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This is a list of characters appearing in '' The Sandman'' comic book, published by
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
'
Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...
. This page discusses not only events which occur in ''The Sandman'' (1989–1994), but also some occurring in spinoffs of ''The Sandman'', such as ''
The Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...
'' (1996–2001) and ''
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'' (1999–2007), as well as characters from earlier stories which ''The Sandman'' was based on. These stories occur in the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
, but are generally tangential to the mainstream DC stories.


The Endless

The Endless are a family of seven
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
personifications of universal concepts, around whom much of the series revolves. From eldest to youngest, they are: *
Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
*
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
*
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
(formerly Morpheus, succeeded by
Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
) *
Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kind ...
("The Prodigal") *
Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like " wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of ...
* Despair *
Delirium Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances ...
(formerly "Delight") All debuted in the ''Sandman'' series, except Destiny, who was created by
Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...
and
Berni Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his ...
in ''
Weird Mystery Tales ''Weird Mystery Tales'' was a mystery horror comics anthology published by DC Comics from July–August 1972 to November 1975. Publication history 100 Page Super Spectacular The title ''Weird Mystery Tales'' was first used for '' DC 100 Page S ...
'' #1 (1972). Constantine first appeared in ''
The Saga of Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/List of swamp monsters, plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...
'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...
,
Rick Veitch Richard Veitch (born May 7, 1951) is an American comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics. Early life Rick Veitch is a native of the small town of Bellows Falls, Vermont. One of six children, he ...
,
Steve Bissette Stephen R. Bissette (born March 14, 1955) is an American comic book artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC Comics series '' Swamp Thing'' ...
, and John Totleben.


Dreams and nightmares

These inhabitants of the Dreaming are often
god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
s,
myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
s, and even ordinary human beings who later became dreams.


Cain and Abel

Cain and Abel are based on the Biblical
Cain and Abel In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain ''Qayīn'', in pausa ''Qāyīn''; gr, Κάϊν ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl / Qāyīn and Abel ''Heḇel'', in pausa ''Hāḇel''; gr, Ἅβελ ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl ...
, adapted by editor
Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando (April 4, 1927 – December 23, 1998) was an Italian American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades. He was the associate publisher of '' Mad'' and the vice president of DC Comics, ...
with
Bob Haney Robert Gilbert Haney, Jr. (March 15, 1926 – November 25, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons. ...
(writer) and
Jack Sparling John Edmond Sparling (June 21, 1916 – February 15, 1997), was a Canadian comics artist. Biography Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sparling moved to the United States as a child. He received his early arts training at the Arts and Crafts Club in New ...
(artist) (Cain), and
Mark Hannerfeld Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...
(writer) and
Bill Draut Bill Draut (August 14, 1921–March 3, 1993) was an American comic book artist best known for his work at Harvey Comics and DC Comics from the 1940s to the 1970s. Biography Bill Draut began his career as an artist in the 1940s by drawing the "S ...
(artist) (Abel). They were depicted together in Abel's first appearance, and parted to their respective Houses at the end of the story. Although Cain would abuse Abel, he was not shown killing him until ''Swamp Thing'' vol. 2 #33. In '' Elvira's House of Mystery'' #11, Cain expresses shock at having killed his brother in recent times. In the same issue, a contest-winning letter establishes that Cain and the House exist both in the dream world and the real world, and that only in the dream world does Cain continue to harm Abel. In ''The Sandman'', Cain is shown to kill Abel quite often. In issue #2, Lucien calls this unusual, and recent. ;Before ''The Sandman'' Originally they were the respective "hosts" of the EC-style horror
comic a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
anthologies ''
House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First se ...
'' and '' House of Secrets'', which ran from the 1950s through 1983—Cain debuting in ''House of Mystery'' #175 (1968) and Abel in ''DC Special'' #4 and ''House of Secrets'' #81 (both 1969). During the 1970s, they also co-hosted the horror/humor anthology ''
Plop! ''Plop!'', "The New Magazine of Weird Humor!", was a comic book anthology series published by DC Comics in the mid-1970s. It falls into the horror / humor genre. It lasted 24 issues and the series ran from Sept./Oct. 1973 to Nov./Dec. 1976. Backg ...
''. They were also both recurring characters in DC's ''Elvira's House of Mystery'' (1986–88). In 1985, the characters were revived by writer
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...
, who introduced them into his ''
Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'' series in issue #33, retelling the Swamp Thing's original origin story from a 1971 issue of ''House of Secrets''.
Gary Cohn Gary David Cohn (born August 27, 1960) is an American business leader who served as the 11th Director of the National Economic Council and chief economic advisor to President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2018. He managed the administration's econo ...
and
Dan Mishkin Dan Mishkin (born March 3, 1953) is an American comic book writer, and co-creator (with Gary Cohn) of the DC Comics characters Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil. Biography As an adolescent, Dan Mishkin formed a writing partnership wi ...
included them in the pages of '' Blue Devil'' in 1986.
Jamie Delano Jamie Delano (; born 1954) is an English comic book writer. He was part of the first post-Alan Moore "British Invasion" of writers which started to feature in American comics in the 1980s. He is best known as the first writer of the comic book s ...
also occasionally used them in a
cameo role A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
in his title ''
Hellblazer ''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introduced. Its central character is ...
''. ;In ''The Sandman'' In Gaiman's ''Sandman'' universe, the biblical
Cain Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He ...
and
Abel Abel ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He was the younger brother of Cain, and the younger son of Adam and Eve, the first couple in Biblical history. He was a shepherd ...
live in
the Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...
at Dream's invitation. This is based on the verse in the Bible which says that Cain was sent to live in the Land of Nod. They live as neighbors in two houses near a graveyard: Cain in the broad
House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First se ...
and Abel in the tall House of Secrets. According to their appearance in ''Swamp Thing'', the difference is that 'a mystery may be shared, but a secret must be forgotten if one tries to tell it'. Gaiman's Cain is an aggressive, overbearing character. He is a thin, long-limbed man with an angular, drawn face, glasses, a tufty beard, and hair drawn into two points above his ears. He has been described by other characters as sounding "just like
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
". Gaiman's Abel is a nervous but kind-hearted man. He also has a stammer. He is somewhat similar in appearance to Cain, with a tufty beard and hair that comes to points above his ears, though his hair is black rather than brown. He is shorter and fatter than Cain, with a more open face. It is eventually learned that the only time he does not stutter is when he is telling a story or when he is dead. Cain kills Abel frequently and in many brutal ways, whereupon Abel later returns to life. He often expresses hope for a more harmonious relationship with his brother. Cain and Abel own a large green draconic
gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry wa ...
named Gregory, who also made his debut in ''House of Mystery'' #175. In the first appearance of the characters in ''Sandman'', issue #2, Cain gives Abel an egg that soon hatches into another gargoyle, a small golden one. Abel names the gargoyle "Irving". but Cain insists that the names of gargoyles must always begin with a "G.", and Abel (after another death and resurrection) renames the gargoyle "
Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is a British music producer and DJ. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musician in ...
", after an invisible/imaginary friend to whom Abel told his early ''House of Secrets'' stories. A letter in issue #91 was attributed to Goldie, who claimed that it was herself depicted on the cover of issue #88. They shelter Dream until his strength is restored following his 72-year-long imprisonment. In the fourth
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vid ...
, ''
Season of Mists ''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' '' The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenb ...
'', Cain is sent to
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
to give a message to
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
because Cain is protected by a curse that would deter Lucifer from harming him. Cain and Abel also aid The Corinthian with the child
Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
during '' The Kindly Ones'', the penultimate story arc of the series. Abel is one of the victims of the Furies in this series, and is brought back to life by the new
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
.


Corinthian

The Corinthian is a nightmare created by
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
, of human appearance but with two small additional mouths in place of his eyes. He enjoys eating the eyeballs of people he kills. The first version of the Corinthian is destroyed by Dream for spending several unsupervised decades on Earth as a serial killer (in Dream's view, a waste of his potential), and it is shown in '' The Sandman: Overture'' (2013) that Dream intended to do this before his imprisonment. Near the end of the series Dream creates a second Corinthian, altering his personality to be obedient and useful rather than homicidal. In a later story in ''The Dreaming'', the second Corinthian is haunted by the actions of the first.


Eve


Fiddler's Green

Fiddler's Green is a place in the Dreaming which all travellers (specifically sailors) dream of someday finding, which sometimes assumes human form and goes wandering, under the alias Gilbert; a kindly, portly man who, in appearance and behavior, resembles G(ilbert) K. Chesterton. As 'Gilbert', Fiddler's Green accompanied
Rose Walker This is a list of characters appearing in '' The Sandman'' comic book, published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. This page discusses not only events which occur in ''The Sandman'' (1989–1994), but also some occurring in spinoffs of ''The Sandman' ...
to find her brother Jed, and gave her the means by which to summon Dream to rescue her from danger; and thereafter returned to the Dreaming. He was killed by the Three in '' The Kindly Ones'', and refused to be resurrected by the new Dream. Here, it is implied that he was "in love, a little" with Rose.
Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
portrays the character in the television series '' The Sandman'' on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
.


Gate Keepers

A
wyvern A wyvern ( , sometimes spelled wivern) is a legendary winged dragon that has two legs. The wyvern in its various forms is important in heraldry, frequently appearing as a mascot of schools and athletic teams (chiefly in the United States, U ...
, a
griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon ( Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and ...
and a
hippogriff The hippogriff, or sometimes spelled hippogryph ( el, Ἱππόγρυπας), is a legendary creature with the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse. It was invented by Ludovico Ariosto in his ''Orlando Furioso'', at the beginning o ...
are the guardians of Dream's castle. The hippogriff has a horse's head instead of the traditional eagle's head. They derive all their power and authority from Dream, so when Dream was captured and lost his power, they could no longer guard or protect the Dreaming. After the griffin was destroyed by the Furies, the new Dream did not remake him, but asked the gryphons of Greek myth to send one of their own. (#71)


Gregory


Goldie

Goldie is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
in '' The Sandman''
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
. Goldie is a pet baby
gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry wa ...
, given to
Abel Abel ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He was the younger brother of Cain, and the younger son of Adam and Eve, the first couple in Biblical history. He was a shepherd ...
by his brother
Cain Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He ...
in '' Preludes and Nocturnes''. Abel originally intends to name him Irving, but Cain insists that gargoyle names must all begin with a "G". Cain then proceeded to murder Abel over this. Abel soon returns, as he is murdered by Cain all the time. He then agrees to name the gargoyle Goldie, after "an old friend", though he tells Goldie in private that he will continue to think of him as Irving. Goldie appears for a short scene in '' The Doll's House'' in which he is sitting upon Abel's shoulder as Lucien asks Abel about the inhabitants of the house. He later appears throughout the "Parliament of Rooks" story in '' Fables and Reflections'', and briefly at the beginning of ''
Brief Lives ''Brief Lives'' is a collection of short biographies written by John Aubrey (1626–1697) in the last decades of the 17th century. Writing Aubrey initially began collecting biographical material to assist the Oxford scholar Anthony Wood, who ...
''. He also accompanies Abel in '' The Kindly Ones'' and is with him when he gets murdered by the Furies, crying when his master is killed. He is later seen playing with Daniel Hall. Goldie later takes on a pivotal role as the guardian of the tree of life in the ''Sandman'' spin-off series ''
The Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...
''. On his/her quest to the tree, a search party forms. He was retconned into a female gargoyle for the new series. Goldie is named after the "'imaginary' friend" to whom Abel would tell his early stories in the pages of '' House of Secrets''. In issue 39 of the 2008 reboot of the ''
House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First se ...
'' comic series, it is revealed that Goldie is "Gigi", a waitress at the House of Mystery and a bit player in the series. Goldie was transformed by Lotus Blossom, another character in the series, at Goldie's request in exchange for a book of magic spells. Goldie was not enthralled with the idea of growing up to be a gargoyle, and instead wanted to be a human girl. The newly reborn Gigi joined Lotus Blossom on her exploits in the series, often serving as an enforcer for her. It is revealed that Abel knows Gigi's true history, but if his brother Cain knew, it was not shown.


Lucien

Lucien is the chief librarian in
The Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...
, and is a tall thin, bookish man. He first appeared in ''
Weird Mystery Tales ''Weird Mystery Tales'' was a mystery horror comics anthology published by DC Comics from July–August 1972 to November 1975. Publication history 100 Page Super Spectacular The title ''Weird Mystery Tales'' was first used for '' DC 100 Page S ...
'' #18 (May 1975) and was apparently killed in '' Secrets of Haunted House'' #44 (January 1982). Like
Cain and Abel In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain ''Qayīn'', in pausa ''Qāyīn''; gr, Κάϊν ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl / Qāyīn and Abel ''Heḇel'', in pausa ''Hāḇel''; gr, Ἅβελ ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl ...
, Lucien, created by
Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...
,
Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the
Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando (April 4, 1927 – December 23, 1998) was an Italian American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades. He was the associate publisher of '' Mad'' and the vice president of DC Comics, ...
, was originally the host of a 1970s "weird tales" comic, specifically the three-issue ''
Tales of Ghost Castle ''Tales of Ghost Castle'' was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by DC Comics in 1975. ''Tales of Ghost Castle'' was "hosted" by Lucien, who later became an important supporting character in Neil Gaiman's '' The Sandman''. M ...
'' (May/June–October 1975). In that series, he is portrayed as the guardian of a castle in
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...
abandoned by both sides during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, watching over its forgotten library with his companion, a
werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
named Rover. In his first appearance in '' Preludes and Nocturnes'' (issue #2) this is retroactively revealed to be Dream's castle. Lucien is the effective keeper of the Dreaming in Dream's absence, and becomes one of Dream's most faithful and trusted servants after proving his loyalty by never abandoning his post during that period. His primary function is to protect the Library, wherein are contained all the books that have ever been dreamed of, including the ones that have never been written. The titles of some of these books, many of which are sequels to real works, are visible. He is, despite his frail appearance, apparently quite capable in combat, "
ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was his ...
with" several unpleasant creatures who escape imprisonment during the events of ''The Kindly Ones''. In issue #68, it is revealed that Lucien's existence in the Dreaming began as serving the role of Dream's first
raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between " crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigne ...
. When writing ''
The Sandman Companion ''The Sandman Companion'' (1999, ) is a book by Hy Bender and published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics, providing annotations and commentary on Neil Gaiman's comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the Unit ...
'', author Hy Bender interpreted this as meaning that Lucien was also the first man. An allusion to "Mr. Raven", the ghostly librarian in
George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll ...
's novel ''
Lilith Lilith ( ; he, לִילִית, Līlīṯ) is a female figure in Mesopotamian and Judaic mythology, alternatively the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Ed ...
'', may be intended.


Lucienne

In January 2021, Vivienne Acheampong was announced to star in ''The Sandman'' TV series from
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
portraying Lucienne, a gender-reversed version of Lucien.


Matthew

Matthew is the
raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between " crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigne ...
companion of
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
of the Endless. Matthew was originally Matthew Cable, a long-time supporting character in the ''
Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'' series, but because he died while asleep in the Dreaming, he was offered the chance to become a dream raven and serve Dream if he wished, and he accepted. Matthew is not the first of Morpheus' ravens. Former ravens include Aristeas of Marmora, who returned to his life as a man for one year at one point, and
Lucien Lucien is a male given name. It is the French form of Luciano or Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of Lucius. Lucien, Saint Lucien, or Saint-Lucien may also refer to: People Given name * Lucien of Beauvais, Christian saint *Lucien, a band member ...
, the first of the ravens. Morpheus seems to keep the ravens around out of some sort of unspoken need for companionship, though he also sends them on occasional missions. Matthew's
word balloons Speech balloons (also speech bubbles, dialogue balloons, or word balloons) are a graphic convention used most commonly in comic books, comics, and cartoons to allow words (and much less often, pictures) to be understood as representing a charac ...
and font style are scratchy and uneven, probably to represent a hoarse, cawing voice, and perhaps as an indicator of his crude, smart-aleck personality. Underneath his frequently irreverent manner, Matthew is actually very loyal to Dream, and he is one of the characters who takes it the hardest when Dream perishes, initially seeking release from his service, but eventually coming to terms with his loss and choosing to remain as
Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
's raven.


Mervyn Pumpkinhead

Mervyn Pumpkinhead is Dream's cantankerous, cigar-smoking janitor: an animated
scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...
whose head is a
jack-o'-lantern A jack-o'-lantern (or jack o'lantern) is a carved lantern, most commonly made from a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a rutabaga or turnip. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the Halloween holiday. Its name comes from the reported phen ...
. He resembles
Jack Pumpkinhead Jack Pumpkinhead is a fictional character from the Land of Oz and appears in several of the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The Classic Oz Books Jack first appeared as a main character in the second Oz ...
of L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Mervyn is first seen in '' Preludes and Nocturnes'', driving a bus on which Dream travels. Thereafter Merv is in charge of the construction, maintenance, and demolition work in
the Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...
, though he sometimes complains that his job is superfluous because Dream can change any of the Dreaming at will. One issue of the ''Dreaming'' spin-off comic focuses on a dreamer who enjoys working under Merv's supervision. Mervyn was one of the few who took arms against the Furies in '' The Kindly Ones''; but was easily killed. He is returned to life by the new Dream in '' The Wake''. In a past incarnation shown in '' The Wake'', Mervyn was seen to have had a
turnip The turnip or white turnip ('' Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. The word ''turnip'' is a compound of ''turn'' as in turned/rounded on a lathe and ...
for a head instead of a pumpkin, as pumpkins were not then known in Europe.
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
voices Mervyn in the Audible adaptation. In the Netflix series, he's voiced by
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...
.


Minor dreams

* Brute and Glob: Two troublemaking nightmares who try to gain power during Dream's absence. They originally appeared in
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...
's 1974 '' Sandman'' series, as sidekicks to the title character, and continued as such when
Hector Hall Hector Hall is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in DC Comics's '' Infinity, Inc.'', '' Sandman'' and '' JSA''. He has gone by the names Silver Scarab, Sandman, and Doctor Fate. Publication history Hector Hall first appeared in '' All ...
became the Sandman in ''
Infinity Inc. Infinity, Inc. is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first incarnation is mostly composed of the children and heirs of the Justice Society of America (JSA), making them the Society's analogue to t ...
''. In the original comics, Brute was similar to The Thing, shouted "It's clobberin' time!" and often referred to his Uncle Harry. In '' The Doll's House'', it is revealed that they controlled the Sandmen in secret; whereupon Dream exiled them to "the darkness" (a place of imprisonment and, presumably, torture, within the Dreaming). Near the end of '' The Kindly Ones'', the Furies tell Dream that they have released his prisoners from the darkness, but Brute and Glob are neither mentioned nor seen in this volume or in '' The Wake''. They next appear in ''The Dreaming'' #57–60, ''The Sandman Presents: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Dreams...But Were Afraid to Ask'', and ''
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'' #15, where they attempt to kidnap
Elaine Belloc Elaine Belloc is a fictional character in the DC/Vertigo Comics series ''Lucifer'' created by Mike Carey. Elaine was created by Carey specifically for the ''Lucifer'' series. Her character is that of a young girl with special powers who encount ...
. They subsequently reappear in '' JSA'' #64, again trying to manipulate a human connected to the Dreaming ( Sandy Hawkins) into their own "Sandman"; but Daniel, Dream's heir, returns them to the darkness. The two entities claim this area of darkness is filled with pleasing childhood dreams, which they despise. First appearance: ''The Sandman'' vol. 1, #1. * The Cuckoo: A parasitic dream who has conquered Barbie's dreamworld in ''A Game of You''. She assumes the form of a childhood version of Barbie and uses her self proclaimed "adorableness" to escape from Barbie's dream world, at which point she transforms into a bird. * The Fashion Thing: A minor character whose form changes based on popular fads. She is based on
The Mad Mod Witch ''The Unexpected'' was a fantasy- horror comics anthology series, a continuation of '' Tales of the Unexpected'', published by DC Comics. ''The Unexpected'' ran 118 issues, from #105 (February–March 1968) to #222 (May 1982). As a result of the ...
, created by Dave Wood and
Jack Sparling John Edmond Sparling (June 21, 1916 – February 15, 1997), was a Canadian comics artist. Biography Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sparling moved to the United States as a child. He received his early arts training at the Arts and Crafts Club in New ...
as the host of '' The Unexpected'', another DC horror title. At the time of her first appearance in ''Sandman'', she is a "Mad
Yuppie Yuppie, short for "young urban professional" or "young upwardly-mobile professional", is a term coined in the early 1980s for a young professional person working in a city. The term is first attested in 1980, when it was used as a fairly neu ...
Witch". First appearance: ''The Unexpected'' #108. Most of her appearances are relegated to a few panels. She is shown flying on her broom as a Yuppie briefly in issue #2, shown riding her broom in a top hat and tails with bare legs and feet in issue #22, and shown
topless Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts, including her areolas and nipples, are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. The male equivalent is barechestedness, also commonly called shirtlessness. Expose ...
serving a meal to Delirium and Dream in issue #42. She also appears in ''The Kindly Ones''. * Judge Gallows appears in several issues of ''The Dreaming'' including the Special, "Trial and Error". Introduced in '' The Unexpected'' #113 (June–July 1969), he is one of the few DC "mystery" hosts not used by Gaiman. *Gault: appears in the Sandman Netflix series. A nightmare who fled the Dreaming in the wake of Morpheus's imprisonment and hides away in the mind of Jed Walker. She created a fantasy world for the boy where he is a hero known as the "Sandman" as an escape from his abuse in the waking world. She is eventually tracked down and, when confronted reveals her desire to be a dream, wishing to inspire rather than frighten.


Gods, demigods, and major personifications


Bast

Bast, in
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
's comic book series '' The Sandman'', is the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
version of the goddess Bast of
Egyptian mythology Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyp ...
. She was once a major goddess, but the loss of her believers over time has significantly reduced her powers. She is often coquettish toward
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
, who sometimes goes to her for advice or companionship; but she has often claimed never to have been his lover. Bast has also appeared in issues of ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'' and ''
Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
'', wherein she is one of the chief goddesses worshiped by the Amazons of
Bana-Mighdall This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites * the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
. She appears in ''Sandman Presents: Bast: Eternity Game'' (2003), where she attempts to regain her lost power.


The Presence/The Creator

The Presence is the ''Sandman'' universe's equivalent of a
Supreme Being In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, and he shares many characteristics with the standard Abrahamic God, such as almost never taking a physical form, being a
Creator deity A creator deity or creator god (often called the Creator) is a deity responsible for the creation of the Earth, world, and universe in human religion and mythology. In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator. A number of monolatris ...
, and having unmatched power. Nevertheless, Gaiman has on several occasions stated that he never intended the Creator to be any specific religion's god, just as he makes it clear in the first appearance of the abode of the angels, the Silver City, that it "is not
Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
. It is not
Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
. It is the Silver City, that is not part of the order of created things", although the Silver City is often identified as "Heaven" in the ''
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'' comic book series. In that series, one of the critical turning points is the Presence's abandonment of his Creation, which leads to a large number of problems, including struggles to claim the power that the Creator has abandoned, to make the destruction of the universe inevitable and to the slow unraveling of the universe due to the disappearance of the Name of the Creator written on every atom in existence. This is an ongoing storyline in ''Lucifer''.


Loki

Loki is a
trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...
god seen in ''
Season of Mists ''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' '' The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenb ...
''; based on the
Norse god In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature, ...
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
. In his own form, Loki is a tall, thin man with yellow eyes and long red hair that resembles flames; but he is capable of assuming any appearance at will. He is sometimes nicknamed 'Lie-Smith' and 'Sky-walker' by other characters. ;In ''The Sandman'' He is temporarily freed from his punishment by
Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
to accompany his negotiations for the rulership of Hell; whereafter he deceives Odin and Thor into imprisoning another god in his place, but fails to fool Dream, who frees the other god and sends a simulacrum of Loki to take his punishment, in exchange for Loki's debt to himself. Loki returns in '' The Kindly Ones'', wherein he works with Puck to kidnap Daniel, a child under Dream's protection. The Corinthian and Matthew eventually find Daniel, and Loki attempts to fool them by taking the form of Dream; but the Corinthian strangles Loki and consumes his eyes. Loki, now blind, is taken by Odin and Thor back to his punishment. ;After ''The Sandman'' Loki reappears in ''
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'', wherein Lucifer comes to Loki to take his ship for his own universe, and destroys the snake that tortures Loki, who therefore allows him the ship.


Odin

Odin, as based on the
Norse God In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature, ...
Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
, appears as an old man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and cloak and carrying a staff. He is usually depicted as a dark, mysterious figure, missing one eye and accompanied by two ravens,
Hugin and Munin In Norse mythology, Huginn (Old Norse: "thought"Orchard (1997:92).) and Muninn (Old Norse "memory"Orchard (1997:115). or "mind"Lindow (2001:186).) are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin. ...
("thought" and "memory"), and two wolves,
Geri and Freki In Norse mythology, Geri and Freki are two Eurasian wolf, wolves which are said to accompany the god Odin. They are attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', a collection of epic poetry compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, in th ...
.


Three

The Three appear in the form of any group of three women; usually the Mother, the
Maiden Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
and the
Crone In folklore, a crone is an old woman who may be characterized as disagreeable, malicious, or sinister in manner, often with magical or supernatural associations that can make her either helpful or obstructive. The Crone is also an archetypal fig ...
, the three aspects of the Triple Goddess in many mythologies. Sometimes they appear in the form of the three witches from DC's horror anthology, '' The Witching Hour'': Mildred, Mordred, and Cynthia. As these witches, they also appeared in a
prestige format American comic book tropes are common elements and literary devices related to American comic books. Continuity Comics continuity almost-always refers to the existence and use of a shared universe, although any comic can have internal contin ...
limited series of the same title, and two standard limited series, ''Witchcraft'' and ''Witchcraft: Le Terreur''. ;In ''The Sandman'' The Three repeatedly appear throughout ''The Sandman'', fulfilling different functions at different points in the story. Their first appearance is in ''The Sandman'' #2, where they appear as the three witches, Mildred (mother), Mordred (crone), and Cynthia (maiden) from the DC horror anthology '' The Witching Hour''. They later take many different forms over the course of the series, and the "three women" symbol remains an extremely common one, often blurring the lines between when characters are supposed to be merely themselves and when they are supposed to be representations of the Three. The Three represent the female principle, prophecy, and mystery, and they are often a vaguely menacing and enigmatic presence in the series. Incarnations of the Three include the
Erinyes The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes ...
(Furies) in their vengeful aspect and the
Moirai In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Moirai (, also spelled Moirae or Mœræ; grc, Μοῖραι, "lots, destinies, apportioners"), often known in English as the Fates ( la, Fata, Fata, -orum (n)=), were the personifications of fat ...
(Fates) or
Weird Sisters The Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in William Shakespeare's play '' Macbeth'' (c. 1603–1607). The witches eventually lead Macbeth to his demise, and they hold a striking resemblance to t ...
in their divinatory aspect. They also sometimes subtly appear in the form of other characters (such as
Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
) or groups of characters. ;After ''The Sandman'' The Three later appeared in a graphic novel named ''WitchCraft'', in which one of their priestesses in ancient Rome, Ursula, is raped by barbarians. She is then reincarnated three times, followed by the witches, and wronged again by reincarnations of the barbarian leader until the modern age, when she comes back as his elderly mother-in-law and manages to defeat him. The Three then assure that he would be reincarnated as each of the priestesses he had raped, in order, with the exception of Ursula. He would never know what was happening until the moment of death, at which point it would start all over again. The Three are satisfied, and in the end decide that Ursula will live another twenty years and become an accomplished and respected witch in her twilight years, and her grandchild will be beautiful.


Other gods

* Ishtar: The goddess
Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in S ...
, disguised as an exotic dancer; a former lover of
Destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kind ...
. * Pharamond: a former god, last of his pantheon, and friend of
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
. At Dream's suggestion that he change with the times or fade like many other gods, Pharamond now runs a
travel agency A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism-related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travelling packages for each destinatio ...
in Dublin, under the
alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the ...
'Mr Farrell'. He helps
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
and
Delirium Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...
find the missing Destruction, and later provides assistance to Lucifer in his own series. * Thor: The Norse god
Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
first appeared in DC Comics in ''Tales of the Unexpected'' #16 (August 1957), "The Magic Hammer," illustrated by
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...
. In another story attributed to Kirby and
George Papp George Edward Papp (January 20, 1916 – August 8, 1989) was an American comics artist best known as one of the principal artists on the long-running Superboy feature for DC Comics. Papp also co-created the Green Arrow character with Mort Weising ...
, "The Magic Stick" in ''House of Mystery'' #68 (November 1957), he looked like a traditional Viking with red hair, and his hammer looked identical to the way Kirby would draw it for
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. That story was reprinted in ''DC Special'' #4 (July 1969), which also contains Abel's debut. Kirby also pitted Wesley Dodds against someone claiming to be Thor in ''
Adventure Comics ''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), ...
'' #75 (June 1942). Later, a museum worker handled Thor's hammer and briefly became Thor in ''Batman'' #127 (October 1959). Thor also appears in ''
War of the Gods ''War of the Gods'' is an album by soul singer Billy Paul. The album was produced by Gamble & Huff, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and arranged by Bobby Martin (producer), Bobby Martin and Lenny Pakula. Released in 1973, the album reached number 12 o ...
'' and ''
Jack Kirby's Fourth World "Fourth World" is a storyline told through a metaseries of connected comic book titles written and drawn by Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics from 1970 to 1973. Although they were not marketed under this title until the August–September 1971 ...
''. (The Thor seen in ''The Sandman'' does not resemble the one seen in the other DC comics.)


Angels, fallen angels, and devils


Azazel

Azazel is a former ruler of Hell, reigning for a time alongside
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
and
Beelzebub Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Cana ...
. Based on a statement from Agony and Ecstasy in ''
Hellblazer ''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introduced. Its central character is ...
'' #12, he may have usurped his position from
Belial Belial ( he, , ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament which later became personified as the devilSee the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at EarlyChristianWritings.com', specifically at ...
(described at the time was the third member of the triumvirate). He appears as a ragged opening into darkness, full of disembodied eyes and mouths. He was cast out after Lucifer abandoned Hell, and later imprisoned by Dream in a glass jar. He reappears, still in Dream's glass jar, in '' Lucifer Volume 2'' (2015). He is based on the demon
Azazel In the Bible, the name Azazel (; he, עֲזָאזֵל ''ʿAzāʾzēl''; ar, عزازيل, ʿAzāzīl) appears in association with the scapegoat rite; the name represents a desolate place where a scapegoat bearing the sins of the Jews during ...
. Azazel first appeared in DC Comics battling
Madame Xanadu Madame Xanadu is a comic book mysticism, mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Lady of the Lake, Nimue, the magician (fantasy), sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Thomas Malory, Sir Thomas Malory's ''Le Mo ...
in the story intended for ''Doorway to Nightmare'' #6 (it was cancelled after #5) that was eventually published in ''
Cancelled Comic Cavalcade The "DC Explosion" and "DC Implosion" were two events in 1978 – the first an official marketing campaign, the second a sardonic reference to it – in which DC Comics expanded their roster of publications, then abruptly cut it back. The DC Explos ...
'' #2 and '' The Unexpected'' #190. As with Lucifer's appearance in ''The Brave and the Bold'', he looked more like a traditional devil, but was identified as an
incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
: here, a creature who steals people's dreams and imprints them upon tapestries that give him power, and cannot be destroyed without killing the victims.


Beelzebub

Along with Lucifer and Azazel,
Beelzebub Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Cana ...
was the third King of Hell. He often appears as either a gigantic green fly, or a fly's head on two short human legs. Sometimes a human face can be seen between the fly's eyes. His constant buzzing slurs his speech (for example, 'Bbbbut nooo. Itzzz a Triummmvirate.') He is based on the demon
Beelzebub Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Cana ...
.


Choronzon

Choronzon is a former duke of Hell who served under
Beelzebub Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Cana ...
. He has pink skin and two mouths, one under the other. He had possession of Dream's helm, but lost it in a challenge. He later reappeared briefly as one of Azazel's tactics to gain ownership of Hell. He is based on the demon
Choronzon Choronzon is a demon that originated in writing with the 16th-century occultists Edward Kelley and John Dee within the latter's occult system of Enochian magic. In the 20th century he became an important element within the mystical system of Th ...
. Choronzon appears in '' 52'' #25 (Late October 2006).


Duma

Duma is a
fallen angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said R ...
from the DC
Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
series '' The Sandman''. Duma's name means "silence", and he is based on the angel
Duma A duma (russian: дума) is a Russian assembly with advisory or legislative functions. The term ''boyar duma'' is used to refer to advisory councils in Russia from the 10th to 17th centuries. Starting in the 18th century, city dumas were for ...
from
Jewish mythology Jewish mythology is the body of myths associated with Judaism. Elements of Jewish mythology have had a profound influence on Christian mythology and on Islamic mythology, as well as on world culture in general. Christian mythology directly inhe ...
. In ''
Season of Mists ''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' '' The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenb ...
'',
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...
abdicates Hell and gives the key to
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
until God assigns Duma and
Remiel Ramiel ( arc, רַעַמְאֵל, he, רַעַמְאֵל ''Raʿamʾēl''; gr, ‘Ραμιήλ), not to be confused with the holy angel "Remiel", is a fallen Watcher (angel) while the other is an Archangel in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Ram ...
to control of Hell. Remiel and Duma lose ownership of Hell in the ''Lucifer'' spin-off series. Duma eventually allies with Lucifer and Elaine Belloc to save creation, and persuades Hell's new ruler Christopher Rudd to bring his army to Heaven's aid at the Battle of
Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
.


Lucifer

Lucifer is the sometime ruler of Hell, and a
fallen angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said R ...
. He is based on the fallen angel
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...
, whose story was created by
John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...
in his epic poem ''
Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...
''. Neil Gaiman also used the character Lucifer in his short story 'Murder Mysteries', wherein he was a captain in the Silver City, with
Azazel In the Bible, the name Azazel (; he, עֲזָאזֵל ''ʿAzāʾzēl''; ar, عزازيل, ʿAzāzīl) appears in association with the scapegoat rite; the name represents a desolate place where a scapegoat bearing the sins of the Jews during ...
as his protégé. In the book "Hanging out with the Dream King" (a book consisting of interviews with Gaiman's collaborators), one of Gaiman's artists, Kelley Jones, states that Lucifer's appearance is based on that of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
: "...Neil was adamant that the Devil was David Bowie. He just said, 'He is. You ''must'' draw David Bowie. Find David Bowie, or I'll send you David Bowie. Because if it isn't David Bowie, you're going to have to redo it until it ''is'' David Bowie.' So I said, 'Okay, it's David Bowie.'..." Lucifer made at least three previous appearances in DC Comics (''
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it co ...
'' #65, ''
Weird Mystery Tales ''Weird Mystery Tales'' was a mystery horror comics anthology published by DC Comics from July–August 1972 to November 1975. Publication history 100 Page Super Spectacular The title ''Weird Mystery Tales'' was first used for '' DC 100 Page S ...
'' #4, and ''DC Special Series'' #8, a.k.a. ''
The Brave and the Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varied ...
Special''), but his appearance was more traditional. Lucifer as he appeared in ''The Sandman'' also appeared in issues of the series '' The Demon'' (vol. 3) and '' The Spectre'' (vol. 2) and in the miniseries ''
Stanley and His Monster Stanley and His Monster was an American comic-book humor feature and later series from DC Comics, about a boy who has a monster as his companion instead of a dog. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Win Mortimer, Winslow Mortimer as a backu ...
'' (vol. 2).


Mazikeen

Mazikeen is a fictional character from
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
's ''
Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
''
mythos Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrati ...
. The name "
Mazikeen Mazikeen is a character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is one of the lilim, a child of Lilith. She first appeared in '' The Sandman'' (vol. 2) #22 (December 1990), and was created by Neil Gaiman and Kelley Jon ...
" comes from that of a shapeshifting demon of
Jewish mythology Jewish mythology is the body of myths associated with Judaism. Elements of Jewish mythology have had a profound influence on Christian mythology and on Islamic mythology, as well as on world culture in general. Christian mythology directly inhe ...
. ;In ''The Sandman'' Mazikeen first appeared in ''The Sandman'', where she was Lucifer's consort while he reigned in Hell. At the time, half of her face was normal, but the other half was horribly misshapen and skeletal, causing her speech to be nearly unintelligible. (Gaiman wrote Mazikeen's dialogue by trying to speak using only half of his mouth, and writing down phonetically what came out.) When Lucifer resigned, Mazikeen left Hell and ended up following her master, becoming part of the staff at the "Lux" (Latin for ''light'', and the first root word in "Lucifer"), an elite Los Angeles bar that Lucifer had opened and played piano at. To conceal her demonic nature, she covered the deformed half of her face with a white mask and rarely spoke. ;After ''The Sandman'' In the ongoing comic book series ''
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'', Mazikeen is a devoted ally of Lucifer Morningstar and the war leader of the
Lilin Lilin () were hostile night spirits that attacked men in ancient Mesopotamian religion and Jewish folklore. Judaism In Jewish mythology, ''Lilin'' is a term for night spirits. Biblical apocrypha In the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, ''lilin'' ...
, a race descended from
Lilith Lilith ( ; he, Wiktionary:לילית, לִילִית, Līlīṯ) is a female figure in Mesopotamian Mythology, Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, Judaic mythology, alternatively the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-demon. ...
. A fearsome warrior and a respected leader, Mazikeen is a prominent character in the Lucifer comics. She has the appearance of a human female with long black hair. In ''Lucifer'', Mazikeen's face was turned fully human when she was resuscitated by the Basanos following the destruction of the Lux in a fire. This was because the vessel of the Basanos, Jill Presto, did not realize that Mazikeen's face was naturally deformed, and assumed that it was burned in the fire. When Lucifer refused to assist her in restoring her face to its former state, she defected to her family, the Lilim-in-Exile. As their war leader, she led their army against Lucifer's cosmos, allying herself briefly with the Basanos. However, this was a ruse; after a desperate gamble, she bought Lucifer enough time to destroy the Basanos and regain control of his creation. Lucifer then accepted her into his service once more and made the Lilim-in-Exile the standing army of his universe. Lucifer ultimately restores Mazikeen's half-skeletal face shortly before departing the known universes.


Remiel

Remiel is an
angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
in the comic book series '' The Sandman''; based on the angel
Remiel Ramiel ( arc, רַעַמְאֵל, he, רַעַמְאֵל ''Raʿamʾēl''; gr, ‘Ραμιήλ), not to be confused with the holy angel "Remiel", is a fallen Watcher (angel) while the other is an Archangel in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Ram ...
. He first appears in ''
Season of Mists ''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' '' The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenb ...
''. In Biblical and Judaic traditions, Remiel is an
Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
and a ''
Grigori Grigory, Grigori and Grigoriy are Russian masculine given names. It may refer to watcher angels or more specifically to the egrḗgoroi or Watcher angels. Grigory * Grigory Baklanov (1923–2009), Russian novelist * Grigory Barenblatt (1927201 ...
''; a
Choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
/
Hierarchy of angels In the angelology of different religions, a hierarchy of angels is a ranking system of angels. Higher ranks have more power or authority over lower ranks, and with different ranks having differences in appearance, such as varying numbers of win ...
, whose role is to observe humanity, lending a helping hand when necessary but not interfere. ;In ''The Sandman'' Remiel, along with
Duma A duma (russian: дума) is a Russian assembly with advisory or legislative functions. The term ''boyar duma'' is used to refer to advisory councils in Russia from the 10th to 17th centuries. Starting in the 18th century, city dumas were for ...
, is sent to observe when
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
is given the key to
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
. Dream finally gives the key to Remiel and Duma, and the two angels descend to Hell to rule over the countless sinners and demons there. ;After ''The Sandman'' Following the end of the ''Sandman'' series, Remiel and Duma lose ownership of Hell in the ''
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'' spin-off series. At the end of the series, Remiel tries to rebel against
Elaine Belloc Elaine Belloc is a fictional character in the DC/Vertigo Comics series ''Lucifer'' created by Mike Carey. Elaine was created by Carey specifically for the ''Lucifer'' series. Her character is that of a young girl with special powers who encount ...
, refusing to accept her as God's successor. When he tries to kill Gaudium and Spera, friends of Elaine's, she puts him in his own Hell until he reforms.


Minor angels and demons

* Merkin, Mother of Spiders: First appeared in ''
Season of Mists ''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth trade paperback (comics), collection of issues in the DC Comics' ''The Sandman (DC Comics/Vertigo), The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by N ...
'', as an envoy with Azazel. A lumpen, hideous, vaguely feminine figure, whose womb produces
spiders Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species dive ...
. The Merkin's facial form was almost certainly based upon a photograph by the artist
Joel-Peter Witkin Joel-Peter Witkin (born September 13, 1939) is an American photographer who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work often deals with themes such as death, corpses (and sometimes dismembered portions thereof), often featuring ornately decorated ...
entitled "Amour, New Mexico, 1987", showing a naked female figure wearing a spider-like horned mask.


Fair Folk

Inhabitants of
Faerie Fairyland (''Faerie'', Scottish ''Elfame'', c.f. Old Norse '' Álfheimr'') in English and Scottish folklore is the fabulous land or abode of fairies or ''fays''. Old French (Early Modern English ) referred to an illusion or enchantment, the land ...
.


Cluracan

The Cluracan is a courtier of the Queen of Faerie and the brother to Nuala, the Dream King's fairy servant. An amoral, merry, capricious, homosexual rogue, Cluracan features in ''
Season of Mists ''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' '' The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenb ...
'', '' Worlds' End'', '' The Kindly Ones'', and '' The Wake''. He is strongly reminiscent of the "
trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...
" archetype also associated with
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
. Following the events of '' The Kindly Ones'', Cluracan offends his queen so badly that she sends him to the court of Llinor, where tradition demands that he marry a lady of the royal house; whereupon Cluracan's nemesis – identical to him in every way except his sexual orientation – takes Cluracan's place. The Cluracan is named after a drunken
leprechaun A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. I ...
of
Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...
, the Cluricaun.


Nuala

Nuala is a faerie given to
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
at the end of ''
Season of Mists ''Season of Mists'' is a 1990-1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' '' The Sandman'' series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenb ...
'', who takes on the housekeeping duties of the Dreaming, only stopping when her brother Cluracan takes her back to Faerie in '' The Kindly Ones''. When she leaves, Dream grants her permission to summon him at need; and when she asks to become his paramour, he refuses. She subsequently appears in the ''Sandman'' spinoff series, '' The Dreaming.''


Auberon

Auberon is a character in the comic book series '' The Sandman'' and ''
The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
''. He is seen for the first time in ''Sandman''#19 as Auberon of Dom-Daniel, and again in several issues of ''
The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
'' and in the '' Books of Faerie'' miniseries. The character was inspired by
Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fair ...
of
Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
''.


Titania

Titania is a character in
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
's comic book series '' The Sandman''. ;In ''The Sandman'' Titania is the queen of the
fay A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...
; she first appears in The Sandman: Dream Country#A Midsummer Night's Dream, issue#19. The character was inspired by
Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
Titania (Fairy Queen) in the play ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
''. There is implication that she in the past was a lover of Dream's, although this is never confirmed. ;After ''The Sandman'' Titania is also a major character in the comic book ''
The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
'', of which the first four issues were written by Gaiman, and its spin-off series ''The Books of Faerie''. In the latter series, it is revealed that she was a human girl who crossed over into the fay realm and was then adopted by the previous queen of the fay, and received her faerie powers from a circlet seized by her from that queen. Despite this power, it was revealed that she is literacy, illiterate, and so regularly uses Dream's library because its special properties allow its users to read books in any language, including those they cannot speak. There are suggestions that she may be the mother of the series' protagonist, Timothy Hunter.


Puck

Puck is a brown-furred
trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...
and hobgoblin, who appears several times in '' The Sandman''. Puck aids the Norse God Loki in kidnapping
Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
, playing a small role in the death of the Sandman and Daniel's subsequent assuming of the title. Puck later appeared in an issue of ''
The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
'', hiding as a gangster called Mr. Robbins in Brighton whose true nature is discovered—but not exposed—by Timothy Hunter. The character was inspired by Puck (Shakespeare), Puck of
Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
''.


Immortals, witches, and long-lived humans


Hob Gadling

Robert "Hob" Gadling is a human granted immortality, who meets with
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
once every hundred years. Hob was granted immortality in a pub named the White Horse in 1389 when he simply declared that he "had decided never to die"; whereupon Death agrees, at Dream's request, to forgo him. Hob thereupon takes to a variety of occupations over the centuries, including slaving, and periodically reinvents himself as a descendant of his previous persona. Gradually, he acquires a conscience, and by the 20th Century has become full of remorse at his past deeds. Dream converses with Gadling once per century, of Gadling's latest occupations. At their 20th Century meeting, Dream admits that the purpose of the exercise was simply for him to have a friend. In '' The Wake'', Death offers to end his six-hundred-year life; but Gadling declines.


Orpheus

Orpheus is the son of
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
and the muse Calliope. He is based on Orpheus of Greek mythology. In "The Sandman: Fables and Reflections#"The Song of Orpheus", The Song of Orpheus", the Endless attend Orpheus's wedding to Eurydice. Eurydice dies on the same night, and Orpheus asks his father to retrieve her from Hades. Dream refuses, but Orpheus gets help from Destruction and Death. As in the legend, Orpheus travels to Hades, plays his sad music, loses Eurydice again, and gets torn apart by the Maenad, Bacchanae (the beloved madwomen of Dionysus) but because of his immortality survives as a disembodied head. Dream establishes a priesthood to take care of his son, saying that they will never meet again. In "The Sandman: Fables and Reflections#"Thermidor", Thermidor", Johanna Constantine is asked by Dream to rescue Orpheus from Revolutionary France. Orpheus's singing stuns Robespierre and Louis de Saint-Just, leading to the Thermidorian Reaction. Orpheus misses his father, who still has not visited him. In ''
Brief Lives ''Brief Lives'' is a collection of short biographies written by John Aubrey (1626–1697) in the last decades of the 17th century. Writing Aubrey initially began collecting biographical material to assist the Oxford scholar Anthony Wood, who ...
'', Dream has to talk to Orpheus in order to find Destruction. In return, Orpheus is granted his wish of death.


Thessaly

Thessaly is the last of the millennia-old witches of Thessaly. She makes her first appearance in ''The Sandman: A Game of You, A Game of You''. She has a bookish appearance with straight hair and thick glasses that belie her personality: amoral, cold-blooded, proud, and ruthless, though not malicious. She will kill people who are potential threats with no hesitation or remorse.
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
named this character after the land of witches, Thessaly, in Greece. In one of Plato's dialogues, the Gorgias, Socrates states "I would not have us risk that which is dearest on the acquisition of this power, like the Thessalian enchantresses, who, as they say, bring down the moon from heaven at the risk of their own perdition." In the series, Thessaly does exactly that, with deadly consequences, just as Socrates predicts. Later in the series, Thessaly changes her name to Larissa, which is the capital of Thessaly. Larissa was actually the local fountain nymph, after whom the town was named. It is suggested however that Thessaly is even older than this civilization and may date from Neolithic times. Thessaly returns in the later volumes, where she is Dream's lover for a time, but this relationship ends unhappily for both and is never actually shown in the series. When it is alluded to in ''
Brief Lives ''Brief Lives'' is a collection of short biographies written by John Aubrey (1626–1697) in the last decades of the 17th century. Writing Aubrey initially began collecting biographical material to assist the Oxford scholar Anthony Wood, who ...
'' Thessaly is never mentioned by name, so only in '' The Kindly Ones'' is this romance revealed. Also in ''The Kindly Ones'', Thessaly provides Fury (DC Comics), Lyta Hall with protection and sanctuary from
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
while he is being targeted for death by the Furies, who are using Hall as a vessel. In '' The Wake'' she attends Dream's wake and funeral. She speaks with two of Dream's lovers and recalls her relationship with Dream. She remarks that part of his attraction to her was that she was not intimidated by him. To her surprise she later would dream of Morpheus, and the two kindled a romance, with Dream madly in love with Thessaly (though this affection was not mutual). When Morpheus ended his courtship and resumed working Thessaly realized she did not love Morpheus and left the Dreaming. When Lyta wakes up after Dream's death, Thessaly calmly advises her to leave. Thessaly suggests that many people, including herself, would be more than happy to murder Lyta for her part in Morpheus' destruction. Thessaly also is the star of two spin-off comic series, ''The Thessaliad'' and ''Thessaly, Witch for Hire'' written by Bill Willingham. In the spin-offs, Thessaly (under that name) and her companion, a ghost named Fetch, first set out to tackle various gods of the underworld who want her dead. Later she is unwillingly pressured into a monster-killing contract. She is alluded to in the ''Faction Paradox'' series, in the character Thessalia and her protégé Larissa.


Mad Hettie

A London tramp born in 1741. At the time of ''Sandman'' #3, she was 247 years old. She appears frequently in other DC comics such as ''Hellblazer'', first appearing in #9. She also had a large role in ''Death: The High Cost of Living'', where she is shown to be rude, miserly and constantly complains about the lack of knowledge that present day youths have. She has been accused of being a witch, and also appears to have abilities as a haruspex, however she merely states that "you don't get to your two hundred and fiftieth without learning a few tricks". Later, Hettie worked in the series ''The Dreaming,'' in which it was discovered that she had dealings with Destiny (DC Comics character), Destiny, #Johanna Constantine, Johanna Constantine and President Thomas Jefferson. In ''The Sandman: Overture'', it is revealed that she had stolen a magical timepiece in her youth, which remained hidden in her memories until Daniel retrieved it.


The Silk Man

Appearing for the first time in ''Lucifer: Nirvana'', The Silk Man is an immortal sorcerer, described by
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
as ''"..a fossil remnant from an earlier, cruder creation. His body is a weaving that has to be renewed constantly. His spirit too, come to that. A messy form of immortality, but it seems to do the job."'' In earlier days he was the leader of the Arao Jinn. He appears as a mercenary, hired by the angel Perdissa to kill Lucifer. He seems to need to consume living things to stay alive, weaving them into himself. He is severely damaged by Perdissa and eventually killed by Lucifer.


Vassily

In The Sandman: Fables and Reflections, The Hunt, Vassily appears as an old man telling his teen-aged granddaughter a tale from "the old country", medieval Russia. A youth raised in a remote forest has a series of adventures, including meeting with Lucien (to whom he gives a book) and Baba Yaga, and marrying a fellow shape-changing wolf. At the end of the story, it is revealed that the grandfather is the youth in his own story.


Mortals


Alex Burgess

Alex Burgess is the son of Roderick Burgess, mother unknown (but probably #Ethel Cripps, Ethel Cripps, and therefore half-brother of Doctor Destiny). He is taught by his father, and takes part in his rituals. Upon Roderick Burgess' death, Alex inherits his estate, including his magical order. He keeps Dream imprisoned, as his father did, trying to bargain for power and immortality in exchange for Dream's release. The Order of the Ancient Mysteries enjoys a resurgence in popularity in the 1960s, but by the 1970s it is in decline again. Alex passes ownership of the Order on to his boyfriend, Paul McGuire, and becomes obsessed with his prisoner and with his father. Finally, in 1988, Dream escapes and puts Alex into a nightmare of "eternal waking," in which he is forever dreaming he is waking up, and each waking degenerates into another horrible nightmare. This nightmare lasts for years, ending only with Dream's death in '' The Kindly Ones''. Alex is quite tall and near-sighted. He has brown hair which he wears in a variety of styles throughout his life, but by old age he is bald and has come to resemble his father very closely. His relationship with McGuire is deep and heartfelt, but his obsessions with his father and with Dream eventually come to rule his life. In '' The Wake'', he appears again as the child that we see in his first appearance. Alex is in many ways a tragic figure, perhaps the first statement of the theme that
Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like " wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of ...
explores in '' The Wake'' : "The bonds of family bind both ways". Had Alex not been born the son of his father, inheriting the imprisoned Dream, his life might have been much happier. However, he is finally able to find some measure of fulfillment in his old age, following Dream's death. His name almost certainly derives from Anthony Burgess's ''A Clockwork Orange (novel), A Clockwork Orange'', the protagonist of which is named Alex, but could also be a nod to Aleister Crowley, whose original middle name was Alexander and who was mentioned in the first issue.


Roderick Burgess

Roderick Burgess (1863–1947), born Morris Burgess Brocklesby and known also as The Daemon King, was the Lord Magus of The Order of the Ancient Mysteries. His magical fraternity was based in "Fawney Rig" in Sussex, and was initially funded by his inherited industrial wealth. Burgess is a magician rather in the vein of the real Aleister Crowley, and within the DC Universe, DC world is Crowley's rival. The series begins with Burgess' attempt to capture and bind
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
, which fails, capturing
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
instead. Burgess keeps Dream trapped in a glass globe for the rest of his (Burgess') life, attempting to bargain with Dream, but Dream remains silent. Burgess dies from a heart attack still attempting to get a response out of Dream. His order passes the globe and Dream to his son Alex. Burgess is a bald-headed, slightly pot-bellied man with a large hook nose. He is ultimately self-centred; his sole purpose for the Order is to bring money and power to himself, and he is consumed by his desire to achieve immortality. His relationship with his son is only briefly touched on, though it is implied that it is unhealthy, with Burgess pushing his son to spend his life pursuing his father's dreams. Charles Dance portrays the character in the television series '' The Sandman'' on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
. This version of the character dies of a brain haemorrhage instead of a heart attack.


Johanna Constantine

Lady Johanna Constantine is an 18th-century supernatural adventuress.
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
encounters her several times, once to ask her to recover the head of his son, Orpheus – a mission she performed so successfully that part of its aftereffects was the ending of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. ;After ''The Sandman'' In the ''Hellblazer Special: Lady Constantine'' graphic novel, an ancient evil refers to Johanna Constantine as 'the Constantine', the 'laughing magician', and the 'constant one', all titles that have been used (usually by other ancient evils) to describe John Constantine. The evil taunts her, saying "did you think to trick us with a new form?" There is the implication that throughout all times there have been recurring incarnations of Constantine who contain the spark of magic. In the story Johanna Constantine learns that "the Devil and the Wandering Jew" meet once every hundred years in a London pub; this meeting is actually between
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
and Hob Gadling, as she discovers when she interrupts the meeting. The story's conclusion shows Johanna Constantine inheriting a property she calls "Fawney Rig", after the con job wherein a gilded ring is sold as though it were solid gold, the implication being that she attained the property through trickery. This property was later owned by Roderick Burgess, the mage who captured Dream in the beginning of The Sandman story. In her middle age, Johanna Constantine is charged by persons unknown with the key to a box containing the sigil of America, allegedly created by Destiny. This is stolen and hidden in the future by the wanderer, Mad Hettie. Hettie both blackmails ('I knows about you and the little Corsican') and bribes Johanna for her silence, promising her that she would live to age 99. This promise proves true, with Johanna dying at age 99 while getting out of her wheelchair when she hears the song of her old companion, Orpheus. Johanna is an ancestor of John Constantine, as revealed in the miniseries ''The Sandman Presents: Love Street''. She is also mentioned in the ''Doctor Who'' novel ''The Man in the Velvet Mask'', set in an alternate post-Revolutionary France. Jenna Coleman was cast as two versions of Johanna, one in the eighteenth-century and another in the present day in the TV adaptation of '' The Sandman'' where she's a occult detective just like John.


John Constantine

John Constantine is a confidence trick, con man and Magician (paranormal), magician who accompanies
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
on a quest to find his pouch of sand. John Constantine has his own series, ''John Constantine: Hellblazer'', which occasionally has guest appearances by
Cain Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He ...
and
Abel Abel ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He was the younger brother of Cain, and the younger son of Adam and Eve, the first couple in Biblical history. He was a shepherd ...
. He is also prominently featured in another series, ''
Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'', from which he originated.


Ethel Cripps

Ethel Cripps, also known as Ethel Dee, is the mother of Doctor Destiny, John Dee. She was the mistress of #Roderick Burgess, Roderick Burgess until she fled with #Ruthven Sykes, Ruthven Sykes. Her last joy was her son, John Dee, whom she sought for 10 years. She discovered that he had become a living corpse, which happened because of his use of the Sandman's Ruby. At this time, she was 90 years old, and it was alluded that she had been kept alive by an amulet in the shape of an eye which granted its user protection, the amulet that #Ruthven Sykes, Ruthven Sykes had been given by the demon #Choronzon, Choronzon in exchange for Dream's helmet. Sykes, who had been second in command in The Order of Ancient Mysteries, needed protection from #Roderick Burgess, Roderick Burgess who was seeking retribution for Sykes' treachery of the theft of the £200,000 and Dream's magical items, which were in possession of the Order at the time he fled with Ethel Cripps to San Francisco in 1930. "Magical War" was declared upon them, and Ruthven knew he would need a way to protect himself from the hexes Burgess sought to put upon him. In 1936, Ethel walked out on Ruthven, taking with her the amulet of protection and Dream's Ruby. While in his possession, the amulet protected Sykes from Burgess' hexes, but without it, he died a messy and painful death, with his insides exploding out of him. The amulet continued to protect Ethel while Choronzon was still in possession of Dream's helmet. After Dream escaped and sought to regain his items, he descended to Hell to find his helmet. He had to battle Choronzon to regain it, and after his victory, the compact was withdrawn and the power of protection the amulet possessed ended, which also ended the life of Ethel Dee.


Doctor Dee

John Dee, also known as Doctor Destiny, is a
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
villain whose powers were derived from his use of Dream's Ruby. His name is almost certainly a reference to the real-life John Dee (mathematician), John Dee. He was incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, with other Batman villains such as Scarecrow (DC Comics), The Scarecrow and Joker (character), The Joker, until freed by the amulet given to him by his mother, Ethel Dee, former mistress to Roderick Burgess. He had previously fought the Sandman (DC Comics Silver Age), Sandman (Garrett Sanford) alongside the Justice League. John originally named himself 'Doctor Destiny' to protect his mother's surname, but after her death changed it back. The Ruby had drained away his mental and physical state until he was no longer able to sleep or dream without it. This had the unpleasant effect of turning him into a browned, living corpse. Being able to control dreams, he used the ruby to bring out the 'darkness' and 'bestiality' of many people across the world. He originally sought power, money and mostly the restoration of his human body, but the madness brought about by overuse of the relic drove him to savage, monstruous acts of depravity using the ruby. To quote: 'I think I'll dismember the world and then I'll dance in the wreckage.' While doing this, over a period of 24 hours he focused the energy of the ruby on several people in a cafe, one of them a friend of Rose Walker and an ex-lover of Foxglove. He used them as puppets, horribly having them murder and degrade each other as if they were toys, until all were dead. Dream double-bluffed him into destroying the ruby, which Dee believed to be Dream's life. It actually only stored some of his energy, and with it released Dream instead became even more powerful than before. Easily overpowering Dee, Dream decided not to destroy him, and instead returned him to Arkham. Dee was finally able to sleep, and his sadism and depravity faded as he now could again dream. He has since appeared in ''Justice League'' and ''Justice Society'' stories, having retained some residual power from the ruby. Even worse, since he has managed to replicate its power perfectly, the second ruby is now out of his grasp. However, since the new ruby is attuned to him, he has since not regressed to his previous vicious persona, mostly seeking the dominion of dreams or the waking world through dreams.


Wesley Dodds

Wesley Dodds, also known as Sandman, is the original costumed crimefighter who used the name. According to Gaiman, he was merely filling a hole in the universe in a similar way to a process of evolution, in which animals fill up a niche—for instance, what should fly. He is first seen in ''The Sandman'' series in a two-panel cameo in issue #1, and another cameo in issue #26. Dream occasionally appeared in dream sequences in Dodds's own series, ''Sandman Mystery Theatre''. The two finally met for real in Gaiman's ''Sandman Midnight Theatre''. Dodds appeared out of costume during ''The Sandman: The Wake'' (#72). The reason for his prophetic visions is explained as him being embodied with a small portion of Dream's essence. His reasoning for assuming his role as The Sandman is given as nightmares of Dream in his helmet that plague him, ''until'' he begins his career as a crimefighter, after which "Wesley Dodds sleeps the sleep of the Just."


Foxglove

Foxglove (Donna Cavanagh) is a writer and musician who first appears in ''The Sandman: A Game of You, A Game of You''. She is mentioned in '' Preludes and Nocturnes'' as the girlfriend of Judy, one of the patrons at the diner who dies in the story concerning John Dee, titled "24 Hours." In ''A Game of You'', she lives with her partner Hazel and the two help #Thessaly, Thessaly rescue Barbie. ;After ''The Sandman'' In ''Death: The Time of Your Life'', Foxglove has become a pop music, pop superstar after being seen by a promoter in ''Death: The High Cost of Living''. She is raising a child with Hazel named Alvie. Alvie dies of Sudden infant death syndrome, cot death, leading Hazel to make a deal with
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
. However, even in the world of the Endless there is no such thing as a free lunch, and another character's life has to be sacrificed for the child's.


Daniel Hall

Daniel Hall is the son of Fury (DC Comics), Lyta Hall, and the successor to the role of
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
of the Endless.


Lyta Hall

Hippolyta "Lyta" Hall is a major character, the mother of
Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
. During Dream's captivity, pregnant Lyta and her husband were held captive in a dream-realm controlled by Brute and Glob, two of Dream's minions. In this pocket realm, Lyta remained pregnant for two years, giving birth to her son Daniel only after Dream destroys the pocket realm (and Lyta's husband) and frees her. When Dream tells Lyta that the child she gestated in dreams will one day belong to him, Lyta swears she will protect Daniel at all costs. When Daniel goes missing, Lyta is convinced that Dream has stolen him and seeks revenge, unwittingly setting into motion the events of Dream's death.


John Hathaway

John Hathaway is the senior curator of the Royal Museum. He steals the Magdalene Grimoire from the museum's collection to aid #Roderick Burgess, Roderick Burgess in his attempt to gain immortality after his son, Edmund, dies. He commits suicide in 1920 using a dagger from the museum after a stock taking reveals his theft. His suicide note, implicating Roderick Burgess in a multitude of crimes, is never found.


Hazel McNamara

Hazel McNamara is Foxglove's lover. She appears in ''The Sandman: A Game of You, A Game of You'' and ''Death: The High Cost of Living''. She has a son, Alvie, from her one heterosexual encounter. It is likely that Alvie is named after Wanda (see below). In ''Death: The Time of Your Life'' Alvie dies of cot death and Hazel makes a deal with Death to bring him back.


Unity Kinkaid

Unity Kinkaid first appears as one of the victims of the sleepy sickness that follows Dream's capture in the first collection of issues in the series, '' Preludes and Nocturnes''. Following his capture, she sleeps until he escapes. While asleep, she gives birth to a daughter, Miranda Walker. It is later shown that the father of this child was
Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like " wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of ...
. Unity is later identified as a "vortex of Dream": a rare entity with the ability to telepathically combine the dreams of other beings, and who can thus cause the destruction of
The Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...
. The only time Dream is allowed to take a human life is to kill a vortex. Desire's intervention transfers the vortex to Unity's granddaughter,
Rose Walker This is a list of characters appearing in '' The Sandman'' comic book, published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. This page discusses not only events which occur in ''The Sandman'' (1989–1994), but also some occurring in spinoffs of ''The Sandman' ...
, in the hope that Dream will kill one of their relatives, and thus incur the vengeance of the Erinyes, Furies. Before Dream can kill Rose, Unity reclaims the vortex and dies in her stead. Unity is of medium height, with reddish-brown hair that she wears long and loose, in the final dream-meeting between herself, Rose, and Dream; as the old woman of waking life, she has grey hair and wears a curiously old-fashioned dress.


Prez Rickard

Prez Rickard is a fictional character who first appeared in ''Prez'' #1 (December 1973). He is the subject of the story "The Golden Boy", in ''Sandman'' #54, where he is the first 19-year-old to be elected President of the United States.


Ruthven Sykes

Ruthven Sykes is a bespectacled Afro-Caribbean man with short hair. He is #Roderick Burgess, Roderick Burgess' second-in-command of the Order of the Ancient Mysteries until November 1930, when he steals a number of treasures (including Dream's helmet, ruby and pouch of sand) and £200,000 in cash from the order and flees to San Francisco with Roderick's mistress, #Ethel Cripps, Ethel Cripps. In December 1930, he trades the helmet to the demon #Choronzon, Choronzon for an amulet that looks like an eyeball on a chain. This amulet protects him from the magics of Burgess until 1936, when Ethel Cripps leaves him, taking the amulet with her. He is then killed.


Jed Walker

Jed Walker, created by Joe Simon and
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...
, first appeared in ''Sandman (DC Comics), The Sandman'', vol. 1, #1, where he was protected from nightmare monsters by the titular hero. In ''
Cancelled Comic Cavalcade The "DC Explosion" and "DC Implosion" were two events in 1978 – the first an official marketing campaign, the second a sardonic reference to it – in which DC Comics expanded their roster of publications, then abruptly cut it back. The DC Explos ...
'' #2, he was revealed to be the Earth-1 equivalent of Kirby's Kamandi. In
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
's Historical revisionism (negationism), revisionist version of '' The Sandman'', Jed is the brother of
Rose Walker This is a list of characters appearing in '' The Sandman'' comic book, published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. This page discusses not only events which occur in ''The Sandman'' (1989–1994), but also some occurring in spinoffs of ''The Sandman' ...
and the grandson of #Unity Kinkaid, Unity Kinkaid and
Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like " wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of ...
. He was raised by his grandfather, Ezra Paulsen, then taken and imprisoned by his abusive aunt and uncle at the behest of Desire. Once Rose rescues him, he is revealed in ''The Wake'' to have become close to her.


Rose Walker

Rose Walker is a fictional character from the ''
Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
'' series written by
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...
. She makes her first appearance in issue #10, part one of '' The Doll's House'' story arc. She is a young blonde with red- and purple-dyed streaks in her hair. In later issues, she is shown as having red hair with a blonde streak. In '' The Kindly Ones'', several characters remark that Rose looks much younger than her actual age; Rose's responses to these comments imply that while she may not be a true immortal, she is aware that she is aging more slowly than normal. She is the granddaughter of Desire.


Clarice and Barnaby

Clarice and Barnaby, aunt and uncle of Jed and Rose, were introduced in ''The Sandman'' vol. 1, #5, created by Michael Fleisher and
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...
. The pair mysteriously show up on Dolphin Island a few hours after the drowning death of Jed's grandfather, fisherman Ezra Paulsen. They take him to live with their own children, Bruce and Susie. They treat him as a personal slave not unlike Cinderella, with minimal food even as he does all the cooking. Eventually, their treatment of him is revealed to have become much more abusive—after he runs away from home, they place him in a basement dungeon with no toilet. This is told in issues 5 and 6 of the first series, ''The Best of DC'' #22, and recapped in Rose's diary in issue #11 of the Gaiman series. In issue #12, their mysterious appearance is revealed to have been because they were being paid an $800 monthly stipend by social services. In issue #14, they are revealed to have been killed.


Wanda

Wanda: A male-to-female transgender, transgender woman featured in ''The Sandman: A Game of You, A Game of You'' who is Barbie's best friend. She dies in a storm caused by Thessaly's magic and is buried as 'Alvin Mann', her deadname. In response, Barbie uses lipstick to write Wanda's name on her gravestone. Wanda is last seen, along with
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
, in Barbie's dream.


Historical figures

* Harun al-Rashid, Haroun al-Raschid: King of Baghdad, who sells the city to Dream to keep it alive forever, in the ''One Thousand and One Arabian Nights''. * Caesar Augustus: The first emperor of Rome. In ''The Sandman'' he is revealed to carry psychological scars from being continually raped by his uncle, Julius Caesar, which he (at Dream's advice) assuages by planning the destruction of Caesar's empire. * Lycius: A dwarf, born of the Roman nobility, who lived in the time of Caesar Augustus. Augustus had banned the nobility from working as actors upon the stage, but he made an exception for Lycius, who had few other opportunities. * Joshua A. Norton: An English-American declaring himself 'Emperor of the United States' in "Three Septembers and a January", after Dream gives him his delusion as part of a challenge issued by his three younger siblings: Despair, who tries to make him fall into her realm by making his life increasingly difficult; Delirium, who makes a half-attempt to drive him insane; and Desire, who uses the King of Pain to tempt him with a real palace and a Queen. In the end, Joshua Norton lives a happy and dignified life; and when he dies, thousands come to see him off. * The King of Pain: According to Herbert Asbury's book ''The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld'', an itinerant healer in 19th century San Francisco who sold Aconitine, aconite liniment. In ''The Sandman'' #31 ("Three Septembers and a January", reprinted in ''Fables and Reflections''), the King of Pain is Desire's undead minion. He tries to tempt Emperor Norton into betraying his dignity for his desires (in the form of Worldly Power, Wealth, An Estate, and A Noble Wife). Norton retains his dignity and refuses the offers, saying that he is content ruling his city and that he has all he needs. * Mark Twain: American writer who shares his The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, story about a jumping frog with Emperor Norton. * Thomas Paine: English radical who, after participating in the French Revolution, is imprisoned in the Luxembourg Palace and briefly encounters Johanna Constantine. * Louis de Saint-Just: Orator of the French Revolution and supporter of the Terror, he is deposed after Orpheus sings a song that saps his ability to articulate. * Maximilien Robespierre: Leader of the Committee of Public Safety and instigator of the Reign of Terror. An extreme dreamer, he seeks to destroy the head of Orpheus due to his wish to destroy all myths, but is in turn destroyed by it. * Marco Polo: The famous 13th-century explorer and trader. He is lost in a part of the Dreaming that connects to the real world, and encounters Rusticello, a friend of his future self; Fiddler's Green; and Dream, who gives an otherwise forbidden passage home. Upon waking Marco is unable to remember any of his encounters. * Rustichello da Pisa: The publisher of Marco's autobiography, who encounters his friend in a dream in the Desert of Lop. * William Shakespeare: The famous 16/17th-century English playwright. Dream gives him the inspiration for many of his plays in exchange for Shakespeare writing two plays for him: ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
'' and ''The Tempest''. * Hamnet Shakespeare: The son of William, he is often overlooked by his father. It is implied that Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Titania may have taken him into the realm of Faerie (this is confirmed in a brief cameo in ''
The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...
''). * Christopher Marlowe: A famous 16th-century playwright who is depicted discussing Shakespeare's terrible writing and Marlowe's ''Faust''. Shakespeare tells Marlowe, "God's wounds! If only I could write like you!" * Geoffrey Chaucer: The famous 14th-century poet and author of ''The Canterbury Tales'' is seen in the White Horse Tavern in AD 1389 in part four of ''The Doll's House'', where Dream first meets Hob Gadling. It is mentioned in the tavern that people do not want "filthy tales in rhyme about pilgrims", a reference to ''The Canterbury Tales.'' * Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare), Anne Hathaway: The wife of William Shakespeare. * Susanna Hall, Susanna Shakespeare: Older daughter of William and Anne Shakespeare. * Judith Quiney, Judith Shakespeare: Younger daughter of William and Anne Shakespeare. * Thomas Quiney: Pub waiter and future husband of Judith. * Ben Jonson: Poet and friend of William Shakespeare.


Minor mortals

* Barbie: Introduced as one of Rose Walker's housemates in ''The Doll's House'', later the protagonist of ''A Game of You''. * Daniel Bustamonte: A victim of the 'encephalitis lethargica, sleepy sickness' that results from Dream's capture. He falls asleep in 1926, then wakes up sometime before 1955, staying awake much of the time but unable to speak. He recovers fully on September 14, 1988, when Dream escapes. * Chantal and Zelda: Apparently lesbian roommates in the house Rose Walker was staying at in ''The Doll's House''. They dress in white and collect dead spiders. Of the two, Zelda relies on Chantal for confidence, and rarely if ever speaks. When they dream, Zelda dreams of her childhood, where it is implied that she collected bones. Chantal's dreams are self-repeating loops, trying to explain something of nothing. In a later issue Zelda is dying from AIDS which she contracted from Chantal, who has already died, having originally contracted it from an organ transplant. They are identified with Euryale and Stheno, the sisters of Medusa. * Compton: Roderick Burgess' butler. * Nurse Edmund: Alex Burgess' caretaker at the time he is put under Dream's curse. * Ernie and Frederick: Two of the men guarding Dream when he escapes from his imprisonment. * Doctor "Piggy" Huntoon: a doctor in Arkham Asylum and former schoolmate of Constantine's. He used to perform electroshock therapy on Constantine, back when he was institutionalized. * Richard Madoc: An author, director and playwright who imprisoned and repeatedly raped Dream's ex-lover Calliope. Dream punishes Madoc with an overwhelming flood of ideas; whereupon he destroys his fingers trying to record them in his own blood. In ''The Wake'' he is seen attending Morpheus' funeral whilst dreaming, and it is implied that after Morpheus' death, Madoc's mind is slowly healing. * Ellie Marsten: A victim of the 'encephalitis lethargica, sleepy sickness' that occurs during Dream's capture. She sleeps continuously for decades, awaking only four or five times a year, and recovers in an insane asylum on September 14, 1988, when Morpheus escapes. Her waking memory is basically founded on the book ''Through the Looking-Glass'' by Lewis Carroll. * Paul McGuire: Good friend and lover of #Alex Burgess, Alex Burgess. Originally a gardener at the estate, Paul eventually takes over the Order of Ancient Mysteries. * Rachel: An ex-girlfriend of John Constantine, Constantine's who stole Dream's pouch of sand from Constantine and became addicted to its effects. * Stefan Wasserman: A victim of the 'encephalitis lethargica, sleepy sickness' that results from Dream's capture. Joins the army during the First World War at 14, and goes over the trenches shortly before he catches the sickness. Commits suicide in 1918 at age 16 because he cannot sleep. He was inhabited by the dormant spirit of the Corinthian (comics), Corinthian. * The Scarecrow (DC Comics), Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane): The Arkham Asylum, Arkham inmate attempts to dissuade his friend Doctor Destiny from escaping, saying Arkham is a better home for their kind than the outside world. He is portrayed as a nervous, paranoid, babbling academic, trying to make jokes to psychologically test his prison guards, and unable to sleep for fear of rats. * Judy, a young lesbian who is one of the victims of John Dee using Dream's ruby in ''Preludes and Nocturnes''. At the time of her forced suicide, she was trying to reconcile with her girlfriend Donna (Foxglove). In ''The Doll's House'', she was revealed to be the best friend of Rose Walker. * Nada: A beautiful African queen, cast into hell by the Dream King (known to her as Kai'ckul) when she refuses to become his queen. Her story is revealed in the beginning of ''The Doll's House''. An argument over her unfair punishment prompts Dream's initial actions in ''Seasons of Mist'', and eventually Dream begs her forgiveness and lets her choose her own fate. Nada chooses to be reincarnated as a baby boy in Hong Kong.


Superheroes

* Mister Miracle (Scott Free) informs Dream that his ruby is no longer kept at Justice League headquarters. (#7, ''Preludes and Nocturnes'') * Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onnz), last member of the original Justice League lineup, gives Dream the details of the Self storage, storage unit where the JLA's old trophies, including the ruby, are kept. (#7, ''Preludes and Nocturnes''). Also makes an appearance alongside Batman, as does Clark Kent, in issue #71 (The Sandman: The Wake, ''The Wake''). Darkseid is also seen at the wake. * Sandman (DC Comics), The Sandman (
Hector Hall Hector Hall is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in DC Comics's '' Infinity, Inc.'', '' Sandman'' and '' JSA''. He has gone by the names Silver Scarab, Sandman, and Doctor Fate. Publication history Hector Hall first appeared in '' All ...
): The dead father of Daniel Hall and successor to Garrett Sanford, whose death is noted. Hall's only previous appearances as The Sandman were in ''
Infinity Inc. Infinity, Inc. is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first incarnation is mostly composed of the children and heirs of the Justice Society of America (JSA), making them the Society's analogue to t ...
'' #49–51. (#11–12, ''The Doll's House'') * Element Girl (Urania Blackwell): Death, coming for an upstairs neighbour who has fallen off a ladder, visits her, sensing her longing to die, but is unable to take her, though she informs her that Ra (the sun) can take her power back so she can die. (#20, ''The Sandman: Dream Country, Dream Country'')


Other


Barnabas

Barnabas is a sarcastic talking dog who belonged to Destruction and was assigned to guard Delirium. His origins are unknown.


Basanos

The Basanos was a living Tarot deck created by the seraph Meleos to duplicate the divining power of Destiny (DC Comics), Destiny's book. They are incredibly powerful due to the fact that they control probability, making whatever outcome they desire not only likely, but inevitable. After escaping from Meleos, the Basanos took possession of Jill Presto, a cabaret worker. Lucifer Morningstar sought them out for a Tarot#Use of tarot cards in divination, tarot reading, which they granted. When Lucifer created his new universe, the Basanos moved to take control of it so that they could breed (something that is impossible in God's cosmos). Though initially successful in their plan, forming an alliance with Lucifer's enemies, their ability to control randomness was severely limited by Lucifer's creation, and Lucifer was able to outmaneuver them. Lucifer finally gave them an ultimatum: destroy themselves or risk letting the egg they laid in Jill Presto die. The Basanos chose death and extinguished themselves. ''Basanos'' is Greek for Touchstone (assaying tool), touchstone. Such a touchstone may be a piece of slate used to test gold, or it may be a metaphor for torture or torment to test truthfulness. Why Meleos chose this name for his creation is unknown.


Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine

Charles Rowland was the only boy left at his boarding school during the holidays when #Lucifer, Lucifer closed Hell, sending its former inhabitants back to Earth. While the adults of the school are preoccupied with the dead spirits who came back into their own lives, Charles is tortured and killed by three dead boys who used to go to the same school. Edwin Paine is a previous victim of the trio, his body still trapped on the grounds. He befriends Charles, but is unable to keep him from dying. When Death shows up, Charles refuses to go with her, and she lets him go, preferring to focus on all the other trouble Hell's closure has brought her. They later appeared in other books as the Dead Boy Detectives.


Eblis O'Shaughnessy

Eblis O'Shaughnessy: a golem and envoy created by the Endless to obtain the Cerements and the "Book of Ritual" for the funeral rites of their brother Dream. Five of the Endless participated in the creation of Eblis O'Shaughnessy, and Delirium named him. He thereafter accompanied them at the funeral. He reappears in the Vertigo story ''The Girl Who Would Be Death'' (1999).


Alianora

Alianora was first introduced in ''A Game of You'' as the original inhabitant of The Land, a region of the dreaming that Barbie has visited since childhood and is being threatened by the Cuckoo. After the Hierogram is broken and The Land is dissolved, Alianora appears and speaks to Dream. Her history is expanded in ''The Sandman: Overture,'' where it is revealed that she was created by
Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like " wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of ...
to be Dream's lover and to help him escape imprisonment after the Dreaming is invaded by two unspecified gods. Together, they vanquish the Gods, but Dream is unable to make her happy so he creates The Land as a place in which she can be free and contented.


References


External links

{{DISPLAYTITLE:List of ''The Sandman'' characters The Sandman (comic book), Characters Lists of DC Comics characters, Sandman, The Vertigo Comics characters