DC Teases The Death of Fred in 'Scooby Apocalypse'

Fred Jones, long perceived as the "leader" of Mystery Inc. in the Scooby-Doo cartoons, will apparently die in an upcoming issue of DC's Scooby Apocalypse.

The solicitation text for May's #25 urges that "after nearly fifty years of Scooby-Doo, the unthinkable occurs."

Fred, depicted mostly as ineffectual and bumbling in Scooby Apocalypse, is nevertheless a good-hearted character and will be the first casualty of Mystery, Inc. since they entered the high-tech world where monsters are real -- and were caused, at least in part, by government scientists working with Velma's father.

Scooby Apocalypse is the longest-running of DC's Hanna-Barbera cartoon adaptations; it will reach its 25th issue in May, and does not appear to be slowing down since even after teasing Fred's death the solicitation promises the development will have repercussions for later in the series.

Written by veteran superhero scribes Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League International), Scooby Apocalypse follows the Scooby gang through a post-apocalyptic hellscape in which a powerful cabal of corporate and government leaders, in trying to find a way to everyday people less resistant to their shenanigans, inadvertently detonated a nanite bomb that turned nearly everyone on the planet into a monster.

The series eschews the procedural elements of the traditional Scooby cartoons in favor of a larger mystery: is there a way to fix the world? And along the way, the series features gore and humor in equal measure. Despite fierce resistance to what looked like an ultra-violent and too-serious take on the property when it launched, Scooby Apocalypse quickly won over readers and critics.

You can check out the official solicitation text for the "death" issue below. Scooby Apocalypse #25 will be on the stands on May 9.

SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #25
Written by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS • Art by RON WAGNER, ANDY OWENS and others • Cover by HOWARD PORTER • Variant cover by BRYAN HITCH
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
After nearly fifty years of Scooby-Doo, the unthinkable occurs! This month death claims one of the most beloved figures in pop-culture history: Fred Jones! This stunning turn of events will have repercussions that you won't want to miss!
On sale MAY 9 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T