Issue(s): Sleepwalker #30
Cover Date: Nov 93
Title: "Shadow of the past"
Credits:
Tom Brevoort & Mike Kanterovich - Writer
Terry Shoemaker - Penciler
Dan Green - Inker
Tim Tuohy - Assistant Editor
Don Daley - Editor

Review/plot:
I've seen it said that Marvel stopped doing the "just in case" fill-ins, but this and Deathlok #30 seem to be exceptions, and the release of both was seemingly triggered by the pending cancellations of their respective series. This issue takes place before the status quo changes that were happening in Sleepwalker #19-24. The breakdown between writers (i.e. plot vs. script) is not given, if applicable. Pencils are by Terry Shoemaker, who has done a lot of fill-in work for Marvel.

The story is a perfectly fine generic Sleepwalker story. An immigration worker, Linda Thorndyke, is murdered, and the suspect is a Hector Ruiz, a student of Rick Sheridan's (Rick apparently has a side job of tutoring immigrants in English). Rick is called to the police station to help talk to Hector. The police don't actually don't believe that Hector is the murderer, but he was on the scene at the time. It turns out that Hector and Linda were dating, but Hector can't explain how she was killed.

Sleepwalker investigates. He says that "incidents of mindstream incursion" have been increasing since his arrival on Earth, and he detects such an incursion.

The confrontation results in a mind meld between the perpetrator, Sleepwalker, and Rick.

The incident wakes Rick, causing Sleepwalker to disappear. But the mind meld provides Rick with a name, Edward Cicala, which Rick then investigates. It turns out that Eddie was the son of an abusive father that beat and killed his wife. The son has been catatonic ever since. But we learn that Edward has made contact with "a malignant energy force" and has been projecting his mind into other people, and using them to attack women that look like his mom.

Sleepwalker is able to stop the latest attack but he's unable to catch Eddie's mind when it flees the possessed body. While Sleepwalker is chasing Eddie's mental essence, he also has to deal with humans scared of his inhuman form. But Eddie sees a news report talking about the murders he's perpetuated, and he wakes up for the first time for real, and possesses one of the orderlies to sever his connection to life support. The sequence is a little unclear and i actually thought Eddie was just punching the equipment himself until i saw the second body, not that it really matters.

Nothing special here. Just Sleepwalker doing the sort of thing that he's supposed to be doing. Aside from the fact that it didn't fit into the current continuity of the series, your mileage is basically going to be based on how much you like the core concept of Sleepwalker. The story is actually kind of refreshingly simple after all the status quo thrashing that has been going on in the series.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: A footnote at the beginning of this issue confirms that it takes place before Sleepwalker #24. Issues #19-24 are all part of the same story with Sleepwalker and Rick going through various status quos that are incompatible with this story. Issue #19 begins in the immediate aftermath of Infinity War, but there's a gap in issue #19 during which this issue can occur (see the #19-24 entry for more). It's worth noting that Rick and Sleepwalker's status quo temporarily reverts to "normal" during Infinity Crusade, and so i could have put this issue directly after Infinity Crusade (and therefore after Sleepwalker #24), but i'm going to honor the footnote.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A