Retro Puppet Master

Andre Toulon and his puppet troupe hide at the Kolewige Inn near the Swiss border in 1944. Blade finds the wooden head of Cyclops in their trunk, triggering Toulon to recount his adventures with the woman he loves and his retro puppets, starting in Cairo in 1902. The moment marks a bridge between the present danger and the ancient origins that shaped his powers.

In Cairo around 1902, the 3,000-year-old sorcerer Afzel steals the secret of life and is pursued by Sutekh's loyal servants. Afzel defeats the two servants who attack him and begins his journey toward Paris with the power now within his grasp. This marks the start of a centuries-spanning pursuit that will involve Toulon and Elsa.

Back in Paris, Sutekh has given life to three of his oldest servants—Egyptian mummies—that rise to pursue Afzel. They hire two thugs to kill Afzel in the sewers, planning to slip past him using their magic. The resurrected beings begin their chase across the city.

In Paris, a young André Toulon stages a puppet show of Dante's Divine Comedy, captivating the crowd. Elsa, escaping an abusive father, comes to see the performance and is drawn to the marvels on stage. This encounter plants the seeds for Toulon's later powers.

In the sewers near the theater, the three mummies hire two thugs to kill Afzel, using their magical senses to track him. Afzel endures a brutal beating until Elsa arrives and pleads for help, causing the thugs to scatter. Toulon and Elsa then bring Afzel inside to tend his wounds.

Afzel speaks of possessing the secret of life that could save humanity when elder gods rise. He demonstrates by making Toulon's puppets move, proving his power is real. A magic barrier begins to materialize around Afzel as a protective measure.

Toulon chats with a beggar who has sat on the steps since the film began and discovers the beggar is dead. Afzel instructs them to bring the beggar inside to teach him the true secret of life. Using a ring, they transfer the beggar's soul into the puppet Pinhead, which briefly moves before fleeing into the theater.

Elsa's father and his cruel servants capture both Elsa and Toulon after a confrontation in her home. Toulon is knocked unconscious and thrown into the woods, separating him from his puppets and the unfolding danger. The attack sets the stage for the theater's impending siege.

Valentin returns to repair a barrier, but the three mummies break in and go on a rampage through the theater, killing several guards. The defenders fight back, taking down one mummy and getting overwhelmed by the others. The assault signals the mythic scope of Sutekh's plan.

Afzel appears and declares that Sutekh shall not claim his life, then kills himself with his own magic to thwart the elder god. The mummies begin to retreat from the theater, leaving Toulon to decide his next move. The immediate threat to Paris recedes, but the danger is far from over.

Returning from the woods, Toulon acts quickly to transfer the souls of those slain to the puppets, boosting their powers. The puppets become vessels for the victims, granting Toulon a more formidable force. The stage is set for a final confrontation with Elsa and the traitors.

Six-Shooter shoots a chandelier chain, killing one mummy and crushing the other as the henchmen retreat to plot Elsa's capture. The theater lies in ruins, and the remaining mummy squads regroup to finish their quarry. Toulon and the puppets stand ready for the next phase.

André and the puppets head toward Calais by train to escape Paris, but Elsa is captured by the henchmen who learned of their secret. A dream shows Elsa tied to a train, forcing Toulon to switch trains to Marseille. The pursuit escalates into a tense, high-stakes chase aboard the moving carriages.

On the final car of the train, Toulon and his puppets confront the leader; Elsa is freed and they fight to survive. The leader is thrown from the car as the group overpowers the henchmen, and they escape together. André hints that this is a story he will tell again in the future.