THANATOS

Real Name: Thanatos

Identity/Class: Olympian god

Occupation: God of death

Group Membership: Gods of Olympus

Affiliations: Pluto

Enemies: Hercules, Sisyphus

Known Relatives: Ataros (brother) (see comments)

Aliases: Orcus (Roman name), Februus (Etruscan)

Base of Operations: Tartarus

First Appearance: (mentioned) Bizarre Adventures #32 (1982); (full) Incredible Hercules#138 (January, 2010)

Powers/Abilities: Thanatos possibly possesses the conventional attributes of the Olympian gods including superhuman strength (possibly on par with Hercules who has Class 100 strength), stamina, endurance and resistance to harm. As god of death, he can see the ghosts and spirits of the deceased and escort them to their proper planes of existence. Thanatos has a face resembling a skull.

History: (Greek and Roman Myth) - Thanatos was the ancient god of the ancient Greeks who carried the spirits of the dead to the shores of the Styx where they waited to be ferried across by Charon. When he tried to claim the spirit of Queen Alcestis of Pherae in the 13th Century, Hercules wrestled him into submission to prevent him from claiming her. When Pluto, the god of the dead, sent Thanatos to claim King Sisyphus of Corinth, the wily king captured Thanatos and held him prisoner until Pluto came for him.

(Bizarre Adventures#32/4) - Thanatos was identified as siblings with Ataros, one of the "Gods of the 80s."

(Incredible Hercules#138) - During the battle between the Avengers and Hera's minions at the Manhattan-based New Olympus, Thanatos appeared and predicted that someone in the battle would die.

(Incredible Hercules#139) - Thanatos stood back and observed as Hera's allies faced off against Hercules and the Avengers, reacting only to claim Athena transformed into stone by Artume the Gorgon.

(Incredible Hercules#140) - Thanatos was impeded by Hephaestus's automata who collected Athena and delivered her to the smith-god. 

(Incredible Hercules#141) - Thanatos appeared once more to collect the spirits of Zeus and Hera slain by Typon, commenting that they were once again reunited in love and deserving the dignity to pass over in peace. 

Comments: Adapted by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Rodney Buchemi and Reilly Brown 

In Greek and Roman Mythology, Thanatos (Roman name: Orcus) was the god of death and vizier to Hades (Pluto). He was the son of Erebus and Nyx (light and dark), and siblings of Hypnos (sleep), Charon (ferryman) and Aether and Hemera (day and night), who according to Hesiod were the parents of Gaea. He only appears in the stories of King Sisyphus of Corinth and King Admetus of Pherae. He has an extended bio at the Guide to the Mythological Universe. However, in the Marvel Universe, Thanatos has been referred to as the Greek personification of Death, the embodiment of death. If this is accurate, his place in the genealogy of the Olympian Gods is debatable as is his reputed relationship with Ataros of the "Gods of the 80s." 

Same as above goes for his nephews the Oneiroi (Morpheus, Phantasos, Phobetor) and all the other children of Nyx
--Markus Raymond

Mythological info from Crowell's Handbook of Classical Myth by Edward Tripp and Gods, Demi-Gods and Demons by Bernard Evslin.

Profile by: Will U

Clarifications: Thanatos is not to be confused with:

• Rune, denizen of the Ultraverse, briefly known as Thanatos, @ Sludge#1
• Thanatos, Richard Jones, extra-temporal conqueror from alternate future of 2099 (Earth-9309), @ Spider-Man 2099#11

Images:

Main pic - Incredible Hercules #139, last page

Issues:

Bizarre Adventures#32/4 (1982) - Denny O'Neil (script), Steve Smallwood (pencils/inks)
Incredible Hercules#138 (January 2010) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Rodney Buchemi, Reilly Brown (artists), Guilleri Mari (colors), Simon Bowland (lettering), Michael Bierek (cover), Irene Y. Lee (production), Jordan D. White (assistant editor), Nathan Cosby (associate editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)  
Incredible Hercules#139 (February 2010) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Rodney Buchemi (artists), Guilleri Mari (colors), Simon Bowland (lettering), Alex Garnier (cover), Irene Y. Lee (production), Jordan D. White (assistant editor), Nathan Cosby (associate editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)  
Incredible Hercules#141 (April 2010) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Rodney Buchemi (artists), Guilleri Mari (colors), Simon Bowland (lettering), Alex Garnier (cover), Irene Y. Lee (production), Jordan D. White (assistant editor), Nathan Cosby (associate editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)