Knight Terrors #1 (2023)

After a brief introduction by Deadman telling some of his backstory, the story picks up immediately following the events of First Blood atop Arkham Tower, with Insomnia holding Deadman (possessing Batman's body) by the neck and offering an alliance between them while addressing their similarities in regards to their ability to possess others. Deadman admits that he initially thought Insomnia was a ghost the way he was invading dreams, and inquires as to how someone who originated in the dreamworld could exist in the real world. Insomnia tells Deadman that he is the God of Nightmares and is able to conjure the fears of himself and others into existence. The sleeping doctors morph into nightmare creatures and attack Deadman, backing him up towards a locked cell door. Deadman leaves Batman's body out of desperation and invades Insomnia's body. While inside Insomnia and tapping into his memories, Deadman has visions of the Nightmare Stone learning it was once the Dreamstone before being corrupted by John Dee (Dr. Destiny) who later hid the stone after discovering its terrible power. Deadman then journey's through Insomnia's backstory; a patient of Arkham Tower who acquired his powers from the magical Lazarus Rains during the events of Lazarus Planet. The rain had leaked into his cell and fell upon him granting the ability to spy on the minds of others as they slept. Going further down into Insomnia's memories, Deadman sees a silhouette of what appears to be a family of 5 surrounded in light, at which Insomnia screams for Deadman to get out of his body, ejecting him in the process. Deadman confronts Insomnia's hypocrisy, criticizing that it is seemingly not okay for Insomnia to be invaded but somehow okay for Insomnia to invade others. Deadman flies back into Batman's sleeping body possessing him once again and tells Insomnia that he isn't a God of anything, saying that he is “Just some dude”. Insomnia orders his nightmare creatures to seize him before Deadman jumps out the high rise window and safely lands outside and into the Batmobile escaping. Insomnia orders his creatures to let Deadman run, prioritizing the search for the Nightmare Stone, without which, he feels the nightmare realm pulling him back as he slowly fades away. He orders the creatures to follow Deadman while he watches the dreams of the other heroes to search for the location of the stone. Meanwhile, Deadman in Batman's body travels to a nearby graveyard to the grave of Wesley Dodds, aka Sandman and resurrects him with a small vial of Lazarus Resin that was on Batman's person. Upon awakening, Deadman asks for Sandman's help in his search to find the Nightmare Stone before Insomnia does and to help stop him and his plans. Sandman agrees and places his signature gas mask and detective hat back onto his head.