Marvel and DC Comics characters have an amazing knack at not staying dead. While deaths in comic books used to be momentous occasions, they’re frankly commonplace now. But even if an untimely demise doesn’t hold the same weight as it once did, that doesn’t mean they’re not still important. In fact, often a superhero death and their resurrection can signify important shift for a hero. Maybe they come back with a new power that changes the game or they gain a perspective that changes their entire outlook on life.
‘Better’, of course, can be a relative term. Was Ms. Marvel better after her controversial death that brought her back as an official mutant? Guess that depends on who you’re asking. But sometimes when a hero comes back to life, there are notable improvements, either in their powers, their characterizations, or even just the quality of their stories. Deaths and revivals are a dime a dozen, but heroes who can be said to have improved after shuffling off the mortal coil? That’s a different story. Read on to see seven heroes and how they got better after returning to life.
We got to include Hulk here, I mean, he’s died more times than anyone. And thanks to the series The Immortal Hulk, we now know that’s all thanks to the creepy cosmic power of gamma radiation and its connection to the Green Door. Hulk having a mystical, connection to the afterlife as well as the One Below All’s devilish counterpart was unexpected, but it was one of the coolest additions to his lore in decades. And it never would have happened if Hulk didn’t meet his maker (again and again).
Wonder Woman is one of the best fighters in the DC Universe, but even she suffered a fatal loss. While fighting the demon Neron, the demon lord got the upper hand and defeated Diana, causing her to lose her soul. But that wasn’t the end for the Amazing Amazon, as she was found by the gods and remade as a divine figure herself, the Goddess of Truth. Though this celestial upgrade was only temporary, Diana came back to life stronger and more assured of herself, ready to resume her role as a hero.
Every Daredevil fan remembers the moment that Matt Murdock’s greatest enemy killed Elektra with her own sai. It was shocking, but thankfully, it didn’t last. Elektra was resurrected and was able to continue her on-again, off-again relationship with Daredevil. While she somewhat stagnated, Elektra was able to make a serious improvement on herself when she took on a new identity as Daredevil. And after a few years, she’s stuck with it, changing her more lethal ways and proving that she’s not wasting her life and building something good with it.
Hal Jordan was in a bad, bad place when he died. He’d just gone through one of the most shocking heel-turns in comics as the villainous Parallax, but he ended his life with a noble sacrifice during The Final Night. Thankfully though, that sacrifice brought him a second chance to make things right. After a brief stint as the Spectre, Hal became a Green Lantern again and he didn’t waste that opportunity. He’s given everything to the Green Lanterns, stepping up to shepherd his beloved corps through some of its darkest and most terrifying days.
There’s a large portion of comic fans who weren’t even alive when Superman died, but they all know about the day Doomsday put him down. While this was a humbling moment for the Man of Steel, it was a necessary one. While he was by no means weak, we did see Clark grow stronger once he came back to life. In fact, he’s gone toe-to-toe with Doomsday multiple times since their first bout and Superman has always been victorious. Despite the shock it gave the world, Superman’s death was crucial to his journey of self-improvement.
Jason Todd was only Robin for a few short years before his life came to an unexpected (and brutal) end at the Joker’s hands. But thanks to Superboy-Prime punching reality, Jason found himself back in the land of the living and adopted the Red Hood mantle. Things were complicated for a while, as Jason hung onto a lot of bitterness and anger over his death. But he’s gotten better in recent years, curbing his more violent impulses and working with the Bat-Family to make Gotham City a better place.
When it comes to heroes, few are known for resurrection better than Jean Grey. The iconic mutant’s life first came to an end during the classic “Phoenix Saga”. After sacrificing her life while piloting a space shuttle, Jean (or a Jean, at least) re-emerged from the wreckage as a being of pure cosmic power. This, of course, would only be the first of Jean’s many, many encounters with death. But this moment changed the game for her and put her on a path that would define her for years.
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