 With the aid of his assistant Doctor Nitrus Brio, Doctor Neo Cortex creates the Evolvo-Ray, which he uses to mutate the various animals living on the islands into beasts with superhuman strength. They experiment on a peaceful bandicoot named Crash, who Cortex intends to be the military leader of his growing army of animal soldiers. Despite warnings from Brio, Cortex subjects Crash to the untested Cortex Vortex in an attempt to put him under his control. The experiment proves to be a failure as the Vortex rejects Crash. After Crash escapes Cortex's castle by leaping out a window and falling into to the ocean below, Cortex prepares a female bandicoot named Tawna for experimentation.
