Alan Collins was a major player in the Pittsburgh Rosicrucians, Darrek’s teacher, and one of the great loves of Anita’s life. He eventually, however, grew jealous of the power his beloved possessed and in an effort to become more useful to her, turned to the dark arts. He eventually became corrupted and a servant of Leviaithan, intent on unleasing the Mad God on the world. In the end, he realized the horrors he had commited and gave himself up in sorrow. Before Anita could take him in, however, Nodens showed up and dragged him off to the Dreamlands to be punished.

Alan showed up again in The Yellow Sorcerer, apparently alive and wreaking havoc once more. It was later discovered, however, that this was not actually Alan, but a simulacrum of Alan created by Cassilda as one of the heralds of the King in Yellow.

Anita later had a dream in which Alan appeared to her, apologized for everything she had suffered, told her that he had been redeemed, and that she shouldn’t carry the pain of his loss any longer. He now walks the Dreamlands of Hod and is a master sorcerer and lucid dreamer, who now treads the path of a champion.