Summary

• Azraeuz, a genetic creation, attempted to defy death and possess the Justice League, but was ultimately destroyed.
• Black Hand, avatar of the Black Lantern Corps, is the most devoted prophet of death in the DC Universe.
• Death, personified by the Endless, is the ultimate embodiment of death and is patient and friendly to all she meets.

Even a world as grand and awe-inspiring as the DC Universe can't escape the cold reality of death. Out of the thousands of characters that populate the DCU, only a few embody the natural process of death. Some represent the final stage of life as a state of being with no emotional attachment to it. Others crave spreading death and desire to snuff out all life in the world. Death is a complicated subject in the DC Universe and these 10 avatars show just how differently the concept varies.

10 Azraeuz Was a Death Avatar Made by Science

Created by: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid

Unlike most other death avatars, Azraeuz was a genetic creation rather than a natural one. Along with three other powerful creations, Azraeuz was created as one of the Four Horsemen of Apokolips and designed to destroy Black Adam. Adam, however, defeated the Horsemen, but death couldn’t stop Azraeuz, who possessed the body of a scavenger and attempted to revive himself at the other Horsemen. Azraeuz could even possess the Justice League, but thankfully, his essence was destroyed. While not a conventional death embodiment, Azraeuz was nonetheless terrifying.

9 None Craved Death More Than Black Hand

Created by: John Broome and Gil Kane

William Hand is a man who, from his earliest years, was fascinated with the idea of death. The son of a mortician, Hand’s obsession with death reached its peak when he discovered his purpose in life. Like Parallax is the Sinestro Corps’ ultimate embodiment of fear, the Black Lantern Corps. After killing himself at the request of his master Nekron, Hand was the tether that allowed Nekron’s Corps to invade the world during Blackest Night. Though Hand is far less powerful than Nekron, he’s the most devoted prophet of death in the DC Universe.

8 Anton Arcane Proudly Served the Rot

Created by: Len Wein and Berni Wrightson

Swamp Thing serves as the avatar of the Green, a force connected to all plant life. But opposing the Green and the elemental forces of the DC Universe is the Rot, which is represented by Swamp Thing’s nemesis, Anton Arcane. Arcane is a man obsessed with immortality and his work often violates the natural order. Arcane’s experiments drew the attention of the Parliament of Decay, who recruited Arcane to spread the Rot’s influence and destroy the cosmic kingdoms of the Red and Green. Arcane’s niece Abigail has similarly served as an avatar for the Rot as the Black Queen.

7 Time Trapper Embodies the Slow Death of the Universe

Created by: Edmond Hamilton and John Forte

The Time Trapper is the living embodiment of entropy and one of the most powerful threats the Legion of Super-Heroes has ever faced. The Time Trapper’s true identity is a mystery, though various continuities have shown him to be future versions of Cosmic Boy or Superboy-Prime. Whoever he is, the Time Trapper has a near godlike control over time and can use his powers to travel through time, age or de-age his opponents or even create pocket universes. The Time Trapper is a mystery unto himself, and his powers present a true threat to the DC timeline’s stability.

6 Even Speedsters Die Thanks to the Black Flash

Created by: Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Ron Wagner

Death comes for everyone in the DC Universe, even those as fast as the Flash. But to make sure that speedsters shuffle off the mortal coil, the Black Flash exists to ensure their energy is returned to the Speed Force. The Black Flash is essentially the Grim Reaper for speedsters, who yes, are capable of outrunning death. Black Flash isn’t so much a villain as he is a force of nature, something meant to keep the cosmos in balance. That said, he’s come for a few speedsters before their time, forcing the Flash to run faster than ever to escape.

5 The Decreator is Slowly Destroying the DC Universe

Created by: Grant Morrison and Richard Case

The Doom Patrol has fought a lot of strange threats over the years, but one they weren’t able to beat was the cosmic destroyer the Decreator. This being was worshiped by the Cult of the Unwritten Book, who wanted to usher in the end of the world. The Doom Patrol failed to stop the Decreator from being summoned, but they did manage to slow its process down considerably. The Decreator is still actively destroying the DC Universe, but it’s doing it at a rate no one will notice. It’s not an ideal situation, but ittedly, things could be worse.

4 Black Racer is the New God of Death

Created by: Jack Kirby

The New Gods of the DC Universe are some of the most powerful beings around and they all embody one aspect of life. The Black Racer is the New Gods’ God of Death and has been said to represent death as “an inevitability”. The Black Racer can travel as fast as any speedster, travel through the cosmos, and bring death to anyone he touches. For a brief period, Flash Barry Allen became the Black Racer, though the Flash rejected the ideals that the Racer adhered to.

3 Nekron Nearly Extinguished All Life on Earth

Created by: Mike W. Barr, Len Wein, and Joe Staton

Before there was life in the DC Universe, there was darkness which was watched over by Nekron. However, when the White Light of Creation came into existence, Nekron started a war to snuff out the light permanently. Nekron is the Lord of the Unliving who believes that the universe can only be at peace when dead. Using the Anti-Monitor to empower a Black Central Power Battery and tethering himself to the Earth via Black Hand, Nekron launched a campaign to end all life in the DC Universe. He was defeated, but Nekron is still out there, waiting to strike again.

2 Great Darkness is the Ultimate Counter to Life

Created by: Alan Moore and Stan Woch

The Great Darkness is one of the most mysterious and perturbing forces in the DC Universe. It’s the source of every dark thing in the vast DC multiverse. It is the very antithesis of the Presence, who created everything in the DCU except the primordial evil force. Every powerful villain can be traced back to the Great Darkness, including villains like Nekron, the Anti-Monitor, and Darkseid. The Darkness can be seen as one of the most powerful embodiments of death as it serves in opposition to the life that thrives within the Light.

1 Death Will Ultimately End the DC Universe

Created by: Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcolm Jones III

Out of all the death avatars in the DC Universe, the only one who truly matters is the Endless’ Death. Death is one of the Endless, metaphysical personifications of various universal aspects. Death is the being who ushers every soul away from the land of the living. While many death embodiments are scary or frightening, Death is charming, friendly, and extremely patient with everyone she meets. While other avatars represent death to some degree, Death outranks them all and will be the one who even ushers her siblings to their final resting place when the day comes.

Death is something that will come for everyone in the DC Universe, and when it does, it will undoubtedly be because of one of these 10 manifestations of death.