# Superhero who kills without remorse **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2014, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550 "2014-10-26T06:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/21 "2014-10-27T16:43:54Z")
Jonah Hex. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/22 "2014-10-27T21:29:11Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I do not think that word means what you think it means. Probably not. I am often wrong. I’m wrong so often Rorschach would kill me without a second’s remorse. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/23 "2014-10-27T21:53:18Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Probably not. I am often wrong. I’m wrong so often Rorschach would kill me without a second’s remorse. But do seconds have remorse? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/24 "2014-10-27T22:06:23Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > But do seconds have remorse? 😛 That’s it. I’m dead. D E D dead. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/25 "2014-10-27T23:03:06Z")
Let me just add that THE GOLDEN AGE is a great little miniseries that – among other things – highlights how the masked superheroes who fought crime in the 1930s promptly became stone-cold _killers_ cheerfully ambushing Nazis behind enemy lines in the 1940s, and now that it’s the 1950s will still resort to lethal force if the need arises. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/26 "2014-10-28T00:14:32Z")
The original version of Supreme (published by Image originally, then moved to whatever company it was Rob Liefeld formed after he was ousted) was basically Superman as a guy with no compunctions about killing, but they later rebooted it as some sort of love letter to old timey comics and did away with that version. His killings weren’t clean either, those early comics could get quite bloody. I quite liked that about them at the time, but the rebooted version really was a LOT better. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/27 "2014-10-28T00:23:57Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > One of the reasons I quit reading comics was when they retconned Wolverine. He was initially just a straight up killer, no remorse. No, that version you think is initial is a bit of a retcon in itself. The original version of Wolverine was as a Canadian superagent sent in to take down the Hulk and the Wendigo. Almost nothing about the character as we think of him today got established until well after he joined the X-men. Even the other X-men thought he was younger until in one issue he shocked them by taking off his mask. When he first popped his claws without his gloves on, they were all “we thought those were part of the gloves…” That’s not even getting into the time Clairemont wanted to reveal he was actually a mutant wolverine, not a homo superior. Fortunately the editors didn’t let that come to pass. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/28 "2014-10-28T01:49:16Z")
Not mentioned so far: hunter of rogue super heroes, Marshall Law. He meets, and exceeds, the OP “no remorse” requirement, being rather enthusiastic about the whole killing thing. ---
**Author:** ![Private\_Bin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@Private\_Bin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Private_Bin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/29 "2014-10-28T05:44:34Z")
[The Crimson Bolt.](http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSuper_(2010_American_film)&ei=DyxPVMnwMIrf8AWAuoKoCg&usg=AFQjCNEy2PVQST3QMcagyeqi4Nwv6Fr6BQ&bvm=bv.77880786,d.dGc) **“Shut up, crime.”** ---
**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:** [October 28, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/30 "2014-10-28T11:41:12Z")
Depending on how hard you want to hit the word ‘vigilante’ there, how about the recent CAPTAIN AMERICA movies? First he’s a gun-toting soldier killing enemies during WWII, and then he’s killing present-day bad guys while working for Nick Fury – who likewise shows no remorse about resorting to lethal force – because, really, who among the Avengers is going to shun Cap or Nick? Heck, one of the most memorable scenes in IRON MAN involved Tony Stark pausing before gunning down a bunch of hostage-takers: not because he’d regret shooting them, but because he’d regret _missing_. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/31 "2014-10-28T11:54:01Z")
Yeah, the MCU heroes in general don’t seem to have many compunctions about killing bad guys who have it coming. Tony Stark has killed more people than cancer in the Iron Man movies. One wonders what exactly he has against the arms industry… ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/32 "2014-10-28T11:56:07Z")
I haven’t caught up on the series but in the first season of Arrow he was often criticized about his high body count even though they were all bad guys. I’m know watching season 2 and he is trying to kill less but there are still bodies hitting the floor. I was a Marvel kid so I don’t know how the character was treated in the comics. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/33 "2014-10-28T14:45:00Z")
I already mentioned X-Force, but X-23 doesn’t seem to mind slicing people open. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/34 "2014-10-28T14:48:35Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I haven’t caught up on the series but in the first season of Arrow he was often criticized about his high body count even though they were all bad guys. I’m know watching season 2 and he is trying to kill less but there are still bodies hitting the floor. I was a Marvel kid so I don’t know how the character was treated in the comics. So you never heard of the boxing glove arrow? ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/35 "2014-10-28T21:59:50Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Yeah, the MCU heroes in general don’t seem to have many compunctions about killing bad guys who have it coming. Tony Stark has killed more people than cancer in the Iron Man movies. One wonders what exactly he has against the arms industry… Not just Marvel. People have criticized all the Batman movies because he’s killed, and there was the to-do with the last Superman as well. > [@Loach](#): > > I haven’t caught up on the series but in the first season of Arrow he was often criticized about his high body count even though they were all bad guys. I’m know watching season 2 and he is trying to kill less but there are still bodies hitting the floor. I was a Marvel kid so I don’t know how the character was treated in the comics. The irony there is for decades Oliver Queen was the one hero for whom not kiling made sense - he’s been portayed as a liberal ex-hippie since the late 80s. ---
**Author:** ![KevinEatsBacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/49beb7/32.png) [@KevinEatsBacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KevinEatsBacon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/36 "2014-10-28T23:29:53Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > The original version of Supreme (published by Image originally, then moved to whatever company it was Rob Liefeld formed after he was ousted) was basically Superman as a guy with no compunctions about killing, but they later rebooted it as some sort of love letter to old timey comics and did away with that version. > > His killings weren’t clean either, those early comics could get quite bloody. I quite liked that about them at the time, but the rebooted version really was a LOT better. I don’t know, I kinda had bad relationship with Image superhero comics. A lot of their character was relate-able at first, then suddenly their character either became douchy or became really different (e.g. Invincible was a sound-minded hero and used to reason first, but when Angstrom put his machine, suddenly without knowing what it does or what crime the Mauler Bros. did after they escaped from prison, he start kicking their assess). And don’t get me start with the whole Liefeld thing. Also, since I live in SE Asia, looking through physical copy has proven to be extremely difficult, they exist some western comic books library here with lots of Marvel & DC stuff but I rarely seen a complete Image comic in general, except TWD. > [@Loach](#): > > I haven’t caught up on the series but in the first season of Arrow he was often criticized about his high body count even though they were all bad guys. I’m know watching season 2 and he is trying to kill less but there are still bodies hitting the floor. I was a Marvel kid so I don’t know how the character was treated in the comics. The only beef I got with that thing is the opening, otherwise it’s all good. It keeps getting stuck in my head, there are even a time when I was required to introduce myself in English, I almost answer “My name is Oliver Queen, after five years…” I prefer the TV because it’s plausibility. Unless you prefer a mix of supernatural and superhero and aliens which doesn’t explain why there are no alien ghost and aliens/supervillain constantly terrorizing John Constantine. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Depending on how hard you want to hit the word ‘vigilante’ there, how about the recent CAPTAIN AMERICA movies? First he’s a gun-toting soldier killing enemies during WWII, and then he’s killing present-day bad guys while working for Nick Fury – who likewise shows no remorse about resorting to lethal force – because, really, who among the Avengers is going to shun Cap or Nick? Heck, one of the most memorable scenes in IRON MAN involved Tony Stark pausing before gunning down a bunch of hostage-takers: not because he’d regret shooting them, but because he’d regret _missing_. That’s why I like them except for the fact that it’s owned by Disney, and X-Men and Spidey not included in them. But I believe someday, when they tired of doing it, they gonna pull the AVX arc to get more attention. > [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I already mentioned X-Force, but X-23 doesn’t seem to mind slicing people open. I know, but I’ve been tired of Marvel DC stuff because their inconsistencies and same old same old story with same old formula. I like stuff that’s aging quite normally like Hellblazer or stuff that has limited run or have definite ending like Preacher, The Boys, Rising Stars. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550/37 "2014-10-29T02:16:23Z")
mbh: I think you’re wrong about the Avenger. From what I remember he usually tried to take his foes alive. Doc Savage racked up quite a body count without apparent remorse in his first two novels, _The Man of Bronze_ and T_he Land of Terror._ He then adopted the policy of not killing although he violated this several times, most notably in _The Munitions Master._ However, he did regret those deaths and it was the only way to keep Carlov Traniv from taking over the world. In \*Violent Night \*he is willing to kill Hitler without a second thought. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-who-kills-without-remorse/702550.md?page=1)