Issue(s): Doctor Strange #53
Cover Date: May 93
Title: "Nightmare on Bleecker Street"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Script
Roy Thomas & Geof Isherwood - Plot
Geof Isherwood - Penciler
Geof Isherwood - Inker
Joe Andreani - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
Morbius battles the Nightmare-possessed Dr. Strange's body in the real world while Dr. Strange battles Nightmare in the dream world. And then Strange somehow brings Nightmare's "body" into the real world so that he can join the physical fight.

It's said that Nightmare is at something of a disadvantage because he's never experienced physical pain before.

But the real clincher is when Morbius threatens to drain Nightmare's body of blood, which would destroy it and trap Nightmare in Strange's body.

Nightmare swears by Morpheus and all the gods beyond the wall of sleep that he'll leave the waking world, and he says that he is forced to honor the vow or else the gods he swore to would destroy him.

There's a weird bit in the beginning where Morbius was trying to get to Nightmare, who was in Strange's house which is protected by a magic shield. Morbius was unable to get inside the shield until Strange-Nightmare comes out and zaps him, and when Morbius fell he somehow "fell inside the shield-spells", which means he can now enter the house. Seems like an odd loophole in the spell.

Anyway, this sure was a crossover between Dr. Strange and Morbius! I'm no Nightmare fan, so i was predisposed to not liking this, but the story is perfectly fine. Nightmare's interest in Morbius seems a little contrived, but i guess not more than Nightmare taking an interest in any hero. I expected that the Jazz drug would somehow get tied back to Nightmare, like D'Spayre and D-Lite from Cloak and Dagger #19, but i guess Nightmare's plans didn't extend beyond trying to keep Morbius as a permanent source of anguish and having a little fun in the real world.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues directly from Morbius #9. It's the battle between Strange and Nightmare in Nightmare's realm in this issue that the Secret Defenders see in Secret Defenders #2, and when Strange is done at the end of this issue, he returns to the Secret Defenders for the rest of their story.

References:

• Doctor Strange saved Morbius from the Nightmare realm in Morbius #9.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A