Time Agent cadet Valerian breaks the cardinal rule of time traveling by rescuing a beautiful dancer, Laureline, from the Early Middle Ages and taking her back with him to the year 2416. Upon arrival, however, he realizes the consequences of his actions: the Earth is missing.

After arriving at Central Point, Valerian and Laureline encounter Prince Baral of Aldebaran, who’s on the run from Gork Yodol, an evil tyrant with plans to conquer the galaxy. The partners help the prince escape to his embassy by taking to the sewers, making a dangerous adversary of Gork in the process.

The poverty-stricken partners are hired by three members of the strange Shingouz race to track down a “holy vase” on the planet Furbok. It turns out to be a simple task for Valerian and Laureline, but directly afterward, they're plagued by terrible relentless nightmares that are connected to the relic.

Valerian and Laureline join a group of emigrants en route to Peter, a planet known as the “Promised Land”. Unbeknownst to them, however, one of their newfound friends is a spy for Vlago, which seeks to take over Peter, while another has a bomb implanted in her forehead. With friends like these, indeed...

Valerian and Laureline locate a treasure for the rich Zabole, but their client betrays Laureline by leaving her out in space, while Valerian is trapped within Zabole's palace, soon to be married unwillingly to her daughter. Worse, all men who are involved with the women of the Zabole family turn to stone!

While in a junkyard looking for spaceship parts, Valerian finds an android called RGE, but they're both taken prisoner by Dr. Zessel. Zessel creates an android double of Valerian to pump Laureline for information, while Val and his new android buddy hatch a plot to escape the mad doctor's dungeon.