Puppet Master

The story begins with the grave of André Toulon being excavated at Shady Oaks cemetery behind the Bodega Bay Inn. Pinhead, a puppet, dusts off and opens Toulon's casket, pouring a vial of neon liquid on the skeleton. Suddenly, Toulon's skeleton rises as his puppets watch from the grave’s edge, signaling a dark resurrection.

Months later, a team of parapsychologists including Carolyn Bramwell, her brother Patrick, and guests Lance and Wanda arrive at the hotel to investigate the mysterious death of Megan Gallagher. They suspect supernatural or criminal causes behind the strange circumstances, setting the scene for their investigation.

Megan Gallagher's death is revealed to involve her brain being extracted through her nose by the puppet Blade. The investigators begin to realize that the puppets are connected to the dark happenings, indicating a supernatural element.

Alex Whitaker, who is driven insane by past events, is suspected of Megan Gallagher’s murder and ends up in an asylum. His seizures and premonitions are dismissed as lunatic rantings, but they hint at his psychic sensitivity and the ongoing horror.

Psychic Camille Kenney spots the puppets in her room and warns the others that they are not safe. Despite her warnings, she is kidnapped by the puppet Pinhead and Jester, and her disappearance raises alarm among the investigators.

While Patrick sleeps, the puppet Tunneler drills into his head, killing him. Lance and Wanda find Patrick dying and kill Tunneler in retaliation. The group dissects Tunneler and uncovers that the puppets run on a special chemical enabling artificial intelligence.

Eriquee Chaneé arrives claiming he inherited the hotel after Megan’s death, though the others doubt him. He reveals he just returned from Bucharest, and his quarters are off-limits. The investigators also worry about his connection to Toulon’s past.

Blade and Leech Woman attack a local farmer’s house, killing the husband and injuring Martha. Torch, a new puppet, kills Martha with a flamethrower. The puppets are growing weaker and seek the secret ingredient—brain tissue—to sustain themselves.

Carolyn investigates Toulon’s quarters and finds mannequins, suspecting Toulon’s duplicity. She starts linking Eriquee Chaneé to Toulon and the disappearances, including Camille and Patrick’s deaths, uncovering the dark secret behind the puppets’ life cycle.

Blade kills Lance and Wanda, using their tissue for the puppets’ master formula. This act ensures the puppets’ continued existence and highlights the growing threat they pose to everyone involved.

Carolyn sneaks into Toulon’s room and finds mannequins, leading to a confrontation where Toulon, still believing Carolyn is Elsa, ties her up. Michael fights off the puppets and attempts to rescue Carolyn, revealing Toulon’s plan to live forever through the mannequins.

Toulon sets the puppet Torch on fire, causing him to fall from a window and die. The remaining puppets, realizing Toulon used them for evil, start torturing him, marking the climax of the conflict between creator and creations.

Camille’s soul is transferred into a female mannequin, reviving her. Deciding to escape, she drives the puppets to a mental institution to enchant and possibly corrupt the children there, leaving their dark legacy behind.