Judge Quentin Gallows was a nightmare and an unbalanced judge from the Dreaming, who briefly takes control of the realm after Dream of the Endless resigns.
History[]
Created to represent the fear of brutal justice and merciless authority: the archetype of the implacable judge of the Old West who condemns without appeal. His goal was to give a nightmarish form to the terror felt by mortals in the face of unjust trials, summary executions, and the crushing weight of the law when it becomes an instrument of cruelty.
He first appeared in the 1960s in the DC anthologies (The Unexpected), but it was mainly in the Sandman and Dream universes that he truly took on a prominent role. In these stories, Gallows lives on the fringes of the Dream realm, isolated, as even the other Nightmares and the inhabitants of the Dream distrust him due to his instability. Obsessed with his role as judge, he organizes mock trials, often against innocent people, solely to satisfy his need to convict and impose his authority. One of his most memorable episodes is recounted in The Dreaming Special (1998): he kidnaps Abel to organize a tribunal and ultimately finds Cain guilty, before sentencing Abel and Matthew the raven to death. But as he seeks to carry out his sentence, he discovers he cannot break the Mark of Cain, a divine seal that protects his brother. His stubbornness then attracts the wrath of a higher force, and Gallows is punished: he dies, the victim of a series of strange accidents, as if struck by a justice greater than his own.
Yet, like a nightmare, Quentin Gallows never completely disappears. Since he is only an idea—the fear of the cruel and implacable judge—he resurfaces years later, in The Dreaming Vol. 2 (2018). In this story, when the Dreaming realm descends into chaos after Dream's disappearance, Mervyn Pumpkinhead frees him to "restore order." Gallows immediately seizes power, imposes tyrannical laws, manipulates Lucien, and enslaves the Dreaming's inhabitants. His reign becomes a living nightmare, illustrating the dangers of letting an idea born of fear reign unchecked.
Physical Appearance[]
He has a slender but robust, almost disproportionate figure, which accentuates his supernatural appearance. His angular face is often partially obscured by a large judge's or sheriff's hat, revealing piercing eyes that shine in the darkness, reinforcing his terrifying aura. He wears a long, dark, black or gray coat, sometimes fluttering as if animated by the Dreaming wind, giving a spectral impression. Always armed with his judge's gavel, a symbol of his obsession with judgment, he may also wear accessories recalling his judicial role.
Personality[]
Quentin Gallows is a nightmare obsessed with order and judgment, possessing a mental rigidity that makes him unpredictable and dangerous. He embodies an obsession with retributive justice, applied without compassion or discernment, going so far as to condemn even those who are not guilty. His determination and keen sense of authority are mixed with a latent madness: he is both methodical and cruel, capable of cold-blooded violence when he judges that the law must be imposed. Manipulative and theatrical, he loves to impress and intimidate, imposing his power through fear and intimidation. But beneath this façade of a ruthless judge lies the instability of a nightmare: his decisions are often excessive and irrational, and his obsession with absolute law ultimately makes him destructive, both to himself and to those he is supposed to protect.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers
- Dark Magic: Can manipulate the reality of the Dreaming to create nightmarish scenarios.
- Immortality: Gallows is a figment of human imagination given form, and as such he does not physically age.
- Fear Induction: His presence naturally inspires terror in those around him.
- Enhanced Intelligence: Exceptionally cunning and strategic, able to plan complex trials and traps.
Abilities
- Law: Obsessed with justice, capable of creating and enforcing arbitrary rulings.
- Storytelling: Can manipulate narratives within the Dreaming to control or punish.
- Occultism: Skilled in supernatural rituals and dream-related powers.
- Combat: Uses his gavel as a symbol and a weapon to execute his sentences.
Weaknesses
- Ancient Rules: Like all Dreaming inhabitants, he is bound to the old laws and limitations of the realm.
Other Characteristics
- Mental Disorder: His judgment is warped by obsession and madness, making him unpredictable and dangerous.