300 years in the future, police officer, Jack Deth, searches for “trancers,” citizens who are victims of mind-control by the evil warlord Martin Whistler. In a zombie-like state, trancers attack their victims. Jack killed Whistler months earlier, but continues to hunt down his murderous trancer cult. He goes to a diner and runs a “trancer” test on a patron, but is attacked by the waitress. Jack shoots her with a laser gun, causing her to disintegrate. McNulty, Jack’s co-worker at the Angel City Police Department, arrives and warns Jack to follow orders and stop acting as a vigilante. Jack responds by removing his badge, and throwing it to the ground. McNulty comments to a colleague that Jack “was a good cop” before a trancer murdered his wife. Sometime later, Jack is summoned to the High Council. He disregards the order until McNulty reveals that Whistler is still alive. The two-member council, Margaret Ashe and Spencer, reveal that the third member, Van Sant, was killed by Whistler, who went back in time and murdered Van Sant’s ancestors, resulting in his never having been born. Jack is shown a hologram message from Whistler, who vows to murder the ancestors of Ashe and Spencer as well, and return to the future and reign over the High Council himself. The council informs Jack that he will inhabit the body of his relative, Philip Deth, and search for their ancestors, Hap Ashby and Chris Lavery, and protect them from being killed. They warn that Whistler has taken over the body of his Los Angeles police chief relative, also named Whistler. In the laboratory where Jack will be “put under” and sent back in time, he is surprised to see Whistler’s unconscious body. The council tells him they found Whistler’s body hidden in the desert, and plan to arrest him for his crimes when he returns from the past. Jack shoots Whistler’s body, vaporizing him, and preventing his return. After an injection, Jack is transported to Los Angeles, California, in 1985, and wakes to see a beautiful woman named Leena, with whom his alter ego, Philip Deth, spent the night. She wonders why “Philip” is acting differently as he drives her to the shopping mall where she works as a Santa’s elf. Jack soon realizes that “Santa Claus” is a trancer, and a fight ensues. He shoots the trancer, and flees with Leena, as Detective Whistler arrives to investigate the homicide. Jack tells Leena he is a police officer from the future, and explains that trancers can only take over weak-minded people, which he calls “squids.” He asks for her help, and they drive to the tanning salon where Chairman Spencer’s ancestor, Chris Lavery, works. However, Jack arrives too late, as Chris has been taken over by a trancer. He attacks Jack, and locks him in a tanning booth. Moments later, Leena enters the salon, sees Chris lying dead on the floor, and watches as he disintegrates before her eyes. She frees Jack, as Detective Whistler arrives on the scene. Whistler orders his men to shoot, but as bullets fly, Jack uses a ten-second time delay device from the future, and moves Leena out of the bullet’s path. Afterward, Leena asks Jack why he chose to save her instead of killing Whistler during the time-delay. They hide out at the home of Leena’s friend, and spend the evening at a punk bar, where Jack punches Leena’s former boyfriend, Jerry. Later, Leena wishes Jack a “Merry Christmas,” and kisses him, revealing she likes him more than Philip. Jack’s colleague, McNulty, arrives, inhabiting the body of a little girl, and explaining that she was the only relative he could find. McNulty orders Jack to return to Angel City. Jack refuses to go, but as he kisses Leena, McNulty shoots him with a serum, causing him to return to the future. He wakes up, and learns that Chairman Spencer is dead, and that Chairman Ashe is sending another officer to complete the mission. When Jack pleads to go back to search for Ashe’s ancestor, Hap Ashby, she gives him another chance. He returns to the past again, arriving in Leena’s post-coital bed, lamenting having missed the experience. They see Detective Whistler on television announcing a “crack-down on hobos.” Jack and Leena race to “skid row,” surmising that is where they will find Hap Ashby. They appeal to three bums for Hap’s whereabouts, and are directed to a warehouse. Arriving on stolen scooters, Jack orders Leena to wait outside. When he enters the building, he is surrounded by two officers, who turn into trancers and attack. Leena enters and shoots them, and they disintegrate. Elsewhere in the abandoned warehouse, ex-pro baseball player, Hap Ashby, and a group of homeless men play baseball. Jack and Leena fall through the floor above, landing at Hap’s feet. Jack warns Hap that he is in danger as Whistler arrives, shooting. They escape on scooters with Hap. While tending to a cut on Leena’s arm, Jack professes his love for her. He telephones Whistler to set a trap, and agrees to give him Hap if he leaves Leena unharmed. However, when Whistler arrives, he grabs Leena, holds her at knifepoint, and throws her from a rooftop. Jack uses his time-delay device to race to the ground and catch her before she is killed. Afterward, Whistler falls from the rooftop, breaking one of the vials of serum that would allow him and Jack to return to the future. With only one left intact, Jack injects it into Whistler, causing him to vacate the body of Detective Whistler, who now no longer exists in the present or the future. Stuck forever in 1985, Jack tells Leena he “kinda likes it,” and kisses her.