Seriously injured in a bomb blast meant to kill him and his family, high school graduate Keith Remsen is awoken months later during a mysterious 'White Event'. Having apparently survived the blast intact (save for a splinter of metal wedged into his skull on his forehead), Keith soon discovers that he has strange and wonderful powers, primarily involving his entering the dreaming minds of other people.
After Keith Remsen's paranormal powers became apparent, psychologist Lucian Ballad convinced him to use said power to help the sanity of others, via their dreams. To this end, he set up the Ballad Dream Institute in order to achieve this in a professional, scientific environment. These four individuals are vital to the continuing operation of the Institute:
the Ballad Dream Institute:
Nightmask: comatose Keith Remsen awoke with a start during the White Event, suddenly gaining incredible dream powers. Wishing to use them to help others, he began to enter their dreams in his Nightmask so no one would recognize him after he solved their problems. Availability:
Teddy Remsen: paralyzed from the waist down after a cowardly bomb attack, Theodore "Teddy" Remsen nonetheless developed dream powers like her brother's - if to a lesser extent - which she uses to help him in his revolutionary dream therapy at the Ballad clinic. Availability:
Lita Mercado: a physical therapist assigned to the Remsen kids after they survived a bombing, Lita was subsequently hired by Dr. Lucian Ballad to assist their work in his dream clinic - since they'd need to be at their physical peak to do such work with their powers. Availability:
Doctor Lucian Ballad: a well regarded psychologist assigned to work with the Remsen kids after their parents were wiped out in a bomb blast, Doctor Lucian Ballad convinced them to use their impressive dream powers to help others in his clinic after he discovered them. Availability:
Assorted Villains:
Doctor Horst Kleinmann: a genius in the field of dream research, Doctor Horst Kleinmann was insanely paranoid about his secret technology. He had no problems maiming or killing anyone that he thought was a threat to his supremacy in 'his' realm of dreams. Availability:
Madman: a normal guy before the Black Event, the man who would become the Madman cracked when his potent, paranormal dream powers violently manifested in the wake of all that death, but was ultimately put out of commission by Nightmask and Justice. Availability:
Mistress Midnight: having lost the ability to dream as a child, Vivianne went bonkers by the age of twenty, developing multiple personalities. When the White Event gave her strange dream powers, she was molded by Dr. Kleinmann into a sort of psychic assassin! Availability:
Tullius Ballad: Dr. Lucian Ballad's evil twin brother, Tullius has always been obsessed with destroying his counterpart. Believing this the only way to claim his soul for his own, he studied dark arts and became a powerful Bokor in order to defeat his 'good's side. Availability:
And Last, but not Least:
Mambo Matilda: little is known or understood about the background of the rather mysterious Voodoo mambo known to the world only as Matilda. Luckily for the world at large, however, she uses her impressive mystical skills to aid others - not just for her own benefit. Availability:
Nightmask issue guides:
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | UT | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | PS |
Extra Goodies:
Nightmask art by Ron Lim, Arvell Jones, Christopher Ivy, Tony Dezuniga, Andy Yanchus, and Nel Yomtov
Nightmask created by Archie Goodwin
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