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Death

125 appearances · Bronze Age · 1974–2025 · 3 key issues
Who is Death?

Death is Marvel's cosmic embodiment of mortality itself — an abstract, primordial entity as old as the universe, worshipped and feared across countless civilizations. Neither created nor born in any conventional sense, Death simply exists as an fundamental force, silently presiding over the end of all living things.

Few figures in Marvel's cosmos carry the weight — and the mystique — of Death, the embodiment of mortality itself, who made her haunting entrance in Jim Starlin's Captain Marvel #30 in 1974, a Bronze Age debut that would ripple across half a century of storytelling. With 125 catalog appearances spanning all the way to 2025, she is one of Marvel's most enduring cosmic presences, turning up in key issues that collectors prize and gracing pages alongside titans like Thanos, Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, and Spider-Man — a roster that speaks to just how vast her dominion truly is. Her deepest roots run through Thanos Rising, Quasar, and Deadpool, series that have made her a cornerstone of Marvel's cosmic and street-level mythologies alike. If you're drawn to the grand, philosophical sweep of Marvel storytelling — the questions that lurk beneath the capes and the battles — Death is a character absolutely worth knowing.

Identity

Real name. Death (none; she is an abstract cosmic entity)

Powers. Nigh-omnipotent abstract embodiment of death/non-existence; reality manipulation, resurrection, soul/life-force manipulation, shapeshifting, cosmic awareness; one of the fundamental cosmic constants alongside Eternity, Infinity, and Oblivion.

Affiliations. Cosmic abstract entities; closely associated with Thanos (her would-be suitor); counterpart/sibling to Eternity and twin of Oblivion.

★ First appearance
Captain Marvel #26
May 1973

Part of the Death legacy

Death is one of 2 heroes to carry the Death mantle. See the whole Death family ▸

Top series

Covers through the years — 1974–2022

Captain Marvel #30 1974
Captain Marvel #30
Doctor Strange #41 1980
Doctor Strange #41
Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1 1982
Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1
The Thing #19 1985
The Thing #19
Silver Surfer Annual #2 1989
Silver Surfer Annual #2
Quasar #49 1993
Quasar #49
Spider-Woman #4 1999
Spider-Woman #4
Deadpool #36 2000
Deadpool #36
The Amazing Spider-Man #503 2004
The Amazing Spider-Man #503
Essential Silver Surfer #2 2007
Essential Silver Surfer #2
The Thanos Imperative #6 2011
The Thanos Imperative #6
Deadpool vs Thanos #4 2015
Deadpool vs Thanos #4
Silver Surfer Epic Collection #6 2018
Silver Surfer Epic Collection #6
Silver Surfer Rebirth #3 2022
Silver Surfer Rebirth #3

Appearances

Captain Marvel (1968)
Doctor Strange (1974)
Dracula Lives (1973)
#9
War Is Hell (1973)
#15
The Avengers Annual (1967)
#7
Marvel Graphic Novel (1982)
Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions (1982)
The Thing (1983)
#19
Secret Wars II (1985)
Marvel Fanfare (1982)
#24
The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976)
The West Coast Avengers Annual (1986)
#2
Silver Surfer (1987)
Silver Surfer Annual (1988)
#2
The Thanos Quest (1990)
Fantastic Four Annual (1963)
#23
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (1988)
#21
The Life of Captain Marvel (1990)
The Avengers: The Korvac Saga (1991)
The Infinity Gauntlet (1991)
Quasar (1989)
Spider-Man (1990)
#17
Marvel Comics Presents (1988)
Infinity Gauntlet (1992)
Avengers Forever (1998)
#9
New Warriors (1999)
#1
Warlock (1999)
#1
Silver Surfer: Loftier Than Mortals (1999)
#1
Spider-Woman (1999)
#4
Spider-Man: Chapter One (1998)
#12
Spider-Girl (1998)
#13
Mutant X (1998)
#13
Thor (1998)
#16
Generation X (1994)
#56
Cable (1993)
#72
The Uncanny X-Men (1981)
X-Men Forever (2001)
Giant Size Mini-Marvels: Starring Spidey (2002)
#1
The Amazing Spider-Man (1999)
Thanos (2003)
Essential Tomb of Dracula (2004)
#4
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2006)
#3
Essential Silver Surfer (1998)
#2
The Mighty Avengers (2007)
#19
Amazing Spider-Man by JMS Ultimate Collection (2009)
#3
Ms. Marvel (2006)
Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos (2010)
The Tomb of Dracula Omnibus (2008)
#3
Deadpool Classic (2008)
#4
The Thanos Imperative (2010)
#6
Essential Defenders (2005)
#6
Marvel Ghost Stories (2011)
Avengers: The Contest (2012)
Avengers: West Coast Avengers - Zodiac Attack (2012)
Avengers vs. Thanos (2013)
Essential Captain Marvel (2008)
#2
Thanos Rising (2013)
Deadpool by Daniel Way: The Complete Collection (2013)
#3
Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus (2014)
Deadpool vs Thanos (2015)
#4
Drax: Guardian of the Galaxy (2016)
Deadpool: World's Greatest (2016)
#6
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme Omnibus (2017)
#1
Silver Surfer Epic Collection (2014)
Doctor Strange by Mark Waid (2018)
#3
Deadpool by Joe Kelly: The Complete Collection (2019)
#2
Marvel's Voices (2020)
#1
Marvel's Voices: Legacy (2021)
Marvel-Verse: Loki (2021)
Doctor Strange Epic Collection (2016)
#9
The Death of Captain Marvel Gallery Edition (2021)
Defenders: Beyond (2022)
Iron Man (2020)
Silver Surfer Rebirth (2022)
#3
Jane Foster: The Saga of Valkyrie (2022)
Marvel (2022)
Deadpool Epic Collection (2021)
Strange (2022)
Amazing Spider-Man by Zeb Wells (2023)
#6
Silver Surfer: Return to the Spaceways Omnibus (2024)
Immortal Thor (2023)
Deadpool: The Saga of Wade Wilson (2024)