Death in comics tends to be a revolving door. One year a character dies a tragic death, then many a variant cover or tie-in is made in their honor. The next year they’re resurrected in a slapshot retcon to bring everything back to the all-powerful status quo.
However, on rare occasions, some characters have stayed dead. With DC‘s 80+ year history, there have been hundreds of supporting, side, or even main characters that have perished. The following list is based on various metrics, such as the number of dead, the length of time they’ve stayed that way, and the DC heroes who’ve lost the most family in their fight against evil.
CONTENT WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT THE DEATH OF FAMILY AND LOVED ONES. PLEASED BE ADVISED.
10 The Phantom Stranger May Have Lost Everyone
The Phantom Stranger first appeared in 1952’s The Phantom Stranger #1 by John Broome and M.W. Wellman with art by Carmine Infantino. As the name suggests, his true origins and background are left purposely vague. However, DC would eventually tease 4 possible histories for the character in 1987’s Secret Origins #10. The first origin, “Tarry Till I Come Again” by Mike Barr, Jim Aparo, and Tom Ziuko, tells a tale that depicts the Stranger as the mythical “Wandering Jew.” When King Herod the Great of Judea orders the mass execution of innocents in an attempt to snuff out the prophecized “King of the Jews,” it is the Stranger’s wife and child who are killed among other innocents. The Stranger blames Jesus and bribes a guard to let him join in on the “Flagellation of Christ.” In return, Jesus curses him with immortality.
After hundreds of years, he repents and becomes the Phantom Stranger of DC. “…And Men Shall Call Him Stranger” (by Paul Levitz, José Luis García-López, Tatjana Wood, and Gaspar Saladino) and “Revelations” (by Dan Mishkin, Ernie Colon, Pablo Marcos, Carl Gafford, and Albert De Guzman) also tell stories of the Stranger being the sole survivor of a great tragedy. “Footsteps” by Alan Moore, Joe Orlando, and Bob Lappan is the only tale that doesn’t involve the death of the Stranger’s loved ones, but rather depicts him as an angel that chose to side with neither Heaven nor Hell during Lucifer’s uprising. All in all, there’s a clear pattern of loss and death in all of the Stranger’s possible origins.
9 Batman Is The Original Orphaned Superhero
It’s safe to assume that no one needs reminding about how the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne pushed their young son Bruce to become the Caped Crusader. While the death of his parents is one of the driving forces of Batman‘s war against crime, they aren’t the only casualties he’s suffered. Arguably the second most famous loss is the death of his adopted son, Jason Todd, in A Death in the Family arc by Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, Mike DeCarlo, John Costanza, and Adrienne Roy.
Jason wouldn’t be the only son Bruce would lose. Damian Wayne was also killed in Batman Incorporated #8 from 2013 by Grant Morrison, Chris Burnham, Jason Masters, Nathan Fairbairn, and Taylor Esposito. It should also be noted that just about every member of the larger Wayne family introduced to the Batman mythos has perished outside of the closely related Kane family tree.
8 Aquaman’s Baby Was Killed By Black Manta
Batman isn’t the only founding member of the Justice League to have suffered the death of a child. Aside from the death of his father, Thomas Curry, and the constant fake-out deaths of his brother Orm (aka Ocean Master), Arthur has also lost a son.
Arhtur Curry Jr. (aka Aquababy) was kidnapped and suffocated by Black Manta in the harrowing 1970s story arc Death of a Prince by Steve Skeates, Paul Levitz, David Michelinie, Paul Kupperberg, Mike Grell, Jim Aparo, and Don Newton.
7 Jason Blood, The Host Of The Demon Etrigan, Was Cursed With Long Life
Etrigan, the monster that lies, hosted by the body of demonologist and ex-6th century peasant Jason Blood, was first created by Jack Kirby in The Demon #1 from 1972 (with inks and letters by Mike Royer). Due to the two battling minds, Blood’s true origins were left vague and unclear until the wizard Merlin of Arthurian legend was forced to elaborate. Jason had a wife and two children when the wizard bonded the demon to him. Upon waking the next day, he saw how he’d killed his entire family in a crazed fury. Centuries later, he walks the world alone, but for his eternal partner.
6 Hawkman & Hawkgirl Lose Each Other Every Incarnation
The story and history of Hawkman and Hawkgirl is one of the most infamously convoluted tales in DC history. After a myriad of conflicting and contradicting explanations, as well as many an attempt to retcon and streamline the issue, they remain two of the hardest characters to get into. The two most common origin tales are they’re Thanagarians with hawk-like wings as a part of their body, or they’re reincarnated lovers from ancient Egypt destined to forever love, die, and love again. It may take a while, but add up those losses and this husband and wife duo will win the list.
5 Miss Martian And Her Refugees Were Executed
M’gann M’orzz is a White Martian refugee who arrived on Earth with her parents as detailed in Martian Manhunter #1 by A.J. Lieberman, Al Barrionuevo, Marta Martinez, Travis Lanham, and Javier Bergatiño (BIT). They were captured and executed by the United States government, and upon escaping, M’gann took on the name Megan Morse and the superhero identity Miss Martian. While the White Martians didn’t suffer as harshly as their Green cousins, M’gann has still lost most if not all of her family even before she became a hero.
4 Green Lantern Went Mad After Losing His City
Hal Jordan lost his father in a plane crash and eventually became a test pilot just like him. Unfortunately, the heartbreak for Green Lantern wouldn’t end there.
During the convoluted Reign of the Supermen arc, which took over the Superman titles following his death, Hal’s home of Coast City was destroyed. The trauma allowed the parasitic entity of fear known as Parallax to prey on his emotions and lead him to destroy the Green Lantern Corps.
3 Superman and Supergirl Are The Last Son And Daughter Of Krypton
Both Kal-El and Kara Zor-El were sent away from their home planet of Krypton before its inevitable destruction, killing all their blood relatives in one swift motion. In The New 52 reboot era, Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark’s adopted parents, would perish in a car crash while Superman was still young, and this lack of foundation for his moral growth colored the rest of his time during the era. His parents would return to the world of the living years later, but for many younger readers, this was the status quo for quite a while.
2 Martian Manhunter Has Lost His Entire Race
J’onn J’onzz the Martian Manhunter may be one of DC’s loneliest heroes. As the lone surviving Green Martian after his race was eradicated by their White cousins, J’onn was teleported to Earth in a freak accident, which cost the life of the scientist responsible. Even his twin brother, Ma’alefa’ak J’onzz, ended up dying in a battle against the Justice League, erasing him from the psychic plane. Unlike Kryptonians, new Martians don’t spring up every day. And thus far, J’onn remains alone, forming whatever bonds he can in his new home.
1 Power Girl’s Entire Earth Has Been Wiped From Existence
Power Girl is a hold-over character from the Pre-Crisis version of Earth-2. It was a world that showed a possible future for the Golden Age era of superheroes, pairing many of them off to have sons and daughters of their own. However, following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Earth-2 and the rest of the multiverse would be collapsed into New Earth. Everyone Power Girl knew was effectively wiped from existence, leaving only their New Earth duplicates. While her memory of her home would be wiped, the loss of her family remained.
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