Deathwing was first introduced in Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. Ner'zhul gave him the Skull of Gul'dan and asked him to keep the artifact in his lair. However, Khadgar and the Alliance forces needed the Skull to destroy the Dark Portal, so they stormed Deathwing's isle, and one of the levels ends with the defeat of Deathwing by the hands of Kurdran Wildhammer, with the help of Alleria, Khadgar and a group of paladins.