Gerry Conway, Marvel Comics Writer Who Created Punisher, Ms. Marvel and More, Dies at 73

Gerry Conway, a writer for Marvel Comics who created the Punisher, Ms. Marvel and other famous characters, has died, Marvel announced Monday. He was 73.

“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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Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on September 10, 1952, Conway began publishing comics at 16 and started writing full superhero stories for Marvel in 1971. He brought horror elements to Marvel and created Man Thing, Werewolf by Night and Marvel’s own take on Dracula. Marvel Studios debuted its own black-and-white, Halloween-inspired “Werewolf by Night” special, starring Gael Garcia Bernal and a CGI Man Thing.

Frank Castle, aka the gun-toting anti-hero Punisher, debuted in a 1963 issue of “The Amazing Spider-Man” by Conway, John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru. Conway gave Punisher his tragic, blood-soaked backstory that sent the character on a revenge quest for his family. Dolph Lundgren first brought the comic book character to life on screen in a 1989 movie, followed by Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson in two standalone 2000s movies, but Jon Bernthal has had the most popular portrayal. Bernthal first starred in Season 2 of Netflix’s “Daredevil” series before headlining his own M-rated “Punisher” show. He then reappeared in Disney+’s “Daredevil: Born Again” and will star in his own TV special, titled “Punisher: One Last Kill,” and this summer’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

“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. “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.”

Conway was responsible for one of Spider-Man’s most tragic tales: the death of Gwen Stacy. The infamous storyline was used in Sony’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Conway also created the mad inventor the Jackal and the clone Ben Reilly, who have appeared in many Spidey comics throughout the years, plus Carol Danvers, aka Ms. Marvel. She later took on the name Captain Marvel, and was brought to life by Brie Larson in the MCU.

“From Spider-Man to the Avengers, Iron Man to Captain Marvel, Gerry Conway has deftly written almost every character in the Marvel Universe,” said Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski. “He thrilled us with new characters like the Punisher and broke our hearts in emotional tales like ‘The Night Gwen Stacy Died,’ a story that affects Spider-Man to this day. Gerry Conway’s legacy has made an undeniable and indelible impact on the Super Hero stories we know and love. He will be dearly missed.”