As a boy, a young reporter named Griffin witnessed the death of his parents by a ruthless murderer known as the Sandman. Caught by the police and sentenced to die in the gas chamber, the Sandman is visited on death row by an ominous stranger who hands the killer an ancient amulet, whispering the promise, "Evil never dies; it only waits to be reborn." As he is taken to meet his maker, the Sandman slashes his own flesh with the sharp amulet. His blood mixes with the dust of the earth and evil is indeed reborn into immortality--as the Sleepstalker. Freed from his mortal coil and newly empowered with incredible morphing abilities, the Sleepstalker sets off after Griffin to finish the job he started years ago.