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Fans of Marvel comics are mourning the loss of another legendary writer from the company’s early days, as Gerry Conway has passed away at the age of 73. Conway started out as a fan of Marvel’s Silver Age stories, crafted by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, before breaking into the comics business himself and making his own mark in the Marvel mythos.
Gerry Conway Started Out At DC Comics
While his work at Marvel would become the cornerstone of his legacy, Gerry Conway’s professional career actually began at rival publication DC Comics. His early work included, per comics.org, 1969’s House of Secrets and The Witching Hour. Conway would later begin working for Marvel in the 1970s, with stories such as Ka-Zar’s Back to the Savage Land, before finally beginning his landmark run on The Amazing Spider-Man.
Had the absolute honor of talking all things Spider-Man with the great Gerry Conway a couple times over the years
(and our opinions in Comic era designations, as I consider the death of Gwen Stacy the end of the Silver Age)
And he was an absolute delight, he’ll be very missed pic.twitter.com/ZBhpmkItev
— Coy Jandreau (@CoyJandreau) April 28, 2026
Gerry Conway’s Run On Spider-Man
Gerry Conway is best known for his landmark work on The Amazing Spider-Man, following the creative team of Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. in 1972. He was only 19 when this happened, and it didn’t take long for him to pen one of the most iconic stories in comic book history when he killed off Peter Parker’s love interest, Gwen Stacy, in issue #121, titled The Night Gwen Stacy Died.
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While the Spider-Man comics were no strangers to major characters’ deaths, the story in which the Green Goblin killed Gwen had a lasting impact on Peter Parker’s life that is still felt to this day.
Gerry Conway, who co-created Ben Reilly and wrote the legendary story “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”, has sadly passed away at the age of 73. pic.twitter.com/PX1tXkCVNM
— Spider-Man News (@SpiderMan_Newz) April 27, 2026
Another side effect of Gwen Stacy’s death was that Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker grew closer, setting the stage for MJ to become his definitive love interest. While it wasn’t Conway’s intention at the time, Peter and MJ would eventually tie the knot in the 1980s. Conway would write his own tribute to the beloved comic book couple in the 1989 graphic novel Parallel Lives.
The Punisher Began As A Spider-Man Villain
Conway’s other major contribution to Marvel’s legacy was his creation of The Punisher. Introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #129, The Punisher was portrayed as a ruthless vigilante who had no qualms about killing those he deemed evildoers. Unfortunately for Spider-Man, however, The Punisher had deemed him a problem to be taken care of and was egged on in his vendetta by the malevolent Jackal.
Gerry Conway is an absolute legend in the comic book industry, really saddened to hear of his passing.
Having co-created The Punisher, Killer Croc, Firestorm, Ben Reilly, Jackal, Ms. Marvel and many many more.
We lost a legend.
Rest in Peace pic.twitter.com/USNw8WBPA4
— Blitzwinger (@Blitzwinger) April 27, 2026
The Punisher would go on to become one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel universe, thanks to his openly murderous nature, which provides a darker contrast to the relatively pacifistic tendencies of most other Marvel superheroes, such as Spider-Man himself.
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