DC Database
Register
Advertisement

Quote1 Is there something you crave? Something sexual? Something precious? Someone special? Anything? Then you have felt it, It's there-- in the longing, in the lust. The breath of Desire, the caress of The Threshold. Quote2
Narrator src

Desire is the third youngest of the Endless and the twin of Despair.

They are a strikingly beautiful figure whose gender expression is mutable, becoming male, female, both, or neither as the situation warrants. They are often referred to as "sibling" by their family , particularly Dream. Desire blends in effortlessly with whatever environment they find themself in. They live in the heart of a massive flesh-and-blood statue of them, known as the Threshold. Indeed, further strengthening the connection to hearts, Desire's sigil in the galleries of the other Endless is a heart of cut glass.

The Threshold 001

Cast in the mold of its own image, The Threshold is a veritable portrait of Desire

Desire is described as being of medium height, smelling faintly of summer peaches. Desire casts two shadows, one black and sharp, the other translucent and wavering. Desire's smiles are brief and sharp. their skin is "pale as smoke," and their eyes are "tawny and sharp as yellow wine."

Desire is easily the cruelest of the Endless. They seem obsessed with interfering with the affairs of their elder siblings, particularly Dreams. The motivation behind this is not clear, but seems to be simply a variation on childish teasing. Desire is not exactly unaware of the consequences of their actions, but considers those consequences ultimately unimportant, a position which angers Morpheus and Death in particular. Desire sometimes acts in concert with Despair and Delirium; the relationship is not clear, however, and Desire is much more distant from their siblings than Despair or Delirium.

A more forgiving interpretation is that Desire reflects, simply, desire, and is as fickle and self-centered as the emotion. As desire is easily the most inflaming of emotions, Desire takes special delight in needling those who think they are beyond emotions altogether. They are, besides Death (who, even then, must be goaded), the only one of the Endless that will point out the faults of Dream, some of which, such as the condemnation of Nada, are legitimate. Even Destruction noted that while Desire can be malicious, they are often right.

A story in Endless Nights, set long before any other Sandman story, explains the origins of the Desire/Dream enmity, and reveals that before Desire was Dream's favorite sibling. Dream had fallen in love with a mortal, Killalla of the Glow, and had taken her to a gathering of stars (literally the embodiments of various suns). While there, Killalla met and fell in love with the star of her own home world, cheating and abandoning Dream. Desire's role in this is never made clear. After introducing his lover to Desire when they first arrive, and leaving the two alone, Killalla asked what Desire had done for Dream to make him so affectionate, but Desire indicated that they hadn't done anything at all. Later, however, when Dream angrily blames Desire for the whole affair, Desire offers no defense, only asking Destruction after Morpheus storms off, "Doesn't he have a sense of humor?" This story, set billions of years before the story-arc of The Sandman, tends to portray the characters in a very different light, showing that even the Endless are not unchanging, with Desire's attitude towards Dream being playful rather than malicious during this early encounter.

The enmity between Dream and Desire continued through the millennia, eventually culminating in Desire raping and parenting a child on Unity Kinkaid, then attempting to have Dream kill Rose Walker, Unity's grandchild, which would have caused the ruthless and relentless Furies to hound Dream until he died for the crime of shedding family blood. When Dream discovered this at the end of The Doll's House, he openly threatened Desire with what would happen if Desire would interfere in Dream's life again, and there was an uneasy truce between the two afterwards.

Powers

  • Personification of Desire: One of the seven Endless, inconceivably powerful beings, Desire is both lord and personification of all desire and hatred, they had god-like powers and absolute power over their realm. they have power over craving of the unattainable. The force of physical appetite or emotional need. Strong envious desire. In contrast they are also lord over satisfaction, extending to the attainment of ones desire.
    • Omnipresence: Being Desire, they are everywhere on Earth at any moment, but not in a form visible to humans, usually.
    • Shapeshifting: Desire could change their appearance and clothing.
    • Teleportation: They can travel instantly anywhere in the mortal realm that people die and live, and, so long as they show proper respect, they can easily enter and transit most magical realms too.
    • Immortality: Desire was ageless and virtually immortal.
    • Sorcery: Nigh-omnipotent mastery of magic.

Weaknesses

  • Ancient Rules: Despite their great powers, Desire, like the rest of the Endless, was bound to a complex set of rules and customs.
    • One requires them not to spill the blood of family or they are no longer protected as the personification of Desire from other Personifications.
    • Another is that they cannot fall in love with a mortal or the mortal's downfall is assured.
    • Desire cannot transgress an oath sworn by the First Circle, which we only hear them pronounce partially before being stopped by their brother Dream: "I swear by the first circle, and the other side of the sky, and the sword, and the -". The last power attested is likely the Presence, the only power in this universe that exceeds even the Endless' power.

Related

Footnotes


Vertigo Logo
Vertigo Character
This character exists under the Vertigo Imprint which is intended for Mature Readers.Their continuity takes place within the context of Vertigo titles although they may cross over into regular DC continuity.
Advertisement