Comic writer and editor Gerry Conway, who co-created characters like the Punisher, Carol Danvers, and Jason Todd, died on Monday, April 27, 2026, after a battle with cancer. He was 73 years old.

Conway spent most of his life working in comics, co-creating such characters as Firestorm, Ben Reilly, Power Girl, Vixen, and Killer Croc. He wrote “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” story arc in The Amazing Spider-Man, and wrote the first major DC-Marvel crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.

Gerard Conway was born on September 10, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York. He was just 16 years old when he sold his first comic book story to DC, which appeared in House of Secrets #81 (September 1969). He worked on anthology titles at DC and saw his first ongoing story arc in The Phantom Stranger.

Making the move to Marvel, he started with a Ka-Zar story in Astonishing Tales, then got work in Daredevil, Iron Man, and Incredible Hulk. He co-created Man-Thing and scripted the first story, co-created Werewolf by Night, and wrote nearly all of Marvel’s main titles.

In ’72, he took over writing Amazing Spider-Man, which included the death of Gwen Stacy, introduction of the Punisher, and Spidey villain, the Jackal. Around that time, he also took on writing duties in the Fantastic Four and worked on an unofficial Marvel-DC crossover in Amazing Adventures #16 and Justice League of America #103.

Returning to DC in 1975, Conway wrote a revival of All Star Comics where he introduced Power Girl. After writing Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man #1, he wrote for both DC and Marvel, including The Avengers and Action Comics.

Following that period, he exclusively worked at DC, writing Superman and Wonder Woman books, he had an eight-year run on Justice League of America, and he wrote Superman vs. Wonder Woman and Superman vs. Shazam. He co-created Firestorm, Steel, Vixen, Vibe, and Gypsy, had a two-year run on Batman and a three-year run on Detective Comics, including the introductions of Jason Todd and Killer Croc. He wrote minicomics for Atari 2600, the Justice League of America-Justice Society of America crossover, and was co-writer on the JLA/Avengers crossover.

Going back to Marvel, he wrote The Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man, then he scripted the Kirbyverse’s NightGlider #1 and a story for Disney Adventures. After a long break from comics, Conway wrote The Last Days of Animal Man, the Firestorm feature in Legends of Tomorrow, was the series regular writer on Carnage, and he worked on Spider-Man stories.

Outside of comics, he wrote a few science fiction novels and dailies for the Star Trek comic strip, and he spent some time as a screenwriter and producer. He co-wrote the script for Conan the Destroyer, and wrote or produced Father Dowling Mysteries, Matlock, Jake and the Fatman, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Silk Stalkings, Perry Mason TV movies, Law & Order, and a few episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.

“Gerry led an extraordinary creative life, with modesty and courage. No nepo baby, he published his first novel at 16, in an era before self-publishing or easy access to the bookstore shelves. A comics writer at 17, a major writer at 20, an editor at 22 (probably the youngest since Stan Lee)…and the accomplishments roll on.

“He created the Punisher, the first female Captain Marvel, and killed Gwen Stacey when writing a major life change in a key supporting character was pretty much unheard of,” said Paul Levitz, the former President and Publisher of DC Comics.

“In a generation of comics writers who aspired to move to Hollywood when the comics credential was a lead weight, he was the outstanding success: two movies made from scripts he and Roy Thomas wrote, others sold, and then a massive tv career,” Levitz said.