Endless (comics)
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Endless (comics)

The Endless are a family of cosmic beings who appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The members of the family are: Death, Delirium, Desire, Despair, Destiny, Destruction and Dream.

The Endless characters were created by Neil Gaiman and loosely based on the chthonic gods and children of the goddess Nyx of Greek mythology. They first appeared in the comic book series The Sandman (1989–1996). They embody forces of nature in the DC Universe. They are depicted as among the most powerful beings in the world of these characters, and are distinct in this universe from gods, which are created by mortal belief. The character Dream is the protagonist of The Sandman series, but all the Endless beings play major roles.

The Endless are a dysfunctional family of seven siblings. They appear in different forms but are most often depicted as having very white skin and black hair, with the exception of redheads Delirium and Destruction. Their appearance often changes to fit the expectations of those they meet or the situation they are in.

In the comic book, The Endless spend most of their time fulfilling their functions as embodiments of core elements of sentient experience. For example, Death leads the souls of the dead away from the realm of the living, while Dream oversees the realm of dreams, nightmares and imagination. One notable facet of their depiction is that none of them are "representations" or "personifications" of their function; as cosmic beings, they simply are their function. In The Sandman (vol. 2) #48, Destruction gives a further description of the Endless:

The Endless are merely patterns. The Endless are ideas. The Endless are wave functions. The Endless are repeating motifs. The Endless are echoes of darkness, and nothing more…

As portrayed, some Endless beings are more committed to their work than others. The younger Endless, particularly Desire, are known to interfere with mortal life. Destruction, also known as "The Prodigal", abandoned his duty entirely.

Each of the Endless has a realm in which they are sovereign. Within their realm, all members of the Endless have a gallery containing symbols, or sigils, of the other Endless beings. The Endless may contact each other by holding the appropriate sigil and calling for that member of the Endless. Destiny is also able to summon his siblings by using his gallery of portraits, whether they want it or not (as seen in The Sandman: Overture).

The Endless beings, in addition to monitoring their area of influence, exist to define their opposites. This dualistic feature of the Endless has been affirmed by Death, who is present at both the beginning and conclusion of every existence. Destruction enjoys creative/constructive activities like painting, poetry, and cookery. Dream appears to have the ability to modify reality, as demonstrated in The Sandman (vol. 2) #18 titled "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" in which a great number of beings dream of an alternate universe and create it.

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