Julius Rubicon Hawk, a ruthless Union colonel, fights with the "hard hand of war." An ex-minister, he sees himself as the arm of the Lord come to punish the wicked.
Johnny Collins is a seventeen-year-old boy growing up in war-torn Alabama. He dreams of being a preacher like his Pa, but his greatest aptitude is shooting. Johnny opposes slavery and supports the Union, but he refuses to join the fight for religious reasons. He must follow the Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill. Johnny is on his way to be baptized when Hawk interrupts the ceremony to hang Johnny's brother and cousin.
Forsaking his long-held values, Johnny seeks vengeance on Hawk and his minions and becomes "The Badman," the fastest, deadliest gunfighter anyone has ever imagined.
The search begins...Miles Collins, an aging preacher - for his son...
...Colonel Hawk - to see Johnny at the end of a rope...
...and Johnny - for bloodshed... or redemption.