Original artwork, not a still
What power would Hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of Heaven?
— The Sandman · 1989
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Dream turns Lucifer's apparent advantage inside out. Hell depends on its prisoners imagining something better: without that possibility, punishment loses its force. His authority survives even here because the place is built around a dream of escape.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The SandmanShow the scene
In The Sandman #4, ‘A Hope in Hell’ (1989), Dream has beaten Choronzon in the Oldest Game and recovered his stolen helm. Lucifer then asks what power dreams have in Hell, where the assembled demons could simply prevent Dream from leaving. Dream answers with this question, and the crowd allows him through. It is the confrontation after the contest, rather than his winning move within it.
Sources (2)
- The Sandman #4 — written source 1A Hope in Hell; quotation and sceneReference checked
- The Sandman #4 — written source 2A Hope in Hell; quotation and sceneReference checked
Context reviewed
