In the near future, England, emerging out of the anarchy of the latest world war, has become an authoritarian fascist police state, while the once powerful United States is still mired in that anarchy. While Peter Creedy is the party leader, the state is ostensibly led by Adam Sutler, who assumed the role of Chancellor and whose policies not only regulate everything but immediately quash any dissent by death. On November 5th, a man who ultimately identifies himself solely as V and appropriately donning a Guy Fawkes mask, is able to overtake the state-run television station, the British Television Network (BTN), to announce to its viewership that he was the person responsible for blowing up the Old Bailey the previous evening, and implores the populace to join him in one year's time for an uprising, the symbolic measure to be the blowing up of the Houses of Parliament. While Sutler does whatever to ensure that V does not make it to tomorrow let alone to next November 5th, Inspector Eric Finch of the Metropolitan Police is leading the investigation into the Old Bailey bombing. Finch and his second in command, Sergeant Dominic Stone, believe the best way to get to V is through the young woman who becomes linked to him whether she wants to be or not. She is Evey Hammond, an employee at BTN who V saved the night of the Old Bailey bombing. The evolution of Evey's thoughts regarding V and what he is doing evolve over time. If they all discover who he is or dig below the surface, they will learn that there is a personal agenda of vendetta to his grand plan.