Who tried to invade the earth in the twenty-first century?
The Martians tried to invade the Earth in the twenty-first century. Specifically, the Martian invasion was planned for the year 2040. The invasion fleet was led by the Great and Mighty Think-Tank, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Mars Space Control.
However, the invasion never actually happened. Think-Tank and his crew misinterpreted the nursery rhymes from a book of Mother Goose as evidence of Earthlings' advanced civilization and power. Fearing a counterattack, Think-Tank ordered the fleet to evacuate the entire planet of Mars and flee to Alpha Centauri, which ultimately saved the Earth.
Explanation
The question directly asks who attempted to invade Earth in the 21st century. The text explicitly mentions the 'Martian invasion of 2040', identifying Martians as the invaders. The context also clarifies that while the Martian invasion fleet was ready, the invasion was called off by their leader, Think-Tank, due to his misinterpretation of the nursery rhymes, leading to the evacuation of Mars instead.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the invaders from the text, which explicitly mentions the 'Martian invasion of 2040'.
Step 2: Note that the invasion was led by 'Great and Mighty Think-Tank', the Martian Commander-in-Chief.
Step 3: Conclude that the Martians were the ones who tried to invade Earth in the 21st century.