Joe Takagami, alias "Joe," begins as a Japanese computer genius employed by the benevolent Rockford Corporation in Silicon Valley, aspiring to win a Nobel Prize. His life shatters when his girlfriend Judy suddenly denies knowing him, claiming to be someone else. Driven to uncover the truth, he executes a dangerous hack into a Pentagon computer system, revealing a devastating secret: his entire existence is fabricated. Joe is not human but an artificial sleeper android—a weapon of mass destruction engineered and controlled by Rockford. Judy, he deduces, was likely part of this elaborate deception.

This revelation triggers a traumatic physical metamorphosis: his body abruptly transforms, becoming massively muscular and superpowered. This "awakening" induces temporary psychosis, marked by extreme violence—including an unremembered assault on a random woman—exposing his inherent lethal potential.

Now a rogue one-man weapon, Joe wages war against Rockford. Targeted by their bionic assassins, including ninja hitmen, he fights for survival and vengeance. He uncovers further betrayals, such as his best friend Lloyd Gardner being a covert watcher assigned to monitor him. Aiding his battle is Rose, a personal AI system that provides strategic guidance and projects holograms—once manifesting Judy's likeness.

Joe's crusade escalates as he confronts his artificial existence, the annihilation of his perceived life, and the moral ambiguities of his capabilities. The conflict engulfs other entities like the Hiura Corporation, intensifying his struggle as an artificial weapon seeking retribution.