DREAM DEMON

Real Name: None

Identity/Class: Psychic energy being

Occupation: Energy vampire

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Thor

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in New York area

First Appearance: Thor I#307 (May, 1981)

Powers/Abilities: The Dream Demon possessed superhuman strength (class 40?)the ability to fly, to become immaterial, to grow in size, and to drain nightmares from people as they slept, causing them to enter into comas. Its life energy was dependant upon the machine created by Eugene Beaumont, and would dissipate if the people attached to it should awaken.

History: (Thor I#307 (fb, BTS))- The Dream Demon was inadvertantly created when Dr. Eugene Beaumont used his dream machine to help purge a group of his emotionally disturbed patients from the fears, doubts and frustrations that would visit them in their sleep. All of this dark energy then manifested itself as the Dream Demon, and the creature set out to obtain energy from sleeping victims.

(Thor I#307)- Dr. Donald Blake, mortal identity of Thor, became aware of the Dream Demon when numerous comatose patients began appearing at his clinic. Thor soon encountered the Dream Demon and they fought, with Thor unable to harm the creature as it could become immaterial at any moment. The Dream Demon disappeared with the rise of the sun, as the patients woke up.

The following evening, the Dream Demon sought out Blake as he slept, and began to feed off his energies, but Blake awoke and transformed into Thor. The Dream Demon grew to giant-size to battle him, but by now Thor had guessed the creature's origins and journeyed to the Institute for Oneirological Research. He had Beaumont shut off the machine, but the Dream Demon remained. Finally, Thor smashed a console, and all of the patients immediately awoke, dispersing the Dream Demon.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, Alan Kupperberg and Chic Stone.

Carycomix adds: This convinces me, more than ever,  that certain modified equipment once used by Carolyn Trainer (and which almost merged virtual reality with the physical world) was magically made faulty. Either by Dreamqueen, or her father, Lord Nightmare.  As proof, I cite the CAPT. AMERICA story arc, "American Dreams." In their efforts to find out why certain VIPS were suddenly acting like madmen, they ultimately accessed the Dream Dimension via some VR equipment hooked up by SHIELD. Beaumont's oneirological research was a preliminary run-through. And, the Master Programmer storyline, in the Spidey books, was the final dress rehearsal before the actual (power) play. Just a thought, of course.

Eugene Beaumont was the director of the Institute for Oneirological Research, and devised a machine which he hoped would drive out all the guilt, fears and frustrations that haunted the dreams of his patients. He did not suspect that in doing so, he had created the Dream Demon. He felt guilty, but Thor encouraged him to continue his work, but to help men to deal with their nightmares rather than attempt to banish them.

--Thor I#307

Beaumont's dream machine was designed to purge fears, doubts and frustrations from the minds of patients. Built by Eugene Beaumont, it was used by him every evening on a group of emotionally disturbed patients, and had the effect of creating the Dream Demon from their dark side as a result. Thor wrecked the machine in order to destroy the Dream Demon.

--Thor I#307

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Dream Demon should not be confused with:

• Dream Crystal, of Earth-Amalgam, @ Challengers of the Fantastic#1
• Dream Date 2099 of Earth-Amalgam, @ Spider-Boy Team-Up#1
• Dream Dimension, home of Nightmare, @ Strange Tales I#110
• Dreamer, Jamie Flores, of the Crazy Eight, @ Wonder Man II#18
• Dreamguard, Willie Walkaway, Australian hero, @ Force Works#9
• Dreaming Celestial, Tiamut, renegade member of the second Celestial host, @ Eternals I#18
• Dreaming Star, star of the planet Sphere, @ Micronauts II#9
• Dreamkiller, Alex Tennyson, Darkhawk foe, @ Darkhawk#29
• Dreamqueen, daughter of Nightmare, enemy of Alpha Flight, @ Alpha Flight I#56
• Dream-Stalker, Nightmare's steed, @ Strange Tales I#110
• Dreamvision, virtual reality technology created by Tiberius Stone, @ Iron Man III#37
• Dream Weaver, Barbie Robb, empowered by the Dweller in Darkness, @ Doctor Strange II#32

Images taken from:
Thor I#307, page 7, panel 3
Thor I#307, page 11, panel 2
Thor I#307, page 15, panel 6
Thor I#307, page 15, panel 5

First Posted: 02/22/2004
Last updated: 11/26/2004

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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