LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 16: Comic book writer Gerry Conway attends the Seventh Annual Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con at the Las Vegas Convention Center on June 16, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Amazing Comic Conventions)

Getty Images for Amazing Comic Conventions

Gerry Conway, the former Marvel editor-in-chief who co-created “The Punisher” and worked on Spider-Man, Avengers, Iron Man and Captain Marvel comic book stories, has died.

Marvel Comics announced Conway’s death on Monday. He was 73.

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"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,” said Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Comics and Franchise in a statement on Monday. “His writing has inspired all of us at Marvel, and will continue to inspire generations of writers, readers and fans to come."

Marvel Comics current Editor-in Chief, C.B. Cebulski, reflected on Conway’s contributions in a statement, saying, "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."

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Gerry Conway was born on Sept. 10, 1952 in Brooklyn, N.Y. According to Marvel, Conway as a youth wrote a fan letter to the company that appeared in Fantastic Four (1961) #50. The company noted that Conway started writing his own comic books at age 16.

Gerry Conway Began Writing For Marvel In 1971

After developing his comic book skills growing up, Gerry Conway began writing with Marvel Comics in 1971 by writing for issues of Spider-Man, Daredevil, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.

According to Marvel, Conway was 19 when he started writing for The Amazing Spider-Man and replacing legendary writer Stan Lee as the series writer for the friendly neighborhood superhero. Conway wrote on The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #111 through issue #149.

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One of the more pivotal moments in Conway’s tenure writing Spider-Man came in issue #121, as the Green Goblin killed Peter Parker’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy. The heartbreaking moment was realized on the big screen in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, when Gwen (Emma Stone) died as Spider-Man/Peter (Andrew Garfield) tried to rescue her from a towering fall.

Conway also wrote some of Marvel’s darker comic book stories, including Tomb of Dracula and Savage Tales, the latter of which included his co-creation Man-Thing. Conway also wrote Werewolf by Night for Marvel Spotlight (1971) #2, which in 2022 became a live-action short film on Disney+.

Conway, John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru’s The Punisher — the alter-ego of Frank Castle — will be featured in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31. The film features the return of Tom Holland as the webslinger and Jon Bernthal as The Punisher/Frank Castle, who is reprising his role from the Marvel TV series.

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Marvel Studios President and MCU producer Kevin Feige remembered Conway on Monday, saying in a statement, "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 on screen, from Werewolf by Night to Daredevil to Spider-Man and Punisher,” Feige added. "Gerry was a wonderful collaborator and friend to so many and will be dearly missed."

During his career, Conway also worked for DC Comics, which including writing for Batman comics He also co-created the DC villain Killer Croc.

Gerry Conway is survived by his wife, Laura Conway.

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