Keith | |
---|---|
Biographical Information | |
Alias: |
Death |
Race: |
Human |
Gender: |
Male |
Status: |
Alive |
Character Information | |
Affiliation: |
|
Occupation: |
Outlaw |
Real World Information | |
First Appearance: | |
- "You can't kill us. Nothing can kill us. We are death."
- – Keith to Jackie. [src]
Keith is a member of a biker gang called Demon Riders and the host of Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Keith and his other three buddies, Charlie, Mick and Ronnie, formed a biker gang called Demon Riders, who took various criminal jobs for money. In '68s they were hired by Lucio Franchetti, a mobster who wanted his brothers assassinated. Keith and his buddies agree to carry out this assassination. The Demon Riders then confront the two Franchetti's and their men in a desert near the border of Mexico and proceed to kill them all.
They then head out to Mexico to lay low for a while. But as they leave, Lucio's brother Nick manages to shoot Mick in the shoulder before he dies. As there was no way for them to ride to Mexico without treating Mick's wound, they stop at a nearby cave. An old man was standing at the entrance to cave, which looked Mexican instead of Indian. He invited the bikers into the care to rest, but as his hand passed out of the shadow into light, for a moment it looked like dead man's hand. Charlie thinks its just hallucination caused by the heat and the bikers enter the cave.
Becoming The Horsemen[]
The old man treats Mick's wound and Charlie notices strange painting on the cave walls. As he asks if these paintings represent Indian gods, the old man answers that they depict horsemen. The old man then gives the bikers some food, which paralyzes their bodies. He then brings their bodies to four dead corpses of conquistadores surrounding a magical four faced talisman. The old man then begins to chanting in ancient language and Charlie realises that he's been hearing his voice inside of his head. He then transfers the four souls of the horsemen residing in the conquistadores into the bikers. For the next thirty-five years, the old man tends to the four bikers.
The man explains, that the horsemen were created at the beginning of creation along with the human race, as warning that one day mankind's time would be done and on that day the horsemen would ride free and bring an end to every living thing. There were two magi, opposing forces of darkness and light who held a balance of power over the Earth. These magi used their magic to create the talisman, a sacred object that bound the horsemen and trapped them inside human vessel. The old man himself was appointed as the keeper to watch over these vessels. The talisman itself does more than bind the bikers, but also preserve their lives. With each passing century the forces contained within the bikers will erode their bodies, but at very slow pace.
Awakening[]
Thirty-five years pass, when one day, the keeper gets a vision from one of the magi, that the riders must be let loose. The four bikers than rose from their chambers and confronted the keeper, ordering him to get the horsemen out of their bodies. The keeper explains, that although he can transfer the horsemen souls into new vessel, only the magi can release them. Once they could walk again, Mick grabbed the talisman and smashed his face with it. With the keeper gone, the bikers head out to Ginsberg to wait for the magi's arrival.
On their way, Demon Riders drive by sheriff's car. Remembering that Lucio had a contract on these guys, sheriff Griffin stopped the bikers and took a picture of them. The bikers are confused by the phone, not knowing what it is. Sheriff's deputy Willis points out to bikers that a state law says that they have to wear helmets as he puts his hands on Keith's ride. The biker immediately grabs deputy's hand and tells him to not touch his ride. Sheriff then tells deputy to let it go and return to the car. Demon Riders then take off with Keith giving a smile to the sheriff as he drives by him.
Arriving to Ginsberg[]
When they arrive to Ginsberg, the bikers walk into Artie Fawcett's gas station. They don't said a word to anyone in there and just start looking around, staring at all the things in the store, in order to catch up on the all the things they missed over thirty-five years. The trouble kicks off when Billy Sherman, a local kid, comes into the store to pay for gas.
As he walks to cashier, he bumps into Mick and immediately goes into rage, picking on everyone who even dares to look at him. As the gas station owner, Artie Fawcett, tries to calm him down, calling him by his name, Billy grabs the scissors and repeatedly stabs the owner. Billy then tooks out three more customers before Artie's nephew blows out his brains with a shotgun. Meanwhile, the bikers walk away like nothing has happened with Mick then bumping into Joe and Lillianne Montague's on his way out.
The next place the bikers went to was the Dos Amigos all-you-can-eat-tex-mex fast food restaurant, where Ronnie reaches out and puts his hand on Tad Quentin's shoulder, turning him into a cannibal. The bikers then went to a motel and hired hookers to keep them entertained. Only one of them made out of alive, but quickly dies in the emergency room a couple hours later. She was diagnosed with AIDS, herpes, gonorrhea and advanced syphilis.
By the end of their second day in Ginsberg, the town was totally ravaged with people either going crazy or falling sick. A gas main blew the high school, setting the town on fire. Everyone who could get out of the town, did so. The Demon Riders by then were holed up in the saloon with thirty or more hostages waiting for the arrival of the magi. As Mick was resting outside, drinking some beer, he asks Charlie what is Keith doing in the saloon. Charlie answers that he's playing with the citizens.
In the saloon, Keith touches one of the residents in the saloon just to see what will happen. Thirty seconds later, a rabid dog bursts into the bar and ignoring everyone else in the room, attacks the touched man. The dog bites off the man's face before anyone can do anything. Keith then approaches a couple, Christabelle and Phil. Phil begs Keith to leave them alone as they were once too bikers like them. Keith decides to let one of them live. Phil tells him to let Christabelle live, but Keith interrupts him, correcting that the woman needs to choose.
Christabelle chooses her own life over her husbands and Keith lets her go. As she quickly runs out of the saloon, she bumps into Jackie Estacado, having left Phil behind to die. Keith then notices her tattoo with both her's and Phil's names on it. Impressed with the tattoo, Keith touches it with his finger, mocking her for leaving her husband to die. Realising that she's going to die now, Christabelle begs Jackie to not kill her, believing he will be the one to take her life now. Jackie answers that he won't do that. As Christabelle tries to calm down after hearing this from Jackie, a lighting strikes, instantly killing her.
Battle with Jackie Estacado[]
The bikers then notice Jackie Estacado approaching them and Ronnie asks if he's the man they been waiting for. Keith tells him, that that's not him. Ronnie then asks Jackie as to who he is and how did he find them here. Jackie tells them, that Lucio Franchetti has sent him here. The bikers recall Lucio, impressed that he's still is alive after all these years. Jackie tells them he gave his word that he will deal with them and proceed to send his Darkling after the bikers. Soon as the Darklings begin to rip apart the bikers, they suddenly die. The bikers then heal their wounds inflicted by the Darklings and Keith tells Estacado that nothing can kill them. Charlie reveals, that although for now they still need to touch people in order to kill them, they will appear in their true forms.
Once the bikers are freed from their human forms, their power will increase a million times over. Then when Famine will touch the ground, all the crops will wither and die from East Coast to West Coast. The voice of War will be heard across the land and every man, woman and child will turn into raging berserkers. Death's shadow will spread across the world and Pestilence will only need to breathe into the wind to spread disease across a continent. And this will all happen once a man named Magus comes to the town. Jackie is then surrounded by the bikers, who proceed to touch him. Jackie then feel the hunger, the rage, the terminal disease running through his veins and emptiness of death, opening up a void in his souls. After this both Jackie and the Darkness begin to scream.
After being touched by all four horsemen at the same time, the Darkness purges Jackie's body of their power in order to save his life. This manifests as Darklings, representing each of the four horsemen powers. The berserkers for War, twisted, puking abominations for Pestilence, slavering carrion-feeders bread by Famine and hollow-eyed souleaters for Death. The Darklings then proceed to eat each other until none is left. Seeing that neither the bikers or Jackie can kill each other, they reach a standstill. Ronnie points out that once Magus gets here, their power will be great enough to kill Jackie and suggests him to leave the town.
Annoyed by all of this, Mick decides to get himself a beer, but Michael sits in his way. He tells him to move, but Michael refuses. Mick than reminds him what will happen if he touches him. Michael backfires that he's fully aware that when Mick will touch him, he will turn into homicidal maniac and go on a rampaging killing spree. He then challenges him to do so. Keith then interrupts them and tells Mick to leave him alone as there's no fun in killing those who already have a death wish. Instead, Keith decides to dance and tells somebody to put a quarter into a jukebox.
Arrival of Magi[]
Soon after, a helicopter flies over their heads, the bikers realize that its the magi. Seeing this, Michael urges Jackie to stop him, even though moments before he didn't give damn. Jackie listens to him and crashes Walkers helicopter. As the helicopter explodes, Walker walks out of the fire and asks which one of them ruined his suit.Jackie confronts Walker, planning to stop him from unleashing the armageddon.
The bikers tell the magus to ignore Jackie and immediately release the four horsemen from their bodies. Walker then asks the bikers as where is the keeper. The bikers answer that he met with an accident. Jackie then interrupts their conversation and unleashes Darklings onto Walker. Walker isn't impressed with Jackie's powers and sends his Darklings to the void. With Jackie incapacitated, Walker asks the bikers about the whereabouts of the talisman. Bikers reveal to have brought to Ginsberg and Mick goes to get it for him.
Meanwhile, concerned Keith questions Walker if they will die just like the past hosts of the horsemen. Walker answers, that the conquistadors served as vessels for centuries and the bikers should be fine. Michael then quickly points out, that even if the bikers survive, the horsemen will destroy every living thing on Earth, including them. Walker reassures the bikers, that the horsemen won't harm their hosts and they will live a long life, as witness the destruction of the world.
As Mick retrieves the talisman from his bike, he notices a glowing woman walking towards them and warns the men of her arrival. Charlie figures that it must be the Magus of Light, who came here to stop them. Walker then takes the talisman and prepares to free the horsemen. Seeing this, Michael gets Jackie on his feet and tells him to delay Walker, until the Magus of Light comes here. As Jackie stands up, he senses Darklings still being alive and slowly sinking deeper into the void. He manages to call them back and the Darklings, now having absorbed the negative energy of the void, attack and overpower Walker. Walker yells at the bikers to stop the woman from touching the talisman, but without success.
The Magus of Light tells the men to not listen to the Walker and he's bad influence. She then takes the talisman. Meanwhile, Jackie approaches the incapacitated Walker, telling him that he has failed and the horsemen will stay inside the bikers. Walker reiterates, that he never wanted to destroy this world as it served as playground for him. Micheal then realises the mistake they did as in the Bible, the Christ was the one to start the apocalypse. Walker explains, that two hundred years ago, the Magus of Light tried to set the horsemen free, because in her view, the humanity has become wicked. He tried to kill back then, but failed.
For two centuries, the Magus of Light was trapped in the bowels of the Earth. Eventually she broke free and found a suitable body for her. Although the body was weak, it gave the magus enough time to reach Ginsberg and free the horsemen in order to cleanse the Earth. Walker confronts Magus of Light, telling her that she broke their deal and she had no right to decide the fate of the world. Magus of Light backfires, telling that Walker had no right to go among humans and pervert them with his evil. The light coming from Magus of Light, prevents both Jackie and Walker from stopping her. Michael then brings their attention to the four horsemen, slowly breaking out of their vessels.
With all hope seemingly lost, Charlie, the vessel of Pestilence, approaches Magus of Light and releases a torrent of insects from his mouth into hers, stopping her from finishing the incantation. Both Jackie and Walker then team-up against the Magus of Light. Walker creates a sphere, which holds in all the light from the magus. As Charlie takes the talisman from her, the Magus of Light curses him, promising to feed his corpse to Pestilence. Jackie then creates a giant hole under her, forcing the magus fall deep underground. Walker quickly seals any cracks in the ground, trapping the Magus of Light once more.
Charlie then hands over the talisman to Walker. The other three bikers, aren't happy with this turn of events and Mick punches Charlie in the face, promising to take their colors from his dead body after they're finished. Before they can accomplish this, Keith and the other three horsemen are paralyzed by the talisman. Jackie asks Walker to wake up Charlie and he wants to have a word with him. After having their talk, Jackie decides to let Charlie free and put Pestilence into Lucio for his double-crossing.
Aftermath[]
Keith, Mick and Ronnie are then returned back to the cave with Lucio joining them the next day. Before parting ways, Charlie apologises to his fellow bikers for trapping horsemen inside of their bodies. He adds that he will send some music for the keeper to play to them in order to lift the boredom a little. Charlie then turns to Lucio and expresses his hope that Pestilence will keep him incontinent for the next hundred years.
Personality[]
Out the four members of the Demon Riders biker gang, Keith is the most sadistic one. After becoming the vessel for Death, Keith enjoyed torturing and playing around with his victims. He felt little empathy for his victims, even if they were once bikers like himself. On more than once occasion, he killed people just to see what will happen once he touched them, fully understanding that this was a death sentence for his victim. Keith also liked to toy with his victims, promising to one couple, that he would release one of them free, only to kill the surviving woman soon after.
Powers & Abilities[]
Powers[]
- "Death's shadow will spread across the world."
- – Charlie regarding Death after its released from his human host. [src]
- Death Embodiment: As the vessel of Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Keith became the personification of death itself, able to kill anyone through touch alone. He also became immortal.
- Tactile Necrokinesis: Being Death itself, Keith could kill anyone and anything through touch alone. Instead of people just dying where they stood, this usually manifested as an out of ordinary accident, which could also kill innocent bystanders, who were close enough to the marked victim. When touched sheriff's deputy hand, five minutes later, the sheriff who was sitting near his deputy and also driving the car, drove in front of an eighteen-wheeler truck, killing both him and his deputy. In Ginsberg, once Keith touched a local man, a feral dog attacked him and bit his face-off, while another touched woman was struck by lightning.
- Immortality: As long as Keith possess the spirit of Death, he's immortal and neither can age or die.
- Healing Factor: Although Keith can still be wounded, he can instantly heal any damage received to his body.
Weaknesses[]
- Vessel Erosion: The immense power of Death with each passing century, slowly erodes Keith's body and will eventually destroy it.
- Talisman of the Four Horsemen: The talisman of the Four Horsemen can paralyze Keith's body or extract the spirit of Death from him, leaving the biker powerless.