How The Sandman hid a potentially big Wonder Woman easter egg? Exploring DC Comics origin of Lyta Hall

Neil Gaiman’s magnum opus graphic novel The Sandman was adapted for TV by Netflix, with the author himself serving as the executive producer. While the series faithfully recreates the vivid panels of the comic to the big screen, there were major changes in the series ranging from characters to plot points.

One big difference that the readers of the acclaimed graphic novel noticed in the series is the identity of Lyta Hall. As per The Sandman comics and the original DC lore, Hippolyta ‘Lyta’ Trevor was the daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor.

On Earth 2, Wonder Woman retires after the events of World War 2 and gets married to Steve Trevor. She gives birth to Lyta, who possesses powers similar to hers.

Netflix teased Lyta's relationship with her mother in an Easter egg by placing a Wonder Woman action figure in the background.

In the Netflix series, the creators decided to strip Lyta Hall’s character of her superhero heritage. It made her a simple woman based in London who married her friend and fellow architect, Hector Hall. Although Hall lost his life in an accident, the two were friends with the dream vortex Rose Walker, and Hector would visit Lyta in her dreams.

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Lyta Hall’s story in The Sandman comics vs Netflix series

In the comics, Lyta would join a college where she is reunited with her childhood friend Hector Hall. Hector is the son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Lyta and Hector adopted the personality of Fury and Silver Scarab and applied to be a part of the Justice Society of America. They weren’t admitted in JSA and so they formed their own superhero team, Infinity Inc.

Lyta is engaged to Hector and is pregnant with his child, but her happiness is cut short by Hector's death. He narrowly escapes death and is trapped in the dream by Brute and Glob. While the Dream of the Endless was trapped on Earth, Hector and Lyta continued their romantic relationship in the dream. For two years, the dream realm ceased the growth of Lyta’s unborn child.

When the dream king escaped his captors, he captured Brute and Glob, and put an end to Hector Hall’s unnatural dreaming, and sent him into the death realm. Morpheus claims that Lyta's baby belongs to the dream since it was formed there and would one day return to take it back.

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Lyta’s baby Daniel is the future king of the Dream realm

Just like in comics, in the Netflix series, Morpheus lays claim to the baby. However, it is not as menacing as it was in the comics. The dream lord’s claim on the baby haunts Lyta so much that she is always with her baby and sacrifices her social life for him. The baby boy is named Daniel by the Sandman.

As time passes Lyta loosens up, she is over her husband’s death and takes the first step towards enjoying her life. She hires a babysitter to take care of little Daniel.

However, upon returning, she finds the sitter fast asleep and her baby missing. Lyta Hall assumes The Sandman has taken her baby but it was the trickster god Loki who escaped his punishment in Hell after Lucifer quit his throne.

Lyta is enraged with Morpheus, and with the help of the Kindly Ones, sets the destruction of the dream realm. The Dream Lord sacrificed his life to save his realm but appointed Daniel, the son of Lyta Hall, as the next Dream King. Daniel restores the dream realm, forgives his mother for the destruction caused by her, and offers her protection.

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Why Lyta Hall is a major player in the future seasons of the Netflix series

Lyta is a major player in the plot of The Sandman and we believe she’ll appear in future seasons. By the end of season one, she gives birth to a baby boy who is destined to rule the dream. We have a theory that suggests that Lyta Hall is a big part of Lucifer’s plan of destruction of the dream realm.

In the comic, Lucifer quitting the throne leads to the escape of Loki, who kidnaps Daniel, which ultimately causes the destruction of Dream at the hands of Lyta Hall. The whole chain reaction could be a carefully crafted plan by Lucifer to destroy The Sandman. In the end, the demon king has claimed that she will do:

“Something that will make God absolutely livid and bring Morpheus to his knees.”

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Season one of The Sandman is now streaming on Netflix. The series stars Tom Sturridge as Dream, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, and Donna Preston as Despair.

Gwendoline Christie will play the role of Lucifer, while Boyd Holbrook will be the antagonist, The Corinthian.