The Nerdy Dozen : Comics Most Memorable Deaths

Since the dead continues to rise with the assistance of jewelry over at DC, I thought it might be a good time for a list about death in comics. But I struggled with the title of this list because who wants to make a “best of death” list? It’s kind of a morbid thing even for fictional characters. You also have to factor in the fact that deaths rarely have a lasting effect in superhero comics (which is the source for most of this list) so it can be hard to label a comic book death as meaningful. But despite all of that here’s my list of the top twelve most well crafted or “memorable” deaths in comics.

12) Y the Last Man #60 – Ampersand

Anyone who has ever had to make the choice to end the life of a beloved pet to stop their suffering probably had to fight back some tears during this issue. Thru-out this series that monkey was more of a nuisance than a great companion but sometimes that’s the way it is with pets (or kids). Having made that horrible trip to the vet with a family pet more than once in my life, I really felt for Yorick in an excellent sequence from the great series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra.

11) Identity Crisis #1 - Sue Dibny

This ranking is all about the story telling and nothing to do with the character’s actually importance in the DCU. She was a very minor character and had no where near the impact as many of the others on this list. But the creative team of Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales make you feel just how important she was to the other characters in this story not just in this first issue but thru-out the entire series. If you can read the funeral scene in issue #2 and not feel Ralph’s pain than you are a heartless bastard and I’m not sure we can be friends anymore.

10) Countdown to Infinite Crisis - Blue Beetle

The story unfolds as a tale of a lower level hero getting the brush-off from the bigger names when he asks for assistance on what he feels is a big case. As Blue Beetle slowly works his way to the source of the mystery in front of him, only his best friend has any faith in him. The truth was Beetle was on to something big, something that would change the DCU and when he finally uncovers the man behind it, he pays the ultimate price for his discovery. This issue is not just about his death on the final pages, it effectively lays the ground work for who Ted was in the DCU along the way so that even if you were not a JLI fan, his end had meaning. Infinite Crisis was not a good comic book series but the death of Ted Kord in the first issue was hardcore.

9) Amazing Fantasy #15 – Uncle Ben

Ben dies in Spider-man’s origin story and even though he has been used constantly in flashbacks, alternate realities and “What If” tales he has never been resurrected. I honestly consider this to be one of the greatest accomplishments by every Marvel editorial staff since his death. He helped teach his nephew Peter Parker how to be a good person and even though he would never know it, he taught him how to be hero. “With great power, comes great responsibility” became Peter’s motto and his feeling of failure and responsibility towards his uncle’s death still drives him today.

8) Action Comics #583 – Krypto

The only fault in this is that it has no long lasting continuity effects. However the lack of long lasting effects does not make Krypto’s noble sacrifice any less heart wrenching or well told by Alan Moore and Curt Swan. As a group of Superman’s deadliest foes bust into the Fortress of Solitude with the Kryptonite Man leading the charge, the super pooch sacrifices himself as the first line of defense. This is one of only a handful of times I have ever felt sorry for Superman.

7) Daredevil #181 - Elektra

“You’re pretty good. But me…I’m magic.” It is an iconic image for readers of Marvel and of Daredevil in particular. However the entire sequence of events of the fight to its conclusion and then her eventual death in Matt’s arms is incredibly well crafted by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. But for me this death is as much about establishing Bullseye as a ruthless sociopath as the death of Elektra. Not only does he stop to enjoy the fight itself and the killing of his foe with her own weapon but he follows her on her slow death march to Matt Murdock’s doorstep. That is a ruthless son of a bitch and I dig that about him.

6) Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 – The Flash

The Flash was not a high selling book when plans were formed for this major crossover and part of the fallout from this series was to have him be replaced by his former sidekick Wally West. But those issues did not prevent Marv Wolfman and George Perez giving him a sometimes strange but still major role in Crisis. Sadly for Barry Allen (at the time) his inspiration would not end in issue #8 but his life would as he sacrifices himself to destroy the Anti-Monitor’s cannon and give the universe another chance at survival. It is an incredibly noble death as he surmises even before he begins his attack on the anti-matter cannon that destroying it will kill him. But as Flashes do, he didn’t run from trouble he ran towards it…as fast as he could.

5) The Death of Captain Marvel – Mar-vell

Back in 1982 this was a heartfelt and somewhat grand attempt to inject a bit of real life into the Marvel Universe. It wasn’t Thanos or Dr. Doom or any other powerhouse villains that lead to the demise of this hero. It was something much more real and something that has probably affected us all in some way. Cancer. His fellow heroes didn’t let him go without a fight as many tired to use their powers and intelligence to find a cure but ultimately Mar-vell succumbed to his illness. It can seem a bit trivial now when compared with our real life struggles with this disease but it also has a real bitterness to it as even your greatest imaginary heroes couldn’t beat this very real problem.

4) Batman #428 – Jason Todd

This was a really big deal when it happened both as a comic book story and a comic book event. DC actually let fans call in and vote on Jason Todd’s fate. Sure Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo told the tale of Jason being gruesomely beaten with a crowbar and blown up by the Joker but it was really the fans that killed the poor kid. I am still shocked that DC or another company has not revisited that trick since then. I voted to kill Todd then and there are a bunch of characters I’d love the chance to vote off the island now. But gimmick and Jason’s resurrection aside, this was and still is a huge deal for both Batman and the Joker. Todd’s death still stands as the Dark Knight’s greatest failure and the bloodiest feather in the Joker’s cap.

3) Captain America #25 – Captain America

One of my favorite Dollar Bin memories is recording a podcast on the day this issue was released. Most of us had the big news spoiled for us and did not have good feelings about it coming into Acme Comics that day to read the issue and record a show. But that changed for all of us when we read the story crafted by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. The biggest thing I take away from his death scene (even as it is being altered for his return) is that on one of the worst days of his life, Cap still saw the trouble coming and tried to sacrifice himself to save others. Even while being treated like a criminal and getting shot down in the street, Steve Rogers was still trying to be a hero.

2) Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 – Supergirl

Even though she once starred in her own movie, at this point I think Superman’s cousin was kind of an after thought in the DCU. But in this groundbreaking crossover by Marv Wolfman and George Perez she would have the most memorable and meaningful moment of the entire 12 issues series. To set the stage, a group of the most powerful heroes on the DCU have traveled to the Anti-Monitor’s lair to finally take the fight to him and they are getting their butts kicked. Superman himself is being beaten (possibly to death) and Super Girl inserts herself in the fight not only to save her cousin but to try to take out the Anti-Monitor and give the heroes a chance to escape. This sacrifice meant giving her life and I’m not ashamed to say it made me cry on my comic when I read the story for the first time.

1) Amazing Spider-Man #121 - Gwen Stacy

Of all the heartbreak in Peter Parker’s life, not even the death of his uncle is as painful as the death of his first love. Pete has always been a hardluck kind of hero, with no matter what he does always having to pay a price for being Spider-man which in itself is not made of sunshine and rainbows. But no example of the damned if you do damned if you don’t life Spidey lives is as heartbreaking as Gwen’s death. Forget the soap opera of his best friend’s father being his greatest enemy and kidnapping his girlfriend to get at him. Pete actually is able to get to her and save her, but she still dies in the process. Even more than Uncle Ben he can and does still blame himself for her involvement in the situation and in her death. Even Marvel’s many failed attempts to “add” to his heartbreak over her death does not diminish its impact on Spidey’s life.

So there is my Nerdy Dozen for the most “memorable” death’s in comics. What’s yours?

Comments

[cinlach]

Wow...nice stuff.

Ok let's see if I can add a little different spin into the mix.

12 - Hawkeye sacrifices himself to blow up a shitload of enemies in Avengers Disassembled.

11 - The Comedian gets thrown through a plate glass window at the beginning of Watchmen.

10 - Torque is beaten to death in front of his friends in Harbinger.

9 - Reverse Flash gets his punk-ass neck snapped by Barry Allen.

8 - Colossus sacrifices himself to rid the Marvel Universe of the Legacy Virus.

7 - Jean Gray obliterates herself in order to save the people she loves from the fury of the Dark Phoenix.

6 - Doug (Cypher) Ramsey jumps into the line of fire to save Rahne (Wolfsbane) Sinclair.

5 - Joker snaps his own neck in The Dark Knight Returns.

4 - Nova reaches down Annihilus' throat and turns him inside out and ends the threat of the Annihilation Wave.

3 - Solar destroys his entire planet after accidentally turning himself into a black hole. The first to die? His girlfriend Gayle, who is ripped apart and pulled into him.

2 - Bruce Wayne's parents.

1 - Krypton.

[joel]

Good job Cinlach. Reading the list I was waiting for Bruce Wayne's parents, Cypher, and Phoenix to appear. Still a nice list from Brian with some choices I wasn't expecting. One death that has since been undone was Aunt May's in Amazing Spider-man 400. That one just broke my heart.

[Brian Eison]

Thanks guys.

I didn't include any of Jean Grey's death simply because there have been so many. With that in mind I also tried to stay away from any death that didn't seem to last long enough (zombies not included) to have meaning.

If Aunt May's death (in ASM400) would have stuck it would have made the list. I thought about Bruce Wayne's parents and Dick Grayson's parents but I just couldn't put my mind on a great comic book telling of those moments. They are obviously really important but I couldn't come up with an issue to link a definitive telling of those moment to.

[Cinlach]

I waffled on Phoenix myself, but I just remember the impact that had on me as a kid when I read it for the first time.

I included it solely for the "Oh shit!!" factor from back in the day.

[Brendan]

ignoring later retcons, i have to add:

Kitty Pryde (possibly not dead, but what a way to "fly off into the sunset/outer space".
Thor (took all of heaven with him, on purpose!)
Kyle Rayner (from a very recent issue of green lantern corps, GREAT death).
Rick's wife/baby in Walking Dead.
Bucky (as a teenager, hanging on to drone plane).

[Brian Eison]

I forgot about Rick's wife and baby from Walking Dead. Even in a book filled with death that one really stands out. That one probably deserves a top 10 spot.

[Julius]

In the ‘90s, comics took a turn for the better, or so we thought. Books were beginning to get wide recognition thanks in no small part to comic book artists like Image Comics founders Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld and others.

[Batman]

Awesome stuff I am glad that I stumbled up your site... I'll be backkkk