Joe McAlister is a smart and curious young teenager. He is at his house when the dome comes down nearby and inspects it with mysterious stranger Dale Barbie Barbara, who also saves his life. Joe is very interested in the dome and inspects it, quickly discovering that it only gives off an electrical charge at the first touch. He compares it to an invisible fence.When the rest of the town's teenagers are partying inside the dome, Joe goes to investigate it, to learn more about it. He is already developing theories about it that sound advanced. It appears he has some sort of connection to the dome when it has a physical effect on him, the same effect it has on Norrie Calvert-Hill, a teenager traveling through Chester's Mill with her mothers.Background: Has an older sister, Angie. His father is a long-distance trucker. His mother is out of town when the dome comes down and Angie soon goes missing, leaving Joe on his own.