 |
Char Aznable has declared John Dee (Netlfix) is to be renamed to John Dee (Netflix) for the following reason(s): Right name Please discuss it on the talk page for this article. "I told you I am not Casval, I am Char Aznable."  ✓
|
  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
John Dee is the main antagonist of the first arc in Season 1 of the 2022 Netflix TV series The Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman's comic book series of the same name.
He is the son of Roderick Burgess and Ethel Cripps whom Burgess tried to force Ethel to abort so she fled to give birth to him elsewhere; stealing Dream's Ruby, Helm and Sand in the process. John grew up with an obsessive attachment to the Ruby, his exposure to which combined with his difficult upbringing on the run caused him to become mentally unstable and go on to commit brutal murders when he felt someone intended to take the Ruby from him.
He was portrayed by David Thewlis, who also played Ares in Wonder Woman, King Einon in Dragonheart and V.M. Varga in Fargo.
History[]
Early life[]
John is the son of Ethel Cripps and Roderick Burgess, conceived at some point before Ethel left Roderick Burgess' cult. In the United States, John was raised dotingly by his mother, who raised him in the story the "sandman" Ethel had pilfered the Dreamstone from, telling the young John that the ruby could grant him any wish. As John grew, he and Ethel constantly moved towns and changed their names as part of Ethel's money schemes, although Ethel lied to John this was to avoid the Sandman. John grew to resent Ethel lying to him, and in his desire for the truth, he started to covet the ruby and began experimenting on it. His altering the stone led to the deaths of many people in his hands, until he was confined to a mental institute in Buffalo by his mother.
Breaking out[]
John received an unexpected visit from his mother, who inquired about the Dreamstone, claiming that the Sandman was coming to take what belonged to him, though he doubted his mother's intentions, as she had been lying to him his entire life. Although, her greatest lie was about his father, who he'd been told died when he was a baby, but John learned from a book title The History of Ritual Magic in England that Roderick Burgess was his father. Ethel admitted that this was true, before explaining that she had no intentions of using the ruby; she intended to give it back to Dream. Although, John suggested they use it to dream of a world without the Sandman.
John admittedly missed his mother. He especially missed when it was just the two of them, but Ethel noted that it was never just the two of them, referring to the ruby, which she only ever showed to John on birthdays; she'd tell him to make a wish, which would ultimately come true. Should she bring him the ruby, John insisted that he could fix everything, but Ethel recalled John killing many people the last time he had it, though he claimed that he was simply defending himself and could use it to also defend her, not that she needed it, as Ethel already had the Amulet of Protection, which she then gifted to John before dying, as the amulet was the only thing keeping her alive. After killing the guards and exiting the facility, John bumped into The Corinthian, who offered John his jacket.
Searching for the Dreamstone[]
John received a ride to Mayhew by a good Samaritan named Rosemary. During the drive, he explained to her how his mother had just passed and that she wasn't a good person. He then admitted to not only stealing from his mother, but also being arrested for arson and murder, which he insisted wasn't his intent, but Rosemary was concerned nonetheless. So when they stopped at a gas station, Rosemary asked the clerk to call the police, which John quickly became aware of before grabbing Rosemary and heading for the door. However, the clerk pulled a gun and shot at John, but due to him being protected by the Amulet of Protection, the clerk died instead. They then got back in the car, and Rosemary drove John to a storage facility in Mayhew, where he recovered his ruby before returning to Rosemary and gifting her the Amulet of Protection.
Creating a new world[]
John arrived at a diner, where he decided to use the Dreamstone to rid the employees and customers of their dishonesty and moral qualms, hoping to shape a more honest world, starting with Bette, who referred to John as "handsome" but admitted that she didn't genuinely think that. He then turned his attention to Garry and Kate Fletcher, a married couple celebrating their anniversary, who appeared happy on the surface, but in reality, their marriage was riddled with deceit, infidelity, and disdain. Now focusing on Judy, John asked why she was so angry, to which Judy revealed that she felt as if she was constantly being judged by those around her. From there, the sexual tension within the diner peaked, with Kate and Mark having sex in the diner booth, leading to a fight between Mark and her husband Garry, who Mark stabbed in the neck and killed in self-defense. Having remembered their previous conversation about a better world, Bette realized this was John's doing, though he simply took away the lies, allowing them to do the rest. By the end, only John remained, as everyone else had killed themselves.
John was visited by The Fates, who claimed he had no future. It was bound by walls and guards and the sour smell of madness. Additionally, they revealed that he'd stolen some of Dream's power and that he would take all of it before crushing the Dream Lord's life in his hands. As if on cue, Dream arrived and demanded that John return the ruby. John, however, claimed that he was ridding the world of lies and intended to steal the rest of Dream's power and become the Dream Lord, but that could only be done in his realm. So John and Morpheus went to The Dreaming, where John used the ruby to drain what remained of Morpheus' power. However, in taking all of Dream's power, the ruby shattered and all of Dream's power returned to him. Rather than killing John, Dream decided to spare him, putting John to sleep and returning him to the hospital from which he escaped.
Physical Appearance[]
John is a middle-aged man with blue eyes and gray hair.
Personality[]
John is a man with an obsessive and sociopathic personality, stemming from his mother lying to him throughout his entire life. After stealing Dream's Ruby from her, his experiments with it, trying to rid the world of lies, caused the deaths of many people. As a result, his mother sent him to a pshyciatric hospital.
Powers and Abilities[]
John has no abilities, but when he possessed Dream's ruby, it granted him several powers, including:
- Telepathy: The stone influenced people in the bar, forcing them to go insane, killing themselves and others.
- Reality Manipulation: John could alter reality in the Dreaming, where he attempted to destroy Dream with it but failed to do so.
Gallery[]
.png "John Dee (The Sandman).png (807 KB)")
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
The Endless The Dreaming Hell Humans Fictional Fictional Others See Also | ||