Sound and Fury is issue 7 of the Sandman comic series. Created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Drigenberg it was originally released June 01, 1989.
Synopsis[]
Morpheus finally faces off with Dr. Destiny for the final piece of the Dream King's objects of power - the Dreamstone! Warring across the landscape of The Dreaming, the two beings wage psychological war with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance!
Summary[]
The opening pages show the ramifications of John Dee's influence all over the world: he's using the ruby to bring out the worst in people, driving them mad and causing them to harm themselves and each other. The scale of the happening mayhem is truly apocalyptic. Having reached the diner in Mayhew, Dream asks Dee why he is doing all of that, in response to which the villain admits that he has abandoned his plan of world domination and is just enjoying the suffering. Dream pleads to him to return the stone, explaining how dangerous such tampering with reality could be, but Dee instead decides to kill him. Morpheus admits this is a possibility in his weakened state and chooses The Dreaming as his battlefield.
At first Dee gets trapped in a dream in which he's Julius Caesar, and the Greek choir is mocking him, but the ruby quickly helps him regain lucidity. He starts chasing Morpheus through dreams, and then, furious at him for hiding, starts tearing The Dreaming itself apart. Dreamers all over the world, as well as the inhabitants of The Dreaming, recoil in pain and fear. Finally Morpheus shows up, pleading Dee to desist. Dee starts sucking out the life out of him, and, overcome with enjoyment, finally crushes the ruby in his hand.
His triumph is short-lived, however: it turns out that destroying the ruby released the energy contained within it back to Dream. Not only is Dream now in complete control: he's even more powerful than before, stating "I had forgotten how much of my power I had placed in that jewel... how much of it was denied to me". He briefly considers killing Dee, but then realizes that most of the damage to his mind was caused by the Dreamstone, which wasn't created for mortals. Instead Dream returns Dee "home" to Arkham Asylum and restores his ability to sleep. At Arkham, Jonathan Crane welcomes Dee home and complains to Morpheus about their terrible sleeping conditions. Morpheus then grants all inmates, as well as the victims of the mayhem all over the world, peaceful slumber.
Appearances[]
Featured Characters[]
Supporting Characters[]
Antagonists[]
Other Characters[]
- Bobby-Joe McCann (mayhem victim)
- Harold Smith (mayhem victim)
- Maude Carillon (mayhem victim)
- Barbara Wong (mayhem victim)
- Joey Campbell (mayhem victim)
- Nan Fowler (ambulance dispatcher)
- Ethel Dee (mentioned only)
- Eve
- Cain and Abel
- Gregory
- Goldie
- Destiny
Objects[]
Locations[]
Continuity Notes[]
Trivia[]
- The phrase "sound and fury" originates from Macbeth and was most famously referenced in the title of a novel by William Faulkner.