The Stand

After the explosion claims the lives of several counsel members including Nick, Mother Abigail's dying wish is to send Stu, Larry, Ralph and Glen on foot with no provisions to confront Flagg in Las Vegas. Nadine double crosses Harold and leaves him to die before going to meet Flagg and consummate his demonic child which sends her over the deep end. Trash can't resist his pyro tendencies and destroys an air base being set up to attack the Free Zone people in Boulder and he disappears to seek Flagg's forgiveness and ultimately brings about the means of his downfall. Stu breaks his leg during the trip and the others leave him behind, per Abigail's orders and Tom comes to nurse him back to health with Nick's help when Stu becomes devastatingly sick. Larry, Ralph and Glen must make their final stand despite the odds set against them and Franny's baby is born, but stands a chance of not surviving due to the super flu.

Frannie and Stu's relationship blossoms much to the chagrin of the jealous Harold, after Nadine is spurned by Larry who is now married to Lucy Swann she is persuaded by Flagg to seduce Harold and plan an explosive surprise for the Free Zone Committee, one which several will not survive. Meanwhile, Dana, Judge and Tom volunteer to act as spies on Flagg's operations, despite his foreknowledge which makes the attempt a suicide mission. Frannie is afraid the effect the flu will have on her baby when it's born, while Mother Abigail, fearful that she has fallen into the sin of Pride departs one night alone which sends the rest of the colony into an uproar.

The plague, having eradicated roughly 99% of the population has devastating effects on the survivors. Larry meets Nadine Cross in New York and travel together briefly, but callings from the dark man Randall Flagg force her to abandon him. Harold and Frannie, both immune to the super flu decide to travel to Vermont's CDC center in the hopes of finding survivors while Stu, having escaped there meets a retired professor Glen and his dog Kochak. Meanwhile Nick meets Tom Cullen, a mentally challenged man and the two journey together. All following dreams of an old black woman calling them to Hemmingford Home, Nebraska. Meanwhile, Randall Flagg begins gathering followers including a criminal starving to death in a dead prison and a devoted pyromaniac named Trashcan Man. All sides drawing together, those with Mother Abigail move up to the protective areas of Boulder, Colorado and begin to rebuild the remnants of their society.

A Top Secret Government facility loses containment of a man-made virus that kills nearly everyone instantly, one family manages to escape only to realize that the harm has followed them as they spread a "super flu" to the population of Arnete, Texas. As the government tries to contain and quarantine this highly contagious virus, small pockets of people who appear perfectly healthy amidst their dying population begin to make themselves known; Stu Redman, Frannie Goldsmith, Harold Lauder, Larry Underwood and Nick Andros, all from separate parts of the country must watch as their family, friends and neighbors succumb to this deadly plague.