Cattle rancher Brad Storm was tracking one of his herd when fate set him within the lethal striking distance of a rattlesnake. Bitten and poisoned, he sent the serpent to meet its Maker but then lost consciousness. Saved by a Hopi medicine man who believes Brad has inherited the spirit of the snake, he is given a new name - Sidewinder - and a totem to wear around his neck, the rattle of his attacker. Brad doesn't believe in spirits and just wants to put the incident - and Indian superstitions - behind him. But when rustlers torch his ranch, steal his cattle, and kidnap his wife, Brad embraces his new identity and embarks on a trail of revenge.