Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam 1986

Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell shows off a new device—a changing coffin that promises to transform the user into any disguise. Ernest climbs inside as Vern flips a switch, and the machine yanks him in with a scream, kicking off a zany, high-energy adventure.

Jim Varney as Dr. Otto VonSchnick, a mysterious villain with a hand perched atop his head, reveals a world-threatening scheme. He unveils the gloom beam, an electromagnetic weapon designed to erase the contents of financial institutions and unleash global chaos. Through a broadcast, he presents the “Riddle of the Gloom Beam,” marking Cincinnati as his first target and setting the stage for a globe-spanning confrontation.

To counter the threat, the arch-nemesis Lance Sterling arrives, portrayed by Myke R. Mueller. The plan to stop him hinges on Dr. Otto’s ability to shift identities via the changing coffin, adopting disguises such as Rudd Hardtack, Laughin’ Jack O’Cockney, Auntie Nelda, and Guy Dandy—each avatar designed to outsmart Lance and derail the resistance.

Lance teams up with Doris Talbert, Jackie Welch, a quick-witted ally who helps spot disguises and push back against the traps. The duo navigates a string of perilous moments: surviving Hardtack’s deadly Russian roulette; learning that Laughin’ Jack’s swamp monster trap hides an old friend who frees them; dodging Auntie Nelda’s drugs and triggering a clever escape with Tina (bait used by Dr. Otto) via a transporter blanket; and stumbling into an elevator that leads straight to Dr. Otto’s lair during a chase involving Guy Dandy. Meanwhile, the gloom beam continues to wreak chaotic, comically charged havoc around the world.

The showdown brings Lance, Doris, and their circle face-to-face with Dr. Otto, his disguises, and a robot henchman. The final moment hinges on a bold choice between a “Right Button” and a “Wrong Button.” Lance selects the Right Button, and a cascade of electric bolts erupts, collapsing the lair and stopping the nefarious plan.

In the aftermath, Doris, Lance, and Tina Nelson, played by Esther Huston, push a car along a road and pull into a gas station where Ernest reappears with a warning: they’ve had no gas since the money went bad. As they push onward, a hat comes off to reveal Dr. Otto’s third hand, leaving the heroes to wonder what surprises remain on the road ahead.