# Any major comic book characters who haven't died? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613 "2010-12-10T01:58:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/1 "2010-12-10T01:58:09Z")
As I pointed out in another thread, coming back from apparent death is a pretty routine event in comic books. Are there any examples of a major comic book character who hasn’t done it at least once? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/2 "2010-12-10T02:03:48Z")
Have Batman and Spider-man actually died? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/3 "2010-12-10T02:09:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Have Batman and Spider-man actually died? Batman died in OBSIDIAN AGE, and Spider-Man died in that creepy Kulan Gath story (X-Men 191). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/4 "2010-12-10T02:15:02Z")
Isn’t Bats dead _now_? I’m so behind on my reading… ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/5 "2010-12-10T02:20:37Z")
I’ve been getting Mickey Mouse and Ducktales comics since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Although Mickey’s had some close encounters with his arch rival, the Phantom Blot, he has yet to ever die. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Palmer\_Eldritch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecae2f/32.png) [@Palmer\_Eldritch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palmer_Eldritch)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/6 "2010-12-10T02:57:52Z")
Thanks to Big Events like Marvel’s Infinity Gauntlet and DC’s various Crises, literally every DC and Marvel character has died and been brought back to life, and the earth has been destroyed and remade many times. > [@silenus](#): > > Isn’t Bats dead _now_? > > I’m so behind on my reading… He wasn’t dead this last time, just lost in time, and has now returned. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/7 "2010-12-10T03:14:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Isn’t Bats dead _now_? Not any more. The arc to bring him back just ended. 3/5 Robins haven’t died - technically 4/5, but Steph’s not dying is a retcon. But Dick, Tim and Damien have neither died nor been faux-killed. The Green Lanterns are awkward. Of the major Earth-based ones, Hal and Kyle have died. Alan, John and Guy haven’t. Though Guy did spend some time in a limbo-dimension and Alan spent some time in a pocket dimension fighting in Ragnarok. Most of the aliens have. Of the Flashes, Jay hasn’t died. All the others have, once a piece. (Barry in Crisis, Wally in Obsidian Age - where Kyle died, and Bart at the end of his series. Wally was alive when Bart took over, and is still alive, even though Barry became the headliner when he returned.) In the Wonder family, Diana’s died twice, Donna…a lot. Cassie (the current Wonder Girl), however, hasn’t. The first Batgirl, Barbara Gordon wasn’t killed, just paralysed. The other Batgirls have - Cass was briefly killed by her mother, then dropped in a Lazarus Pit, and the current Batgirl was the fourth Robin, mentioned above. Helena Bertinelli, usually known as Huntress used the name briefly, but doesn’t count for this count. The second Aquaman just wandered off, to be replaced when the first was resurrected. Of the Green Arrow-related characters, only Ollie, the original GA has died - neither Speedy has, nor Connor, the second GA (although he’s been through the wringer, and spent some time in a coma, he’s never DIED). Black Canary, likewise hasn’t. Nor Huntress. Of the Birds of Prey, in fact, the only ones who have died (whether permanently, or to be resurrected) are Hawk and Dove, I believe. [Edit - nope, wait, I’m wrong on that - Big Barda was briefly a member, and she’s died.] Of the current JSA, only Wildcat (senior) and Obsidian have died. Hawkman and Hawkgirl are not currently members, but have died and come back multiple times each. Though several members of earlier teams are dead, without any likelihood of resurrection. None of the Marvel Family have died, though Mary spent some time in a coma. Their major enemy, Black Adam is currently stone, so, as good as dead, anyway. The Teen Titans die at an astounding rate. Those who haven’t died include the aforementioned Robins, Wonder Girl, Captain Marvel jr, and Speedy, plus Starfire, Beast Boy/Changeling, Herald/Guardian/Hornblower, Bumblebee (both have been screwed with, but neither has died), Ravager, Argent (maybe…ISTR her dying, but she’s listed as alive on Wikipedia), Risk (who they seem to keep around just to kick - it’s a sick, but hilarious, joke at this point), Jesse Quick, Zatarra (not a major character while he was a Titan, but he’s gotten lots of play since), Miss Martian (though she’s currently in a coma, one assumes she’s recover, since she’s a character in the Young Justice cartoon)… Supergirl is an odd case. The current Supergirl is a new version of the original, who was killed in Crisis, but she’s _not_ the same character, and hasn’t died. Villains…assuming you mean ‘killed and brought back’, they do tend to stay dead more than heroes, though they die a lot. Of Batman’s major villains, Ra’s al Ghul is the only one who’s died and come back. (Mmm…actually a couple of the Clayfaces may have. But I’m not entirely sure the writers remember there’ve been seven of them.) The first Black Mask came back from the dead briefly, during Blackest Night, but that was as a zombie. Of the major Flash villains, the handful who’ve died (most of Jay’s enemies, the first Mirror Master, the first Trickster, and both Captains Boomerang) have mostly stayed that way, with the exception of the first Captain Boomerang. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/8 "2010-12-10T03:42:52Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Of Batman’s major villains, Ra’s al Ghul is the only one who’s died and come back. (Mmm…actually a couple of the Clayfaces may have. But I’m not entirely sure the writers remember there’ve been seven of them.) The first Black Mask came back from the dead briefly, during Blackest Night, but that was as a zombie. The Joker was killed off early on, but this was retconned. And the Joker & Two-Face have died in movie versions. Not what you meant though. With villains it’s pretty ordinary to kill them off & then have someone decide to revive them. This can lead to characters like Circe in the Wonder Woman comics being played as unkillable. Looking at Marvel, & leaving aside “everyone dies but it doesn’t count” events, I don’t recall Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Storm, Iceman, or Cyclops dying in the main continuity. Well, except for Cyke, they’ve come close a few times. Storm may have died in the version where Claremont threw out other writers’ developments. Several of the New Mutants didn’t die, but they are pretty non-major I suppose. Spidey may have died a couple of times, for less than an issue–I’m not counting “Fearful Symmetry,” because that was just doping him with a paralytic & burying him–but of his cast I don’t think Betty, Flash, JJJ, Robbie, or MJ have ever been dead. I think Matt “Daredevil” Murdock made it to last month without dying, but just bought it; or did he? Who of the Fantastic Four has been “killed off” other than Reed? Anyone? I think the Hulks, Namor, & the Silver Surfer have all managed to avoid dying thus far. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/9 "2010-12-10T03:47:54Z")
And of course at DC, Amanda Waller hasn’t died, and…um… Well, I don’t think Captain Atom & Nightshade have died as such outside of Elseworlds stories. They have been dimensionally displaced & such. But they’re not major trademarks either. Of course the “funny comic” characters tend to survive. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/10 "2010-12-10T03:57:49Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Looking at Marvel, & leaving aside “everyone dies but it doesn’t count” events, I don’t recall Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Storm, Iceman, or Cyclops dying in the main continuity. Well, except for Cyke, they’ve come close a few times. Cyclops was presumed dead when he was merged with Apocalypse for a time. [Link here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclops_(comics)#Merging_with_Evil) Is this thread about characters presumed dead by other characters (Cyclops), presumed dead by the reader (but who the writer intends to bring back as part of a larger story - i.e. Batman), or characters actually killed by the writer but retconned into being alive (Jason Todd, Bucky)? Which would apply to not dying? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/11 "2010-12-10T04:03:01Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > The Joker was killed off early on, but this was retconned. Not strictly true. While the Joker was supposed to die at the end of his first appearance, it was edited before publication to indicate he wasn’t dead. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/12 "2010-12-10T04:31:22Z")
D’oh! Teach me, a Wondy & Supes fan, to say aught about Batman. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/13 "2010-12-10T05:14:58Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Who of the Fantastic Four has been “killed off” other than Reed? Anyone? The Thing died. The other three went to Heaven and convinced him to come back to Earth. Before they left Heaven, they met God who turned out to be Jack Kirby. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/14 "2010-12-10T05:16:02Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > Is this thread about characters presumed dead by other characters (Cyclops), presumed dead by the reader (but who the writer intends to bring back as part of a larger story - i.e. Batman), or characters actually killed by the writer but retconned into being alive (Jason Todd, Bucky)? Which would apply to not dying? I’m open to any of the above. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/15 "2010-12-10T05:23:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Thing died. The other three went to Heaven and convinced him to come back to Earth. Before they left Heaven, they met God who turned out to be Jack Kirby. > > Seriously. [Point number 3](http://www.cracked.com/article_18835_5-absurd-ways-comic-books-have-resurrected-dead-superheroes.html). ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/16 "2010-12-10T05:26:41Z")
Well, if you’re going to include characters whose fake deaths were intended to fool the characters, but not the readers, add Hush to the Batman villain list. I don’t think anyone thought he was going to stay dead when he faked his death, but he has done it. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/17 "2010-12-10T05:53:08Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Black Canary, likewise hasn’t. Pre-Crisis, Black Canary was revealed to have died but transferred her mind into the body of her daughter, thus explaining why she was still so physically young despite being an Earth II character now active on Earth I (and thus 20 years older than most of her colleagues). No, really. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/18 "2010-12-10T06:56:18Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Of the Flashes, Jay hasn’t died. One could argue that Jay and several other JSAers repeatedly died while they were trapped in limbo, fending of Ragnarok. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/19 "2010-12-10T07:01:18Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Not strictly true. While the Joker was supposed to die at the end of his first appearance, it was edited before publication to indicate he wasn’t dead. I’m pretty sure he’s died besides this one, but in one Golden or Silver Age comic, which I could find the issue for, he was put to the chair, officially declared died, and then revived by one of his henchmen. Because, apparently they then had to declare his former crimes null and void. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613/20 "2010-12-10T07:46:48Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > The Joker was killed off early on, but this was retconned. Looking at Marvel, & leaving aside “everyone dies but it doesn’t count” events, I don’t recall Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Storm, Iceman, or Cyclops dying in the main continuity. Kitty may not have ‘died’, but the last I heard, she was permanently phased into a giant planet-killer bullet, and heading out into open space. May as well be dead (of course that was a while back, so who knows - maybe that was her previously unknown clone ‘Katty’, and the _real_ Kitty’s just been on a ski holiday in Aspen for the last couple of years). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-major-comic-book-characters-who-havent-died/563613.md?page=2)