Please take note that most of the information here does not relate to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Death's Head is a fictional character appearing in the pages of Marvel Comics. Created by writer Simon Furman and artist Geoff Senior. Death's Head made his first appearance The Transformers #113 (May 1987).
Origins[]
The mechanoid that was eventually known as Death's Head was "born" in the pocket dimension of Styrakos in the Earth-TRN234 universe. It was created by a dying wizard, Ty Rejutka Lupex, using a mixture of science and magic. Lupex, obsessed with immortality, hoped that a mechanoid could house his life force, which consumed organic bodies far too quickly. Lupex's consort, Pyra, seeking to be released from Lupex's servitude, granted the mechanoid sentience in the hopes that he would kill Lupex. To give him an edge, she programmed him with an almost predatory level of self-preservation and a clinical, business-like approach toward death.
After killing Lupex, the mechanoid somehow ended up on the frontier world of Scarvix. Taking the name Death's Head, he became a bounty hunter, though he preferred to be referred as a freelance peacekeeping agent. He would operate under three primary rules:
- Always honor a contract but never trust a client.
- Make no concessions for age, size, or gender.
- Never do jobs for free, but it pays to advertise.
Earth-120185[]
Death's Head came into prominence on Earth-120185, where a race of mechanoids called Cybertronians had engaged in a brutal civil war that had lasted millions of years. Death's Head proved to be a wildcard in this conflict, taking jobs for both sides. During one such contract, Death's Head ended up as the thrall of a powerful alien named Unicron. Having been defeated once before, Unicron enslaved the inhabitants of the planet Junkion, forcing them to construct a wormhole that would be used to recruit warriors from different realities into his new army. During the inevitable final battle between Unicron and the heroes of Earth-120185, Death's Head was sent careening into the aforementioned wormhole, ending up on Earth-5516, where a Galifreyan time traveler called The Doctor used a weapon to shrink Death's Head down to a height of 7 feet. In this new form, however, he could more freely interact with the humans of Earth-8410, Earth-9411, and eventually Earth-616.
The Secret Origin of Tony Stark[]
Iron Man, needing to challenge himself further and to find himself after the death of Maya Hansen, decides to embark on a series of adventures in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy. While celebrating his birthday at the Voldi Citadel Station, Stark notices Death's Head lurking in the bar. Stark is told that Death's Head is a relatively new player, implying that he has not been in this reality for very long. When Stark is arrested by the Voldi Justicar for killing their god, he convinces the Justicar to commute the sentence of death in favor of gladiatorial combat. As Stark defeats his opponents, the Justicar, eager to find a loophole that will enable her to kill Stark but not break the laws she has sworn to uphold, decides to hire Death's Head to assassinate Stark by posing as his final opponent.
"One shall stand, one shall fall"
Tony initially fares badly due to Death's Head's sheer size, but P.E.P.P.E.R. and Recorder 451 work to get the Deep Space Armor out of impound. With P.E.P.P.E.R. controlling the armor by remote, she is able to stun Death's Head with a repulsor, giving Tony time to suit up in the armor and make a timely escape.
When Stark discovers that Recorder 451 is a mass murderer, he attempts to hire Death's Head to help track him down. However, Death's Head had previously been hired by 451 to retrieve Stark, so he honors his original contract. After returning to his own ship, however, he finds that Recorder 451 is a rogue program, and his programmers are offering a sizable bounty for its return. Although Death's Head and Iron Man attempt to team up to stop Recorder 451, 451 had installed failsafes in Death's Head to insure that it would attack Iron Man. During the ensuing battle, Death's Head is seen falling down an air shaft to an unknown fate.
No End In Sight[]
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Powers and Abilities[]
Death's Head has tremendous strength, capable of lifting up to 100 tons while Transformer-sized and 25 tons while human sized. He also has impressive agility despite his size. He is a highly skilled marksman and close quarter combatant, competently sparring with Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, among others. His right hand is capable of transforming into a spiked mace or an arm cannon.
Quotes[]
- "Not bounty-hunter, yes? Don't like that term, understand? Freelance peacekeeping agent, yes? For certain financial remuneration, of course."
- ―Death's Head's targets will address him by his proper title
- "In the name of extreme profit, you are under arrest."
- ―Death's Head uttering what is possibly his most iconic line
- "Universal peace sounds like a worthwhile endeavor, but the bottom line is the bottom line. Daddy's got a tax bill."
- ―Death's Head, the original Merc With A Mouth
- "You’re not one of those guys who has a code against killing 'except for robots'? I hate those krypto-fascists."
- ―Death's Head reminds Iron Man that Robot Lives Matter
Notes[]
- Although Death's Head has a long history of traveling through multiple timelines, he is rarely seen doing so on his own accord. Co-creator Geoff Senior described him as "the ultimate hitchhiker" of the Marvel Universe.
- Chronologically, Death's Head's appearance in The Secret Origin of Tony Stark is before his adventures in the Transformers universe, explaining why he does not recognize Iron Man from their earlier encounter in Fantastic Four #338. It does not explain how Iron Man does not remember that encounter.