There are two sections - being Under the Hood & Tales of the Black Freighter. Under the Hood A fake-documentary - Under the Hood is the autobiography of Hollis Mason, where he explains the events leading up to the time when he became the masked adventurer Nick named Nite Owl, and discusses the formation of the Minutemen. The Tales of the Black Freighter The plot follows a castaway sailor who struggles to return to his home port in order to warn his friends and family of an impending attack by the infamous Black Freighter. a phantom pirate ship which houses the souls of the damned. To escape the deserted island he uses the gas-bloated bodies of his former crewmates to float a raft, Fending off sharks en route; to infiltrate the (supposedly) pirate-controlled Davidstown, he murders a trysting couple and returns dressed in the man's clothing; to save his family he attacks a night watchman who is patrolling the house. However, this watchman is actually his wife, and he soon realizes that there has been no attack and his efforts have only brought about his own destruction. The man returns to the beach to see the Black Freighter approaching, ready to claim the only life it truly desired-his own. He realizes his fate and boards the ship to become part of the eternally damned crew.