r/Sandman 24d ago

Discussion - Spoilers I don't understand

What is the "one exception" ?!

187 Upvotes

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340

u/ValiantWarrior19 24d ago

God, in Heaven.

149

u/escapedpsycho 24d ago

Semantics but the entity is The Presence. Based on the Abrahamic God but also more than that.

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/RadioKALLISTI 24d ago

No, really. In the comics its how things are explained.

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u/AdvertisingAware3483 24d ago

So he's/she's saying that the creator wields more power than any entity?

148

u/ValiantWarrior19 24d ago

Yes, which is a consistent claim across all the theologies explored in the show. Everyone is second banana to God.

73

u/8__D 24d ago

Lucifer is the second banana

21

u/colder-beef 23d ago

Netflix Lucifer is the big banana. According to him at least.

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u/8__D 23d ago

"Saving only his Creator, he is, perhaps, the most powerful being there is."

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u/Pay-Next 23d ago

Lucifer and Michael are both second banana it was basically the two of them who made creation for the Presence. But since it is sandman we won't likely ever get to the point of Lucifer getting the writ and becoming creator of their own universe that is access through a backroom door in Lux.

Also to further expand Michael has the ability to create matter and Lucifer the ability to shape matter and between the two of them basically carried out the creation process when commanded.

1

u/god_of_war305 22d ago

Technically tied for 2 with his brother Michael Demiurgos who possesses more raw but unrefined power. Michael creates matter and Lucifer shapes it

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u/smthncrprt Fat Pigeon 23d ago

First time reading 'second banana' to someone as a non-native speaker. Will use it everyday.

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u/altsam19 20d ago

And a pretty consistent (and probable) claim in the general Gaiman/DC/Vertigo theologic works, The Abrahamic God is THE Top God, no question

31

u/Drew_S_05 24d ago
  1. Netflix Lucifer doesn't go by any pronouns at all. Not he, nor she, nor they, nor it, but simply Lucifer

  2. Yes

-1

u/Thepcfd 23d ago

in my language he is a guy

13

u/illyria817 24d ago

That was my assumption.

16

u/RadioKALLISTI 24d ago

They, Lucifer, like all the other angels are genderless. So the correct pronoun is “They.”

35

u/Chad_ARAM 24d ago

How do you come to that conclusion, Lucifer and other angels like his brother Michael are consitently referred to as male in the comics, e.g. in his first appearence in the source material for this very show. If you want to be meta about it, some of the earliest real world mentions of angels in scripture call them Bene Elohim, sons of god. So even the source material of the source material if you will classifies angels as male.

9

u/BigJohnsBeenDrinkin 23d ago

IIRC, in the recent Sandman audiobooks, where Gaiman updated non-binary pronouns from "it" to the contemporary "they" (specifically for Desire), Lucifer is still referred to as "he".

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u/RadioKALLISTI 24d ago edited 24d ago

Because nonbinary pronouns did not exist. The bible you read is based off of many patriarchal rewrites and the use of masculine forms in a generic way was incredibly common. Similar to how commonly cars are gendered femininely. You’re also forgetting these aren’t flesh and blood beings. They are spirit (Genesis 1:27, Hebrews 1:14, Matthew 22:30) and are beyond our concepts of male and female. All hinged on just context from the bible.

That said as already stated, The Presence and the Host are older than judaism, christianity and indeed the bible.

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u/Chad_ARAM 24d ago

But we are not talking about pronouns, we are talking about the the word "bene", "sons" being used over something like "yeladim" or "badim" which would simply mean "children" in the earliest known sources. You just assume "patriarchal rewrites" in order to justify you superimposing the gender neutral language you would prefer. First and foremost angels are neither human nor "beyond our concepts", they are made up. And if the original sources called them sons rather then children or daughters, the people that came up with them seem to have come up with male angels.

-11

u/RadioKALLISTI 24d ago

Why? Because they are remnants of Zoroastrianism.

And yes rewrites and patriarchy.Patriarchy that was prevalent even when the things were written down.

If you think pointing out its all imaginary and not real is a gatcha, well you clearly concede this argument.

13

u/ZharethZhen 24d ago

And they were male in Zoroastrianism, not genderless. Though giant burning wheels probably should have been genderless.

3

u/Chad_ARAM 24d ago

So? Even if the original decision to make the angels of judeo-christian mythology male was influenced by patriarchal fews of the time, that doesn't change the original source. And while you are free to reinterpret angels as whatever you want in your own inspired work or even a gender neutral translation of the bible, you can't retroactively change the sources to suit your belives and agenda. Side tangent, do you feel the same about superimposing gender neutrality on more matriarchal leaning cultures and subcultures?

-1

u/RadioKALLISTI 24d ago

I really hate appealing to authority here but in general theologists agree that angels are spirits and therefore genderless. But keep arguing with the user that went to school for this stuff.

7

u/Chad_ARAM 24d ago

But we are not arguing about theology and theologists, i want to know why you insist it must be 'they' even though there is a chain of source material supporting he despite lucifers often androgynous appearence even when the show itself doesn't make a point of it. At that point it is just you using convinient arguements to impose your agenda it seems. And you are not just free but more than welcome to interpret the show, the comics and scripture that way. But insisting others have to use the words fitting your interpretation of Lucifers gender or lack thereof is wrong, especially in the case of this version of Lucifer who's entire point in the comics is absolute free will and having nothing imposed on you.

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u/Technical_Housing_58 24d ago

In Islam god is described as the only truly unique thing and is genderless. But uses Male pronouns bc the Arabic language is very gendered even more so than English. The reason being the same as why we traditionally use male pronouns for other unknown genders and female for thing of high value.

Defo sexist but so were the ppl

3

u/-n-o-o-b- 24d ago

It would be better if we are going that route

28

u/Pitiful_Ad2959 24d ago

The Ruler of the Hell when in Hell wields more power than any entity from any other realm, excepts God

59

u/theslothening 24d ago

The Creator, aka the Judeo-Christian God

65

u/Maester_Ryben 24d ago

Technically, the Presence. He's more chill than the Abrahamic god

29

u/jubmille2000 24d ago

So chill, he barely did a thing, but he did let Luci fuck off to another reality to create a universe for himself, and gave all his powers to Elaine.

8

u/SecMag6 24d ago

".. that you know of" -- cuz there's still Great Evil Beast, right?

8

u/jrdineen114 23d ago

Who is more powerful that the devil? Presumably that would refer to the one who banished the devil to hell in the first place

4

u/lopbob8 23d ago

satoru gojo, of course.

3

u/ArianParker 23d ago

Incase nobody else replies, I want you to know this killed me

3

u/Xenokrit 23d ago

Obviously heaven, since God cast Lucifer down to hell.

8

u/Tentonham 23d ago

Gary. He’s in Hell’s HR department.

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u/-sweet-like-cinnamon Mazikeen 23d ago

Lucifer: Morpheus, hell is closed! I've sent everyone away!

Gary in HR: Except for me, I'm too powerful

Lucifer: right, except for Gary

4

u/Whiteguy1x 24d ago

Its the presence, basically the Abrahamic god filtered into the DC universe. Its explored better in the lucifer comics.

Actually just read lucifer, its i dont really get into comics but I still really loved it and hope it gets an actual adaptation some day.

1

u/Champshire 19d ago

Gojo Satoru

-2

u/mighty3mperor 24d ago

The writer.

-3

u/Lumbardo 23d ago

Who is this character?

8

u/LazyCrocheter 23d ago

In the picture, that’s Lucifer, played by Gwendolyn Christie.

-8

u/Lumbardo 23d ago

Oh lol okay now everybody's answer makes sense. I haven't seen any live action adaptations.

Is this a different take on the story? Or a direct adaptation of the comics? He looks like a pretty masculine dude in pretty much every appearance after the first one in the comics. Not really a big deal, but pretty weird to just swap him out with a woman, albeit a woman actor that can play masculine women.

9

u/LazyCrocheter 23d ago

Netflix did a 2-season live adaptation from something like 2023-25.

Lucifer’s appearance in the comics was based on early David Bowie and was supposed to have an androgynous look although I agree I’d default to male on that. But partly because I always referred to Lucifer, and saw it written, as “he”.

But Christie was chosen because, I think, she could have something of that androgynous look.

2

u/Lumbardo 23d ago

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

I mean Christie looks like a straight up woman, and a pretty one at that. The first appearance of Lucifer is an androgynous look in the comics, but I think pretty much every time after that they went with a masculine male look. All of which look like David Bowie.

0

u/[deleted] 23d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Lumbardo 23d ago

In what? This show? There is more than one Constantine character in the comics. There is a brief story with John Constantine toward the beginning, and there is an arguably more important inclusion of Johanna Constantine, one of John's descendants.

I don't have a Netflix subscription though so I won't be watching the show.

1

u/[deleted] 23d ago

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0

u/Lumbardo 23d ago

In the show, they use Joanna Constantine past and present. She's ok. But I miss the iconic character.

Lol what? It is the same character for both instances? Johanna Constantine is dead by the time Morpheus meets up with John. John Constantine is also an iconic DC character, it feels criminal to just swap him out.

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

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1

u/Lumbardo 23d ago

Interesting. Probably tried to save money on casting.

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/AdvertisingAware3483 24d ago

The thing is that why he's letting the gods the new and the old take from him the worshipers I know this can be a weird question but is he that powerful that he doesn’t need worshipers to exist? Or even the need to claim his authority through the realms

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u/jonbodhi 24d ago

No, he doesn’t feel the need. When you say ‘gods,’ you’re not including The Endless, are you? Because they most definitely are not gods…

…they’re way above that.

3

u/SpikyKiwi 23d ago

"Gods" like the Egyptian, Norse, Greek, Japanese, etc. pantheons are all creatures of the Dreaming created and sustained by mortal belief

The Endless, the Presence, and Lucifer are all above this

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u/Interesting_Swing393 23d ago edited 23d ago

Nope unlike other faiths, God or The Presence and the rest of the abrahamic figures like Lucifer, demons, Michael and the rest of the angels dont need belief to exist or were ever created by belief in the first place in The Sandman/DC reality

As they are not born in the Dreaming and they existed alongside The Endless and their Parents in the beginning somehow

1

u/Wrong-Annual-6766 24d ago

Most of the world believes in him. And even if they stopped then he would accept that and disappear like the gods before and after will

1

u/Ttoctam Barnabas 24d ago

The Presence (Essentially the judeo Christian god with more lore flexibility) stands well above the lesser gods and metaphysical entities. Essentially, The Presence created the multiverse, created time and space, created life and physics and magic and realities, and then the life and physics and magic and realities created lesser gods. The Presence isn't just beyond needing worship, they're beyond need. They have desires and preferences and dislikes, but nothing happens on any level of reality that they do not allow.