Talk:Comic book death

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Contents

[edit] Cable and Hulk

When was Cable presumed permanemtly dead? Or the Hulk? -Sean Curtin 01:51, Feb 27, 2005 (UTC)

Not sure about Hulk, but Cable was presumed dead following the end of X-cutioner's Song when he apparently sacrificed himself to kill Stryfe. —Lowellian (talk) 05:34, Mar 21, 2005 (UTC)
Re: Hulk
Depends exactly how you define it - if you mean "by readers," probably never. If you mean in-continuity, he's been actually dead once (in the Myth Conceptions arc, Hulk #422-423, before Hela released him back to life), and believed obliterated by bombs twice (at the end of the Ground Zero arc, #345, with an issue devoted to characters' reactions before he reappeared incognito in #347, with a brief explaination later expanded into a full story in #351-352 [he got teleported to Jarella's world by sorcerors who wanted his help], and at the end of #440, where he was missing for three full issues, and was intended to be "missing" longer - but Peter David was forced to bring him back when his plans were blown apart by the Onslaught crossover). - SoM 23:14, 24 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Marvel only?

Ought we to subdivide the character lists by publisher? Or would that just be kicking Marvel when it was already down? --Paul A 06:50, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)

The frequently-used term, and correct title for this article, is "comic book death." —Lowellian (talk) 05:34, Mar 21, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Jason Todd

Has he ever returned? I know people keep messing with Batman's head by making it appear so, but is he actually alive? User:141.161.170.121

yes, he recently returned and is the new Red Hood. Elijya 16:45, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Questionable Entries

This whole list gets clouded by the inclusion of alternate realities, reboots, etc. For example, in the Ultimate Marvel reboot, Bucky never dies. Also, Magik (comics) and Thunderbird (comics) came back as a member of Exiles (comics), each for fairly long runs. If anything, I think Magik and Thunderbird should be moved to the other list, or maybe should get a * or something. --DropDeadGorgias (talk) 18:10, May 24, 2005 (UTC)

There should not be a problem if we just stick to the main continuities. —Lowellian (talk) 00:03, May 25, 2005 (UTC)
Why is Tbird there in the first place anyway? He lasted three issues. I fail to see how that counts as "long running". - SoM 00:50, 25 May 2005 (UTC)
He's not long-running, but he is prominent. He was among the first X-Men to die (and near the start of Claremont's legendary run, too), and his death is referred to numerous times in later comics. —Lowellian (talk) 22:23, May 31, 2005 (UTC)
Plus, his death served as the impetus of other story elements over the years, not the least of which was his younger brother's desire for revenge, which later led him to become TBird II/Warpath/whoeverheisthisweek. Hossenfeffer 18:34, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Explanation

Do you think it would be helpful to have another column in the first table with something like "Explanation" or "Mechanism for Resurrection"? --DropDeadGorgias (talk) 18:24, May 24, 2005 (UTC)

Sounds like a good idea to me. Not everyone is going to know how characters return (and some articles may not provide that information).--Mitsukai 19:19, 28 July 2005 (UTC)
while being on the list is bad enough, I think giving the exact methods of their return would be a big spoiler. Also, very few situations could be explained simply, unless you just want to add "was never really dead in the first place", which is the explanation for most characters on the list. The explanations for the death and return of most characters should already be in their individual articles anyway. Elijya 16:49, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Spoilers

I removed "Since Bucky returned in Captain America v5 #6 (June 2005), this saying may have to be amended to "No one in comics stays dead, except Uncle Ben."" from the overview since it was a big spoiler, which I would have rather not read, and it was above the spoiler warning. - User:SoM 19:58, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I moved it below the spoiler warning. —Lowellian (talk) 02:02, Jun 4, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] House of M

House of M is going to ressurect Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy (Gwen can be seen on the last page of House of M #1).

What will be done, since they've technically "returned"?

User:Toffile

We wait until House of M is over. House of M, though technically in the same continuity, is in many ways essentially an alternate universe story. We wait until it is over and then, if any of those characters are actually still alive by the end of House of M, then we deal with it. —Lowellian (talk) 02:30, Jun 24, 2005 (UTC)
Alright. I just wanted to make sure.
Toffile 14:21, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Ok, they're clearly still dead, and that was an alternate reality, so we don't need to worry about it. However, Hawkeye was resurrected in House of M, which HAS carry over to the regular continuity, so that should be noted. I forget exactly what issue he was first seen in again, but I think it was #2, and I'll make that adjustment to the article. If anyone wants to correct me, go ahead. Elijya 16:56, 15 December 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Apocalypse

I can't believe he's not on the list. Someone help me compile a list of his deaths and resurrections. I think the first time he 'died' was in X-Factor #68, and I think he next reappeared somewhere in the X-Cutioner's Song. I didn't read his earlier appearences, though. Did he ever 'die' in earlier issues of X-Factor?. And then he died at the end of Search for Cyclops, right? and he's supposed to be coming back within the next couple of months, though we'll figure out the exact issue then. Can anybody help me with these specifics? Elijya 16:56, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Ra's Al Ghul

I seem to recall seeing Ra's Al Hul alive in the Hush storyline in Batman. Can anyone back me up or provide dates about this? Gallaghp 12:36, 16 December 2005 (GMT)

He was. I believe he died in the Batman: Death and the Maidens miniseries Elijya 18:36, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] The Waynes

What about Batman's parents? Have they ever come back or are they dead since Detective #27? Ace-o-aces 15:52, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

Well, technicly, no, they've never come back, but they've also never been seen in a current story, always in flashback. Batman's origin story (which would have been the first time they were mentioned) wasn't even told until awhile after Batman had his first appearence. So they've technicly only ever appeared in flashbacks, and thus never really died on-panel. Elijya 17:47, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Hex

Dare I ask if Jonah Hex belongs on the dead list. He's dead in current continuity, but is alive in his own title which takes place in the past, and will be alive in the future thanks to time travel.....my head hurts Ace-o-aces 23:42, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

I'm gonna go vote "no" on that, given the different time period. I think the list is really only supposed to display the mainstream, current timeline DC and Marvel universes. So no alternate realities or different time periods. Elijya 09:21, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 1/21/06 edits

  • I’ve never heard the term “Bucky Clause” before. I Googled it and could not find a reference outside of Wikipedia. I took it out. I also tagged the article for deletion.
  • I have however heard the adage before and I always heard it as a reference only to Uncle Ben and Bucky, not usually Jason Todd. I noted this.
  • The list of prominent characters that have died and have thus far not returned contains a lot of characters that are not prominent. It’s turning into a general list of dead comic book characters Unless anyone has an argument for any of the following, I’d prefer to keep them off the list: Elemental Girl, Jack Drake, Graydon Creed, Thunderbird, Skin, Synch and the members of the Great Lakes Avengers. I also eliminated X-Statix from the list because individually, these were not prominent characters and because Doop may be alive and Dead Girl is alive (sort of). Maybe it should be limited further.
  • Added the soon-to-be-returned Apocalypse and Sunfire

- Rorschach567

I would say keep Thunderbird since he is a very famous death for the X-Men, and also Skin and Synch who were longstanding members of Generation X, a very popular group. If you insist on removing the GLA, I say leave Mr. Immortal, and then I think a general team entry should be made or mentioned in the opening given their last miniseries' large focus on this topic. The same goes for X-Statix. Frankly, I'd prefer no omitions and don't see anything wrong with this being a list of deceased and returned comic characters. Elijya 12:51, 22 January 2006 (UTC)
I'd say keep Thunderbird, because, even though he was a member for such a short time, his death was EXTRMELY impactful to the title as a whole (and was referred to repeatedly afterwards - in fact, he got more "airtime" after he died than he had alive!). The fact that he was still influencing storylines (no matter how minor) nearly 10 years after his death would seem to justify his place. Beyond that, I'd be amenable to almost any other name listed above being dropped - none of the others seem to fit MY personal criteria for a "meaningful" death (ie, either a long-running regular character (like, say, Blue Beetle), or one whose death impacts the series years later (like, say, Uncle Ben)). Hossenfeffer 18:51, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
I think the list works best as a list of characters who have not been resurrected against all odds. Writers seem most tempted to bring back popular or semi-popular heroes (Azrael, Captain Mar-Vel), villains of popular heroes (Mysterio, Poison Ivy) or supporting characters of popular heroes (Karen Page, Gwen Stacy). These characters are worth mentioning in this article to show that Marvel and DC do not bring back all significant characters and as “score card” of sorts of characters who could very likely be brought back in the future. That’s my reasoning in limiting the list. But it’s not a big deal to me if other users want less strict standards.
I think less-strict standards are fine - at least until the page starts getting TOO huge. Though, part of me secretly fears that some writer is going to find this page, and make it his life's work to bring ALL the "outstanding dead" back. ~shiver~ Hossenfeffer 18:51, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
Also, can anyone think of any non-Marvel/DC characters who‘ve experienced comic book deaths? Rorschach567 15:49, 23 January 2006 (UTC)
I'd say Torque, in the Valiant Universe, but that just opens up old wounds all over again.  ;_; Hossenfeffer 18:51, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Agatha Harkness

I modified the Agatha Harkness part of the death/rebirth table due to the fact that it was revealed in the following issue of Marvel Knights - 4, that it was indeed not Harkness, but somebody masquerading as her. RevAladdinSane 02:45, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] X-Statix Presents: Deadgirl

During X-Statix Presents: Deadgirl #1 Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Miss America (Marvel) and the Anarchist returned from the dead for 24 hours, and are expected to do so again. Should they be included on the list or is 24 hours not long enough? Iron Ghost 22:00, 29 January 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Red Skull

Is on both lists for Marvel Rkrgoat 20:02, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

Dead -> Revived -> Dead again, it seems. The last time he stayed dead for 50 months, though, and it has only been 14 since his current death, so let's just wait and see for some time, if it needs to be changed again, shall we? 惑乱 分からん 17:59, 28 February 2006 (UTC)


[edit] The Fall of the Mutants

Another X-Men one, but I'm not sure if it should be added to the list or not. During the Fall of the Mutants storyline, the entire X-Men team died to stop the Adversary. And were resurrected almost immediately. If I remember rightly, the team included Storm, Havok, Psylocke, Rogue and Wolverine, as well as two or three others. Madelyne Pryor was also along (and how many times has that woman died now?).

TECHNICALLY, it might be a valid argument... but a case can be made that they were never DEAD, per se, as much as their souls and essences were sealed away with the Adversary (I don't recall Forge ever using the word "dead"). Though, in any case, even if they WERE dead, does being revived about 5 minutes later (in the same issue) count as being dead long enough? Hossenfeffer 18:54, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Supergirl?

Would she count? She not only died, but disappeared from continuity, and then came back.Bjones 17:05, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

No. The pre-Crisis Supergirl came back, but she was erased from history again in Many Happy Returns. The current Supergirl is not pre-Crisis Supergirl, and Linda Danvers is MIA, not dead.DiegoTehMexican 23:06, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Optimus Prime

It seems like an entry on Optimus Prime would be a good addition -- he was killed in 'The Transformers: The Movie', only to be resurrected at the end of Season 3 of the cartoon due to fan pressure (I believe). It could go in the 'Outside comic books' section.

[edit] the Kents, the Ray, Wally West

I was sure the Kents died at some point during the Our Worlds At War storyline. Also, didn't the Ray die during Mageddon, then show up again in Young Justice? And I thought that at some point, possibly during Mark Waid's (admittedly long, so that doesn't really narrow things down) run on the Flash (no pun intended), didn't Wally essentially die and go to heaven, by being taken into the Speedforce? I might be able to verify the last one, but I'm not sure about the other two.

The Kents didn't die, but Pa was MIA for awhile. The Ray was injured, but not killed in the Maggeddon storyline. And although Wally has repeatedly dodged in and out of the Speed Force, he has never actually died, to my knowledge. Lokicarbis 05:24, 13 May 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Uncle Ben

Does Uncle Ben still count as being a ressurection? It was revealed that the Ben who's been appearing is an alternate reality version, and not the Ben Parker who originally died.

[edit] Jesus/Lazarus as examples of comic book death

Frankly, I think this is just an example of some editor trying to be funny rather than an example of killing a character and bringing them back for plot related purposes. Whatever you think about how the Bible was written, the stories of Jesus and Lazarus weren't cases of characters being killed than brought back later, their deaths were integral to their stories to begin with.--BigCow 03:16, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

If it were somebody other than Chris, I might question it too. But he doesn't seem to have those kinds of motivations. I'd bring it up with him on his talk page. CovenantD 03:35, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
I am glad I checked to see if this was being discussed. No, I wasn't trying to be funny. It just honestly seemed related. I'm not critiquing the Bible, but it seems clear to me that the two are related. For instance, when Superman came back, a church formed in his honor, definitely a reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If someone wants to alter the text to better suit the article, that's wonderful. But I'd rather not rule it out altogether. I know you have the best intentions. So do I. This is pertinant information; let's find something that works. --Chris Griswold 04:22, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
(incidentally, my last edit you reverted was just a spelling correction) A church being built in Superman's honor is an example of the comic book death phenomenon referencing the Bible, not the other way around. The intentions behind resurrection in a religious text and a comic book series could not be more different. The other examples are fine, but Lazarus and Jesus are not really examples of the killing off and subsequent return of a long-running character. Both stories are part of a self-contained narrative. --BigCow 05:05, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
I would have to argue that Jesus appears more in the Bible than Murdock appears in MacGyver. While it may not be influcenced by comic books, the story is related to comic book deaths, just as the other items in that section are. Perhaps it can be moved higher in the article, more clearly designated as an influence on the comic book death. Whereas Superman's origin story references Moses', his death and return reference Jesus'. --Chris Griswold 05:22, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
The bulleted items in that particular section are all examples of comic book deaths rather than influences on the idea of resurrection in comic books. I would try to work the Bible as a reference near the top of the article talking about the general idea of resurrection dating back for a while.--BigCow 05:30, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
I agree that there should be a discussion in the article of resurrection stories comparing and contrasting with comic book death so as to differentiate. I'm having difficulty relating the exact difference, but the means of Jesus' resurrection is an integral part (if not the entire purpose) of his story, whereas comic book death is accidental and apologetic, and the means of the character's revival is irrelevant -- the purpose is merely to bring the character back. While I realize it's analogous directly to the story of Jesus, Neo's death and subsequent resurrection in The Matrix would not be considered an example of comic book death outside of comic books for the same reason. --Newt 13:26, 5 June 2006 (UTC)
So where does Jean Grey's debut as the Phoenix go? Or Spider-Man's rebirth in "The Other?" Those are not revisionist; they focus on the re-birth. What about when a character dies and returns as a vampire in the same issue? --Chris Griswold 13:38, 5 June 2006 (UTC)
All death and return in comic books is not comic book death (CBD). If the resurrection or revival, the means to it, are integral to the character (i.e. Phoenix is a force of rebirth), then I would not consider it to be CBD. Returning as a vampire is not CBD, it changes the character. Mr. Immortal's innumerable deaths aren't CBD, they're integral to him. Robocop's death and return is not CBD, though I think the Terminator's return in Terminator 2: Judgment Day could be considered CBD (more for the franchise than to fill out the character). What makes CBD what it is is the throwaway nature of the means of revival and the ultimate end to bring back a character not advance a story. Overall, I think there are quite a few false examples in the article, and the article would benefit from either further definition of CBD or at least a discussion of the difference between CBD and resurrection stories. --Newt 14:26, 5 June 2006 (UTC)
I think I understand the point BigCow is trying to make, and I'd tend to agree with it. Comic Book Death/Rebirth, in this instance, is basically a situation where a character is created, exists for a while, is eventually killed off, and then, later, is either resurrected by a different writer (who has ideas for the character), or even by the same writer (who feels they made a mistake letting them die in the first place). In this sense, someone like Phoenix most DEFINITELY falls into this category, but someone like Spawn (who was "dead" and "reborn" all in his first appearance) WOULDN'T - because that initial "death" is part of the concept, not the storytelling built up over time. Because of that, someone like Lazarus (who was dead before we met him, and whose entire story REVOLVES around that rebirth) certainly doesn't fall into that category. A case MIGHT be made that Jesus falls into that category (since there is ample "backstory" before he dies and is reborn), but an equal case can be made that he doesn't (since the entire story of his life, in the religious sense, is basically just prelude leading up to his death/rebirth as the defining moment of his character). In any case, the entire article would probably be more useful anyway if we didn't try and push religious hot-buttons solely for the hell of it, and instead included an examination of how the imagery of Jesus' archetypal resurrection is often mimicked, mocked, or paid homage to by comic book rebirths (such as that of the Phoenix, or the heavy overtones to Superman's death/rebirth, and so on). Hossenfeffer 19:13, 20 June 2006 (UTC)


Indeed, it does not seem very NPOV or respectful to equate a religion with a comic book death, especially to put Jesus and Lazarus as characters instead of religous figures seems to have the hidden assumption that the Bible is fiction, which is a form biblical criticism, a fairly controversial topic. We certainly wouldn't put something like "Buddha then said we all undergo comic book death through a process called reincarnation". It would be silly, NPOV, and incredibly disrespectful. I say we put it at the top of the page and talk about how this sort of resurrection works, particularly the death of Superman. It's nice to know everyone assumes good faith and this was a good faith edit, however. - Xtreme680 19:25, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

Pun intended? --Chris Griswold 23:09, 2 June 2006 (UTC)
I don't think I made a pun, but I wasn't being sarcastic. Sorry if it came out weird, the tragedy of online communication, no one knows when you're being sincere. I'm confident everyone here has the best intentions. - Xtreme680 06:42, 3 June 2006 (UTC)
And we all know what road is paved with those. --Chris Griswold 12:05, 3 June 2006 (UTC)
And now I'm just confused. - Xtreme680 17:30, 3 June 2006 (UTC)
I guess I understand the good intentions, but this is kind of a stretch. The way it is written definately feels disrespectful and POV with intentions of Biblical criticism. However, since there could be a relationship with comic book deaths and Christ's death/ressurection, I guess we can mention within the article, that some death and ressurections of fictional characters are sometimes presented in a Christ-like fashion somehow, or allude to a Christ-like figure in terms of death and ressurection. I don't think its too neccessary, nor do I think it's a notably common enough occurence to really mention, but if it has to be done, I feel this is probably the most NPOV way to do it.
For sure though, sticking it there strongly implies that the Bible is fiction, which is controversial, especially in this particular article, so something must be done. I guess another solution is to change the "Outside Comic Books" to "In Other Media" or something, and add a "In Myth/Legend" type of section too, though I also feel that is sort of unnecessary and also kind of stretches things a bit from the particular article. -- Shadowolf 10:17, 5 June 2006 (UTC)
Don't you think it's a little disrespectful to call Christianity a myth or a legend? --Chris Griswold 13:06, 5 June 2006 (UTC)
Jesus/Lazarus is clearly different from a "comic book death" in which case an author or editor brings back a character in order to please an audience or use said character in further stories. This does not apply to Jesus or Lazarus, and as such should not be included here. 131.109.147.121 13:15, 5 June 2006 (UTC)Lisette
I will play the devil's advocate and say that the Book of Mormon might count as further stories. --Chris Griswold 13:32, 5 June 2006 (UTC)
Eh? Then Christian authors thousands of years ago revived the Jesus character explicitly for the purpose of expanding their "franchise" in the form of Mormonism? 131.109.147.121 13:34, 5 June 2006 (UTC)Lisette
What differentiates resurrection from comic book death? This is getting to be a pretty slippery slope. Can we just merge this article with Resurrection? Not even arguing the truth of Jesus' resurrection, it's different from so-called comic book death. I think comic book death is becoming a tad too broad. As Chris Griswold said earlier, under the definition he's pushing vampires are included in the examples. There is a difference between the resurrections/rebirths of Jesus, Lazarus, Robocop, Louis de Pointe du Lac, and Neo, and the comic book deaths of Colossus, Jason Todd, Bucky, and such. I definitely think some of the resurrections should be included in the article, but as a contrast to comic book death. --Newt 17:19, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

After pondering this one for about a week, I've come to the conclusion that this example should be included. It needs to be tactful, not implying anything about the underlying truth (or lack thereof) of the tale. I hope my minor edits work towards this goal. CovenantD 17:04, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

I removed the Lazarus reference for starters, since Lazarus isn't even introduced as a character before he's brought back to life. In order for something to be a comic book death, they'd have to actually die in the course of the narrative.--BigCow 18:54, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

I am rather agnostic about the inclusion of Jesus, but if he is kept there are plenty of other mythological examples like Osiris and Dionysus who should also be included, and maybe also characters like Aslan and Gandalf; resurection has been used (and abused) outside of comics for a long time. Eluchil404 03:14, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

A few more examples would certainly be appropriate. But not too many; we don't want the non-comic book examples to take over, after all. CovenantD 03:34, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

I'm not Christian, and I've never made a wikipedia edit before, but my first impression upon seeing JC referenced on this page was that it seemed to be something controversial and offensive. I don't think any sort of wording can fix it since by nature of being under the title of "comic book death" it is derogatory. I don't think it adds any value to the page, and will only cause strife to leave it there.69.63.57.236 13:34, 9 June 2006 (UTC)No Username Yet

I think I mentioned this before (though under a different heading) that the inclusion of Jesus Christ's resurrection in the definition of a concept that is by its very nature POV ("Comic book death" is pejorative, "cynical" according to the article) is POV and fails WP:NPOV. Of course, if that were true, then so would the rest of the deaths, since to include any death under the heading of "comic book death" would then be POV. --Newt 14:44, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
So do you feel that this article is Original Research, since we're deciding which deaths fit and which don't? --Chris Griswold 18:08, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
More NPOV than OR. I think the information in the article is (or could be) encyclopedic and informative about an actual topic. However, I think that the title has been rather liberally bestowed on all resurrections in comic books. I think that there are factors that play into comic book death that would mean it could not be applied as liberally. Factors like hype surrounding the death, belief the death should remain permanent (either due to circumstances of the death, like the character's obliteration, or length of time dead, like Bucky, etc), or just it being popularly accepted as a comic book death. There are other factors, I'm sure, but that's all I can think of right now, being pressed for time. I don't think when Thanos killed half the population of the Marvel Universe, that should be accepted, nor do I think Mr. Immortal should, and there are others. I think we need to flesh out the definition, possibly using Films considered the worst ever (which I recognize has the same problem, but attempts to define at least in order to seem NPOV) as a guide. --Newt ΨΦ 13:47, 16 June 2006 (UTC)
Further comment: What I meant by using Films considered the worst ever as a guide is that it has a heading under which an attempt is made to define its subject matter, which this article lacks. A clear, NPOV definition would save the article somewhat from controversy and NPOV claims. Any thoughts as to what constitutes a comic book death? I've listed a few in my above entry, but a cited reference explaining comic book death a little further would be helpful. --Newt ΨΦ 16:46, 19 June 2006 (UTC)
Which is why we're discussing this, isn't it? Overall, we're practically trying to sneak your edit into the page without offending anyone. But I pretty much agree with Newt - this is pushing this article's definition.
As for the legend/myth comment earlier - not really. Maybe the "myth" part, but not the "legend", since it's "a story popularly believed to be historical". But in the condition of having a "Myth/Legend" section, you can probably add "/Religion" or so to that, since hey, there are people out there who believe in mythological Gods still in some pagan beliefs, right? Still, I feel this inclusion would be really unnecessary to the article, making it too broad and stretched-out. But if we do go ahead and follow this route, Eluchil404 seems to have bought up some other good examples already.
I guess another alternative is to merge the list of resurrections outside comic books (including those of comic book movies) into a "List of Resurrections" or something though. That article could be well-expanded upon or something... now that I'm also thinking about a bunch of Mortal Kombat characters, Buffy, that dummy from Goosebumps, Chloe in Smallville, Albert Wesker, and so on, in addition to some of the other names we've been throwing out in this debate. -- Shadowolf 05:18, 16 June 2006 (UTC)
As it stands, I don't see the current version being suitable AT ALL - if the "death/rebirth" in question is going to be treated as a throwaway line (which doesn't even get as much description as Dragonball Z, for deity-of-your-choice's sake!), then it's clearly NOT important enough to really warrant inclusion at all. Realistically, I think it should likely be included as a separate heading discussing resurrection myths/beliefs in general, and how they apply to comic books. I'm going to write up something that I think could work well and satisfy both camps later tonight. Hossenfeffer 19:13, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Jason Tood

Didn't he return as the red hood —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.27.113.213 (talk • contribs).

And he's listed. What's your point? CovenantD 00:33, 30 May 2006 (UTC)
Ooh! Snap! (Jason Todd no longer uses the name Red Hood. Now he goes by "Nightwing"). --Chris Griswold 01:47, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Resurrection vs. comic book death

It would seem that the issue isn't the resurrection of a character for the most part, but rather the impermanence of death and its use for cheap and easy emotional effect. It seems that there should be guidelines delineating what constitutes a comic book death, because there are many that are included that shouldn't be. The problem is finding sources for this and not just allowing OR (which much of the article appears to be right now anyway). It would seem that in order for a death (in comics or otherwise) to be cynically considered a "comic book death" it tends to need at least a few things:

  • Impermanence
  • Some modicum of belief that the death should/will be permanent
  • Absurd/complex explanations of why the character is alive or did not die

That may not be an exhaustive list, but as it stands there is no concrete definition in the article of a "comic book death." --Newt 13:39, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

The closest seems to be these two sentences from the intro -
  • Occasionally, a writer will allow readers to think a character has died and conceive of a complex way to reveal that the character is actually alive within a single storyline. More often, however, the publishing house intends to permanently kill off a long-running character but fans pressure the company to bring the character back or writers are once again in need of publicity and dramatic tension and the character returns in a subsequent storyline through retconning.
It was that first sentence that made me decide in favor of inlcuding the biblical example. CovenantD 17:11, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
What part of that sentence applies? I don't think the purpose of the biblical story of Jesus was to mislead the reader into falsely thinking Jesus had died, nor was it due to pressure from readers that made biblical scholars write that he had returned. That Jesus died was necessary to the story because he had to be resurrected for the story to have the proper meaning. If the story of Jesus is not a legitimate resurrection story, what is?
Note: This specific section of the discussion I created to talk about defining comic book death, because the current definition fits a lot of characters I would disagree with, not to discuss the biblical resurrection of Christ. --Newt 18:53, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
Also, that sentence doesn't seem to apply to a character like Mr. Immortal who has also been included as an example from the comic book. Readers know that when Mr. Immortal dies, it's not permanent, and he'll be back, even possibly in the next panel. --Newt 19:35, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
I didn't say mislead, the first sentence I quoted doesn't say mislead. For somebody reading the Gospels for the first time, with no foreknowledge of the tale, it could be viewed in the way described. Your interpretation requires knowing how those books end. Believe me, I thought about it. :-)CovenantD 19:44, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
I can see where you're coming from, but who reads the Bible not knowing "the good news"? I guess that's presumptuous on my part. If kept in, the article entry should at least be changed to reflect that even Jesus (somehow) thought his death was permanent. It's a sticky situation though, because it's documenting an historical figure. What about Mr. Immortal? --Newt 20:40, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
I'm just trying to think of it from a completely NPOV. I'll let you work the change. I think we all understand the rationale and the sensitivities involved. Mr. Immortal is a tricky one. It's almost a storyline-by-storyline case. Was the reader informed of his resurrection power before he dies? It would just be easier to leave him out. CovenantD 20:55, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
Hmm...NPOV is still at issue though, because the first line of the article says: Comic book death is a term used somewhat cynically in the comic book fan community to refer to the killing off and subsequent return of a long-running character. The concept itself is "cynical" and thus inherently POV. Calling Jesus' death CBD is then necessarily POV. That the character must be "long-running" brings another issue when a character is contained only in one book. --Newt 21:57, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
Jesus knowing that he is going to rise again is a matter of POV and which gospel. This new detail that he doesn't know is onlt partially true. --Chris Griswold 21:41, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
It's an early attempt. Can you figure a way that won't be deleted by any Christian that takes offense? --Newt 21:57, 6 June 2006 (UTC)
This is getting ridiculous. Jesus isn't an example of comic book death under anything but an extremely odd interpretation which qualifies as POV in any case. In my opinion the example should be dropped. It doesn't enhance the article and it seems to have more to do with the editors playing around with it than the readers getting anything out of it.--BigCow 03:10, 7 June 2006 (UTC)
At this point, it appears that the example is helping us shape the article and focus the definition. While it may be the cornerstone of a religion or two, the Bible is also a work of literature, just as all religious or mythological narratives are. To ignore its literary value in favor of its religious significance is to do the text a disservice. The books of Job and Esther, in particular, are fucking awesome. --Chris Griswold 07:59, 7 June 2006 (UTC)
While I'm still not quite in agreement that Jesus's death should be considered CBD (historical figure, not "long-running" character, POV issue with what CBD connotes), I do agree that His placement in the article is helping to narrow the focus and definition of CBD. Back to the issue of "long-running", I'm no biblical scholar, but doesn't Jesus only appear in the gospels (at least prior to his death)? And doesn't each retell His life? That hardly seems "long-running." Is it even possible to be a long-running character in one book? Is "long-running" a necessary part of the definition? --Newt 15:13, 7 June 2006 (UTC)
Yes, "long-running" sounds awkward, and I don't think that should be part of the definition. --Chris Griswold 17:40, 7 June 2006 (UTC)
The article itself does seem to be confused - is it trying to catalogue every instance in which a character "died" (thus showing how rarely it sticks, and thus, how ridiculous the whole thing has become)? Or is it only trying to show cases in which characters who SHOULD have stayed dead (for whatever reason) didn't? The fact that the page lists both characters who've died and come back AND ones who have yet to come back implies a fundamental split-personality. I'd almost recommend keeping this page as the "cynical" monument to comic book deaths that didn't stick (and where readers had any realistic expectation that they would (Aunt May comes to mind)), moving the shorter list of "people who stayed dead" to another page. If nothing else, that would weed out "unnecessary" deaths (like everybody getting killed in the Infinity Gauntlet series, only to be "reset" afterward - we all KNEW those weren't going to stick). Hossenfeffer 19:27, 20 June 2006 (UTC)
While I don't agree necessarily with creating a new article for "Comic characters who stayed dead" I do like the idea of weeding out bad examples (i.e. half or all of Marvel universe, Mr. Immortal, etc.). To keep this NPOV the deaths included would either have to be widely accepted as "comic book deaths" or fit a specific mold that is "comic book death." --Newt ΨΦ 19:53, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Siryn's reaction to Banshee's death

Siryn, in the most recent issue of X-Factor (issue #7), was told by Cyclops that her father Banshee was dead. She reacted very nonchalant, and brought up the fact that X-Men rarely die, or at least stay dead. I would think this might be notable for the article as it's not a specifically satirical character/comic book satirizing the state of death in Marvel comics. Thoughts? --Newt 14:57, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

Any idea where you would work it in? CovenantD 15:28, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
Ha, that I hadn't really thought about. It seems like there would need to be more instances to merit a new heading. I just thought it seemed notable in this case. I see there are a few references to parody comics like Great Lakes Avengers and an issue of X-Statix, maybe there could be a "References in comics" section. --Newt 15:56, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
Heh - I just added a reference to this (sort of) before reading the talk page. I thought that the X-Men's black humor comment about Mutant Heaven not having pearly gates but revolving doors was particularly apropos. Especially since it's been said by at least four different X-Men at various times in the books. Hossenfeffer 19:18, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Resurrection as a Metaphor - Pushing the Bounds of Original Research

I've been following the above discussions on how to address historical or mythological antecedents to comic book resurrection stories but haven't felt the need to comment before now. However, I'm sorry to say that the "Resurrection as a Metaphor" section as it currently exists is a striking example of original research. Certainly allusions to religious or mythological themes exist in fictionalized stories of all sorts, and certainly comic books are among those. However, the section asserts a connection between specific stories and specific influences with no citation or evidence that such was the intention of the comics creators. Yes, very probably Dan Jurgens intended an element of a christ allegory in the Death of Superman storyline. But if that's the case where is the citation to an interview where he says as much? Without that, the article is performing critical analysis instead of encyclopedic presentation of researched information. The Inanna bullet most particularly assumes an intention on the part of a writer which may not have existed (really, do we think Bill Mantlo researched Sumerian mythology for Contest of Champions??). Any section like this is going to teeter over the line of original research with the best of writing, but as it exists now it's glaring attempt to make a critical symmetry of the topic which most likely does not exist. (Sorry to be a pain and bring this up as I know this section has been worked on a great deal, but I think it has to be said) -Markeer 12:56, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

No need for apologies. Like all wikipedia articles, Comic book death is a work in progress, and this one's got a lot of trouble with OR, I think. The concept is more tacitly understood in the comic book community than overtly mentioned anywhere, so we see allusions to it in the X-Men's belief that there's a revolving door in mutant heaven, Siryn not accepting her father's death because she figures he'll be back like everybody else, and a very cynical belief among comic fans that nothing major ever sticks, but we never see it defined. --Newt ΨΦ 13:18, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Spectre

I've removed Corrigan and Allen, as both never came back to life (indeed, it's their status as being dead that allowed the Spectre to use them as his hosts) --DrBat 00:31, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

From the article: While some characters remain at present permanently dead, they are sometimes replaced by characters who assume their personas (such as Wally West taking over for Barry Allen as The Flash) so the death does not cause a genuine break in character continuity.
That leads me to believe just because it's a different host body doesn't mean it's not comic book death (unless of course the Flash is a counter-example, I can't really tell). I think more important would be the surrounding hype, if any ("IN THIS ISSUE THE SPECTRE DIES!!") or belief that the death would be permanent. If it fails to have either of these then I'd agree it's not comic book death, but then that could be OR since we don't seem to have totally nailed the definition yet. --Newt ΨΦ 03:04, 27 June 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, that new language was mine (adapted from earlier), so let me explain: The sentence is intended to demonstrate that sometimes even actual 'deaths' in comics don't seem to make any real changes to the universe. "Comic Book Deaths" in concept is the idea that death in comics is often a trivial thing after decades of death/resurrections, and the trend since Crisis on Infinite Earths has been to make a character's death more 'real' and 'lasting', while still not actually changing anything, ironically making death still trivial from a universe standpoint. Yes, Barry Allen dies, but somehow The Flash isn't dead. Green Lantern goes bad shaking up the DC Universe, but there's a new Green Lantern within a month or two, there's still a "Green Lantern" comic book, etc. Remember, this is an article about deaths which over time have lost their sense of drama, or deaths that are hyped as making a lasting change to a story, but somehow don't. <shrug> I didn't create that sentence at the end of the intro, I just tried to clarify, and your comment implies I didn't do so well, so feel free to make a change if you feel it's needed, I'm not married to it.Markeer 11:40, 27 June 2006 (UTC)
I'll take a stab when I can, if no one gets to it first. I assumed that it was a further example of comic book death, but I couldn't quite nail that as the correct interpretation. --Newt ΨΦ 13:30, 27 June 2006 (UTC)
I tried. I think the paragraph's missing a topic sentence that brings it all together. It seems like it's made up of supporting sentences without an idea to support. I don't have the time to figure out how to write that right now, but if no one gets to it first, I'll try later. --Newt ΨΦ
Spot on Newt, there's no firm topic sentence to work off of. I've added one (second sentence, after the wiki-intro sentence). Feel free to adapt or edit. -Markeer 02:08, 28 June 2006 (UTC)
Definitely laudable attempt. It's reading a tad off in my head, though that may be because I never can pin down the distinction between incongruity and irony. --Newt ΨΦ 02:34, 28 June 2006 (UTC)
Gave it another pass, I think this one scans better. I have a tendancy to run on sentences but I think I pared that back this time. Markeer 16:32, 28 June 2006 (UTC)
Much better. Thank you. --Newt ΨΦ 17:38, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Corrigan died and got brought back in the SAME ISSUE. And Allen was definetely killed with the intention of bringing him back as the Spectre's new host. Neither were killed with the intention of permanently keeping them there. --DrBat 21:17, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

Then neither seem like they fit our implicit definition of CBD. Good call. --Newt ΨΦ 21:20, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

Random thought: Morpheus from The Sandman -- he dies and is replaced by "Daniel", but the post of "Dream of the Endless" is still filled. On the other hand, Daniel is (a) a significant change, and (b) he manifests as Dream in the same issue, so I guess that doesn't count as a CBD, heh. --Yar Kramer 18:00, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lucifer

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

At the end of Lucifer #75, Lucifer departs for the Void, with the intentions of never returning. Would this possibly count as a "death" per se (as in, should he be listed in the "deaths that haven't been comic-book-undone yet"? --Yar Kramer 17:45, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

  • Well, no, because he's blatantly not dead. On the other hand, Cal, Noema, Rachel's brother and anyone else that Elaine brought back to life probably should be included. --82.9.43.195 16:13, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
    • Oof, Lucifer's a killer for comic book deaths. You've got the ones above, plus Michael, the scorpion woman from House of Windowless Rooms, Elaine and her friend and probably more besides...
Spoilers end here.

[edit] Characters that are still dead

Characters that are still dead shouldn't be in the article; we've talked about trying to tighten the definition, so why do we have something muddies the waters further. This information is the opposite of what the article is supposed to be about. --Chris Griswold 18:19, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree 100%, and I've been confused why they are listed in this article at all. I'd say be bold and remove them. They undermine the entire point of this article. Markeer 03:17, 8 July 2006 (UTC)
Er...I must be tired. Took me a moment to realize the irony of passively telling someone else to be bold. I've removed the section as it's clearly not part of the article topic. -Markeer 03:22, 8 July 2006 (UTC)
That was pretty funny. Wikipedia funny, meaning I shouldn't bring it up in conversation. --Chris Griswold 07:07, 8 July 2006 (UTC)


[edit] List of dead comic book characters

I didn't want all that work to go to waste, so I created List of dead comic book characters. It's just the list now, although I merged the Marvel and DC lists and created a separate space for cause of death. A also added some entries that were hidden in the code, but there are a few more in there. I am too tired to write an intro right now. Anyone?--Chris Griswold 08:36, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

I've thrown one on there, but while I attempted to demonstrate notability the article is teetering on the edge of listcruft (although I'd say it hasn't dived over the other side). Possibly notes about why these remain dead in place of cause of death (avoiding OR of course)? -Markeer 11:41, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Questionable characters

I just deleted Resurrection Man from the list. A character whose power is to come back from the dead doesn't count as a "comic book death" when he dies; there is no expectation on anyone's part that the death is permanent.

But even ignoring that, several of the listed characters are questionable. Some of them have been resurrected a month later, or even in the very same issue. That isn't by any stretch a comic book death. Ken Arromdee 01:42, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

  • Why not? The definition given at the start of the article is simply that the character dies and is resurrected - restrictions about the how long a character must remain dead doesn't come into it. In fact, short-term deaths are the best examples of the phenomenon; part of the notoriety of the comic book death is that it trivialises what ought to be a moving moment. So a character who only dies for a short period of time is surely even more relevant? In any case, I would argue that so long as a character is explicitly killed off and brought back, it should be counted anyway, whether it happens in the same issue, two consecutive issues or two issues that are decades apart. If the character turns out to have been faking their death, or it was actually a clone that was killed, and that happens within one issue of their apparent demise, then I can see your point. --82.9.43.195 16:22, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
This just highlights that we still don't have a workable definition. --Chris Griswold 22:52, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
I'd quibble to say that we don't have an absolute definition, but I'd say we have a workable one. Most editors seem to understand that the article refers to a trend in comics of using death for hype or false drama, paired with a concurrent trend of using resurrection also for hype and false drama, leading to a point where death in comics is trivialized. Well, or at any rate that's been my understanding of the subject. Within that framework it's inevitable that there would be some grey area.
As to this talk section, I'd agree with the first poster that Resurrection Man does not fit, since there's never any pretense by the writers or belief by the readers that he dies in the first place. -Markeer 12:21, 8 August 2006 (UTC)
Our definition is workable based on a tacit understanding amongst the editors, not based on the definition itself. I'd say we don't have a workable definition per se, we have an overall workable understanding that when confronted with challenges cannot use the definition we have to defend itself. What is needed is a less tacit, more grounded definition, hopefully based on secondary source analysis of this phenomenon. As to what that may be, I believe we tacitly understand (and to some extent have written) that comic book death (CBD) is impermanent for the life of the character, that the character's death is reasonably expected to be permanent, that the death tends be hyped or built up, and that the reader's suspension of disbelief is tested by rather complex or confusing explanations as to why the character is still alive or returns from the dead. The effect of the CBD phenomenon is the undermining of the sense of gravity of death in comic books, but it is not part of the definition of a CBD that a particular death does this. Anything I'm forgetting? Without a source for this, it's pretty much OR, and I don't believe we can just add character deaths that fit these criteria without secondary sources either, as that is OR or speculation as well. --Newt ΨΦ 15:47, 8 August 2006 (UTC)
"less tacit, more grounded": yeah, that is the thing, isn't it? I suppose I'm reaching a bit trying to hold onto the concept that we have a working definition. Okay, so a bit of research is obviously what this article needs. From a quick google search, I'm seeing a good description of the trend in context of an individual comic review [here] (first paragraph), Chuck Rozanksi's seminal CBG article on the effect on the industry of the [Death of Superman] stunt, an okay (read: very general) quote from Joe Queseda in a Newsarama interview [here] (3/4 down in response to a question about "dead is dead") but otherwise just a collection of message boards and newsblurbs which refer to "comic book death" or "marvel death" in the context of phrases already known. While these latter make for good evidence that, well, we didn't make up the phrase here on wikipedia, I agree we need some citations, particularly for original uses of either phrase.
You'll note I haven't plugged any of those quickie citations into the article, because I'm a bit bemused by their usefulness. That said, I linked them in case any editors need a general quote as we work toward genuine definition.-Markeer 16:20, 8 August 2006 (UTC)
Nice! Better luck than I'd had. Agreed that the JQ quote at least lends credence to "comic book death" as something other than a neologism (keeping us from having to change the article to Resurrection (comics) or similar). The trend description you mention highlights a few things:
  1. Main character, not just any character.
  2. Impermanence
  3. While not necessarily part of the definition, the article further states the phenomenon's lamentable effect of desensitizing the reader.
I do think there is more to the phenomenon than any one of these articles discusses, but a synthesis of the few highlights from the sock monkey article, the fan betrayal discussed in the Death of Superman article, and the JQ quote's acknowledgment of the phenomenon can at least put us on substantial footing. Reader betrayal may be part of the definition, and the effect of this repeated betrayal is to desensitize the reader, making them cynical to the sacrifice a character may make. --Newt ΨΦ 17:47, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Spider-Man

Spider-Man has been in more comic book deaths than the one listed. While a lot of them are fairly insignificant, Kravens Last Hunt surely is prominent enough to warrent a mention. While he didn't actually die I think being shot and buried counts, doesn't it?

Not really. The character has to be verified as "dead" for the stipulation to work. The death has to either be verified within the canon or implied Spider-man was never dead during the Last Hunt story, so it doesn't count. King Zeal 18:30, 23 August 2006 (UTC)
The story never indicated to readers that Spider-Man was dead. Doczilla 21:51, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Nobody in Comics is Dead Except...

A couple of times in the last week I've removed passages that have added or altered versions of the catch phrase "Nobody in comics is dead except Uncle Ben (...and Bucky...and Jason Todd)" and wanted to explain and get input. By a google search, there seem to be at least 3 versions of this phrase out there which is another way of saying none of them is really verifiable. I've left the most inclusive version in the article for now, but if someone can find a good source for, well, ANY version of this phrase that we can cite, I think it would improve this article -Markeer 14:20, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Joker does not experience "comic book Death in Batman #1

I noticed that the Joker is lister among the DC characters who have experiences "comic book death" with Batman #1 listed as the issue. I cannot say whether or not the Joker has ever experienced "comics book death", but he did not experience it in that issue. Though the joker was originally going to die in that, his first appearance, the ending was modified before the story's publication to explicitely show that the Joker had survived. Furthermore, the story where he "returns" is later in that same issue!--Heathcliff 12:11, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dracula?

Does Dracula really belong here? Yes, technically, he fits, but it's inherent to the character's nature that he comes back from the dead. He's a vampire because he came back from the dead. In fact, he has been killed and brought back in Marvel Comics (never mind Universal and Hammer movies and every other medium that ever uses him) a lot more times than have been listed here. I do understand why those two deaths are listed as opposed to others. I was reading Tomb of Dracula even before Wolfman took over writing it. I'm just suggesting that he might not belong here any more than Mr. Immortal. His returns aren't revisionistic. By the time Wolfman and Colan killed Vlad at the end of the original Tomb of Dracula, they already knew they were going to bring him right back in another format. Doczilla 21:49, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

We need to use common sense when talking about characters like Dracula or robots. Dracula is "dead" when he's not walking and talking and the reader doesn't expect him to be doing so in the future. The fact that all vampires are dead anyway is just a technicality; everyone knows what we mean when we say that Dracula has been killed off. Ken Arromdee 15:59, 10 October 2006 (UTC)
The reader always expects Dracula to come back in the future. Doczilla 05:54, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Hulk?

We can't list every time a character has appeared to be dead. That's not what this article is about. Surely those two Hulk deaths don't count. Besides, he has been mistakenly presumed dead more times than that. Doczilla 22:10, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] OR and POV

A whole lot of this stuff involves POV regarding what fits the "comic book death" neologism. That's fine and fun, but the growing list runs the risk of getting trashed by some admin on an anti-OR mission. As long as issue numbers are cited, the comic books are their own reference. The list "outside comic books" could become endless and eventually get this whole article killed, gone the way of the Chuck Cunningham Syndrome article. Doczilla 05:50, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

I suggest we remove the list of examples from the "outside comic book" section. They're OR, they invoke POV, and they can go on without end. And do any legitimate outside sources ever refer to those as comic book deaths? Doczilla 19:43, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, I agree that much of this article is OR. I do think it's a legitimate article, but the more I learn about Wikipedia, the less I see this article passing OR concerns. --NewtΨΦ 20:37, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Resurrection as a metaphor"

Is "Resurrection as a metaphor" really on topic with the rest of the article? --NewtΨΦ 20:39, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't think so. Doczilla 20:46, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
Well, Obviously I don't. I still think it's simply funny to draw a parallel between Bill Mantlo's Contest of Champions and Sumerian myth. I think the section should be removed in toto. As a separate article it's clearly OR, in this article it distracts from the main topic. -Markeer 21:13, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
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