Gerry Conway, the onetime Marvel editor-in-chief and groundbreaking comic book writer who redefined franchises such as The Amazing Spider-Man, has died, according to Marvel. He was 73.
During his time at Marvel, Conway wrote on virtually every major title, ranging from The Amazing Spider-Man — where he took over from Stan Lee — to Fantastic Four, Thor, Avengers and Defenders.
Conway’s work was marked by grounded character depictions and more mature and sophisticated storytelling. His stories explored the consequences of superheroes’ actions, giving characters like Peter Parker greater nuance and emotional depth.
“Gerry Conway was a gifted writer. 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,” said Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Comics and Franchise in a statement.
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Conway began his career by writing — and getting published — his comic book stories at age 16, making his debut with short stories for late-sixties Marvel titles.
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By 1971, Conway began writing full stories for Daredevil, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Early on, he pioneered bringing overt horror elements into Marvel comics.
At the age of just 19, Conway replaced Stan Lee as the series writer on the publisher’s flagship title, The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the course of three years, Conway helped create pivotal moments that redefined Spider-Man and the wider Marvel Universe.
During Conway’s run, Peter Parker continued to grow into adulthood, grappling with more serious consequences of his actions, including the death of longtime girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, at the hands of his nemesis, the Green Goblin.
Conway also introduced the Punisher as part of his work on Spider-Man. He provided the character’s tragic backstory, giving the anti-hero the origin story that fans know today.
His work on Ms. Marvel in the late seventies launched the series that repositioned Carol Danvers as her own cosmic hero. It established Danvers as one of the most powerful forces in the Marvel Universe and laid the groundwork for her to eventually become Captain Marvel.
By the late ‘70s, Conway alternated between writing for Marvel and rival DC. He briefly served as Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief, but ultimately chose to focus on writing, returning to Spider-Man.
“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,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige in a statement. “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.”
He is survived by his wife, Laura Conway.