Darien Fawkes is a con-man and thief who is captured for a third time. Rather then face California's three-strike law, he volunteers for an experiment conducted by his brother Kevin. Kevin and another scientist, Arnaud, have created a synthetic gland that secrets ""Quicksilver"", a substance that can bend light. They place the gland in Darien's head. He soon realizes what has happened and is none too pleased. Darien is even less happy when they discover the gland secretes Quicksilver into the recipient's brain, and enough of it drives the person insane. Darien learns to control his abilities, and soon discovers that Arnaud is up to something. Arnaud claims Darien is insane when he accuses the scientists, but then Arnaud's mercenaries break in, steal the information on the gland, and kill everyone except Darien. Darien goes to his ex-girlfriend, a doctor who is furious at him because he didn't reveal his past. She refuses to believe he can turn invisible, and then Darien is taken away by

Darien rescues a 12-year-old boy from the sinister Chrysalis agency, only to discover that his body has been implanted with a deadly virus that will be released when he reaches puberty.