Despair

**Despair** and her older twin, Desire, are second youngest of the Endless. To the ancient Greeks, she was known as **Aponoia**. Despair's sigil is a hooked ring she wears on her left hand which she uses to tear into her flesh. Her realm is a gray, foggy space filled with rats and mirrors, which she uses to look upon people in their despair.

## History

100,000 years ago, Despair was the first Endless to die and then have a new aspect of herself assume her position. How or why the first Despair was killed in unknown.

In 19th century San Francisco, Despair challenged Dream to a contest over a failed businessman, to see which of them had more sway over the lives of mortals. Dream gave Joshua Abraham Norton the dream of being Emperor Norton I, which kept him from falling into the depths of despair, as well as keeping him from the traps set by Desire and Delirium. By so doing, he won the contest, angering Desire.

In later years, Despair routinely took part in her twin's machinations, albeit usually her role was more that of an audience. She pointed out that *"the elder three don't play our little games"*, which sheds light on their mutual perception of such plots.

## Appearance

Despair is a frumpy overweight woman with long unkempt blond hair.

## Personality

### First Despair

The original Despair from what is seen, is talkative, confident, and is a thoughtful architect of sorrow. She is shown convincing the anthropomorphic personification of Rao (the Kryptonian sun) to create life on an unstable planet. She describes allowing one inhabitant to survive the destruction of the planet and mourn as a "perfectly beautiful" piece of art.

### Second Despair

In her current aspect, Despair is perpetually somber and maintains a cold, quietly intelligent manner. Her voice is little more than a whisper, and she expresses no emotion barring the one she personifies. While she seeks to sow misery and unhappiness through tragedy, it is unclear if she willfully manipulates subjects (in the way her predecessor did) or if she passively observes sorrow playing out. Either way, Despair's current aspect is shown delighting in sadness, just like the original. She has a habit of carving her flesh with a hooked ring (which is also her sigil). Sometimes she's shown doing this in response to memories or emotions, but that's not always the case.

Despair and Desire often work together, and they're shown as being particularly close (compared to their other siblings). She's also confident that Delirium will aid her. Despair was also particularly fond of her brother Destruction.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Personification of Despair**: One of the seven Endless, inconceivably powerful beings, Despair is both the mistress and the personification of all despair and hope. She has full access to human despair, going so far as to monitor and observe it.
	+ **Omnipresence**: Despair can be everywhere on Earth at virtually the same time, being in a form not visible to humans.
	+ **Immortality**: She is eternal and virtually immortal, having existed since the beginning of everything. Even though she was destroyed several millennia ago for unknown reasons, she reformed and reincarnated in a new aspect of herself.
	+ **Teleportation**: Despair can teleport anywhere she wants between her siblings' realms and other realms in general, as long as she maintains respect for them and follows proper procedure with the Realm’s masters.

## Behind the Scenes

* Her sigil in the galleries of the other Endless is a ring with a fishhook sticking out from the top.