Sleepwalker (comics)

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox comics character Sleepwalker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Bob Budiansky and Bret Blevins, he first appeared in Sleepwalker #1 (June 1991).<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The character is named after his race and is the star of a self-titled comic book which ran for 33 issues, from June 1991 to February 1994, with one Holiday Special. All but two of the issues were written by Budiansky, with Tom Brevoort and Mike Kanterovich writing the Holiday Special and one fill-in issue. Dan Slott also contributed a humorous side story in issue #25.

Creation

Bob Budiansky spoke on the creation of the character saying,

"The idea what would become Sleepwalker first sparked within me during one of the weekly editorial meetings I attended when I was a Marvel editor and which were chaired by former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter... Among the things talked about was how, in the real world, Superman would be treated by the nations of earth if he actually existed. He said that rather than being welcomed by most nations of the earth as a hero because of his good deeds and good looks, nations would instead unite to figure out how to defend themselves against and, if necessary, defeat this near-omnipotent alien being... And so the thought occurred to me that simply because Superman happens to look like the stereotypical all-American male of that era, people have no hesitation to accept him as the hero he is despite the fact that it's common knowledge he's an alien. But what if he is still heroic and looks like a true alien - a creature that doesn't look like us, and, in fact, appears repellant to us? How would humans react to him if that's how Superman looks? So Sleepwalker began as the anti-Superman, instead of an alien who just happens to look like the perfect human. I made him an alien who is a green-skinned bug-eyed monster, at least to our eyes. And he's heroic. At first, I wanted to name my character Alien. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Alien was a poor choice because it had already been used for the 1979 movie of the same name, which is probably the reason others mistakenly think I came up with the [Sleepwalker] idea in the 1970s".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In regard to his idea of the concept of Sleepwalker, Budiansky stated "I came up with the name Sleepwalker and tied his origin and abilities to dreams, which was an interest of mine. Instead of coming from an alien planet, like Superman, Sleepwalker would come from an alien dimension. I began writing the backstory for Sleepwalker and sketching out his look probably around 1989".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Publication history

A second Sleepwalker character was planned to receive a self-titled series by Robert Kirkman in 2004, but instead debuted in the 2004 Epic Anthology, which was cancelled after one issue. The original Sleepwalker's next appearance was in Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #15, nearly a decade after his original cancellation.

At the end of 2018, a four-issue Sleepwalker miniseries was released as a tie-in to the Infinity Wars event. The series is written by Chad Bowers and Chris Sims, with artwork by Todd Nauck.<ref name="cbr">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2017, Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool addressed persistent rumors that Marvel editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco had described Sleepwalker as "Sandman done right". After researching the phrase, the most Johnston was able to find was "mention of a press release that described [Sleepwalker] as Template:'Sandman done the Marvel way;'" however, this was "only a reference, never an actual quoted piece". Johnston posited that the rumor's source may have been a parody of earlier Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fictional character biography

The Sleepwalkers are entities from the Mindscape, a dimension that borders on the minds of all living things, and work to protect the world from the dangerous creatures that inhabit it. One Sleepwalker was trapped in the mind of college student Rick Sheridan by his archenemy Cobweb.<ref name="Sleepwalker3">Sleepwalker #3 (August 1991)</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> He is able to communicate with Rick via dreams and can manifest in the real world while he sleeps.<ref>Sleepwalker #1 (June 1991)</ref><ref name="Sleepwalker3" /> Furthermore, his real name is unpronounceable by humans, so he is simply known as Sleepwalker to avoid confusion.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Rick and Sleepwalker eventually worked out an understanding, allowing the latter to fight crime and various injustices.<ref name="Sleepwalker3" /> This was not easy, as Sleepwalker's appearance caused fear among regular people.<ref name="Sleepwalker2">Sleepwalker #2 (July 1991)</ref><ref name="Sleepwalker4" />

With Spider-Man, Sleepwalker battled Kingpin and Crimewave.<ref name=":4">Sleepwalker #5-6 (October - November 1991)</ref> With Darkhawk, Deathlok, Moon Knight, and the Squadron Supreme, he attempted to stop Eon's body from invading Earth's Universe. He also battled the Chain Gang.<ref name="Sleepwalker5">Sleepwalker #7 (December 1991)</ref><ref>Quasar #27 (October 1991)</ref> With Deathlok's help, he rescued Alyssa Conover and a number of other innocent people from being experimented on by the mysterious Mr. FX.<ref name="Sleepwalker4">Sleepwalker #8 (January 1992)</ref> He fought Nightmare,<ref name="Sleepwalker6">Sleepwalker #12 (May 1992)</ref> and then battled Spectra. Alongside Mister Fantastic and the Thing, he battled the Thought Police.<ref name=":5">Sleepwalker #13-16 (June - September 1992)</ref> Alongside Darkhawk and Spider-Man, Sleepwalker saved Portal from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.<ref>Darkhawk #20 (October 1992)</ref><ref>Sleepwalker #17 (October 1992)</ref> He also battled various supernatural menaces, including a demonic genie known as Mr. Jyn and the spirit of a traumatized young man that had gained superhuman powers and became obsessed with recreating the scene of his mother's murder.<ref name="Sleepwalker7">Sleepwalker Holiday Special (January 1993)</ref><ref name="Sleepwalker8">Sleepwalker #30 (November 1993)</ref>

Sleepwalker is one of the few entities who remember the events of The Infinity Gauntlet storyline. Sleepwalker spent most of it fighting the villains called the Chain Gang and rescuing people from natural disasters. However, Nebula turned back time, neutralizing what he had gone through.<ref name="Sleepwalker5" /> He considers his vague memories to be just a dream.Template:Volume needed

Sleepwalker played an important role in the Infinity War, helping to defeat the Magus by channeling mental powers from Professor X, Jean Grey, Psylocke and Moondragon through Rick Sheridan's mind. He also contributed to the battle against the evil clones of the superheroes Beast, Firestar and Daredevil. Part of the fight against the evil doubles involved Sleepwalker impersonating his own evil clone.<ref>Sleepwalker #18 (November 1992)</ref>

In the "Infinity Crusade" storyline, Sleepwalker is brainwashed by the Goddess and taken to her version of Counter-Earth.Template:Volume needed During the battle between the Goddess's forces and the rest of Earth's heroes, Sleepwalker subdues Darkhawk and the Human Torch by dragging them into the water with his shape-changing powers.Template:Volume needed

Sleepwalker exchanged bodies with Rick Sheridan and battled Cobweb, the Chain Gang, 8-Ball, and Hobgoblin.<ref>Sleepwalker #19-24 (December 1992 - May 1993)</ref> Later in the series, Sleepwalker is revealed to supposedly be the lead scout for the Mindspawn, an invading force from the Mindscape.<ref>Sleepwalker #25 (June 1993)</ref> However, in actuality, Cobweb had put in motion a complicated plot to invade the Earth and disrupt Rick's relationship with Sleepwalker. This involves disguising his minions as members of Sleepwalker's race and framing his archenemy as their leader. The plot is only partially successful; Sleepwalker and the Avengers thwart the initial attack, although Sleepwalker's reputation was ruined in the process.<ref>Sleepwalker #27 (August 1993)</ref> Many people still mistakenly believe that Sleepwalker's race planned to invade and conquer the Earth and that Sleepwalker was a scout for them.Template:Volume needed

During the confrontation, Sleepwalker pretended to destroy Rick's mind as a means of protecting him from Cobweb's minions. Unfortunately, the authorities retrieved the "mindrake" weapon Sleepwalker had used to store Rick's mind, preventing the alien from recovering it, also gathering up one of Cobweb's demons that was left behind after the Avengers drove them away. The demon and the mindrake were both taken to a federal prison and research facility where serial killer Jeremy Roscoe was also being held as part of a psychiatric experiment. Roscoe escaped from the prison hospital and fused with the demon, transforming into a nightmarish creature called Psyko. The monster began spreading mass insanity across New York, until Sleepwalker managed to defeat him and retrieve the mindrake Psyko had taken with him.Template:Volume needed

Later, Sleepwalker thwarts Cobweb's second attack and banishes his archenemy once and for all, before seemingly dying to save Rick Sheridan's life.<ref>Sleepwalker #33 (February 1994)</ref> However, Sleepwalker would later turn up alive and still trapped in Rick's mind.Template:Volume needed

Sleepwalker eventually gains the ability to interact with the real world again. He is seen investigating the after-effects of an explosion caused by the villainous Ringmaster.Template:Volume needed He had attempted to become more involved in the situation but was foiled by Rick's sleeping schedule.<ref>Marvel Team-Up (vol. 3) #10 (September 2005)</ref>

Sleepwalker is seen as having become a registered superhuman under the Initiative after Alyssa Conover's death in an auto accident.<ref>Avengers: The Initiative #1 Character Map Template:Webarchive</ref> He then appears alongside Machine Man and Agent Sum as a member of Ms. Marvel's Operation: Lightning Storm.<ref>Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #18 (October 2007)</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

During the Fantastic Four's confrontation with the Quiet Man, they recruited Sleepwalker's assistance to neutralize the threat posed by the heroes from Counter-Earth, reasoning that Sleepwalker was particularly suited to advise them on it, since Counter-Earth was Franklin Richards' dream. During his time on Counter-Earth, Sleepwalker noted that none of its inhabitants had souls, allowing the FF to freely kill them.Template:Volume needed

Sleepwalker had made limited appearances in modern comics. He received a self-titled miniseries that was a tie-in to the Infinity Wars event, and has had supporting roles in Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur and Hellcat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Powers and abilities

Sleepwalker possesses superhuman physical abilities and flight, as well as a "warp gaze" that enables him to modify the shape and physical characteristics of other objects in his line of sight. He avoids using it on living beings as it would cause immense pain.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

As an alien resident of the Mindscape, Sleepwalker has exceptional visual abilities, being able to see over a much farther distance than an average human and sense energy trails. Due to his bond with Rick Sheridan, Sleepwalker shares a mental link with him and must periodically return to his mind to survive. He can also enhance psychic abilities and possesses a limited resistance to them.<ref>Fantastic Four #645 (June 2015)</ref>

Sleepwalker used the Imaginator, an amulet-like device that can teleport himself and others, before it was stolen by Cobweb. After recovering the Imaginator, Sleepwalker was forced to use it to exile him far from Earth.Template:Volume needed

In Infinity Wars, Sleepwalker discovers that he can harness the power of the Infinity Gems without having to use them directly.<ref>Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker #4 (February 2019)</ref>

Enemies

Sleepwalker possessed a colorful gallery of mostly original villains, with a new one introduced each issue during the title's beginnings. They include:

• Jeff Hagees / 8-Ball: A criminal who based his costume and equipment on the game of pool.<ref name=Sleepwalker2/>
• Nelson Gruber / Bookworm: An angry social misfit who, after an encounter with Sleepwalker, gained the ability to channel energy from the Mindscape into creations of whatever he read. He used his abilities to get revenge on his tormentors.<ref>Sleepwalker #4 (September 1991)</ref>
• Chain Gang: Four convicted felons linked together in a chain gang who escaped during the upheavals caused by the Infinity Gauntlet, gaining superhuman powers that lasted only as long as they stayed chained together. It consists of Master Link (Willis Hayworth), Missing Link (Ray Morgan), Uplink (Hector Fuentes), and Weak Link (Ernest Mills).<ref name=Sleepwalker5/>
• Mr. FX: A mysterious special effects designer who was known for his stunningly lifelike displays, which he achieved by kidnapping people and imprisoning them within specially designed costumes.<ref name=Sleepwalker4/>
• Nightmare: Sleepwalker faced off against this living embodiment of bad dreams, usually a Doctor Strange villain. Nightmare promised the reward of sending Sleepwalker back to his home realm, but Sleepwalker fought back when Nightmare threatened Rick Sheridan.<ref name=Sleepwalker6/>
• Selena Slate / Spectra: The assistant of a scientist who was studying the properties of a strange diamond, and planned to steal it and split the proceeds with her junkie boyfriend. After being imbued with the diamond's powers, she gained the ability to manipulate multicolored lights with various effects.<ref name=":5" />
• Mr. Jyn: A demonic genie who tricked humans into letting him manifest on Earth by pretending to serve them, even as he manipulated them into letting him cause mayhem until he would be released.<ref name=Sleepwalker7/>
• Edward "Eddie" Cicala: A young boy traumatized by his father murdering his mother, who became catatonic before his mind made contact with a malign energy force from the Mindscape, which allowed him to possess others.<ref name=Sleepwalker8/>
• Cobweb: Sleepwalker's nemesis, a demon of the Mindscape who can cause madness in others. Cobweb trapped Sleepwalker in Rick Sheridan's mind as part of a plot to invade Earth without being thwarted by his enemy.<ref name=Sleepwalker3/>
• Felicity Hopkins / Lullaby: A teenage mutant who can place others in zombie-like trances through song.<ref>Sleepwalker #9 (February 1992)</ref>
• Carl Wilkinson / Crimewave: A crime boss who plotted to embarrass the Kingpin and replace him as the top crime lord on the East Coast, by capturing Spider-Man.<ref name=":4" />
• Thought Police: A special team of government agents assembled to capture Sleepwalker, led by the obsessed Agent Tolliver Smith.<ref name=":4" />
• Jeremy Roscoe / Psyko: A human serial killer who became fused with a monster from the Mindscape and transformed into a hideous creature with warping powers similar to Sleepwalker's and the additional power to cause insanity.<ref>Sleepwalker #28 (September 1993)</ref>

Other versions

Marvel Team-Up: League of Losers

An alternate universe variant of Sleepwalker appears in Marvel Team-Up (vol. 3) as a member of the "League of Losers" alongside Darkhawk, Dagger, Araña, X-23, Gravity, and Terror.

Marvel Zombies: Dead Days

An alternate universe variant of Sleepwalker from Earth-2149 makes a cameo appearance in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days.<ref>Marvel Zombies: Dead Days (July 2007)</ref>

Ultimate Sleepwalker

An alternate universe variant of the Sleepwalkers from Earth-1610 appear in Ultimate X-Men #89.<ref>Ultimate X-Men #89 (February 2008)</ref>

In other media

Sleepwalker appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #11.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Collected editions

Title	Material collected	Published date	ISBN
Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker	Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker #1-4, Sleepwalker #1	March 2019	Template:ISBNT

External links

• Sleepwalker at the Marvel Universe
• Characters from the Sleepwalker series at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Template:Marveldatabase