The character is named after his race and is the star of a self-titled comic book which ran for 33 issues, from June 1991 to February 1994, with one Holiday Special.
He said that rather than being welcomed by most nations of the earth as a hero because of his good deeds and good looks, nations would instead unite to figure out how to defend themselves against and, if necessary, defeat this near-omnipotent alien being... And so the thought occurred to me that simply because Superman happens to look like the stereotypical all-American male of that era, people have no hesitation to accept him as the hero he is despite the fact that it's common knowledge he's an alien.
[2] A second Sleepwalker character was planned to receive a self-titled series by Robert Kirkman in 2004, but instead debuted in the 2004 Epic Anthology, which was cancelled after one issue.
[3] In 2017, Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool addressed persistent rumors that Tom DeFalco (at the time, Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief) had described Sleepwalker as "Sandman done right".
After researching the phrase, the most Johnston was able to find was "mention of a press release that described [Sleepwalker] as 'Sandman done the Marvel way;'" however, this was "only a reference, never an actual quoted piece".
[4] The Sleepwalkers are entities from the Mindscape, a dimension that borders on the minds of all living things, and work to protect the world from the dangerous creatures that inhabit it.
[9] With Darkhawk, Deathlok, Moon Knight, and the Squadron Supreme, he attempted to stop Eon's body from invading Earth's Universe.
[14] He also battled various supernatural menaces, including a demonic genie known as Mr. Jyn and the spirit of a traumatized young man that had gained superhuman powers and became obsessed with recreating the scene of his mother's murder[15][16] Sleepwalker is one of the few entities who remember the events of The Infinity Gauntlet storyline.
[volume & issue needed] Sleepwalker played an important role in the Infinity War, helping to defeat the forces of the Magus by channeling mental powers from Professor X, Jean Grey, Psylocke and Moondragon through Rick Sheridan's mind.
During the battle between the Goddess's forces and the rest of Earth's heroes, Sleepwalker subdues Darkhawk and the Human Torch by dragging them into the water with his shape-changing powers.
[volume & issue needed] Sleepwalker exchanged bodies with Rick Sheridan and battled Cobweb, the Chain Gang, 8-Ball and the Hobgoblin.
Unfortunately, the authorities retrieved the "mindrake" weapon Sleepwalker had used to store Rick's mind, preventing the alien from recovering it, also gathering up one of Cobweb's demons that was left behind after the Avengers drove them away.
The demon and the mindrake were both taken to a federal prison and research facility where serial killer Jeremy Roscoe was also being held as part of a psychiatric experiment.
Roscoe staged an escape from the prison hospital and became fused with the demon in the process, transforming into a nightmarish creature calling himself Psyko.
[volume & issue needed] Later, Sleepwalker thwarts Cobweb's second attack and banishes his archenemy once and for all, before seemingly dying to save Rick Sheridan's life.
[volume & issue needed] As an alien resident of the Mindscape, Sleepwalker has exceptional visual abilities, being able to see over a much farther distance than an average human and sense energy trails.
The team defeats Chronok, but at the end of the story, Richards reveals they can't go back to their present, due to time travel and alternate timelines.
[37] "The Anatomy of a Nightmare" in Tales of Suspense #22 (Oct. 1961) by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko features an alien race bearing a strong resemblance to the Sleepwalkers.
The main character was hidden in shadows and takes pills to give him nightmares; his appearance is revealed to be the same as the aliens he visits, the Wozuans.