10 Comic Characters Who Actually Stayed Dead
5. Jean Loring
Jean Loring is a perfect example of just how badly a character can be derailed.
Jean was first introduced as the girlfriend and later wife of the Atom. She was a successful lawyer and a loving partner to Ray Palmer, but eventually left him when his superhero career but a strain on their marriage.
When Jean next appeared, it was as the villain of the infamous Identity Crisis. Jean had a mental breakdown, decided that she wanted Ray back and that the best way to do that was to fake an attack on the Justice League's loved ones. Jean's foolproof plan involved using the Atom suit to give Sue Dibny (Elongated Man's wife) a mild stroke. Except also it was the opposite of foolproof and Jean accidentally killed her. When Ray found out, he had her institutionalised at Arkham Asylum.
Jean descended even further into villainy, acting as a host for the supernatural entity Eclipso. As Eclipso, she convinced the Spectre to go on a rampage, wiping out a big chunk of DC's magic users.
Eclipso eventually moved on to a new host though and Jean was left in the middle of the ocean. She was then eaten by a shark.
Jean remained less dead than others on this list when she was reanimated as a zombie-like Black Lantern. However, she definitely wasn't alive so it's good enough.