10 Times That Avengers Died (And Subsequently Required Avenging)
Earth's mightiest heroes at their least mightiest.
Many people will say that 'death is not the end'. Despite what you may feel about this, it's certainly true within the world of comics. Ever since 'The Death of Superman' it's become somewhat of a running joke that there's only three characters that can ever stay dead in comics; Uncle Ben, Jason Todd and Bucky Barnes.
Then we got the Red Hood...and The Winter Solider, so there goes that notion. Fingers crossed we get a superhero version of Uncle Ben someday.
Though they have been thought of as untouchable the same can't be said about even some of the more popular characters. Dying in comics isn't new, but sometimes it's the way in which they kick the bucket that's really shocking. Their popularity may have brought them back from the dead, but that doesn't mean they didn't brave that final frontier; in one way or another.
With Infinity Wars coming up discussions are taking place across the globe as to who among the Avengers will die (because someone's obviously going to die). Therefore it seems only apt that we look back across the times in comics when the Avengers have been defeated, and thus required avenging themselves.
10. Captain Marvel - The Death Of Captain Marvel
What isn’t surprising is the end of this story (since it’s in the title) but the means of which it came about. Captain Marvel isn’t taken out by a massive, world shaking events or a malicious dick of an antagonist but by something grounded and real; cancer.
Captain Marvel (or Mar-Vell, more accurately) is actually a member of the Kree race who arrived on Earth as a spy. He's eventually considered to be a traitor by the Kree for being way too heroic and becomes one of the world's most lovable/ripped group of friends; the Avengers.
As aforementioned it's not a traditional superhero death that claims Mar-Vell; not entirely, that is. Whilst fighting Nitro, an enemy who can blow himself up and then reform himself (which is kind of messed up, really), Mar-Vell was exposed to nerve gas. All seemed to be well but it was later revealed that that nerve gas kicked off carcinogenesis.
After going from medical geniuses to renowned sorcerers it became clear to Mar-Vell that his time had come. He even accepted it with grace, telling Lady Death that she didn't need to put on any illusions to soften the blow (the illusion in question was her actually having a face).
Originally considered to be one of those heroes that actually stayed dead, Captain Marvel has come back and died off a few times, such as during the Chaos War event. The veil between life and death weakened so Captain Marvel took this chance to come back to life.