Resurrection has become one of the most popular, and problematic, narrative devices in comic books and entertainment as a whole. Whenever a character ceases to exist, the moment is ruined by the likelihood that the character will be back in a matter of months. For some characters, they’re practically known for frequent travels to and from the land of the living. Jean Grey, whose identity as Phoenix is very fitting, comes to mind as the best example. Sure, this effect doesn’t hold true for every characters -- when some characters go away, they don’t come back, as writers just don’t have any future plans to use certain heroes or villains.
Nowadays, any time a major character is written off, it’s fair to say that the writers just want to grab headlines or shock the reader. These departures rarely stick. DC and Marvel have reversed most these impactful moments. When Batman fell in Final Crisis, it was quickly revealed that the hero was lost in time. Likewise, the Hulk was a surprising casualty of Civil War II but, after just a few months, the green guy was back to his monstrous ways. There are countless examples of this troubling pattern and far fewer cases of characters who haven’t returned. With that being said, we’ve decided to list ten characters who have been resurrected in the last decade and ten who have been (seemingly) written off for good. Of course, these characters could always come back. But, until then, we have to assume they’re gone.
20 RESURRECTED: CAPTAIN AMERICA
When a brainwashed Sharon Carter took down Captain America, the entire world took notice. Comics hadn’t impacted the general population in such a dramatic fashion since Superman’s downfall in the ‘90s. After all, Steve Rogers, a legend in his own right, is a symbol of truth, justice and pure patriotism.
It was only a matter of time before Marvel brought back the First Avenger. In Captain America: Reborn, the Avengers and other heroes helped save Rogers, who was trapped in his own mind. In this limited series, Rogers fights, and defeats, the Red Skull, who had taken control of the hero’s body. Subsequently, the Captain returned to the land of the living.
19 STAYED GONE: WALLY WEST
Heroes in Crisis #1 is less than a month old, so it’s hard to say the events portrayed in the issue’s pages are permanent, but some of these casualties seem likely to stick. Let’s start with Wally West. In recent years, DC has shown that it doesn’t know what to do with the man that, for a long time, was the DCU’s main Flash.
The character was absent from the New 52, which is why his return in DC Rebirth seemed so promising. But West has struggled to find his role in this new world and even “Flash War” gave him only some of the spotlight, which was temporary. Going forward, DC might be better off leaving the character at peace.
18 RESURRECTED: BATMAN
When Darkseid’s Omega Beams hit Batman in Final Crisis #6, some readers thought they had witnessed something that would irrevocably change the DCU. The image of Superman holding the Dark Knight’s skeleton is certainly a tough one.
Needless to say, the Caped Crusader is an icon, so he wasn’t actually gone. As it turned out, Darkseid displaced Bruce Wayne in the distant past and the hero had to find his way back to the world he left behind. Though Dick Grayson filled in admirably for his mentor, the world needed the original Caped Crusader. Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne features the triumphant return of the World’s Greatest Detective. Clearly, the Dark Knight never gives up.
17 STAYED GONE: ROY HARPER
In DC Rebirth, Roy Harper has been in the same boat as Wally West. As Speedy, Harper served as Green Arrow’s sidekick, and as a member of the earliest version of the Teen Titans. The character matured over the years and became Arsenal and, for a time, Red Arrow, but none of these changes helped the character genuinely stand out.
Throughout DC Rebirth, Harper returned to his role on the Titans and revisited his relationship with Oliver Queen. But Harper still struggled to find his place, which made him expendable in Heroes in Crisis #1. Like West, the character might be better off as nothing but a memory.
16 RESURRECTED: HULK
When Clint Barton took down Bruce Banner in an issue of Civil War II, Marvel fans were stunned. The Hulk is one of Marvel’s most famous characters; he’s an Avenger and, arguably, a pop culture icon. For the brief period of time that the company operated after the loss of Banner, the MU felt incomplete.
Of course, it was only a matter of time until the Hulk came back. Marvel resurrected the green monster during “No Surrender.” Now, the Mr. Hyde to Banner’s Dr. Jekyll is back and scarier than ever. The Immortal Hulk has allowed the character to embrace the horror genre and Marvel’s resident monster is thriving.
15 STAYED GONE: LAGOON BOY
Then, there’s Lagoon Boy who, like West and Harper, didn’t make it out of Heroes in Crisis #1. This character was a “Land-Lover” in his first appearances in Aquaman and he’s also been a member of Young Justice and the Titans East. Though Lagoon Boy hasn’t had a lot of success in the comics, he has made some appearances on the small screen, including Young Justice.
Still, DC has made it clear that they don’t have plans for this member of Aquaman’s supporting cast. Though Lagoon Boy has displayed some potential, it doesn’t seem like we’ll see Lagoon Boy again any time soon.
14 RESURRECTED: PROFESSOR X
When Scott Summers took out Professor X in Avengers vs. X-Men #11, the surprising moment seemingly marked the end of an era. Charles Xavier had been written off before but, this time, it seemed the character was really gone. When the founder of the X-Men ceased to exist, the team found itself in uncharted waters. Members of the team, like Kitty Pryde, had to step up more than ever before.
But Xavier found his way back, albeit in an unconventional way. In Astonishing X-Men #6, Xavier returned to reality after spending a long time in the astral plane. Professor X takes Fantomex’s body and returns as “X,” a younger version of Charles Xavier.
13 STAYED GONE: BLUE JAY
Blue Jay, or Jay Abrams, wasn’t quite as obscure as Lagoon Boy. He debuted in 1971 with the Champions of Angor, and he went on to serve with the Justice League and, for a while, Blue Jay was a member of Justice League Europe. In fact, Abrams became the leader of this branch of the team.
Abrams faded into obscurity but received some attention when Doctor Impossible held him captive. Eventually, Blue Jay flew off into the sunset, hoping to a place where he could be a real hero. Unfortunately, Abrams didn’t get the chance to accomplish this goal. Due to the events seen in Heroes in Crisis #1, it seems that Blue Jay’s story is over.
12 RESURRECTED: JEAN GREY
Of all the characters in comic books, no one is linked with resurrection like Jean Grey. From her occasional name (Phoenix) to her history of multiple returns to the land of the living, Grey just keeps coming back. The character’s latest venture into the great unknown seemed permanent; a time-displaced young version of Grey found a place with her teammates so her elder self could have remained at peace.
However, in Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey, the adult version of Marvel Girl made her triumphant return to the MU. Now, Grey leads X-Men Red, one of the many iterations of the team running around these days.
11 STAYED GONE: PANDORA
Pandora played a critical role in the formation of the New 52. For this reason, the character remained important throughout this controversial period. However, by the time DC Rebirth launched, the company wanted to start (relatively) fresh. They didn’t scrap everything from the New 52 but DC wanted to show that Rebirth was a new universe.
The writing was on the wall for Pandora. In the DC Universe: Rebirth #1, Pandora meets her end when a figure, presumably Doctor Manhattan, takes her out after she criticized Manhattan for corrupting the universe. Given her role in the New 52, maybe she should have looked in the mirror before insulting such a powerful figure.
10 RESURRECTED: JOKER
One of the most compelling aspects of the rivalry between Batman and the Joker is that these characters hate each other but neither one can, or will, do what’s necessary to end the conflict once and for all. Sometimes, though, they take each other out, which is exactly what happened in "Endgame".
In a climactic “final” battle, the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime fight in the Batcave. Both characters sustain grave wounds before the cave collapses on them, but, given that he’s an iconic villain, the Joker returned shortly thereafter. In Dark Nights: Metal, readers learned that Batman secretly kept the Joker locked up for the duration of DC Rebirth.
9 STAYED GONE: RICK JONES
Since 1962, Rick Jones had been a sidekick to Marvel’s most notable heroes, especially the Hulk and Captain America. Jones has also had his turn as a legitimate hero; he has wielded the Destiny Force and fought injustice as A-Bomb.
Even when he lost his gamma-based powers, Jones served as the Whisperer, which allowed him to continue to help the Avengers, but Jones became a liability to evil Steve Rogers’ plans during "Secret Empire". Jones knew too much, so “Stevil Rogers” had him taken out and he hasn’t been seen since, so it’s safe to say he might actually be gone.
8 RESURRECTED: BARRY ALLEN
When Barry Allen paid the ultimate sacrifice in Crisis on Infinite Earths, he irrevocably changed the comic book industry. Allen was one of the first major superheroes to truly sacrifice themselves, which opened a door that is now wide open. The DCU saw multiple heroes carry on Allen’s legacy as the Flash, which is why the character remained absent for over 20 years.
But, by the time Final Crisis hit the shelves, it was the Scarlet Speedster to make his return. Allen came back and DC explained that he had been in the Speed Force the whole time. The Flash helped his allies defeat Darkseid and, since then, Allen as regained his status as one of DC’s marquee heroes.
7 STAYED GONE: ERIC O'GRADY
It’s fair to say that Eric O’Grady is the least popular Ant-Man. Hank Pym is a founding Avenger. Scott Lang has enjoyed some success during his time under the mask, but, from the get go, O’Grady rubbed fans the wrong way. This iteration of the hero starred in The Irredeemable Ant-Man, which showcased O’Grady’s disagreeable personality. O’Grady went on to serve with the Thunderbolts and the Secret Avengers but he always fell short of his predecessors.
As a result, there was no need to keep three Ant-Men around. O’Grady was written off and eventually replaced with a Life Model Decoy. Technically, for a few years now, the human version of the character has been kept out of commission.
6 RESURRECTED: PETER PARKER
Spider-Man is one of the most successful superheroes in comic book history. This prosperity is largely the result of fans’ adoration of the man most frequently under the mask, Peter Parker. From the start, Parker has been a believable, sympathetic protagonist and fans fell in love with a realistic hero.
But after nearly 50 years, Marvel decided to make some stark changes to Spider-Man. In a controversial storyline, Peter Parker and Doctor Octopus swapped bodies and as a result, Otto Octavius became the new Webhead. After roughly two years with Octavius under the mask, Parker eventually regained control of his body and regained his post as the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
5 STAYED GONE: THANOS
In recent years, Thanos has become one of the most notable villains in all of pop culture. The MCU has been built around the Mad Titan, who finally triumphed in Infinity War (the character will also be one of the main antagonists in A4.) Thanos’ reign of terror has been well-documented in the comics and the Mad Titan continuously wrecked havoc on the MU.
However, there’s a new big bad in town -- in Infinity Wars, Thanos’ own daughter, Gamora, has claimed the throne. To be the top dog, you have to take out whoever held the spot before you, so Gamora took down her old man in Infinity Wars Prime #1. Since then, Thanos has only served as a devil on Requiem’s shoulder.
4 RESURRECTED: MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Allen’s return came on the heels of the loss of another beloved hero. Martian Manhunter was one of the most impactful casualties of Final Crisis, and some fans felt that DC only wrote the character off for no good reason. J’onn Jonzz is a founding member of the Justice League and he’s often seen as the heart and soul of the team. At the time, many fans were unhappy with how DC handled the character in its latest crisis.
Naturally, the company resurrected J’onzz near the end of Blackest Night. The character has struggled to regain his place in the DCU, though he’s on the track back to prominence in the current Justice League run.
3 STAYED GONE: NEW 52 SUPERMAN
The New 52 (and subsequently DC Rebirth) complicated Superman’s status in the DCU. The former ended with the Man of Steel paying the ultimate sacrifice after he saved Earth one last time. But, when the newest relaunch began, the Last Son of Krypton was alive and well.
As it turned out, "Flashpoint" split Superman into two halves: Prime Earth Superman and his New Earth counterpart. In Superman Reborn, the two halves merged to make one being. It’s hard to count this saga as a resurrection because, at the end of the day, the New 52 version of Kal-El is still technically gone.
2 RESURRECTED: BLACK WIDOW
To borrow from Natasha Romanoff’s line in the MCU, the sun got real low for Black Widow in Secret Empire. In an attempt to add some gravity to the event, Marvel made Romanoff, or Natalia Romanova, a casualty in a struggle between Miles Morales and the evil version of Steve Rogers. Widow tried to stop Morales from hitting Rogers with Captain America’s iconic shield. The weapon struck Romanoff and it was a fatal blow.
The MCU has allowed Romanoff to become even more of a fan favorite character so, of course, Marvel brought Black Widow back to the comics. Romanoff became a crucial part of Infinity Countdown because she had possession of an Infinity Stone.
1 STAYED GONE: VULCAN
Vulcan, or Gabriel Summers, is arguably more powerful than his legendary brother, Scott. Gabriel debuted in X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1 and rose to prominence in “The Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire.” Vulcan even became the emperor of the powerful civilization. Gabriel’s reign resulted in several conflicts with other extraterrestrial races and it all came to a head in War of Kings.
This galactic event resulted in a battle between Vulcan and Black Bolt after the former attacked the Kree. It seemed that both characters perished in an explosion. Black Bolt returned, alive and well, but Vulcan hasn’t been seen since.