10 Sandman Fates Worse Than Death

John Dee is the son of Rodrick Burgess, the man who captured Dream in 1916, and Ethel Cripps, one of his many lovers. Cripps, with Burgess’ second Ruthven Sykes, stole the ruby, bag of sand, and helm when they left, and Dee took the ruby from his mother. He altered the ruby, called it the Materioptikon, and became the supervillain named Doctor Destiny who regularly battled the Justice League. He was defeated and sent to Arkham Asylum.

Dee had become a withered shell but was deemed so dangerous to himself and others that he was kept naked in a cell in the basement of the Asylum. His mother visited him after years and bequeathed him a protective charm. Feeling safe, he escaped and, feeling the pull of the ruby, hitched a ride to a Justice League storage facility in Mayhew where the ruby was held. Once he retrieved the ruby, he stopped by a 24-hour diner.

While in the diner, Dee used the ruby to peer into the lives of the patrons. At first, he just eavesdropped on their dreams. Then he began affecting them. He made them fight, have sex with each other, disclose intimate details about themselves, torture, and ultimately, kill each other. Then, Dream and Dee had their final battle in both the real-world diner and the Dreaming for control of the ruby.