Grim Reaper (comics)

Grim Reaper (Eric Williams) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

The Grim Reaper first appeared in The Avengers #52 May (1968), by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. He has been killed many times, depicted in Web of Spider-Man #46, Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #2, Chaos War: Avengers #3, and Uncanny Avengers #5 and #21, and Vision Vol. 3, #1.

Fictional character biography

Eric Williams, the brother of Simon Williams (also known as Wonder Man), was born in Paterson, New Jersey. Eric was the black sheep of his family. His mother would tell him that he was 'born bad', while heaping affection on Simon. Eric's father was charged with disciplining him, but was abusive and uncaring. He even preferred to watch TV lazily, while Eric was torturing the family cat. At the same time, their mother Martha was loving and attentive to Simon, making Eric bitter and jealous.

One day Eric was playing with chemicals in the garage, and caused a fire which burned down their house. Simon felt guilty for not stopping Eric, and resolved to be responsible for Eric from there on. As they grew older, Simon grew studious while Eric was an athlete. Eric also became more rebellious, and tried to get Simon to join him in his petty thefts. Eventually Eric became a gambler, joined the Maggia and moved to Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Simon took over the family business, Williams Innovations.

Partly due to competition with Stark Industries, Williams Innovations began to fail. Desperate, Simon turned to Eric and his mob ties for help. Simon embezzled money from the company to invest with Eric, but Simon was caught and jailed. Simon was freed from jail by Baron Zemo, induced by an offer of revenge on Tony Stark by defeating Iron Man and the Avengers. Simon was transformed into Wonder Man, in order to infiltrate the Avengers. Zemo's empowering process also poisoned Simon, ensuring his loyalty in exchange for the antidote. Simon's better nature won out though, and he 'died' saving the Avengers from Zemo's trap (though he had really only entered a coma due to his body adjusting to superpowers). The Avengers copied his brain patterns, hoping to make him live on in another way.

Learning of Simon's death, Eric was inflamed with guilt and anger. Through his Maggia contacts, he contacted the Tinkerer who provided him with his scythe weapon, which was further enhanced by Ultron with coma-inducing abilities. Taking the name "Grim Reaper," he became a professional criminal and defeated the Avengers Hawkeye, Goliath, and the Wasp, placing them in comas, but was beaten by the surprise appearance of the Black Panther.^[1]

In his next appearance, the Grim Reaper confronted the Avengers with his original Lethal Legion composed of the Living Laser, Power Man, the Man-Ape, and the Swordsman. He first sent the Man-Ape against them, who captured Black Panther. He allowed the Black Panther to escape so he could contact the Avengers so they would be lured to the location of the Legion members, before capturing the Panther again. He captured nearly all of them, placing them in an hourglass filled with a deadly gas, and sent Power Man after Vision. The Vision defeated Power Man, disguising himself as Power Man and Power Man as himself. The Legion was defeated when the Grim Reaper found himself unable to strike down the Vision, having discovered that he possessed Simon's brainwave patterns. He released 'the Vision' by breaking the hourglass, meaning the Avengers were freed and defeated the Legion.^[2]

The Grim Reaper later allied with the Space Phantom and HYDRA. He planned to transfer the Vision's mind to Wonder Man's body, thus "resurrecting" his brother. He battled the Avengers again and was defeated.^[3]

Behind the scenes, the Grim Reaper later had Wonder Man resurrected as a zombie by the Black Talon to attack the Avengers. Wonder Man was restored to true life as a result.^[4] The Grim Reaper then captured the Avengers, and staged a trial to determine whether the Vision or Wonder Man was his true brother. He was defeated by Wonder Man.^[5]

Later, the Grim Reaper attempted to kill both the Vision and Wonder Man, but was defeated by the Vision.^[6]

Later still, the Grim Reaper with Ultron, Nekra, and other allies, captured the Avengers. The Grim Reaper attempted a recreation of "Simon Williams" as a zombie. He was pursued by the Vision and Wonder Man in a cave, and died in a fall from the cave ledge.^[7] The Grim Reaper was then resurrected by Nekra as a zombie, but he believed himself to be alive. The zombie battled Wonder Man and Magneto, but when he realized he was actually dead, he "died" again as a result.^[8]

Much later, the Grim Reaper was resurrected by the time travelling Immortus as a member of his Legion of the Unliving. The Grim Reaper battled Wonder Man, and "died" again of a broken neck.^[9] He was then resurrected by Nekra as a zombie again, this time under the condition that he absorb a human life-force every 24 hours. He killed Nekra as his first victim, and then battled Wonder Man before escaping.^[10] He battled Wonder Man and the Mandrill, and escaped again.^[11] The scythe was fused to his arm by Ultron, and he formed an alliance with Ultron.^[12]

The Grim Reaper was later restored to life by the Scarlet Witch's magic.^[13] When Ultron attempted to create a new "family" for himself, the Grim Reaper was abducted as one of the six individuals that came closest to being Ultron's "family" - the others being Hank Pym, the Wasp, the Vision, the Scarlet Witch, and Wonder Man. Ultron regarded the Reaper as the first human connection he had made apart from his father, as well as his connections to Wonder Man and the Vision. While the Vision distracted Ultron, Eric was able to escape his bonds and free the other prisoners, although he subsequently fled, informing the Vision that he only released the others to save himself rather than any more noble goal.^[14]

Grim Reaper reappeared during the aftermath of the Secret War that had been organized by Nick Fury against Latveria.^[15] He was among the supervillains who had been supplied with enhanced technology by Latverian dictator Lucia von Bardos and sent to attack the heroes who had been involved in Fury's Secret War.^[16]

The Grim Reaper was apparently one of the many villains that escaped from the Raft prison during New Avengers #1-3.^[17] Being at large for several months, the Grim Reaper was eventually tracked down by Captain America and Cable during the "Civil War" storyline. Captain America and Cable brought the Reaper down with the aid of their other friends. He was found bound to a pole along with the Vulture. He was once again put into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D.^[18]

Grim Reaper is next seen at the end of Heroes for Hire #6, teamed with Man-Ape and Saboteur.^[19]

During the Dark Reign storyline, Grim Reaper later formed a new lineup of the Lethal Legion as part of a plan against Norman Osborn, after Osborn's rise to power. The team is ultimately defeated by the Dark Avengers and HAMMER agents and imprisoned in The Raft. While there, the Grim Reaper is stabbed in the heart by an inmate loyal to Osborn, and has to undergo an operation. It is also revealed that his brother Simon is a member of the Legion, also imprisoned in the Raft.^[20] The Reaper is then revealed to have died as a result of the stabbing.^[21]

During the Chaos War storyline, Grim Reaper returns from the dead following what happened to the death realms and becomes a servant of Amatsu-Mikaboshi.^[22] He and Nekra fight the "Dead Avengers" (consisting of Captain Marvel I, Deathcry, Doctor Druid, Swordsman I, Vision I, and Yellowjacket II).^[23] He manages to kill most of them except for Swordsman and Yellowjacket. Grim Reaper and Nekra are killed when Vision self-destructs.^[24]

As part of the 2012-2013 Marvel NOW! relaunch, Grim Reaper turns up alive and attacks the Avengers Unity Squad's debut press conference claiming that he is now unable to die. He is seemingly killed by Rogue who punches him harder than she expected after absorbing Wonder Man's powers.^[25] He is restored to life by a Celestial Death Seed, and is recruited by the Apocalypse Twins as part of their new Horsemen of Death.^[26] He attacks his brother Simon, defeating and capturing him.^[27] Grim Reaper destroys Earth and helps teleport all mutants to Planet X.^[28] After the Apocalypse Twins are defeated, Grim Reaper escapes with Daken.^[29] He turns up to battle Vision and his new family, but Vision's wife murders him.^[30]

Powers and abilities

Originally, the Grim Reaper was a purely technological-based villain with no innate superhuman abilities. The techno-scythe he used as his trademark weapon was designed by the Tinkerer. The scythe was worn on his right hand and had the ability to make the blade spin at rapid speed, making the weapon usable as a high-speed propeller blade buzzsaw, missile shield, and an improvised helicopter. It could also fire electromagnetic power blasts and anaesthetic gas pellets, and dispense electric stun shocks on touch. The scythe was also equipped with a cerebral-frequency generator able to induce deep comas and revive victims from them as well.

The Grim Reaper later gained some magic-related abilities: he could reanimate the souls and bodies of the dead, either through voodoo training received from Black Talon or powers bestowed upon him by Lloigoroth. The Grim Reaper has also performed various magically-based feats including but not limited to: teleporting himself and others, summoning demons, creating illusions, and clairvoyant viewing.

The Reaper's physical strength is supernaturally heightened slightly beyond the natural limitations of the human body. In addition, his right hand has been amputated and replaced with an apparently magical scythe. The scythe is magically sharp and is capable of energy blasts (much like the original), but has also been used to drain energy.

At one point, the Grim Reaper had died, and was restored to life by Nekra as a zombie. He suffered hair loss, and had sallow skin in various stages of decomposition. In this zombie state, he had the ability to absorb human life-forces to sustain his own, and was able to absorb human life-force through his scythe. He needed to absorb a human life-force once every 24 hours to remain "alive" as a zombie.

Other versions

• In the 1999 miniseries Earth X, an alternate version of Eric Williams appears in the Realm of the Dead.^[31]
• In the 2003 - 2004 intercompany crossover miniseries JLA/Avengers, the Grim Reaper is shown in a backstory of the Justice League and Avengers' team-ups. In one story, he and the Key stole the Serpent Crown and kidnapped Zatanna and Mantis to use them as a key to celestial power.^[32] Later he is shown near the end of the heroes' battle against Krona's army of enthralled villains, where he is defeated by Superman.
• The Grim Reaper did not appeared in the MC2 Universe, but his scythe weapon was used by Kevin Masterson in Avengers Next #5.^[33]
• In the 1995 miniseries The Last Avengers Story, William Maximoff, the son of the Vision and Scarlet Witch, grew up to be known as the Grim Reaper. He allied with Kang and Ultron against the Avengers. He used magic and had a scythe.^[34]

In other media

Television

• The Grim Reaper appears in The Avengers: United They Stand episode "The Sorceress' Apprentice" voiced by Allan Royal. This version wore full body armor and a helmet featuring a skull-like paint job. His relation to Wonder Man is intact in this series.
• The Grim Reaper is featured in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episodes "Iron Man is Born", "The Breakout" Pt. 1, "Living Legend", "Everything is Wonderful", "Panther's Quest", and "Widow's Sting", voiced by Lance Henriksen. Besides being Wonder Man's brother, Grim Reaper is a member of HYDRA.
• The Grim Reaper appears in the Iron Man: Armored Adventures episode "Mandarin's Quest." He appears as a Guardian of one of the Makulan Rings.
• Grim Reaper appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Roger Craig Smith.^[35] In the episode "In Deep," the Avengers capture him and Crossbones so that Iron Man and Captain America can pose as them in order to infiltrate the Cabal by capturing a fake "Iron Man." In the episode "Thanos Rising," Grim Reaper raids a military to get to the controls of the missiles in order to destroy Stark Tower and half of Manhattan. He managed to take down Iron Man with an EMP where his armor goes on a reboot. After Arsenal contains the explosion of the missiles, Iron Man's armor reboots in time to defeat Grim Reaper.

Film

• The Grim Reaper appears in Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher in an uncredited role. He appears as a buyer for the organization Leviathan who plan to auction stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. technology.

Video games

• In Captain America and the Avengers, released as an arcade console and for the Sega Genesis and SNES, the Grim Reaper is a boss character at the end of stage 2.
• Grim Reaper appears as a mini-boss in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, voiced by Rick D. Wasserman.
• Grim Reaper is featured as a boss in the Facebook game Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
• Grim Reaper is featured as a boss in the MMORPG Marvel Heroes, voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.
• Grim Reaper is featured as a playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers.

References

External links

• Grim Reaper at Marvel.com
• Leader's Lair article on Grim Reaper (contains synopses on all appearances through Avengers vol. 3 #33)
• Grand Comics Database Project article on the Avengers #52 (1968)