What is the correct way to cite this source in a research paper using mla style? author: sam johnson title of article: aliens on mars magazine: sci-fi weekly date: may 4, 2011 page: 22

This source is a periodical. To cite it correctly on the works cited page, you would do the following:
Johnson, Sam. "Aliens on Mars." Sci-Fi Weekly, 4 May 2011, p. 22.

If you needed to use an in-text citation, you would put the author's last name, Johnson, in parentheses after the information. For example:
"direct quote from the article" (Johnson).
Super important information paraphrased from the article (Johnson).

The answer is 2) to show the depth of the colonists’ commitment to independence