7 Dead Marvel Characters That Need Resurrecting

Every year, the comic book industry introduces new characters to love and cherish. Likewise, they will brutally kill off just as many. Sometimes storytelling requires a sacrifice – be it a hero boldly jumping into danger, or a villain getting hit in the face with karma. Regardless of the reason, each year sees new characters enter the land of the dead for Marvel Comics. How long they’ll stay there is anyone’s guess, as some heroes who passed in 2024 have already been brought back to life. Meanwhile, many other characters have been dead for much longer, and we’re still waiting on their revivals.

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Marvel Comics may be known for having a revolving door of death, but sometimes a character dies – and stays dead. Shocking, right? The truth is that while it isn’t common for a character, particularly a hero, to stay dead for long, it does happen. Look at how long Bucky Barnes was left for dead. Because of this, fans are left hoping for the return of some of their favorites, and in some cases, they’ll probably be waiting a while.

1) Happy Hogan

When talking about dead Marvel characters, most people’s minds tend to go straight to the heroes or villains. However, it’s the secondary characters who typically end up dead for much longer periods of time (unless they’re Aunt May). Enter Happy Hogan. While this ray of sunshine may be alive and well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the same cannot be said for his comic book counterpart. Happy’s history in comics is much more complex, with plenty of ups and downs. While he didn’t fall for Aunt May, he did fall for another familiar Marvel face, Pepper Potts. The two had since divorced, adding a layer of pain to Happy’s later death.

Happy Hogan has been dead for a hot minute at this point, as he fell during Marvel’s first Civil War. As with anything in the comic book world, his death isn’t all that straightforward, though it certainly stuck. Happy Hogan has been dead long enough to deserve a second chance at his story. In truth, it’s almost surprising that Iron Man hasn’t brought this character back, given what happened after Civil War II.

2) Erik Killmonger

Even infamous characters like Erik Killmonger deserve a second chance to tell their stories. Killmonger is understandably quite famous for his opposition to Black Panther. Over the years, he had established a brutal reputation, killing others on command and whim. He’s one of those villains nobody wants to cross, and those who do will be surprised by the casualties caused along the way. As with many in Marvel Comics, Killmonger is no stranger to death – he’s died and been revived several times. However, the most recent death is sticking longer than expected.

Ironically, Killmonger is a character currently deceased in both the MCU and comics. Killmonger’s death in the MCU is part of an ongoing problem Marvel has, where they kill off all the interesting villains, shutting the door for their return. As for the comic version, fans can rest assured he’ll be back, it’s simply a matter of when.

3) Hope Summers

For a little while, fans got pretty spoiled by X-Men’s Resurrection Protocols. Or maybe it’s the characters who were spoiled? Either way, the revolving door of death had never turned so far, bringing X-Men back to life in record time (in a few instances before a death was confirmed, creating a couple of complications). Of course, that all fell down along with the paradise, Krakoa. While at least one mutant has died and come back since, that cannot be said for all X-Men, and sadly, that includes Hope Summers, the Mutant Messiah.

Here’s the thing – Hope saved everyone with her sacrifice, or nearly so. She died to bring back the Phoenix, who in turn revived the rest of the X-Men while the Resurrection Protocols came tumbling down. It was a heroic moment, but fans are still justified in missing this character. Given her sacrifice, it’s valid for readers to wonder when, not if, Hope Summers will be coming back.

4) Ronan the Accuser

Ronan is a character who has been around for ages, and boy, has he made waves over the years. He’s an infamous member of the Kree, one who has always craved more power than was healthy. As such, he’s worked with all sorts of groups, like the Galactic Council, Starforce, United Front, and of course, the Kree Empire. Likewise, he’s confronted dozens of beloved heroes, including Mar-Vell (who also has a complicated history with life and death) and Carol Danvers. Ronan the Accuser died during the Death of the Inhumans arc, and surprisingly, he has yet to return.

Admittedly, Marvel shouldn’t go about bringing back every dead villain, but Ronan the Accuser has been dead since 2018, and that’s long enough. Ronan is a complicated character with dozens of ties throughout Marvel Comics. As such, bringing him back could open the door to new stories and adventures. This is especially true as another currently carries the Universal Weapon. Lauri-Ell currently holds the Cosmi-Rod that Ronan the Accuser is so famous for wielding, and it would be interesting to see how he would react to this news, and that character as a whole.

5) Hector Ayala (White Tiger)

Hector Ayala is a hero of Marvel Comics, and it’s safe to say he’s been dead for quite a while. In fact, he was dead long enough for two different family members to step up and carry his mantle, White Tiger, after his passing. Hector was a talented and gifted martial artist, and with the White Tiger Amulet, he gained superpowers such as enhanced strength, speed, durability, and more. However, that wasn’t enough to save his life from the events that transpired. Hector deserves a second chance at being a hero.

Hector Ayala, as the White Tiger, died in 2003. However, there has never been a better time to bring this hero back to life. His recent appearance in Daredevil: Born Again brought fresh eyes to his story, and Marvel should/could play with that. While unlikely, it would be amazing if Marvel gave this hero a solo series, even a limited run.

6) Gorr the God Butcher

Marvel Comics has introduced many heavy-hitting villains, but none are quite like Gorr the God Butcher. This villain pushed Thor to the limits, and he even cost the hero his Worthy status, at least for a time. Furthermore, Gorr left a bloody track through the gods of Marvel, wreaking havoc in a way rarely seen. Naturally, his cataclysmic battle with Thor could end only in so many ways, with Thor winning in the end. However, that was not the end of Gorr’s story. He would later be consumed by the All-Black, and while he was later separated from that, he bonded with it, letting it replace his heart. This brings us to his second death, if you can call it that, as Jean Grey turned him into a star. Yes, really. Gorr the God Butcher is a star.

The heights of heroes are only ever going to be as good as their villains, and thus fans crave the return of those they loved the hate. Gorr the God Butcher is a big name in the Thor community, so it’s probably inevitable that he’ll return. Yes, he is currently a star (does this mean he’s technically alive, or super dead?), but that won’t stop a determined writer from finding a way to bring him back to life. Since Gorr technically came back within the last year, we probably won’t be seeing him again for a bit, but you never know.

7) Christopher Powell (Darkhawk)

Christopher Powell was introduced to Marvel Comics during the 1990s, and he’s created a bit of a cult following since then. This hero has worked with a few teams (New Warriors, West Coast Avengers) and survived the Superhero Registration Act. He’s been through it all, from series cancellations to being left in limbo for years at a time. However, the current round of limbo is different from the rest, as fans have been left to assume that he is very much dead. During the events of Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1, Christopher made the ultimate sacrifice, using his ship to buy time for the larger universe. Unfortunately, this not only killed this character, but it started a plot that Marvel hasn’t followed through on (yet).

Let’s be real, as a hero of the cosmos, Christopher Powell, aka Darkhawk, has been an underrated character for decades. That very fact is likely what is keeping him on the wrong side of death. He gave up everything, and in doing so, he essentially received a quiet death on the edge of the Marvel universe. Any hero deserved better than this. Making his resurrection more complicated is the fact that, technically, the Darkhawk mantle has already been passed on. However, Marvel has found ways around this problem before, they can certainly do so again.