The Dark Backward

Marty Malt is an unhappy garbage man who moonlights as an atrociously unfunny stand-up comic. He lives in a dark, grimy urban netherworld dominated by Blump's, where everything seems owned and controlled. His best friend Gus laughs at his jokes, though his sincerity is questionable.

Gus convinces talent agent Jackie Chrome to check out Marty's act. Jackie is not impressed and remains skeptical about Marty’s potential.

A large lump starts growing on Marty's back, threatening his career and self-image. He visits a quack doctor who dismisses him as a wimp and patches the lump with a Band-Aid. The lump continues to grow beyond the doctor's control.

The lump becomes a full three-armed limb, reshaping how people see him. Gus uses the freak to charm his morbidly obese girlfriends, while Rosarita dumps Marty and he loses his club gig.

Gus brings Marty to Jackie, who has always dreamed of discovering a genuine three-armed comic. Marty is rechristened 'Desi the Three-Armed Wonder Comic,' with Gus providing musical accompaniment on the accordion. This marks a fresh start for his career.

Desi's new act performs a few semi-successful shows, earning Marty some laughs and attention. The rising momentum catches the eye of a Hollywood talent agent, Dirk Delta, who offers them a possible job.

Marty, Gus, and Jackie celebrate the offer Dirk Delta makes them for a big break in Hollywood. The chance at real stardom makes the team hopeful about the future.

The celebratory mood collapses when Marty wakes up to discover his third arm has inexplicably vanished. The disappearance unsettles the group and threatens to undo their progress.

Jackie, initially furious, calms down and resolves to tell Dirk the truth about the missing arm, following Marty's suggestion. They prepare to inform Dirk and salvage the situation.

Marty phones Dirk to report the bad news, and Dirk unexpectedly asks them to send Gus to fill the spot with his accordion playing. Gus is ecstatic and leaves almost immediately to take the new role.

Marty remains sad but returns to the club and regains his job. He leans into the story of his elusive third arm in his act and finally gets a few laughs from the crowd.