The series came about as Preacher was coming to a close, and according to Ennis he "wanted to push the idea of the classic Western or action anti-villain a little bit more than I normally would, and that is where the religious fanaticism came from and also where the cannibalism came from.

"[1] The setting of the series is one in which the Sun experienced coronal expansion (referred to as 'The Burn') growing to the point where the Earth was scorched and the oceans evaporated, and only a few pockets of humanity have survived.

The first series is narrated by Billy Shepard, a child who is with a refugee group attempting to cross the now empty Atlantic Basin, in hopes of finding sources of water on the other side.

Eventually, Pilgrim leads them in a climactic battle, revealing that he had knowingly used the refugees as bait to lure the pirates into a trap, justifying his actions by the fact that their deaths will make the area safe for other travellers.

In the sequel, Garden of Eden, Pilgrim comes across an oasis of sorts in a deep oceanic trench, where there is still abundant water, plant life, and what may be the last remnants of a civilised humanity.

Defending their escape, with an enemy's fingers literally in his eye, Pilgrim changes his mind and tells the woman to throw away the Bible, having had lost faith due to the deaths of so many innocent people.