Death in Chains

S1 E9: Xena must rescue Hades’ sister Celesta, the embodiment of Death, from the clutches of King Sisyphus or all mankind will be doomed to eternal life filled with suffering. As his wife, Queen Merope, nervously looks on, a confident King Sisyphus greets Celesta, the embodiment of Death, who has come to escort him to the Underworld of her brother, Hades. Through trickery, the King captures and chains his visitor, rendering her helpless by seizing her eternal flame. Meanwhile, Xena is attacked by the evil Toxeus while traveling through the forest with Gabrielle. In the heated battle which follows, Toxeus tries to stab her with a hidden dagger, but Xena narrowly escapes, driving the knife deep into the chest of her attacker. As she and Gabrielle walk away, they do not notice that the imprisonment of Celesta has already begun to have an effect - Toxeus’ eyes pop open and his mortally wounded body is suddenly very much alive.