In the late 22nd Century, a significant message from Earth reaches the Dark Star spaceship, where Colonel Watkins (played by Miles Watkins) announces that the spacecraft's journey has been live-broadcast since its launch nearly 20 years ago. Due to the lengthy transmission times of about a decade, the crew is still grappling with the effects of a tragic incident: a radioactive leak that resulted in Commander Powell (portrayed by Joe Saunders) losing his life. As a consequence of this event, all flags are flown at half-mast on Earth, prompting a week of mourning, yet Congress refuses to fund a radiation shield.
Onboard the Dark Star, there are four crew members. The newly appointed commander, Talby (Dre Pahich, voiced by John Carpenter), often finds himself dozing off in the ship's upper bubble, dreaming about the distant Phoenix asteroid, which orbits the universe every 1.23 trillion years. Meanwhile, the remaining crew—Sgt. Francis Boiler (Cal Kuniholm), Lt. Doolittle (Brian Narelle), and Sgt. Pinback (Dan O'Bannon)—spend their monotonous days in the cramped control room. Stranded for years, Doolittle's mental state has noticeably deteriorated.
The crew maintains communication with Bomb 19 (voiced by Alan Sheretz), an explosive device meant to obliterate unstable planets. In a swift move to escape their existing turmoil, the Dark Star jumps to hyperspace, all the while watching a distant planet's explosion. However, their computer (voiced by Cookie Knapp) soon detects another hazardous planet that necessitates investigation. As Boiler plays some country music over the radio, the crew's antics lead to dancing in the control room, marking a brief moment of joy amid the chaos.
Things take a turn as the computer alerts them of an impending collision, but the defense systems have long been out of order, leading to a manual intervention attempt. During this chaos, an errant thunder activates Bomb 20 (voiced by Adam Beckenbaugh). With a last-minute override by the ship's computer, Bomb 20 is safely returned to its place, but not without creating considerable confusion onboard.
The interactions among the crew paint an interesting picture of their deteriorating living conditions. Their sleeping quarters resemble a cramped apartment, complete with music generated from empty liquor bottles. Talby, despite his role, finds himself dozing often, leading to discussions among his crewmates about the beauty and vibrance of space, contrasting with the loneliness Doolittle feels for Earth and Mars.
The story escalates when Pinback mistakenly brings aboard an alien creature, which resembles a wayward beach ball with legs. This creature wreaks havoc on the ship, causing notable frustration for Pinback as he tries to clean up its mess. Through a series of comical yet harrowing events, including the alien's bizarre encounters with Pinback, the crew faces growing absurdity in their circumstances.
As Pinback grapples with the alien, he suffers embarrassment and insecurity, leading to moments of reflection as he explores his feelings of isolation—nobody recognizes his worth, and he laments the absence of birthday wishes. After some trials, including a blinding LASER incident and a miscommunication with Bomb 20, they finally confront the reality that they must deal with the impending detonations while contending with their own misunderstandings.
Ultimately, as their bizarre discussions with Bomb 20 reveal its philosophical musings, the crew faces catastrophic failure when Bomb 20 refuses to disarm. In a desperate attempt to intervene, Doolittle faces an explosion that claims the lives of Pinback and Boiler, leaving Talby and Doolittle drifting through space. Talby finds himself caught in a mesmerizing entrapment, destined for eternal voyage within the mysterious Phoenix asteroid, while Doolittle attempts to make his escape, only to meet a fiery demise on the red planet.
Thus, the tale spins out of control, showcasing the comedic and tragic lengths to which a beleaguered crew will go when stranded far from home, leaving them forever altered by the cosmic struggles they face.
