The Sandman II
Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
NAME + ALIASES:
Garrett Sanford
KNOWN RELATIVES:
None
GROUP AFFILIATIONS:
Justice League of America
FIRST APPEARANCE:
The Sandman vol. 1 #1 (Winter 1974):
In the 1970s, they reteamed to create a new Sandman. This one was written in a very whimsical way — as if for children. It was a take on the fairy tale character of the Sandman … he who was invoked when parents explained to their children why they woke with "sand" in their eyes.
The new Sandman was immortal; he protected children from hideous nightmare monsters. He had two nightmare monsters as helpers/nuisances, called Brute and Glob.
The Sandman title lasted for only six issues (though it was originally intended to be a one-shot). It was cancelled in the "DC Implosion" and its final/seventh issue was published in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2. Later this story was colored and formally printed in a Christmas-themed issue of Best of DC Digest #22 (Mar. 1982).
1980s Appearances
The character languished in limbo until 1983, when Roy Thomas rebooted him in Wonder Woman #300 (Feb. 1983). In this issue, Thomas recast the Sandman as a scientist who had worked at UCLA and was an expert on dreams. This Dr. Garrett Sanford met Wonder Woman when he was called to Washington to treat the President of the United States. The President was in a coma in a top-secret base and supplied with (Kirby-esque) equipment which could propel Sanford into the Dream Dimension itself.
Sanford was fitted with a specially-designed uniform (that looked like Kirby's) and plunged into the Dream Dimension, where he found the President's astral form being clutched by a nightmare-monster. He saved the President and brought him back to the waking world. But unfortunately Sanford was now tethered to the Dream Dimension and could only leave it for one hour with the use of a special whistle. His government handlers set up a base for Sanford, who took up residence in the Dream Dimension and began calling himself the Sandman.
In Wonder Woman #300, Sanford is shown to be somewhat obsessed with Wonder Woman, watching her as she dreamed. As a nightmare monster came to attack her, he protected her, but she reacted to the Sandman as if he were a stalker. Despite this, the Sandman helped Wonder Woman against the monster a few times.
This Sandman appeared in Justice League of America Annual #1 (1983) shortly afterwards, where he assisted the JLA in defeating Dr. Destiny, a villain who also had the power over dreams. At the conclusion, the Sandman was made an honorary member of the Justice League.
Infinity, Inc.
When Sanford next appeared, it was in a flashback that revealed he had gone crazy and committed suicide! (Infinity, Inc. #50)
His form was then possessed by Hector Hall, aka the Silver Scarab, one of the founders of Infinity, Inc.. Hall had died, but apparently his untarnished soul was 'rescued' by Brute and Glob. Since Sanford had been alive when he became the Sandman and it drove him mad, they reasoned that the deceased Hall would be a more stable presence. (Infinity, Inc. #44)
Hector Hall's soul was placed in Garrett Sanford's body — which was also somehow remolded to look just like Hector. With his new powers, Hall began visiting his fiance, Hippolyta (Lyta) Trevor, aka Fury, in her dreams. She was now pregnant with his son, but Hector didn't want to show his face because he could only leave the Dream Dimension for an hour at a time.
Lyta dismissed this and declared that she would be happy to live in the Dream Dimension with Hector. They were married in (after battling some fairy tale monsters) and settled into newlywed bliss in the Dream Dimension. (Infinity, Inc. #50)
Dream of the Endless
The Hector Hall Sandman put fully to rest in the pages of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (1989), where (even after years) Lyta Trevor Hall was still pregnant. Hector Hall was adventuring around with Jed Walker, Sanford's pal. But it was revealed that the whole Dream Dimension was all in Jed's mind. What's more, Brute and Glob were actually servants of Morpheus, Dream of the Endless. Brute and Glob had created their own little world in this boy's mind due to his special abilities. Then they had coaxed Sanford to stand in as their own false Sandman.
Hector Hall was finally confronted by Morpheus, who had been absent for decades and now sought to clean up his legacy. Hall responded like any red-blooded super-hero, but Morpheus dispatched of him with little effort, returning him to the realm of the dead.
Powers
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Appearances + References
» FEATURED APPEARANCES:
- Best of DC Digest #22
- Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2
- Infinity, Inc. #50
- Justice League of America vol. 1 Annual #1
- Wonder Woman vol. 1 #300
» SERIES:
- The Sandman vol. 1, 6 issues (1974–1976)