DC Comics has had quite history over the last 88 years, since Superman burst onto the scene and changed comic books. The publisher has created some of the best characters ever, using them to tell stories that have stood the test of time. There are numerous reasons why these stories have been so popular. Creators have been able to give readers the kind of drama and action they crave, and one thing that is an important part of both of these are the deaths. The battle between good and evil needs stakes and death is the greatest stake of them all.
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DC has given readers some of the biggest deaths in the history of the comic medium. While not every death is supremely important, some of them have had a massive effect on the DC Multiverse. These ten DC deaths are the most important, helping define the original superhero universe.
10) The DC Multiverse
The DC Multiverse first appeared in 1961’s The Flash #123 and became one of the most important parts of the publisher’s comics until 1985. Readers were taken to numerous Earths, to the home of the Justice Society on Earth-Two to Earth-X, the Nazi-ruled Earth, to Earth-S, the home of the Marvel Family, and beyond. However, the infinite Earths became a problem for new readers and the publisher decided to kill it. Crisis on Infinite Earths ended the multiverse, birthing the singular DC Universe. It was a huge turning point in DC Comics history, bringing the publisher more success than ever.
9) The Waynes
A hero’s parents dying (or a villain’s) is a solid trope and an argument can be made that any major character’s parental death should be here. However, there’s something about Thomas and Martha Wayne that just resonates more than any of the rest, even Jor-El and Lara. The Waynes have been the subject of numerous stories over the years and most Batman fans have experienced their death many, many times. Their deaths have echoed through the decades, and are easily the most important parental death in comics.
8) Sue Dibny
Sue Dibny was one of the most beloved members of the Justice League and she didn’t even have superpowers. The wife of the Elongated Man was a staple of Justice League comics throughout the ’70s and ’80s, and fans loved the relationship between her and Ralph. There was something so realistic about them, and readers enjoyed the way they dealt with each other and everyone else. And then Identity Crisis happened. Sue was killed in the first issue, and the second issue revealed that she had been sexually assaulted in the past as well. DC has often done terrible things to their female characters (more on that soon) and their treatment of Sue was completely despicable. Identity Crisis has aged like milk and Sue’s death has become a huge sticking point in the fandom.
7) Jason Todd
Jason Todd is the black sheep of the Bat-Family and he paid for it with his life. Jason was introduced to replace Dick Grayson after he went to New Teen Titans – his original origin was basically a swap of Dick’s – and post-Crisis he would be made into an angry, mouthy sidekick. Fans didn’t love him and DC decided to leave it up to them to kill him. Fans voted, calling an 1-900 line and paying for each vote, and chose death. The death of Jason Todd is a huge moment in DC history; it was the first time a Robin actually died and the fans decided it. It’s still an unprecedented event in comic history.
6) Alex DeWitt
Alex DeWitt would have been a bit character if it wasn’t for her death, but she quickly became one of the most important women in comic history. Alex was introduced as the girlfriend to Kyle Rayner. She was there for her man and a cool character, who was rewarded for all of this by being murdered and stuffed in a fridge. It was endemic of the way creators treated women, abusing them for dramatic stakes. Writer Gail Simone got her start writing the blog Women in Refrigerators and Alex’s death has become a part of the fabric of the superhero comic community.
5) Crime Syndicate (Pre-Crisis)
The Crime Syndicate are some of the Justice League’s greatest enemies. Hailing from Earth-Three, the Earth where evil always wins, this twisted version of the Justice League battled their heroic counterparts and the Justice Society numerous times. Then Crisis on Infinite Earths happened. The story kicked off with the Syndicate trying to stop their world from being destroyed by anti-matter, failing miserably. Their death was meant to presage just how dangerous the Anti-Monitor’s threat was. It was also the symbolic death of the Multiverse, as their Earth had been the first wholly original created since The Flash #123. Their pre-Crisis death has always been way more important than it seemed.
4) Blue Beetle II
Infinite Crisis was a major DC turning point and it was kicked off with the death of the second Blue Beetle. Created by Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko for Charlston Comics, Ted Kord was a genius vigilante and would be defined by his time with the Justice League International after DC purchased the ailing Charlton, where his friendship with Booster Gold became one of the most popular ever. They were the ultimate DC comedy pair, and fans had long stopped expecting to see either of them in serious stories. That’s what made Ted’s death in Countdown to Infinite Crisis such a shock; it was the last thing that anyone expected. It was the catalyst for the most important DC event of the ’00s, ending one of DC’s great partnerships for years.
3) Superman
Superman was the character the DC Universe was built around and is the most important fictional character of the 20th century. He was invincible, the standard by which all other superheroes were measured, and he always won. That’s what made “Death of Superman” such a momentous event. It was the first major canon death of the Man of Steel (he had been killed in alternate worlds for years), an event so big it got national news attention. It was a watershed moment of the ’90s and it would become a massively important part of the character’s mythos in the years after.
2) Supergirl
Crisis on Infinite Earths had several extremely important deaths, with each representing the end of aspects of the DC’s history. Supergirl’s death was one of the most shocking, partly because of what it would presage and partly because she was a household name. After Crisis, Superman was completely rebooted and Kara Zor-El would no longer exist, along with most Kryptonians introduced over the years. Her death in Crisis #7 (I own two copies, because of course I do) was the last time readers would see her for 19 years (there was a Supergirl eventually introduced post-Crisis, but she wasn’t Kryptonian, until her return in 2004). Her death meant the end of Silver/Bronze Ages of Superman, setting the stage for an all-new Man of Steel.
1) Barry Allen
Barry Allen birthed the Silver Age in Showcase #4 and would be integral to the discovery of the multiverse; his death in Crisis on Infinite Earths represented the true end of both. Barry had lost a lot of popularity by the time he died in 1985, having been without a solo book and sent to the 30th century, so killing him off meant business sense, but it was more than that. He was the standard bearer for what was looked at as the “old school DC Multiverse” and comics had left him behind, ironic for the fastest man alive. His death would lead to Wally West taking his place and the Flash – DC Comics in general – becoming more popular than ever.
What do you think is the most important DC death? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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