Marvel has decided to murder a beloved Marvel Comics hero

Marvel has never shied away from killing popular characters within the pages of its comics, and sometimes on the big screen within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

From Steve Rogers to Tony Stark to Natasha Romanoff, many of the biggest names in Marvel have met their maker at some point during their run. The death of a hero is something the publisher has typically not taken lightly, and it’s been some time since a major hero was killed off within a running Marvel Comic storyline.

And the Grim Reaper is about to claim yet another victim in the upcoming comic Amazing Spider-Man No. 26, which will be available on May 31. After a series of teases from Marvel regarding the death of a hero, the identity of Marvel’s latest victim has been revealed.

Warning: Amazing Spider-Man No. 26 SPOILERS ahead

Who dies in Amazing Spider-Man No. 26?

Peter Parker is no stranger to losing loved ones. The death of his Uncle Ben is a major part of his origin story that helped shape him into the hero he becomes, and the death of his girlfriend Gwen Stacy shakes him to the core in one of Marvel’s most iconic storylines. Tragedy is about to strike again as Marvel kills off one of Spider-Man’s trusted allies: Ms. Marvel, aka Kamala Khan.

As confirmed by Entertainment Weekly, Ms. Marvel is going to be killed in the upcoming comic book releasing at the end of May. While Marvel has been teasing a major character death, few expected that it would be Ms. Marvel.

Killing Ms. Marvel is a major miss for the publisher as the character is Marvel’s most visible Muslim hero; her death will be a major blow to representation in the comic world. She’s popular in no small part because she has helped bring a diversity that Marvel Comics is often missing, so for the publisher to kill her off is quite shocking and disappointing.

Even though Marvel is said to have not made the decision lightly and will be rolling out a special issue this summer focusing on the impact of Kamala’s death — Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel — one has to wonder what Marvel was thinking.

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