Gerry Conway, a prolific comic book writer who co-created characters such as the Punisher, the first Ms. Marvel, Jason Todd and Power Girl during his tenures at both Marvel and DC, has died. He was 73.
A former Marvel editor in chief, Conway penned stories for many of the company’s major superheroes over the course of his career, but he is perhaps best known for his contributions related to Spider-Man. Marvel announced Conway’s death on Monday.
“Gerry Conway brought real stakes to his writing, able to weave together sensational super heroics with the human and relatable, and in doing so created some of the most memorable stories and characters of all time,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said in a statement. “His writing has been hugely impactful across our comics, but it has also inspired so much of what we’ve done on screen, from ‘Werewolf by Night’ to ‘Daredevil’ to ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Punisher.’ Gerry was a wonderful collaborator and friend to so many and will be dearly missed.”
Jim Lee, president and chief creative officer of DC Comics, paid tribute to Conway on social media.
“Gerry defined an era of bold, character-driven storytelling during the Bronze Age of comics, balancing heart, action, and humanity in a way that inspired and captivated generations of readers and creators,” Lee wrote Monday on Instagram. “While many know his Marvel accomplishments … Gerry’s contributions to DC were equally impactful and significant: shaping Batman, Superman, the Justice League of America, and co-creating Firestorm, Jason Todd and Power Girl and so many more.”
“Thank you, Gerry, for the worlds imagined and the heroes created,” Lee added. “What an incredible legacy you leave behind. Rest in peace.”
Born in Brooklyn on Sept. 10, 1952, Conway was a lifelong superhero comic book fan who broke into the industry as a teenager. He got his start writing short stories in horror and fantasy comics anthologies for DC and Marvel. Before long, he was writing full superhero stories for Marvel.
He had stints on titles such as “Daredevil,” “Iron Man,” “The Fantastic Four,” “Thor,” “Defenders” and “Avengers,” but some of his most prominent work was on “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Conway succeeded Stan Lee as the series writer in the 1970s and his run included “The Night Gwen Stacy Died.” The seminal storyline saw the Green Goblin kill Stacy, Peter Parker’s then-girlfriend, after discovering the webslinger’s identity.
Conway’s time on “The Amazing Spider-Man” included the introduction of the vigilante antihero Punisher, also known as Frank Castle, whom he co-created with artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. In addition to writing the character’s first appearance, Conway provided Castle’s origin story in a 1975 issue of “Marvel Preview.” Other characters the writer co-created during this time are the supervillain Jackal and Parker’s clone Ben Reilly.
Besides his work on “Spider-Man,” Conway’s Marvel résumé also includes transforming Carol Danvers, an Air Force officer whose brief comic book history included being saved by Captain Marvel, into a cosmically powered superhero leading her own series as the first Ms. Marvel. He also left his fingerprints in the company’s more supernatural side, helping introduce Marvel’s iteration of the iconic vampire Dracula as well as co-creating the original lycanthrope known as Werewolf by Night.
Conway also co-created a number of characters with various artists during his time as a writer for DC Comics, including superheroes such as Firestorm, Steel and Vixen. He also helped introduce the Batman villain Killer Croc, as well as Jason Todd, the young man who would succeed Dick Grayson as Batman’s sidekick Robin.
“I was a lifelong fan,” comic book writer Gail Simone wrote in her social media tribute to Conway. “[T]he characters he created, the stories he told, have been such a part of my love of comics (and this career I adore) at a molecular level. … [H]e’s one of those creators whose work meant so much to me that I have a hard time quantifying it properly.”
Conway, who previously discussed a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and being cancer-free after surgery in 2023, had reportedly been battling cancer again.
He is survived by his wife, Laura Conway.
