The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that one of the most influential voices in the comic book world has passed away. Gerry Conway was an icon who worked for DC and Marvel comics. The legendary writer had been battling cancer for some time, and it was announced that he had passed away yesterday at the age of 73. He is survived by his wife, Laura Conway. Conway’s accomplishments reach far and wide in the comic world as one of the co-creators of the immensely popular vigilante character The Punisher, as well as Ms. Marvel, Firestorm and Power Girl. Conway is also known to have written some of the greatest Spider-Man stories in the web-slinger’s entire run.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige would make a statement on the devastating news, saying,
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. His writing has been hugely impactful across our comics, but it has also inspired so much of what we’ve done onscreen, 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.”sponsored content
Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Comics and Franchise, would also make a statement in remembrance, saying, “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.”
Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski paid tribute to Conway by stating, “From Spider-Man to the Avengers, Iron Man to Captain Marvel, Gerry Conway has deftly written almost every character in the Marvel Universe. 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.”
Conway was part of the new renegade of comic writers in the 60s and 70s that made the properties what they are today, with some of the most iconic stories that are still revered to this day. Amazingly, at only 19 years old and one year into the job of writing for Marvel, Conway constructed the famous Spider-Man two-parter, The Night Gwen Stacy Died. This is the story that brought weight and stakes to the comic book world as readers were shaken up with the death of a beloved character. The story would, then, get incorporated into movie form when 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 adapted the event for the sequel, in which Emma Stone’s character would meet a similar end.