Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again (超時空要塞マクロスII Lovers Again, Chojiku yosai Macross II - Lovers Again?), also known as Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II or Macross II, is the first animated sequel to Macross to feature a new cast of characters. It was originally released as a six-episode mini-series in Japan and overseas, but it was edited overseas into a movie compilation. The story begins eighty years after Space War I (the first Human-alien war) and the events depicted in the first Macross story. The SDF-1 Macross still exists, as does the Minmay Defense used by U.N. Spacy (the UN's military in space) that has successfully thwarted the Zentradi alien threat ever since. However, a new race called the Mardook (マルドゥーク Maruduuku, a homage to the Babylonian god Marduk マルドゥク Maruduku, but pronounced and spelled differently) arrive with its fleet of enslaved Zentradi and Meltlandi warriors who are seemingly unaffected by the defense measures. A reporter, Hibiki Kanzaki, captures a Mardook Emulator named Ishtar while reporting on a battle. He proceeds to teach her of his culture, which she tries to share with the rest of her people. However the Mardook have rejected culture and view it as a contamination of their souls. Since the production did not involve the original Macross creators from Studio Nue, this project has since been considered a parallel world story. Macross II was also made into a role-playing game by Palladium Books, though the license has since been relinquished, and the game is out of print. In March 1995, Viz Comics released a limited-series sequel to Macross II, set one year after the Mardook invasion. Called Macross II: The Micron Conspiracy, the five-part series reunites Kanzaki and his UN Spacy girlfriend, Sylvie Gena, as they try to stop the plans of a terrorist group called the UN Resistance. Later aired on sci-fi channel ans showtime.