Lady Death

Creation
Lady Death is a fictional comic book character created by writer Brian Pulido and artist Steven Hughes. She made her first appearance in Evil Ernie issue one, which was published by Chaos! Comics in December of 1991.

Origin (Chaos Comics)
The Reckoning : Hope (Lady Death) was born in medieval Europe. She is the daughter of a nobleman named Matthias and a viking named Marion. Matthias murdered Marion after she tried to escape from him. Matthias captured her soul and used it to gain access to other realms. Ten years later, Hope befriends a man named Niccolo. Niccolo was a skilled physician and shared his knowledge of medicine with Hope. Matthias began a quest to reach Hell. He recruited men into his army every year and lead them to their deaths. Niccolo was one of men Matthias recruited & murdered. Matthias collected the souls of the dead men and offered them to demons. One night Matthias' subjects rebelled and executed him. The people also seize Hope and sentence her to be burned at the stake. Before she can be burned alive, Hope chants an incantation she once heard her father use to summon demons. The demons answer her call and take her to Hell after she agrees to renounce her humanity. Once in Hell Hope discovers that her father is leading a rebellion against the ruler of Hell, Lucifer. Hope goes before her father but he rejects her. Lucifer grants Hope new powers and a new outfit. She battles and tames two large wolves, who she calls The Nameless Wolves. Hope also receives weapons and training from Hell's blacksmith, Cremator. As her powers grow Hope's body becomes stronger & more voluptuous. Her skin, hair, and eyes become white. She takes the name "Lady Death".

Matthias defeats Lucifer, oh so it seems. Lady Death discovers that Lucifer has actually possessed Matthias. She confronts and defeats Lucifer. Lucifer curses her as he falls. She can never return to Earth as long as the living walk the surface. After her victory, Lady Death absorbs Lucifer's soul. She dismantles his Hell and reforms it into the Endless Graveyard.

Hope discovers her mother's soul is somewhere in Hell. Lady Death & Cremator go on a quest to find her. They are temporarily possessed by a demon and forced to separate. Hope comes across a cathedral in Hell that she did not create. Inside the cathedral she finds Niccolo, who has been twisted by Hell. Niccolo has captured Marion's soul and trapped it in the Nexus. The Nexus is a gateway that allows travel between different realms. Lady Death destroys Niccolo and sets Marion free allowing her soul to go to Heaven.

All Hallow's Evil : One Halloween, Hope discovers the Demon that brought her to Hell in the Nexus. She also witnesses the villagers who condemed her preparing for a ceremony. The Demon tells her he can send her spirit to Earth but only for a short time. She pretends to be a spirit that can help grow their crops, but only after a sacrifice. Hope commands them to sacrifice the priest who sentenced her to burn at the stake. After the villagers sacrifice the priest their crops do in fact grow, but then rise up and murder the villagers.

Between Heaven & Hell : 400 hundred years after the fall of Hope. Lady Death, in an attempt to end Lucifer's curse, began searching the mortal world in order to find someone who could help her. After being submitted to the Dream Probe, Ernest Fairchaild traveled to the Endless Graveyard where he encountered Lady Death. She promised to help him if he would help her escape from Hell. Ernest, now known as Evil Ernie, recieved incredible new powers from Lady Death.

Purgatori returns and, using the image of Marion, attempts to deceive Hope and drink her blood. Purgatori's deception fails and she is forced to retreat. She later finds Cremator and takes possession of him. Purgatori sends the newly possessed Cremator to kill Lady Death. Cremator is defeated and freed of Pugatori's control. In the River Styx Lady Death forced Purgatori to reveal the truth. She had seized Marion's soul before it could reach Heaven and was using it to anchor the Nexus between one world and another, as Niccolo had done. Lucifer returns and captures Lady Death. Hope is transformed into Lady Demon. As Lady Demon she is forced to fight Purgatori for Lucifer's amusement. She is also forced to be his concubine. Purgatori's punishment is to be sent back to Earth to feed on weak powerless humans. The Nameless Wolves lead Hope to her mother's soul. Marion fuses her soul to Hope's and the angelic energy battles & destroys the evil within Lady Death and sets her free of Lucifer's control. Lady Death returns to Lucifer in her Demon form and seduces him before firing Marion's angelic energy into his heart. Lucifer survives, but is incredibly weakened. Lady Death uses the Nexus to throw Lucifer through Heaven's Gate which destroys him. Hope/Lady Death becomes the Ruler of Hell.

Powers & Abilities
Energy Projection Lady Death possesses the ability to project powerful blasts of energy from her hands and eyes. These blast can vaporize a lesser demon or smash through a stone wall.

Regeneration Hope can also magically heal herself. After being stabbed through torso by Purgatori during the Between Heaven & Hell story arc Lady Death was able to remove the sword from her own body and completely heal the wound within seconds.

Flight Lady Death is able to achieve flight by magically levitating herself.

Necromancy Hope can raise and control of the dead.