15 Comic Book Characters Who Should've Stayed Dead

Norman Osborn's resurrection was so terrible that it didn't just ruin him, it also ruined Gwen Stacy.

Originally, he knocked Gwen off a bridge, resulting in the death of the woman Spidey loved. In the ensuing battle, Osborn was killed after colliding with his own goblin glider. It was a dark moment for the Webslinger, but one that had major stakes, one that felt visceral and real.

Years later, it would turn out that Osborn survived, and took his revenge on Spider-Man by enacting stupid plot after stupid plot. He replaced Aunt May with an actress, gave Flash Thompson brain damage, kicked off the Clone Saga, and forced readers to forever remember his O face during a tryst with Gwen Stacy that resulted in murderous twin children with accelerated lifespans.

UGH.

In one fell swoop, he went from Spider-Man's greatest rival to the least believable and most convoluted. The Spider-Verse would've been much better off if he'd just stayed dead.