7 Biggest Marvel Deaths in 2026 So Far

Warning! Spoilers ahead for several major Marvel storylines!

Here are the biggest Marvel Comics deaths of 2026 so far. It is almost halfway through the year, which makes it a perfect time to look back on Marvel's most dramatic moments of '26 up to this point. So, who has Marvel killed off, and how did they go out?

Marvel's body count for the year is primarily being driven by two big storylines: the Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral crossover event, and the terminal phase of Marvel's Ultimate Universe line of comics. Both are bloody affairs, with heroes and villains alike meeting brutal and unexpected ends.

And really, it's important to note that Marvel is just getting warmed up. The publisher's summer blockbuster event, Armageddon, promises to change the Marvel Universe forever, and it's a certainty that not everyone is going to make it out of the crossover alive. Beyond that, Marvel surely still has some shockers in store for readers. Speaking of...

Shocker

Killed Off In The Amazing Spider-Man #23

The villain known as Shocker is one of the major casualties of Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral. The crossover revealed that the longtime Marvel villain is a distant relative of Mary Jane Watson (through marriage); unfortunately for Shocker, this made him part of the eponymous "death spiral" with MJ at its center, which made him a target of the vicious serial killer Torment.

Shocker didn't go out in a blaze of supervillainous glory, but rather as his human alter ego Herman Shultz, begging for his life and not fully understanding what was happening to him. It was a scary scene, one that was key to establishing Torment as an antagonist.

Shocker debuted in 1967, meaning he's been an on/off recurring foe for Spider-Man and other Marvel heroes for almost 60 years. His death strikes a chord because, while nobody stays dead forever in Marvel lore, this could be it for Herman Schultz for a while. Marvel will likely use this as a chance to introduce a new version of the villain. Or, Shocker will just sit on the shelf until Marvel has a proper reason to bring him back. Either way, this feels like "goodbye" for a long time.

Baron Zemo

Defeated In New Avengers #10

2026 was the year Marvel Comics resurrected infamous villain Baron Zemo...for a few panels, before killing him off again. For the hardcore Zemoheads among us, this was malpractice on Marvel's part. For everyone else, it was actually a perfect use of the villain.

The latest volume of New Avengers was a superhero espionage thriller. It was a bit convoluted, sure, but intentionally so. Readers were never supposed to know precisely who to trust, or exactly what was going on, until everything clicked into place in New Avengers #10, the final issue of the series. That included the reveal that the whole thing had been a plot orchestrated by Baron Zemo from beyond the grave, in order to facilitate his return.

Except Black Widow was always one step ahead of him, orchestrating a counterplot to stop him. It was an elaborate chess match, and "checkmate" was Widow and her team watching Zemo's sabotaged clone melt moments after coming to life. Taken as a whole, it was a diabolical attempt at a comeback by Zemo, but he made the critical mistake of messing with Natasha Romanoff.

Ultimate Bucky Barnes

Met His Maker In Ultimates #22

Ultimate Bucky Barnes met one of the most heartwrenching fates of the year so far. Among the Ultimate Universe's big twists on classic Marvel lore over the past several years was the revelation that Bucky had become this timeline's Red Skull. Ultimates #22 delivered the final, inevitable confrontation between Red Skull and Captain America, but it really came down to old friends and "brothers" Bucky and Steve.

Which is what made the outcome so devastating. In defeat, Bucky was reduced to a scared, frail old man. And that didn't stop Steve from doing what he had to do. Cradling his former sidekick in his arms, Captain America made the ultimate harsh judgment call, and broke Bucky's neck.

It's a classic Pyrrhic victory moment. The superhero defeats the villain, but there's no sense of triumph or victory. Just sadness. As far as alternate continuity versions of Cap and Bucky go, this one just shot to the top of the list of the darkest endings to their friendship.

H.E.R.B.I.E.

Sacrificed Himself In Fantastic Four #33

Yes, H.E.R.B.I.E. died in Marvel canon this year. And it was actually a huge moment for the Fantastic Four sidekick. H.E.R.B.I.E. goes out with a bang, rather than a whimper, but not just any bang: the Big Bang. Making H.E.R.B.I.E. an integral part of the creation of the Marvel Universe itself.

H.E.R.B.I.E.'s death was a heroic moment of self-sacrifice, in order to save the Fantastic Four. The iconic robot is an easy enough character to "replace," in the sense that Reed Richards can just build a new H.E.R.B.I.E., but that doesn't undermine the profound meaning of this scene.

The version of H.E.R.B.I.E. that blew up in Fantastic Four #33 lived and died for the Four. Like any Marvel Comics "death," it's still worth mourning, even if it's not a "final" fate. Because even if it wasn't the end, but rather a new beginning for H.E.R.B.I.E., it still changed how fans will look at him forever.

Paul Rabin

Killed Off In Venom #256

Spider-Man fans weren't exactly gutted when Paul Rabin became Torment's next victim in the Death Spiral crossover arc. In fact, it was a cause for celebration for many of them. Paul has been one of Marvel's most hated characters since his introduction in 2022, and Marvel finally got rid of him this year.

Paul didn't have to become a Marvel villain to be vilified by Marvel readers, but even his most hardcore haters agree that he at least went out trying to be a hero. Paul won't exactly be missed, but his death is arguably going to be the one on this list with the most lasting consequences.

That's because Paul's death opens the door to a renewed Peter Parker/Mary Jane relationship. As MJ's boyfriend, Paul has been the fly in the romantic ointment for years, until Mary Jane broke up with him a few issues before his demise. Paul shouldn't be expected back in Marvel Comics anytime soon, but the possibility of an MCU counterpart still seems to be on the table.

Torment

Amazing Spider-Man #27

As we've discussed, Torment is responsible for two of the deaths already listed. Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral positioned him as a serious "Big Bad," one that could have been a dangerous ongoing adversary for both heroes. Instead, Death Spiral ended with Torment's apparent death at the hands of Venom and the symbiote's current host, Mary Jane.

And the scene plays it coy with who really did the deed. "Was that you," Venom asks MJ, "or me?" Either way, Torment plummets from the top of a skyscraper, and the "SKLATT!" sound effect that accompanies his fall suggests a grisly finality.

It's fair to bet that Torment won't be gone forever, given the villain's deadly potential. Yet for everyone who was laying odds on Torment making it out of Death Spiral alive and living to cause more trouble in 2026, this was an unexpected turn of events.

Ultimate Peter Parker

Ultimate Endgame #3

The latest version of Ultimate Spider-Man offered a novel twist: what if Peter Parker got his powers as an adult, instead of a teenager? The series has been built around Peter trying to navigate his belated heroic blossoming while also raising two kids with his wife, Mary Jane. It's seemed like an extended origin story, but Ultimate Endgame #3 confirmed it's been a tragedy the whole time.

Endgame is the finale of the current Ultimate Marvel saga, and it ends with the death of Peter Parker. This is a move Marvel fans will recognize; the original Ultimate Universe also took a big swing by killing Peter off. And just like that time, the outcome might be another hero rising to claim the mantle of Spider-Man.

Last time, it was Miles Morales. This time, it seems poised to be Peter and Mary Jane's son, who fought alongside his father as Venom for a stint at the peak of Ultimate Spider-Man. Whether readers will get to spend more time with Ultimate Richard Parker is TBD, but it appears Ultimate Peter's story is over, in Marvel's biggest death of 2026 so far.

Let's hear from you, Marvel readers. Are there any big deaths we missed? Who do you think Marvel will kill off in the back half of '26?