Creation

Fabian Gray was created by writer Frank J. Barbiere and artist Chris Mooneyham in 2012 when they started Five Ghosts as a Kickstarter Project.

Origin

Fabian Gray and his twin sister, Sylvia, grew up on the streets stealing what they needed to survive. Tired of thieving, Fabian began his search for an artifact known as the Dreamstone. When he finally found it, he urged his reluctant sister to read a spell that would supposedly activate it's powers.

In a tragic accident, Fabian becomes possessed by five literary ghosts and his sister's ghost is, supposedly, pulled into The Dreaming. Wanting to free his sister and make up for his mistakes, he searches for another Dreamstone to rescue her.

Major Story Arcs

The Haunting of Fabian Gray

Fabian was finishing up his latest job when his Dreamstones started to overwhelm him. His partner, Sebastian, was concerned about his well-being, but as he shares Fabian’s pledge to fix his sister, the two go to Africa following Sebastion’s newest lead. When they are kidnapped by a tribe of spider-people, they are saved by an adventurer with his own Dreamstone, possessed by Zhang Guo, mythical ruler of the forgotten city of Shangri-La.

Secure in Shangri-La, Guo was able to explain the Dreamstones to Fabian and demonstrate that his special integration to them was deteriorating his body, especially when he uses Dracula’s spirit. Lucky for Fabian, Shangri-La had a special spring that could stabilize his powers. Once submerged, Fabian would travel the Dreaming and be met with five different trials from each of his ghosts.

He emerged from the spring only to come face to face with Iago, a rival sorcerer gunning for Fabian’s Dreamstones. Iago had already killed Guo, but Fabian, having secured his ghosts cooperation, was able to defeat him.

Lost Coastlines

With Sebastian recuperating from their last adventure, Fabian reached out to jewel thief, Jezebel, for help. She had procured a treasure map to the Island of Dreams, which she believed could lead them to more of his Dreamstone. First, they needed a boat. They regrouped at a sailor bar by the docks with a pirate crew, where they planned on stealing a boat.

Their quest to the island was fraught with confrontations. First, an old vengeful rival, Asif, caught up with him. He blamed Fabian for the death of his brother and tortured him for it. Then, a pirate with a Dreamstone, possessed by the ghost of Sinbad, boarded. The ensuing fight between the three different crews sank the boat. Separated from his crew, Fabian was able to still reach the Island of Dreams on a makeshift raft.

Using Sherlock’s sense of deduction, he follows the tracks through the wilderness to his old crew. They were captured by an island witch, who had turned Asif into her Caliban. Forced to fight Caliban to the death, the ghost of Dracula wouldn’t let Fabian die. Victorious, the witch gave Fabian one wish and tempted him to use it to get his sister back. However, this would have stranded his allies on the island, which he refused to do, wishing for their freedom instead.

Monsters & Men

When Fabian returned from his adventure to the Island of Dreams, he found Sebastian missing and his house ransacked. A crest left behind at the scene sent Fabian to Romania. He meets a kind village elder that tells Fabian of the haunted castle associated with the crest. Standing between Fabian and the castle are a number of villagers turned into vampires. When Fabian is bitten and infected, the ghost of Dracula takes over to purge Fabian. Unfortunately, this puts him in the crosshairs of nearby vampire hunter, Abraham Van Helsing, who blasts a hole in his chest.

Both Fabian and Van Helsing are snatched by the henchman of Dr. Moreau, who was working in the castle. Fabian awoke strapped to an operating table, ready to be cut open, when the ghosts worked together to free him. Fabian took on the Beast Folk and caught up with Sebastian, who was already being rescued by Van Helsing. However, Sebastian had already been experimented on, and he transformed into a Beast Folk right in front of them.

Refusing to lose another to a curse like Asif’s, Fabian restrains Sebastian’s creature form and hunts down Moreau. When Moreau admits the cure is in his own blood, Fabian taps into the ghost of Dracula to collect a sample. He is able to save Sebastian, but a nearly dead Moreau injects himself with multiple doses of his beast serum to become the most monstrous beast yet.

The swordsmanship of the ghost of Musashi buys Van Helsing and Sebastian time to escape the castle so the power of Merlin could blow it up.

Powers and Abilities

Treasure Hunter - Fabian is a treasure hunter with some minor skill in theft, and some knowledge of archaeology and the occult (as related to tracking down Dreamstones and their legends).

Dreamstone Powers - His body is fused with shards of Dreamstone, which allows him to call upon literary "spirits" which lend their talents and powers to him. This includes:

• The Archer - Gives him superb skill with a bow and arrows and thrown weapons. As such, he is armed with a bow and arrow as standard equipment.
• The Wizard - Grants the use of elemental spells, such as summoning giant hands of rock from the ground, throwing fireballs, creating light.
• The Detective - Grants him uncanny awareness of his surroundings and quick deductive skills. This is often used in combat, enabling him to improvise tactics utilizing the environment, or for searching for clues during his excursions.
• The Samurai - Grants him superb swordsmanship. As such, he is also armed with a katana as standard equipment.
• The Vampire - Grants him vampire powers, including above-human strength, agility, and speed, razor sharp claws and fangs, enhanced senses, and a near-bestial savagery in combat.