At the end of Agatha All Along Episode 7, we discover the true identity of Rio Vidal, the show’s Original Green Witch – she was Lady Death, all along.
Unless it was spoiled for you by a Funko Pop, Rio (Aubrey Plaza) has been one of the Marvel series’ most mysterious characters – mainly because, unlike the other characters in Agatha’s coven, her name can’t be found anywhere in the comics.
The coven used a Ouija board during Agatha’s trial, spelling out the word “Death.” This made Rio laugh, but little did we know, she’s actually been one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe all this time.
There have been other clues scattered throughout the series, but as one witch fulfilled her tragic destiny, Episode 7 makes Rio’s identity abundantly clear.
Rio Vidal is Lady Death in Agatha All Along
Only one person was waiting for Lilia at the end of her journey in Agatha All Along: Death herself, as inevitable as life.
Episode 7 mostly revolves around Lilia as she comes to terms with her past, present, and future, experiencing her life out of order as she tries to figure out how to complete the trial and save Wanda, Billy, and Jennifer.
As she explains to Jennifer, she believes she’s at the end of the road – not just the Witch’s Road, but her life. As that dawns on her, we hear Rio saying, “All roads lead to me.”
If that wasn’t enough, Lady Death emerges from the darkness with a half-skull face. “Who is that?” Lilia asks. “Don’t you recognize me, Lilia?” Rio responds, confirming she’s Death.
Who is Death in the Marvel universe?
In the comics, Lady Death is exactly what she sounds like: the personification of Death itself, considered the “enemy” of life. However, just like her brother Eternity (who appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder), she is an essential part of the cosmic balance.
She was born in the Big Bang alongside Eternity, Infinity (don’t ask me to explain the difference), Master Order, and Lord Chaos, and resided in the Realm of Death.
Her backstory is wild. Here’s a few stories: Thor was once challenged to a duel with an old woman named Elli, who was revealed to be Death in disguise; Deadpool met her when he nearly died and became obsessed with her; she was once kidnapped by Eternity, suddenly granting immortality to living creatures across the cosmos; and she even urged the Scarlet Spider to pursue redemption.
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Notably, Death had an important relationship with Thanos. In the MCU, he used the Infinity Gauntlet to correct the universe’s overpopulation to prevent mass starvation; one could argue it was a noble goal.
The comics are quite different. Thanos met Death at a young age, convincing him to indulge in his darker desires. He fell in love with her, but no matter how many people he killed (including his own mother) and planets he razed, she rejected him.
So, to win her affection and prove his love for her, he collected the Infinity Stones and wiped out half of all living things. She didn’t like that; with the gauntlet, he was arguably more powerful than her. She eventually assisted in his defeat, with Nebula using the gauntlet to undo his actions.
Lady Death powers & abilities
Death’s powers are effectively limitless: she’s omnipotent, capable of altering and wielding time, space, matter, reality, and energy at will and controlling the souls of anyone around her.
In short, she can kill anyone and anything, but she can also bring them back to life.
As Marvel explained, she has a “functionally limitless amount of power at her disposal [and] enough power to be a Multiversal threat, but she generally operates as more of a universal constant than a malevolent force.”
Can Lady Death die?
Death can be killed (sort of), but its effects on all of existence would be catastrophic.
For example, during Secret Wars II, the Beyonder erased Death from existence to prevent anyone else from dying ever again. It quickly backfired, as he realized Death is a necessary balance, so he brought her back.
However, the idea of Death dying isn’t simple and still can’t be fully explained. As Marvel points out, “any perception of physicality, emotions, or mortal limitations concerning Death remains purely mortal to quantify the entity.”
For more Agatha coverage, find out the meaning behind “The Tower Reversed”, why this actor should play Hulkling in the MCU, and check out our guide to every upcoming Marvel movie.