Xax II should not be confused with his predecessor, the late Green Lantern Xax of Xaos. Unlike his namesake, Xax II only served in the Corps for a short time before he died in the line of duty. Xax and his partner Thormon Tox were sent to Sector 3500 to investigate the disappearance of Ekron, the Green Lantern of Vengar. There they found the entire Sector in ruins, with hundreds of inhabited worlds slaughtered and destroyed in a wave of violence called the "Stygian Passover". Before the two Lanterns could fully ascertain the extent of the damage wrought, they were mentally contacted by a voice from the planet Vardu. Vardu was under siege by the forces of Lady Styx and in imminent danger. The two Lanterns raced to Vardu to pursue this lead.