A mysterious Bugman with his huge swarm of trained bugs led by Gaylord, The Bugman's prize bug, is pulling robberies at various jewelry stores and wants to join Big Boss' crooked gang. But a lousy payment from Big Boss forced The Bugman to resign, only to have his precious swarm "bugnapped" by Nightshade and Buttons McBoomBoom, who uses them to pull their own jewel heists. The Bugman seeks aid from Mainframe and Bowser and Blitz, who not only help him get his bugs back, they turn around and arrest the Bugman as well.