The Corinthian is an anthropomorphized living nightmare created by Dream, who destroys him in the same collection for going rogue and failing to fulfill his original design.

The Corinthian is also able to embody himself in human beings, whereof the eyes are consumed and replaced by teeth and the hair of the victim turns white.

He possess the ability to detect shapeshifters, shown when deducing Loki's disguise quickly thanks to the memories of his predecessor of living among shifters within the dreaming.

During his search for Daniel Hall, the Corinthian kills a supernatural wolf with his bare hands and later defeats Loki in single combat.

The Corinthian is AWOL from the dreamscape following Morpheus's escape from capture, and masquerades as a serial killer who removes his victims' eyes; but Dream finds him shortly after saving Rose Walker.

A black mirror, made to reflect everything about itself that humanity will not confront"; but is deemed a failure for having done nothing other than gruesome murders, far short of Dream's intent.

The story takes place in Venice, in the year 1920, and includes such tangential plot elements as police corruption and anti-communist paranoia.

Charles Constantine, happening upon them while dressed in his own carnival costume, finally steels himself and kills the Corinthian, who offers no resistance, with his own knife.

The tale draws to a close with Charles leaving the country and the Corinthian beginning his murder spree, starting with Amedeo's young lover and the policeman guarding her in jail.

Discovering how widespread the Smiling Man has become he petitions Dream to allow him to re-enter the waking world and track the entity down with the aid of Maddison Flynn; a young woman who has had her connection to the Dreaming tampered with by unseen forces but has the power to see the Smiling Man in the waking world.

The pair follow a lead to a demonic night club where Azazel is working to harvest souls of unwary mortals in return for granting their hearts desires.

When Azazel has to take care of some business he slips away and comes across the reanimated form of Maddison's friend who is condemned to work at the club; tortured and mutilated at the hands of the depraved guests.

He helps her treat some of her more severe injuries and the pair attempt an escape only to be caught by Max's boss Mr Teaugue and his Angel companion.

Having concluded on his own that the Smiling Man is some ploy of Desire and Despair's he removes the Corinthian's memories of the ordeal and returns him to the Shores of Night to continues his duties.

In a later story arc of Sandman, The Kindly Ones, Puck politely refuses to ask whether his name is taken from "the letters, the pillars, the leather, the place, or the mode of behavior."