G. Lawrence Bushnell was an elderly man who terminal with cancer. His nurse, Henrietta Hawkins, was with him on the cable car that was struck with the lightning bolt that granted everyone on the car amazing powers.

Mister Bushnell began to feel different after the incident. He claimed that he felt better and that the cancer was actually communicating with him. Before long Mister Bushnell became Deathwish, a being who killed all around him to sustain himself. Deathwish came into conflict with The Strangers, where Spectral used his growth power to destroy the embodiment of death.

Unfortunately, that was not enough. Deathwish returned almost immediately after his first defeat. Yrial of the Strangers realized that there was a counterpart to Deathwish and knew it lied within Henrietta Hawkins, Mister Bushnell's nurse. Using voodoo, Yrial was able to summon the Lady of Light. The Lady of Light immediately went to Deathwish where they both held each other and disappeared.