15 Emotional Comic Book Moments That Made Us Shed A Tear
9. The Death Of Superman
More than 20 years after it was first published, Superman #75, aka, The Death Of Superman, is generally derided by critics and fans as a publicity stunt that indirectly led to the comic book speculator bubble bursting in the mid-90s - an event that almost destroyed the entire industry. But even the most jaded and cynical comic book fan should hopefully be able to put aside all the noise and hoopla generated by this story and understand just how powerfully sad of a moment Supermans death was a the time.
Superman wasn't just some run-of-the-mill superhero - he was an America icon and a global sensation. Superman's first appearance in Action Comics #1 is single-handedly responsible for launching an entire genre of storytelling , a genre that has persevered for more than 75 years. To kill off a character as important to the world as Superman - how often does a fictitious characters death become leading news on a network like CNN? - regardless of DCs motives or agenda, is overwhelmingly upsetting.
Having him die in the arms of his one true love, Lois Lane, adds even more emotional weight to the moment. Yes, Superman was resurrected less than a year later, and all of those people who spent an exorbitant amount of money on black market copies of Superman #75 lost money on their investment, but the character's death was one of the few times the entire world was brought together to celebrate and mourn the life of one (fictitious) person.