Musings on Heroic Deaths...

As evidenced, I've been rereading old issues of Justice League and Green Lantern. Which is fun, but I've come to a conclusion about certain heroic deaths.

They suck.

Seriously.

Now, I'm not against killing characters. I'm not against killing heroes. I'm not even against killing some of my favorites as I firmly believe death is (and should be) a revolving door based on the writers and editors' whims.

But the deaths of heroes, even minor heroes, *especially* minor heroes, should mean something.

Now I know people have a lot of problems with Ted Kord or Sue Dibny dying the way they did. I do too. But at least their deaths meant something. They had an impact on the DCU. Identity Crisis had some incredible ramifications, whether you like or dislike the story itself, it did set things astir very nicely. And Countdown to Infinite Crisis managed a dual blow of "something big's started" while making one realize how great the character was before killing him.

But then there are deaths that don't even have that.

I'm thinking of Katma Tui. And Tora Olafsdotter.

Now, I don't mind Katma and Tora actually dying. I don't *like* it, because I really liked both female characters, but I understand that minor characters have the element of cannon-fodder sometimes. And their deaths would have a big emotional impact, if done correctly.

But they *weren't* done correctly. Not even remotely.

The first problem is that minor heroes shouldn't be slaughtered indiscriminately just to bolster up a bad guy. That's what love interests and random family members are for. (;-)) Heroes deserve a little more respect than that. The deaths in IC against Superboy worked because it was something *huge* happening, world-wide crossover and all that. The deaths in Our Worlds At War were similar in that respect. Ted's death by Max Lord might have been an attempt to make Max into a legitimate villain, but it was also very focused on Ted himself the whole time, so it made it work.

Katma Tui was killed by the freakin' *Star Sapphire* in a tiny story in Action that didn't even keep her in character! She was a hero! She was the center of quite a few interesting stories in Green Lantern. She found and recruited the alien from the part of the universe with no light! She interacted with Hal and John as an equal, even if she wasn't the star of the comic. And she was John Stewart's wife!

You wouldn't kill Lois Lane just to show how evil Lex Luthor is. Even what-ever-the-fuck-her-name-was that Bruce dated's death ushered in the long and complex Murderer/Fugitive story arc. Especially considering Hal's own lack of a real love interest, Carol aside, she and John were a vital contrast. A wife of a hero deserves better than to be Star Sapphire's "LOOK HOW EVIL SHE IS" example. An established *hero* deserves even better than that.

Katma's death was pointless. It didn't really change anything for John (excepting possibly making him more depressing, which he didn't need, IMO) and it didn't change anything for the Star Sapphire. Katma was an important character, predating even John or Guy in the Corps, she had important interactions with Hal, a connection to Sinestro, and was just plain cool.

And she didn't really even get a nice death scene!

Tora Olafsdotter's death was also gratuitously mishandled. She did at least get to have something of a heroic self-sacrifice against the Overmaster. But still! It was the *Overmaster*! Not Sinestro, not Lex Luthor, not anyone of any real long term importance! Just a one-shot villain!

She wasn't even used in the "LOOK HOW EVIL HE IS" sense. As I don't recall the Overmaster being even remotely important since. She was just cannon-fodder. On a mission that Guy Gardner wasn't even on!

See, Tora was a quieter character than Katma. Something of a wall-flower. Even though she's got her own storylines in JLI, she was still better defined through her relationships with more outgoing and dynamic characters. (This is okay, I think, because female characters like Bea or Diana were of the more dynamic type. If Ice were the *only* female it would have been annoying, but as just one of many, it worked). Thus Ice was more defined as Bea's more sensible, quieter, naive best friend. And the woman Guy Gardner loved.

Tora and Guy's relationship was important for the effects it had on both of them. Tora was more dynamic in his company, actually getting angry and forceful on occasion. She even hit him when he deserved it. (Probably not as often as he deserved...but he likes it anyway.) Whereas she made him more human. He was still a crazy jackass, but she made him think about someone else and actually try to regulate his behavior. A little at least.

Hmm, there's a thought. After getting the yellow ring, it seemed like Guy was a lot saner/easier to work with. He wasn't *fixed* by any means, but he was a lot less cartoonish and more human already. (Which has interesting implications that I might blog about someday). I wonder if that might not have something to do with Ice's death in a behind the scenes sense...her purpose as the means to show the scraps of Gardner's humanity having lessened...I don't really like that notion...

Anyway, though, unlike Katma, Ice, for all of her Global Guardian past, was still more defined through her relationships than through her own deeds. So in killing her, one would expect the story to focus on those she loved. They should be there and their reactions are important to give her closure.

Bea is there at least, and the Justice League focuses on her reactions. But Guy? The man she loved, in spite of himself? Found out through a television announcement in his own series. He didn't get a *reaction shot* in Justice League.

And that's disrespectful I think to both of them. Because it proves once and for all that Ice's death wasn't about Ice at all. Any one of the characters could have died there for the same effect. Booster or Beetle, leaving the other in Bea's position maybe? It didn't really matter. If Ice's death were about *her* then all of her loved ones, not just Bea, but Guy and her family, and others she was close to, should have been placed in primary focus.

Her mother's grief got more respect and attention in *Warrior* than in Ice's own comic. And hell, given Guy's own general impact in that series, he should have gotten something there too. It's not like he was only in four issues or something...I wanted to see something with Bea and Guy putting aside differences and grieving *together*.

"I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League" was the first time, aside from *maybe* the Christmas issue of Warrior, that the death ever seemed to get the closure it deserved. And that's not even in continuity!

Most recently, in Rann-Thanagar War, Jennie-Lynn/Jenny-Lynn Hayden was killed as well. I didn't particularly like the character. But I thought her death was mishandled too. She did at least have the most prominent former love interest around...and her death will have an impact on her loved ones. She also was killed dramatically in a big event...so it meant more than a

But it was still unfulfilling. She didn't really die like a hero. She didn't get to die in an act of noble self-sacrifice like Ice or Superman (temporarily), she didn't get to die with martyred dignity, clinging to her beliefs to the end, like Ted.

She died like Sue Dibny really, a victim set up to set events moving for the others around her. Which would have been okay...if she weren't a hero herself. And *heroes* aren't supposed to die like that.

She should have knocked Kyle out of the way of that blast and took it herself. Or Alan. Or Donna. Or one of the others. But she died pointlessly. And thus it was empty and unsatisfying. And Mr. Gibbons is so *good* on Recharge.

Oh well. At least it wasn't Guy or Kilowog dying instead. Though if one of Kyle's exes had to die. I'd have preferred it to be Donna. As she'd be back anyway.