David Dunn, a former star football quarterback turned security guard, is the sole, completely unharmed survivor of a train crash which kills 130 others. After a memorial service for the victims he finds a note on his car windshield asking if he has ever been ill and inviting him to "Limited Edition", an art gallary operated by Elijah Price. David realizes that he has indeed never been ill, and goes with his young son, Joseph, to meet Elijah, who suffers from brittle bone disease. Elijah explains a theory he has developed that his own physical frailty must be matched by someone on the other end of the spectrum who is especially tough. David is unsettled and leaves when Elijah proposes his theory of real-life superheroes, but later, finds he can bench press 350 pounds, well above his expectation. Joseph idolizes his father, believing him to be a superhero, although David maintains he is just an ordinary man.