Death (Marvel Comics)
Death is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Mike Friedrich and Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in Captain Marvel #26 (June 1973).[1][2] Death is a cosmic entity based on the personification of death.[3][4][5] The character has also been known as Lady Death and Mistress Death at various points in her history.[6][7]
This article is about the personification of death in the Marvel Universe. For other uses, see Death (disambiguation).Death
Captain Marvel #26
(June 1973)
Realm of Death
Mistress Death
Lady Death
The Final Goddess
Spectre of Death
Grim Reaper
Dark Beauty
- Cosmic entity physiology granting:
- Near-Omnipotence
- Near-Omniscience
- Immortality
- Vast cosmic powers:
- Energy manipulation
- Matter manipulation
- Time manipulation
- Reality warping
- Shapeshifting
- Teleportation
- Necromancy
Powers and abilities[edit]
Death is an immortal and powerful cosmic abstract entity that owns no real physical body, as it is the embodiment of death.[38][39][40] The character possesses nigh infinite knowledge and power, being able to manipulate time and reality.[41][42][43][44][45] The character has complete control over death and can therefore kill or resurrect individuals.[46][47][48][49] Death occasionally appears as a humanoid female so as to be able to be perceived by lesser beings, and resides inside a pocket dimension known as the Realm of Death.[50][51]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
Kayleigh Donaldson of Syfy stated, "It's no wonder that modern pop culture has enjoyed fleshing out its grim heroes beyond their skeletal foundations. [..] In Marvel Comics, Lady Death's power is so alluring, and the woman herself so hypnotically sexy, that Thanos tries to destroy half of all living beings in the universe just to impress her."[52] Deirdre Kaye of Scary Mommy called Death a "role model" and "truly heroic."[53] Nat Brehmer of Screen Rant asserted, "Many fans were expecting, or at least hoping, to see Death in Infinity War because of her ties to Thanos."[54] Via Erhard of Game Rant ranked Death 2nd in their "7 Most Iconic Marvel Gods & Goddesses" list.[55]
Marco Vito Oddo of Collider referred to Death as a "fan-favorite cosmic entity,"[56] and ranked her 4th in their "19 Most Powerful Marvel Characters" list.[57] Marc Buxton of Den of Geek ranked Death 12th in their "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See" list, saying, "Where there is Thanos, there is Death. Thanos' beloved, the hooded embodiment of the end, should make an appearance before the Thanos saga is over. Something about that cloaked figure and her skull visage standing next to Thanos is so iconic. Death's inclusion would make audiences understand (and fear) Thanos as he tries to burn a galaxy to win her love."[58]
Johnny Brayson and Nola Pfau of Bustle ranked Death 8th in their "37 Most Powerful Characters In The Marvel Universe" list.[49] Chris Hinton of Looper ranked Death 7th in their "Strongest Supervillains In History" list.[39] Mark Langshaw of WhatCulture ranked Death 9th in their "10 New MCU Characters To Look Out For In 2018 " list.[59]
Screen Rant included Death in their "Eternity And 9 Other Crucial Cosmic Entities In Marvel Comics" list,[60] in their "15 Villains Too Powerful For The MCU (And 15 Current Villains Who Are Way Too Weak)" list,[54] and ranked her 19th in their "Marvel Vs DC: The 25 Most Powerful Gods" list.[61] CBR.com ranked Death 1st in their "Marvel: The 10 Strongest Female Gods" list,[62] 1st in their "Marvel: The 10 Strongest Female Villains" list,[47] 1st in their "10 Most Evil Supervillain Couples In Marvel" list,[63] 3rd in their "19 Most Powerful Cosmic Marvel Characters" list,[43] 8th in their "10 Smartest Gods In Marvel Comics" list,[64] and 10th in their "10 Bravest Gods In Marvel Comics" list.[65]
Other versions[edit]
Earth X[edit]
In the series Earth X, Death used the secret that Thanos' mother was a Skrull to trick him into believing she is his mother. When the deception is revealed, Thanos uses the Ultimate Nullifier to destroy Death.[66]