Death is an all-too-common occurrence in the superhero world, even for a team as powerful as the Justice League. No matter what kind of amazing powers its possess, it’s not unusual for a hero to meet their maker, even for heroes as strong as Flash or Wonder Woman. While many of these deaths are often at the hands of their greatest enemies, sometimes it’s a little-known villain that fells a Leaguer.
A villain doesn’t have to be as famous as the Joker or Darkseid in order to kill a hero. In fact, sometimes it’s the most random baddies that turn out to be the deadliest. Discover which 15 heroes were killed by virtually unknown rogues.
15 Azrael
Jean-Paul Valley wasn’t fit to replace Batman and cracked under the pressure. But he tried to redeem himself, carrying on as a hero in his identity of Azrael. Unfortunately, Valley’s time came to a close in Azrael: Agent of the Bat #100 when he got into a confrontation with Satanic cult leader Nicholas Scratch. Though Azrael only went missing in the series’ final issue, it was later confirmed he died.
14 Dean
Boston Brand is one of the few heroes in DC Comics history whose origin starts with his own death. Before he was the supernatural hero Dean, Brand was one of the most well-known trapeze artists. But his life was cut short during one unbelievably tragic act. Not because of a stunt gone wrong, but because Dean was shot by the Hook, a small-time member of the League of Assassins.
13 Animal Man
The ionate animal rights defender and fan-favorite character Animal Man briefly crossed over to the other side. During the epic 52 maxiseries, Buddy Baker is out in space with Starfire and Adam Strange. Eventually, they are confronted by Lady Styx, who unleashes a toxin that kills Animal Man. Though Buddy does shuffle off the mortal coil, he’s rescued almost instantly by the very same aliens who gave him his powers.
12 Elongated Man
The last few years of Elongated Man’s life were absolute hell for him. Ralph Dibny lost his wife Sue after the Atom’s ex-wife Jean Loring killed her. Shortly after, he was confronted by Neron, who killed Ralph after teaming up with Felix Faust to steal Ralph’s soul. Ralph had the last laugh however as his death triggers a spell that trapped Neron and Faust in the Tower of Fate.
11 Ice
Ice was the heart of Justice League International, but she turned against her friends in the “Judgment Day” crossover. Of course, her evil actions were the result of being mind-controlled by the alien villain Overmaster. Martian Manhunter helped free Ice from her conditioning and brought her back to the Justice League’s side. Unfortunately, she tried attacking Overmaster and he zapped Ice, killing her instantly.
10 Firestorm
Identity Crisis was a painful time for the Justice League, made all the worse by the death of the young hero Firestorm. DC’s heroes were interrogating every villain they could to find out who murdered Sue Dibny. A small group of heroes fights Shadow Thief, who steals Shining Knight’s sword and impales Ronnie Raymond’s nuclear field. With no other options, Firestorm launched himself into the sky and blew up to protect the surrounding area.
9 Hawkman and Hawkwoman
Fans know that Hawkman and Hawkwoman are cursed to an endless cycle in which they meet, fall in love, and die. But who’s usually left out of that equation is the murderous Hath-Set. Hath-Set was the priest who killed Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-Ara with a cursed Nth metal dagger, condeming them to their endless cycle. Like the Hawks, Hath-Set reincarnates and is usually the one to end their lives.
8 Aquaman
Aquaman has always been a mainstay member of the Justice League. But Arthur Curry went through some horrific changes during the “One Year Later” storyline. Aquaman became a mutated hermit known as the Dweller of the Depths. The Dweller guided the new Aquaman, Arthur Joseph Curry for a brief period. But the Dweller was targeted by the assassin Narwhal, who succeeded in his mission and killed the original Aquaman.
7 Superman
As one would expect, Clark’s New 52-era doppelganger went out in a heroic way. A young man named Denny Swan was struck by lightning that had been infused with the power of Superman. Believing himself to be Superman, he challenged Clark to a fight. However, his body couldn’t handle the intense power, leading Denny to explode in a burst of solar energy. But the hero flew Swan into the sky where his energy disintegrated the New 52 Superman.
6 Batman
It’s always assumed that Batman is going to be killed by one of his more iconic enemies. But Detective Comics #1027 hints that it may be the unexpected villain Doctor Phosphorus that does him in. Phosphorus challenged Batman to a fight for the sole purpose of exposing him to radiation. While it’s unknown how this affects Bruce in the canon timeline, Batman/Catwoman Special #1 shows a potential future in which Bruce does succumb to the cancer caused by Phosphorus.
