NiGHTS Into Dreams... is a 1998 Archie Comics adaptation of Sega's NiGHTS into Dreams… video game, written by a pre-Marvel Dan Slott. Initially released as a three-issue miniseries, the comic became so popular a second miniseries was made as a sequel to the story. After that the series wrapped up, though it wasn't the end of Archie and NiGHTS' involvement, as the Nightopian made an appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man: Worlds Unite.
The first series adapts the overall plot of the game it was based on, with a healthy dose of Adaptation Expansion focusing on Elliot and Claris's lives in the waking world, including a subplot where Elliot's basketball rival, Roger, falls in with the evil Wizeman and Reala. The second series, written by Karl Bollers, strayed from the game adaptation formula and focused on Elliot and Claris bringing NiGHTS into the real world, while with Wizeman's defeat, Reala took over as lord of nightmares and was eager for revenge.
This comic series contains examples of:
- Adaptation Deviation: Some Nightmarens were switched around from the game, with Puffy becoming an antagonist for Claris instead of Elliot, and vice versa with Gillwing.
- Adaptation Expansion: Expands heavily on the lore of the games, including how Twin Seeds was founded and the details of NiGHTS' betrayal of Wizeman, as well as Earth stuff happening.
- And the Adventure Continues: The series ends with NiGHTS as Twin Seeds' protector in the waking world as well as the dream world, ready to fight any Nightmaren that try to slip through.
- And You Were There: Madame Puffilla, Claris's strict music teacher, is seen as a counterpart to Puffy in the waking world.
- Ascended Extra:
- Roger was just a nameless bully in the game, but becomes a major player in the comic as he antagonizes Elliot and Claris and becomes a pawn of Wizeman and Reala.
- The Nightopians were cute background characters in the game, but have plot importance and names (Snuze and Napp) in the comic.
- Back from the Dead: In the second mini, it's heavily implied that the rich owner of the Twin Seeds tower, Emmanuel Weiss, is a reborn Wizeman. Not only does the name give it away (Wizeman = EmMANuel WEISS), but at one point his shadow takes on a familiar shape...
- Backstory: The comic delves into Twin Seeds' foundation by a smith Wizeman influenced, the search for the red Ideyas of Courage, and how NiGHTS betrayed Wizeman.
- Deal with the Devil: Wizeman and Jackle promise Elliot and Claris's greatest desires in exchange for their Ideya. It works with Claris, but only briefly.
- Demoted to Extra: Clawz is a boss Nightmaren in the game, but in the comic is merely Reala's pet.
- Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: The song Claris is auditioning to sing is "Dreams Dreams," the game's main theme.
- Dismantled MacGuffin: The red jewel in NiGHTS' chest is a piece of a Red Ideya that became embedded there.
- Dragon Ascendant: After Wizeman's defeat in issue 3, Reala takes over as the villain for the rest of the series.
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: When Claris and Elliot become NiGHTS in the dream world, NiGHTS inhabits one of their bodies in the waking world. The same goes for Roger and Reala.
- Fusion Dance: Jackle combines a Nightmaren and Nightopian to make a Mepian, who gives Wizeman advice on how to stop Elliot and Claris.
- Gender Flip: There is no mention of the characters from the dream world having No Biological Sex.note
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Reala is supposedly killed when his anchor in the real world, Roger, is convinced by Claris and Elliot to let him go as he has no real reason to keep him around anymore.
- Mage in Manhattan: Issue 4 opens with NiGHTS, happily flying in the real world, being spotted by parachuters and chased by Twin Seeds' police.
- Malicious Misnaming: Roger frequently taunts Elliot by calling him "Smelliot."
- Meaningful Name: The town of Twin Seeds was named after the red Ideyas sinking into the ground like seeds.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: NiGHTS stopping R.E.M. leads to the bond between the worlds weakening, allowing Reala to cross over to the waking world.
- Outside-Genre Foe: The second miniseries has a subplot about a human terrorist group named R.E.M. who want to destroy Twin Seeds' tower.
- Regularly Scheduled Evil: The divide between the dream world and waking world weakens every 100 years, and only two dreamers a century produce red Ideyas, allowing Wizeman to schedule his takeover attempts around that.
- Victory Is Boring: Essentially the reason NiGHTS turns on Wizeman—a world made of nightmares is too one-note and boring for his tastes.
