Duke O'Dowd, a taxi driver, is working as a member of the Foreign Legion in Bavakuria when he meets Wah Le, the ancient ruler of a lost city in Tibet. Wah Le gives Duke a magic belt which Duke uses to fight crime back in the United States. Duke is assisted by shoeshine boy Toby, who knows of the Human Meteor's civilian identity. Duke has no super powers on his own, but the belt gives him super strength and super speed as well as stopping metal from harming men via a "contra-magnetic field." The field is vulnerable to wood, however.