John Byrne created Doorman and first appeared in West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #46 in July 1989. He was one of the founding members of the Great Lakes Avengers, a team of misfit heroes who tried to emulate the original Avengers but often failed miserably. Doorman’s mutant power is to create portals to the Darkforce Dimension, a realm of darkness and negative energy. He can use these portals to transport himself or others across short distances or let objects pass him harmlessly. He can also manipulate the shape and size of his outlets, creating doorways, windows, or even slides.

Doorman’s real name is DeMarr Davis, and he was an average American youngster before joining the Great Lakes Avengers. He had a college degree and a graduate school education, but he decided to answer Mr. Immortal’s newspaper ad asking for “costumed adventurers” to form a team. He hoped to use his unique ability for good and to become a famous hero like his idols. However, he soon realized that his power was not very impressive compared to other heroes and that his team was often ridiculed or ignored by the public and the superhero community.

Doorman had low self-esteem and blamed himself for the deaths of some of his teammates, such as Grasshopper, who was killed by a sai that passed through Doorman’s portal. He also had a strained relationship with his father, who disapproved of his superhero career and thought he was wasting his life. Doorman tried to prove himself worthy of being a hero, but he often felt useless and depressed.

Doorman’s life changed dramatically when he sacrificed himself to stop the villain Maelstrom, who was trying to destroy the universe. He died in the arms of Mr. Immortal, his best friend and leader of the Great Lakes Avengers. However, he did not stay dead for long. He was summoned by Oblivion, a cosmic entity that represents nothingness and Oblivion. Oblivion told Doorman that he was connected to the Darkforce Dimension, which was part of Oblivion’s domain. Oblivion appointed Doorman as his new Angel of Death, replacing Deathurge, who Mr. Immortal had captured.

As Oblivion’s Angel of Death, Doorman gained new powers and responsibilities. He could now travel across dimensions and time and had to collect the souls of those destined to die. He also appeared new, wearing a black cloak, hood, and skull mask. Despite his new role, Doorman remained loyal to his friends and continued to be a member of the Great Lakes Avengers (who later changed their name to Great Lakes X-Men, Great Lakes Champions, or Great Lakes Initiative). He helped them in their adventures and battles against various threats, such as Deadpool, Graviton, Batroc’s Brigade, Doctor Doom, and Norman Osborn.