Death, also known as Mistress Death or Lady Death, is a cosmic abstract entity representing the personification of death in the Marvel Universe. She first appeared in her modern form in Captain Marvel #26 (June 1973), created by Mike Friedrich and Jim Starlin, initially as a hooded figure opposing Thanos. Death is a nigh-omnipotent being who maintains balance in the universe as the counterpart to Eternity, often appearing as a cloaked skeletal figure or a pale woman with black hair. Her role involves overseeing the end of life, and she has formed complex, often one-sided relationships with mortals, most notably inspiring Thanos' genocidal quests to court her favor, beginning with his resurrection and empowerment in early encounters.
A pivotal development occurred in The Infinity Gauntlet (1991), where Thanos assembled the Infinity Gauntlet and wiped out half of all life to impress Death, only for her to reject him, leading to his defeat by heroes like Adam Warlock. Death has also entangled with Deadpool, cursing him with immortality to prevent their union after he pursued her, and briefly showed interest in characters like Ben Reilly. She has been "killed" temporarily by the Beyonder and faced threats like the Cancerverse invaders who eradicated death in their reality.
In recent stories, Death has appeared in arcs involving Thanos' ongoing obsessions, temporary human incarnations, and cosmic balances, including interactions with the Infinity Watch and Doctor Strange. As of late 2025, she remains a fundamental, enigmatic force rarely taking direct action but influencing events through champions, embodying the inevitable end while underscoring themes of mortality and cosmic equilibrium in Marvel narratives.