Bacchante # 11 (illustrated by Te’Shawn Dwyer)

In The Sandman Special # 1, Orpheus encounters The Bacchante, who are some of the most terrifying characters in the Sandman universe.

In Greek mythology, The Bacchante are crazy, wild women living in the forests. They are capable of tearing animals (and sometimes people) into pieces with their bare hands. They are sometimes called Maenads, but regardless of their name they are ferocious and insatiable in their desires and violence. In Roman mythology, The Bacchante are the female followers of Bacchus, the god of wine and intoxication.

In The Sandman universe Orpheus is torn apart by a group of Bacchante after returning from Hades, failing to rescuing his wife from the land of the dead.

This particular Bacchante is one of the first that Orpheus encounters. She is standing toward the back of the initial gathering. She can be seen in The Sandman Special # 1 (The Song Of Orpheus), page 43.