MISTRESS MIDNIGHT
MISTRESS MIDNIGHT
Real Name: Vivienne (see comments)
Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-148611) human paranormal (see comments)
Occupation: Predator, princess
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Horst Kleinmann (aka the Gnome), Gian, Udo;
formerly Cassie & Jillian;
although not directly connected, the Monacan physician that treated one of her victims defended Princess Vivienne's honor
Enemies: Nightmask (Keith Remsen), Theodora "Teddy" Remsen, unidentified business class passenger, unidentified older man, unidentified Oklahoma man,
Known Relatives: Unidentified father (see comments), unidentified sister (see comments), presumably others (see comments)
Aliases: "Floozie," "filly" (from the man from Oklahoma)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
spent two separate weeks-long stays at the Kleinmann Institute, Zurich;
at least formerly the French Riviera, Monaco
First Appearance: Nightmask#2 (December, 1986)
Powers/Abilities: Barely sleeping and never
dreaming, Vivienne has some form of dissociative identity disorder.
During normal hours, she is the young, shy princess, prim
and proper.
However, after midnight, she took on a new identity, wearing
seductive outfits and actively seeking out victims -- at least usually
men -- whom she lured into a romantic embrace. She radiated a
neuro-electric field that honed in on
the dream memory banks of her victim's cerebral cortex, and while
kissing a victim, she drained this dream memory,
drawing the imagery, the emotional resonance, and the entire dream
experience into her own mind.
The process damaged the victim's mind, and an unhealthy victim might perish from the process.
Keith Remsen's psychic powers
enabled him to perceive her assault as akin to a physical confrontation
on the mind/dreamscape.
History:
(Nightmask#4 (fb)) - Vivienne, the youngest daughter of the reigning prince in the French Riviera (see comments),
barely slept, never went deeper than the stage two phase of a normal
sleep cycle, and never dreamed at all. Over the years this led to a
strange psychosis, extreme to the point of fragmenting her personality.
During normal hours, she was the young, shy princess, prim and proper.
However, after midnight, she took on a new identity, the
personification of the search for what was missing from her life:
Dreams.
The search was so desperate and
lustful, and the need was so strong that Vivienne radiated a
neuro-electric field that honed in on the dream memory banks of her
victim's cerebral cortex, draining, drawing the imagery, the emotional
resonance, and the entire dream experience back to fill the desperate
lack in her own mind. The process damaged the victim's mind, and an
unhealthy victim might perish from the process.
(Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) - In Vienna, Vivienne kissed an older gentleman, draining his mind but also killing him.
(Nightmask#4 (fb)) - Vivienne was discovered over the dead man's body by a maid.
(Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) - Barely managing to hide the death from her family, she traveled to the Kleinmann Institute in Zurich for treatment. In
addition to obtaining
useful information on one of Europe's royal houses to the Institute's
well-stocked data banks, her abilities provided an interesting
sidelight to
Kleinmann's dream research. Kleinmann dubbed her early AM persona
"Mistress Midnight" and considered her to be like a creature of horror
films and ancient myths, a succubus of the dreams. 
(Nightmask#4 (fb)) - Kleinmann considered it almost a negative study for the Dream Institute, as Vivienne didn't dream.
(Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) - Via hypnotic therapy, Kleinmann learned that, as a younger child in the royal family, Vivienne felt unloved and unworthy, and so her kiss, which would normally be a gesture of love, became her weapon.
Although Kleinmann considered that Vivienne might
be cured, he instead chose to use occasional therapy and hypnotic
suggestion to make her a potential tool for future use.
(Nightmask#2 (fb) - BTS) - Kleinmann sent Gian and Udo to enlist Mistress Midnight (Vivienne)'s aid. They traveled to the Riviera.
(Nightmask#2 (fb) - BTS) - At a casino in the Riviera, Viviene met a man from Oklahoma who was intrigued with her despite her shy and proper nature, although he figured that he had no chance with her. Vivienne could sense his dreams, and she was intrigued by them.
After midnight, Vivienne took on
her more aggressive persona, and she led him to a walk on the beach.
Noting his rich dreams and vivid fantasies, along with the desire to
make them come true, Vivienne leapt on him, kissing him and draining
his life force.
Gian and Udo then approached
Vivienne, and Udo noted that her lustful and careless nature was what
had led her to her first stay at the Institute. Recognizing
them, she was amused that Kleinmann had sent the most trusted of his
staff as errand boys. She advised that Gian relax, as she was intrigued
and that it would not even be necessary to blackmail her.
(Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) - Vivienne apparently accompanied Gian and Udo back to the Kleinmann Institute for a few weeks.
(Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) -
Udo designed microcircuitry that Gian implanted into Vivienne, allowing
them to both track and control her activities as needed, as well as
monitoring her life signs.
Vivienne was instructed to travel to the Washington DC area and make
contact with Keith Remsen. When she leeched away his dream memories,
the implant would transmit them for the monitors to record. And then
once Remsen recovered and dreamed again, Kleinmann would be able to
assault him.
(Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) - In her demure daytime persona, Vivienne flew to Paris and then to Dulles as a VIP passenger. After midnight, she went into the bathroom and changed into a leathery outfit.
(Nightmask#4)
<November 24 (see comments), 1986> -
At 2 AM after landing in Dulles airport, Vivienne spoke to a man from
business class who was impressed that she had come through all of the
delays looking so fresh. She explained that late hours agreed with her,
that she did not truly come alive until after midnight, and that sleep
was rather a waste. As they got into a taxi to share a ride into DC,
she shared that while she did not dream, she had always been fortunate
in having others to share their dreams with her.
(Nightmask#4 (fb)) - En route, Vivienne kissed her fellow passenger, draining his mind and leaving him unconscious.
(Nightmask#4)
- Vivienne had the taxi driver drop her off in a section of the city
that was popular with the young people of the neighborhood.
(Nightmask#4 (fb)) -
Vivienne told the taxi driver that jet lag had overcome ardor with her
fellow passenger but that he should come around by the time they
reached his hotel. She gave the driver another $10 for not telling the
man where she had gotten out, as she did not want to risk having a dud
bother her again.
(Nightmask#4 - BTS) - Gian privately discussed with Udo that while Mistress Midnight was not truly an assassin, like the bomber, in her own way, she was more dangerous.
Kleinmann confirmed that satellite relay conditions were perfect and they would be able to see the fruits of their labors during Vivienne's visit there. At Udo's and Gian's queries, Kleinmann confirmed her implant allowed them to track her a continent away and that her brain showed no evidence of rejecting the micro-circuitry. Gian and Kleinmann discussed that the hyperactivity they were reading was normal for her as she was in her midnight phase, stalking prey.
(Nightmask#4)
- Vivienne encountered Keith Remsen
(Nightmask#4 - BTS) - Gian noted that her readings mirrored the peaks of when she first came to the Institute.
(Nightmask#4) - As
Vivienne and Keith prepared to kiss, Keith's younger sister, Teddy,
interrupted. Sympathizing with the young Teddy's feelings as the
youngest in her family, Vivienne gave Teddy a kiss on the forehead.
(Nightmask#4 - BTS) - Whether it was her sympathies for Teddy or Teddy's own dream powers (which connected her to Keith), Vivienne's Mistress
Midnight persona began to fade, and as Keith took Teddy home, she began to depart.
Gian noted the changes in Vivenne's readings, and Kleinmann appreciated that her dream lust was beginning to fade.
(Nightmask#4) - Keith returned to make sure Vivienne at least got a cab home, and while she initially tried to depart, Kleinmann's conditioning took hold, and she leapt forward and kissed Keith, noting that this would be both pleasurable to her as well as to Horst Kleinmann.
This kiss initially wiped away the shock of the sudden passion and the
guilt of having not listened to Teddy, and it briefly overwhelmed him
with its seeming promise of love, but then it became a weapon, slicing
through his normal mental defenses. Instinctively, he assumed the
protective guise of Nightmask as he battled her on the psychic plane.
As
she sent out electric fingers to rip out his dreams, his brain seemed
to fry from their relentless probing as he tried to shut them out.
Recalling a recent dream session where Mr. Steel's recovery involved
letting go of control, Nightmask dropped his defenses, feeding her
not
only his dreams and memories, but the dreams and memories of all those
whose dreams he had visited. Overhwlemed, Vivienne withdrew and fled.
Back in the physical plane, Keith heard her screams but felt that it
might just be in his mind as no one around reacted to them.
(Nightmask#4 - BTS) - Although Gian lamented that they did not capture Keith's dream pattern, Kleinmann recalled how Vivienne had kissed Teddy, hinting that this might be used against Keith in the future.
(Untold Tales of the New Universe: Nightmask#1 (fb) - BTS) - Vivienne's cybernetic implants transmitted Teddy's psychic signature to Kleinmann's laboratory.
(Untold Tales of the New Universe: Nightmask#1 (fb) - BTS) - The next time Teddy went to sleep, Kleinnman's machines plunged her psyche into Kleinmann's artificial dream from which he prevented her awakening.
(Untold Tales of the New Universe: Nightmask#1 - BTS) - Keith ultimately defeated Kleinmann and rescued Teddy.Comments: Created by Archie Goodwin and Ernie Colon.
See the New Universe primer.
Nightmask was one of the New Universe series that didn't fit
the mold, with advanced technology, pre-White Event psychic abilities, etc.
The New Universe's Nightmask #2
& 4 (1986-1987) references Mistress Midnight as the youngest
daughter of the reigning prince in "The Riviera"
The story
seemed to continue directly from Vivienne's landing in Dulles to her
encounter with Keith...but she left Dulles at 2 AM, took a cab, and
then got around and walked around town for awhile. When she encountered
Keith, he had just gotten an ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins. I would
not have thought, especially in 1987, that Baskin Robbins would be open
around 3 AM or after...so maybe there was a day break or something.
Maybe she got out of the cab and walked around until the next evening,
since she barely slept...
I was trying to be
all-inclusive with the sub-profiles, but I fatigued on the idea with
the unidentified old guy who died when she drained his dreams, the maid
who saw that, the taxicab driver, etc. If someone wants to, please feel
free to add those sub-profiles.
This profile
was completed 10/21/2023, but its publication was delayed as it was
intended for the New Universe's 40th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mistress Midnight should be distinguished from:
|
He may have had a fat aunt, or he may have just referred to such as a figure of speech. (Nightmask#2
(fb) - BTS) - At a casino in the Riviera, the man met Viviene and was intrigued with her despite her shy and proper nature,
although he figured that he had no chance with her. Vivienne could
sense his dreams, and she was intrigued by them. (Nightmask#2
(fb) - BTS) - After midnight, Vivienne took on her more
aggressive persona, and she led the man to a walk on the beach. (Nightmask#2) - Surprised
by the change that could come over her, the man told her she was
something special. He further noted that he had always been a dreamer,
as it gave a man something to aim for and succeed at. Appreciating his
rich dreams and vivid fantasies, along with the strong will to make them
come true, Vivienne leapt on him, kissing him, draining his mind, and causing him to collapse. She left them there after accepting an assignment from Horst Kleinmann via his agents Udo and Gian. (Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) -
The Oklahoma man was found unconscious on a beach. He was taken to a
medical facility in Monaco where he was believed to have had a seizure. He was
held there "for his own sanity" to be certain there was no recurrence
of these apparent seizures.
It took the man weeks to get his memory back, and he felt like he was
being held in a "fancy excuse for a looney bin."
Although unable to read French, he
appreciated that the woman was famous and told the physician to have
her arrested. Relating that the woman was the
daughter of their reigning prince, the physican suggested that blaming
her was not the best way for him to get a swift release back to his
native Oklahoma. |
 (Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) -
A man from Oklahoma who had been found unconscious on a beach after
having his mind drained by Vivienne/Mistress Midnight was brought to a
medical facility in Monaco where he was believed to have had a seizure.
He was
held there "for his own sanity" to be certain there was no recurrence
of these apparent seizures. (Nightmask#4) - Weeks later, after having recovered his memory, the man saw the woman who had assaulted him in the newspaper and he told the physician caring for him that she was the one who had put him in this "fancy excuse for a looney bin." The physician explained to the man that he was a guest of their principality and that he was being held there "for his own sanity" to be certain there was no recurrence of these apparent seizures. The man related what had happened to
him to the physician, considering the woman to be like
some sort of vampire, except she had drained his mind. He told the physician to have
her arrested. Relating that the woman was the youngest daughter of their reigning prince, famous for being shy and extremely proper, the physican advised the man that clinging to the delusion that she caused his problem was not the best way for him to secure a swift release and return to his native Oklahoma. --Nightmask#4 |
 Cassie
(brown hair) & Jillian (black hair) were flight attendants who were
part of the crew of flight flying from Paris to Dulles.(Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) -
Cassie & Jillian noted the "quiet little VIP passenger" (Vivienne)
who joined their flight in Paris after having arrived from Zurich. En
route, after midnight, Vivienne went into the bathroom and came out
dressed in leather. (Nightmask#4) - In
Dulles, Cassie asked if the woman in leather was the quiet little VIP
passenger, and Jillian confirmed that she had changed from "mouse to
maneater, |
 (Nightmask#4 (fb) - BTS) -
This man traveled business class on a flight from Paris to Dulles
Airport (the trip had numerous delays). The flight attendant Jillian
considered him a hunk.(Nightmask#4)
- At 2 AM
after landing in Dulles airport, Vivienne
spoke to the man from business class who was impressed that she had
come
through all of the delays looking so fresh. She explained that late
hours agreed with her, that she did not truly come alive until after
midnight, and that sleep was rather a waste. He agreed that sleep was a
waste with company like her, but he did counter that everybody needed
some sleep, at least for the chance to dream.
As they got into a taxi to
share a ride into DC, she shared that while she did not dream, she had
always been fortunate in having others to share their dreams with her. (Nightmask#4 (fb)) - En route, Vivienne kissed her fellow passenger, draining his mind and leaving him unconscious. (Nightmask#4)
- Vivienne had the taxi driver drop her off in a section of the city
that was popular with the young people of the neighborhood. (Nightmask#4 (fb)) - Vivienne told the taxi driver that jet lag had overcome ardor with her "Don Juan," but that he should come around by the time they reached his hotel. She gave the driver another $10 for not telling the man where she had gotten out, as she did not want to risk having a dud bother her again. --Nightmask#4 |
images: (without ads)Appearances:
Nightmask#2 (December, 1986) - Archie Goodwin (writer), Ernie Colon (artist), Michael Higgins (editor)
Nightmask#4 (February, 1987) - Archie Goodwin (writer), Ron Wagner (penciler), Tony DeZuniga (inker), Michael Higgins (editor)
First posted: 10/26/20266
Last updated: 10/26/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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A wealthy man experienced in trading in stocks and bonds, he traveled
to the French Riviera, knowing he would enjoy the gambling.
(Nightmask#4) -
Seeing the woman who had assaulted him in the newspaper, the man
related what had happened to him to the physician caring for him,
considering the woman to be like some sort of vampire, except she had
drained his mind, nearly giving his brain a permanent short-circuit. 