Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Gibson Rickenbacker, a mercenary who battles a group of murderous marauders led by Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn) along the East coast of the United States in a post-apocalyptic future.

A small group of surviving scientists and doctors — located in Atlanta, home of the CDC — work on a cure to save what remains of humanity.

Pearl, accompanied by bodyguard Marshall Strat, retrieves the data in New York but is pursued by the vicious Fender Tremolo and his gang of pirates.

Strat, badly injured while fighting the pirates, tells Pearl to leave him and find a mercenary, known as a "slinger", who can escort her to safety.

After declining sex with Nady, Gibson reveals that all he cares about is revenge against Fender, who killed his lover and destroyed his chance to have a normal life and family.

Tired, wounded and badly outnumbered, Gibson flees with Nady through the sewer into a salt marsh, where they are pursued by the rest of the pirates and eventually separated from each other.

[5] Cannon, however, was in financial trouble and had to cancel deals with both Mattel and Marvel Entertainment Group, the owners of He-Man and Spider-Man, respectively.

Cannon had already spent $2 million on costumes and sets for both films and decided to start a new project in order to recoup that money.

Pyun had Chuck Norris in mind for the lead, but co-producer Menahem Golan cast Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Several of the characters' names are references to well-known manufacturers and models of guitars and other musical instruments: After the success of Bloodsport, Cannon films offered Van Damme the lead in Delta Force 2, American Ninja 3 or Cyborg.

[6] Violent scenes were heavily cut to gain an R rating rather than an X, including a throat-slitting and some blood and gore during the village massacre.

Also excised was the death of a man Van Damme was fighting, which caused an inconsistency that made him look like he suddenly disappeared.

In the Philippines, the film was rereleased as First Hero on August 16, 1995, with "Re Issue" written in small print within the credits of the poster.

Credited to author Noah Sirk and artists Mike Van Cleave and Pete Von Sholly, it also features behind-the-scenes articles and interviews.

[20] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 24 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

The intro of Fender talking about death and starvation is thought as the official opening of metal band Chimairas' song "Resurrection".