The Sandman: Overture #1

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Chapter One

The planet had three species. A fur-bearing race of humanoids; a horde of insect-like creatures who worked in tandem to make shapes and forms; and a race of intelligent, carnivorous plants. One of those plants was called Quorian, and Quorian dreamed. The flower dreamed of a tall, white flower who spoke of something *wrong*. Quorian could not understand the white flower's concerns, but recoiled when that flower suddenly caught ablaze, and burned away. When Quorian woke, he had gained a sense of his own death - and a certain inkling that *someone* had died screaming. Who might it have been?

In London in 1915, Ian Stewart, was visited by the Corinthian). The strange man explained that he had come with something Mr. Stewart *needed*, and Ian *hoped* it would be news from his brother in the war. Obligingly, the Corinthian agreed that he *did* have news of Ian's brother, and arranged for them to meet later that night at a nearby bar. As he left, Ian inquired about the dark glasses his visitor wore, wondering if, perhaps, he had been a victim of a gas attack. Grinning, the Corinthian responded that Ian would find out *all about* his eyes at their meeting.

From his domain, Destiny) watched those events, and indeed *all* events within his Book of Souls. As he turned the page, he had the rare surprise of reading about *himself*. He saw himself in his gallery, calling upon his sister, Death), though he did not know why. She had *wanted* him to call her. She was worried about their brother Dream), whom she just *took*, a hundred galaxies away. She wondered if she should *warn* him, though Destiny reminded that he would find out soon enough.

George Portcullis' name was only that in his *dreams*. But when he *was* George Portcullis, he was an office manager in London, with the sole duty of *preparing* that office for its owner's return. Occasionally, customers would come asking to see his employer, and he would have to say that the master was not receiving visitors - however, he had no idea *who* the master was. It came as a surprise, then, when the master *finally* arrived, expecting a guest shortly. That guest was the Corinthian. The master had created the Corinthian as a *nightmare*, meant to show humanity everything about itself that it did not *want* to see. Indeed, the Corinthian had been quite successful in that respect, *but* he had violated an important rule: those who belong to the realm of Dreaming do *not* crossover into the real world, and they *certainly* do not kill mortals for *pleasure*. Intuitively, the Corinthian guessed that he had been called away to the rarely used London office so that Dream could confront him *away* from the other nightmares - so as not to give *them* similar ideas. Morosely, Dream responded that he had called this meeting outside of his castle in order to spare the others the sight of his *uncreating* the Corinthian. The nightmare *demanded* a trial by jury, but a sudden matter of importance called Dream away, and the sentence was left undelivered. As Dream left, the Corinthian resolved *first* to kill Ian Stewart, and then to *run* until the world resembled him entirely.

Dream found himself unable to resist the call that drew him back to the Ghost Castle. There, Lucien) and Merv Pumpkinhead) were working in the library, when a sudden shock drew their attention to the throne room. Uninvited, Lucien decided to investigate. He found Dream prepared for a *battle*, and worried that his master may not return from the "state visit" that Dream spoke of. Dream meant to reassure his librarian, but mid-sentence, he was pulled halfway across the universe.

He found himself *late* to a gathering of *other* Dreams. Other versions of himself, from all corners of the universe. Though he had thought himself prepared for what he would face, *this* sight filled him with confusion.

| Appearing1 = **Featured Characters:** * Dream (Morpheus)) **Supporting Characters:** * Lord Morpheus' dream aspects) ** Dream of Cats) ** Japanese aspect ** Quorian's aspect ** Robotic aspect * The Endless ** Destiny) ** Death) * Lucien) * Merv Pumpkinhead) **Antagonists:** * The Corinthian) * The Mad Star **Other Characters:** * George Portcullis * Ian Stuart * Red-furred Humanoids * Unnamed carnivorous plants ** Quorian) * Unnamed insect-like creatures * The Beast that Has Never Existed **Locations:** * The Dreaming ** Ghost Castle *** The Great Hall **** The Throne of the Dreaming *** Library of Dreams ** London Office * Waking World See Notes ** Earth *** England **** London ***** Buckingham Palace ***** St. Paul's Cathedral ** Quorian's Planet * The Void **Items:** * Book of Destiny * Death's Ankh * Dreamstone * Dream's Helm * Dream's Sand Pouch **Concepts:** * Magic

| Notes = * This story takes place before the events of Sandman Vol 2 1. * Dream's failure to uncreate the Corinthian before being called away leads directly to the storyline Sandman: The Doll's House (Collected), beginning with Sandman Vol 2 10. * This issue is reprinted in: ** The Sandman Overture Deluxe Edition (Collected); ** The Sandman, Book Six (Collected). | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links =

Creative credits

Writers: Neil Gaiman

Interior art: J.H. Williams III

Color: Dave Stewart

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GCD: 1171009

PANEL PROFITS: 3895297