The most common idea of a superhero is someone who, above all, holds life dear. However, that is not the case for these superheroes. They have no problem killing off their enemies if they deem it necessary. They are not bound by the same code as other heroes and have separate ideals that justify their means. Whether they are right or wrong is an entirely different conversation altogether.
We’re here to look at some of our favorite heroes who don’t mind slicing a head or two.
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#20 Blade
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Blade might be one of the suavest characters in the Marvel Universe. He is a half-vampire who can walk in the daylight and uses his powers to kill the vampires constantly plotting to take over the world. Technically, his actions are entirely acceptable, as he kills the undead and protects innocent people from their wrath.
Most of the characters he kills are vampires who have been involved in immoral activities like harvesting humans for blood, kidnapping children, and attempting to control the world in the shadows.
The most famous villain that Blade has killed is Dracula himself.
Killed:
- Dracula
#19 Aquaman
Publisher: DC Comics
Aquaman is the King of Atlantis. It is hard to imagine that you can be the ruler of a nation and never have to kill.
The water-powered superhero is a Justice Leaguer that has been instrumental in saving the planet on many occasions. However, he does not share all the moral codes with his other teammates.
According to him, if there is no choice, he must do what must be done. Aquaman has used his strength to put a few people on the ground in the many wars and alien invasions the nation has fought. Arthur Curry killed only if someone’s life was at stake.
For example, he killed Black Manta’s father after the evil villain killed Aquaman’s child. The death of his child further drove Aquaman to end the lives of his enemies before they could do more damage to him or anyone close to him.
Killed:
- Jesse Kane
- Black Manta
#18 Batman (Thomas Wayne)
Publisher: DC Comics
This version of Batman comes into play during the events of Flashpoint. In this story, it is Bruce that gets shot, and his father, Thomas Wayne, assumes the identity of Batman. Ironically, Martha Wayne takes the role of the Joker after her son’s death.
Unlike the usual Batman that plays by the rules, this one does not care. He uses excess force, guns, and sometimes even bombs to get the job done. He does not see the need for such a code and has killed multiple times.
Thomas Wayne justifies his actions by the reasoning that it was okay to fight the criminals of Gotham with the same fire they use.
Killed:
- Joe Chill
- Professor Zoom
#17 Black Panther
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Like Aquaman, the Black Panther is a king. The ruler of the great nation of Wakanda has found himself defending his nation against many threats and has done an impressive job thwarting many of those attempts. While diplomacy is the first tool the hero reaches for, he is not afraid to get down and dirty if necessary.
Wakanda has repeatedly gone to war and had countless armies trying to take the nation over. Attacks like those cannot be displaced without going in armed to kill.
Black Panther would undoubtedly kill for his nation and to save the ones who are closest to him. He has the same morals as Captain America in this sense. Only if there is no other choice.
Killed:
- Ulysses Klaus
- Many Skrulls
#16 Moon Knight
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Moon Knight has recently gained more popularity due to the new series based on the character, and honestly, he is one of the best-written characters in comic books. Moon Knight gained his powers when resurrected by the Moon God – Khonshu. The Ancient Egyptian God gave him abilities that allowed him to heal at increased rates and the strength to last longer than any other.
Moon Knight has been shown to get his hands dirty and never walks away from a fight. The ideals followed by this hero are in tune with that of ancient laws that do not see death as such a wrong thing.
Even before assuming this role, Marc Spector, Moon Knight’s alter ego, was a CIA agent that was part of many assassinations and Government overthrows.
Killed:
- Bushman
- Midnight
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#15 Ghost Rider
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Probably one of the most badass characters ever introduced, the Ghost Rider got his powers from Mephisto. Mephisto is a demon who tricks people into selling their souls to him for something they’d like and then uses that contract to turn them into the Ghost Rider.
The Rider’s go-to move is the penance stare, and with it, he judges the lives lived by each person. They are immediately killed, and their souls are collected if they have done any wrong.
This entails that he would have killed many people doing his job, but then again, most of these people are the ones who have done wrong and feel guilty about it.
Killed:
- The Water Wizard
- Black Heart
- The Devil
- Thanos
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#14 Spectre
Publisher: DC Comics
The Specter is essentially a God with powers only limited by his imagination. He is chosen by God himself to exact vengeance on any evildoers and does it well. The Spectre has part of the Justice Society and Justice League and has appeared to many heroes across time.
He usually surfaces when the universe’s fate hangs in the balance and always has the bigger picture in mind. Occasionally that even means letting things end and even killing.
Resurrected to be the personification of God’s wrath on earth, the Spectre uses his powers to help those in need and severely punish those who dare go against the will of God. His power is said to be on the level of God himself, and there are very few who could even stand toe-to-toe with him.
Killed:
- Shazam
- Nabu
- Lords of Chaos
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#13 Dr. Manhattan
Publisher: DC Comics
Doctor Manhattan got his powers and turned into an energy being after getting caught in a lab accident. His powers increased to the point where they were virtually no limits as time passed. He initially used his powers to fight alongside the Watchmen, but his perspective of the universe and ideals of good and evil changed. The frivolous acts of man meant nothing to him in the scope of the grand cosmos.
He concluded that not all lives were meaningful and that taking a life for the greater good, or his perceived version, was justified.
Killed:
- Rorschach
- Pandora
- Alan Scott
#12 Captain America
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The leader of the Avengers got his powers when he became part of the super soldier program. He uses these powers to fight crime for many years and is the hero that time will never forget.
Captain America is no saint, though. You can’t expect a war veteran to not have blood on his hands. He was instrumental in winning the war against the Nazis and killing many people. Each person he killed in the war and during his time as an Avenger was all out of necessity.
In the case of the war, everything he did was to stop the Aryan movement from taking over the world. Even the villains he kills are because he had no choice or if the world’s fate was at stake.
Killed:
- Uncountable Hydra agents
- Ultima Agent
- Tony Stark
- Black Widow
#11 Namor
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Namor’s story is very similar to that of our other Atlantean King. As a King, Namor has had to defend his nation on many occasions against threats from both outside and inside.
Yes, His personality has fluctuated throughout his stint as a hero, and he is sometimes shown to be brash and not care for the surrounding lives but the Sub-Mariner has been at odds with most of our heroes and rules the seas with an iron hand.
As for whether he kills for the right reasons or simply does it because it makes things easier is another question. He does not appear to show any kind of remorse when taking a life. However, most of the lives he has taken are that of villains. Atlantean justice dictates death as an appropriate punishment.
Killed:
- Thakorr
- Master Khan
- Phillip Wing
- Zoran
#10 Wonder Woman
Publisher: DC Comics
The amazonian princess is one of the strongest beings in the universe. As stated by Batman, the only person who can hold her back is Superman, and even that is not a solid plan.
She was trained and raised as a warrior princess and has fought hundreds of villains during her long life. However, it is hard to name the villains that she faces. Unlike the other two members of her trinity, she does not exactly have an arch-nemesis.
Diana proudly admits this because she says it’s hard to have a mortal enemy if you kill them before they can do more damage.
She shares the same ideals as Aquaman in that she kills out of necessity and if needed.
Killed:
- Maxwell Lord
- Doomsday
- Triton
- Grendel
- Deimos
- Medusa
- Goddess Diana
- Ares
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#9 Red Hood
Publisher: DC Comics
The second Robin, Jason Todd, donned the Red Hood helmet after he was resurrected and brought back to life. While he was Robin, he was abducted by the Joker and beaten to death by the mad clown.
Though killed, Jason was brought back to life by Talia Al Ghul by using the Lazarus Pit. Once he came back, Jason was no longer the same. He blamed Batman for not saving him and not killing the Joker after what he did to Jason.
This led him to abandon all the morals and codes of Batman and go on to become a different breed of vigilante that had no problem using guns.
Jason already had a violent way of doing things before his death, pushing him over the edge. He went out to kill criminals and mob bosses in their very homes.
Killed:
- The Joker (The Clown)
- Flamingo
- Amanda Waller
- Rick Flag
- The Suicide Squad
#8 Winter Soldier
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The Winter Soldier is probably one of the coolest and most deadly assassins in the Marvel Universe. After being abducted by Hydra and experimented on, Bucky Barnes receives powers similar to that of Captain America.
However, he is brainwashed, turned into a killer for Hydra, and sent on multiple missions to assassinate people throughout history. The programming done to him makes him wholly subservient, and he has to obey his commands to the letter.
Although many people have died at the hands of Bucky Barnes, most of them he was under the control of his captor and did not do them with a sound mind. The people killed after he came to his senses were all bad guys, and he was fighting to rid the evildoers.
Killed:
- Trapster
- Senator Baxter
- Agen Neil Trapper
- Mother Night
- The Red Barbarian
- Jack Monroe
- The Red Skull
#7 Elektra
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Elekta is among the deadliest fighters in the Marvel Universe. She was trained by Stick, the same mentor to Daredevil, and later became part of an evil organization called the Hand. She eventually turned away from them and began as an independent agent. However, Elektra was still an assassin and had killed many people as part of her job. She only stopped and changed her ways when she crossed paths with Daredevil.
Elektra has worked as the chief assassin for the Kingpin and, as a result, had many hits under her belt. She has even worked as a contract killer for S.H.I.E.L.D.
It appears that Elektra kills for money and not much else. Besides the people killed during battles with the Hand and other evildoers, she has taken many lives via contract killings throughout her life.
Killed:
- Silver Samurai
- Sadam Abed Dassam
- Ernysis
- Echo
- Agent Brothers
- Nico
#6 Black Widow
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The deadliest assassin in the Marvel Universe used to be a Russian spy, trained to be the most precise killer in the world. With her toned-down version of the super soldier serum, the Black Widow has worked for both sides. She worked with the KGB as a killing machine before being recruited to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and, later on, the Avengers.
Her skills as a fighter are largely unmatched. She was sent by SHIELD on many occasions to take out threats that were getting out of hand, and her success rate is better than anyone else on the force. However, she couldn’t have done all of this without actually killing.
Like her other Avenger Teammates, the Widow has different views on this and believes that the act of killing is justified as long as the reasons are right.
Killed:
- The Prophet
- Sofia
- Richard Frampton
- Edwin Jarvis
- Hawkeye’s wife and children
- Ivan Petrovich
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#5 Wolverine
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Wolverine’s persona speaks volumes about the kind of person he is, and it would be best to leave him alone if you see him in a park. The mutant has always stood for what is right. Though he plays the loner act, he has always jumped into action to save people and his friends. Sometimes, doing that means that someone’s life has to end.
The morality of such an act is debatable, but in some scenarios where the Wolverine takes lives, it appears that there was no other choice. We suppose that when the world is a stake or the people of your species could be wiped out, there truly is no other way.
The most painful kill of Wolverine would have been Jean Grey, who lost control of the Phoenix Force and went on a rampage of destruction.
Killed:
- Hulk
- Jean Grey
- Daken
- Sabretooth
- Magneto
- All the X-Men
#4 Thor
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The Norse God of Thunder is no stranger to blood. This god has been around for thousands of years and has seen many battles. Each battle had turned the hero into a fine, disciplined one, but it should be no surprise that Thor would have killed thousands of foes before we were introduced to the character. Thor has thwarted many attempts to invade Asgard and Earth several times. It would be naive to hope or think that no one would get killed in these wars.
Thor has no problem admitting that he takes the lives of his enemies, and being a merciful god is not exactly his color. That being said, almost all villains killed by the hero are ones that forced his hand.
Thor dislikes killing, but he has never looked at it as something wrong. He believes that taking a life is only justifiable if that was the last option and done for the greater good.
Killed:
- Loki
- Malakith
- Frost Giants
- The Sentry
- Ulik
- Bor Burison
#3 Punisher
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Frank Castle is an Anti-hero that takes it upon himself to get rid of the scum of the earth. Castle is an ex-Black ops man who has tonnes of training and is all about guns. The Punisher took on his role after his wife was killed and started hunting down the perpetrators. When he goes up against someone, he does everything to ensure they never see another day.
These ideals have put him at odds with the likes of Daredevils on many occasions. Castle believes that the only way to make sure that they repeat their offenses is to make sure that they stay dead. Mercy is non-existent to this man.
Killed:
- The Thing
- Captain America
- Spider-Man
- Kingpin
- The entire Marvel Universe
#2 Hulk
Publisher: Marvel Comics
It should be no surprise that the green giant is part of this list. The Hulk loves to smash things, and every so often, those things are villains who have bad luck. Bruce Banner struggles with his alter-ego and often finds himself fighting for control. At a certain point, Banner manages to keep the Hulk in check.
Either way, the Hulk is not a hero that shies away from getting his hands dirty. One might even say that he relishes it. When out of control, the Hulk has gone on many rampages and torn towns apart with his bare hands.
While many innocents are killed, it can be argued that the monster got lost, and there was nothing that could be done. However, even when Banner is controlling the monster, they appear to have no problem with the act of killing. Most of the foes the Hulk faces end up drawing their last breath at his hands.
Killed:
- Iron Man
- Wonder Man
- The Abomination
- Fin-Fang-Foom
- Bi-Beast
- Onslaught
- Franklin Richards
- Galactus
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#1 Deadpool
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Deadpool is a deadly mutant that just cannot be killed. He is usually hired as a mercenary and fights for the money. While there are instances where the Merc does the right thing, more often than not, he just needs the dough.
This anti-hero was unstable to begin with. X-Men keeps him at bay because of his nature, and though he has fought alongside the team on many occasions, it doesn’t look like he will get a key to the house.
His methods are extremely gory, and since he knows he is just a comic book character, he doesn’t care about the consequences of his actions. For the most part, the people he kills are all bad guys. However, whether those killings are necessary is a whole other question.
Killed:
- Wolverine
- Luke Cage
- Fantastic Four
- X-Men
- Captain America
- Iron Man
- The entire Marvel Universe
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Honorable Mentions
- Damian Wayne
- The Midnighter
- Jonah Hex
- Tony Stark
- Stephen Strange
This brings us to the end of our list. What do you think? Can killing ever be justified even if it is for a bigger cause?
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FAQs
Has Batman Killed?
Batman has not killed anyone in the main continuity, but the Flashpoint version has killed on multiple occasions.
Who Is the Deadliest Marvel Character?
Carnage is the deadliest Marvel Character. The symbiote has no remorse, and its host is a serial killer who loves the smell of blood.
What Superhero Has the Most Kills?
Deadpool has the highest kill count, having once killed the entire Marvel Universe.
Which Marvel Heroes Kill?
Hulk, Captain America, Black Panther, and other Marvel characters are okay with killing.
Which DC Superheroes Kill People?
Wonderwoman and Aquaman have been killed on many occasions and share the code that the act is justified if done for the right cause.
Do DC Superheroes Kill?
Yes, many DC superheroes kill. Especially those of royalty who have a kingdom to look after.
Which Avenger Has the Most Kills?
Hulk has the most kills among the Avengers. He has once even killed the entire universe during the events of the Immortal Hulk.
Well, That’s all for today folks! Which superhero do you like the most from the above countdown?
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