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Hob Gadling was an acquaintance of Dream and Death of the Endless.

Robert Gadling was originally a common English man born in the 14th Century when Dream encountered him while visiting the waking world with his older sister, Death. Gadling was proposing to his friends that people only died because everyone else did it, and that he'd have no part of it. Dream believed that this might be an interesting experiment, and so Dream told Gadling that, if he truly believed the way to live forever was simply not to die, Dream would meet him in one hundred years in the same tavern for a drink. Gadling agreed and in one hundred years they met again. At first when Dream showed up, Gadling believed that he had made some kind of deal with the Devil. Dream convinced him otherwise, and they met every one hundred years for a drink. In the 1700's he got involved with slavery, which Dream did not approve of and told him to stop doing.

During their meeting in the 1800's, Gadling accused Dream of being lonely and wanting friends, and that was why Death never came for Gadling. Dream was outraged that Gadling would suggest that "one of [his] kind" needed friends, and stormed out of the tavern. One century later, Gadling was waiting for Dream in the bar. When Dream finally turned up, Gadling admitted that he didn't expect him to show. Dream replied he was always told it was bad manners to keep one's friends waiting.

After the first Dream died, Death came to Gadling at a renaissance fair, and told him that it was not just a dream. Then she asked him if he was finally ready to die, but Gadling had stated that he was not ready and still had so much to live for. After his meeting with Death, Gadling had a dream where he met Morpheus on a beach, and they greeted each other warmly. A street painter whom Gadling once met, who was actually Destruction in disguise, appeared within the dream and the three of them walked off down the beach to parts unknown.

Powers

  • Immortality: Hob Gadling was made immortal by Death herself and therefore was incapable of dying by any means without her consent.

Abilities

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.
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