Warning: SPOILERS for Lazarus Planet: Omega #1After making her DC Universe debut last summer, Dreamer is quickly becoming one of the most important characters in the DCU. Though she began as a supporting character in the Supergirl television program, Dreamer is now a DC Comics hero in her own right, and the publisher is teasing the major impact she might have in the DCU’s magical corners.
DC Comics teases Dreamer’s continued importance in Lazarus Planet: Omega #1 by Mark Waid, Riccardo Federici, Mike Perkins, Brad Anderson, and Steve Wands. This one-shot issue is the action-packed conclusion to the Lazarus Planet event, and it follows Damian Wayne as he primarily observes the showdown between the Justice League, DC’s magic users, and their enemy, King Fire Bull.
The “good guys” triumph, of course, and the aftermath promises more Lazarus-induced chaos, as both magic and the DCU at large have been seriously changed. Many characters have new or changed abilities, while others have “stories yet to be told.” This caption is accompanied by an image of Dreamer, who is seen sitting next to Lazarus waters while holding Doctor Fate’s helmet.
Dreamer Is DC’s Next Heavy Hitter
Dreamer, otherwise known as Nia Nal, began as a major supporting character in the CW’s celebrated program Supergirl. The character, as written by Tom Taylor and Dreamer’s original actress Nicole Maines, made her way into the central DC Comics Universe in Superman: Son of Kal-El, becoming an important ally to Jon Kent and even more important transgender representation in superhero fiction. Since then, Dreamer has made sporadic appearances in Son of Kal-El, but most recently appeared in a story, “Gone Dark,” from Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 by Nicole Maines, Skylar Partridge, Nick Filardi, and AndWorld’s Morgan Martinez. The story follows Dreamer as she dives into the dreams of Khalid Nassour aka Doctor Fate. The story ends on a cliffhanger: Nia manages to commune with the Helmet of Fate, but she strangely emerges from dark green Lazarus waters, her eyes glowing, still gripping Doctor Fate’s helmet.
That this cliffhanger is referenced again in Lazarus Planet‘s conclusion suggests that Dreamer’s journey alongside Doctor Fate is far from over. Doctor Fate is typically considered one of DC’s most powerful sorcerers, and his absence from Lazarus Planet was conspicuous—or it would have been, if Dreamer hadn’t involved herself in that absence. If Dreamer’s involvement with Khalid and/or the Helmet of Fate continues, it’s possible she herself could end up as DC’s next Doctor Fate, making her one of the most powerful characters in the DCU.
Hopefully readers will see the continuation of Dreamer’s story sooner rather than later, and not only because this is such a tantalizing possibility for Doctor Fate’s next chapter. Dreamer’s move from the Arrowverse to DC’s comic books has been both welcome and exciting; she’s now one of the most prominent transgender superheroes, and to have her don the Helmet of Fate would be historic to the extreme. Whatever happens next, DC is right to keep Dreamer (and Supergirl actress Nicole Maines as her writer) on the stands, and readers should be eager to read the next chapter of her DCU story.
Lazarus Planet: Omega #1 is available now from DC Comics!
