Demise
Real Name: James Spector
Identity/Class: Ace (mutant human)
Occupation: Assassin
Affiliations: former member of the Astronomer's Masons
Enemies: The Astronomer; Doctor Tachyon, Sewer Jack, Mackie Messer
Known Relatives: None known
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New York City
First Appearance: "If Looks Could Kill", Wild Cards 2: Aces High
Powers/Abilities: Able to kill by locking eyes with someone and inflicting his own death trauma on them. As a result, his victims die swiftly and painfully. However, in order to do this, he has to look directly into their eyes. If the victim is wearing sunglasses, his powers are useless.He also heals from any injury very quickly, even regenerating limbs (for example when one of his feet was bitten off by Sewer Jack). After having his head vibrated to the point of disintegration by Mackie Messer, his body attempted to grow a new one.
History: "If it's Demise, don't look in his eyes..." Demise suffered terribly at the hands of the Black Queen, dying slowly, violently and painfully; his death took long enough for him to be taken to Dr. Tachyon's Jokertown Clinic before he passed away. Tachyon, progenitor of the wildcard virus and premiere researcher regarding ways to cure the virus, tried an experimental treatment on Demise that brought him back to life (Demise appears to be the only recipient of this treatment... or at least the only "survivor"). His rage at being brought back with full memory of his death experience made him a long-term enemy of Dr. Tachyon.
Now an Ace with the telepathic ability to project the suffering and torment he had undergone into the minds of others, Demise worked as an assassin for a while, falling into the employ of the Astronomer. He left that psychotic's employ, but ran into him again during the 1986 Wild Card Day celebrations. He witnessed the Astronomer's murder of Kid Dinosaur, and was intimidated back into his service. Later that same day though he managed to free himself, when he encountered the weakened Astronomer fleeing a battle with Fortunato. As the Astronomer phased through a wall, Demise locked eyes with him; to avoid the death stare, the Astronomer blocked Demise's power - but since the Astronomer could only use one of his abilities at a time, this caused him to solidify part way inside a solid object, killing him.
Demise later got involved in the gang war between the Shadow Fists and the Mafia, and had a foot bitten off and eaten by the Ace known as Sewer Jack, who was in the form of an alligator at the time. Having regrown it, he subsequently went to the Democratic Convention, planning to kill Presidential candidate Hartmann. He nearly succeeded in killing the Ace known as Golden Boy, but when Demise finally made his move on his target, he ended up fighting the insane killer Mackie Messer, who worked for Hartmann. As the vibrating murderer locked his hands on Demise's head, Demise gave him the eyes. Mackie vibrated to death, but disintergrated Spector's head too.
Shortly afterwards Doctor Tachyon was called to the morgue to examine Demise's corpse. Within hours a new head had started to grow. Tachyon ordered the body immediately cremated.
Comments: Created by Walton Simons.
Thanks to George Abdilnour for additional information on this character, and Dennis DePalma for corrections.
CLARIFICATIONS: None.
Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.
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