As the first volume of Girl Genius begins, we see Professor Phil Foglio sitting down to tell a story. This volume recounts the fateful day a frightening entity appears to Agatha Heterodyne and she subsequently has her locket stolen, events which will change the direction of Agatha's life forever. This volume also introduces (and bids good-bye to) Dr. Beetle. More importantly, it established the characters of Baron Klaus Wulfenbach and his son Gilgamesh, who will both have major impacts on Agatha's future path. There is a great deal of foreshadowing and hinting in this volume, teasing readers about many of the long-running mysteries to come. (Thus it also foreshadows the teasing and foreshadowing to come.)