Mr. Sandman (16 page)

 

 

 

Page 20 panel 9

 

Farley: They're the
new
Sandmen, the first of the new
dream warriors
. Conventional forces are limited...nuclear weapons bring death to our own land...but
dreams
...
dreams
are the ultimate weapon! Swift, silent, clean, accurate, and 100%
deadly
!

 

Dream Lord: You can't be serious!

 

 

 

 

Page 21 (8
panels)

 

Page 21 panel 1

 

Farley: Oh, don't act so surprised, Adams. That was the purpose of Project Dream Lord since the beginning. It was designed as a military program, to investigate the possibilities of using dream control for national defense.

 

Dream Lord: What? You mean it wasn't medical research?

 

 

 

Page 21 panel 2

 

Farley: Don't be naive. Did you honestly think that all that sophisticated equipment was paid for by the government so a couple of lame doctors could eavesdrop on somebody's
wet dream
? Grow up! Congress doesn't fund expensive medical programs unless there's an
epidemic
.

 

Dream Lord: Then...it wasn't assembled to save the President?

 

 

 

Page 21 panel 3

 

Farley: No, not really. It was just a lucky coincidence that he happened to come down with a dream disorder at the same time we finished a prototype transport tube. Any sooner, and there would have been nothing we could do.

 

Dream Lord: I should have known, My God. I should have
known
it was a military operation. I was so caught up in it...it all moved so fast...and then I became the Dream Lord...and never stopped to
think
about it.

 

In the tube, the Dream Lord slowly stands, the pool of green liquid collected around his feet. He is deep in thought, remembering what happened two years ago.

 

 

 

Page 21 panel 4

 

Dream Lord: Wait...wait a minute. Oh no...oh God...

 

He suddenly looks surprised as he connects different facts and comes to a realization.

 

 

 

Page 21 panel 5

 

Closeup of the Dream Lord's shocked face.

 

Dream Lord:
You
did it.

 

 

 

Page 21 panel 6

 

Closeup of Farley, amused at Adams's ramblings, curious to hear what he has to say next.

 

Dream Lord (off-panel): You
made
the President's dream.

 

Farley: Ha ha ha! Dr. Adams, you're not making much sense!

 

 

 

Page 21 panel 7

 

Dream Lord (pointing at Farley): You gave him the Gordian Nightmare! There was no coincidence! You...needed money, and my Dream Screen! Saving his life guaranteed funding and enabled you to confiscate me! You
bastard
!

 

 

 

Page 21 panel 8

 

Farley: Dr. Adams, I think it would be beneficial for you to say as little as possible from now on. Your statements are being recorded and will be used when you are put on trial for your crimes. Attempting to shift the blame onto others will only make
you
look bad.

 

Dream Lord (banging on the inside of the tube): Let me out of here! I want to speak to a lawyer!

 

 

 

 

Page 22 (10
panels)

 

Page 22 panel 1

 

Farley turns his back on the Dream Lord and begins walking away into the command center.

 

Farley: In time. For now, you'll just have to amuse yourself while we process you. Randall, your team can begin testing the specimen.

 

Randall, a technician, walks briskly to the tube, leading a group of three others.

 

Randall: Right away, sir.

 

Dream Lord: Farley! I told you to let me
out
of here!

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 2

 

Farley (off-panel): Gantry, sedate him.

 

Dream Lord: No! You people are
crazy
--trying to invade and corrupt one of the last true
privacies
left in the world! I am
not
going to let you get away with it!

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 3

 

Dream Lord (shouting, enraged; he is finally rousing from the funk and confusion which have ruled him since the first attack of the Bogeyman--he finally has a clear cause to rally to): Especially not with equipment that I helped to create! Let me out!

 

Gantry: Triggering sedative gases now.

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 4

 

A pale pink gas sprays into the glass booth from the ceiling and the floor and the Dream Lord becomes desperate. He beats on the walls and screams.

 

Dream Lord: Turn it off! Open this damn thing!

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 5

 

Closeup of the Dream Lord as the gas whirls up around him. He grits his teeth, holds his breath, strains to find some way to escape.

 

Dream Lord: I am going to stop you. I am going to
stop
you.

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 6

 

Another, tighter, closeup--the Dream Lord is more restrained, concentrating, enraged yet exerting every iota of strength to focus on a plan.

 

Dream Lord (in a whisper, as the gas surrounds him): I...am...going to... stop you.

 

Gantry: Sedative mixture now 85 percent of tube atmosphere.

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 7

 

Suddenly, the Dream Lord starts to glow with a red aura.

 

Dream Lord (silently, desperately straining): I...am...going to...

 

Gantry: 90 percent mixture.

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 8

 

The Dream Lord's aura flares brightly, and he flings his head back and screams. Gantry leaps away from the control panel on the tube.

 

Dream Lord:
S
top you!!

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 9

 

The Dream Lord disappears with a burst of light and a crack. Everyone in the command center is scrambling and watching the tube.

 

Kochar: He's gone! We've lost him!

 

 

 

Page 22 panel 10

 

Kochar: Specimen has repenetrated the dimensional envelope! He is returning to alternate space!

 

Farley (walking back down to observe the empty tube): See if you can drag him back here! Repower the reservoirs and begin retrieval procedures!

 

 

 

 

Page 23 (8
panels)

 

Page 23 panel 1

 

Farley (shouting furiously): I
want
that son of a bitch!

 

 

 

Page 23 panel 2

 

With a flash of bright red light, the Dream Lord appears in the Dream Zone, at the same spot he was taken from--Lullaby's refuge of blue sky and fluffy clouds.

 

Dream Lord (triumphantly): I did it!

 

 

 

Page 23 panel 3

 

The Dream Lord pauses to wonder at the startling trip, and looks around himself with amazement.

 

Dream Lord: I...could never do
that
before! I've always needed the Snooze Tubes...to travel between reality and here. How did I...

 

Lullaby (off-panel): Don't look a gift horse in the hoof, Dream Lord...

 

 

 

Page 23 panel 4

 

Lullaby: 'Cause I need some help real
bad
right now!

 

Lullaby is looking up at him from a cloud below, where she is surrounded and held by the Night Brigade. Hangover is holding her while Night Terror points some high tech gun at her head. They all look up when they realize that Dream Lord is once again among them.

 

Night Terror (surprised and angry): Adams! What the hell is going on here?

 

 

 

Page 23 panel 5

 

Dream Lord (his hands glowing with red energy like the type which surrounded him when he escaped back into the Dream Zone):
A
surprise party
, you sick bastard! Surprises for everybody--for me because of a new power I just discovered, and for you...

 

 

 

Page 23 panel 6

 

Dream Lord: ...because you're the first person I'm going to use it on! He concentrates and fires a large red bolt of energy at Night Terror.

 

 

 

Page 23 panel 7

 

Struck by the bolt, Night Terror disappears in a flash of bright red light while his comrades look on.

 

Night Terror: NOOOOOO!

 

Catnap: Everybody--get Adams, now!

 

Lullaby: All
right
, buster!

 

 

 

Page 23 panel 8

 

The Dream Lord turns his red bolts of energy on Symbol and Sweet Dream, and they also vanish in bursts of red light. The other Brigaders fly up to attack him.

 

Hangover drops Lullaby as he races to the battle.

 

Dream Lord (angry and intense): I've had
enough
! You people are going to learn that the Dream Zone is not your playground! It is not for you to exploit or corrupt! It is the heritage of all mankind, a universe where everyone who lives or will ever be born can find peace and renewal! There
is
no "Slumberland!"

 

 

 

 

Page 24 (9
panels)

 

Page 24 panel 1

 

Dream Lord: Get
out
of here! If you ever return, I will
kill
you! This place is
off-limits
!

 

He hits Coma and Catnap with red beams, just as they are circling him and preparing to attack with their powers. They vanish in bursts of light.

 

Hangover (off-panel): Man, what a
threat
, comin'
from you! I'm so scared...

 

 

 

Page 24 panel 2

 

Hangover sneaks up from behind Dream Lord and thrusts a huge hand onto his face. He forces excruciating pain into the Dream Lord's body and laughs.

 

Hangover: ...I can barely squash your skull like a tomato! Ha ha ha ha ha! I am goin' to
enjoy
this, you twerp! I'll get a damn
medal
for splatterin'
you
!

 

Dream Lord:
Aaarrr
...

 

 

 

Page 24 panel 3

 

Suddenly, Lullaby darts into the fray, smacking Hangover across the back of the head with a shovel she has conjured out of dream matter.

 

Lullaby: I guess that means I get a
tickertape parade
for wallopin' a big ugly
warthog
like
you
!

 

 

 

Page 24 panel 4

 

The Dream Lord leaps away from Hangover, who is momentarily dazed by Lullaby's blow.

 

Dream Lord: I thought I told you...you fat moron...

 

 

 

Page 24 panel 5

 

Dream Lord:
Off-l
imits
!!!

 

The Dream Lord fires a final, huge beam at Hangover, who disappears in red light, looking startled and enraged.

 

Lullaby: Way to do it,
Dream Lord
!

 

 

 

Page 24 panel 6

 

With the Night Brigade gone, Dream Lord pauses and catches his breath. Lullaby hovers by his side, delighted that the battle is won.

 

Lullaby: Nice work, buddy! You were
too
hot! I knew you could blast those goofballs!

 

Dream Lord: Thanks. It's not so tough, once you figure things cut. My new power didn't hurt, either.

 

 

 

Page 24 panel 7

 

Dream Lord: And as for you...I'm still not sure what your story is, but I'm grateful for your help. You've saved my life twice,
and without you the Dream Zone would be doomed.

 

Lullaby: Aw, it's nothin'! I do this stuff every day, some days two or
three
times! Just remember me at Christmas.