The Most Devastating Hero Deaths in Comics

Hero deaths are always sad, but which ones hit the hardest? Let’s look at some of the most devastating deaths in comics, including Marvel, DC, and independent titles.

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Jason Todd (DC)

While this list isn’t ranked, we might just have to call Jason Todd’s death the most devastating of them all. It’s hard enough that Robin is so young when he dies, but this death also represents a major failure on Batman’s part because he can’t bring himself to kill The Joker. Ultimately, Batman can’t protect Robin and compromise his principles, so he loses his ward in a truly horrifying murder scene.

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Eric Draven and Shelly Webster (The Crow)

The Crow is simply seeping with sadness. In this gothic tale, mischievous criminals murder both Eric Draven and his fiancée Shelly Webster on the infamous Devil’s Night. Their deaths are brutal, slow, and graphic. Because their final moments are laden with such pain, Eric’s soul returns a year later to seek vengeance as the undead antihero The Crow.

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Jane Foster Thor (Marvel)

Jane Foster famously takes up Mjolnir as The Mighty Thor. Naturally, her newfound strength is obscuring a major secret: that she’s dying from cancer. In the end, Jane throws away the hammer even though it’s the only thing keeping the illness from taking over her body. As her body succumbs, Thor holds her and mourns her just as strongly as the readers do.

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Superman (DC)

The Death of Superman is still a monumental arc in DC Comics history. The entire point of Superman is that he’s essentially indestructible. When both characters and fans become complacent with that knowledge, what then? Well, we get the shocking and sublime twist that is Superman’s demise. He comes back later, of course, but the story is so distressing that it surely belongs on this list.

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Lori and Judith Grimes (The Walking Dead)

The Walking Dead is well-known for its gory and gut-wrenching kills. One stands out above the rest, however. During the prison arc, in which The Governor is the main villain, Lori must flee with her newborn baby Judith. While she runs with Judith in her arms, Lori is shot in the back. The shot nearly cleaves her in half. What’s worse, though, is that when Lori collapses, she crushes Judith against the pavement. Both of their bodies are then devoured by Walkers.

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Alexandra DeWitt (DC)

The Green Lantern Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt, has one of the most impactful deaths in the history of all storytelling. This isn’t because it’s particularly heartbreaking, although of course it is. No, it’s because of the way she dies. Alex is murdered by Major Force and her corpse is stuffed into a fridge for Kyle to find, which prompts an entire plot for him. This technique of killing a woman to fulfill a man’s narrative needs has gone on to be called “fridging.”

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Gwen Stacy (Marvel)

Speaking of fridging … we move to Marvel to examine another tear-jerker. Spider-Man’s first love, Gwen Stacy, dies tragically after falling from a building. The worst part? Peter Parker sends a web after Gwen, and he’s certain he’s caught her until he pulls her back up again and discovers she isn’t breathing. This scene is crucial for Spider-Man’s growth as both a hero and person. Thankfully, Gwen Stacy AKA Ghost-Spider has also gotten to grow as a hero and person in modern comics as the Multiverse expands.

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Marko (Saga)

Marko’s death is a bleak addition to an already depressing comic. Centered around civil war and what it takes to survive, however, the sci-fi series Saga doesn’t shy away from the horrific consequences of both intergalactic and interpersonal conflict. Saga also breaks the mold by killing not only one of its protagonists, but the male hero to boot. Now Marko’s wife and daughter — and the readers — will have to move forward with his (metaphorical) ghost haunting the pages.

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Which hero deaths wrecked you the most? Share the saddest moments with other comic fans at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!

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