The Sandman on Netflix introduced to us the seven entities who form The Endless in DCEU. The Endless are unique because though they seem like superheroes, they’re not your regular cape-wearing, shield-yielding superheroes.
The Endless are actually much more significant and important, not just in the context of DCEU but also in a philosophical context in my opinion.
The Endless is a unique family of beings who are anthropomorphic representations of various metaphysical entities or forces of nature. The Sandman aka Dream is one of the members. The members of the Endless are immortal, having existed since the beginning of time.
The Endless appear in DC Comics and have had a significant role to play in Neil Gaiman’s comic-book series, The Sandman. A Netflix adaptation of the series dropped this week, so in case you were looking to brush up your knowledge about the Endless, this is the right place for you.
1. Who are the Endless in DCEU?
The Endless in DC Extended Universe refers to a family of unique beings who are personifications of various metaphysical entities or forces of nature. There are seven members of the Endless, namely Death, Delirium, Desire, Despair, Destiny, Destruction, and Dream. Thus, each represents one integral aspect of life.
The Endless was created by Neil Gaiman and first appeared in his comic book series, The Sandman. The Sandman himself, better known as Dream, is also a part of the Endless. The members of the Endless are considered to be the most powerful entities in the DC Universe.
But wait, they’re not gods. Now, that’s confusing, right? It was for me, too. But it seems like the Endless are different. They are not gods or superheroes, but anthropomorphic representations of forces of nature that cannot be killed, and are as old as time itself.
For instance, the members of the Endless include Death, Dream, or Desire. All of these metaphysical elements or forces are pretty familiar to us, and they’ve been there since the beginning of Time. So naturally, they’re immortal forces of nature.
The Endless members are holders of immense cosmic power and are immortal. They’re also siblings and represent a dysfunctional family. Feuds between the siblings are pretty common, and we see a lot of it in Gaiman’s comics as well.
In fact, in the Netflix show, Desire wishes to capture Dream while we see Death helping her brother Dream. So, it’s a pretty dysfunctional family, to say the least.
2. Are Sandman and the Endless immortal?
Yes. Sandman aka Dream is immortal. All members of the Endless are immortal.
The Endless represent forces of nature that will exist as long as life exists. In DCEU, these entities have been around since the beginning of life and time. So, they cannot die. However, they can definitely change form or be defeated.
The Endless also have immense power, so they can do anything they want (more or less). It is easy for them to kill their enemies, teleport from one realm to another, take any form or shape they wish to, or create illusions.
At least, the protagonist of the series, Dream holds all of these powers and uses them whenever required.
3. Can the Endless be defeated?
Yes. Although members of the Endless cannot be killed or they cannot stop existing, they can surely be defeated.
The premise of the show itself is about Dream being imprisoned by a mere mortal, Roderick Burgess, through an occult trial. In the series, Lucifer, the Lord of Hell, also almost defeats Dream.
The Endless are not omnipotent beings, and each has their own limitations or weaknesses. For instance, Destiny is blind and permanently tied to his book, which holds everything that will ever take place till the end of time.
Though the Endless cannot exactly be killed, they can be captured and there may be multiple incarnations of them. If one member is destroyed, another incarnation of the same entity represents them. For example, there have been two incarnations of Despair and Delirium.
Delirium was once called Delight, but an unknown tragedy changed her forever.
Another interesting fact about the Endless is that they can abandon their duties just like us. They can refuse to do their work, which pertains to the aspect of life they represent, and live like normal human beings in the mortal world.
In the comics, one of the major storylines includes Dream and Delirium looking for their missing sibling, Destruction. Death, too, spends one day as a mortal, living, girl in each century.
5. About The Sandman
The Sandman is an American fantasy drama TV series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The series was developed for Netflix and is being produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television.
The first season adapted the first two comics in the series, Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll’s House. In 1916, Dream, the king of Dreams and Nightmares and one of the seven Endless, is captured and imprisoned after an occult ritual. After being held captive for 106 years, he escapes and sets out to restore order to his kingdom of The Dreaming.
The Sandman stars Tom Sturridge as Dream, with Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, and Sanjeev Bhaskar in supporting roles.
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