Civil War II #3 - Which Avenger Died and Which Avenger Did It

A little earlier tonight, the New York Daily News tweeted out a story that suggested one of six popular Avengers from the movies would be killed in tomorrow's Civil War II -- and that the killer would be shocking.

They've come through, spoiling the issue's big twist and talking to creatives behind the event miniseries.

So...yeah. Spoilers ahead for Civil War II #3.

There's a Chekov's gun in play here: an arrow, given to Hawkeye by Bruce Banner to use on him in case of emergency.

It's that arrow that's used to kill Banner before he can "Hulk out," potentially costing the lives of thousands of people.

"Only two things are for certain," said Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso. "It will take a long, long time for our heroes to come to terms with his loss, and the circumstance surrounding his death will leave a huge scar on the superhero community."

Of course, the fact that Banner designed it himself to be a Hulk-killer should help to offset the general feeling that you can't really kill him because of the raging monster he hides inside.

It's arguably not surprising that Banner is the one killed: the image shared, from the blockbuster 2012 movie based on the team, features top-tier Avengers Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor, The Incredble Hulk, and Black Widow.

Captain America, Black Widow, and Thor all have ongoing series set to debut shortly after the end of Civil War II, so unless the death is short-lived or undone, it seems unlikely one of them will die. There are so far two new Iron Man titles seen in the promotional materials for Marvel NOW, neither of which features Tony Stark. Hawkeye will feature Kate Bishop, and Amadeus Cho will continue to play the role of Totally Awesome Hulk.

With Hulk literally rending Iron Man in two on the cover, the odds seemed good that it would be one of the two who died, and of course events like World War Hulk have given plenty of justification for taking down the Jade Giant, who's seen as a menace by as many or more in the Marvel Universe as he is a hero.

"Right now I can tell you this is the real deal," writer Brian Michael Bendis told the Daily News. "I can't speak for the future, I honestly can't, who knows what will happen? But I already have plans for the body (in upcoming issues)."

Civil War II #3 is on sale tomorrow at your local comic shop and via ComiXology.