▁then ▁approach , ▁threaten ing ▁the ▁ste amer , ▁but ▁they ▁are ▁engaged ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁batt les hip ▁Th under ▁Child ▁and ▁two ▁are ▁destroyed . ▁The ▁ste amer ▁esc apes , ▁but ▁Th under ▁Child ▁and ▁her ▁crew ▁are ▁m elt ed ▁by ▁heat - ray s , ▁leaving ▁England ▁def en cel ess ▁against ▁the ▁invasion . ▁ ▁Part ▁ 2 : ▁The ▁Earth ▁Under ▁the ▁Mart ians ▁The ▁wand ering ▁Journal ist ▁disco vers ▁that ▁red ▁we ed — the ▁veget ation ▁that ▁gives ▁Mars ▁its ▁colour — has ▁taken ▁root ▁on ▁Earth ▁and ▁spread ▁rapidly ▁across ▁the ▁landscape . ▁In ▁a ▁church yard ▁he ▁enc oun ters ▁the ▁Par son ▁Nathan iel ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Beth . ▁The ▁tri o ▁take ▁refuge ▁in ▁a ▁nearby ▁c ott age ▁that ▁is ▁soon ▁surrounded ▁by ▁black ▁smoke — a ▁Mart ian ▁chemical ▁weapon . ▁Nathan iel , ▁driven ▁mad ▁by ▁his ▁experiences , ▁bl ames ▁himself ▁for ▁the ▁invasion ▁and ▁bel ieves ▁the ▁inv aders ▁are ▁dem ons ▁ar ising ▁from ▁human ▁evil . ▁As ▁Beth ▁attempts ▁to ▁restore ▁his ▁faith ▁in ▁human ity , ▁a ▁Mart ian ▁cyl inder ▁crashes ▁into ▁the ▁c ott age ▁and ▁she ▁is ▁buried ▁under ▁the ▁rub ble . ▁The ▁newly ▁arrived ▁Mart ians ▁construct ▁a ▁handling ▁machine : ▁a ▁squ at , ▁sp ider - like ▁vehicle ▁used ▁to ▁capture ▁and ▁collect ▁humans . ▁After ▁nine ▁days ▁hiding ▁in ▁the ▁ru ins , ▁the ▁Journal ist ▁and ▁Nathan iel ▁see ▁the ▁Mart