In the submerged ruins of post-apocalyptic New York City in 2187, Joe is a mortal member of an underground community of human survivors resisting the tyrannical immortal Marcus Octavius. He actively fights in the rebellion against Octavius' forces, driven primarily by his care for his younger sister Deborah, who suffers from an unspecified illness. Joe's quest for medical supplies to treat her condition directly ties him to the broader conflict engulfing the city. His interactions with the immortal Colin MacLeod occur within the human resistance movement, where Joe operates alongside fellow rebels during the uprising against Octavius' regime. His narrative arc concludes with the fall of Octavius' empire.