The Magnus Archives follows the story of the new head archivist, Jonathan Sims, at the Magnus Institute, a fictional organisation that is dedicated to researching the paranormal things people report to them via statements. Over the chores of the show these statements reveals that the paranormal events they report on are enacted by various fear based entities. By scaring people and enacting these paranormal events sustain themselves and are gain power. As they gain power they get closer to being able to enact ritualistic events that would allow them to transform the world into an dystopian where everyone constantly lives their worst fears. During the show one of such entities is able to do this. It is towards the end of the show, 5 of the characters who have been able to escape the torture most people experience in the anti-utopia find that they have 3 options that could change the world:
1) Do nothing, leave the world as it is, and take no part in altering the world.
2) Send one of them, the main character, Jonathan Sims, to take charge of the dystopian world in order to make the place slightly more bearable until everyone dies.
3) Release the fears into other universes kicking them out of their own. However, they don't know how they would manifest in these other universes or how many universes.