Little is known about Deathurge, besides the fact that he once served Oblivion and has had a very special relationship with Craig Hollis. In Hollis' earlier life, Deathurge acted as both a guardian angel and a bad influence, goading the boy into dangerous situations in the apparent attempt to awaken him to his own immortality. However this relationship was damaged when Hollis' girlfriend Terri O'Doughan killed herself and Deathurge arrived to collect her soul. Hollis mistakenly believed that Deathurge had goaded Terri to commit suicide and from then on viewed him as a tormentor.
Deathurge is able to access the Darkforce dimension, allowing him to travel over large distances in relatively short periods of time. He is also nearly immortal and can only be seen by the dead, or people with a special connection to death.