Wyatt Earp heads south when he hears that Old Man Clanton has sent his men into Mexico to rob the silver trains and steal the cattle of a wealthy Mexican rancher.
Johnny Ringo's new girlfriend is trying to get him to turn his life around, so he goes to Old Man Clanton and tells him he doesn't want to be in the gang anymore. Clanton, needless to say, doesn't see things that way and decides to do whatever it takes to change Johnny's mind.
The girlfriend of a wounded outlaw takes him to Tombstone for medical attention. Wyatt gets ready for trouble when he finds out that the gang is coming to Tombstone, not only to get their colleague but to also rob the bank.
Wyatt arrests and jails the McLowery brothers for mail robbery. Soon afterwards, however, he is enraged to learn that, because the McLowerys work for Old Man Clanton, they've been released by Sheriff Behan, who's on Clanton's payroll.
John meets the wife of a man who was convicted of theft and sentenced to prison. The woman claims that her husband is innocent and was framed by Sheriff Behan.
Wyatt saves Old Man Clanton's life, and Clanton pays him back by trying to force the editor of the town's newspaper to start a smear campaign against Wyatt.
Doc Holliday seems to hit a long winning streak at the card tables and winds up with stock in a mine and a railroad, both of which soon have a tremendous jump in value. Wyatt thinks that it's more than just a coincidence and, thinking that someone is trying to set up Doc for a fall, checks into it.
Wyatt finds himself in the awkward position of having to come to the aid of crooked Sheriff Behan when, after spending an evening imbibing with a visiting actress, he reveals a bit too much about the Clanton operation to her.
Wyatt prepares for trouble when a group known as the Harlequins show up in town. Although they disguise themselves as clowns, they have a deadly serious purpose--they're in Tombstone to rob the bank.
The Clanton gang has been selling bootleg liquor to the Apaches in hopes of getting them to go on the warpath, and Wyatt and an Apache chief try to prevent that from happening.
Wyatt and his friends are attacked by the Tombstone newspaper after a young boy comes forward and says that a mule owned by Wyatt's deputy, Shotgun Gibbs, kicked him and broke his leg.
For political reasons, Old Man Clanton tries to persuade his daughter to pursue Wyatt Earp, even though she's actually in love with Tom Ware, a young Tombstone attorney.
Chief Natchez and his Apaches are blamed for an attack on a wagon train, which was actually carried out by outlaws. In order to explain to Wyatt that his tribe is innocent, Natchez decides to kidnap Wyatt's deputy, Shotgun Gibbs, and then explain the situation to Wyatt when he shows up to get Gibbs back.
A young man just released from prison is determined to go straight. However, his efforts are being sabotaged by his girlfriend's brother, a no-account gambler.
Johnny Ringo and Curly Brill Brocius, outraged over crooked Sheriff Behan's attempts to tax the money they make on their illegal activities, try to enlist Doc Holliday in a scheme to frame the sheriff.
A tavern keeper finds himself in competition with another bar owner whose niece recites poetry to customers--and he's starting to lose business to them. The more customers he loses, the angrier he gets, and Wyatt has to try to resolve the situation before things gets out of hand.
Wyatt's deputy, Shotgun Gibbs, runs off a saddle bum who was hassling a pretty young widow. Her two kids immediately start hatching a scheme to make Shotgun their new daddy.
Wyatt tries to put a stop to ongoing border skirmishes between the Clanton gang and Mexican bandits. He's worried that if Old Man Clanton is killed, a bloody fight for power will erupt among his sons and subordinates.
When the Clanton gang rides into Tombstone to shoot it out with the Earps, Wyatt plans to head off a street battle by arresting each one of the gang separately.