Ralph Sorrell is on his way home after having a few too many drinks, causing him to get into a car crash with a passenger bus. Both vehicles crash into the nearby swamp. The entire accident is viewed by the Man-Thing, who silently watches the events unfold. Most people on the bus die, while Ralph survives. Among the few survivors from the bus are Mary Brown, soldier Jim Arsdale, student Holden Crane, and a young boy named Kevin Kennerman. When Kevin is pinned in the wreckage of the bus, Holden refuses to help. Holden claims being "against life", causing friction among the survivors.
