Stand Alone Complex takes place in the year 2030, in the fictional Japanese city of New Port. The story follows the members of Public Security Section 9, a special-operations task-force made up of former military officers and police detectives. The manga presents individual cases that Section 9 investigates, along with an ongoing, more serious investigation into the serial killer and hacker known only as "The Laughing Man." When a high-ranking government official is kidnapped, the Prime Minister must call in his top crime fighting force known as Section 9. Lead by the beautiful (and deadly) Major Kusanagi, the cybernetically enhanced squad must use all their skill to take down the kidnappers and rescue the hostages. But that’s only half of the mission; can Kusanagi and company find out who’s behind the kidnapping, and, more importantly, just what they’re after? Find out in this thrilling first volume of The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex!

Stand Alone Complex takes place in the year 2030, in the fictional Japanese city of New Port. The story follows the members of Public Security Section 9, a special-operations task-force made up of former military officers and police detectives. The manga presents individual cases that Section 9 investigates, along with an ongoing, more serious investigation into the serial killer and hacker known only as "The Laughing Man."

IDENTIFYING THE ENIGMATIC HERO In this volume of Ghost in the Shell, Marcelo Jarty, the hero of a democratic revolution, and South American drug dealer, has been coming to Japan periodically and no one knows why. The Major and Section 9 track his movements after he makes his latest appearance in the country. They are determined to figure out the meaning of his visits, but following Jarti leads to more than they could have possibly expected….

THE POWER OF MISDIRECTION Section 9 receives a tip that a criminal group from Henan is planning on attacking a financial instutution. To prevent the attack, Section 9 infultrates the secret base of the criminals. The mission goes well and the threat is neutralized...or is it? Something is amiss, and Major Kusanagi and Section 9 must act quickly in order to stop the criminals from achieving their true goal.

16 years ago a terrorist group called the “New World Brigade” kidnapped a young girl named Eka Tokura. However, recent photos of Eka have surfaced and she appears to look exactly as she did 16 years ago. To investigate this mystery, the special unit of the Maritime Safety Agency was dispatched to a man-made island off the coast of Okinawa that has been seized by the Brigade. However, communication with the special unit has been lost, leaving this island and the Brigade in a shroud of secrets. Section 9 is tasked with the job of finding out what happened on this man-made island and discovering the truth behind Eka’s age-defying looks.

時は西暦２０３０年。超高度ネットワーク社会で凶悪化するサイバーテロや電脳犯罪に対抗すべく、政府は非公認の超法規特殊部隊・公安９課（通称：攻殻機動隊）を組織した。そんなある日、公安９課に所属するトグサに刑事時代の同僚から一本の電話が入る。これは６年前発生した企業テロ事件「笑い男」事件につながるものだった‥‥。『攻殻機動隊Ｓ．Ａ．Ｃ.』の代名詞ともいえる「笑い男事件」シリーズが、ついに幕を開ける!!