Plot
Dr. Peyton Westlake is a scientist developing a prototype for a new "synthetic skin" to help burn-victims, but he cannot overcome a flaw that causes the skin to disintegrate after 99 minutes. His girlfriend Julie Hastings discovers an incriminating document called the "Bellasarious Memorandum" which proves that her boss, real estate developer Louis Strack Jr., has been bribing members of the zoning commission. When she confronts Strack, he confesses to the bribery because it aided in his plans for designing a new city and creating countless jobs. He warns her that the document could be sought after by high-ranking criminals for its value.
Westlake realizes that the synthetic skin is photosensitive and light causes the material to break down. However, vicious crime-boss Robert G. Durant and his armed thugs invade Westlake's lab searching for the Bellasarious Memorandum, which Julie had left behind. Westlake is tortured, while his lab-assistant Yakitito is murdered. Durant rigs the lab to explode and escapes with the document; Westlake is horrifyingly disfigured by the blast and thrown from the building.
As a John Doe, he is brought to a hospital and subjected to an experimental nerve procedure to eliminate the pain from his burns. However, as a side effect, his emotions are amplified, triggering an adrenal overload that gives him enhanced strength. Westlake awakens from a coma, escapes from the hospital, and discovers his plight. Realizing that Julie believes he's dead, he re-establishes his lab in an abandoned building, hoping to perfect his synthetic skin to fix his scarred face and body.
Overcome with anger at his circumstances, Westlake decides to seek revenge against Durant and his thugs. He finds and tortures Durant's associate Rick for information before murdering him. Westlake begins using his synthetic skin to create masks of Durant's associates while developing a talent for impressionism. He poses as the various criminals, creating distrust amongst one-another that leads them to killing one of their own, Pauly.
Westlake recreates his own face as a mask and goes to Julie. He convinces her that he was in a coma and keeps his disfigurement from her, making up excuses to leave before the synthetic skin breaks down. However, during a date at a carnival with Julie, he loses his temper and assaults a worker before fleeing. Julie follows him to the abandoned building and realizes that his face was only a mask. After tearfully confessing that she still loves him, she leaves.
While talking to Strack, Julie reveals that Westlake is still alive. She then discovers the Bellasarious Memorandum on his desk and realizes he was in league with Durant the entire time. When Julie leaves, Strack tells Durant to deal with her and Westlake. Durant kidnaps Julie and chases Westlake with his helicopter, trying to hit him with a special gun equipped with explosive bullets. Durant's cohorts storm Westlake's new laboratory. Westlake takes them out, blowing up his own lab to murder the final thug. Durant flees in the helicopter with Westlake dangling from an attached cable. After a long flight, Westlake attaches the cable to a semi-trailer, which pulls the helicopter into an explosive collision, seemingly killing Durant.
Impersonating Durant, Westlake meets up with Strack and a captive Julie at the top of an unfinished building. Strack sees through Westlake's ruse and pulls his mask off, revealing his disfigured face to Julie. A brawl breaks out, and though injured, Westlake gains the upper hand and drops Strack to his death. Julie tries to convince Westlake that he can return to his old life, but he refuses, changed by his quest for revenge and new vicious nature. He slips away from Julie, pulling on a mask and running into a crowd of pedestrians. As Julie searches for him, a disguised Westlake watches her for a moment before walking away. In his mind, he declares himself to be "Darkman".
