"Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) have started appearing with disturbing regularity in the night skies. Reports of violent human abductions and horrific experimentation have struck terror into the hearts of millions. Mass public hysteria has only served to expose Earth’s impotence against a vastly superior technology.

Some countries attempted to deal independently with the aliens, but after five months of fruitless and expensive operations, they had yet to intercept their first UFO. The lesson was clear; this was a worldwide problem that could not be dealt with by individual nations.

Representatives from the world’s most economically powerful countries gathered secretly in Geneva. After many discussions, the decision was made to establish a covert, independent body to combat, investigate, and defeat the alien threat. This organization would be equipped with the world’s finest pilots, soldiers, scientists and engineers, working together as one multi-national force.

This organization was called the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit. X-COM was born!"