unnamed

Page 1 (5 panels)

Page 1 panel 1

Medium shot of two couples playing bridge around a card table. Both couples are in their late 40s. One of the wives is quite heavy.

Narrator: Like I was saying, it was the wife's bridge night, and we had these jerks over from next door. Ed from Topglo, you know, and his pig wife Adella. He tried to shoot her last year, remember? He should'a used a harpoon.

Page 1 panel 2

Medium shot of wife waving goodbye to one couple as they walk out the door

Narrator: I finally managed to get rid of them with my act...you know, I'm just sittin' there playin' cards and the next minute I grab my chest and groan like I'm havin' a heart attack. I'm turnin' blue and kickin' the table, and I grunt "I need my heart pills." It never fails, buddy! They got this crazy look on their faces and they both jumped up to help me to the bathroom. That broke up the bridge game pretty quick.

Page 1 panel 3

Medium shot of wife screaming at husband

Narrator: Of course, Bev knew what I was up to. She was really mad, screamed bloody murder and locked me out of the bedroom. I had a good laugh at the bitch, went downstairs and watched ESPN all night.

Page 1 panel 4

Closeup of guy's face, sound asleep in front of TV set in dark living room

Narrator: Sometime, I conked out, though. Out like a light, missed the end of the field hockey game. Y'know, Tommy, I had the weirdest damn dream...

Page 1 panel 5

Large splash panel, wide shot of the Dream Lord, in his original red and gold costume from the 1970s. He is riding in an open convertible, standing and waving as he is carried through a huge, smiling crowd and a tickertape parade.

Narrator: I dreamed I was king of the world.

Page 2 (5 panels)

Page 2 panel 1

Narrator: I was in a big parade, with confetti flyin' all over the place and people laughin' and cheerin'. I felt like the astronauts when they got back from the moon, or Jack Kennedy.

The Dream Lord leans down from the car and shakes hands of people in the crowd.

Page 2 panel 2

Narrator: Everyone was giving me money, big wads of bills with the faces of presidents I'd never seen on money before. And they threw coins, bucketfuls of gold and silver coins like a shiny shower in the street.

Closeup of the smiling Dream Lord, holding out arms as money washes over him.

Page 2 panel 3

Narrator: They gave me a crown and a robe, too, and they fit just right. I held up my arms, like I was champion, like I just won a boxing match. Dream Lord, now wearing a luxurious red velvet cape and sparkling crown, stretches his arms toward the sky.

Page 2 panel 4

Narrator: And everybody yelled my name. Over and over, all those thousands of people kept repeating my name and jumpin' around..."King Murray, King Murray, King Murray."

Wide shot of the crowd chanting and waving excitedly

Page 2 panel 5

Narrator: Then, I was suddenly in another city, bigger than the first and full of Chinese, and they were all dancin' and shoutin' my name, too.

Wide shot of the Dream Lord in a rickshaw, surrounded by cheering Chinese

Page 2 panel 6

Narrator: And then I was in Africa, in a city full'a Blacks, and they were doin' the same thing. All whoopin' and reachin' for the king...me.

Wide shot of the Dream Lord on the back of an elephant, parading through streets of an African city full of adorers.

Page 2 panel 7

Narrator: Next, I was in this castle, this great big castle with gold everywhere and all the food and booze I wanted.

Medium shot of the Dream Lord on an ornate throne in a palace, smiling and looking at tables of food and drink, with servants hustling around attending him

Page 2 panel 8

Narrator: I could have anything, anything I asked for.

Closeup of the Dream Lord's lips as he speaks

Dream Lord: I want a family.

Page 3 (8 panels)

Page 3 panel 1

Narrator: I had a beautiful wife, and these perfect kids.

The Dream Lord hugs a lovely, blonde wife, while three smiling, blonde kids stand politely before him.

Page 3 panel 2

Closeup of the Dream Lord's face.

Narrator: But there was more.

Dream Lord: I want sex.

Page 3 panel 3

Narrator: I had harems, rooms full of the most beautiful women in the world, all just for me.

Medium shot of the Dream Lord sprawled on pillows in an Arabian harem, kissing a scantily-dressed slave girl while others dance around him.

Page 3 panel 4

Narrator: I was king of the world! I didn't have to take no crap from anybody! I could do anything I wanted!

Dream Lord: I want to fly.

Page 3 panel 5

Narrator: I felt better than I ever felt in my life, strong and young and able to take on anything or anyone! I jumped up in the sky and flew like a 747 over the whole world! It was all mine!

Dream Lord is soaring through blue sky and wispy clouds, his face contemplative and godlike.

Page 3 panel 6

Narrator: Boy, it was somethin' else. And so real! What's that, buddy? Dream Lord: I want rain!

Thunder booms and rain pours down around the flying, costumed figure.

Page 3 panel 7

Narrator: Aw, hey Tommy...quit laughin', huh?

Dream Lord: Lightning! I want lightning!

Huge bolts of lightning flash around the Dream Lord.

Page 3 panel 8

Dream Lord: (bolts of energy shooting from his fingertips) Ha ha ha! I am like a god! (He is laughing and shouting hysterically.)

Narrator: I can dream, can't I?

Page 4 (10 panels)

Page 4 panel 1

Bogg and Gorr, two nightmarish creatures, are standing below their cavorting master, watching him. They are bathed in light from the flashing lightning bolts above. Bogg is a bald, green-skinned gargoyle creature with massive muscles, bulging black eyes, and leathery, ragged black wings. Gorr looks like a gnarled brown hairball with bright red eyes and scrawny arms and legs.

Gorr: He's crazy, Bogg. He's finally going over the deep end.

Bogg: Relax, worrywart. He's always been crazy.

Page 4 panel 2

Gorr: True. Not this crazy, though. He's zoning out, losing control.

Bogg: Aw, blow it out yer halo, Goody Two-Shoes! He's the Boss! He's Numero Uno, King of the Hill! Yeah, he's loony as a lemming, all right, but in this place, he's always in control.

Bogg and Gorr continue to watch the Dream Lord from below.

Page 4 panel 3

Closeup of the Dream Lord, floating on fluffy green clouds, surrounded by weird, winged creatures, flying fish and snakes, fairies. He is ecstatic in his power.

Bogg (off-panel): He's the Dream Lord!

Page 4 panel 4

Gorr: You big goof! He's completely whacked! While he gets lost in his own private Disneyland, things are happening! Remember what we saw? Big problems are on the way, and he won't be ready for them!

Page 4 panel 5

Bogg: Aw, the Dream Lord can handle anything! No problem's too big for our boy!

Gorr: You stupid boob! Things are about to come apart! Everything! Including him! Damn!

Page 4 panel 6

Gorr: He's completely oblivious. Like a baby on a railroad track.

The Dream Lord spins gleefully through the air, heading for a landing near his two creatures.

Page 4 panel 7

The Dream Lord drops lightly to the ground beside Bogg and Gorr, holding out a bouquet of flowers.

Dream Lord: My friends! Greetings! Have a posy, please. I picked them myself...or should I say, I made them myself!

Bogg (reaching for a flower): Gee, thanks, Dream Lord!

Page 4 panel 8

Gorr: And on the seventh day, you made hay fever.

Dream Lord: Ha ha! Wrong, Gorr! On the seventh day, I rented a condo in Bermuda! Air conditioning, running hot water, and a bit of the bubbly...

(He waves his hand at the bouquet, and light flashes.)

Page 4 panel 9

Dream Lord: ...Like so! An excellent vintage, wouldn't you agree?

The bouquet transforms into a beautiful, black-haired woman, devotedly wrapped around the Dream Lord.

Bogg: Hee hee! That's a good one, Dream Lord! See, dummy, I toldja' he wasn't crazy!

Page 4 panel 10

Startled, Dream Lord looks down at Gorr, who kicks Bogg in the behind.

Dream Lord: What's this? You think I'm crazy, Gorr?

Gorr: Aw, fooey! You fig-brain! You got the tact of a rabid moose in heat! Numbskull!

Page 5 (6 panels)

Page 5 panel 1

Dream Lord: No, stop it, Gorr. Are you concerned about me? Bogg did the right thing in bringing it up.

Bogg: Yeah, I did right. See? (He leans on the Dream Lord and sticks his tongue out at Gorr.)

Gorr: Well...

Page 5 panel 2

Gorr: ...yeah, as a matter of fact. You're spending all your time playing around, creating your own little fantasy world. You don't patrol the Dream Zone anymore, or watch the Dream Screens. Things are happening..

Page 5 panel 3

Dream Lord (patting Gorr and smiling condescendingly): Now, now, take it easy. I don't have to patrol, little guy, or even look at those screens. I have unlimited power here, remember? I'm practically omnipotent and omnipresent. I'm aware of everything that occurs in the Dream Zone, even the tiniest change!

Page 5 panel 4

Dream Lord: And can you blame me for having a little fun? This is a high-pressure job, fellas, guarding the dreams of all humanity! Plus, I'm all alone here, except for you two. I have the power, so why not whip up a little pleasure? I'm entitled to my fantasy world. This is all a fantasy world, right? It's the Dream Zone! Nothing here is real! It's like the song says, guys...

Page 5 panel 5

Large panel as Dream Lord strolls off into the Dream Base headquarters, a lovely girl on each arm, a servant lifting his cape, tiny creatures fluttering around him.

Dream Lord (singing): Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream...

TITLE: ...Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life is But a Dream!

Page 5 panel 6

A small panel, within panel 5, or off to the side of the title and credits -- Gorr is throwing a fit because he failed to bring the Dream Lord to his senses.

Gorr: Dream Lord! Dream Lord! Awww, nuts!

Page 6 (10 panels)

Page 6 panel 1

Wide shot of the Dream Lord walking through an ornate entrance into the Dream Base. The huge first room he enters looks like a grand European ballroom, filled with an incongruous mix of opulent artifacts and futuristic technology. A crowd of people is gathered in the room; they are all dressed in the style of the 17th century European aristocracy, complete with huge, powdered wigs. They are mulling about, apparently having some sort of party. As the Dream Lord enters, one of the people calls out to him.

Guy: Oh, Dream Lord!

Dream Lord: Hello! What is it, my friends?

Page 6 panel 2

Lady: We just thought you should know, sir...

Phelps: You really are quite remarkable, sir!

Other Guy: Hear, hear!

Page 6 panel 3

Closeup of the Dream Lord's pleased and flattered face as the crowd applauds in the background.

Dream Lord: Why, thank you, Phelps, everyone. That means a lot to me. You didn't have to.

Page 6 panel 4

Phelps: Actually, sir, we did.

Page 6 panel 5

A silent closeup of the Dream Lord's face as he ponders what his creation has said. His expression is unchanged from before--proud, happy, flattered--but there is something beneath that, as if once again he senses the depth of his loneliness in the Dream Zone.

Page 6 panel 6

Then, the Dream Lord laughs, making a joke of it all.

Dream Lord: Ha ha! Delightful, Phelps! Always ready with a barb or quip, eh? That tongue qualifies you as armed and dangerous! Ha!

Page 6 panel 7

A butler, the classic British stereotype, appears beside the Dream Lord, a towel over one arm.

Butler (Riggins): Excuse me, Mr. Dream Lord, sir.

Dream Lord (turning and noticing the butler): What is it, Riggins?

Riggins: We have a guest, sir.

Page 6 panel 8

Dream Lord: Oh, really? And who is it today, Riggins? Mr. Lincoln, perhaps? James Joyce? Miss Monroe? Or is it that obnoxious composer again? I must say, I don't know why I bring him back here.

Riggins: No, sir.

Page 6 panel 9

Riggins: None of those, sir. None of yours, sir.

Dream Lord (delighted): What? This is wonderful! You mean...somehow, you all have made a new guest? I had no idea I had given you such capabilities!

Page 6 panel 10

Phelps speaks up, the crowd still applauding.

Phelps: As we said, sir, you are remarkable!

Page 7 (8 panels)

Page 7 panel 1

Dream Lord: Thank you, Phelps. But really, this is fantastic! Inadvertently, I must have gifted you dream beings with creative energies of your own! Could you be developing free will?

Riggins: No, sir.

Page 7 panel 2

Riggins: As I said before, the guest is not one of yours. He is not one of ours, either. We have no idea who he is or where he comes from. We know only that he awaits you in your study, sir.

Page 7 panel 3

Dream Lord (puzzled, less cocky): Really? You...don't know where he comes from? Did he say who he was? Did he bring a message?

Riggins: No message, sir. He introduced himself as "Mr. Ronald Duck," sir.

Page 7 panel 4

Dream Lord (laughing uproariously): Ha ha ha ha! Mr. Ronald Duck is here to see me? Ha ha! This is getting good!

Riggins: Shall I draw your bath, sir?

Page 7 panel 5

Dream Lord (still chuckling): Ha ha ha! Yes, Riggins, please. I didn't know there were any other beings in the Dream Zone, aside from myself and my creations. This stranger could be amusing.

Riggins: May I take your cape and cowl, sir?

Page 7 panel 6

Dream Lord hands his cape and mask to Riggins, then walks briskly away to prepare to meet his guest.

Dream Lord: In fact, this could change everything! I might have a neighbor I never knew about! Or there might be others! But how could I have missed him? I'm like a god here.

Riggins: Yes, you are, sir. Your shirt, sir?

Page 7 panel 7

Dream Lord removes his shirt as he walks, handing it to Higgins, who follows him. They pass a cowboy with a guitar, who is leaning on a fence in the middle of the hallway.

Dream Lord (casually to the singing cowboy): Hello, Gene.

Gene: Howdy, Dream Lord.

Dream Lord: This is very interesting, Riggins. I never expected anything like this.

Riggins: Belt, sir?

Page 7 panel 8

Dream Lord unhooks his belt to hand it to Riggins, as they continue walking.

Dream Lord: This could be the start of something big.

Riggins: Quite. Your trousers, sir?

Page 8 (7 panels)

Page 8 panel 1

Throughout the following scenes, there is a narrative similar to that at the beginning of the story. The words should again be set off in a box, colored differently from the boxes enclosing the first narrative. This same approach will be used through the entire mini-series, at different points--demonstrating how people on Earth are getting impressions of the Dream Lord's experiences in the Dream Zone, and are describing them as if they were their personal dreams and visions.

Narrator: Dear Diary: Today was very terrible again. I do not know how long I can stand this miserable job or this place. They won't leave me alone.

Medium shot of a dowdy girl, in her mid-20's, with big glasses, rushing around with plates in a crummy diner. She is dressed in a garish, typical waitress' uniform. The diner is full of rough, noisy guys, sitting at tables to laugh and shout at her.

Page 8 panel 2

Narrator: The men come in to eat every day, and they're awful. They tease me and grab me and get me in trouble with the boss. He hates me and makes me work harder than anyone there. Now, I have two strikes, and he says if I get one more, I'm out the door.

The waitress is getting screamed at by her hard-headed boss.

Page 8 panel 3

Narrator: Nobody here likes me. The people on the pier just sneer at me and laugh because I'm ugly. I should've stayed home, but nobody likes me there, either.

Show the girl, out of waitress uniform, sitting on a bench on an amusement pier.

Page 8 panel 4

Narrator: Yesterday was so bad, after work I ran out to the beach and cried. It was warm that night, though, and nobody was around, so I fell asleep in the sand after a while.

The girl is crying on a beach.

Page 8 panel 5

Narrator: While I slept, I had a strange dream, and it has inspired me...

Closeup of the girl's tear-streaked face, as she sleeps on the sand.

Page 8 panel 6

Large panel--the girl is now on the sidelines, a voice interpreting events she senses in the Dream Zone.

There is a tall, slim, very handsome man with dark hair, and he stands in an elaborately-decorated room. It is the Dream Lord's study, and the man is the stranger. The man has a convivial, bemused look on his face as he waits for his host. He glances around at the paintings on the walls, the sculpture, the many rare books.

Narrator: I dreamed there was a handsome man, waiting in a beautiful, big room.

Page 8 panel 7

The man turns his head and sees the Dream Lord enter, off-panel.

Narrator: He was waiting for me.

Stranger: Hello, Dream Lord.

Page 9 (9 panels)

Page 9 panel 1

The Dream Lord appears. His costume is gone, and he is dressed in a shimmering black tuxedo. The Stranger is wearing a dark blue business suit, very tidy but not as fancy as the tux.

Dream Lord: Mr. Ronald Duck, I presume?

Page 9 panel 2

Stranger: The very same. Though names can, of course, be deceiving. Some of us appear more bird-like than others at the moment.

Page 9 panel 3

Dream Lord: Ah, the penguin suit. I suppose I am somewhat overdressed.

Stranger: If you say so. However, etiquette has little meaning in a dream, I should think.

Page 9 panel 4

Dream Lord: Even dreams need rules, though. I should know, after all. I had no idea what to expect from you, so I felt I should put my best foot forward. We get few visitors here of your nature, Mister...Duck, is it?

Page 9 panel 5

Stranger: Yes, "Duck." My friends call me Ron.

Dream Lord: Oh, I see. Well, Ron, welcome to...

Page 9 panel 6

Stranger: You may call me Sid.

Closeup of his handsome, pleasant, seemingly-menaceless face.

Page 9 panel 7

The Dream Lord is still in a silly mood, enjoying a strange new game, unaware of any deeper level.

Dream Lord: Very well. Sid it is! Perhaps, I shall soon be able to call you Ron.

Stranger: Or another name, yes. We'll see.

Narrator: The man and I talked and laughed. He was handsome and clever, and I had a great time!

Page 9 panel 8

Dream Lord: Anyway, welcome to Castle Dream Lord! Or, the Dream Base, if you like.

Stranger: Ah, then you must be Kubla!

Page 9 panel 9

Dream Lord (puzzled): Excuse me?

Stranger (reciting a poem): "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/a stately pleasure dome decree/Where Alph, the sacred river, ran/Through caverns measureless to man/Down to a sunless sea."

Page 10 (9 panels)

Page 10 panel 1

Dream Lord: I'm afraid I still don't follow you.

Stranger: It's a poem, Adams! "Kubla Khan" by Coleridge. Don't tell me you've never heard it before! It's quite famous.

Page 10 panel 2

Dream Lord: No, I'm sorry. I haven't.

Stranger: Of course, I forgot! You're a scientist, aren't you? Or you were. Generally, textbooks and bar graphs don't quote extensively from Coleridge. You really should read it sometime, though, expand your horizons. It's quite good.

Page 10 panel 3

Wide shot of Dream Lord and the Stranger standing in center of the study. Emphasize the hugeness of the room, and its opulence.

Stranger (reciting again): "So twice five miles of fertile ground! With walls and towers girdled round! And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree." Heady stuff, Adams. It fits the mood here, wouldn't you say?

Page 10 panel 4

Dream Lord (suspiciously, the novelty of the visitor's game slowly wearing off): Who are you?

Stranger: Not only that, Adams...not only that, but the poem was called "A vision in a dream." The author purported to have written it while deep in a drugged sleep. I think maybe he was tuned in to something, something he didn't understand.

Page 10 panel 5

Stranger: Wouldn't it be funny, Adams, wouldn't it be comical, if he was tuned in to you? Ha ha ha ha ha!

Narrator: He had a wonderful sense of humor.

Page 10 panel 6

Dream Lord (pretending to be amused): Ha ha! That is a funny idea, isn't it? I have to admit, though...you have me intrigued. Where are you from, exactly?

Stranger: Aren't you going to offer me a drink?

Page 10 panel 7

Dream Lord: Of course. What would you like?

Stranger: What've you got?

Dream Lord: You name it. Everything.

Page 10 panel 8

Stranger: Oh, good. I'll take one of those. On the rocks, please, and a twist.

Dream Lord: Uh...you want everything?

Page 10 panel 9

Stranger: Oh yes. All the time.

Page 11 (8 panels)

Page 11 panel 1

Stranger: Shaken nicely, of course.

Dream Lord: Hmm. Just give me a minute. I'm not used to pouring everything into a single glass.

Page 11 panel 2

Stranger: Yes, that could be a problem. Do you need help?

Dream Lord (manifesting a tall glass, creating the drink): I'm the Dream Lord! How could you help me?

Page 11 panel 3

Stranger: Words of encouragement. Removing thorns from your paw. Sending out for pizza. There are ways.

Dream Lord: Don't worry about it, Sid! Ta-da! The marvels of modern dream technology triumph again! A drink to end all drinks! You'll never taste anything like this again...every liquor known to man, mixed in a perfect balance.

Page 11 panel 4

Stranger (accepting the drink from Dream Lord): There is no such thing as a perfect balance, Kubla. The nature of the universe is fluctuation and inequality, dominance and submission. In any combination, one element invariably gains ascendancy, and all others recede.

Page 11 panel 5

Dream Lord (sarcastically): I don't think you would make a very good bartender, Sid.

Stranger: Oh, on the contrary! The power of mixology lies in knowing the fascism of alcohols...which ingredients are strongest, most overpowering, needing the dilution of weaker forces.

Page 11 panel 6

Dream Lord (creating his own drink in a chalice in the air): Are you speaking physically or philosophically?

Page 11 panel 7

Stranger (sipping his drink): Ambiguously, of course. (He smiles pleasantly.)

Page 11 panel 8

Dream Lord: I see. Sid, I hope you will forgive me, but I am dying of curiosity. I've got to know: where did you come from? How did you get here? I would've known if there was another living being in the Dream Zone...but I've never sensed you. I'm very powerful, you know. In this dimension, I'm...

Page 12 (9 panels)

Page 12 panel 1

Stranger: ...like a god. So I've heard. You're "remarkable," too, aren't you?

Dream Lord (embarrassed): Well, that's a matter of opinion.

Page 12 panel 2

Stranger: No, I'm sure it's true. You do indeed seem to be a unique and talented fellow. I trust my sources.

Dream Lord: What are your sources?

Page 12 panel 3

Stranger: You, of course! And your clever horde of dream servants. Do you enjoy them, Kubla? Do you like having an army of brainless sycophants to feed you platitudes on a silver tray?

Page 12 panel 4

Dream Lord (very annoyed): You haven't answered my questions yet. What's your

story? Why didn't I sense you before?

Stranger: Does it matter? Can't you simply entertain me? This is certainly no way to treat a guest. I'm afraid I may have to advise all my friends against visiting you in the future.

Page 12 panel 5

Dream Lord: What friends? Are there more beings like you, somewhere in the Dream Zone?

Stranger: Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I'm not even here. Did you think that perhaps I am simply another of your creations, an accident, a slip of your mighty subconscious?

Page 12 panel 6

Dream Lord: I don't know. You tell me.

Stranger: In due time, Kubla. We don't want to ruin all the surprises, now, do we? It would spoil the game, take all the fun out of my visit.

Page 12 panel 7

Stranger: Besides, I detest making revelations on an empty stomach. Are there hors d'oeuvres, or a dinner of some sort?

Dream Lord: Well, I suppose I could create something. I'll have Riggins serve it to us in the dining hall.

Narrator: After we talked for a while, the man and I decided to have supper.

Page 12 panel 8

Dream Lord: How about filet mignon and a pilaf?

Stranger: By all means! Let's go eat, and catch up on old times!

Page 12 panel 9

Dream Lord: What do you mean, "old times?" I've never met you before.

Stranger: Oh, your old times, of course! I'm still young, you know.

Page 13 (9 panels)

Page 13 panel 1

Stranger: I've still got my whole life ahead of me.

The Stranger and Dream Lord leave the study, heading through the ornate doorway toward the dining room.

Page 13 panel 2

NOTE: The following sequence deviates from the main body of the story, and takes place on Earth, outside the Dream Zone. The narrative should be enclosed in boxes of a color which is different from the colors of the other narrative in the story.

Narrator: Reality interlude: Outside the Dream Zone, yet tightly connected to it in every way, lies the world of the waking, the conscious plane. Here, humanity spends half its time, moving through lives which some would claim are more dreamlike and insubstantial than the misty realms of the Dream Lord.

Scene: People walking along a city street in the afternoon.

Page 13 panel 3

Narrator: These are the Fultons. They are not well-off, but they manage to pay the bills.

An African-American family is seated around a table in a restaurant, enjoying themselves at dinner. There is a father, a mother, and three kids--a baby, a seven-year-old, and a fifteen-year-old girl.

Page 13 panel 4

Narrator: They are on vacation in Wildwood, New Jersey. They have to watch the money, but they are having a wonderful time. The whole family is in tune, relaxed, happy to get away from their routines. Even the kids are behaving, for once.

The family is outside, walking along the boardwalk. Everyone looks peaceful, having a good time.

Page 13 panel 5

Narrator: Of course, into each life, some rain must fall.

The family is screaming and recoiling in their car from the headlights of an onrushing truck.

Page 13 panel 6

Narrator: So much for a little peace and quiet.

Narrator: The driver of the truck was asleep when he met the Fultons, and to be honest, Mr. Fulton was pretty drowsy himself.

Exterior view of the 18-wheeler colliding with and crushing the family's small car.

Page 13 panel 7

Narrator: In fact, while he waited the four and a half minutes to die, Mr. Fulton thought that it was all a bad dream.

Amidst the debris, the father lies dying, gazing unbelievingly around him.

Page 13 panel 8

Narrator: It was not a dream. For no good reason, the Fultons had to go home early, their vacation cut short in the worst way. The family is all gone now.

Show the dead family being loaded into an ambulance.

Page 13 panel 9

Narrator: Almost.

The fifteen-year-old girl is now lying in a hospital bed, the only survivor of the crash. She is surrounded by machines and monitors and I.V.'s, stuck with hordes of tubes and electrodes. She is in a coma, from which she will emerge in the Dream Zone as Lullaby.

Page 14 (8 panels)

Page 14 panel 1

The Dream Lord and the Stranger are seated at opposite ends of a long table, eating their dinner. The table is covered with plates of food, sumptuous delicacies and elaborate decorations. They are dressed as they were in the study.

Dream Lord: So, what do you think?

Stranger: A great many things, Kubla. I couldn't begin to unfurl them all now, though. It would be more, I fear, than you could comprehend.

Page 14 panel 2

Dream Lord: I meant, what do you think of the meal?

Stranger: I'm sorry, I misunderstood. My answer still applies, however.

Page 14 panel 3

Dream Lord: What?

Stranger: Did I lose you again? Please forgive me, Kubla, I get carried away. I simply mean that all food creates a host of thoughts in the eater.

Page 14 panel 4

Stranger: There are many physical sensations from food, both pleasant and unpleasant. There are comparisons, to food you have eaten in the past. Foods invoke memories, feelings, even, sometimes, mystical experiences.

Page 14 panel 5

Dream Lord: Did you like it, or not? That's all I want to know.

Stranger: Is that all you want to know? Have you finally given up wondering who I am?

Page 14 panel 6

Dream Lord: As a matter of fact, no. Have you finally decided to unveil yourself?

Stranger: In answer to your question, Kubla...yes. Yes, I have enjoyed the dinner.

Page 14 panel 7

Dream Lord: What's your problem? Why are you so evasive? If you have something to hide, then why have you brought yourself to my attention? Until now, I had no idea that you even existed.

Stranger: Oh, yes you did.

Page 14 panel 8

Dream Lord: What do you mean?

Higgins (entering the dining hall behind the Dream Lord): Excuse me, Dream Lord sir. Is the wine satisfactory?

Page 15 (9 panels)

Page 15 panel 1

Dream Lord (irritated, not expecting Riggins' question--or entrance): Of course it is, Riggins. If I had any qualms, you know I could correct them myself. The Bordeaux is fine.

Riggins: Very good, sir.

Page 15 panel 2

Dream Lord (turning back to the Stranger): Now, what were you saying about my knowing you before?

Stranger: You're putting words in my mouth! I said no such thing!

Page 15 panel 3

Dream Lord: Yes, you did. You said that I knew you existed, and...

Stranger: So, tell me about yourself, Kubla. Who are you? Where do you come from?

Page 15 panel 4

Dream Lord (quietly, subdued and angry): You know, this is beginning to annoy me

Page 15 panel 5

Stranger: Now, Kubla, is that any way to behave with a guest? Innocently and openly, I inquired about your past...and you snap off like a turtle. Now why should I trust you with any of my secrets, hmmm?

Page 15 panel 6

Dream Lord (still angry): Yes, you are a guest, aren't you? An uninvited guest, as I recall...perhaps unwelcome. Maybe, if you would confide your identity and purpose here, I would be more open as well.

Stranger: I never submit to blackmail, Kubla. My secrets have much greater value than yours.

Page 15 panel 7

Dream Lord: How so?

Stranger: Oh, check your bluebook, Adams! The prices are all listed, and mine are much higher. You won't swindle me, you horse trader!

Page 15 panel 8

Dream Lord (grim and threatening): Sid...maybe I should remind you. You're in my domain, now. If I tire of you, I can simply blink you away.

Page 15 panel 9

Stranger (smiling, cocky): I'd like to see you try...sleepyhead.

Page 16 (8 panels)

Page 16 panel 1

Closeup of the Dream Lord's stern, angry face. He looks nearly emotionless, but is boiling inside.

Page 16 panel 2

Another, identical closeup of the Dream Lord, as he calls out.

Dream Lord: Phelps? Come in here a moment, will you?

Page 16 panel 3

Phelps (entering the chamber): Sir? Funny, your ears must have been burning! We were just now discussing you, and Marietta pointed out how wonderfully wise you are!

Dream Lord: Oh, thank you, Phelps.

Page 16 panel 4

Closeup of the Dream Lord's eyes, as he blinks.

Dream Lord: By the way, I'm afraid we have to let you go, Phelps.

Page 16 panel 5

Phelps (as he is consumed by a brilliant burst of energy--the Dream Lord's attempt to intimidate the Stranger with a show of force): Sir? Couldn't I just give you my two weeks' notice?

Page 16 panel 6

Phelps is gone, leaving behind a pile of ash and a plume of smoke.

Stranger (laughing uproariously): Ha ha ha! Excellent, Kubla! Such an intimidating display!

Page 16 panel 7

Dream Lord: Now, I'll tell you my story. Yours will follow, I'm sure.

Stranger (still giddy): Oh yes, of course, mighty one! Ha ha ha ha!

Page 16 panel 8

Dream Lord: I'll conjure some images to help you follow along.

Stranger: How magnanimous, Kubla! Will there be Dolby stereo sound as well?

Dream Lord: My name is Emmett Adams, and I was born on Earth.

The Dream Lord motions over his shoulder, and a swirl of mist appears. There is an opening in the center of the mist, where the scenes he describes are shown. The first scene is a baby (Adams) in a crib in a hospital viewing room, surrounded by other babies.

Page 17 (7 panels)

Page 17 panel 1

Dream Lord: I was always quite intelligent, and grew up to become a researcher at UCLA, specializing in sleep disorders.

The memory image shows Adams as a young man in a lab coat, carrying a clipboard and checking equipment in a lab.

Page 17 panel 2

Dream Lord: The work fascinated me, and I gave it my total attention and devotion. Eventually, my efforts paid off: I came up with a device that could actually tap into people's dreams and project them visually on a screen!

Stranger: Oh, really?

The image this time shows Adams watching someone's dream on a big monitor screen. The subject of the monitoring sleeps on a couch beside him, with a strange apparatus strapped around his head.

Page 17 panel 3

Dream Lord: It was an unprecedented breakthrough! I worked feverishly to conclude my experiments and perfect the mechanism. When I finally revealed the Dream Screen, I would become the most prestigious and sought-after scientist in the world!

Stranger: Not to mention the wealthiest, eh?

The image shows Adams laboring over parts of a dismantled monitor, working late at night with a single light glowing over his bench.

Page 17 panel 4

Dream Lord: Then, I was interrupted. Government agents stormed into my lab and dragged me and my equipment away. I was taken to Washington, D.C.

Adams is hauled, kicking and screaming, from his lab. Agents tear apart his Dream Screen device behind him.

Page 17 panel 5

Dream Lord: In a secret lab somewhere, my abduction was explained. The president of the United States was sick, submerged for 48 hours in a deep sleep, nearly a coma. Nothing had been able to rouse him, and his life signs were growing steadily weaker. Doctors predicted he would die within a day.

Stranger: Incredible! So they brought you to help?

The image shows Adams talking with doctors over the President's comatose body.

Page 17 panel 6

Dream Lord: Yes. They believed that the President was trapped in a Gordian Nightmare, a dream sequence which somehow took control of his mind and would not release it. The nightmare would have to be severed by someone other than the dreamer himself.

The image shows the President's contorted, dreaming face.

Page 17 panel 7

Dream Lord: That someone was me. The doctors and scientists planned to connect my Dream Screen to apparatus developed by something called Project Goodnight. In this way, they hoped I could enter the President's nightmare and release him from his coma!

Scientists fire a particle beam at Adams, who is dressed in a body suit studded with electrodes and devices.

Page 18 (8 panels)

Page 18 panel 1

Dream Lord: It worked! I was physically transported into another dimension, where dreams have solid form! I discovered I suddenly had super powers, and used them to destroy the President's nightmare and free him from his sleep.

Adams, in his protective suit, punches a huge nightmare creature to the ground, while the President watches with relief and joy.

Page 18 panel 2

Dream Lord: Of course, it was a one-way trip for me! I was stuck in the Dream Zone...but there are worse fates. Not only did I have super powers, but I found that I could create anything I wanted here, just by imagining! I made the Dream Base as my headquarters, and produced a whistle which gave me power over all nightmare creatures.

Stranger: Hmmm...how fascinating!

Image shows Adams blowing into a whistle around his neck, and a bunch of horrible-looking nightmare beasts dancing in a chorus line under his control.

Page 18 panel 3

Dream Lord: I even created the Snooze Tubes, which allowed me to travel to Earth once more. After a while, I decided to use my powers for the good of mankind, to protect the world from nightmare creatures who crossed the dimensional barrier.

Adams battles a dream monster on a busy city street.

Page 18 panel 4

Dream Lord: I became the Dream Lord.

Full-length shot of the Dream Lord in his red and yellow costume.

Page 18 panel 5

The flashback is over, and the misty images disappear as Adams addresses the Stranger.

Dream Lord: And that's it. That's my story. Now, how about yours?

Narrator: Dear Diary: In my dream on the beach, I told the handsome man all about my life.

Page 18 panel 6

Narrator: He only laughed.

Stranger (laughing hilariously, bent over and clutching the table): Ha ha ha ha ha! That's it, you say? That's your story? How amusing! Ha ha ha!

Page 18 panel 7

Dream Lord (surprised at the reaction): Excuse me, but did I miss something? I had no idea my life story was so humorous.

Stranger: Oh, but it is, Kubla! My, but you can spin a tall tale, my friend! You should be a grandfather, spitting tobacco on a front porch while you tell the children stories! Better yet, you should be a comedian!

Page 18 panel 8

Narrator: All of a sudden, the man was cruel. I couldn't understand it.

Dream Lord (angrily, intensely): You know, I believe I've had enough of you. I don't particularly care who you are or where you come from anymore.

Page 19 (8 panels)

Page 19 panel 1

Stranger: Oh, but Kubla, your story was so good! It was such a joke! It was all a fable, a grand lie! I know, Adams, I know!

Narrator: He was mean and made fun of me like the people I work with.

Page 19 panel 2

Dream Lord: You're insane.

Stranger (poking a finger at Adams): And you are full of it! You lie like a rug!

Narrator: He called me a liar.

Page 19 panel 3

Dream Lord: That's enough! I've had it with you! Ever since you got here, you've been playing games and avoiding my questions. I put up with it because I was glad for the company...but no more!

The Dream Lord is standing now, energy crackling around his furious form.

Page 19 panel 4

Stranger: Come now, Pinocchio! You're a damn liar! You speak with forked tongue, paleface! Why, it's plain as the nose on your ugly mug!

Page 19 panel 5

The Dream Lord gazes into a silver plate on the table, and notices that his nose is suddenly a foot long.

Stranger: You see what I mean? You ought to consider rhinoplasty, Fibber McGee! Ha ha ha ha ha!

The Dream Lord gasps in shock.

Page 19 panel 6

Dream Lord (staring unbelievingly at the plate): How did you...how could you...

Stranger: It's done with mirrors, of course! Isn't it neat? It's what a liar deserves!

Page 19 panel 7

Closeup of the Dream Lord as he looks up furiously at the Stranger, energy again dancing around his body.

Dream Lord: No! You are the liar! I'm the Dream Lord! I'm in charge here!

Stranger (off-panel): Oh, you're definitely ahead by a nose, I'd say!

Page 19 panel 8

Dream Lord: I am the Dream Lord, and I want you out of here.

He thrusts his arms toward the Stranger, pouring out bursts of surging power.

Page 20 (7 panels)

Page 20 panel 1

The energy envelopes the Stranger, bathing him in radiant light. He stands, unafraid, against the attack.

Page 20 panel 2

The Stranger holds his pose, completely unaffected by the Dream Lord's force. Smoke curls around his feet, and there are a few twinkles in the air around him, but otherwise, there is no trace of the incredible blast hurled at him.

Stranger (calmly, smiling): You can't get rid of me. You can't make me go away. The truth hurts, doesn't it, Adams?

Page 20 panel 3

Adams spreads his arms in the air, and, in a flash of light, his Dream Lord costume appears on his body.

Dream Lord: You're very amusing, but the game is now over. You have forfeited your right to exist.

Stranger: Oh, Kubla, must you be so difficult? This was not the dessert I had in mind.

Page 20 panel 4

Dream Lord: Dinner is over. Now, I have some friends I would like you to meet.

Dream Lord lifts his hypnogogic whistle to his mouth, and blows into it, producing a high-pitched whine.

Page 20 panel 5

The Dream Lord glares at the Stranger as the wall behind him bursts inward, and a troop of nightmare demons comes charging into the room. The demons are repulsive, squirming and hopping and slobbering, obviously ready to viciously attack.

Dream Lord: As you can see, they're a sociable bunch. They'd like to get to know you better...

Page 20 panel 6

A long panel showing the army of dream beasts swooping and tumbling past the Dream Lord, flashing fangs and claws and about to pounce on the Stranger.

Dream Lord: ...sort of on a first-come, first-served basis.

Stranger: Ha ha! Well, I'll be! If I didn't know better, I would swear you're threatening me with nightmare beasts!

Page 20 panel 7

The Stranger snaps his fingers at the onrushing horde.

Stranger: "E" for effort, Kubla, but really, you know what they say...

Page 21 (7 panels)

Page 21 panel 1

Stranger: ...You just can't find good help anymore!

The creatures stop in their tracks and whirl around to face the Dream Lord.

Page 21 panel 2

Shocked, the Dream Lord is beaten to the floor by the creatures as they fly across the room and attack him instead of the Stranger.

Dream Lord: No!! Get off!! Aaarrgh! Get off me!

Page 21 panel 3

Dream Lord: Get away!

He flings them away and disintegrates them all with a flare of energy.

(His nose is still long)

Dream Lord: I don't know how you did that, but the game is over!

Page 21 panel 4

Dream Lord: Now, you will burn at my hands!

The Dream Lord gestures, and the dining hall disappears. He and the Stranger are suddenly floating in a hell-like environment, surrounded by leaping flames, volcanoes, and fireballs.

Stranger: Such histrionics, Kubla! Haven't you gotten it through your thick skull yet? None of this is necessary! I'm impervious!

Page 21 panel 5

The Dream Lord gestures again, and the environment changes again. This time, the two men are standing in a prehistoric jungle, and a Tyrannosaurus is trying to snap up the Stranger in its jaws.

Dream Lord: You are nothing in my land! Less than nothing! I will obliterate you!

Stranger: Ho hum. They say that the smallest dogs always bark loudest, don't they? Give it up, twinkle toes.

Page 21 panel 6

Dream Lord: You will suffer!

Stranger: Oh, Kubla, your food chain is all wrong! I am not your prey! You remind me of a rabbit threatening a tiger!

The Stranger waves his arm, and the Tyrannosaurus topples dead to the ground.

Page 21 panel 7

Stranger: Unfortunately, it is most likely you who will suffer. Even now, your gilded seams are splitting, your merry paradise deflating like a stuck balloon! You can't even keep your own mind together, can you?

Dream Lord: No more! I'll destroy you!

Again, the environment has changed, this time to an area of deep space filled with plummeting meteors and fiery comets.

Page 22 (8 panels)

Page 22 panel 1

The Dream Lord gestures, and the men are surrounded by deep blue ocean.

Dream Lord: Drown, you bastard! Die!

Stranger: Sorry to disappoint you, Kubla, but I simply cannot comply. In fact, as much as I'm enjoying myself, I'm afraid it is now I who must call a halt to this game...

Page 22 panel 2

Stranger: ...like so.

The Stranger raises one arm high in the air, energy springs from his fingertips, and suddenly, the environment changes again, this time under his control. Now, the men stand on a barren gray plain, surrounded by dead bodies dressed in military uniforms from many wars in different ages.

Dream Lord: What did you do? I'm the only one with power like that!

Page 22 panel 3

Stranger: Obviously, Kubla, you've been reading the tabloids too long. Welcome! I have prepared this place just for you!

Dream Lord (stunned, looking around the plain): My...All these bodies...

Page 22 panel 4

Stranger: Yes, they are quite dead, aren't they? Why don't you introduce yourself, and mingle a little? You'll be seeing quite a lot of them from now on.

Dream Lord: Where...are we?

Page 22 panel 5

Stranger: Well, it's certainly not a campground, is it? Welcome to Waterloo, Kubla...and Gallipoli, and the Little Big Horn, and Masada and Bataan. Welcome to your new home sweet home.

The Stranger gestures around him and smiles broadly.

Page 22 panel 6

The Dream Lord suddenly leaps at the Stranger, flailing helplessly with rage.

Dream Lord: Nooo!! I'm the Dream Lord!

Stranger: So you keep telling me. I must admit, though, that I'm disillusioned to see you reduced so soon to animal violence.

Page 22 panel 7

The Stranger repels the Dream Lord's blows, then grabs him by the throat and chokes him mercilessly.

Stranger: It simply takes my breath away.

Page 22 panel 8

The Stranger lifts the Dream Lord, by the throat, high above him.

Stranger: I would have thought you were above such behavior.

Page 23 (8 panels)

Page 23 panel 1

The Stranger hurls the Dream Lord onto a pile of bloody bodies. At this point, Dream Lord is reduced to a whimpering shell.

Dream Lord: Unhh! Help! Bogg, Gorr...help me!

Stranger: Shut down the telegraph, Adams. Your S.O.S. is useless. All your little creatures are gone now, chasing their tails in doggie heaven. That screaming will just put nodes on your vocal cords.

Page 23 panel 2

Stranger (kicking Dream Lord hard in the stomach as he lies on top of the bodies): My my...will you just look at yourself? You're a bloody mess. What will your friends think, hmm?

Page 23 panel 3

The Stranger kicks Dream Lord again, harder, in the face.

Stranger: You are mighty, aren't you, Kubla? A mighty hero, a great warrior! More like a mannequin, I'd say. A scarecrow, a façade, a crumbling storefront about to be demolished!

Page 23 panel 4

The Stranger stands above the Dream Lord, mocking him and laughing cruelly.

Narrator: The man in my dream beat me and kicked me. I tried to fight back, I tried...but he was just too strong.

Stranger: You know, Kubla, I'm glad we got together. it was nice to chat and gossip for a change, and the dinner was superb. All told, I would much rather break filet mignon instead of bread at a last supper.

Dream Lord: Who...who are you?

Page 23 panel 5

Stranger: Don't you recognize me, Adams? I'm flabbergasted! After all we've been through together? This is inexcusable!

Dream Lord: I've...never seen you before...in my life!

Page 23 panel 6

Stranger: Oh, you've seen me. I am your nastiest dream, Adams, your most awful nightmare! I have come to life to devour you!

Dream Lord: Impossible! The Dream Lord doesn't dream!

Page 23 panel 7

Stranger: Wrong! False! Go directly to jail! I am your dream, Adams! I am your Bogeyman! You have tried to forget me, to exile my memory as you set up your cotton candy kingdom in dreamland! But you could not...you never will!

Page 23 panel 8

Stranger: I have returned to make you atone for what you did. Your crimes are atrocious, unforgivable, demanding only one penance, one possible penalty! You stupid little fish...I have come to kill you!

Narrator: He insulted me. He threw accusations at me, and I could not deny them.

Page 24 (9 panels)

Page 24 panel 1

Stranger (as he again kicks Dream Lord in the face): And now, I really must be going. Time waits for no man, and all that. I do hate to cut this short, but I can tarry with you no longer.

Narrator: The man had to leave.

Page 24 panel 2

Stranger (as he draws a long, bloody sword from the scabbard of a dead soldier at his feet): Thank you for all your hospitality, Kubla. I did enjoy myself, but I'm afraid we will not do it again in the future.

Page 24 panel 3

The Dream Lord cringes as the Stranger approaches him with the blade.

Dream Lord: No...no, please don't! Don't kill me!

Page 24 panel 4

Closeup of the Stranger's sinister face.

Stranger: What was that?

Page 24 panel 5

Dream Lord (with tears in his eyes): I...I said...please don't...kill me!

Page 24 panel 6

Stranger: Say "pretty please."

Page 24 panel 7

Dream Lord: P-pretty please...

Page 24 panel 8

Stranger: Go to hell.

He plunges the sword into the Dream Lord's chest.

Page 24 panel 9

The Stranger waves to Dream Lord and disappears.

Stranger: And with that, I bid you "Goodnight, sweet prince." Happy dreams!

Narrator: The man killed me, then left. He vanished into thin air.

Page 25 (1 panel)

Page 25 panel 1

Full-page splash panel, showing the Dream Lord sprawled lifelessly on the heap of dead bodies on the desolate plain. The sword is stuck in his bloody chest.

Narrator (in box at top of page): When I woke up this morning, I thought about the dream I had, and wondered what it meant. I thought about all the horrible people, and the lousy things that kept happening to me. The more I thought it over, the more sense the dream made.

Narrator (at bottom of page): I think it was a sign. I think I will kill myself.

Continued....

END OF PART ONE

MR. SANDMAN: THE DREAM LORD AWAKENS