Gerry Conway, Punisher Co-Creator and Spider-Man Writer, Dies at 73

Gerry Conway, the legendary comic publication writer possibly champion known for co-creating The Punisher, has died astatine 73.

The quality was confirmed by Marvel, who posted a tribute to the prolific writer of titles similar The Amazing Spider-Man, Tomb of Dracula, and Savage Tales. According to THR, the writer had been battling cancer.

Art by John Romita, Sr. (Image Credit: Marvel)

"Gerry Conway brought existent stakes to his writing, capable to weave unneurotic sensational ace heroics with the quality and relatable, and successful doing truthful created immoderate of the astir memorable stories and characters of each time," said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. "His penning has been hugely impactful crossed our comics, but it has besides inspired truthful overmuch of what we’ve done connected screen, from Werewolf by Night to Daredevil to Spider-Man and Punisher. Gerry was a fantastic collaborator and person to truthful galore and volition beryllium dearly missed."

Conway was a lifelong comic publication creator, archetypal breaking into the manufacture successful his teens and managing to unafraid the coveted spot arsenic the writer of The Amazing Spider-Man astatine the property of lone 19. Conway was the archetypal to win archetypal writer Stan Lee connected the title. His ASM run, which lasted from 1972 to 1975, was notable for featuring the decease of Peter Parker's woman Gwen Stacy successful contented #121 and the debut of The Punisher successful contented #129.

Conway's different Marvel co-creations besides see Man-Thing, Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers), and the Spider-Man clone Ben Reilly. Conway was besides notable for helping to solidify the modern Marvel mentation of Dracula.

Conway besides enjoyed a agelong vocation astatine DC Comics, wherever helium helped revamp the Justice League and co-created characters similar Firestorm, Vixen, Jason Todd, and Killer Croc.

In the '80s and '90s, Conway shifted much to penning and producing TV, moving connected shows similar Law & Order, Batman: The Animated Series, Matlock, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Perry Mason. He inactive remained a reasonably regular beingness successful the comic publication industry, however, with much caller projects including The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows and Carnage.

Conway besides made headlines successful 2022 erstwhile helium publically made an effort to reclaim the Punisher's iconic skull emblem for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Conway is survived by his wife, Laura, and 2 daughters from a erstwhile marriage.

Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected BlueSky.