15 Comic Book 'Firsts' You Didn't Know
10. The Comet - First Superhero To Die
There have been many iconic deaths in comics; Captain America in Civil War, Mar-Vell in The Death of Captain Marvel, and Supergirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths. But the first superhero to kick the bucket was John Dickering who debuted in Pep Comics #1 in 1940. (It's worth mentioning that this same comic introduced The Shield, who was the inspiration for Captain America.)
Dickering was a scientist who discovered a gas 50 times lighter than hydrogen. When he injected himself with the substance (which is pretty unsafe), he learned he could fly. Over time, he realised he could harness this gas' power in his head and shoot lasers from his eyes. Comet was a bit more ruthless than most early superheroes since he had no qualms about melting criminals to nothing with his optic blasts.
In the 17th issue, The Comet's adventures came to an end as he perished in the line of duty. Now, a superhero's death is usually epic. Doomsday nearly killed the Justice League before Superman scarified his life to stop him. The Flash was killed while saving the entire multiverse from the Anti-Monitor.
So, how did The Comet bite the dust? He got shot... with a gun... that's it.