THANATOS/PHOBOS

In life, Thanatos was a powerful emperor.  His one great downfall, though, was his dual-nature.  He spent half his time as an intellectual, pondering and philosophizing.  He built a power base and internal structure for his empire that was even capable of withstanding his other half.  This was Phobos, his angry, destructive, bestial side, and the part of him that fought viciously for control.

After years of trying everything to rid himself of his darker half, he began delving into Ancient magic, hoping the answer that defied the best minds of his time could be found hidden within dusty tomes and carved upon ancient walls.

What he found was greater than he ever could have dreamed.  And it made him hunger for more.  Eventually, he became mad for more knowledge, nearly tore apart his empire, and vanished into the mountains.  Years later, a dark force exited those same mountains.  A demon of shadow on a beastly steed.  He called himself Thanatos, and his steed Phobos.  And they laid waste to what was left of his abandoned empire.

Exactly what happened in those mountains is unknown, but philosophers say that he managed to find a way to separate the bestial side from the civilized side, and they formed two individual entities.  Thanatos had wanted to completely purge himself from Phobos, but it was impossible.  Now, his mad other half constantly prowls about him, never venturing farther than a few feet from Thanatos.

How he became master of shadows and the icy chill of death is a mystery.  But it is known that he can alter his form at will, and chooses to maintain a physically "perfect" physique, while Phobos chooses to either take a form that mocks that perfection, or a form pulled from Thanatos' worst mortal nightmares.

Among the Lords of the Dead, Thanatos acts as the arbitrator, and the master organizer of their affairs.  While there is no pronounced leader among the Lords, all agree that Thanatos is the most fair, and thus allow him to head their councils, so long as he maintains that fairness.  Without him, the Lords would be a headless beast, thrashing around with no focused, unified goal.

To find out more about Thanatos, be sure to pick up the comic book LAZARUS: The Many Reincarnations, published by Lodestone Publishing.  Ask your local comic shop to order your copy today, and pick up your back issues at Amazon.com.