New Universe analyses: Nightmask

[Creelman]

Nightmask
NMASK 1
Published: November 1986
Written by Archie Goodwin; Drawn by Tony Salmons (penciler) & Bret Blevins (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen] (introduction); Theodora "Teddy" Remsen (introduction); "Lita" Mercado (introduction); Dr. Lucian Ballad (introduction); the Gnome [Dr. Horst Kleinmann] (introduction, villain); Dr. Frey (introduction); Kate (introduction); assassin (introduction, villain, dies)
Brief synopsis: Teenager Keith Remsen awakens from a coma during the White Event.
References: Pages 1 through 3 take place on the day of the White Event [July 22, 1986]. Pages 5:5 through 7 take place just after Keith emerges from his coma. Pages 8 through 9 take place in the terrorist's dreams soon after page 7. Page 10 takes place immediately after page 9. Page 11 takes place the next day after page 10. Page 12:1 through 12:4 take place in Lita's dreams soon after page 11. Pages 12:5 through 13:5 take place immediately after 12:4. Pages 13:6 through 16 take place in the assassin's dreams immediately after page 13:5. Page 17 takes place immediately after page 16. Pages 18 through 19:3 take place the next day after page 17. Pages 19:4 through 23 take place in the assassin's dreams immediately after page 19:3. Page 24 takes place immediately after page 23.

Flashback (4:1-5:4)
Appearances: Keith Remsen; Teddy Remsen; Adam Remsen (introduction, dies); Lenore Remsen (introduction, dies); assassin (introduction, villain)
Brief synopsis: At Dulles airport, Keith is about to leave for Switzerland where he'll study for the summer at the Kleinmann Institute with his family seeing him off. A terrorist drops a luggage bomb off near the family, which goes off, killing Keith's parents, putting his sister in a wheelchair and him in a coma.
References: As noted on page 4, the flashback takes place with Keith "fresh from high school." As noted on page 16, Keith was in the coma for weeks.

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NMASK 2
Published: December 1986
Written by Archie Goodwin; Drawn by Ernie Colon (artist)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Teddy Remsen; Dr. Lucian Ballad; Estrellita "Lita" Mercado; Dr. Henry Salinger (introduction); Dr. Horst Kleinmann (villain); Udo (introduction); Gian (introduction); Deke Griswell (introduction); Oakley (introduction); Vivienne (introduction)
Brief synopsis: Keith saves noted physician, Dr. Henry Salinger, from committing suicide because of guilt from accidentally killing an entire Central American village during the Vietnam War while testing an experimental drug. Kleinmann recovers and sends his agents, Udo and Gian, to recruit Vivienne, a former Kleinmann Institute patient, to eliminate Keith.
References: As noted on page 1, pages 1 through 3 take place in Henry Salinger's dreams a month after the previous issue. Pages 4:1 through 4:3 take place concurrently. Pages 4:4 through 5:2 continue to take place in Henry Salinger's dreams. Pages 5:3 through 9:2 take place immediately after 5:2. Pages 9:3 through 10:1 likely take place at the same time. Pages 10:2 through 11:4 take place soon, if not immediately, after page 10:1. Pages 11:5 through 12 take place in Lucian Ballad's dreams immediately after. Pages 13 through 14:2 take place soon, if not immediately, after. Pages 14:3 through 17:3 take place in Salinger's dreams immediately after. Pages 17:4 through 21 take place immediately after. Page 22 likely takes place soon after or concurrently.

Flashback (8:3-8:5)
Appearances: Nightmask; the Gnome
Brief synopsis: Recap of the previous issue.
References:

Flashback (19:2-19:3)
Appearances: Dr. Henry Salinger
Brief synopsis: During the Vietnam War, Salinger is in Central America he tests an experimental serum on a small village which kills the whole population.
References:

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NMASK 3
Published: January 1987
Written by Cary Bates; Drawn by Alex Saviuk (penciler) & Paul Ryan (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Dan Brody (introduction); Mr. Brody (introduction); Devlin (introduction, villain)
Brief synopsis: Keith helps an old high school friend get over his childhood fear of fire and addiction to drugs.
References: Pages 1 through 21 take place on the same day. As noted on page 22, page 22 takes place one week later.

Flashback (4:5-4:7)
Appearances: Keith Remsen; Dan Brody
Brief synopsis: Dan Brody saves Keith from bullies.
References: As noted on page 4:5, flashback takes place during Keith's freshman year of high school.

Flashback (12:2-12:3)
Appearances: Dan Brody; Mr. Brody
Brief synopsis: Mr. Brody saves Dan from a fire.
References: As noted on page 12:1, flashback takes place when Dan was 10 years old.

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NMASK 4
Published: February 1987
Written by Archie Goodwin; Drawn by Ron Wagner (penciler) & Tony DeZuniga (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Mistress Midnight [Princess Vivienne] (villain); Horst Kleinmann (villain); Teddy Remsen; Lucian Ballad; Lita Mercado; Udo; Gian; Mr. Steel (introduction)
Brief synopsis: Under the direction of Horst Kleinmann, Princess Vivienne of Monaco, a dream vampire, travels to Washington, DC to learn Keith Remsen's dreaming pattern. Vivienne, in her alternate personality of Mistress Midnight, attacks Keith, but, as Nighmask, he is able to fend off her attack.
References: As noted on page 1, page 1 takes place at 8am on the French Riviera. As noted on page 2, pages 2 through 4 take place the next day. Pages 5 through 8:1 take place concurrently in Mr. Steel's dreams. Pages 8:2 through 22 take place immediately after.

Flashback (15:3)
Appearances: Vivienne
Brief synopsis: Prior to joining the Kleinmann Institute, Vivienne kills an older man in Vienna.
References: As noted on page 15:2, the flashback takes place before she joined the Kleinmann Institute.

Flashback (15:5-15:6)
Appearances: Vivienne
Brief synopsis: Vivienne is a patient at the Kleinmann Institute.
References:

Flashback (16:1-16:5)
Appearances: Mistress Midnight
Brief synopsis: Vivienne, in her Mistress Midnight personality, drains the dreams and ultimately kills a man she met on her flight to Washington, DC.
References: Takes place immediately after page 2.

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NMASK 5
Published: March 1987
Written by Cary Bates; Drawn by Arvell Jones (penciler) & Tony DeZuniga (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Teddy Remsen; Lucian Ballad; Lita Mercado; Peter Barron (introduction)
Brief synopsis: Nightmask reluctantly forces former mob accountant, Peter Barron, out of a dream in which his dead wife and daughter survived a recent mob hit. This forces Barron out of a self-induced coma and to accept reality so he can testify against his former bosses.
References: Pages 1 through 3:3 take place on the same day. Pages 3:4 through 3:6 take place in Keith Remsen's dreams soon after. Pages 4 through 5 take place immediately after page 3:6. As noted on 7:2, pages 6 through 9:4 take place five days after flashback (6:5-7:2). As noted on 11:3, pages 9:5 through 12:5 take place the next night. Pages 12:6 through 21 take place in Peter Barron's dreams immediately after page 12:5. Page 22:1 through 22:3 takes place immediately after page 21. Page 22:4 through 22:6 take place the next day.

Flashback (6:5-7:2)
Appearances: Peter Barron
Brief synopsis: The mob attempts a second hit on Peter Barron.
References: As noted, the flashback takes place after the funeral of Barron's family and five days before page 6.

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NMASK 6
Published: April 1987
Written by Roy & Dann Thomas; Drawn by Javier Saltares (penciler) & Jose
Marzan (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Teddy Remsen; Lucian Ballad; Lita Mercado; Charlie Greyfox (introduction); David Greyfox (introduction, villain, dies); Joe Greyfox (introduction); Oakley
Brief synopsis: Keith helps Charlie Greyfox out of a sleep coma caused by his son, David, who was trying to kill his father by an overdose of sleeping herbs.
References: Pages 1 through 3 take place in Keith Remsen's dreams. Page 4 takes place immediately after page 3. As noted on page 5, pages 5 through 12:6 take place the next day. Pages 12:7 through 15:5 take place in Teddy Remsen's dreams immediately after page 12:6. Pages 15:6 through 19:5 take place immediately after page 15:5. Pages 19:6 through 21:1 take place in Charlie Greyfox's dreams immediately after page 19:5. Pages 21:2 through 22 take place immediately after page 21:1.

Flashback (18:2-18:4)
Appearances: Charlie Greyfox; Joe Greyfox; David Greyfox
Brief synopsis: Charlie Greyfox collapses after taking sleep herbs.
References: As noted on page 8:2, flashback takes place two nights before page 8.

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NMASK 7
Published: May 1987
Written by Roy & Dann Thomas; Drawn by Michael Bair (penciler) & Pablo Marcos (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Lita Mercado; Teddy Remsen; Lucian Ballad; Frank Mercado (introduction); Mr. Mercado (introduction); Mrs. Mercado (introduction); Sergeant Sanchez (introduction); Potomac Sharks [Mad Dog, Carlos] (introduction, villains)
Brief synopsis: Lita's younger brother, Frank, is in trouble with a gang, the Potomac Sharks. By invading Frank's dreams, Keith learns that Frank is illiterate. Keith enters Frank's dreams and convinces him that he can learn to read.
References: As noted on page 10:2, pages 1 through 8, take place a few weeks after the previous issue. Pages 9 through 12 take place in Frank Mercado's dreams immediately after page 8. Pages 13 through 17 take place immediately after page 12. Pages 18 through 21:4 take place in Frank Mercado's dreams immediately after page 17. Pages 21:5 through 22:3 take place immediately after page 21:4. Page 22:4 through 22:5 take place soon after page 22:3.

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NMASK 8
Published: June 1987
Written by Archie Goodwin; Drawn by Keith Giffen (penciler) & Rick Bryant (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]
Brief synopsis: Keith enters the dreams of the younger brother of a drug dealer who had been killed by the paranormal vigilante, Justice. While in the dream, Keith's guilt over his family's fate causes him to transfer Justice's focus on him within his own dreams. Keith is able to overcome the nightmare.
References: Pages 1 through 21 take place in Keith Remsen's dreams. Page 22 takes place immediately after page 21.

In-dream Flashback (19:3-19:4)
Appearances: Justice; drug dealer; drug dealer's brother
Brief synopsis: Justice kills a drug dealer as the dealer's brother looks on in hiding.
References: Editorial box notes that this takes place in Justice #1.

In-dream Flashback (19:6-19:7)
Appearances: Keith Remsen; Lucian Ballad; drug dealer's brother
Brief synopsis: Keith and Ballad discuss helping get the brother out of his catatonic state via his dreams.
References:

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NMASK 9
Published: July 1987
Written by Sandy Plunkett; Drawn by Mark Bagley (penciler) & Ernie Chan (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Lita Mercado; Lucian Ballad; Teddy Remsen
Brief synopsis: Keith dreams about his fantasy woman, but can not allow himself to get close to her because of fear that she might end up like his family. When Teddy views his dreams and shares them with Lucian and Lita, it is clear that Lita is the woman in his dreams.
References: Pages 1 through 7 take place in Keith Remsen's dreams. Pages 8 through 10 take place soon after (the next day?). Page 11 through 21:3 take place in Keith Remsen's dreams. Pages 21:4 through 22 take place immediately after page 21:3.

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NMASK 10
Published: August 1987
Written by Roy & Dann Thomas; Drawn by Mark Bagley (layouts) & Tony DeZuniga (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Teddy Remsen; Lucian Ballad; Lita Mercado; Angela Saltzberg (introduction); Frank Mercado; Martine (introduction); Geraldo (introduction); Tullius Ballad (BTS, villain); Mambo Matilda L'Enfant (BTS)
Brief synopsis: Lucian invites Keith and Teddy to join him at a New Orleans conference where Ballad is speaking on his dream research. Lucian suffers numerous bouts of bad luck after learning that his mother has died. Lucian misses the plane and is abducted in the airport. Keith gets a haircut from Martine.
References: Pages 1 through 5:2 take place in Angie Saltzberg's dreams. Pages 4:1 through 4:4 take place concurrently. Pages 5:3 through 16:4 take place immediately after page 5:2. Pages 16:5 through 18:5 take place in Tullius Ballad's (?) dreams immediately after page 16:4. Pages 18:6 through 22 take place immediately after page 18:5.
Notes: As noted on page 8:2, Teddy Remsen is "not quite fifteen". As noted on page 9:7, Lucian Ballad spent his first seventeen years living in Haiti.

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NMASK 11
Published: September 1987
Written by Roy & Dann Thomas; Drawn by Kyle Baker (penciler) & Tony DeZuniga (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Tullius Ballad (introduction, villain); Teddy Remsen; Dr. George Friedline (introduction); Dr. Marilyn Friedline (introduction); Martine; Mambo Matilda L'Enfant (BTS); Lucian Ballad (BTS)
Brief synopsis: Keith and Teddy are joined in New Orleans by Tullius Ballad, who is posing as his twin brother, Lucian. Keith encounters Martine in a dream and she arranges a real-world meeting with him. Martine tells Keith that Tullius is an evil voodoo priest who is planning to destroy Lucian's reputation before killing him outright in Haiti. Upon returning to his hotel, Keith finds that Tullius has taken Teddy.
References: Pages 1 through 2:2 take place in Tullius Ballad's (?) dreams. Pages 2:3 through 13:3 take place immediately after page 2:2. Pages 13:4 through 18:6 take place in Tullius Ballad's (?) dreams immediately after page 13:3. Pages 18:7 through 22 take place immediately after page 18:6.

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NMASK 12
Published: October 1987
Written by Roy & Dann Thomas; Drawn by Mark Bagley (layouts) & Tony DeZuniga (inker)
Appearances: Nightmask [Keith Remsen]; Martine; Mambo Matilda L'Enfant (introduction); Lucian Ballad; Teddy Remsen; Tullius Ballad (villain)
Brief synopsis: In Haiti, Martine brings Keith to meet Mambo Matilda who gives him a real Nightmask costume. They journey to the site where Tullius intends to kill Lucian and Teddy. Taking his lead from Mambo Matilda, Keith closes his eyes and, in a waking dream, envisions himself as Damballah, the great white snake-god. He confronts and defeats Tullius. Beaten, the voodoo priests' followers lose faith in him. With his power over the people broken, Tullius flees.
References: Pages 1 through 22 take place soon after the previous issue.

Flashback (5:4-5:6)
Appearances: Lucian Ballad; Tullius Ballad; Mrs. Ballad; Dr. Henry Salinger (BTS)
Brief synopsis: Lucian & Tullius attend their father's funeral and Lucian leaves Haiti with Dr. Salinger. Tullius becomes a voodoo priest. Tullius attends his mother's funeral in Haiti.
References:

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Chronology entries:
Ballad, Dr. Lucian
NMASK 12 (5:4)-FB
{NMASK 1}
NMASK 2
NMASK 4
NMASK 5
NMASK 6
NMASK 7
NMASK 8 (19:6-19:7)-FB
NMASK 9
NMASK 10
NMASK 11-BTS
NMASK 12
[…]

Ballad, Tullius
NMASK 12 (5:4-5:6)-FB
NMASK 10-BTS
{NMASK 11}
NMASK 12

Barron, Peter
{NMASK 5}

Brody, Dan
NMASK 3 (12:2-12:3)-FB
NMASK 3 (4:5-4:7)-FB
{NMASK 3}

Friedline, Dr. George
{NMASK 11}

Friedline, Dr. Marilyn
{NMASK 11}

Gian
{NMASK 2}
NMASK 4

Greyfox, Charlie
NMASK 6 (18:2-18:4)-FB
{NMASK 6}

Greyfox, David
NMASK 6 (18:2-18:4)-FB
{NMASK 6}

Greyfox, Joe
NMASK 6 (18:2-18:4)-FB
{NMASK 6}

Justice
[…]
NMASK 8 (19:3-19:4)-FB
[…]

Kleinmann, Dr. Horst/The Gnome
{NMASK 1}
NMASK 2
NMASK 4
[…]

L’Enfant, Matilda/Mambo Matilda
NMASK 10-BTS
NMASK 11-BTS
{NMASK 12}

“Mad Dog”
{NMASK 7}

Martine
{NMASK 10}
NMASK 11
NMASK 12

Mercado, Estrellita “Lita”
{NMASK 1}
NMASK 2
NMASK 4
NMASK 5
NMASK 6
NMASK 7
NMASK 9
NMASK 10
[…]

Mercado, Frank
{NMASK 7}
NMASK 10

Mistress Midnight/Princess Vivienne
NMASK 4 (15:3)-FB
NMASK 4 (15:5-15:6)-FB
{NMASK 2}
NMASK 4

Oakley
{NMASK 2}
NMASK 6

Remsen, Adam
{NMASK 1 (4:1-5:4)-FB}

Remsen, Keith/Nightmask
NMASK 3 (4:5-4:7)-FB
NMASK 1 (4:1-5:4)-FB
{NMASK 1}
NMASK 2
NMASK 3
NMASK 4
NMASK 5
NMASK 6
NMASK 7
NMASK 8 (19:6-19:7)-FB
NMASK 8
NMASK 9
NMASK 10
NMASK 11
NMASK 12
[…]

Remsen, Lenore
{NMASK 1 (4:1-5:4)-FB}

Remsen, Theodora “Teddy”
NMASK 1 (4:1-5:4)-FB
{NMASK 1}
NMASK 2
NMASK 4
NMASK 5
NMASK 6
NMASK 7
NMASK 9
NMASK 10
NMASK 11
NMASK 12
[…]

Salinger, Dr. Henry
NMASK 2 (19:2-19:3)-FB
NMASK 12 (5:4)-FB-BTS
{NMASK 2}

Saltzberg, Angela
{NMASK 10}

Udo
{NMASK 2}
NMASK 4