Summary
Plenty ofcomic book moviesend in death, and many manage to pull off some of the most satisfying scenes in cinema of characters meeting their fate. From the one-off entries of the mid 2000s tothe expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe films, superhero and comic book movies and inundated with character deaths. It’s often the case that instead of, or in addition to sadness,these on-screen kills invoke some intense feeling of satisfaction for various reasons.
It’s all well and good to watch themost infamous villains in comic book movie historymeet their justifiable ends, even if many superheroes have proud rules that keep them from killing directly. However, it’s just as often that a heroic sacrifice or gratifying close to the chapter of a hero’s career can invoke a death that is at once satisfying and heartbreaking.The best character deaths in comic book films balance satisfaction with narrative cohesion and spectacle.
10Creedy Learns That Ideas Are Bulletproof
V for Vendetta (2005)
V for Vendetta, as the name implies, is a fantastic revenge story. Though its comic inspirations take a back seat to its political messages and themes of the perils of tyranny, theadaptation of Alan Moore’s famous bookstill features a caped, masked protagonist with some impressive action setpieces.The best of these just might be the moment when V is finally able to confront Creedy, the sniveling head of Britain’s secret police who is responsible for V’s disfigurement.
Creedy’s men open fire on V, only for him to fearlessly continue charging them armed with only his knives, proclaiming “Beneath this mask, there is an idea! And ideas are bulletproof.“The moment when V finally plunges his daggers deep into Creedy is among the most gratifying revenge moments in all of cinema, let alone comic book movies in particular. Even if V doesn’t survive the ordeal, this moment presents two satisfying deaths for the price of one.
9Yondu Proves Himself As Star-Lord’s Daddy
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Not every satisfying death in a superhero movie is the end of a villain. In many cases, the heroic sacrifice of a more sympathetic character can be just as satisfying, if not more so, particularly if the character in question redeems themselves with the action.Yondu is one of the best cases of this, exposing himself to the vacuum of space to save his adoptive son.
Yondu’s death may be tear-jerking, but it’s an undeniably exceptional payoff to the sub-plot set up between himself and Star-Lord.
Going to retrieve Peter Quill from floating away after Ego’s planet implodes on itself, Yondu catches up to him, and gifts him his exosuit. In the process, the two finally reconcile and recognize one another as father and son, with Yondu telling Peter that “[Ego] may have been your father, boy, but he wasn’t your daddy.“Bringing his arc across the first twoGuardians of the Galaxymovies to a close, Yondu’s death may be tear-jerking, but it’s an undeniably exceptional payoff to the sub-plot set up between himself and Star-Lord.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Cast
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the adventures of Peter Quill and his eclectic crew as they navigate complex family dynamics and revelations about Quill’s mysterious heritage. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film explores themes of family and identity against a backdrop of intergalactic adventure.
8Sebastian Shaw Watches Magneto Move The Coin
X-Men: First Class (2011)
Few comic book movie villains are harder to argue against than Magneto. From his initial childhood suffering under the German holocaust to his persecution as a mutant,X-Men: First Classgavethe Fox X-Men universea deeper look into Magneto’s past. It’s revealed that as a child,Sebastian Shaw forced him to use his powers to move a coin, only to kill his family when he couldn’t comply.
Years later, Magneto and Charles manage to corner Shaw, allowing Erik to finally take his revenge while Charles is helpless to watch.Stealing Shaw’s helmet that shields him from Charles' telepathy, Magneto reveals to the terrified and paralyzed Shaw that he kept the same coin, and now uses his powers to slowly move it straight through Shaw’s head. Both a supervillain and a Nazi, Sebastian Shaw’s death is satisfying on multiple levels, and it’s hard to agree with Charles when Magneto finally has the opportunity for his revenge.
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class explores the origins of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, who later become Professor X and Magneto. Set during the early days of their friendship, the film depicts their collaborative efforts with other mutants to avert a significant global threat.
7Thanos Isn’t As Inevitable As He Thinks
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Thanos is such an iconic villain in the MCU that he has not one, but two on-screen deaths. That being said, Thor’s murder of him at the beginning ofAvengers: Infinity Waris far from satisfying,feeling like a hollow victory after Thanos' plan had already essentially succeeded. It’s not until Thanos' variant from the alternate timeline the Avengers travel to meets the superheroes once again in the climactic final battle of the Infinity Saga that he’s given a truly enjoyable death.
Thinking himself to have won once again, Thanos seems to have acquired all the stolen Infinity Stones, and prepares to snap a second time.Much to his surprise, nothing happens, and Iron Man goes on to use the stones against him and his entire army, dusting Thanos once and for all. This bit of poetic justice is an intensely satisfying beat and one of the greatest moments in the entire MCU.
6Iron Man Tells Thanos Who He Is
In the same breath as Thanos' death, Iron Man’s own passing is just as satisfying for a completely different reason. Using the Infinity Stones against Thanos, Tony Stark proclaims “I am Iron Man”,one of the greatest Avengers quotes ever, before activating them at the cost of his own life with a snap of his fingers. Tony ends up slowly fading away, the power of the legendary cosmic artifacts being too much for his human body to handle.
As hard as it was to watch Tony Stark go, his sacrifice for the good of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was undeniably satisfying.For such a central character, it couldn’t have been easy to craft a way for him to go that made sense in the overarching narrative and didn’t feel abrupt. Accomplishing the impossible task of giving Iron Man a compelling out from the MCU, this death warrants praise for how it handled the closing of a chapter.
5Owlman Blinks
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
Animated films shouldn’t be easily discounted when it comes to considering the best beats of comic book movies. Especially in the case of DC’s work, animation often works better as a medium for adapting superhero stories,hitting some beats that are just as strong as the highest-budget blockbuster films. One of the better examples of a satisfying death in an animated comic book movie is Owlman’s defeat inJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths.
Just before defeating him, Batman delivers a scathing speech, stating that while both of them may have stared into the abyss, Owlman blinked
The film begins with the Justice League facing their evil alternate universe counterparts, the Crime Syndicate.By the end, it’s only Batman remaining, standing against his evil counterpart, Owlman, who aims to eliminate all of reality. Just before defeating him, Batman delivers a scathing speech, stating that while both of them may have stared into the abyss, Owlman blinked. Though Batman normally has a famous no-killing rule, he seems to make an exception for Owlman, who dies when his device explodes.
one of the coldest killing lines in the whole series
It says a lot thatGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2has not just one, but two of the most satisfying comic book movie villain deaths put to screen.Whereas Yondu’s demise is a poignant moment, the death of Peter-Quill’s biological father is much more satisfying.While seeing Star-Lord gun down his father after learning he caused his mother’s cancer has its own level of catharsis, the moment he dies in earnest is far more satisfying.
Groot manages to detonate the bomb in Ego’s brain at the core of his planet, leading to the end of his long life as one ofthe MCU’s celestials.Ego begs Star-Lord to reconsider, telling him that “You are a god! If you kill me, you’ll be just like everybody else!” Star-Lord can only coldly reply “What’s so wrong with that?“before sending his father to his astral grave, delivering one of the coldest killing lines in the whole series.
3Killmonger Sees The Wakandan Sunrise One Last Time
Black Panther (2018)
Of all the villains of the Marvel Cinematic Unvierse, Erik Killmonger is one of the easiest to root for. Though his methods may be detestable, his overall message is worth hearing out, and ends up having a very real effect on T’Challa’s rule once he is dealt with. In a final one-on-one duel, Killmonger and Black Panther ferociously battle one another for the fate of their nation.The bout ends with Killmonger bleeding out, felled by Black Panther’s weaponry.
T’Challa clearly respects his opponent, cradling him gently after dealing the killing blow. Black Panther ends up respecting Killmonger’s burial wishes,telling him he wants to be buried at sea, like his anscestors who chose drowning over subjugation. Defiant to the end, Killmonger watches the sun rise over Wakanda one last time, leaving a heartbreaking, but satisfying death scene.
Black Panther
Black Panther follows King T’Challa as he returns to Wakanda to assume the throne of the technologically advanced African nation. Faced with internal and external challenges, T’Challa dons the Black Panther mantle, uniting with allies to protect Wakanda from potential global conflict.
2Wolverine Learns What Death Feels Like
Logan (2017)
Another tragic death that’s nonetheless satisfying, Wolverine’s finale in the original FoxX-Menseries is a satisfying send-off on the level of Iron Man’s inAvengers: Infinity War.The film sees Wolverine attempting to reclaim some vestige of his long-lost humanity when confronted with his clone, X-23. The journey ends with Wolverine facing down another clone of his, losing the fight due to his age and lack of adamantium.
It’s a shame the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine will undo this perfect sendoff to Hugh Jackman’s iconic performance for marquee value.
However, Wolverine at least manages to ensure mutual destruction against his opponent, saving the life of Laura and officially learning to become a protector. In his final words,Wolverine manages to let out “So that’s what it feels like.“This line has multiple meanings, possibly referring to both death itself and a genuine love for his newfound daughter. It’s a shamethe upcomingDeadpool & Wolverinewill undo this perfect sendoff to Hugh Jackman’s iconic performance for marquee value.
Logan
Logan is set in a near future where an aging Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, takes care of a frail Professor Xavier, portrayed by Patrick Stewart, at a secluded location near the Mexican border. Their secluded existence is disrupted by the arrival of a young mutant, pursued by malevolent forces.
1Deacon Frost Tries To Ice Skate Uphill
Blade (1998)
Deacon Frost might not be the most memorable comic book movie villain, but on a rewatch of 1998’sBlade,it’s hard to understate just how much suffering he ends up causing the titular vampire slayer. Not only is Frost revealed to be the one behind Blade and his mother’s vampirism, but Frost turns out to have actually seduced Blade’s mom, wooing her to the side of the vampires Blade hates so much. This makes it all the more satisfying when he finally does get his just desserts.
From the spectacle to the narrative weight of his demise, Frost’s death is, bar none, one of the most satisfying in comic book movie history
Having Frost on the ropes in their final fight, Blade utters one of the best lines in all of superhero movies – “Some mother******s are always trying to ice skate uphill,” before throwing a needlefull of unstable blood coagulant into the air and roundhouse kicking it into Frost’s forehead.The syringe injects its contents into Frost, causing him to explode in a shower of blood. From the spectacle to the narrative weight of his demise, Frost’s death is, bar none, one of the most satisfying incomic book moviehistory.
Blade
Blade is a 1998 film featuring Wesley Snipes as the titular character, who is a half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter. The story revolves around Blade’s mission to protect humanity from a secret vampire society that threatens to destroy the world.
