His congenital deformities has won John Sedley, an insignificant gangster, the nickname « Johnny Handsome ». Betrayed during a hold-up by his accomplices, Sunny and Rafe, he is arrested by the police. During his time in jail, he is the victim of an attempted murder. Dr. Fisher suggests his death and decides to use him as a guinea pig. Convinced that Johnny’s criminal past is related to his physical monstrosity, he makes him undergo several cosmetic surgery operations. Endowed with a new face and identity and free, he is torned between his love for a woman and his desire for revenge. He gains the trust of Sunny and Rafe with the aim of having them caught during a robbery he has orchestrated himself. The traitors, having discovered his true identity, hunt him down…