15 Most Notoriously Controversial Storylines In Comic Book History

9. Mockingbird Raped By Phantom Rider, Who She Lets Fall To His Death

The "Lost in Space-Time" storyline by Steve Englehart was controversial for a number of reasons, as it also included a suicide attempt by Henry Pym AKA Ant-Man, a founding member of the Avengers. Meanwhile, the rest of the West Coast Avengers had been sent back in time to the old west, where they encountered the Phantom Rider and a number of other characters from Marvel's western stories. The Rider, or Lincoln Slade as he was known under the mask, became obsessed with Bobbi Morse AKA Mockingbird. Slade kidnapped, drugged, and raped Bobbi, brainwashing her to fall in love with him while the rest of the Avengers were trapped further back in the past. Eventually breaking free of Slade's control, she headed out to seek revenge on the Rider. During the battle the Rider falls off a cliff, but manages to hang on. Mockingbird could have helped him up, but she chose to let him fall to his death. When Bobbi's husband Hawkeye discovers this, he proceeds to accuse her for her actions, despite everything the Rider had done to Bobbi while he was away. This moment eventually leads to the two getting divorced. This storyline irked fans for a number of reasons, primarily the reaction of Hawkeye. The blame was placed on Bobbi for her decision to not help the man who drugged and raped her, and the focus was put on the Avengers code of no killing. Bobbi felt she was justified in her actions and made no apologies, which is arguably one of the characters defining moments.
 
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Contributor

Sent to Earth from a dying planet, young Scott Fraser grew to adulthood in Alberta, Canada with a love for comics, film, games, and all things deep fried. He has dedicated his life to pedantic ramblings about continuity, superhero superiority, and Han shooting first. He also writes for Geek Magazine.