7 “Immortal” Superheroes Who Died Anyway

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Over the decades, Marvel and DC Comics have introduced countless superheroes, including many who are essentially immortal. While these characters are rarely in true danger – they remain popular as long as they’re profitable – stories often create the illusion of risk to keep things exciting. True immortal characters are meant to withstand anything and often have incredibly long lifespans, stretching back or forward thousands of years. Despite this power, even immortality isn’t absolute, and some characters with the potential for eternal life have still met their end.

These heroic characters willingly give up their potentially endless lives to save others. Sometimes, they even die to demonstrate that there are real consequences, even for those who are immortal. This is a significant moment for popular immortal characters, but it still carries weight even when the character isn’t well-known. These immortals experienced death, making the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the world.

7) Orion

Let me tell you about Orion, a seriously compelling character. He’s one of the New Gods, but with a very complicated family history – his dad is the villain Darkseid! The prophecy says Orion’s the one who’ll finally take Darkseid down for good, and he’s usually portrayed as incredibly powerful. But here’s the thing about comics: even gods aren’t invincible, and Orion has actually died a few times. My favorite? It happens in “Rock of Ages,” a classic Justice League story. The setup is bleak – Darkseid has won and taken over Earth. Orion’s in hiding, and in a desperate move, he uses some stolen Apokoliptian tech to essentially wipe the universe clean. It’s a huge sacrifice, but it also brings down the Black Racer – the embodiment of death itself – and takes Orion with it. It’s a truly epic, if tragic, storyline.

6) Immortal Man

Immortal Man originated in prehistoric times as a member of the Bear Tribe. When a meteor crashed to Earth, he investigated and, along with Vandal Savage, was exposed to radiation that granted them immortality. This event sparked a millennia-long rivalry. While Savage became villainous, Immortal Man dedicated his long life to helping others. Both created weapons powered by the meteor, specifically designed to kill the other should they ever clash, which they did many times. Often overlooked as a lesser-known hero, Immortal Man has frequently died – usually sacrificing himself for the greater good – only to later adopt a new identity and continue his heroic work.

5) Superman

Although Superman isn’t officially immortal, and some stories have even shown him aging, he’s frequently depicted existing far into the future, suggesting he likely possesses some form of immortality. While the story “Death of Superman” is famous, he’s actually “died” many times in various comics. He often met his end in the older “imaginary stories” – tales that weren’t considered part of the main storyline – and has also died in alternate realities and potential future timelines.

4) Hulk

The Hulk is Marvel’s most famous monster and one of the strongest beings on Earth. Over time, he’s become incredibly powerful, potentially existing forever as an unstoppable force. While nearly indestructible, the Hulk has been killed in various storylines, often in alternate universes or future timelines, like in the stories Hulk: The End and Hulk: Future Imperfect. His most significant death in the main Marvel universe (Earth-616) occurred during the Civil War II event, which then led to the critically acclaimed The Immortal Hulk comic series.

3) Thor

As a huge fan of Thor, I’ve always found the way Marvel handles his power and mortality fascinating. He’s the God of Thunder, incredibly strong, but not invincible like some gods you see in other stories. The Asgardians can live a really long time, but they can die – which makes sense, considering they’re basically the gods of the Vikings, a warrior culture. Plus, there’s always the threat of Ragnarok, the event that’s supposed to wipe them all out. Over the years in the comics, Thor’s actually died a bunch of times, in different realities and timelines. Just recently, in Immortal Thor #24, he died again, but this time the resurrection story is wild! It’s like his entire history has been wiped clean – he doesn’t even remember who he was before. It’s a really cool twist and I’m excited to see where they take the character now.

2) Resurrection Man

Resurrection Man debuted in his own comic series in the late 1990s and quickly became popular with comic book fans. The character, Mitch Shelley, possessed unique nanites called tektites which brought him back to life each time he died, granting him different abilities with every resurrection. Death was central to his powers, and he experienced it repeatedly throughout the series. However, in Resurrection Man #1,000,000, he seemingly met his final end while fighting Vandal Savage in the 853rd century. After trying for millennia, Savage finally discovered how to permanently kill him.

1) Wolverine

Wolverine is famous for being incredibly resilient – and for repeatedly dying. While his healing ability and adamantium skeleton make him nearly indestructible and, in some versions, practically immortal, he’s been killed off many times in stories. This often happens to emphasize how dangerous a new villain or threat is; if someone can defeat Wolverine, they’re a serious force. He was definitively killed in 2014 in the Death of Wolverine storyline and remained dead for five years. Interestingly, an older version of Wolverine, known as Old Man Logan, also died during that period, giving fans two separate Wolverine deaths in quick succession.

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2025-10-30 16:17