Gerard Francis Conway was born on September 10, 1952, and passed away on April 26, 2026. One of the most productive American comic book writers of his generation, Conway broke into the industry around 1970 and remained active for more than five decades, accumulating credits on over 1,800 issues across both Marvel and DC Comics.
At Marvel, Conway made an indelible mark on The Amazing Spider-Man, most notably by writing "The Night Gwen Stacy Died," a story arc still discussed as a turning point in superhero comics' willingness to impose genuine consequences on its characters. During that same tenure he co-created the vigilante antihero the Punisher, the villain the Jackal, Peter Parker's clone Ben Reilly, and the first incarnation of Ms. Marvel.
Crossing to DC, Conway spent eight years writing Justice League of America and co-created several enduring figures: the nuclear-powered hero Firestorm, Power Girl, the second Robin Jason Todd, and the villain Killer Croc. He also scripted Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, the first major modern intercompany crossover between the two publishers.
Beyond comics, Conway worked extensively as a television writer and producer, and contributed to science fiction prose. His career demonstrated a rare facility for character invention — few writers left comparable fingerprints on the rosters of both Marvel and DC simultaneously.
