Grim Reaper is a fictional character and a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

. Created by writer/editor Richard E. Hughes, he first appeared in ''Fighting Yank'' #7 (Feb 1944), and was quickly promoted to cover feature of ''Wonder Comics'' (

Better Publications Standard Comics was a comic book imprint of American publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines (under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics) and paperback books (under the Popular Library name). Standard in t ...

), beginning with #1 (May 1944). His origin story was told in ''Wonder Comics'' #2. The character was revived in the modern age in

Tom Strong ''Tom Strong'' is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse, initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division. Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero", wi ...

#11 by

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...

and

Chris Sprouse Chris Sprouse (born July 30, 1966) is an Americans, American comics artist. Sprouse has worked for multiple publishers and has won two Eisner Awards for his work on ''Tom Strong'', a series he created with writer Alan Moore. Early life Chris Spro ...

. He was killed by

The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...

in the ''

Terra Obscura ''Terra Obscura'' is a 2003 comic book miniseries spin-off from Alan Moore's ''Tom Strong'' series. The stories are written by Peter Hogan, and drawn by Yanick Paquette and Karl Story with additional flashback sequences drawn by Eric Theriault. ...

'' miniseries.

Character history

Bill Norris is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, France when the Nazis occupy the city. Intervening in a Nazi harassment of a citizen, Norris is arrested and sent to a concentration camp. He helps an old man, who eventually confides to Norris that he's the leader of the French Underground and knows the location of an important French General, who has to be safely brought to Africa to continue the battle. Fashioning an all black Grim Reaper outfit, Norris, with help from the French citizenry, rescues the General. The Reaper regularly kills his Nazi foes with his bare hands. He is, at one point, number one on the Gestapo's wanted list. The Grim Reaper is often shown working behind enemy lines in the German underground. The Reaper makes his way to England in ''Wonder Comics'' #4. In one adventure, the Reaper brings an armored Nazi super-zeppelin to England and wants nothing more than to go back to the continent: "The only reward I want is a chance to fight the Nazi beasts again and again... to spread terror among the foulest terrorists the world has ever known! Tremble, you Nazis! The Grim Reaper is coming back!"''America's Biggest Comics Book'', 1944
/ref> After the war ended, Norris returned to America in ''Wonder Comics'' #8 (Oct 1946), and continued his superheroics. He battled Mr. Meek, the Robed Phantom, the Chameleon and the Crying Bandit. His final story was published in ''Wonder Comics'' #17 (April 1948).

Revivals

America's Best Comics

The Grim Reaper, along with other heroes from Nedor Comics, were revived by Alan Moore in his series ''Tom Strong''. This revival set the characters on a parallel world called

, which was also the title of the resulting mini-series. This Reaper eventually opposed the goals of the revived

Black Terror The Black Terror is a fictional comic book superhero who originally appeared in ''Exciting Comics'' #9, published by Nedor Comics in January 1941. The character was popular, and on the strength of the Black Terror's sales, Nedor made ''Exciting Co ...

and was killed, during his own unsuccessful attempt to put an end to the Terror.

Powers and abilities

The Grim Reaper has no superhuman powers, but in the Golden Age, he used guns and a sword to fight Nazis. When revived by ABC, his sword could project electromagnetic blasts.

In other media

A different variation of Grim Reaper appears in the two season seven episodes of ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

'', portrayed by John DeSantis. This version is an unnamed criminal who started to work for Ricardo Diaz's criminal organisation acting as his inside man at Slabside Maximum Security prison. His nickname comes from the tattoo on his neck. In "Inmate 4587", he begins to attack Oliver Queen with other goons as per Diaz's order. Later, Oliver Queen went to prison's courtyard beating up both Danny Brickwell and "Grim Reaper" prisoner as payback. In "The Demon", this prisoner is later placed in Level Two of the prison, where he was experimented and tortured for weeks by Slabside's corrupt chief psychiatrist Jarrett Parker, losing his sense of identity and turning him into a shell of his former self. After he was subjected to another Parker's treatment, "Grim Reaper" died due to the stress.

References

External links

Grim Reaper
at Golden Age Superheroes

at the International Catalog of Superheroes {{GoldenAge American superheroes Characters created by Richard E. Hughes Comics characters introduced in 1944 Fictional personifications of death Fictional swordfighters in comics Fictional World War II veterans Golden Age superheroes Nedor Comics superheroes Vigilante characters in comics