Spots 
A heavily wrapped stranger arrives at the Coach and Horses inn during a biting snowstorm in Iping. Mrs. Hall, the innkeeper, attempts to make him comfortable, but the newcomer keeps his face completely shrouded behind bandages and dark spectacles. He demands solitude and immediate access to his luggage, refusing all friendly conversation.
Clock-repairer Teddy Henfrey enters the stranger's room under the pretense of fixing a clock, hoping to satisfy his curiosity. The stranger's sharp reprimand and bandaged countenance intimidate Henfrey, who leaves convinced the man is fleeing the police. Suspicion spreads quickly through the village as Henfrey shares his unsettling encounter.
The stranger’s extensive luggage arrives, consisting of numerous glass bottles, crates, and scientific equipment. An accidental bite from a dog tears the stranger’s trousers, leading to a brief glimpse of an eerie, seemingly hollow leg beneath. Unfazed by the commotion, the man locks himself away to conduct secretive chemical experiments.
Driven by professional curiosity, local medical practitioner Dr. Cuss visits the visitor to investigate his medical supplies. During their conversation, Cuss witnesses an empty sleeve reach out and pinch his nose with an invisible hand. Terrified by the impossible phenomenon, Cuss flees the inn to recount the unnerving encounter to the local vicar.
In the early morning hours, Mr. and Mrs. Bunting awaken to footsteps and the rustling of papers in the vicarage study. Although they hear money being drawn from a drawer and footsteps moving across the floor, the candle flame reveals no visible intruder. The money vanishes into thin air before their eyes, leaving the couple baffled.
Finding the stranger's room unlocked and vacant, Mrs. Hall and her husband inspect his belongings. Suddenly, bedding leaps into the air of its own accord, and a heavy armchair charges at Mrs. Hall, driving the terrified couple into the hallway. Mrs. Hall becomes convinced the stranger has summoned spirits to inhabit her furniture.
Mrs. Hall confronts the stranger over unpaid bills and the bizarre behavior of her furniture. In a fit of rage, the guest tears off his artificial nose, spectacles, and facial bandages, revealing a completely hollow space above his collar. The horrified crowd gasps as the nameless man unwraps himself and slips unseen into the crowd.
Amateur naturalist Thomas Marvel sits on a lonely ditch bank contemplating his worn boots. An unseen voice suddenly addresses him, throwing stones to prove a physical presence without a body. Realizing he is conversing with a genuine invisible man, the bewildered tramp is coerced into becoming an accomplice.
Marvel attempts to comprehend his extraordinary plight as the invisible outcast explains his physiological state. Bound by fear and helpless against an invisible force, Marvel agrees to return to Iping to retrieve essential research notebooks and clothing. The invisible tormentor makes it clear that betrayal will result in swift retribution.
Villagers in Iping discuss the strange events while armed constables investigate the empty room. Marvel arrives in town wearing a bulky coat, attracting suspicion as he nervously lingers near the Coach and Horses. While the townspeople remain distracted, Marvel prepares to aid his unseen master in retrieving the stolen books.
Dr. Cuss and Mr. Bunting sort through the stranger’s scientific manuscripts inside the inn parlour. Suddenly, an invisible force grabs them, forces them into submission, and reclaims the precious notebooks along with a bundle of clothes. The invisible intruder leaves the two men battered and trapped inside the room.
Furious at the village's resistance and Marvel’s hesitations, the invisible terror erupts into violence across Iping. He smashes windows, breaks lampposts, and attacks onlookers, throwing the entire settlement into chaos. Marvel flees down the road with the stolen books, pursued by his enraged master.
Trudging along the highway toward Port Burdock, Marvel begs to be released from service, citing his physical exhaustion and nervous breakdown. The invisible master violently rejects the plea, threatening severe punishment if Marvel attempts desertion. Trapped in fear, Marvel carries the heavy books under constant, hidden surveillance.
Marvel sits outside a seaside inn, desperately clutching a stolen money bag while muttering to himself. A local mariner strikes up a conversation about news reports detailing an invisible fugitive on the loose. Panicked that his companion's presence will be exposed, Marvel suddenly flees, leaving the sailor bewildered.
Marvel dashes madly through the streets of Port Burdock, terrified of the unseen force pursuing him. Bystanders watch in confusion as the panting tramp frantically seeks sanctuary from an invisible threat. He bursts into a seaside pub, screaming for protection against the invisible killer at his heels.
Patrons at the Jolly Cricketers tavern shelter Marvel and bar the entrance against the unseen intruder. The invisible man forces his way inside, grappling violently with the men and attempting to strangle Marvel. A gunman fires three shots into the darkness, wounding the invisible attacker and forcing him to retreat into the night.
Dr. Kemp works late in his hilltop study when a bleeding, unseen figure enters his house. The intruder reveals himself as Griffin, Kemp’s former university classmate, who explains his invisible state. Recognizing Griffin's desperation and bloody bullet wound, Kemp provides food and shelter while contemplating the danger.
Griffin sleeps deeply inside Kemp’s guest room while Kemp examines the morning newspapers. Realizing Griffin’s rampage has terrorized the countryside and caused widespread harm, Kemp decides he must betray his former colleague. Kemp secretly sends a note to the Port Burdock police to request immediate arrest.
Griffin explains the scientific principles behind his discovery, detailing how altering refractive indices can render organic matter transparent. He recalls his early experiments on tissue, fabric, and a cat in a dismal London boarding house. Driven by fanatic ambition, Griffin sacrificed his health and morals to achieve complete invisibility.
Griffin recounts the tragic consequences of his initial success in London. Unable to pay rent and pressed by his suspicious landlord, Griffin set fire to his apartment building to destroy all evidence of his research. Wandering naked, cold, and invisible through London streets, he realized invisibility brought immense physical hardship.
Griffin describes the nightmare of navigating crowded London pavements without being seen. Mud, snow, and street traffic constantly threatened to reveal his presence, while dogs tracked his scent through the streets. He seeks temporary refuge inside a large department store to find clothes, food, and shelter from the bitter cold.
Hiding inside the closed emporium overnight, Griffin equips himself with clothes, food, and sleep. In the morning, store workers discover his sleeping form, forcing him to shed all his newly acquired garments to escape back into the freezing air. Stripped of his shelter once more, Griffin realizes he must find a disguise.
Griffin recounts breaking into a theatrical costume shop in Drury Lane to procure a mask, bandages, and dark spectacles. He bound and gagged the old shopkeeper before stealing money and disguising his invisible head. Armed with a disguise, he headed to the quiet village of Iping to conduct research on a reversal formula.
Griffin proposes establishing a Reign of Terror, planning to use his invisibility to dominate society with Kemp as his visible partner. Kemp rejects the mad plan just as police officers arrive at the front door to arrest Griffin. Realizing he has been betrayed, Griffin strips off his clothes and violently breaks free.
An extraordinary record of scientific ambition turning into isolation, madness, and a terrifying reign of invisible terror.