁gl adi ator ▁from ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁Dom it ian , ▁who , ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁highly ▁unlikely ▁series ▁of ▁events , ▁is ▁fro zen ▁in ▁ice ▁for ▁nin ete en ▁centuries ▁before ▁being ▁found ▁by ▁the ▁H ought on ▁O il ▁Company ▁on ▁a ▁prospect ing ▁mission ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁Atlantic . ▁ ▁Sum mary ▁ ▁Lew ▁Mc Card le ▁is ▁a ▁ge ologist ▁working ▁for ▁H ought on ▁O il , ▁which ▁has ▁reason ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁oil ▁in ▁the ▁far ▁north . ▁While ▁running ▁a ▁test ▁dr ill , ▁the ▁machine ▁accident ally ▁un co vers ▁the ▁fro zen ▁body ▁of ▁a ▁man . ▁Lew ▁is ▁given ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁body , ▁and ▁he ▁immediately ▁calls ▁S emy on ▁Pet rov itch , ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁Soviet ▁scient ist . ▁Pet rov itch , ▁who ▁special izes ▁in ▁cry on ics ▁( but ▁not ▁cry ogen ics , ▁as ▁he ▁explains ) ▁immediately ▁takes ▁the ▁body ▁to ▁be ▁rev ived , ▁explaining ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁easier ▁to ▁treat ▁such ▁a ▁case ▁as ▁alive ▁until ▁it ▁is ▁proven ▁that ▁life ▁cannot ▁be ▁restored . ▁The ▁blood ▁is ▁p ump ed ▁from ▁the ▁body , ▁and ▁various ▁treat ments ▁are ▁admin ister ed ▁until , ▁amaz ingly , ▁he ▁does ▁come ▁back ▁to ▁life . ▁He ▁sp ends ▁the ▁next ▁fifteen ▁days ▁in ▁a ▁deep ▁sleep , ▁mut ter ing ▁to ▁himself . ▁The ▁mut ter ings ▁are ▁recorded , ▁but ▁no - one ▁can ▁figure ▁out ▁the ▁language .