Legendary comic book writer and editor Gerry Francis Conway has passed away at age 73.
As confirmed by Conway’s family via Marvel, the prolific comic book writer passed away this month. He is best known for co-creating a number of iconic characters for both Marvel and DC Comics. Some of the characters he was involved in shaping include the Punisher, Ben Reilly, Jackal, Ms. Marvel, Firestorm, Power Girl, Jason Todd, and Killer Croc. One of his memorable contributions to Marvel was The Amazing Spider-Man arc “The Night Gwen Stacy Died,” which was partially adapted for both 2002’s Spider-Man and 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
“Gerry Conway was a gifted writer,” said Marvel Comics and Franchise President Dan Buckley. “He was thoughtful, deeply attuned to the emotional and moral core of storytelling, and a wonderful and articulate advocate for comics and creators. His writing has inspired all of us at Marvel, and will continue to inspire generations of writers, readers and fans to come.”
Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski highlighted that Conway had wrote stories for “almost every character in the Marvel Universe,” and that his impact on super hero stories is undeniable.
"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," added Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. "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."
Born in Brooklyn in 1952, Conway was writing stories for Marvel before he was even 20 years old. He is survived by his wife, Laura Conway.
RIP.
