It becomes increasingly difficult to brush off a nightmare when the walls between the Waking and Dreaming begin to crumble and fantasy becomes reality. Now it seems that humanity may be lost to the eternal darkness for good unless The Sandman comes to the rescue!

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One of The Sandman's major responsibilities is dealing directly with nightmares, having personally created some of them himself. Although Morpheus may be an antihero, he appears to have less malicious intent than some of his Endless siblings, having significantly invested in serving mankind for the greater good, despite how humanity has treated him for the past century.

The following content discusses events from Season 1 of DC's The Sandman, now streaming on Netflix

8 She's A Dreamer (And Not The Only One!)

The Sandman DC Villains Gault Nightmare Turned Dream

Created purely as a nightmare, viewers can only imagine what Gault is truly capable of, and yet, when her Master goes awry and the concept of choice became available, she chose to walk a different path. Gault may have enticed Jed to stay in the dreamworld longer than necessary, luring him away from reality in much the same way Hector does to Lyta, but her intentions are nothing but pure and near-maternal, with not a hint of malice in the air.

Gault allowed Jed to take control of his dreams (quite literally!) and embodied him with superhuman abilities to empower the boy, if only temporarily. Gault provides Jed with a distraction; a means to escape from the brutal abuse of reality, proving that even a Nightmare can be inspired to change for the better.

7 The Devil's in the Details

The Sandman DC Villains Lucifer Morningstar Gwendoline Christie

Based on first impressions, Lucifer Morningstar does not come across as irrationally evil as expected and seems quite well-mannered, thank you very much! But alas, the Sandman's sibling is not nearly as charming as Tom Ellis' version, as she wishes to become omnipotent by uniting Hell with the Dreaming, permanently.

Lucifer Morningstar is likely to rank much higher on the nefarious list after teaming up with Azazel, but otherwise, her interference has been quite limited so far. Besides trying to perpetuate the separation between Morpheus and his helm, and plotting to dominate dreams and anger God, fans have yet to see the full brunt of Lucifer's brutality.

6 Spare The Rod, Spoil The Child

The Sandman  DC Villains Sir Roderick Burgess, aka Magus

Sir Roderick Burgess, aka Magus, is about as stern as they come, sparing no time for sentimental bonding with his last living son, but rather obsesses over returning his deceased firstborn, Edmund, to his side. He treats poor Alex like a measly servant, unashamedly disregarding him as the lesser son, and physically punishes the boy, and his mistress, Ethel Cripps, whenever he deems it necessary. Forcing someone to have an abortion is a whole controversy on its own.

Sir Roderick's treatment of Morpheus is no better, entrapping the entity while offering no clothing or comfort during his imprisonment. Such an intelligent man should have surely made the link between the Endless' kidnapping and the Sleeping Sickness, and yet is not swayed to release Dream to save the masses.

5 The Delusional Dementor

The Sandman  DC Villains John Dee Sir Roderick's son

As with most villains, John Dee believes he is doing the world a service with his sinister interventions, as he is purifying the realm with honesty, after all! Fueled by the power of The Sandman's Ruby, John seeks to eliminate all lies at any cost and appears to take joy in his bloodsoaked accomplishments. John shows little remorse for spreading his fatal misery, even when presented with his own mother's corpse.

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While many can argue that John simply releases his victim's inhibitions, it is undeniable that he is also eliminating free will with the Ruby's power. Kate and Gary, for example, were ready to leave the diner with the potential to sort things out, part ways, or willingly remain miserable, however, their lives were mere playthings in John's grand mind game experimentations.

4 Desire Knows No Boundary

The Sandman  DC Villains Desire and Despair Twins

Fans don't get to see much of these twins in action in The Sandman so far, but Desire and Despair have made their intentions crystal clear! While Desire seems to be the major instigator in taking Dream down, Despair is right by their side, supporting the carnal destruction and gaining masochistic pleasure from spreading misery.

If a person is technically unconscious and happens to fall pregnant, is that not considered rape? While the details of the encounter are unclear, it is difficult to say if Unity Kincaid's sexual experience was consensual, however, Desire's intentions are undeniably deplorable. The whole plan to extend the Endless family was just so that Dream would be forced to slaughter his own blood and let the guilt slowly eat him away.

3 A Man-About-Town

The Sandman  DC Villains The Corinthian Nightmare

The Corinthian was also created as a terrifying nightmare, and the moment he experienced free will, he began taking his job very seriously indeed! By walking in the land of the living, The Corinthian essentially becomes the first ever serial killer, inspiring a league of copycat Collectors in his wake. Stylish, suave, and charming, The Corinthian regularly has his victims (and viewers) drooling, when he is not eating freshly harvested eyeballs, that is!

It becomes apparent that The Corinthian is seeking Dream's approval, in his own twisted, nightmarish way. He seems genuinely concerned with Jed's safety at the convention and dismisses him from the serial killers' group sub-consciousness, showing more kindness to the boy than Barnaby ever did! Such a manipulative man could have potentially won Rose over without Jed by his side, but The Corinthian goes the extra mile to reunite the long-lost siblings. He is sadly beyond redemption, however, after participating in a century-long killing spree.

2 Foster Impair System

The Sandman DC Villains Barnaby and Clarice Jed's Foster Parents

One would hope that Jed's situation is straight from fiction, but sadly, events like this one are an everyday common occurrence. After his father isolated the boy from his family, Jed ends up living with Barnaby and Clarice, who are evidently more interested in the financial aid associated with foster care than any actual caregiving.

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Not only does Barnaby neglect the young boy, but he also subjects him to abuse as a perverse form of deranged discipline, while Clarice watches, seemingly helpless. Confined to a dark, rat-infested basement, Jed sees little daylight, less food, and no love for several years. Even simply calling out after having a nightmare is enough to get Jed a beat down; for once, The Corinthian did some good in the world by taking these two out!

1 Trauma Town

The Sandman Fun Land DC Villains Serial Killer Collector Jed

With literal nightmares personified and walking the Earth, one would not expect a mere mortal to make it so high up on the list of villainy, but humanity never ceases to amaze. Regardless of what bloodthirsty depravities or unfulfilled desires cross one's mind, children should never be targeted...end of story.

It is unclear what Fun Land's true definition of the word "play" means, but to rule pedophilia out of the equation is probably being too lenient. To make matters worse, Fun Land proves that there is no honor among thieves, by attacking Jed after he was explicitly told that no "collecting" is to take place at the convention, at that The Corinthian himself had laid claim to the boy. Clearly incapable of any form of self-restraint, many fans cheer with joy when Fun Land is sent to an early grave; but does this mean that Lucifer now has a new malicious minion in tow?

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