The year is 2019. Television is now ruling people's lives. The most popular "audience participation" game show is "The Running Man" - where convicts can win pardons instead of "parting gifts" by defeating murderous henchmen known as "stalkers". The stalkers haven't had much of a challenge lately...until Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) comes along. Wrongly convicted of slaughtering 1500 innocent people, Richards is the next contestant to fight for his life...and his freedom. Whe "Running Man" host Damon Killian (Richard Dawson) says "Come on down!", be prepared to pay with your life! But Ben Richards isn't going down without a fight. Off Richards goes into the burned-out sections of Los Angeles to fact four of Killian's ace stalkers: Subzero, wielding his razor-sharp hockey sticks; Buzzsaw, the mechnical motorcycle-riding slasher; Dynamo, practicing his deadly electric shock treatment; and Fireball with his mighty flame-throwing arsenal. Now, the entire country is glued to the tube in a heart-pounding "sudden death" battle!