Daydreamers Vol 1 1

Daydreamers #1

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—	Daydreamers #2

Cover Date

August, 1997

Issue Details

Editor-in-Chief

Bob Harras

My family prob'ly thinks I'm dead...although considering what a bunch of dysfunctional losers they are, that ain't such a bad thing...

—Howard the Duck

Appearing in "Once Upon a Time"

Featured Characters:

Daydreamers

Supporting Characters:

Villains:

Dark Hunter (First appearance)

Other Characters: The following characters appear as fantasy representations only:

Black Knight
Doctor Doom
Doctor Strange
Green Goblin
Scarlet Witch
Thing
White Queen

Locations:

Nexus of All Realities

Neccos

Nevernever-Narnozbia

Items:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "Once Upon a Time"

Previously:
Black Tom Cassidy invaded the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning in search of his brother, Banshee. In the Bio-Sphere, Howard the Duck attempted to get Franklin Richards, Artie Maddicks, Leech and Tana Nile to safety by the quickest route possible – the Nexus of All Realities. As luck would have it, the Man-Thing was nearby and the kids dived into the creature's mucky physique, entering the Nexus.

Now:
Franklin and the gang are sailing through the inter-dimensional byways of the Nexus floating on a broken chunk of Earth. No one can really understand what is happening to them and Howard begins to have a panic attack. Tana keeps his attitude in check, and reminds him that their first responsibility is to look after the children. Artie falls asleep and projects a vision of his nightmare – a vision involving a dark, menacing shadowy figure.

Before long, these Daydreamers arrive in a surreal fantasy world known as Nevernever-Narnozbia. Their earthen sled lands atop a woman (who looks suspiciously a lot like the Scarlet Witch) known as the Red Witch of the Southeast, squashing her flat. A bunch of rocky little Things run out to greet the visitors expressing their happiness that the witch is finally dead.

Suddenly a man in drag named Strange arrives and thanks them for saving Nevernever-Narnozbia from the threat of the witch. Franklin expresses his desire to return home and Strange uses the Eyeliner of Agamatto to direct them towards the King of the realm.

Meanwhile, Howard the Duck gets separated from the group and comes upon a magic lamp. Rubbing the lamp, he summons a |green goblin-like genie who grants him three wishes. Howard wishes for a way out of this mess, and the genie provides him with a Desoto. Driving along in the antique car, he eventually meets back up with his friends – only to become prisoners of the King.

The King bears a strong resemblance to Doctor Doom – an old foe of the Fantastic Four. The Daydreamers try to escape and a fight breaks out in the King's throne-room. The dark spectral figure from Artie's vision arrives and declares that he has come for Franklin Richards.

Suddenly, Man-Thing begins talking.

Notes

Daydreamers is a three-issue limited series.

This issue comes with a fold out front cover with a "Guide to the Marvel Universe" and brief biography summaries of the main characters.

This issue follows events chronicled in Generation X #25.

Trivia

One of the characters seen in the background of the fantasy environment is the A.A. Milne character, Winnie-the-Pooh.

The fantasy environment, Nevernever-Narnozbia, takes its name from at least two literary sources. The first part of the name is derived from Neverland, a fictitious fantasy world from J.M. Barrie's, 1911 novel, Peter Pan. The second half of the name is derived from, Narnia, an equally fantastic setting from C.S. Lewis' series of books entitled The Chronicles of Narnia.

Several more literary fantasy themes are represented in this issue. Howard the Duck encounters a pair of purple Siamese twins named Tweedle-green. This is a parody of Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum – a pair of brothers found in the 1871 Lewis Carroll novel, Through the Looking-Glass.

Doctor Doom and the White Queen are both seen shouting, "Off with their heads!" This line is taken from Carrol's work, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and was spoken by the Queen of Hearts.

The Green Goblin resembles the famous genie made popular in the Syrian work, The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.

There are also several references to L. Frank Baum's, 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Scarlet Witch represents the Wicked Witch of the West, while Doctor Strange (humorously enough) is seen dressed as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Multiple doppelgangers of the Thing appear in this issue – an obvious representation of the Munchkins of Munchkin-land.

Links and References

References