This is the first installment in a new feature spotlighting the outlandish explanations for comic book characters (mostly super-villains) surviving seeming certain death.

We begin with a follow-up to today's "Why Did Doctor Octopus Try to Marry Aunt May?" post, namely "How the heck did Doctor Octopus and Hammerhead survive being ground zero at a nuclear explosion?"

To set the scene, in Amazing Spider-Man #131 (by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru and Frank Giacoia), Doctor Octopus has taken Aunt May to the nuclear facility that she had inherited (and Octavius wanted to marry her so that he could get his hands on it, as well). Hammerhead, who was in a rivalry with Doc Ock, tracked him down to the facility to take it for himself. Spider-Man tagged along and escaped with May while Dr. Octopus and Hammerhead fought each other and things took an "explosive" turn...

They both stayed dead until the end of Amazing Spider-Man #156 by Len Wein, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito (I mean, there were some hints in previous issues, but the first clear sign) as Doc Ock shows up at Aunt May's place alive...

The next issue, Doctor Octopus explains how he survived over some Kentucky Fried Chicken...

So that's how Doctor Octopus survived, but what the heck is up with Hammerhead? Is he a ghost or what? Find out on the next page!

So Doctor Octopus tries to put together a device to get rid of the ectoplamic Hammerhead. This leads to the end of Amazing Spider-Man #158...

Sooo...huh? What happened to Hammerhead? As it turns out, it was as simple as...

The explosion "knocked him out of phase"? What the what? That's not a THING! But that's all we ever get for an explanation as to how Hammerhead survived.

Okay, that's it for the first installment! Feel free to write in to bcronin@comicbookresources.com if you have any good suggestions for outlandish ways characters turned out not to have died!