GRIM REAPER

 

GRIM REAPER

Real Name: Eric Williams

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 1) #52, May 1968

Powers: Eric Williams was originally a baseline human with no superhuman powers. As the Grim Reaper, he was outfitted with a hi-tech scythe by the Tinkerer in his insane quest to "avenge" the death of his brother, Simon Williams (aka Wonder Man).

The scythe blade itself is 3 feet long and razor sharp, and is equipped with a motor which can spin the blade around like a propeller, capable of cutting through thick metal. The scythe can also project electromagnetic power blasts or clouds of anesthetic gas from the tip of its handle. Also, it was equipped with a coma inducing function, using a cerebral frequency generator to shut down the higher brain functions of anyone who touched the weapon other than the Reaper. Williams could reverse the effects with the weapon as well, but victims would die within a matter of hours if he did not deign to do so.

After his death, the Grim Reaper was brought back to life twice as an undead creature. He was a simple zombie the first time, but the second time was a bit more unique. Williams had become an undead creature that required the life essence of living beings in order to sustain his unnatural existence, which he drained through his scythe. His body was atrophied and decomposed, but absorbing the living energy of others restored his "health" and muscular physique.

He needed to kill one human every 24 hours to survive, but killing more often would boost his physical abilities to enhanced levels for as long as the extra charge lasted. He was also uncommonly resistant to injury since, being dead, none of his organs were "vital" anymore nor did he require sustenance or functional metabolism to survive. The Reaper lost more and more of his soul as he began practicing dark magic and bargaining with malevolent entities. He developed new powers such as teleportation, the summoning of super-powerful zombies, weather manipulation, and even the power to distort reality, merging it with a demonic realm. Ultimately, though, he was restored to full life as a living being and returned to his original weaponized scythe and capabilities.