Nightmask is a name and identity used by several fictional characters who appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to bear the name, Keith Remsen, was created by writer Archie Goodwin, and first appeared in Nightmask #1 (November 1986), a series which was published under Marvel's New Universe imprint. Subsequent characters bearing the name were introduced in the 2006 series newuniversal, and as part of Marvel's 2012 rebranding, Marvel NOW!
Publication history
The original Nightmask, Keith Remsen, was created by Archie Goodwin and first appeared in Nightmask #1 (Nov 1986), a series which was published under Marvel's New Universe imprint. Remsen is a paranormal, one of the people affected by the "White Event", and has the ability to manifest himself in other people's dreams. Issue #1 was penciled by Tony Salmons, as lobbied for by editor Eliot R. Brown, who later explained: "I thought Tony was the quentisential dreamscape person because he is the last, best, natural delineator of a Ditko-esque world, aside from Steve himself". Goodwin was the initial writer on the series, but left after issue #4. As a consequence, the 'Gnome' storyline was abandoned and subsequently ignored until long after the series' cancelation, finally being resolved in Untold Tales of the New Universe: Nightmask (published in 2006). Like most of the New Universe lineup of 1986-87, Nightmask was unable to secure a stable creative team; one out of every three issues was a fill-in. The series was cancelled after 12 issues, although Remsen continued to feature as a significant New Universe character, with a supporting role (and occasional back-up stories) in other titles.
In 2006, Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca introduced a different version of the Nightmask character when they revived the New Universe concepts in a new series, newuniversal. Izanami Randall, who first appears in newuniversal #1 (Feb 2007), is a young Japanese-American woman living in San Francisco. After the White Event, Izanami discovers that she has been appointed as the Nightmask and has gained the power to manipulate the "superflow", a "transuniversal space" through which dreams, ideas and telepathy interact with the physical world.
Fictional character biography
Keith Remsen
Keith Remsen is an eighteen-year-old whose parents send him to study with Doctor Horst Kleinmann, an expert on dreams. Kleinmann has perfected a way of entering dreams cybernetically, and is worried that Remsen's parents are trying to steal his research. Kleinmann plants a bomb which kills Remsen's parents, paralyzes his little sister Theodora ("Teddy"), and leaves Keith himself in a coma, where he remains until he is awakened by the White Event and his sister calling to him.
After awaking, he gradually discovers that he has the power to enter people's dreams telepathically, which he uses to assist in psychotherapy. His sister Teddy is able to communicate with him while he is in the dream state and serves as his anchor to reality. He also fights Kleinmann in the dreamscape.
After the Black Event, in which the city of Pittsburgh is destroyed, Teddy is left in a coma, and Remsen becomes one of the first paranormally gifted people drafted into the military. His training and abilities earn him a commission and he is assigned to use his abilities to scan paranormal draftees for signs of mental aberration. Without his sister to act as his anchor, his dream self becomes more and more unhinged until he feels he can no longer tell the sane from the insane. This leads him to approve Harlan Mook, a candidate with a dangerously unstable personality. Mook has a mental breakdown and attempts to assassinate the President of the United States (thwarted only because the unnamed President has developed paranormal regenerative abilities himself).
Remsen enters Teddy's dreams in order to release her from her coma. Though initially his Nightmask persona torments Teddy in the same way it had all the dreamers he treated since the Black Event, Keith's love for his sister overcomes the Nightmask persona, freeing Teddy from her coma and restoring the stability of his powers. Remsen stalks Mook in his dreams, baiting Mook to seek him out personally. Remsen kills Mook with a single gunshot.
Powers and abilities
Nightmask has the ability to enter and manipulate dreams of others. He can project illusions into another person's mind, as well as traveling between dimensions to some extent.