Deathwatch (comics)

Deathwatch
Deathwatch
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Ghost Rider Vol. 3 #1 (May 1990)
Created by	Howard Mackie and Javier Saltares
In-story information
Species	Extra Dimensional
Team affiliations	The Translords International Contractors Unlimited head of Deathwatch's criminal combine and a group of ninja warriors
Notable aliases	Stephen Lords
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes. Ability to absorb life essence upon the death of another being to enhance his physiology. Ability to psychically view others' short-term memories.

Deathwatch is a fictional character. He is a demonic supervillain in the Marvel Universe, most notably as an enemy of Ghost Rider.

Fictional character biography

Deathwatch is a Translord from an unknown demonic dimension. Posing as a crime boss in the real world as Stephen Lords, Deathwatch plotted to destroy New York through a poisonous toxin. After a youth gang called the Cypress Hill Jokers unwittingly stole the canisters containing the biotoxin, Deathwatch contested with the Kingpin for the canisters, and set Blackout against the new Ghost Rider.^[1] Deathwatch and Blackout attacked the 75th Precinct police station and stole the biotoxin canisters. They also abducted Paulie Stratton and her fellow Cypress Hill Jokers, battling the Kingpin's men.^[2] He instigated a conflict between Ghost Rider and Snowblind, and was revealed as having set Linda Wei and HEART against Ghost Rider.^[3] He dispatched ninjas to lure Ghost Rider into a trap, and destroyed an office building in an attempt to kill Ghost Rider.^[4] Alongside Hag and Troll, Deathwatch murdered Snowblind, and battled Ghost Rider, who killed Deathwatch in battle.^[5]

In the course of becoming a personal enemy to the hero, Deathwatch employed several assassins, including countless Deathspawn, all of whom were from the demon world. After meeting his demise at the hands of Ghost Rider for the first time, he was reanimated by the Deathspawn, Hag, and Troll. However, he was captured with Hag and Troll by Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, and Spider-Man.^[6] With Hag and Troll, he was captured by Steel Wind and Steel Vengeance,^[7] and the three villains were turned over to Centurious.^[8]

Centurious fully resurrected Deathwatch to help in an attempt to steal Ghost Rider's chain. During his battle with Ghost Rider, Deathwatch revealed that his original (retconned) intent during the events involving the poisonous canisters was to obtain Ghost Rider's medallion of power. He was easily defeated by the combined power of Ghost Rider and Johnny Blaze.^[9]

Deathwatch later appeared, alive and well, as a prisoner in The Raft.^[10]

The Hood has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helps them fight the New Avengers, but is taken down by Doctor Strange.^[11] In Secret Invasion, he is among the many supervillains who rejoined the Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading Skrull force.^[12] He was later seen, during an attack on the New Avengers.^[13]

Deathwatch was seen during the Siege of Asgard as part of the Hood crime syndicate.^[14]

During the Fear Itself storyline, Deathwatch and Blackout assist Sin (in the form of Skadi) in attacking Dayton, Ohio. Since Johnny Blaze is no longer Ghost Rider, a man named Adam performs a ritual in a pyramid in Nicaragua in which one of his followers, a woman named Alejandra, becomes the new female Ghost Rider who is able to defeat Deathwatch and Blackout.^[15]

Powers and abilities

Deathwatch is a native of an alien demonic dimension and so derived at least some of his superhuman powers from his non-human heritage. Deathwatch has the ability to absorb life from another creature that is experiencing pain or death and enhance his own health, strength, stamina, agility, and reflexes. He has the ability to physically penetrate a victim's body and disrupt internal organs without creating a surface wound. He also has the ability to absorb and access a victim's short-term memories by penetrating the victim's brain physically with his fingers, and has the ability to derive surges of physical and emotional pleasure from the proximity of death.

Deathwatch is a skilled ninja, and highly proficient in acrobatic hand-to-hand combat, and is an experienced strangler. He is a master planner and strategist, and a skilled acrobat. He employs a wide range of warriors, including being the head of his own criminal combine and a group of ninja warriors. He usually wears a costume of synthetic stretch fabric lined with Kevlar.

In other media

Video games

• Deathwatch appears in the Ghost Rider video game voiced by Lex Lang.^[16]

References