Destiny

Lore & Background

Doctor Destiny first encountered the Justice League of America shortly after inventing an anti-gravity device and will-deadener beam that allowed him to capture and impersonate Green Lantern. Before Destiny could further his criminal ends, the League discovered his treachery as Green Arrow had heard from an underworld informant that a member of the League had been captured and was being impersonated. Destiny captured the League and attempted to get rid of them by sending the ship they were on into space. As Destiny was drawing the JLA upwards, the station suffered a brief power drain, lessening the effects of the will-deadener. Green Lantern freed himself and imprisoned Destiny and his two henchmen. Later, Destiny created the Materioptikon, a device which allowed him to manifest the fabric of dreams into reality. A retcon in The Sandman revealed that the Materioptikon was powered by Morpheus' Dreamstone, which was given to Destiny by his mother Ethel Dee. Destiny physically altered the ruby with wires and components, but it remained Morpheus' stone. Doctor Destiny's power became so great that the Justice League resorted to drastic measures to stop him. They hypnotized him and manipulated his psyche to prevent him from dreaming. This prevented Destiny from using the Materioptikon, but caused him to lose his mind and shrivel to a skeletal form. Destiny was sent to Arkham Asylum, where his sanity eroded further. Following the death of his mother, Destiny escaped Arkham, made his way to a diner, and tortured the patrons over the course of 24 hours before having them kill each other. Dream, recently freed and searching for stolen tokens of power, was unable to stop Destiny until the Dreamstone was destroyed, which returned its power to Dream. Morpheus returned Destiny to Arkham and restored his ability to dream. Despite the Dreamstone's destruction, Destiny's continued use of the Materioptikon allowed him to retain a portion of its powers.

In Their Own Story

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Doctor Destiny first appeared at the end of Justice League Dark #19. A.R.G.U.S. was in possession of his Dream Stone, which John Constantine recognized. It was revealed that Madame Xanadu is Destiny's mother. During the 'Forever Evil' storyline, Doctor Destiny was among the villains recruited by the Crime Syndicate of America to join the Secret Society of Super Villains. In the Knight Terrors event, it was revealed that the Nightmare Stone utilized by Insomnia was once the Dreamstone. Sometime after the stone's creation, it was stolen by Doctor Destiny, who manipulated it into the Nightmare Stone, and broke it into small pieces. Fearing the stone's power, Destiny chose to hide it, but was killed by Insomnia for not telling him where it is hidden.

Reader's Guide

John Dee has the ability to enter and manipulate dreams. He also possesses extensive knowledge of medical science. In other media, John Dee / Doctor Destiny appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced by William Atherton. First appearing in the Justice League episode 'Only a Dream', this version is a low-level LexCorp employee, small-time crook, and inmate of Stryker's Prison. After using the Materioptikon to gain psychic powers, Dee escapes prison and kills his wife Penny before trapping most of the Justice League in nightmares. While confronting Batman however, Destiny accidentally sedates himself and is re-incarcerated. Destiny makes non-speaking appearances in Justice League Unlimited as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society before being killed by Darkseid. Dr. John Deegan appears in 'Elseworlds', portrayed by Jeremy Davies. This version is an Arkham Asylum psychiatrist who believes in augmenting patients to help them achieve their peak potential. The Monitor approaches Deegan and gives him the Book of Destiny to rewrite reality as he sees fit. Following a failed attempt, the latter does so, transforming himself into a black-suited Superman (portrayed by Tyler Hoechlin). Afterward, Deegan is imprisoned in Arkham. John Dee, based on his initial Sandman appearances, appears in The Sandman (2022), portrayed by David Thewlis. Doctor Destiny, referred simply to as 'Destiny', appears in Justice League Dark, voiced by Alfred Molina. This version is a dark wizard who was trapped in the Dreamstone by Merlin and Etrigan centuries prior.

Did You Know?

• Doctor Destiny first appeared in Justice League of America #5 (June 1961), created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky.
• The Materioptikon is powered by Morpheus' Dreamstone, which was given to Destiny by his mother Ethel Dee.
• Destiny once tortured patrons in a diner over 24 hours before having them kill each other, as depicted in The Sandman.
• In the Knight Terrors event, Doctor Destiny was killed by Insomnia for information about the Nightmare Stone's location.
• David Thewlis plays a version of John Dee in the television series The Sandman (2022).