Dashing young sailor Edmond Dantes is an honest man whose peaceful life is abruptly shattered when his best friend deceives him and steals the heart of his fiancee. Deliberately and unlawfully sent to prison, Dantes is trapped in a nightmare that lasts for thirteen years - until he escapes and transforms himself into the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo. With cunning ruthlessness, Dantes concocts a clever plan to systematically destroy those who have betrayed him.