The Living Nightmare

The Living Nightmare © Juke Box Productions AstroFacts Status: Active Real Name: Inapplicable (current) or Unrevealed (former incarnations) Earliest Appearance: 1962 Affiliation: former Honor Guard Base of Operations: Mobile Range of Operations: Presumably Global Personal Data Eyes: Red Hair: None InfoDump Headlines: August 9, 1995: Samaritan Checks Nightmare Rampage Appearances (in Publication Order): Kurt Busiek's Astro City Vol.1 #1 Astro City: Local Heroes #2 Astro City: The Dark Age Book Two #1 Astro City #26 Event Timeline The Living Nightmare The Living Nightmare was inadvertently created by a psychologist who attempted to eliminate fear but instead externalized the emotion into a violent and destructive physical manifestation of society’s fears. The Living Nightmare has taken many forms over the years, even becoming a force for good on occasion. History Save for his laboratory origin, very little is known about the history of the Living Nightmare. In the mid-to-late 1960s, and again during the 1970s, the monster was mentally controlled by a courageous Marine pilot. Under the pilot’s influences, the Living Nightmare became a hero and member of Honor Guard. Over the past few decades however, the Living Nightmare had become a nearly mindless, primal monster, inexplicably drawn to the super-powered beings who had contained it countless times in the past. The encounter with Samaritan in 1995 is a typical example. He was soundly defeated then, but it was, and never seems to be, permanent. The Living Nightmare’s appearance has changed over time, determined it would seem by the good-versus-evil influences of a particular incarnation. His most familiar and consistent visage is that of a dark, hulking figure, with multiple tentacles protruding from his skull, at least two sets of glowing red eyes, and a giant fang-filled mouth in its chest. Powers As the physical manifestation of fear, the Living Nightmare has a host of powers, many of which are still poorly understood. Superhuman Strength: The Living Nightmare is incredibly strong. Although the upper limits of its strength are unknown, it has been observed trading blows with the extremely powerful Samaritan and shrugging off Samaritan's Empyrean Web, which is capable of containing a tidal wave. Energy Drain: The Living Nightmare can leech energy from its opponents, causing them to grow weaker as they fight the monster. Any and all physical contact with the creature causes drainage. Nigh Invulnerable with Superhuman Durability: The Living Nightmare’s energy draining powers seem to protect it from many forms of attack, making it nigh-invulnerable. It can also survive in the vacuum of space. Uncanny Senses: As of 1995, the Living Nightmare was inexplicably drawn to its super-powered enemies. Teleportation: The Living Nightmare appears out of nowhere, making his attack all the more fearful. It then “blinks out of existence” when too far away from his power source, fear. Weaknesses The Living Nightmare is powered by raw fear and can be defeated if isolated from these emotions (by sending it into space, for example). In addition, the tentacles on its head are said to be fear-receptors, and the creature has occasionally been defeated by blocking or modifying its access to the fear around it. Psychological Profile In its current incarnation, the Living Nightmare is a mindless creature who relentlessly attacks its enemies until on the verge of defeat or separated from a source of fear. It seems consumed by rage, blindly lashing out at its enemies. The Living Nightmare is also a rather stupid and predictable creature that can be maneuvered into tactically compromising situations during combat. It has shown no ability to communicate beyond growls, roars, and other incoherent noises. Speculations, Theories Samaritan observes that the Living Nightmare always seems to attack him when he is tired and theorizes this might "be a function of its current incarnation..." Whether the creature actually has the uncanny ability to sense when one of his enemies is tired or weak has not been confirmed. Samaritan goes on to narrate: "I’ll have to take that up with Dr. Prochnow..." Dr. Prochnow has not appeared yet, but this could be a reference to the Living Nightmare’s creator. Alternately, he could merely be a leading psychologist and/or the world's foremost expert on the Nightmare. During at least one of its heroic manifestation phases, it seemed to be encased in a suit of armor built in the identical likeness of the evil incarnations of the Living Nightmare.