Two men are on their way to Denver City to settle a personal score. One is looking for the murderer of his father, the other for a former friend who stole his gold. They're joined by a third person, a mysterious pistolero.
Lash goes south of the border looking for a counterfeiter, a kidnapped engraver and his daughter, and the mysterious Frontier Phantom, while Fuzzy St. John studies hypnotism.
In late 19th century Montana, an artist seeking inspiration explores the landscape with his Native American guide, and finds his conceptions of himself and of the world around him challenged. In 1970s Barstow, California, a questioning youth's mundane existence is given a shot of adrenaline by the arrival of a new exchange student who envelops them within her own lust for life. In present-day Wyoming, a trans teenager works through his self-destructive feelings with his perceptive, non-binary therapist.
The citizens and near-by ranchers of a western town are being besieged by a gang of rustlers and robbers, and a plea is made to the governor to send a troop of rangers. Shortly, thereafter a dude-costumed cowboy shows up but he only asks a lot of dumb questions and does a lot of stick-whittling as he wanders the streets and hangs out in the saloon with the regular barflies. The citizens mark him down as being 'tetched in the head.' Also, shortly after the whittler arrives, a mysterious black-masked rider begins to make life a bit tougher on them than it had been.
Jimmy and Cannonball find the body of Don Muquel after he has been shot and robbed by henchmen Ramsay and Sturgis. Jimmy is accused of the crime by Jose Esteban but the latter's rich uncle, Don Esteban, clears his friend Jimmy. Jose accuses the the settlers, led by John Chambers, of confiscating the land of the native Californians, through murder and theft. Actually, surveyor Willard Jackson is making forged copies of stolen land-grant papers after his men have killed the rightful owners. Playing both ends against the middle, Ramsay urges Chambers and his daughter, Diane, to drive off the Californians.
When not drinking and fighting, three wildcatters in search of a gusher are enthusiastically drilling for black gold. The trouble begins when one of them grows dissatisfied with their lifestyle and quits so he can be with his new wife. Unfortunately for him, soon after he leaves, the other two find their gusher and become filthy rich. The impoverished quitter is envious and begins looking for an obscure law that will force his pals to share.
A mentally and physically scarred monster rampages through the old west, killing and raping as he seeks to meet up with his cohorts in a bank robbery. He is pursued by a vengeful posse who have no thoughts of bringing him back for justice.
Before changing his name to Richard Powers, cowboy hero Tom Keene spent the waning days of his stardom at Monogram, churning out westerns like Riding the Sunset Trail. When ingenue Betty Dawson (Betty Miles) and her kid sister Sugar (Sugar Dawn) are cheated out of their cattle ranch, Tom Sterling (Keene) and his sidekick Mendoza (Frank Yaconelli) vow to get the ranch back for the girls. This requires Sterling to cross six-guns with Pecos Dean (Gene Alcase), a former friend who'd turned bad.
The strip is being opened to settlers and as everyone heads for the starting line, Thad and his outlaw gang are ready. Learning Rankin has a treasure map, Thad steals it. When Breezy attempts to recover the map he is captured by Thad. With Breezy tied up, Thad heads out to claim the treasure plot.
Bill Carson arrives and tells Cash Horton that his supposedly worthless mine contains valuable tungsten. Duke learns of the mine's value and tries to have them both killed. Failing, he has the Sheriff arrest Bill for murder. Unknown to Bill and the Sheriff, the victim is alive and well.
The eldest member of a rural community of grape growers refuses to sell his land to a greedy real estate company. When he seems cornered by the dirty tactics of a corrupt businessman, he must decide whether to give up everything he owns, or take control of the situation.