Book 1, Chapter 1 Summary

Young Evey steps out into the night. It's almost midnight, and the streets are deserted. Desperate and hungry, Evey approaches a lone man and propositions him for sex. As soon as the man reveals himself as a "Fingerman," trouble ensues. Several men appear and surround Evey in a threatening manner. It is at this crucial moment that V appears. No one hears him approach, which startles everyone. He makes his entrance by quoting Shakespeare's Macbeth. After running the men through, using martial arts techniques and knives, V expels tear gas and whisks Evey away to safety.

V brings Evey to the top of a building. V reveals to her that he was out because of a special occasion. It is November 5, and he recites the old Guy Fawkes rhyme, which commemorates Fawkes' infamy, "Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gun...