The Hitman, codenamed "47", wakes up strapped to a sparse bed in a padded room, in hospital garb. A disembodied voice over a loudspeaker releases him and subjects him to a series of obstacle courses where he is instructed in firearms and murder techniques. 47 is eventually led to a pair of guards, whom he murders in order to escape captivity. The story then picks up a year later, rejoining 47 as a professional assassin in the employ of the International Contract Agency (ICA). 47 is sent around the globe on a series of missions to eliminate four global criminal masterminds, all while trying to unravel the secret behind his origin.