Season of Mists is the fourth story arc of The Sandman (1989), covering issues 21-28.
Having been made aware of drastic changes on the horizon, Destiny, the eldest of the Endless, calls a family meeting that is attended by five of his six siblings (one of them, referred to as "the Prodigal", has abandoned his post). At the gathering, Dream is accused of mishandling his affair with the mortal queen Nada, and chastised for letting her rot in Hell ("A Prologue"). Dream travels to Hell to rescue her, expecting a confrontation with his old enemy, Lucifer Morningstar ("Chapter 1"), but is surprised to find that Lucifer has given up on running Hell and gives Dream the key to it ("Chapter 2").
Wishing to avoid Ragnarok, Odin recruits Loki to help him as Dream considers what to do with the key ("Chapter 3"). Meanwhile, the dead have no place to go, leaving Death harried. At St. Hilarion's, a boarding school to which the souls of former students and teachers have returned, young student Charles Rowland dies and befriends fellow ghost Edwin Paine ("Chapter 4", the origin story of The Dead Boy Detectives).
Various immortals and mythical beings begin arriving at the Dreaming, intending to petition Dream for ownership of Hell. Dream enforces a peace treaty over all the factions there by placing everyone who has some there under his protection, and noting that anyone who breaks it will answer to him. The various groups share a banquet together, then all retire to their own chambers until Morpheus summons them one by one to lay out their reasons and/or offers for why he should give them the key to Hell.
Cluracan, representing the Land of Faerie, urges Dream to keep Hell shut and give the key to nobody. He calls upon the old friendship between the Fey (especially Titania), and Dream, and Titania's message also offers Dream Cluracan's sister, the beautiful elf maiden Nuala. The Norse Mythology delegation (Loki, Odin, and Thor) offers a pocket world inhabited by the Justice Society of America, including the Golden Age Sandman Wesley Dodds, who Odin says contains a tiny fragments of Dream's own soul. The Lords of Order offer the dreams of dead mortals, which they have collecting for some time. Meanwhile the Lords of Chaos simply threaten him with a Forever War if he doesn't give it to them. Susanoo-no-Mikoto, acting individually and not on behalf of his pantheon, reveals that the old gods of Japan have become very powerful over the years and taken ownership of/absorbed many other icons and things of worship. He tells Dream to name his price, seemingly prepared to meet it no matter what Dream may ask in exchange for Hell. The Egyptian Mythology delegation (Bast, Anubis, and Bes) offers information about the prodigal Endless. Azazel, representing the former demon-lords, argues that as the original occupants of Hell demons should get the key and reclaim their homeland. He also offers the souls of Nada and Choronzon, believing Morpheus will want to rescue Nada and get revenge on Choronzon. All the while, Remiel and Duma, two angels sent from Heaven, observe the proceedings ("Chapter 5").
Dream eventually gives the key to Remiel and Duma after their Creator relays a message through Remiel, saying that there must be a place for demons and damned souls, and the two angels will now administer over Hell. Azazel spitefully threatens to devour Nada's soul as vengeance for being refused, but Dream notes that Nada is under his protection just as much as anyone else who came to the proceedings. Dream then rescues both Nada and Choronzon from within Azazel. When Azazel proceeds to attack Dream, Morpheus handily defeats the Demon Lord and seals him in a bottle. This display of power intimidates or mollifies the remaining guests, who depart peacefully, with the exception of Susanoo-No-Mikoto, who elects to remain a little longer before departing ("Chapter 6"). Dream reconciles with Nada, who chooses to reincarnate instead of staying in the Dreaming. Dream also discovers that Loki has swapped places with Susanoo-no-Mikoto, but does not make this knowledge public in exchange for a favor. Meanwhile, Lucifer is seen living on Earth, where he observes the sunset on a beach, and Remiel and Duma resolve to reform hell ("Epilogue").
Tropes:
- Always a Bigger Fish: Dream notes that as powerful as he is as one of the Endless, he's still not in Lucifer's class, and thus under normal circumstances Dream wouldn't dare meet Lucifer in single combat.
- Artifact of Death: Lucifer hints to Morpheus that the key to hell could be this. This turns out to be far more important in the series than probably anyone guessed at the time.Lucifer: Perhaps it will destroy you, perhaps it won't. But I can't imagine it will make your life any easier. (disappears with an Evil Laugh)
- As the Good Book Says...: Lucifer Morningstar quotes the Book of Genesis when he spares Dream's envoy from torture. The God of The Bible promised sevenfold vengeance on whoever would slay Cain (Dream's envoy).
- Balance Between Good and Evil: While all other gods and godlike entities want Hell for selfish reasons, God (through Remiel and Duma) tells Dream that Heaven needs its diametric opposite to exist as it did for the equilibrium of the universe. Dream, being a stickler for the harmony of creation, sees this as good enough reason to give it to them.
- Bullying a Dragon: In his pride, Azazel genuinely thought that he could trick Dream of the Endless into a trap by revoking Sacred Hospitality and threatening to eat Nada's soul in his own realm.
- The Chains of Commanding: When given the Key to Hell — and by extension sovereignty over the realm — by Lucifer, Dream is crushed. Even though Death clarifies that it's "prime real-estate" for every god, angel and monster in the universe, Dream already feels he has enough problems maintaining one kingdom and doesn't need another. By the time Remiel and Duma ask for the key on The Presence's behalf, Dream is more than happy to give it to them.
- Continuity Nod:
- The Lords of Order try to bribe Dream with the dreams collected by the Grey Man.
- After Dream imprisons Azazel in a bottle, he places him in trunk where the skull of the Corinthian (who Dream killed in the end of The Doll's House Arc) can be seen.
- Deal with the Devil: Lucifer discusses this trope with Dream while closing down Hell, displaying his confusion over why mortal think he does this:Lucifer: They talk of me going around and buying souls like a fishwife come market day, never stopping to ask themselves why. I need no souls. And how can anyone own a soul? No. They belong to themselves, they just hate to have to face up to it.
- Destructive Romance: Sigyn and Loki. At first she seems like a standard Love Martyr, eternally toiling to shield her ungrateful cheating husband from the snake's venom dripping on him. But when they're alone again, she tells Loki how happy she is that he's home, and smiles—implying that, in a twisted sort of way, she enjoys having him trapped here, with only her for any kind of relief.
- Early-Bird Cameo: A bottled city is seen in the trunk Dream puts Azazel in. It wouldn't be until two years later that the short story "Ramadan" would be published, revealing the city is the magical version of Baghdad that was sold to Dream by it's king.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Both Azazel and Choronzon think Dream will be interested in taking revenge on Choronzon due to the events in Preludes and Nocturnes. Neither expect Morpheus to simply not care about holding onto a petty grudge against a much less powerful being who is now completely irrelevant to Dream.
- Even More Omnipotent:
- The demon Azazel taunts Morpheus with having his former lover inside of his body (basically Alien Geometries), and threatens that he can kill her before Morpheus can attack him unless he hands over the key. Morpheus then calmly puts him in a jar and stuffs him in a box for a few centuries to stew in his juices. He reveals that since Azazel was inside of Morpheus' domain, and his former lover also benefited from the Sacred Hospitality he offered to all guests, his own Reality Warping spectacularly trumped Azazel's.
- While Lucifer never does show his full powers, he is treated as being as far above Morpheus as Morpheus was above Azazel in the previous example. It's explicitly stated that he could take on the entire rest of Hell and win.
- Fallen Angel: Just barely averted. Upon getting the news that he will be required to take over Hell and remain there forever, never returning to the angelic abode of the Silver City, Remiel nearly does a beat for beat repeat of Lucifer's Fall and voices a desire to rebel against Heaven. However, seeing Duma stoically accept the duty and take the key snaps him out of it, at least temporarily. It's clear in the epilogue that Remiel doesn't like anything about ruling over Hell (although he deludes himself into taking a positive approach), and Duma seems to distrust him, as Duma insists on holding onto the key and regards Remiel with suspicion.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Susanoo-no-Mikoto's speech bubbles all start with the first letter emboldened. When Dream catches "him" leaving, his speech bubbles don't have that emboldened letter. Turn the page, and Dream outs the impostor as Loki in disguise.
- Foreshadowing: After Dream imprisons Azazel in a jar, you can see that among the gathering of shocked gods, Loki is nowhere to be found.
- Graceful Loser: The representative of Order is quite gracious in accepting Dream's decision, and voices an appreciation for Dream's reasoning in turning the Key over to Remiel and Duma.
- Hope Spot: Cluracan had no real hope that Dream would do as the Fey asked, cynically stating that too many powerful factions are pressuring Dream for him to do nothing with Hell as they're asking. However, when Dream initially begins to explain his decision and it seems like he is leaving Hell abandoned, Cluracan lets out an astonished and overjoyed Big "YES!" Dream then goes on to explain that he's turning the key over to the angels. Ironically, Dream mentions that his own inclination is to actually leave Hell abandoned, since as far as he's concerned the place doesn't serve any good purpose.
- Human Sacrifice: Well, not human sacrifice per se... Cluracan mentions that the Fey must pay a tithe to Hell and sacrifice some of their own to Hell, which is why they want it to remain abandoned, so the tithe will cease.
- In Which a Trope Is Described: Every single chapter title in Season of Mists."In which a Family reunion occasions certain personal recriminations; assorted events are set in motion; and a relationship thought long done with proves to have much relevance today."
- Ironic Name: St. Hilarion's Boarding School is not a place conducive to humor, except possibly the Slasher Smile and Laughing Mad variety.
- Karmic Reform Hell: Subverted. When Remiel and Duma become Hell's new monarchs in the end, the reluctant Remiel decides to take the moniker with pride and acknowledge Hell for the necessary evil that it is, seeing its purpose as a place for souls to find redemption through suffering. The result is basically the same as if Hell was under Lucifer's reign, only with a more cynical mission statement.Remiel: There will be no more wanton violence; no further suffering inflicted without reason or explanation. We will hurt you. And we are not sorry. But we do not do it to punish you. We do it to redeem you. Because afterward, you'll be a better person... And because we love you. One day you'll thank us for it.
Sinner: But... you don't understand... that makes it worse. That makes it so much worse... - Kill the Messenger: Defied. Cain is sent to deliver Morpheus' message to Lucifer. Lucifer notes with amusement that any other messenger would have been tortured and killed, but due to Cain's biblical Mark, he cannot be harmed without inviting the Wrath of God. Lucifer still manages to terrify and traumatize Cain without killing or physically harming him. The whole experience nearly scares Cain witless.
- Literary Allusion Title: The title quotes the opening line from "To Autumn" by John Keats.
- Mark of Shame: Cain's mark is a minor plot point. Lucifer notes that it was very clever of Morpheus to send Cain to announce the coming of Morpheus, since the Mark means that Cain can't be harmed. (Any other messenger would've been killed messily).
- Oh, Crap!: After Dream has defeated and imprisoned Azazel, he asks if any of his other guests have a problem with his decision. Cut to a panel of all the various petitioners for Hell looking terrified, or at least very shaken.
- Place of Power: All of the Dreaming is this for Dream specifically, and it's shown how powerful he is within the Dreaming when he effortlessly curb stomps Azazel, a former co-ruler of Hell. Judging by the shocked (or, at the very least, taken aback), reactions of all the various beings and gods who witnessed this, they were not aware of exactly how powerful Dream is while inside the Dreaming.
- Saw a Woman in Half: Cain does the Mis-made version of this to his brother Abel as entertainment for Dream's guests. Given how this is Cain we're talking about, he is actually cutting him up into multiple pieces. And then grinding up the pieces and making sausages. Shimmering Jemmy is pretty into it.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Morpheus stuffs the demon Azazel in a bottle near the end of Season of Mists and leaves him in a trunk.
- Shout-Out: During the chapter set in the Boarding School of Horrors, one character mentions "the happiest days of our lives".
- To Hell with This Infernal Job: Lucifer quits his role as Lord of Hell, kicks out all the demons and damned souls in it, locks all the gates, and gives the key to Dream, before leaving it all behind. This not only starts the main conflict of the story, but also leads into Lucifer's own spinoff.
- Villain Has a Point: Azazel seems to want the key simply to be the new king of Hell, but part of his argument is that Hell is the natural domain of the demons, who have all been kicked out. The Creator himself, speaking through Remiel, essentially agrees with this and says the demons have to return to Hell and it has to resume its original function.
- We Win, Because You Didn't: Shimmering Jemmy — who basically threatened Dream with war against the forces of Chaos if he didn't give her the key to Hell — admits that she had no intention of actually following through on her threats. The Lords of Chaos had no real need for Hell; they just didn't want Order getting it.
