Alex Rider is a normal teenager who lives with his uncle, a boring bank manager, or so it seems until his uncle, Ian Rider, disappears under mysterious circumstances. Alex soon learns that his uncle was a spy for Britain¹s secret intelligence service MI6. Uncle Ian had actually prepared Alex for a career in espionage by encouraging his hobbies, and with Alex's skills in languages, scuba diving, mountaineering and martial arts, he has all the attributes of a perfect spy. Recruited by Mr. Blunt and Mrs. Jones, and armed with special gadgets, he embarks on his first mission. Billionaire Darrius Sayle is donating a free Stormbreaker mega-computer to every school in Britain. But is there more to his generosity than meets the eye? Going undercover, he infiltrates Sayle's compound. He meets the tycoon's sinister sidekicks, vixen publicist Nadia Vole and the disfigured mute Mr. Grin, and tests out the impressive and secretive Stormbreaker computer. While exploring a restricted area, Alex begins to figure out the mysterious Stormbreakers--he knows he's onto something big. Suddenly, Sayle and his evil henchmen capture Alex. Using his cunning and his MI6 gadgets, Alex manages to escape. He hitches a ride to London to stop Sayle from activating the Stormbreakers and releasing their secret weapon throughout Britain. But time is running out. With the help of his housekeeper Jack Starbright and his friend Sabina Pleasure, Alex takes Sayle head-on in a dangerous race against time to stop the evil plan. Within days he¹s gone from schoolboy to super spy, but will his first assignment be his last?