{{Villain|
image=[[Image: Deadly_ernest_1.jpg]]
|character_name=Deadly Ernest
|real_name=Ernest St. Ives
|debut=Alpha Flight vol.1 # 7, 1983
|affiliations=none
|past_affiliations=none
|aliases=none
|relatives=Amelia St. Ives ([[Nemesis]],Daughter), unnamed wife (deceased)
|status=Deceased
|}}

==History==
Ernest St. Ives, a French soldier during World War One was the lone survivor of his company, and was caught in an explosion which hurled him into an underground mire steeped with an unnamed noxious ooze. The cave quickly filled with mustard gas. When [[Death]] came to take him, he refused to go, fearing the life of his wife and young daughter who would be forced to live without him. Eventually, Ernest won. Death left, never to touch him again. However, Death left a parting gift that St. Ives discovered when another soldier came to his aid. The moment that St. Ives touched him, the soldier fell, dead. Apparently, when Ernest rejected Death, she - like any scorned woman - cursed him so that, if she could not have him, nor could he have anyone else. He sadly learned this lesson again when his wife, overjoyed at that his reported death was wrong, ran to embrace him and fell dead upon touching him. Witnessing the effects of her father's touch, his young daughter, [[Nemesis|Amelia]], rejected him forcefully, vowing with all her might that her mother's death would be avenged.[footnote=1]%2$s[/footnote]

[[Image:Deadly_ernest_2.jpg|right]]The death of St. Ives' wife and the rejection from his own daughter caused his mind to snap. He found that he was no longer filled with self-loathing and reclaimed Death's curse as a blessing, going through the decades amassing wealth and power as one of the most successful and untouchable forces in syndicated crime. Eventually, he spread his wealth and power, moving the throne of his criminal kingdom to Montreal, Quebec. There, he became a powerful criminal with no interference until he killed a small business owner, [[Belmonde_Raymonde|Raymonde Belmonde]], an old friend of [[Northstar|Northstar's]], for refusing extortion. As further incentive, he took Northstar's sister [[Aurora]] captive, mistaking her for Belmonde's daughter [[Belmonde_Danielle|Danielle]]. Rushing to his sister's aide, Northstar stormed Deadly Ernest's home, only to be knocked out when he saw Aurora flirting with the criminal. When he awoke, he was met by the blade of the cowled [[Nemesis]]. Nemesis confused Northstar for one of Ernest's henchmen, but Northstar convinced her he was there strictly for his sister. Nemesis agreed to help him - but only if it were she who delivered the deadly blow to Ernest. Northstar mistakenly assumed that Nemesis was Danielle Belmonde, and that the request for vengeance was over the death of Raymonde. Northstar and Nemesis again stormed Ernest, just as Aurora was flirting heavily with him. Ernest revealed how he had been extorting Belmonde, trying to buy him out, but Belmonde had refused. Nemesis launched herself at Ernest, proclaiming her rites of vengeance, and with three swings of her enchanted blade, vivisected Ernest. Believing him dead, Nemesis' quest for vengeance was thought to be requited. Northstar confronted her - still thinking her to be Danielle - but Nemesis unmasked herself. She was definitely not Danielle. In fact, the real Danielle Belmonde was later arrested for her involvement in her father's death.[footnote=2]%2$s[/footnote]

St. Ives' fate was not finished yet. Although segmented, his immortal body was still alive. Fate also had a sense of humour in having his vivisected 'remains' moved to the morgue at Montreal General Hospital, the same hospital that housed the criminally insane and equally super-powered Lionel Jeffries - [[Scramble|Scramble, the Mixed-Up Man]]. After [[Vindicator II|Heather Hudson]], [[Alpha Flight|Alpha Flight's]] leader, accidentally released the demented Scramble, he used his transmutive abilities over organic matter to cause the hospital staff and patients to mutate uncontrollably. Eventually, Vindicator and Scramble's brother, [[Box IV|Madison]], calmed Scramble and returned him temporarily to his senses. In his grief over what he had done, Lionel returned those who had been transmuted back to their original state[footnote=3]%2$s[/footnote]. During Scramble's rampage, he had used his powers to reassemble the body of Ernest St. Ives. Once whole, he rose from his cold slab, shambling off into the night.

[[Image:Deadly_ernest_3.jpg|left]]After taking the life energy of a nearby biker to steal his clothes, Ernest made his way back to reclaim all he had lost and to exact revenge on the only being that had proven capable of "killing" him. The return of Deadly Ernest also brought the return of Nemesis, who had sensed him taking another life through her mystical blade. The quest for vengeance refueled, she sought out the murderer.

Meanwhile, Alpha Flight had also learned of Ernest's return after hearing about the disappearance of the sectioned body of St. Ives. With the help of Northstar and Aurora's experience with Deadly Ernest, Alpha Flight raced on, determined to see him stopped. They crossed paths once again with Nemesis just as they met him in a Montreal Metro station not far from the hospital, but before they could stop him, Ernest claimed the life forces of several members of Alpha Flight, then kidnapped Heather, forcing her into the underground tunnels. Forced between choosing the lives of his teammates and those of his leader - the woman whom he secretly loved - [[Puck I|Puck]], the lone survivor, stood at a crossroads. Nemesis broke the deadlock by stating she would stay behind, struggling to keep what was left of their fallen comrades' life forces intact. She tossed her mystical blade to the diminutive Alphan, and bade him after Ernest, understanding the only way to return the stolen life forces was to kill Ernest once and for all.

[[Image:Deadly_ernest_4.jpg|right]][[Puck I|Puck]] followed Ernest into the tunnel, the mystic blade causing him anguish as had another mystical blade in his past beckoned to him, but resolute to free Heather, he trekked on. Finally, he confronted Ernest. Dodging his lethal grasp, Puck severed the villain's hands and head, the blade singing triumphantly as it pit through Ernest's flesh, feeding on the lost lives. Yet still, Ernest persisted, each piece coming after Puck on their own accord. Still, the acrobatic Puck evaded Ernest, moving his way closer to Heather just in time to rescue her out of the way as a subway train came through, plowing through Ernest. Supposedly, Puck had dealt the lethal blow, freeing the life forces from the villain.[footnote=4]%2$s[/footnote]

Whether or not Death has finally reclaimed the lost soul of Deadly Ernest St. Ives still remains to be seen...

==Footnote==
1. Alpha Flight vol.1 #31.
2. Alpha Flight vol.1 #7 & 8.
3. Alpha Flight vol.1 # 30.
4. Alpha Flight vol.1 #31

==Powers/Abilities==

'''Death Touch:''' After vanquishing [[Death]], Ernest was given the ability to kill a person upon physical contact. Death couldn?t have him, so she insured that he would deliver others unto her. Ernest extracts the souls into himself allowing him to extend his life immeasurably. His very touch as stated had become just as lethal as Death?s own. His touch was even shown to work against [[Box I| Roger Bochs]] while phased into his Box armor.

'''Experience:''' He was once a solider that fought in France during World War One, and over the many years he has learned to hone his skills. His skill and speed is so astonishing he even caught [[Northstar]] and [[Aurora]] at the same time while in mid-flight without even turning when they were coming from behind him.

'''Immortality:''' Ernest has lived almost a century, and the only weapon on Earth capable of ending Deadly Ernest existence is [[Scell| Nemesis? Blade]]. As Nemesis blade cut him into dozens of pieces in their first encounter, he still lived alive on the morgue slab until his body was reconstructed. After he was resurrected both his arms and head were cut off and he still lived unphased. It?s unknown if he is truly dead now or not.