10 Most Disturbing Comic Book Panels Of All Time
6. Alex DeWitt's Brutal Murder, Dismemberment, & Fridging
Comic: Green Lantern #54
When Kyle Rayner became a Green Lantern, he ended up being the only one, as Hal Jordan had recently destroyed the Green Lantern Corps, and almost all of the Guardians. Fortunately, one survived, and he bestowed upon Rayner a Green Lantern Ring, making him the sole protector of Oan values.
He did a lot of good, and because he was an artist, many of his constructs appeared as if they were painted into existence. Rayner presented a new and innovative way writers could use a Green Lantern in stories, and things were working out well for the character and his girlfriend, Alex DeWitt.
Of course, it's not all sunshine and rainbows forever in the DC Universe, which Kyle learns the hard way as he returns home looking for Alex. What he finds is a simple note, which reads, "Surprise for you in the fridge. Love, A." He opens the refrigerator door to find his beloved broken and stuffed inside.
The panel showing this scene was disturbing for readers, but it also sparked outrage at the way a female character was used (killed off) to affect the story of a male superhero. From this point forward, anytime a woman was used in this way, she was described as being "fridged" or as having put a "woman in the refrigerator."