Thanos
Thanos
Biography
Death is the embodiment of the end of all things, the direct counterpart to Eternity, and one of the small handful of beings that outranks every god, empire and devourer in Marvel's cosmos. She rarely speaks, usually appears as a hooded skeletal figure or a shrouded woman, and communicates mostly through implication, which is precisely why she is so effective on the page.
Her importance comes from Thanos. Jim Starlin built the Mad Titan's entire mythology around an unrequited obsession with her, and The Infinity Gauntlet is a story about a man murdering half the universe as a courtship gesture and being ignored anyway. She has also taken an interest in Deadpool, which is the origin of Thanos' jealous curse of immortality on Wade Wilson, and it remains the funniest love triangle Marvel has ever printed.
Vital statistics
- Also known as
- Mistress Death, Lady Death, The Void
- Species
- Abstract entity
- Place of origin
- Coexistent with the universe itself
- First appearance
- Captain Marvel (1973)
- Created by
- Jim Starlin, Mike Friedrich
- Affiliations
- The abstract entities, Cosmic hierarchy
- Groups
- Cosmic Characters
Power grid
Intelligence7
Strength7
Speed7
Durability7
Energy7
Fighting3
Rated 1–7 on the classic Marvel power-grid scale.
Powers
- Absolute Dominion Over Death
Every ending in the universe falls within her purview.
- Resurrection and Denial
She restores the dead or refuses to accept them, as she has with Thanos and Deadpool.
- Omnipresence
She exists wherever life ends, which is everywhere.
- Reality Manipulation
Within her domain she reshapes existence at will.
- Avatar Projection
She appears in whatever form the observer's mind requires.
Abilities
- Equal standing with Eternity in the cosmic hierarchy
- Selection and empowerment of mortal avatars, most notably Thanos
- Capacity to bar a being from dying, as a punishment rather than a gift
Weaknesses
- Bound by the Living Tribunal's authority
- Cannot exceed her domain into Eternity's without conflict
- Manipulable through the devotion of powerful followers
Comics history
Jim Starlin introduced her in his early-1970s Captain Marvel run as the object of Thanos' devotion, and she became the engine of Marvel's most enduring cosmic mythology. Every major Thanos story from The Thanos Quest through The Infinity Gauntlet turns on her indifference to him.
Later writers used her as the counterweight to Eternity in Marvel's abstract tier, and Deadpool's books turned her attention to Wade Wilson into a recurring plot, with Thanos cursing him with immortality out of pure jealousy.
Allies
- Thanos, in his imagination
- Deadpool
Enemies
- Eternity
- Adam Warlock
- Thanos, eventually
Weapons & equipment
- None
- None
Trivia
- Jim Starlin created her as the object of Thanos' devotion, and she has spoken directly to him remarkably rarely.
- She rejected Thanos even after he wiped out half the universe with the Infinity Gauntlet.
- Thanos cursed Deadpool with immortality out of jealousy over Death's affection for Wade Wilson.
- In the cosmic hierarchy she is Eternity's counterpart, both of them subordinate only to the Living Tribunal and the One-Above-All.
- The MCU cut the Death romance entirely, replacing Thanos' motivation with an ecological argument about resources.
Famous quotes
Everything that begins arrives at me. There is no hurry.
You offered me a universe of corpses, Thanos. I did not ask for a gift.
Timeline
- 1973
Introduced in Jim Starlin's Captain Marvel run as Thanos' obsession.
- 1990
Sends Thanos after the Infinity Gems in The Thanos Quest.
- 1991
Rejects Thanos even after the Snap in The Infinity Gauntlet.
- 2000s
Becomes central to Deadpool's mythology and Thanos' immortality curse on him.
Gallery
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Frequently asked
Is Death a woman in Marvel?
She appears most often as a shrouded female figure or a hooded skeleton, and Thanos perceives her as a woman he loves. Like all Marvel abstracts, her form is a projection shaped by the observer rather than a fixed body.
Why does Thanos love Death?
Jim Starlin built the character around it: Thanos' devotion to Death drives almost every atrocity he commits, including the Snap in The Infinity Gauntlet. She has never returned the affection, which is the tragedy and the joke at the centre of Marvel's biggest villain.