Killing off a major comic book character is a fairly common plot device. The Flash, Superman, Robin, Supergirl, Jean Grey, Wolverine, and other major characters have all "died" at some point in the comics. The problem with investing in such comic deaths is that these characters rarely *stay* dead. Still, there are a handful of characters whose deaths have had a major impact on comics. We'll take a look at some of the most famous "death of" storylines in Marvel and DC below.

Recently, Marvel announced that it will kill off a character in the upcoming Knights of X #3. Specifically, Marvel said that "the quest required ten knights to begin, but no one said anything about the end. A knight dies here – and the hateful quest goes on." Because Gambit is on the cover of Knights of X #3, some have speculated that Gambit, one of the most popular X-Men of all time, will die in this issue.

Uncanny X-Men #137: Death of Jean Grey

One of the original members of the X-Men, Jean Grey dies for the first time in Uncanny X-Men #137, the culmination of the Dark Phoenix saga. Marvel, of course, resurrects her many years later only to kill her off again. During an interview, Chris Claremont said he would've been "much happier" if Jean had stayed dead since her death had such a huge impact on the X-Men.

Even though her resurrection diminishes the emotional impact of her character's death in X-Men #137, this book continues to steadily rise in value over time. For instance, take a look at the value of a CGC 9.6 copy of this book.

Roughly two years ago, this book sold for around $120. Today, GoCollect estimates its FMV to be $250. That's a strong ROI for a book that focuses on the death of a major character.

Batman #428: Death of Jason Todd

In 1988, DC shocked the comic world by killing off Jason Todd in a unique manner. DC allowed readers to call a 1-900 number to vote on whether Jason would die in Batman #428 after the Joker had beaten him with a crowbar in the previous issue. The majority of the fans voted for Jason to die, so DC went ahead and killed Jason in Batman #428.

Like Jean Grey, Jason Todd did not stay dead for too long. In 2005, DC resurrected him as the Red Hood. Still, this comic has steadily risen in value. Two years ago, a CGC 9.6 copy of this book sold for around $70. Today, the same grade sells for over twice as much.

Personally, I love this comic. As someone who began collecting comics in the late 1980s, this comic has a major nostalgia factor. I didn't vote on the outcome, but the vote created a buzz way beyond the world of comic collectors.

Superman #75: Death of Superman & Crisis on Infinite Earths #8: Death of Barry Allen

Like Batman #428, the death of Superman in Superman #75 also generated major news, but with six million copies printed, it remains easily obtainable. Still, according to GoCollect, the value of a CGC 9.8 copy of this issue is $210, more than double its value two years ago.

At the same time, the deaths of some major characters have generated little ROI at all. One good example would be the death of the Flash in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8. Today, according to GoCollect, the FMV of a CGC 9.8 copy of this early Copper Age book is $100. Two years ago, its FMV was $112.

Do you invest in comic deaths? Let us know in the comments section below!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not reflect investment advice on behalf of GoCollect.