Bad Dreams
Encyclopedia
Bad Dreams is the first album in the French
comic book
(or bande dessinée
) science fiction
series Valérian and Laureline created by writer Pierre Christin
and artist Jean-Claude Mézières
.
For those that don’t know that Valérian was trapped in a forest in the Middle Ages where a young girl of the name Laureline saved him before transforming into a unicorn...
For those who would wish to move in the past, the future and elsewhere with the same abilities as their heroes, jump to the opulent Zakatib-The-Great-Market on an unknown planet without a miserable name…
For all these, the publication of the princely (not to say primary) story of Valérian has become unobtainable and the presentation of the first new chronological table of the saga should constitute at the same time the zero (as we say number zero) and infinity (because the adventures of spatio-temporal agents have no end).
(translated from the back cover blurb
to the French edition)
, the 28th century - the alarm is raised when a spatio-temporal transport is stolen from Galaxity astroport. The Chief of the spatio-temporal service orders spatio-temporal agent Valerian to return from his holidays in Arcturus to investigate. Arriving at Galaxity, he is informed of serious disturbances to the Dream Service. Traveling to the Dream Chambers, he discovers that all of the dreams have been corrupted somehow such that they turn into nightmares – a dream of the countryside is ruined by carnivorous plants, a dream of the crystal caves of Aldebaran
becomes a torment when the caves melt. The man responsible is Xombul, the head of the Dream Service and one of the technocrat
s of the First Circle who govern Galaxity. He is the one who has stolen the spatio-temporal transport. A search of Xombul's home uncovers a book of sorcery
written by Alberic The Old, a wizard from the 11th century. A report from the temporal relay in that time period confirms that that is where Xombul has gone.
Following Xombul, Valérian arrives at the spatio-temporal relay station in 11th century France
. He finds Galaxity's contact, Geoffrey, an innkeeper, nursing a sore head. Xombul had surprised him before heading for the Forest of Arelaune. Following on a horse
borrowed from Geoffrey, he arrives at the forest
but loses the trail in the fading light as the sun sets. He chooses to make his bed on one of the giant leaves that litter the forest floor.
Waking up the next morning, he discovers he is trapped – the giant leaf has wrapped itself around him. A young peasant girl finds him and, taking his sword, climbs up to the roof of the forest to clear the branches above Valérian. The sun, now able to penetrate beneath the canopy of the trees, causes the leaf to shrivel and Valérian is free. The young girl introduces herself as Laureline and offers to act as his guide. Valérian explains that he has lost the trail and Laureline suggest he visit the powerful wizard, Alberic the Old.
Traveling across a barren landscape, they come to a poisonous marsh
. In the centre lies Alberic's castle
. Using reeds
to enable them to breath the clear air above the marsh, they cross on a raft
. But, a dead branch bursts one of the poisonous bubbles as they land and they are knocked unconscious.
Regaining consciousness a week later, they slip inside the castle but soon become lost in a labyrinth of passages. Attacked by guards, they become separated and Valérian comes to a chamber where he finds Xombul. Xombul tells Valérian that he is fed up with how weak humanity
has become and he has decided to break the people out of their apathy – first by introducing nightmares into the dream programmes and now by bringing back an army of beasts, created by transforming people using a magical spell, to terrorise the people of Galaxity into making him their emperor
so that he can wage a war
of conquest across the galaxy
.
Taking Valérian to the dungeons he shows him the people he has transformed into beasts – Alberic The Old, his servant and the various peasants who live in the forest. Also languishing in a cell is Laureline. Casting his transformation spell, she is turned into a unicorn
. Locking Valérian in a cage in a workshop, Xombul leaves for Galaxity with his menagerie of monsters. Using an underground passage to avoid the marsh, Xombul's plans are interrupted when one of the monsters gets stuck. When freeing the creature causes the marsh water to leak into the passage, Laureline, still a unicorn, uses the confusion to escape. Valérian, meanwhile, has also managed to escape and is reunited with Laureline, who has retained the ability to talk.
Pursuing Xombul, Valérian and Laureline find him and his entourage encamped in the forest. When Xombul's party continue their journey the next morning, they are trapped by Valérian and Laureline in spider's webs. Xombul admits defeat and agrees to transform everyone back to human form. However, in the confusion following everyone's return to their normal appearance, Xombul changes himself into a falcon
and escapes. Valérian moves to follow and says goodbye to Laureline, who he is forbidden to take with him to the 28th century. Laureline reveals that, as a unicorn, she was able to read minds and that she knows Valérian's secret and that Valérian is required to take her with him to prevent contamination of the time-line. Valérian sighs, but does not seem too unhappy about it. Before they leave, Alberic gives Valérian a ring that acts as a protective charm against his spells.
Arriving at the spatio-temporal relay, Valérian finds that Xombul has sabotaged his spatio-temporal transport. While Valérian makes repairs, he connects Laureline to the station's mnemotechnical equipment to prepare her for her voyage to the future. Completing the repairs, they make the space-time jump but arrive too late – Xombul is wreaking havoc with his monsters. Meeting Jirad, the assistant to the Chief of the Spatio-Temporal Service, they travel to the Dream Chambers where Xombul has erected two dream projectors to spread his nightmare. Entering the building, they find Xombul sitting on a donkey
about to be crowned Emperor of the Galaxy. Xombul casts a spell but Valérian's protective charm reflects it back onto the donkey which returns to its normal state – that of the Chief of the Spatio-Temporal Service! At the same time, Jirad manages to switch off the dream projectors and everything returns to normal. Taking the spell book from Xombul, the Chief casts a spell and Xombul is changed into a bird and put into a cage. As the sun sets, the Chief welcomes Laureline to Galaxity.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
(or bande dessinée
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
) science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Valérian and Laureline created by writer Pierre Christin
Pierre Christin
- Biography :Christin was born at Saint-Mandé in 1938.After graduating from the Sorbonne, Christin pursued graduate studies in political science at SciencesPo and became a professor of French literature at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. His first comics story, Le Rhum du Punch, illustrated...
and artist Jean-Claude Mézières
Jean-Claude Mézières
Jean-Claude Mézières is a French comic strip artist and illustrator. Born and raised in Paris, he was introduced to drawing by his older brother and influenced by comics artists such as Hergé, Andre Franquin and Morris and later by Jijé and Jack Davis...
.
Outline
For those that don’t know that the adventure of Valérian started in 2720 in Galaxity, future capital of the Terran Galactic Empire and nerve-centre of the spatio-temporal service…For those that don’t know that Valérian was trapped in a forest in the Middle Ages where a young girl of the name Laureline saved him before transforming into a unicorn...
For those who would wish to move in the past, the future and elsewhere with the same abilities as their heroes, jump to the opulent Zakatib-The-Great-Market on an unknown planet without a miserable name…
For all these, the publication of the princely (not to say primary) story of Valérian has become unobtainable and the presentation of the first new chronological table of the saga should constitute at the same time the zero (as we say number zero) and infinity (because the adventures of spatio-temporal agents have no end).
(translated from the back cover blurb
Blurb
A blurb is a short summary or some words of praise accompanying a creative work, usually used on books without giving away any details, that is usually referring to the words on the back of the book jacket but also commonly seen on DVD and video cases, web portals, and news websites.- History :The...
to the French edition)
Synopsis
EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, the 28th century - the alarm is raised when a spatio-temporal transport is stolen from Galaxity astroport. The Chief of the spatio-temporal service orders spatio-temporal agent Valerian to return from his holidays in Arcturus to investigate. Arriving at Galaxity, he is informed of serious disturbances to the Dream Service. Traveling to the Dream Chambers, he discovers that all of the dreams have been corrupted somehow such that they turn into nightmares – a dream of the countryside is ruined by carnivorous plants, a dream of the crystal caves of Aldebaran
Aldebaran
Aldebaran is a red giant star located about 65 light years away in the zodiac constellation of Taurus. With an average apparent magnitude of 0.87 it is the brightest star in the constellation and is one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky...
becomes a torment when the caves melt. The man responsible is Xombul, the head of the Dream Service and one of the technocrat
Technocracy (bureaucratic)
Technocracy is a form of government where technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields. Economists, engineers, scientists, health professionals, and those who have knowledge, expertise or skills would compose the governing body...
s of the First Circle who govern Galaxity. He is the one who has stolen the spatio-temporal transport. A search of Xombul's home uncovers a book of sorcery
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
written by Alberic The Old, a wizard from the 11th century. A report from the temporal relay in that time period confirms that that is where Xombul has gone.
Following Xombul, Valérian arrives at the spatio-temporal relay station in 11th century France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He finds Galaxity's contact, Geoffrey, an innkeeper, nursing a sore head. Xombul had surprised him before heading for the Forest of Arelaune. Following on a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
borrowed from Geoffrey, he arrives at the forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
but loses the trail in the fading light as the sun sets. He chooses to make his bed on one of the giant leaves that litter the forest floor.
Waking up the next morning, he discovers he is trapped – the giant leaf has wrapped itself around him. A young peasant girl finds him and, taking his sword, climbs up to the roof of the forest to clear the branches above Valérian. The sun, now able to penetrate beneath the canopy of the trees, causes the leaf to shrivel and Valérian is free. The young girl introduces herself as Laureline and offers to act as his guide. Valérian explains that he has lost the trail and Laureline suggest he visit the powerful wizard, Alberic the Old.
Traveling across a barren landscape, they come to a poisonous marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
. In the centre lies Alberic's castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
. Using reeds
Phragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
to enable them to breath the clear air above the marsh, they cross on a raft
Raft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
. But, a dead branch bursts one of the poisonous bubbles as they land and they are knocked unconscious.
Regaining consciousness a week later, they slip inside the castle but soon become lost in a labyrinth of passages. Attacked by guards, they become separated and Valérian comes to a chamber where he finds Xombul. Xombul tells Valérian that he is fed up with how weak humanity
Human Race
Human Race refers to the Human species.Human race may also refer to:*The Human Race, 79th episode of YuYu Hakusho* Human Race Theatre Company of Dayton Ohio* Human Race Machine, a computer graphics device...
has become and he has decided to break the people out of their apathy – first by introducing nightmares into the dream programmes and now by bringing back an army of beasts, created by transforming people using a magical spell, to terrorise the people of Galaxity into making him their emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
so that he can wage a war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
of conquest across the galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
.
Taking Valérian to the dungeons he shows him the people he has transformed into beasts – Alberic The Old, his servant and the various peasants who live in the forest. Also languishing in a cell is Laureline. Casting his transformation spell, she is turned into a unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
. Locking Valérian in a cage in a workshop, Xombul leaves for Galaxity with his menagerie of monsters. Using an underground passage to avoid the marsh, Xombul's plans are interrupted when one of the monsters gets stuck. When freeing the creature causes the marsh water to leak into the passage, Laureline, still a unicorn, uses the confusion to escape. Valérian, meanwhile, has also managed to escape and is reunited with Laureline, who has retained the ability to talk.
Pursuing Xombul, Valérian and Laureline find him and his entourage encamped in the forest. When Xombul's party continue their journey the next morning, they are trapped by Valérian and Laureline in spider's webs. Xombul admits defeat and agrees to transform everyone back to human form. However, in the confusion following everyone's return to their normal appearance, Xombul changes himself into a falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
and escapes. Valérian moves to follow and says goodbye to Laureline, who he is forbidden to take with him to the 28th century. Laureline reveals that, as a unicorn, she was able to read minds and that she knows Valérian's secret and that Valérian is required to take her with him to prevent contamination of the time-line. Valérian sighs, but does not seem too unhappy about it. Before they leave, Alberic gives Valérian a ring that acts as a protective charm against his spells.
Arriving at the spatio-temporal relay, Valérian finds that Xombul has sabotaged his spatio-temporal transport. While Valérian makes repairs, he connects Laureline to the station's mnemotechnical equipment to prepare her for her voyage to the future. Completing the repairs, they make the space-time jump but arrive too late – Xombul is wreaking havoc with his monsters. Meeting Jirad, the assistant to the Chief of the Spatio-Temporal Service, they travel to the Dream Chambers where Xombul has erected two dream projectors to spread his nightmare. Entering the building, they find Xombul sitting on a donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
about to be crowned Emperor of the Galaxy. Xombul casts a spell but Valérian's protective charm reflects it back onto the donkey which returns to its normal state – that of the Chief of the Spatio-Temporal Service! At the same time, Jirad manages to switch off the dream projectors and everything returns to normal. Taking the spell book from Xombul, the Chief casts a spell and Xombul is changed into a bird and put into a cage. As the sun sets, the Chief welcomes Laureline to Galaxity.
Principal Characters
- Valérian, a spatio-temporal agent from Galaxity in the 28th century
- Laureline, a peasant girl from France in the 11th century
- The Chief of the Spatio-Temporal Service, a technocratTechnocracy (bureaucratic)Technocracy is a form of government where technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields. Economists, engineers, scientists, health professionals, and those who have knowledge, expertise or skills would compose the governing body...
of the First Circle of Galaxity - Xombul, the Chief of the Dream Service, a technocrat of the First Circle of Galaxity
- Jirad, a technocrat of the Second Circle of Galaxity, assistant to the Chief of the Spatio-Temporal Service
- Alberic The Old, a wizard from France in the 11th century
- Geoffrey, an innkeeper from France in the 11th century, acts as Galaxity's contact in the Middle AgesMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Settings
- EarthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, 2720, Galaxity, capital of the Terran Galactic Empire. The discovery of space-time travel in the year 2314 has transformed life for the people of Earth. With the abolition of work, most of the people live in a state of leisure in virtual realityVirtual realityVirtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
programmes provided by the Dream Service. Galaxity is governed by scientific administrators, the TechnocratsTechnocracy (bureaucratic)Technocracy is a form of government where technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields. Economists, engineers, scientists, health professionals, and those who have knowledge, expertise or skills would compose the governing body...
of the First Circle. Security is provided by the agents of the Spatio-Temporal Service who protect Galaxity and the Earth's time-line from malicious influences and who explore the cosmos to seek new sources of resources for Galaxity. - Arcturus, time unknown, 11th planet. A small barren planet where Valérian likes to spend his holidays working on mathematical sculptures.
- Earth, 11th century, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Valérian meets Laureline in the Forest of Arelaune – this is now known as the Forest of Brotonne, which is located in Seine-MaritimeSeine-MaritimeSeine-Maritime is a French department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre...
, Upper Normandy. All the action in this album takes place within a day's ride of the forest.