Steve Austin, a NASA astronaut and test pilot, suffers catastrophic injuries after a prototype aircraft crash, prompting a secret government program led by Oscar Goldman to salvage his life for operational use. Dr. Rudy Wells performs experimental bionic reconstruction, replacing Austin's limbs and eye, while Jean Manners helps him confront his trauma and the reality of his transformation. Recruited by Goldman for high risk missions, Austin reluctantly undertakes a desert rescue assignment that exposes him to moral compromise and confirms his new identity.