4. The Death Of Superman
Of course he wasn't going to stay dead, but for a brief period of time DC killed off the Last Son of Krypton. Superman #75 saw the Man of Steel perish fighting Doomsday, a biological weapon from outer space. I remember seeing a story in Time magazine about the tragic death of an American icon. Some of the kids in my class were genuinely upset Supes was "going away", like Grampa or Nibbles the cat. My mom and dad were shocked that a funny book character older than them was being killed off. I also remember thinking that stopping an alien bioweapon was a pretty awesome way to die. We may all be jaded now but that was one comic book death that had serious effects and aftermath (story-wise and for the industry itself). Plus, those black armbands DC included in the polybagged issues were a nice touch.