Origins[]

Death was the youngest of four children born to Apocalypse and Genesis, the mutant leaders of Okkara. The four grew up to become the first iteration of their father's Horsemen. They were raised in Okkara,^[1] although they did briefly leave Okkara to fight the Brood in 2620 BC, Egypt, alongside the Brotherhood of the Shield's founder, Imhotep.^[5][6]

When their homeland of Okkara was attacked by Annihilation and its hordes of Amenthi daemons, Death and the rest of his people fought to defend their sacred land. Eventually, it became clear that the mutants could not win. Okkara was split into two halves, and it was decided that the entire mutant society would be sealed away into the alien world of Amenth, to buy Apocalypse time to prepare mutantkind for the daemons' inevitable return.^[7]

Arakko[]

On the half of Okkara that would eventually become known as Arakko, the mutants created a series of towers to protect them against the daemons. Death, his siblings and the other mutants fought for millennia in an endless war, as generations of mutants lived and died within the safety of the towers.^[8]

Eventually, Death's mother, Genesis, accepted a duel against Annihilation, for the fate of their two peoples. Genesis won, but it proved a hollow victory, as without a host, the daemonic children of Annihilation would go on an uncontrollable rampage, dooming the Arakki, leaving Genesis with the choice to merge with the entity and fall under its control, or stand idly by as her home was destroyed. When the desperate Arakkii opened a portal to Dryador, Genesis merged with Annihilation, hoping to control it, only to fall under its sway. She led the armies of Amenth to the conquest of Arakko. The mutants were subjugated, and Death and his siblings were now forced to lead the armies of their lifelong enemies.^[8]

X of Swords[]

With Arakko subjugated, Annihilation prepared for the invasion of Earth. Death's nephew Summoner would be sent with a piece of Arakko to Earth in order to manipulate his grandfather into opening a portal to allow the Amenthi forces to reach Earth, while Death and the Horsemen would lead the armies of Amenth to the conquest of Dryador.^[3]

After the fall of Dryador, the Horsemen laid siege to the Starlight Citadel, the very nexus of Otherworld. During the siege, they were reunited with their father, who had been led there by Summoner, together with a squadron of Krakoan mutants. They ambushed him, mortally wounding him before he was extracted by the Krakoans. As the Horsemen and their armies battled the Krakoans, Opal Luna Saturnyne, Omniversal Majestrix and ruler of Otherworld, interrupted the conflict. She froze the combatants in place, and confronted Death about his leading an army onto her lands. Death remained defiant, even after Saturnyne used her magic to temporarily revert him to a child. On behalf of Amenth, Death agreed to a proposal for a tournament to settle the matter; they would depart, but return in a few days time to fight the champions of Otherworld; the mutants of Krakoa, for the right to cross Otherworld into Earth. Saturnyne produced a prophecy, bidding each side to produce ten specific sword-bearers wielding specific swords.^[3]

Death and his sister War were two of the chosen sword-bearers. The Horsemen set about finding the swords and their wielders. Death and Famine recruited the White Sword to their cause and retrieved Death's prophesized sword the Black Bone of Amduat.^[9]

With their sword-bearers found, they traveled to Otherworld to begin the tournament. Before the tournament, Saturnyne arranged a banquet to allow the contestants to mingle. Death took a liking to Krakoan mutant Storm, noting that she did not fear him. The two shared a dance, but Storm gently rejected his advances.^[10]

As the tournament went on, Death took part in several challenges, winning all of them. In order to secure an advantage, Death paid Mad Jim Jaspers to poison Wolverine's and Storm's drinks to nullify their powers.^[11]

For his next challenge, Death was pitted against Storm in a duel before the vampiric crowds of Sevalith. The two fought, with Storm gaining the advantage and shattering his blade. Declaring that the battle had gone on long enough, Death removed his helm to unleash his powers, but Storm managed to reflect his death stare with her blade, stunning him long enough for her to run him through. Unable to resist his blood, the vampiric crowds descended and began devouring him.^[12] While he was out of commission following this duel, Death survived.^[13]

Servant of Sevalith[]

After his defeat against Storm, Death was made a "guest" of Sevalith, and began working for its twin rulers. When Dracula threatened to unleash an army of vampires, Wolverine and vampire hunter Louise travelled to Sevalith to seek their aid in purging Dracula's strain from Earth. There they encountered Death, who offered his aid.^[14]

After Captain Britain was targeted by a Sevalithi assassin in the Crooked Market, she travelled to Sevalith to seek answers. The twin rulers of the realm had few answers to give, prompting her to visit Death. The two spoke of the looming threat against mutants in Otherworld, and Death vowed that he would stand with his people if needed. Captain Britain offered to have him freed from his servitude, but he politely refused.^[15]

When Merlin assumed control of Otherworld and Sevalith turned against mutantkind, Death was chained up and imprisoned. Captain Britain and her knights managed to find him, hoping to recruit him in their quest to retrieve the Siege Perilous. Death once again refused their offer, claiming he was having far too much fun, but helped decipher his father's grimoire, guiding Captain Britain and her knights towards the Siege.^[16]

Return to Amenth[]

Upon learning of the destruction suffered by the Great Ring of Arakko at the hands of Uranos, Genesis resolved to return to the Broken Land once again. With the demons and Summoners of Amenth bent to her will, in part through the whispers of Annihilation, she marched her forces into Sevalith to free Death.^[1]

Death rejoined his family and helped them march on the White Sword, finally defeating him, with Genesis using the power of Annihilation to bend him to her will.^[17]

Like most Arakkii mutants, Death respects power and strength above all else. He does not lend credence to honorable combat, and has no qualms in acquiring an advantage for himself.^[12] As his moniker suggests, he does not hesitate to kill, delivering death as a gift.^[9][8] Death was neither the strongest nor fastest of his siblings, but was the most patient, and had a loyalty adored by his father. Despite his frightening demeanor, Death has displayed a romantic side, and was referred to as a "charmer" by Storm.^[10][15]

Death is an Omega-level mutant^[18] with the following powers:

• Eyes of Death: Death has the ability to unleash a disintegrating mist through his eyes. His stare can release a directed blast of the mist that can reduce other living creatures to mere ash.^[19] The mist seems to be able to reflect and bounce off mirrored surfaces.
• Life Sense: Death has the ability to detect the "spark" of life within others. After Storm defeated his siblings, he was able to detect the waning presence of their lifeforce. ^[18]
• Advanced Longevity: Given that the First Horsemen had fought alongside Imhotep in 2620 BC,^[5][6] Death and his siblings are over 4600 years old.

Death isn't immune to his own powers, only resistant. His powers can be used against him if he were to look in a mirror or if they are to be reflected back against him. Although not to their full effect, seemingly only hurting him severely, not killing him.^[12]

• Death's Helmet: A helmet shaped after the Egyptian god of death, Anubis, which seemingly regulate his death stare power.^[19]

• Scythe

• While Apocalypse and his original Horsemen were recruited by Imhotep,^[6][5] it is not clear if they also joined Imhotep's Brotherhood of the Shield/Spear.^[20]
• Death's power seems to be automatic, as he unleashed immediately upon removing his helmet.^[19] His helmet seemingly works in a fashion similar to Cyclops' Visor, as it reins his power from being unleashed uncontrollably.

• According to Apocalypse, Death was the best Horseman of Death he ever had, while his successors were poor underwhelming replacers.^[21]
• According to Apocalypse, Death is the most patient and has a loyalty he adores. Death is, sometimes, the hardest role to fill, for that is the son he will grapple with eternally. Pestilence, War, and Famine he will know if he seeks them out, but Death may still surprise even him one night, a cold steel blade in between even his ribs. Death is the son he can never trust.^[16]
• Death considers scarabs sacred. The back of his head is adorned with a silver scarab.^[19]
• His powers flaw work similarly to the Basilisk as they can be reflected on mirrored surfaces and even unto him.
• Death wears a helmet that bears resemblance to Anubis, the Egyptian god of death.^[19]