▁ten - year ▁lock ▁cur se . ▁Dave ▁is ▁then ▁rid ic u led ▁by ▁his ▁class m ates ▁when ▁he ▁claims ▁he ▁saw ▁magic , ▁only ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁shop ▁empty . ▁He ▁is ▁faced ▁with ▁severe ▁bul lying , ▁and ▁is ▁mis di agn osed ▁with ▁hall uc ination ▁caused ▁by ▁a ▁" gl uc ose ▁im bal ance ". ▁David ▁never theless ▁keeps ▁the ▁ring . ▁ ▁Ten ▁years ▁later , ▁Dave , ▁now ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁old , ▁is ▁a ▁physics ▁student ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁University , ▁and ▁meets ▁his ▁child hood ▁cr ush ▁Beck y . ▁He ▁immediately ▁becomes ▁sm itten ▁with ▁her , ▁and ▁rep airs ▁the ▁transm itting ▁m ast ▁of ▁the ▁radio ▁station ▁she ▁works ▁at ▁after ▁it ▁is ▁struck ▁by ▁light ning . ▁The ▁ten - year ▁imprison ment ▁cur se ▁of ▁the ▁ur n ▁ends , ▁re le asing ▁Hor v ath ▁and ▁B alth azar . ▁Hor v ath ▁purs ues ▁Dave ▁and ▁the ▁Gr im hold . ▁B alth azar ▁res c ues ▁Dave , ▁r iding ▁an ▁animated ▁steel ▁e agle ▁adapted ▁from ▁a ▁Ch rys ler ▁Building ▁g argo yle . ▁Dave ▁initially ▁ref uses ▁to ▁help ▁B alth azar , ▁having ▁been ▁under ▁psych iat ric ▁care ▁since ▁their ▁first ▁meeting , ▁until ▁B alth azar ▁agre es ▁to ▁leave ▁after ▁finding ▁the ▁Gr im hold . ▁They ▁track ▁the ▁Gr im hold ▁to ▁Ch in at own , ▁where ▁Hor v ath ▁has ▁released ▁the ▁next