Grim Reaper (Marvel Comics)

Last updated
Eric Williams
Grim Reaper
Grimreapermu0.png
The Grim Reaper as depicted in The Avengers #160 (June 1977). Art by George Pérez.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Avengers #52
(May 1968) [1]
Created by Roy Thomas (writer)
John Buscema (artist) [2]
In-story information
Alter egoEric Williams
SpeciesHuman mutate / cyborg
Team affiliations Legion of the Unliving
Horsemen of Death
Lethal Legion
Sinister Six
HYDRA
Maggia
Partnerships Space Phantom
Black Talon
Man-Ape
Goliath
Ultron
Nekra
Notable aliasesAdopted Son of the Abyss
Left Hand of Darkness
Spawn of Perdition
Son of Darkness
Master of Death
The Reaper
Abilities

Eric Williams is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, the character first appeared in The Avengers #52 May (1968). [3] Eric Williams is the brother of the superhero Simon Williams / Wonder Man. [4] He is a supervillain and necromancer known under the codename Grim Reaper. [5] The character is an adversary of the Avengers. [6] He has also been a member of the Maggia, Lethal Legion, and Legion of the Unliving at various points in his history. [7]

Contents

The character will be portrayed in live-action by Demetrius Grosse in the upcoming Disney+ series Wonder Man , set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Publication history

1960s

Eric Williams debuted in The Avengers #52 May (1968), created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. [8] He appeared in the 1982 Vision and the Scarlet Witch series, [9] and the 1985 Web of Spider-Man series

2000s

Eric Williams appeared in the 2006 Civil War series, [10] the 2009 Dark Reign: Lethal Legion series, [11] the 2011 Chaos War: Dead Avengers series, [12] the 2012 Uncanny Avengers series, [13] and the 2019 Valkyrie: Jane Foster series. [14]

Fictional character biography

Eric Williams, the brother of Simon Williams, was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was constantly neglected by his parents, who gave all of their attention to Simon and failed to curb his violent tendencies. Eric eventually becomes a thief and member of the Maggia and moves to Las Vegas, while Simon takes over the family business, Williams Innovations.

After his company is faced with bankruptcy, partly due to competition with Stark Industries, Simon works with Eric and Heinrich Zemo to get revenge and is transformed into Wonder Man. Later, Simon sacrifices himself to save the Avengers, and Eric becomes the Grim Reaper out of grief. [15] [16]

In his next appearance, the Grim Reaper confronts the Avengers with his original Lethal Legion, composed of the Living Laser, Power Man, Man-Ape, and the Swordsman. He later learns that the Vision was implanted with Simon's brain waves and refuses to harm him, leading to his defeat. [17]

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. [18]

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. [19] 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. [20]

Later, the Grim Reaper attempted to kill both the Vision and Wonder Man, but was defeated by Vision. [21] [22]

Later still, the Grim Reaper with Ultron, Nekra and other allies, captured the Avengers. 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. [23] 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. [24]

Much later, Immortus resurrects the Grim Reaper as a member of his Legion of the Unliving. Grim Reaper battled Wonder Man, and "died" again of a broken neck. [25] 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. [26] He battled Wonder Man and the Mandrill, and escaped again. [27] The scythe was fused to his arm by Ultron, and he formed an alliance with Ultron. [28]

The Grim Reaper was later restored to life by the Scarlet Witch's magic. [29] When Ultron attempted to create a new "family" for himself, Grim Reaper was abducted as one of the six individuals that came closest to being Ultron's "family" - the others being Hank Pym, Wasp, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Wonder Man. Ultron regarded Grim Reaper as the first human connection made apart from Pym, as well as the connections to Wonder Man and Vision. While Vision distracted Ultron, Eric was able to escape his bonds and free the other prisoners, although he subsequently fled, informing Vision that he only released the others to save himself rather than any more noble goal. [30]

The Grim Reaper reappeared during the Secret War aftermath that had been organized by Nick Fury against Latveria. [31] He was among the supervillains who had been supplied with enhanced technology by Latverian dictator Lucia von Bardas and sent to attack the heroes who had been involved in Fury's Secret War. [32]

The Grim Reaper was apparently one of the many villains that escaped from the Raft prison. [33] 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 Grim 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. [34]

Grim Reaper is next seen teaming with Man-Ape and Saboteur. [35]

During the Dark Reign storyline, the Grim Reaper later formed a new incarnation of the Lethal Legion as part of a plan against Norman Osborn. The team is ultimately defeated by the Dark Avengers and H.A.M.M.E.R. agents and imprisoned in The Raft. While there, Grim Reaper is killed by an inmate loyal to Osborn. [36] [37]

During the Chaos War storyline, the Grim Reaper returns from the dead after Death leaves the underworld, and becomes a servant of Amatsu-Mikaboshi. [38] He and Nekra fight the "Dead Avengers" (consisting of Captain Marvel, Deathcry, Doctor Druid, Swordsman, Vision and Yellowjacket). [39] He manages to kill most of them except for Swordsman and Yellowjacket. Grim Reaper and Nekra are killed when Vision self-destructs. [40]

As part of the 2012-2013 "Marvel NOW!" relaunch, the Grim Reaper appears 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 after she absorbs Wonder Man's powers. [41] 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. [42] He attacks Simon, defeating and capturing his brother. [43] Grim Reaper destroys Earth and helps teleport all mutants to Planet X. [44] After the Apocalypse Twins are defeated, Grim Reaper escapes with Daken. [45]

The Grim Reaper later attacks Vision's family before being killed by Vision's wife Virginia. [46] After learning of this, Vision decides to keep the events secret to protect his family from the legal consequences and possible backlash from the Avengers. [47]

In the Damnation storyline, Grim Reaper is revived when Doctor Strange restores Las Vegas. [48]

In The War of the Realms , Grim Reaper is approached by Mephisto, who offers him the chance to kill the Vision in return for becoming his new Valkyrie. When Jane Foster taking on the position complicates matters, Grim Reaper is sent to take a hero's soul into the afterlife to cement his claim to the name. He targets Doctor Strange, trapping his soul in a magic mirror. Jane takes him on as Valkyrie, and defeats him by taking him to Valhalla. [49]

Powers and abilities

Eric Williams initially possessed a techno-scythe, which could create energy blasts. [50] He could spin his scythe at rapid speeds, project plasma blasts, and fire electric stun shocks. [51] Williams now wields an enchanted scythe capable of absorbing life energy from others. [52] He later gained mystical abilities as well. [53] His powers allow him to reanimate the dead, [54] teleport himself or others, summon demons, create illusions, [55] and perceive visual sensations. [56] His physical strength, stamina, and durability were slightly heightened beyond the human body's natural limitations.

Reception

Graeme McMillan of Newsarama described the relationship between Eric Williams and Simon Williams as one of the best sibling rivalries in comic books. [57]

Other versions

Earth X

An alternate universe variant of the Grim Reaper from Earth-9997 appears in Earth X . [58]

JLA/Avengers

The Grim Reaper appears in JLA/Avengers . [59]

The Last Avengers Story

An alternate universe variant of Grim Reaper, William Maximoff , from Earth-9511 appears in The Last Avengers Story . [60]

In other media

Television

Film

Eric Williams / Grim Reaper makes a cameo appearance in Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher . [63]

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Video games

Merchandise

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avengers (comics)</span> Comic book superhero team

The Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1. Labeled "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", the original Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hulk, Thor and the Wasp. Captain America was discovered trapped in ice in issue #4, and joined the group after they revived him. The Avengers are an all-star ensemble cast of established superhero characters from the Marvel Comics portfolio. Diegetically, these superheroes usually operate independently but occasionally assemble as a team to tackle especially formidable villains. This in contrast to certain other superhero teams such as the X-Men, whose characters were created specifically to be part of their team, with the team being central to their identity. The Avengers were created to create a new line of books to sell and to cross-promote Marvel Comics characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quicksilver (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Quicksilver is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in the comic book The Uncanny X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character has since starred in two self-titled limited series and has historically been depicted as a regular team member in the superhero title The Avengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Pym</span> Comic book superhero

Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in Tales to Astonish #27. He returned several issues later as the original iteration of Ant-Man, a superhero with the power to shrink to the size of an ant. He later assumed other superhero identities, including the size-changing Giant-Man and Goliath; the insect-themed Yellowjacket; and briefly, the Wasp. He is a founding member of the Avengers superhero team, and the creator of the robotic villain Ultron. He is also the ex-husband of Janet van Dyne and the father of Nadia van Dyne, his daughter by his first wife, Maria Pym.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count Nefaria</span> Fictional character from Marvel Comics

Count Luchino Nefaria is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, the character first appeared in The Avengers #13. Count Nefaria is a socialite and crime boss who operates an international crime syndicate known as the Maggia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultron</span> Marvel Comics character

Ultron is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in The Avengers #54, with his first full appearance in The Avengers #55. He is a self-aware and highly intelligent artificial intelligence in a robot body who develops a god complex and a grudge against his creator Hank Pym. His goal to destroy humanity in a shortsighted attempt at creating world peace has brought him into repeated conflict with the Avengers. Stories often end in Ultron's apparent destruction, only for the character to be resurrected in new forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonder Man</span> Marvel Comics character

Wonder Man is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9. The character, who was initially introduced as a supervillain imbued with "ionic" energy, fought the Avengers, and, after a series of events, was reborn as a superhero, joining the team against which he originally fought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Josten</span> Fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics

Erik Josten, also known as Power Man, Smuggler, Goliath and Atlas, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been a prominent member of both the Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nekra</span> Comics character

Nekra is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Steve Gerber and Ross Andru for the 1973 comic book Shanna the She-Devil. She is a mutant caused by an atomic explosion at the Los Alamos Proving Grounds, as was the mutant supervillain Mandrill.

The Black Talon is the name of a number of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Man-Ape</span> Comics character

Man-Ape (M'Baku) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, the character first appeared in The Avengers #62. Man-Ape is depicted as a frequent adversary of the superhero Black Panther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acts of Vengeance</span> Marvel Comics storyline

"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline running through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandrill (comics)</span> Comics character

Mandrill is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<i>The Last Avengers Story</i> Marvel Comics mini-series

The Last Avengers Story is a two-issue prestige format mini-series from Marvel Comics released in November and December 1995. It was written by Peter David and illustrated by Ariel Olivetti.

<i>The Avengers: United They Stand</i> American superhero animated series

The Avengers: United They Stand is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Avengers. It consists of 13 episodes, which originally premiered on October 30, 1999, and was produced by Avi Arad. It was canceled on February 26, 2000.

The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of the Unliving</span> Fictional comic book superhero groups

The Legion of the Unliving are six groups of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vision (Marvel Comics)</span> Comic book superhero

The Vision is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared in The Avengers #57. The Vision is loosely based on the Timely Comics character of the same name who was an alien from another dimension. The character is an android built by the villainous robot Ultron created by Hank Pym. Originally intended to act as Ultron's "son" and destroy the Avengers, Vision instead turned on his creator and joined the Avengers to fight for the forces of good. Since then, he has been depicted as a frequent member of the team, and, for a time, was married to his teammate, the Scarlet Witch. He also served as a member of the Defenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet Witch</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Scarlet Witch or Wanda Maximoff is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in the Silver Age of Comic Books. Originally said to have the ability to alter probability, the Scarlet Witch has been depicted as a powerful sorceress since the 1980s and on occasion has become powerful enough to alter reality by tapping into greater energy sources.

<i>Uncanny Avengers</i> Comic book series

Uncanny Avengers is a comic book series first appearing in the October 2012 debut of Marvel NOW!, published by Marvel Comics. The series follows an interconnected fictional superhero team, featuring members from the Marvel Universe. The team is united by Captain America upon the conclusion of Avengers vs. X-Men. Uncanny Avengers is also known as Avengers Unity Squad.

References

  1. Misiroglu, Gina Renée; Eury, Michael (2006). The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood. Visible Ink Press. ISBN   9780780809772.
  2. Conroy, Mike (2004). 500 Comicbook Villains. Collins & Brown. ISBN   1-84340-205-X.
  3. Marston, George (January 15, 2021). "Grim Reaper: The Marvel Comics history of the Wonder Man villain". Newsarama . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  4. Outlaw, Kofi (March 29, 2023). "Grim Reaper Cast as Actor Demetrius Grosse Joins Marvel's Wonder Man Disney+ Series". ComicBook.com . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  5. Harth, David (September 15, 2023). "Who Are The Avengers' Deadliest Enemies?". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  6. Dee, Jake (March 8, 2023). "10 Dead Avengers Villains Who Should Return". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  7. Farley, Lloyd (April 1, 2023). "Who Is Marvel's Grim Reaper, the Man With a Scythe for a Hand?". Collider . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  8. DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 158. ISBN   978-1-4654-7890-0.
  9. Dodge, John (January 22, 2021). "How Vision & Scarlet Witch's First Marvel Series Shaped Their Future". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  10. "Masters Of Six: The 20 Most Powerful Members Of The Sinister Six, Ranked". Comic Book Resources . September 28, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  11. Zawisza, Doug (June 24, 2009). "Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #1". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  12. Webber, Tim (May 8, 2018). "From The Ashes: Marvel's 15 Wildest Cosmic Resurrections". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  13. Richards, Dave (July 9, 2013). "EXCLUSIVE: Remender's "Uncanny Avengers" Face the Apocalypse". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  14. Terror, Jude (October 19, 2019). "Mephisto Schemes in Valkyrie #4 [Preview]". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  15. The Avengers #52. Marvel Comics.
  16. Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 130. ISBN   978-1465455505.
  17. The Avengers #78-79. Marvel Comics.
  18. The Avengers #102, 106-108. Marvel Comics.
  19. The Avengers #151-152. Marvel Comics.
  20. The Avengers #160. Marvel Comics.
  21. Vision & Scarlet Witch #3. Marvel Comics.
  22. Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains . New York: Facts on File. p. 150. ISBN   0-8160-1356-X.
  23. Vision & Scarlet Witch vol. 2 #1-2; The West Coast Avengers vol. 2 #1-2. Marvel Comics.
  24. Vision & Scarlet Witch vol. 2 #12. Marvel Comics.
  25. Avengers West Coast #61. Marvel Comics.
  26. Avengers West Coast #65. Marvel Comics.
  27. Avengers West Coast #66. Marvel Comics.
  28. Avengers West Coast #67. Marvel Comics.
  29. The Avengers vol. 3 #10-11. Marvel Comics.
  30. The Avengers vol. 3, #22 (Nov. 1999). Marvel Comics.
  31. Secret War #1-3. Marvel Comics.
  32. Secret War #4-5. Marvel Comics.
  33. The New Avengers #1-3. Marvel Comics.
  34. Civil War #2. Marvel Comics.
  35. Heroes for Hire #6. Marvel Comics.
  36. Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #1. Marvel Comics.
  37. Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #2. Marvel Comics.
  38. Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1. Marvel Comics.
  39. Chaos War: Dead Avengers #2. Marvel Comics.
  40. Chaos War: Dead Avengers #3. Marvel Comics.
  41. Uncanny Avengers #5. Marvel Comics.
  42. Uncanny Avengers #9 (June 2013). Marvel Comics.
  43. Uncanny Avengers #10 (September 2013). Marvel Comics.
  44. Uncanny Avengers #19. Marvel Comics.
  45. The Uncanny X-Men vol. 2 #22. Marvel Comics.
  46. The Vision vol. 3 #1-2. Marvel Comics.
  47. The Vision vol. 3 #3-6. Marvel Comics.
  48. Doctor Strange: Damnation #1. Marvel Comics.
  49. Valkyrie: Jane Foster #4-5
  50. Harth, David (July 15, 2022). "15 Marvel Villains Who Love Being Evil". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  51. Young, Kai (March 30, 2023). "Who Is Marvel's Grim Reaper? New MCU Villain Explained". Screen Rant . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  52. Diaz, Eric (March 29, 2023). "The Marvel Comics History of WONDER MAN Villain the Grim Reaper". Nerdist . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  53. Harn, Darby (June 26, 2022). "10 Most Powerful Wonder Man Villains In Marvel Comics". Screen Rant . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  54. Venable, Nick (March 29, 2023). "Fear The Walking Dead Vet Is Heading To Disney+'s Wonder Man Series As The MCU's Grim Reaper". CinemaBlend . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  55. Sanders, Savannah (February 21, 2023). "Marvel Studios' Grim Reaper Actor Choice Reportedly Revealed". The Direct. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  56. Harrigan, Will (March 29, 2023). "Marvel's 'Wonder Man' Casts Villain Demetrius Grosse As Grim Reaper | Cosmic Book News". Cosmic Book News. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  57. McMillan, Graeme (April 1, 2020). "10 Best villain / superhero sibling rivalries in comic books". Newsarama . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  58. Universe X Special #4. Marvel Comics.
  59. JLA/Avengers #3. DC Comics/Marvel Comics.
  60. Last Avengers Story #1-2. Marvel Comics.
  61. Craig, Richard (April 13, 2024). "10 Best Episodes Of The Avengers: United They Stand". Screen Rant . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  62. Michael Edens (writer) (February 12, 2000). "The Sorceress's Apprentice". The Avengers: United They Stand . Season 1. Episode 11. Fox Kids.
  63. 1 2 3 4 5 "Grim Reaper Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 19, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  64. Henry Gilroy (writer) (February 29, 2012). "Mandarin's Quest". Iron Man: Armored Adventures . Season 2. Episode 14. Nicktoons.
  65. Bonomolo, Cameron (January 15, 2021). "WandaVision Easter Egg Could Reveal an Avengers Enemy as the MCU's Newest Villain". ComicBook.com . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  66. Kleinman, Jake (January 15, 2021). "A 'WandaVision' Easter egg may reveal the show's secret supervillain". Inverse . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  67. Meisfjord, Tom (January 19, 2021). "The Grim Reaper Easter Egg You Didn't Notice In WandaVision". Looper . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  68. Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 29, 2023). "Wonder Man: Demetrius Grosse Lands Key Role in New Marvel Series". TVLine . Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  69. Willshire, Edward (December 19, 2019). "Captain America and the Avengers: Marvel's OTHER Arcade Classic, Explained". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  70. Chrysostomou, George (May 20, 2021). "LEGO Marvel's Avengers: 10 Cool Ways To Unlock The Characters". Screen Rant . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  71. Diestch, T. J. (February 17, 2014). "TOYING AROUND: DC, Marvel & "Walking Dead" Make Huge Splash At Toy Fair". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  72. Macy, Seth G. (October 7, 2019). "Assemble Your Own Custom Avengers Team With These Marvel and Infinity War Toys". IGN . Retrieved July 2, 2024.