7 Avengers Who Have Stayed Dead

The Avengers are Marvel’s most famous superhero team. Throughout their history, many heroes have been Avengers, fighting against all sorts of cosmic and earthly dangers. With so many battles, some Avengers have inevitably died protecting the world. Comic book fans often joke that death isn’t permanent for these characters, as many heroes have returned from the dead. However, a few unfortunate Avengers have remained deceased, never being brought back to life.

Unlike heroes like Captain America and Spider-Man who often return after dying, certain members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have been dead for a long time – even decades – with no indication they’ll ever be resurrected. Though some may occasionally appear as undead characters, they’ve never been fully brought back to life.

7) Starbrand

The Starbrand, a source of incredible cosmic power, has been held by many heroes throughout the years, most of whom died young. Recently, college student Kevin Conner learned to control the Starbrand and was invited to join the Avengers by Captain America. Despite being one of their strongest members, Kevin tragically died after confronting Ghost Rider. He attacked Ghost Rider to stop him from unintentionally unleashing a dangerous, powerful being, and Ghost Rider responded with a deadly attack, ending Kevin’s life in 2017. Since then, the Starbrand has passed to two other heroes, both of whom also died while trying to do good.

6) Deathcry

Sharra Neramani, also known as Deathcry, was a relatively obscure member of both the Avengers and the Shi’ar Empire. She was initially assigned by Queen Lilandra to safeguard the Avengers, and fought alongside them for a short period before returning to her duties with the Shi’ar. Later, Sharra was imprisoned by the Kree, but the hero Star-Lord freed her and recruited her to fight against the Phallanx, a dangerous alien race. During that mission, she had a disagreement with her teammate, Captain Universe, who unintentionally killed her while defending himself. Sharra died in 2007, but was briefly brought back to life in 2011 as part of the Undead Avengers during the Chaos War, before finally passing away again when the conflict ended.

5) Goliath

Bill Foster, also known as Goliath, was a good friend of Hank Pym and managed to recreate the special Pym Particles, which allow people to change size. He became an honorary member of the Avengers. When a new law required superheroes to reveal their identities and work for the government, Bill joined other heroes in resisting it. This resistance, led by Captain America, led to a conflict called the Civil War in 2006, and Bill tragically lost his life during it. Iron Man sent a robotic copy of Thor, called Ragnarok, to capture those who refused to register. However, Ragnarok quickly turned against Iron Man and fatally struck Bill with a lightning blast. Bill’s death was a key moment in the Civil War, and his nephew, Tom, later took on the Goliath identity.

4) Yellowjacket

Rita DeMara was the second person to become the Yellowjacket, and she’s had a complicated history, acting as both a hero and a villain. She started as a thief, stealing the Yellowjacket suit from Hank Pym and joining the Masters of Evil. Later, despite her past crimes, Captain America asked for her help in defeating the High Evolutionary after the original Avengers team broke up. Even after helping the new Avengers win, Rita continued to switch between good and evil. Sadly, in 1995, she was killed by Iron Man while trying to warn the Avengers about an impending attack; Iron Man had been manipulated by the villain Immortus at the time.

3) Valkyrie

Besides Thor, Brunnhilde, also known as Valkyrie, is the most prominent Asgardian hero associated with the Avengers. She was a skilled warrior and the commander of the Valkyrie army, and she died bravely during the War of the Realms in 2019. When Malekith and his Dark Council invaded the Ten Realms, Brunnhilde and her fellow Valkyries fought to protect the Avengers and Asgard’s forces so they could retreat. However, the Dark Council easily defeated the Valkyries, and Malekith personally killed Brunnhilde by impaling and beheading her. Her sacrifice allowed the heroes of Earth and Asgard to reorganize and prepare for a counterattack. Eventually, Jane Foster would take over leadership of the Valkyries.

2) Swordsman

Jacques DuQuesne, also known as Swordsman, initially joined the Avengers while secretly working for the villain the Mandarin. He tricked the team into a trap before disappearing, but later felt guilty and genuinely tried to become a hero, rejoining the Avengers and fighting alongside them on numerous missions. He even developed a romantic relationship with teammate Mantis. Tragically, Jacques sacrificed his life in 1972 to save Mantis from the villain Rama-Tut. However, he was brought back to life multiple times as part of the Undead Avengers, a team comprised of fallen heroes like Deathcry, Yellowjacket, and Captain Marvel. Finally, in 2011, after the Chaos War, Jacques and the rest of the Undead Avengers were able to find peace in the afterlife.

1) Captain Marvel

Captain Mar-Vell, a powerful Kree superhero, is famous for being one of the most prominent comic book characters to stay deceased. Armed with the cosmic Nega Bands, he was a remarkably strong member of the Avengers. Sadly, his years of fighting for good ended when he developed cancer after encountering the radioactive villain Nitro. In 1982, Mar-Vell passed away peacefully with the Avengers by his side. His death created opportunities for others to become Captain Marvel, most notably Carol Danvers. Though he’s returned as a reanimated being on occasion, Mar-Vell hasn’t truly been resurrected, and his original death remains a hugely significant moment in Marvel Comics.

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2025-12-04 00:15