Sonámbulo (''Sleepwalker'') is a fictional character from the American independent comic book series of the same name created by Rafael Navarro. The character made his debut in ''Sonambulo: Sleep of the Just'', the first of the ongoing series in 1996. The story follows the

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

character, who in the 1950s became a successful

luchador Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...

. Due to his rise in fame, Sonámbulo was approached by the local

Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

with the intent of extorting money from him and other special services. Around the same time, the masked-wrestler was plagued by a strange sleeping disorder. Upon refusing the gangsters demands, he was brutally beaten, shot, and left for dead. Instead of dying however, Sonambulo fell into a deep hibernation only to awake decades later, having the power to see other people's dreams and having the uncanny ability to go without sleep. Using his new-found powers, Sonámbulo becomes a

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

against the supernatural underworld of the night. All of the collected stories following the character feature some surreal dream-like quality, keeping with the theme of sleep. The comic is notable for winning the

Xeric Foundation The Xeric Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation based in Northampton, Massachusetts, which for twenty years awarded self-publishing grants to comic book creators, as well as qualified charitable and nonprofit organizations. The Xeric Fou ...

Award and being one of the first mediums to combine elements of lucha libre along with the

Hardboiled Hardboiled (or hard-boiled) fiction is a literary genre that shares some of its characters and settings with crime fiction (especially detective fiction and noir fiction). The genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence o ...

genre (creating a

cross-genre A hybrid genre is a literary genre that blends themes and elements from two or more different genres. Works in hybrid genres are often referred to as cross-genre, multi-genre, mixed genre, or fusion genre. Hybrid genres are a longstanding element ...

known as Lucha Noir). The comic has been translated into

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for distribution in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

as well as French and Croatian for distribution in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

respectively.Comic Book Resources - CBR News: I Dream of Lucha: Rafael Navarro talks “Sonambulo”
/ref> The development of a live-action film adaption has been in talks, most notably with the filmmakers of ''

Y tu mamá también Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or sevent ...

.''New Movie Based on Masks of Sonambulo Comic Book - Story @ Comics2Film.com

Fictional character history

The protagonist of the series is Salomon Lopez, before achieving fame as the masked-wrestler known as Sonámbulo, Salomon grew up in a poor "''meaningless''" town in

. While in Mexico, Salomon fell in love with Julia Verdin who had dreams of becoming a singer. This only depressed Salomon, who claimed to have no aspirations, and knew that being with Julia would only prevent her from living her dream. One day he left his hometown without telling anyone, in search of a dream of his own. He eventually adopted the identity of Sonámbulo and became a successful luchador. Notoriety in the ring led him to act in cinema. Salomon then developed a sleep sickness which involved him falling asleep for days at atime. The local

had approached the luchador many times to extort money and other services from him. After repeatedly denying their demands, the gangsters resolved to kill him. After his apparent death, Sonámbulo was buried underneath the wrestling ring the Olympic Auditorium. The hero did not die however, instead he fell into a deep sleep only to awake thirty years later. Upon awakening, the luchador discovered he had the ability to "''see''" people's dreams and go without sleep indefinitely. Using his new-found powers, Sonambulo becomes a private investigator, devoting his life to fighting the criminal element and the dark forces of the supernatural.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Official Site
Comics publications Professional wrestling comics Fictional Mexican people 1996 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1996 Fictional luchadores Neo-noir comics