One of the common complaints about Marvel Comics is that no one stays dead, so no death is a big deal in comics anymore. However, before Jean Grey died in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #137, it was almost unheard of for major superheroes to die in the comics, and that was the first of several shocking deaths. Throughout the years since that death, Marvel has used the killing of heroes to create shocking moments, hoping to get people talking, although everyone knew they would be back later, somehow, someway. However, even when fans know that a hero will be back from the dead sooner or later, the best stories can still make the deaths surprising, emotional, and deliver great plot moments that fans still talk about today.
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From heroes sacrificing their lives to save the world or other teammates to villains getting the upper hand and killing their biggest enemy, here are the most shocking heroes’ deaths in Marvel Comics history.
10) Jean Grey
The first Marvel Comics death that shocked the world came in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #137 when Jean Grey died in a self-sacrifice to save her fellow X-Men members. Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter mandated the death because Dark Phoenix destroyed a universe with billions of people in it. He said that she had to die for this massive genocide, even though the Dark Phoenix Force possessed her. The original plan was for the Shi’ar to depower her and send her home with the X-Men, but Shooter demanded her death to punish her for her crimes, and she threw herself in front of a death ray to stop the fight between the X-Men and the Shi’ar’s Imperial Guard. Sadly, Jean Grey has died so many times since then that her death is a running joke. However, the first death remains iconic.
9) Captain America
Captain America and Iron Man are two of the most iconic Marvel Comics superheroes, and they have been around since the beginning of the comic book line. This made them obvious characters to lead each side of the first Civil War storyline. Iron Man took the side of the government, demanding that all heroes register and become employees of the U.S. government. At the same time, Captain America felt they shouldn’t be held under the thumb of whoever was in charge of the government at the time. After the war ended, Cap finally surrendered and allowed himself to be arrested. This led to one of the most shocking moments in Marvel Comics history when he was assassinated on his way into court for his trial. This showed the terrible effects of a war, as Iron Man ended up devastated after the murder.
8) Hawkeye
When Hawkeye died in Marvel Comics, it wasn’t just a shocking moment; it was one of several shocking deaths. Four people died shockingly during Avengers Disassembled, where Scarlet Witch turned pure evil. Wanda created a fake invasion, and the Avengers went into battle to defend the Earth. Jack of Hearts died, and when he exploded, it killed Scott Lang’s Ant-Man as well. Wanda also personally killed Agatha Harkness before she began her overwhelming attack on the Avengers. However, Hawkeye’s death was the biggest of them all, with him dying while fighting the fake Kree invasion of Earth, one of the last deaths that finally convinced the Avengers to break up when the battle ended.
7) Elektra
Elektra debuted in Daredevil comics as a villain, an assassin. However, Elektra Natchios also met Matt Murdock, and the two began to date, not knowing about their other identities. This made things tragic in Daredevil #181 when Bullseye started a fight with Elektra. This was during Frank Miller’s run on the title, and what happened was Bullseye stabbing Elektra in the stomach and killing her before Daredevil could save her. Elektra died, and it was one in a series of tragic deaths that occurred in Daredevil’s life, many at the hands of Bullseye himself. Elektra ended up resurrected by The Hand, but the death was a massive moment in comics when it happened.
6) Ultimate Spider-Man
One of the most emotional deaths in Marvel Comics came in the Ultimate Marvel line. This is because the deaths in this universe were supposed to stick, and the person who died was one of the most popular and beloved heroes in Marvel Comics history, a teenager, in Spider-Man. This happened when Ultimate Spider-Man crossed over with the Avengers vs. New Ultimates event series. Punisher tried to shoot Captain America, but Spider-Man sacrificed himself to save Cap. With a bullet inside him, Spider-Man couldn’t go to the hospital because the Ultimate Goblin had attacked his neighborhood, and he raced into action to stop and end the Goblin’s threat before dying in the streets in Mary Jane’s arms with Aunt May looking on.
5) Ares
One might think killing a god is nearly impossible. However, like Thor has shown more than once, it can happen, even if it isn’t something that lasts. However, one of the most shocking deaths in Marvel Comics history came in a moment that was graphically explicit, especially for a regular comic book release. Ares had joined Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers after the former Green Goblin became a national hero following Secret Invasion. However, Ares served as a double agent for the heroes and remained so until Norman learned the truth. In one of the most disgusting moments of this storyline, Osborn ordered the overpowered Dark Avenger Sentry to kill Ares, and the hero ripped the Greek God into pieces, one of the most shocking kills of any hero in Marvel history.
4) Hercules
Hercules is another god who died a shocking death in Marvel Comics, although this did not happen in the main 616 timeline. Instead, this was in Maestro’s world, where the Future Imperfect Hulk had set himself up as a king of sorts and defeated any hero or villain that came along to challenge him. Things got out of control when Hercules arrived, eager to fight and test whether Hulk was still tough enough to go. While Hercules just wanted to fight for sportsmanship, Maestro had no time to mess around. Instead, he called in a B-grade villain known as Vapor, who was part of the U-Foes, to send poison gas into Hercules, which killed him instantly. It was a shocking death for a god at the hands of a former small-time villain.
3) The Punisher
Ares wasn’t the only shocking death at the hands of Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers. For this team, Norman brought in villains like Bullseye to be Hawkeye, Scorpion to be Venom, and Daken to be Wolverine. It was the latter who finally killed Punisher in a way that looked like he would never come back. Norman sent Daken to take out Punisher, and he didn’t mess around. Without showing any remorse, Daken used his claws to murder Frank Castle and then chop the Punisher’s body into pieces. There was no way Punisher should have survived this, but he was patched back together and returned as Frankencastle.
2) Doctor Strange
The Death of Doctor Strange was a Marvel Comics series that arrived in 2021, and the title promised the death of the Sorcerer Supreme. However, this series was designed to sell a lot, given the shocking death of one of Marvel’s most powerful characters. What was surprising, though, was that he remained dead longer than expected. The fact that this came out before an MCU Doctor Strange movie was suspicious as well. After Strange died, a different version of him appeared, which seemed like a cop-out. However, Marvel did the unthinkable and ensured that, at the end, he remained dead, forcing them to find a new Sorcerer Supreme.
1) Iron Fist
Probably one of the most shocking deaths in Marvel Comics came to Iron Fist, and it wasn’t because Danny Rand was a big deal when it happened. It was because the death came out of nowhere, at the end of an issue that was a tribute to everything that made Danny such a great hero. This death happened in a one-shot called Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special. Every Iron Fist dies when they are 33, but Danny avoided this and ended up passing the mantle onto Lin Lie. In this issue, chapters told some of Danny’s past stories, and there was even a moment where he celebrated his 34th birthday with Luke Cage. However, when Danny went back to his penthouse at the end, Razor Fist was waiting, possessed by Ch’i-Lin. He cut off Danny’s leg and then drove his sword through him, murdering him as the issue ended. It was one of Marvel’s most heartbreaking deaths thanks to the stories that preceded it.
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