Nightmare Boy
by Steve Givens
Digital
Date of Publication: September 17, 2026
Nightmare Boy #1: The Last Hero begins years ago in Grave City, where a frightened child awakens in the middle of the night and encounters a strange shadowy being. Before disappearing, the creature leaves behind an ominous warning: one day, people will fear what saves them.
Years later, Grave City has become a decaying place plagued by missing children, violence, and growing fear. Despite the darkness surrounding the city, one hero still represents hope: Lightning Bolt. After stopping a violent bank robbery and rescuing innocent people, Lightning Bolt promises the citizens of Grave City that as long as they need hope, he will keep fighting.
That promise is immediately tested when Lightning Bolt returns to his headquarters and realizes something is wrong. Waiting inside is Mr. Hero, a brutal and calculating vigilante who believes he is the kind of hero Grave City truly deserves. Mr. Hero has transformed Lightning Bolt’s own headquarters into a trap, manipulating the environment and forcing him into a vicious battle designed to break him physically and psychologically.
Lightning Bolt refuses to stay down. Memories of the people he cares about push him forward, and he unleashes the full force of his electrical powers against Mr. Hero. Their battle ends in a devastating explosion at Hero Systems.
When authorities arrive, they discover destruction and bodies surrounding the scene. Lightning Bolt survives the blast, but instead of being treated as a hero, he becomes the prime suspect. News broadcasts and frightened citizens quickly turn against him, accusing him of murder. The hero who once represented hope is now isolated and hated by the same city he protected.
From the shadows, another figure has been watching.
Nightmare Boy finally approaches Lightning Bolt and reveals that the real murderer is Mr. Hero—a delusional killer who believes himself to be the last true hero. Before Lightning Bolt can fully understand what is happening, Mr. Hero attacks again from a distance, deliberately putting civilians in danger because he knows Lightning Bolt will choose saving people over protecting himself.
While Lightning Bolt rushes into the destruction to rescue trapped civilians, Nightmare Boy hunts Mr. Hero using terrifying supernatural forces connected to fear. Mr. Hero is forced to confront nightmarish visions and the victims connected to his crimes as Nightmare Boy turns his own fear against him.
Lightning Bolt continues saving people until the very end, even as Mr. Hero targets him. The confrontation leaves Lightning Bolt dead, completing Mr. Hero’s plan to destroy another hero while Nightmare Boy’s arrival reveals that a far darker war has begun.
The final scene exposes Mr. Hero’s hidden trophy room, filled with remnants of fallen heroes. Lightning Bolt’s emblem joins the collection. Standing among the trophies of those who came before, Mr. Hero looks toward his next victim and asks:
“Now… who’s next?”
