Wonder Woman 1984: The Comic Book Basis For The Dreamstone
Contains minor spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984
On December 25, 2020, Warner Bros. finally released the highly anticipated sequel to the 2017 hit film Wonder Woman — Wonder Woman 1984. The new movie greatly expands on the world created by Patty Jenkins in the first film, with many clear and less obvious references to the DC Comics that the film is based on. Gal Gadot returns as Diana Prince of Themyscira, jumping from 1918 to 1984. Now living in Washington, D.C., Diana works at the Smithsonian Institution as a researcher in cultural anthropology and archaeology, using her skill with languages and knowledge of antiquity for both the museum's research and her personal investigation into her own godly origin.
Having created a new life for herself over the years, Diana quickly senses something is wrong when a strange old item, a crystal, arrives at the Smithsonian to be examined by Diana's new coworker, Dr. Barbara Minerva, played by Kristen Wiig. Soon enough, Diana's world is turned upside down when Chris Pine's Steve Trevor miraculously returns to her life. Along with that, a smarmy sycophant named Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro Pascal, develops an intense interest in Barbara, and in turn, the crystal. This strange crystal that has everyone hot, bothered, and seemingly returned from the dead is soon revealed to be the Dreamstone.
But what exactly is the Dreamstone, and is it in the DC Comics? Yes, it is, but it's not called the Dreamstone. The chaotic, ancient Dreamstone that spawns such turmoil for Diana in Wonder Woman 1984 is inspired by the Chaos Crystal, a magical item of raw power from DC Comics history.
The origin of the Dreamstone in DC Comics
The Chaos Crystal is a fragment of a crystal that originally came from the source of all magic in the DC Universe — the Sphere of the Gods. In the comics, this is the metaphysical reality that is home to gods and immortal beings, including the likes of Diana's father Zeus, Steppenwolf, and Ares, whom Diana battled in Wonder Woman.
An amplifier and manipulator of raw power, the crystal has the ability to grant wishes, using energy and magic to morph reality on a huge scale, but at a steep cost to the wisher. The Chaos Crystal's presence in DC Comics is tied to Superman, also known as Kal-El. At one point, the U.S. government gets their hands on it and wishes for a weapon strong enough to stop Superman if he ever went rogue. Similarly, Batman uses it to amplify Kryptonite, making it more dangerous to Kal-El. Superman then destroys the crystal, breaking it into shards that scatter across the universe.
To note, there is an item from the comics actually called the Dreamstone. With similar powers to the Chaos Crystal, it was created by Doctor Destiny to use against the Justice League. The object first shows up in Justice League of America in the 1960s, and moved into the '80s and beyond as part of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, which began ostensibly in the well-worn DC universe before carving out its own path. Though Wonder Woman 1984's Dreamstone shares traits with this one, the film version is likely an amalgam of the comics' Dreamstone and the Chaos Crystal, with more similarities to the latter than to Morpheus' stolen charm.
The Dreamstone's role in Wonder Woman 1984
Essentially, it's all in the name. The Dreamstone grants the person who touches it their wildest dreams. Of course, it comes at a high price, which Diana experiences first-hand after an accidental wish. Initially, the stone seems useless, made of the material citrine, and Barbara says that it's likely a fake. When Diana examines it, she sees that it has a ring around it with words in Latin that say "Place upon the object held but one great wish." While holding the stone and considering what she might wish for, Diana thinks of Steve. Turns out, you don't even have to say your wish for the stone to grant it.
The Dreamstone is a key part of Wonder Woman 1984. Lord tracks down the powerful item so that he may grant his own wishes for wealth and success. Passing through Diana's, Barbara's, and many others' hands throughout the film, the Dreamstone causes all sorts of trouble. For Barbara, she wishes to be just like Diana, but considering she isn't aware of Diana's super nature, it has surprising side effects. Diana understands the ancient and powerful nature of the item, tracing the Dreamstone's origin back through history to another god named Dolos, the god of Treachery and Mischief. Not one to mess with. Although she knows that the stone is dangerous and must be destroyed, Diana can't help but be blinded by her love for Steve after he suddenly returns to her life.