7 Best Gerry Conway Comic Runs of All Time

Marvel Comics has announced the passing of influential comic book writer Gerry Conway. He was 73 years old and is survived by his wife, Laura Conway. He was known for his work with Marvel and DC, where he was involved in the creation of characters like the Punisher, Tombstone, Jackal, Ms. Marvel, Firestorm, Power Girl, and Jason Todd.

He also had a brief tenure as Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief. A statement from the current Editor-in-Chief, C.B. Cebulski, read (via Marvel):

From Spider-Man to the Avengers, Iron Man to Captain Marvel, Gerry Conway has deftly written almost every character in the Marvel Universe. He thrilled us with new characters like the Punisher and broke our hearts in emotional tales like ‘The Night Gwen Stacy Died,’ a story that affects Spider-Man to this day. Gerry Conway’s legacy has made an undeniable and indelible impact on the Super Hero stories we know and love.He will be dearly missed.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, stated that Conway’s work influenced not only comic books but also many of the studio’s on-screen projects. He mentioned projects like Werewolf by Night, Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Punisher as examples of that influence.

Here are seven of the best comic runs by Gerry Conway across both Marvel and DC, ranked based on their most memorable storylines, compelling heroes and villains, and their overall influence on the brands and the comic book industry as a whole.

7 Firestorm (1978)

Firestorm was one of Gerry Conway’s finest DC creations, debuting in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 (March 1978). Conway wanted to create an entire flaming character like Marvel’s Human Torch, while also making him a teenage superhero like Spider-Man (via 13th Dimension). In his version, the characters of Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein fused together to become Firestorm.

While Conway’s run was cut short after 5 issues due to the DC Implosion of 1978, his character left behind a lasting legacy, and DC brought him back for more storylines. Conway’s sixth issue in the run was later included in DC’s Cancelled Comic Cavalcade. After the cancellation, Conway added Firestorm to his very successful DC Comics series, Justice League of America.

6 Ms. Marvel #1-2 (1977)

Gerry Conway’s Ms. Marvel comic was the first to introduce Carol Danvers as a superhero. She gets superhuman powers after her DNA gets fused with that of Kree superhero Mar-Vell, aka Captain Marvel, during an explosion. According to Conway, Danvers was turned into a superhero in this run for “fairly uncreative reasons.” In a letter included in the first issue, Conway talked about why Ms. Marvel was an important superhero in comics (via r/comicbooks). He wrote:

Now, if you’ll think about that for a moment, you might see a parallel between her quest for identity and the modern woman’s quest for raised consciousness, for self-liberation, for identity. In a way, that’s intentional. Ms. Marvel, because of her name if nothing else, is influenced, to a great extent, by the move toward women’s liberation. She is not a Marvel Girl; she’s a woman, not a Miss or a Mrs. – a Ms. Her own person. Herself.

In the letter, he explained why a man was writing a female superhero character, even calling out the fact that there were no thoroughly trained and qualified women writers in the superhero comics field at the time. While Conway was instrumental in the character’s superhero origin story, Chris Claremont would take over the series after 2 issues and fully flesh out her character. However, Conway’s very contribution to female-centric comics earned Ms. Marvel a place in this list.

5 Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man (1976)

Gerry Conway wrote several issues of Superman for DC and The Amazing Spider-Man for Marvel. When the two companies decided to come together for their first modern-day intercompany crossover, Conway came across as the perfect man for the job. And his work immensely satisfied the readers of both these universes.

We not only see the two incredible heroes working together, but also two of their arch-nemeses joining forces in this crossover. Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus go up against the two superheroes in what was promoted as the ‘Battle of the Century.’ It was a non-canonical issue, which also saw an interaction between Lois Lane and Mary Jane. Three more sequels arrived in this crossover, with the latest one, Spider-Man/Superman, being released in April 2026.

4 All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-54: Superman vs Wonder Woman (1978)

For 1978’s All-New Collectors’ Edition Issue #C-54, Gerry Conway wrote a new story featuring the Man of Steel and the Amazonian princess. The World War II-set story also featured a villain created by Conway for World’s Finest Comics #246: Baron Blitzkrieg. The supervillain is a Nazi, who is disfigured after a concentration camp prisoner threw a bottle in his face. Scientists experimented on him, giving him superpowers.

It takes the combined force of Superman and Wonder Woman to stop this villain, who can shoot optical energy beams and has the ability to fly like Superman. This comic book fight only gets better with the beautiful visual art from José Luis García-López and Dan Adkins.

3 The Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man (1988-1991)

The Spectacular Spider-Man comic series was launched in 1976 by Gerry Conway, who teamed up with Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito (Buscema passed away in January 2026, a few months before Conway’s death). Conway and Archie Goodwin scripted the series until mid-1977, when Bill Mantlo took over. Conway moved from Marvel to DC for the next decade, returning only in the late ’80s.

Upon his return, Conway was brought back as a regular writer for Spectacular Spider-Man. It was at this time that Buscema also returned as the regular artist. Conway additionally wrote Web of Spider-Man, starting from Issue #35 “Tribute-to-Teen-Agers,” and his double duty enabled him to tie together storylines and ensure better continuity between these comics.

Conway and Alex Saviuk created the Spider-Man villain, Tombstone, who appeared first in Web of Spider-Man #36, before being brought on as a regular in Spectacular Spider-Man. The conflict between Daily Bugle editor Joe Robertson and Tombstone was one of the central story arcs in the latter.

The comic run also had other impressive storylines, including the Lobo Brothers gang war, Chameleon impersonating J. Jonah Jameson, and bringing back Hammerhead.

2 Justice League of America (1975-1986)

Gerry Conway wrote several issues of Justice League of America, with several writers chiming in during his run. He was tasked with writing issues #125-134 in his initial run. He later returned to the series and wrote issues #151-255, with other writers occasionally taking over. He was with the comic book run for over 8 years, making it one of his most prominent works in DC.

Conway’s storylines have shaped Batman, Superman, and the Justice League’s future in the comics. He also frequently included storylines where the JLA would work together with the Justice Society of America (JSA). During his run, he also created the Detroit Justice League, which drew criticism from many fans. For Detroit JLA, he created new heroes like Vixen and Vibe.

1 The Amazing Spider-Man #111-149 (1972-1975)

Gerry Conway was only 19 when he took over The Amazing Spider-Man comic series from Stan Lee. It wasn’t an easy task to follow in the footsteps of the character’s creator; however, Conway’s run proved to be just as impactful. Today, it is widely considered one of the greatest Spider-Man runs of all time.

He also created one of the most iconic storylines of the superhero in issues #121-122. The Night Gwen Stacy Died delivered the web-slinger’s greatest tragedy, as Peter Parker suffers the tragic loss of his first long-term girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. The story portrays Peter at his most vulnerable, pushed to the brink of breaking his no-kill rule to avenge her death.

The arc also set the stage for Harry Osborn’s villainous turn as Green Goblin. It has since been adapted in both Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The influence of this one storyline on the entire Marvel brand (even helping usher in the Bronze Age of Comic Books) is a testament to the power of Conway’s Spider-Man run.

This era also saw the introduction of The Punisher, one of the best characters co-created by Conway, who is portrayed as a conflicted antagonist. The same issue (#129) also introduced the supervillain Jackal. Towards the end of his run, Conway also co-created the character of Ben Reilly, aka Scarlet Spider, a Peter Parker clone who later becomes an ally.

Rank	Gerry Conway’s comic run
1	The Amazing Spider-Man #111-149 (1972-1975)
2	Justice League of America (1975-1986)
3	The Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man (1988-1991)
4	All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-54: Superman vs Wonder Woman (1978)
5	Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man (1976)
6	Ms. Marvel #1-2 (1977)
7	Firestorm (1978)

These classic stories are more than enough to cement Conway’s legacy as a comic book legend. RIP Gerry Conway. What do you think of his work across both Marvel and DC? Let us know in the comments below!