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[Vulcano's assistant]

Agent 355 was a gut punch.

feel bad man

 

[BKatastrophe]

I had just turned 10 when I read Kraven's Last Hunt for the first time. Still sits in my mind as one of the best mini-arcs ever, almost 30 years on. He proved himself Spider-Man's better in his own mind and now he's done, so he goes out. So cool.

How could I forget one of the greatest superhero arcs of all time?

 

[Kalentan]

Deaths that do this always kill me. D:

 

[BKatastrophe]

The kid is a paralyzed boy that Black Adam empowered with Captain Marvel style powers, and the crocodile has been his meek sidekick/comic relief for several issues, constantly complaining that he's hungry. The kid reverts back to his normal form by saying Black Adam's name, which the crocodile tricks him into doing so he can kill him, because the crocodile has been biding his time for such an opportunity. It ties into the Egyptian mythology that underlies Black Adam and his backstory.

It doesn't work too well isolated like that, but if you read all of 52 up to that point, it's a jawdropper.

Is it strictly a 52 thing, or should I read any previous Captain Marvel stuff to get a better hold on it?

 

[Alienous]

It's not the death itself, but these two images are pretty powerful (they were shown apart, in this order)...

 

[Aiii]

Atom Eve dying shocked me when it happened... Censored for gore:

Spoiler

 

[Schweinehund]

Is it strictly a 52 thing, or should I read any previous Captain Marvel stuff to get a better hold on it?

You can read 52 and be fine.

If you want like the entire story then I'd say it starts with John's JSA, think it was Black Reign where it establishes most of Black Adam's background, but he joins the team way earlier. Then 52 (Black Adam has a small role in Infinite Crisis), WW3 is an optional read, Black Adam the Dark Age, then comes back around to John's JSA where it ends with his last volume. After that point Black Adam doesn't appear again until New 52. Billy's story is in JSA, Day of Vengeance + DoV Special.

 

[Kevinroc]

Kid Loki.

 

[BKatastrophe]

You can read 52 and be fine.

If you want like the entire story then I'd say it starts with John's JSA, think it was Black Reign where it establishes most of Black Adam's background, but he joins the team way earlier. Then 52 (Black Adam has a small role in Infinite Crisis), WW3 is an optional read, Black Adam the Dark Age, then comes back around to John's JSA where it ends with his last volume. After that point Black Adam doesn't appear again until New 52. Billy's story is in JSA, Day of Vengeance + DoV Special.

I've been meaning to read Johns' JSA, so I'll tackle that and then 52. Black Adam also shows up in Simone's Secret Six run, and he was a badass so I'll look forward to tale with focus around him.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

I wasn't ready for that agent 355 one.

 

[Frankenstrat]

I'd like to amend my answer to include

Spoiler

Morpheus

from The Sandman. Just read up to the point where it's foreshadowed at

Spoiler

The World's End

and it hit harder than most deaths I've ever encountered in fiction in general, even though it hasn't even gotten to the point yet.