10 Deadliest Comic Book Events

Every so often, the big two publishers put together huge crossover stories tying in a bunch of different characters and books. More often than not, these events are inconsequential. However, there have been plenty of notable events over the years that have had lasting effects.

The most memorable events tend to hinge on one specific moment; a hero dying, a country being laid to waste, even the destruction of an entire universe.

But while most tend to focus on what’s in front of them on the page, not a lot of thought tends to be given to the collateral damage involved. For every superhero battle, there comes property damages that can cost millions and countless civilian deaths.

Marvel’s Superhuman Registration Act tried to address this issue, but the resulting battle only caused more destruction and death. Since then, there have been few attempts to address the issue, but the villains haven't stopped destroying everything.

It's rare that we get to see the death toll laid out in front of us, meaning we often overlook the massive toll that your favourite super-battle has left behind. So, maybe it's time to look up back at the massive casualties we all ignored.

Civil War may be one of Marvel's most loved storylines, but it came with a heavy toll. Let's face it, any story that starts with the death of 600+ people is pretty unlikely to back off on the causalities as the fight hots up.

The story starts when The New Warriors are trying to take down a group of villains. Unfortunately for them, they were woefully unprepared. Things go well at first and the group manage to get the upper hand, but in one moment everything changed.

Nitro, determined not to be taken down by some D-list heroes, unleashes his full power and causes an explosion that takes out an entire neighbourhood.

The resulting story has been told hundreds of times and features some of the most tragic superhero deaths we have ever seen. While the death of Captain America and Bill Foster took the headlines, the fight to prevent further collateral damage may have caused even more than the original incident.

Take into account the various government and S.H.I.E.L.D agents who lost their lives while part of the "Cape Killer" squadron, plus prisoners taken out when Speedball regained his powers, plus the fact The Punisher was involved... The list just grows and grows.