Death is fairly common in Marvel Comics these days. In fact, it's the cornerstone of the entire Dawn Of X era of X-Men comics at the moment. But throughout the history of Marvel Comics, the death of a superhero, villain, or beloved side character has produced shockwaves in the fanbase, reverberating for decades after.
While some of the most surprising deaths in Marvel Comics are among the most iconic moments in comic book history, others are more subtle in their importance. While no less shocking, some deaths have consequences far beyond the obvious and in some cases, are still playing out in the comics today.
10 Moira MacTaggert
The death of Moria MacTaggert - one of them, anyway - has led to one of the biggest retcons in Marvel Comics history. Moira, the longtime human ally of the X-Men, has been revealed to be a mutant herself. Her power is to resurrect with her memories intact in another life.
Moira has seen numerous lives and potential futures, many of which portend doom not just for mutants but all of mankind. Her death - and resurrection - is by far the most shocking and consequential Marvel death of recent years.
9 Mockingbird
For long-time readers of the comics, it probably feels like every member of the Avengers roster has died at some point. Still, one of the most shocking deaths was Mockingbird, the longtime member of the Avengers, West Coast Avengers, and an important Marvel spy.
Mockingbird sacrificed her life in issue #100 of Avengers West Coast in 1993. The team was battling the demonic supervillain Mephisto on his home turf and she gave up her life to protect that of her teammate and former husband, Hawkeye.
8 Professor X
Professor X has been killed in the comics before, notably during the Age Of Apocalypse event from the '90s, when his death in the past created a dystopian future. But his most shocking death comes at the hands of his best student, Cyclops.
During the Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover event, Cyclops became the host of the Phoenix Force along with four other mutants in a bid to save the life of Hope Summers, the first new mutant born since the cataclysm of House Of M. When Cyclops became the sole host for the Phoenix, his anger and power took the life of his mentor.
7 Bucky Barnes
Bucky Barnes is alive and well in the comics and the MCU as the Winter Soldier, but that wasn't always the case. In fact, Bucky had been dead for much of Marvel Comics history until the early 2000s. His death was a true shock when it was revealed in the '60s. Bucky had been Captain America's partner through World War II and beyond, but a retcon changed that.
In The Avengers #4 from 1964, Captain America is thawed out of ice and brought into the then-present day. He reveals that Bucky died during World War II, invalidating years of comic adventures with the two from Timely Comics. This would remain the status quo for decades.
6 Captain America
Captain America wasn't immune to dying in the comics either. His most shocking death, and his most violent, occurs at the end of the comic Civil War event, in 2007. After Captain America stands down in his battle with Iron Man over the registration of superheroes, he is assassinated in public.
It's later revealed that a brainwashed Sharon Carter was behind the attack. Steve Rogers eventually returns, and fans learn he wasn't dead but trapped in a unique knot in time and space thanks to his enemy the Red Skull.
5 Kraven The Hunter
It's not just superheroes who provide the most shocking deaths in comics. One of the most stunning in Marvel history belongs to Kraven The Hunter. The longtime Spider-Man villain, and potential member of the MCU Sinister Six, took his own life at the end of Kraven's Last Hunt.
This seminal storyline ran through numerous Spider-Man comics in 1987, including Web of Spider-Man #31–32, The Amazing Spider-Man #293–294, and The Spectacular Spider-Man #131–132.
4 Elektra
Elektra is one of Marvel's best martial artists, an assassin trained by The Hand. That's why her death at the hands of Bullseye in Daredevil #181 in 1982 was completely out of the blue. She had become a popular character in the book after her debut in issue #168.
Her death also had weight as it was one of the few that lasted, at least for a while. But Elektra would be resurrected many years later in 1996, and she has remained a part of the Marvel Comics landscape ever since.
3 Mar-Vell
One of the most shocking deaths in Marvel Comics came in 1982, with the death of the original version of Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell. The Kree Warrior succumbed to cancer in The Death of Captain Marvel, the first-ever Marvel graphic novel. At this time, deaths in comic books were still very uncommon and certainly involving major superheroes.
Mar-Vell develops cancer from exposure to a nerve agent called Compound 13. Unlike most deaths in modern comics, his has stuck. Outside of alternate universe stories, he remains dead in the current Marvel continuity.
2 Gwen Stacy
Before Mar-Vell, the death of Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 in 1973 was likely the most significant in Marvel Comics. Spider-Man's longtime girlfriend and a major part of his Silver Age adventures, her death came at the hands of the Green Goblin.
He kidnapped her and then threw her from the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man snagged her with a web, but the shock of stopping so fast broke her neck. Gwen's tragic death would haunt Spider-Man for decades after.
1 Jean Grey
Marvel's most shocking death happens at the end of one of its most iconic storylines. The Dark Phoenix Saga saw Jean Grey consumed by the powerful cosmic energy of the Phoenix Force. Completely sublimating Jean, the Dark Phoenix consumes the energy of an entire star, causing it to go supernova.
The resulting blast destroys an entire solar system. To stop herself and save the lives of billions of others, Jean gives up her life to a powerful alien weapon. Being the Phoenix, it wouldn't be the first time she would die in the comics.
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