Comic Books Comic Strips Obituary

Gerry Conway – RIP

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D. D. Degg Published: April 27, 2026 1 minute 0 comments

Comic book writer and editor, author, tv writer and producer Gerry Conway has passed away.

Gerry Conway’s family requested Marvel Comics to release the news that Gerry Conway has died.

On behalf of his family, we are sad to share that writer and former editor-in-chief Gerry Conway has passed away.

At age 16 Gerry was writing short stories for DC Comics and was soon full-time at Marvel.

By 1971, Conway began writing full Super Hero stories for Marvel, adding to the mythos he loved. He took the reins of DAREDEVIL (1964) #72 and also wrote several issues of IRON MAN (1968) and THE INCREDIBLE HULK (1962). The prolific writer expanded his repertoire by later bringing more overt horror elements into the Marvel Universe, scripting darker stories with the debut issues of both SAVAGE TALES (1971) #1 and TOMB OF DRACULA (1972) #1. With SAVAGE TALES (1971), Conway co-created the monstrous Man-Thing, while in TOMB OF DRACULA (1972), he helped bring Marvel’s own distinct iteration of the classic vampire, Dracula, to life. Over in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1971) #2, which Conway penned, he introduced the Marvel Universe’s most prolific lycanthrope with Werewolf by Night.

It was Spider-Man that became Gerry’s early claim to fame with The Death of Gwen Stacy and the introduction of The Punisher. Gerry spent many years writing various Spider-Man titles. My favorite Conway comic of that time was his years-long partnership with John Buscema on Thor, which is only mentioned in passing by Marvel.

In the mid-1970s moved over to DC Comics, Christopher Chiu-Tabet at Comics Beat takes over Gerry’s profile:

Over at DC, he co-created Power Girl for 1976’s All Star Comics #58, and Firestorm, Steel/Hank Heywood, and Vixen for their own series in the years that followed. He wrote Justice League of America from 1978 to 1986, during which time he introduced Vibe and Gypsy, and also penned Superman, Batman, Action Comics, Detective Comics, Wonder Woman, New Gods, and Metal Men. Jason Todd, the second Robin, was introduced in 1983’s Batman #357, while Killer Croc debuted that same year in Detective Comics #523. Later work for the company included 2009’s The Last Days of Animal Man, and 2016’s Legends of Tomorrow tie-in comic.

The Grand Comics Database has a lengthy list of Gerry’s comic book credits.

From 2009 is Brian Stroud interviewing Gerry about his comics career and the dynamics at DC and Marvel.

Here we note that Gerry wrote The World’s Greatest Superheroes comic strip in 1981 and Star Trek in 1983.

Gerry will be inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame this Summer at the San Diego Comic Con.