# Deaths superheroes are responsible for **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535 "2005-11-11T05:04:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/1 "2005-11-11T05:04:26Z")
Okay, so to be a decent super-villain you have to be ruthless, amoral, scheming, and a general nogoodnik. Threatening puppies, children, and nuns is standard procedure. You might even stuff the hero’s girlfriend in a fridge if you get the chance. So when a villain goes on a rampage, we expect to see a little death and destruction. But when a hero is responsible for a death…? I was thinking tonight about instances when a superhero has snapped, been driven to the end of his rope, or turned from the side of angels. Which superheroes have taken a life. Putting aside Wolverine and Punisher, who have made many widows, I know of… _SPOILERS, I guess_ **Captain America** killed a henchman of Flag-Smasher who was firing into a crowd. **The Thin Man** has killed hordes of bad guys, including Agent Axis. **Phoenix** annihilated an entire planet. **Captain Marvel** (Genis), during his insane period, killed a bunch of Badoon and Kree, as well as Burstaar. ---
**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:** [November 11, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/2 "2005-11-11T05:20:24Z")
Superman killed Zod Wonder Woman recently killed Max Lord Katana’s killed quite a few people. Most recently Sabbac. Green Arrow has killed a few times - the one that comes to mind immediately, if the man who tortured Black Canary. Star Boy of the Legion of Superheroes (Pre-ZH) killed a man who was trying to kill him - and was expelled from the Legion for it. Human Bomb recently killed Dr Polaris (just before he, himself, was killed by Bizarro). The Question is…not reluctant to kill. Psychopomp and most of the Subterranians in his recent mini-series being recent examples. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/3 "2005-11-11T05:21:17Z")
The Fantastic Four was featured in an issue of _What If_ split into four parts – in one, they all got the stretchy power, in one they all got the flame power, in one they all became monsters, and in one they gained separate aspects of Invisible Girl’s power. In the flame segment, they accidentally set a tenement on fire and killed a girl. Out of guilt, Sue became a nun. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/4 "2005-11-11T05:25:21Z")
The Golden Age Starman, Ted Knight, killed Ragdoll, a serial killer/contortionist/cult leader, after Ragdoll threatened his young sons and the families of other Justice Society members. Ragdoll returned to life decades later, but Starman wasn’t going to allow a guy to make threats like that and walk away from it to possibly carry them out. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/5 "2005-11-11T05:26:25Z")
Wolverine has offed so much people I can’t even count, ditto for the Punisher. But then again thats his whole thing. Azbats left a guy to die, which led to an innocent getting killed. It was kinda the thing that got bruce off his ass to take the mantle back. Hero killings seem to be much more common in marvel then DC however. I think its a product of Marvel’s earth being a lot more violent then DC’s (as pointed out in the JLA/Avengers crossover.) ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/6 "2005-11-11T05:31:05Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > The Question is…not reluctant to kill. Psychopomp and most of the Subterranians in his recent mini-series being recent examples. The Question has been portrayed very differently by different writers. In the late '60s, his creator, Steve Ditko (a devoted objectivist, in the Ayn Rand tradition), wrote a story where the Question simply allowed a criminal to be swept away in water and drown, rather than try to save him. While he didn’t actually kill the man, he didn’t bother to help save him either. Back then, superheroes rarely ventured into such moral gray areas. The Question of the late 1980s was more of a student of Zen philosophy than a superhero, despite his extensive martial arts training by Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva. He beat a lot of criminals within an inch of their lives, but was reluctant to kill for a long time, though. Despite several close calls (and what would have been justifiable homicides in every case), he never killed during the 36-issue series by Denny O’Neil. He finally broke down and killed a South American drug lord in Question Quarterly #1, after the drug lord threatened a child under the Question’s protection. The most recent incarnation of the Question by writer Rick Veitch recast the faceless man as an “urban shaman” who could commune with cities themselves to learn their secrets and mysteries (aided by hallucinogens). Veitch’s Question left quite a bodycount in his wake in last year’s six-issue miniseries. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/7 "2005-11-11T07:05:47Z")
In one What-If, Mr Fantastic killed Annihillus. In another, Hank Pym was killed, and Wasp changed her name to Black Wasp and started killing bad guys. In yet another, Thor killed Hulk. Collossus killed that whirlwind guy during the massacre of the Morlocks. I _think_ Thor killed the big guy ( Blockbuster ? ) at the same time. Spiderman semi-accidentally killed a woman named Charlie ( she manipulated him into it, as a sort-of suicide ) ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/8 "2005-11-11T07:08:15Z")
Thought of another one! **Justice** (Vance Astrovik) killed his abusive father and served hard time for it. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/9 "2005-11-11T07:15:57Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > Collossus killed that whirlwind guy during the massacre of the Morlocks. That was the coolest! He held the guy’s head in place and let his body keep spinning! ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/10 "2005-11-11T07:17:36Z")
Judge Dredd nuked East-Meg One in order to win the Apocalypse War, and deliberately killed four hundred million people. Prior to that he launched a retaliatory nuclear strike which would have destroyed the Earth, but the Sov’s shields beamed the missiles into an alternate universe where an idyllic world had never known war: that utopian Earth was destroyed instead. Oh, and he accidentally ran over a deaf woman on his motorbike and killed her. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/11 "2005-11-11T09:45:52Z")
**Ozymandias** killed everyone - or had them killed - who knew anything about his master plan, culminating with personally poisoning his own servants. En route he killed **The Comedian** and eventually half of New York, including just about all the bit-part players we’d seen in the background in the preceding eleven issues. Next to him, **Rorschach** ’s body count is pathetic; a mere four or five: a child-kidnapper and murderer; a multiple rapist; a fellow prisoner he threw boiling oil over (reported dying, probably dead); one of the **Big Figure** ’s henchmen; and the **Big Figure** himself. **The Comedian** must’ve offed a good many in his career, including a pregnant Vietnamese woman and probably **Hooded Justice**. **Dr Manhattan** personally killed **Rorschach** and presumably blew up quite a few people in Vietnam, as well as accidentally killing a few “Keene” rioters by teleporting everyone to their homes simultaneously (but fewer than would have been likely to die in the riots). I _think_ both incarnations of **Nite Owl** and **Silk Spectre** had clean hands, as well as the other Watchmen. ---
**Author:** ![wayward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wayward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayward)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/12 "2005-11-11T12:00:26Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Judge Dredd nuked East-Meg One in order to win the Apocalypse War, and deliberately killed four hundred million people. Prior to that he launched a retaliatory nuclear strike which would have destroyed the Earth, but the Sov’s shields beamed the missiles into an alternate universe where an idyllic world had never known war: that utopian Earth was destroyed instead. Oh, and he accidentally ran over a deaf woman on his motorbike and killed her. Blimey. I think we have a winner. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/13 "2005-11-11T12:26:55Z")
Hal Jordan killed a few of his fellow Green Lanterns to get their power rings. ---
**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:** [November 11, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/14 "2005-11-11T13:38:04Z")
I remember Green Arrow killing an unnamed drug smuggler in a GL/GA/Batman crossover in the early 70s. It was very understated – GA shot a regular arrow and killed the guy, who had only minor importance to the story – but everyone reading it commented on how it was probably the first them they could remember a hero directly killing anyone. The very early Batman comics had Batman using a pistol and shooting a few criminals with it. ---
**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:** [November 11, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/15 "2005-11-11T13:41:06Z")
Oh, IIRC, Mike Kaluta’s 1970s version of **The Shadow** shot people from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/16 "2005-11-11T14:32:06Z")
Atom Smasher dealt death a few times while helping to take back Teth Adam’s homeland. Jon Stewart accidently blew up a planet. Didn’t Barry Allen beat a man to death just before the first Crisis? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/17 "2005-11-11T14:46:04Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > The Question has been portrayed very differently by different writers. In the late '60s, his creator, Steve Ditko (a devoted objectivist, in the Ayn Rand tradition), wrote a story where the Question simply allowed a criminal to be swept away in water and drown, rather than try to save him. While he didn’t actually kill the man, he didn’t bother to help save him either. Back then, superheroes rarely ventured into such moral gray areas. I coulda’ sworn that was Steve Ditko’s proto-Question, Mr. A. ---
**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:** [November 11, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/18 "2005-11-11T15:42:52Z")
Captain Hero threw his homeworld Xebulon into its sun. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/19 "2005-11-11T15:55:12Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Captain Hero threw his homeworld Xebulon into its sun. Also murdered Bizarro Captain Hero and made it look like a suicide. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535/20 "2005-11-11T15:58:11Z")
Superman tore a hooker in half like a phonebook because she made a crack about him being faster than a speeding bullet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deaths-superheroes-are-responsible-for/330535.md?page=2)