Lacking both fingerprints and a shadow , a confused Al Simmons resorts to his natural instincts when he suddenly finds himself standing in the middle of a New York City street. As two policemen approach him , he violently lashes out at them , an act that lands him in a jail cell next to a violent killer that confesses his crimes to Al alone. As Al is taken from his cell to speak with a Public Defender , a shadow lurks in the darkness that surrounds the cell occupied by Al's self-confessed , murderous neighbor; it's Al's missing shadow , which has taken on a life of its own as Spawn! And while Al may not know who or where he is , he does remember one thing: Wanda.