One of the most important writers in modern American comic books has left us, as we’ve learned that Gerry Conway has died at age 73. The sad news comes via Variety. Although the cause of death is unknown, the New York City-born Conway fought pancreatic cancer in recent years. Conway broke into writing mainstream comics at the young age of 16, and by his early twenties, was writing seminal runs for series like The Amazing Spider-Man, where he famously scripted the death of Peter Parker’s great love, Gwen Stacy. He’s also the co-creator of iconic characters like the Punisher, Jason Todd, and many others. He was among the first generation of comic book “fanboys” who grew up to write the characters they had loved as children.
In a statement following the news of Gerry Conway’s death, Marvel President Dan Buckley said, “Gerry Conway was a gifted writer. He was thoughtful, deeply attuned to the emotional and moral core of storytelling, and a wonderful and articulate advocate for comics and creators. His writing has inspired all of us at Marvel, and will continue to inspire generations of writers, readers, and fans to come.” Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige added, “Gerry Conway brought real stakes to his writing, able to weave together sensational super heroics with the human and relatable, and in doing so created some of the most memorable stories and characters of all time… Gerry was a wonderful collaborator and friend to so many and will be dearly missed.”
At the tender age of 16, Conway wrote his first short story for DC Comics’ House of Secrets #81, published in 1969. He then went on to write The Phantom Stranger when he was still only 18. He caught the attention of Marvel Comics‘ editor Roy Thomas, who hired him to write a Ka-Zar story. From there on out, Gerry Conway wrote for nearly every major Marvel publication, including Daredevil, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, the Avengers, andAmazing Adventures, which showcased Black Widow and the Inhumans. He also has a co-creator credit for the horror characters Man-Thing and Werewolf by Night. But his biggest Marvel work was easily on Spider-Man.
At age 19, Conway took over writing on The Amazing Spider-Man, not long after Stan Lee ended his epic run. During his three-year run on the series, he famously killed off Peter Parker’s longtime girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, in a touchstone story for the character. Not long after, Conway and artist Ross Andru introduced the Punisher, who would become one of Marvel’s leading characters. The seeds of the iconic “Clone Saga” were planted in Conway’s run, which introduced the villainous Jackal, along with Peter Parker’s clone, Ben Reilly. In 1976, Conway wrote the first Marvel/DC crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, which just got two sequels fifty years later. He’d return for longer Spidey runs in the ’80s and ’90s with Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man.
After a brief tenure as Marvel’s EIC, Gerry Conway left for DC Comics. There, he co-created Power Girl, an alternate-universe version of Supergirl, along with the hero Firestorm. He also co-created Jason Todd, the second Robin, who is now the Red Hood, along with Batman villain Killer Croc. All these characters remain DC mainstays today. In the ’80s, he wrote long runs on Wonder Woman, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Action Comics, and Superman. He also famously wrote an eight-year run on Justice League of America. Conway’s run included his creation of the “Detroit JLA.” Although unpopular at the time, it featured new heroes Vixen and Vibe, both Gerry Conway co-creations. They would find new life decades later in the CW Arrowverse.
Gerry Conway also had a very prolific Hollywood career. He co-wrote the animated ’80s fantasy film Fire and Ice and Conan the Destroyer. For television, he became a regular writer on procedurals like Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Diagnosis Murder, and Matlock. In animation, he contributed scripts for G.I. Joe and Transformers. But he remained true to his comic book roots, even on television. He wrote two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, and the very first episode of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He somehow squeezed in two sci-fi novels and a Star Trek newspaper strip into his resume as well. Gerry Conway’s legacy in entertainment spans over five decades, and his mark on comic books especially can’t be overstated. Gerry Conway is survived by his wife and two children.