From: Green Lantern #76 (vol. 2) by Denny ONeil (script) and Neal Adams (art) More than 40 years after it was first published, this one scene from the debut issue of the famed Denny ONeil/Neal Adams remains one of the more divisive moments in comic hook history. In it, a black man leaves Green Lantern speechless when he condemns the superhero for not doing enough to help the black skins of the world. Many consider the panel to be iconic and daring, as it was one of the very first times in a mainstream comic book series that a creative team so candidly and assertively addressed racial inequality. Others find the moment to be heavy handed and overly preachy, dismissing the characters accusations since Green Lantern has helped millions, if not billions of people black, white, purple, green or yellow for years. Regardless of your take on the panel, theres no question that its one of the most provocative images to ever appear in a superhero comic, and the fact that it can still inspire debate decades later, speaks to its power.
13. Death Of Elektra
From: Daredevil #181 by Frank Miller (script and pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks) The Frank Miller/Klaus Janson run on Daredevil unquestionably redefined the series, transforming it from a little read title that was on the verge of cancellation to one of the greatest Marvel comics of all time. Towards the beginning of the Miller/Janson run, a mysterious women named Elektra is introduced, and is later revealed to be Matt Murdock, aka Daredevils college sweetheart turned ninja assassin. Elektras death at the hands of the sociopathic Bullseye stabbed by her own sai is one of the most emotionally conflicting scenes in comic book history. On one hand, Elektra was a terrible person in her own right, guilty of numerous crimes, including murder. But to watch this woman, who at one time meant the world to the titular hero of this series, be brutally murdered by a lunatic like Bullseye (he even cracks a smile as he stabs her) is outrageous. In fact, many fans were absolutely shocked that Miller and Janson would introduce this riveting character only to kill her off shortly thereafter (the creators reportedly received death threats from some). Couple these emotions with the fact that Elektras murder came at a time when death in comic books was still a somewhat permanent affair, and youre left with a truly memorable scene that still elicits reactions from people (despite the fact that Elektra was eventually resurrected).
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
