Batman to Be (Sort of) Killed Off
Scottish writer Grant Morrison has decided that the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman has arrived. "Batman R.I.P.," released today, is Morrison's latest issue of the Batman comic, and the storyline finds Wayne struggling with a secret from his past that leads him to relinquish his bat duds.
"What I am doing is a fate worse than death, things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all," says Morrison about issue #681.
This isn't the first time the Caped Crusader has been axed. At various times during his 70 years in existence, Batman has been offed, only to be resurrected. However, this is the first time Bruce Wayne has officially stepped aside, setting the stage for 2009's "Battle for Cowl" miniseries, in which members of Batman's family will vie for the keys to the Batmobile.
Superhero Deaths
The formerly invincible Superman was killed to much fanfare and hoopla in 1992. The man in tights came back to life shortly thereafter.
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Superman's cousin, Supergirl, died in a comic book miniseries in 1985.
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In 2007, Captain America was killed off by Marvel Comics.
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Batman's second young sidekick, Tim Drake, bought the farm in 1989.
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Due to exposure to toxic nerve gas, Captain Marvel succumbed to cancer in 1982.
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The world's fastest man couldn't outrun death. In 1985, The Flash was killed in a pivotal crossover miniseries.
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One of the most critically praised and fan-favorite storylines of a hero's death was the Dark Phoenix saga from the X-Men series in 1980.
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