In Washington, D.C., Jefferson “Jeff” Reed works as a substitute teacher at an inner-city elementary school. Soft-spoken and modest, Jeff often avoids conflict and confrontation, especially when threatened by members of the Golden Lords gang, who have overrun his Castle Hill neighborhood with their flourishing drug trade. While his parents help develop a community watch program intended to minimize crime, Jeff chooses not to get involved. Sometime later, he encounters the Golden Lords in an alley and is forced to seek refuge in a dumpster. On his way home, a glowing green meteoroid falls from the sky and strikes Jeff in the chest, melting into his skin and leaving him badly burned. Before paramedics arrive, a homeless man named Marvin absconds with a piece of the meteor. After only a few days in the hospital, doctors are stunned to discover that Jeff has made a full recovery, with no residual signs of injury. Over time, he learns that the meteor has armed him with several strange powers, such as the ability to see through walls, communicate with animals, and fly. When a group of Golden Lords attacks his father, Jeff uses his newfound super-strength to chase them away. Astounded, Mr. and Mrs. Reed spend the night plotting ways Jeff can use his powers to protect the community. The next morning, Mrs. Reed presents him with a handmade costume and dubs him “Meteor Man.” During his first night on the job, Meteor Man prevents eleven robberies, negotiates a truce between two rival gangs, and busts a $1 billion shipment of cocaine. While the public debates the identity of the mysterious figure, Meteor Man cleans out an abandoned lot and plants a lush vegetable garden in the city’s poorest neighborhood. Meanwhile, Golden Lords boss, Anthony Byers, issues a reward for Meteor Man’s capture. A gang member known as Goldilocks recalls the night of Mr. Reed’s assault and identifies Jeff as the superhero. In time, Jeff’s best friend, Michael, steals his costume and poses as Meteor Man at a local shopping mall in an attempt to attract women. As the Golden Lords stake out the mall, Jeff arrives and levitates his friend to safety. Golden Lords gang leader, Simon, witnesses the event and sends his men to issue a threatening warning to Jeff’s neighbors. His powers fading, Jeff falls into a coma for the next several hours to recharge. When he awakens, he finds the community has been ravaged by crime once again, and his neighbors have decided it is safest for him to leave. As he packs his belongings, the Golden Lords assemble outside his apartment and challenge him to a final fight. Although he no longer possesses full super-strength, Jeff confronts the gang and is badly beaten by Simon. The brawl attracts the attention of Marvin the homeless man, who uses powers obtained from the spare chunk of meteor to disarm the Golden Lords. As chaos breaks out among the residents of Castle Hill, Marvin accidentally drops the magical rock, which lands between Jeff and Simon. Both men lunge for it, equally absorbing its remaining power. After a grueling battle, Simon hurls Jeff over a building and declares himself leader of the city. Moments later, however, Jeff confidently re-emerges as Meteor Man, restrains Simon, and drains him of his powers. Once the Golden Lords flee, Byers arrives, flanked by several dozen assassins who intend to kill Meteor Man once and for all. Their attempt is thwarted by the Bloods and the Crips, two of the city’s most prominent gangs, who unit in defense of Meteor Man. Byers is arrested by police, and Jeff smiles gratefully at his friends and neighbors.