Gerry Conway, comic book writer who co-created the Punisher and Ms. Marvel, dies at 73

Gerry Conway, a prolific comic publication writer who co-created characters specified arsenic the Punisher, the archetypal Ms. Marvel, Jason Todd and Power Girl during his tenures astatine some Marvel and DC, has died. He was 73.

A erstwhile Marvel exertion successful chief, Conway penned stories for galore of the company’s large superheroes implicit the people of his career, but helium is possibly champion known for his contributions related to Spider-Man. Marvel announced Conway’s decease connected Monday.

“Gerry Conway brought existent stakes to his writing, capable to weave unneurotic sensational ace heroics with the quality and relatable, and successful doing truthful created immoderate of the astir memorable stories and characters of each time,” Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said successful a statement. “His penning has been hugely impactful crossed our comics, but it has besides inspired truthful overmuch of what we’ve done connected screen, from ‘Werewolf by Night’ to ‘Daredevil’ to ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Punisher.’ Gerry was a fantastic collaborator and person to truthful galore and volition beryllium dearly missed.”

Jim Lee, president and main originative serviceman of DC Comics, paid tribute to Conway connected societal media.

“Gerry defined an epoch of bold, character-driven storytelling during the Bronze Age of comics, balancing heart, action, and humanity successful a mode that inspired and captivated generations of readers and creators,” Lee wrote Monday connected Instagram. “While galore cognize his Marvel accomplishments ... Gerry’s contributions to DC were arsenic impactful and significant: shaping Batman, Superman, the Justice League of America, and co-creating Firestorm, Jason Todd and Power Girl and truthful galore more.”

“Thank you, Gerry, for the worlds imagined and the heroes created,” Lee added. “What an unthinkable bequest you permission behind. Rest successful peace.”

Born successful Brooklyn connected Sept. 10, 1952, Conway was a lifelong superhero comic publication instrumentality who broke into the manufacture arsenic a teenager. He got his commencement penning abbreviated stories successful fearfulness and phantasy comics anthologies for DC and Marvel. Before long, helium was penning afloat superhero stories for Marvel.

He had stints connected titles specified arsenic “Daredevil,” “Iron Man,” “The Fantastic Four,” “Thor,” “Defenders” and “Avengers,” but immoderate of his astir salient enactment was connected “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Conway succeeded Stan Lee arsenic the bid writer successful the 1970s and his tally included “The Night Gwen Stacy Died.” The seminal storyline saw the Green Goblin termination Stacy, Peter Parker’s then-girlfriend, aft discovering the webslinger’s identity.

Conway’s clip connected “The Amazing Spider-Man” included the instauration of the vigilante antihero Punisher, besides known arsenic Frank Castle, whom helium co-created with artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. In summation to penning the character’s archetypal appearance, Conway provided Castle’s root communicative successful a 1975 contented of “Marvel Preview.” Other characters the writer co-created during this clip are the supervillain Jackal and Parker’s clone Ben Reilly.

Besides his enactment connected “Spider-Man,” Conway’s Marvel résumé besides includes transforming Carol Danvers, an Air Force serviceman whose little comic publication past included being saved by Captain Marvel, into a cosmically powered superhero starring her ain bid arsenic the archetypal Ms. Marvel. He besides near his fingerprints successful the company’s much supernatural side, helping present Marvel’s iteration of the iconic vampire Dracula arsenic good arsenic co-creating the archetypal lycanthrope known arsenic Werewolf by Night.

Conway besides co-created a fig of characters with assorted artists during his clip arsenic a writer for DC Comics, including superheroes specified arsenic Firestorm, Steel and Vixen. He besides helped present the Batman villain Killer Croc, arsenic good arsenic Jason Todd, the young antheral who would win Dick Grayson arsenic Batman’s sidekick Robin.

“I was a lifelong fan,” comic publication writer Gail Simone wrote successful her societal media tribute to Conway. “[T]he characters helium created, the stories helium told, person been specified a portion of my emotion of comics (and this vocation I adore) astatine a molecular level. ... [H]e’s 1 of those creators whose enactment meant truthful overmuch to maine that I person a hard clip quantifying it properly.”

Conway, who antecedently discussed a pancreatic crab diagnosis and being cancer-free aft country successful 2023, had reportedly been battling crab again.

He is survived by his wife, Laura Conway.