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Marvel villains have died countless times, but some of their comeuppances are more graphic and disturbing than others. While some of these villains returned to life, they should never forget the agony they experienced upon their initial demises. Other times, though, these villains died so thoroughly that their killers ensured that they would never be resurrected. These are the most brutal instances of karma in Marvel Comics.
10) Spider-Man Rips Out Morlun’s Throat
Few villains have pushed Spider-Man to kill like Morlun. A vampire-like creature, Morlun lives to feast on people with spider powers, and he’s already murdered numerous alternate versions of the Web-Head. With his overwhelming strength, Morlun nearly killed Spider-Man but decided to finish him off later. When Spider-Man was hospitalized, Morlun returned to feast on the hero. Mary Jane tried to stop Morlun, but he broke her arm. This act triggered Spider-Man’s primal instincts, allowing him to recover and tackle the villain quickly. Spider-Man developed wrist spikes and pinned Morlun to the ground. In an ironic twist of fate, Spider-Man also grew fangs and used them to rip out Morlun’s throat, causing the vampiric villain to crumble to dust.
9) The Hulk Kills Reginald Fortean Twice
General Reginald Fortean of the U.S. Army sought to weaponize gamma radiation and destroy the Hulk. When Fortean touched the remains of the gamma villain Abomination, the flesh came to life. It absorbed him, turning him into a giant monster. As the new Abomination, Fortean managed to kill the Jolly Green Giant. The dying Hulk took Fortean with him to the afterlife by crushing the villain’s head like a pimple. Since the Hulk and Fortean were both gamma mutants, they both went to the Below Place, where they could respawn by going through the Green Door. However, Bruce Banner, with his Joe Fixit personality in control, ensured that Fortean couldn’t come back to life by snapping his neck, permanently killing him.
8) Thanos Gets His Spine Ripped Out
The Mad Titan Thanos may be among the most fearsome villains in the Marvel Universe, but even he couldn’t stand up to the might of Doom. During the events of Secret Wars, Doctor Doom obtained the power of the omnipotent Beyonders and saved the remnants of the dying multiverse, creating Battleworld. Thanos also managed to survive the destruction of the multiverse and began stirring up civil unrest on Battleworld. Fed up with the chaos Thanos was causing, God Emperor Doom met the Mad Titan on the battlefield. Despite not possessing the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos arrogantly boasted that he didn’t need it to defeat Doom. Thanos was immediately proven wrong when Doom effortlessly ripped out the alien tyrant’s spine.
7) Wolverine Dismembers Sabretooth
Wolverine and Sabretooth have one of the most hateful rivalries in comics, with the villain dedicating his life to torturing the X-Man and his loved ones. After over a century of fighting, the two feral mutants’ conflict reached a bloody conclusion when Sabretooth caused a massacre on Krakoa. Although Sabretooth and Wolverine are normally evenly matched, the X-Man had with him a weapon that gave him a decisive advantage: the Muramasa Blade. This special sword can slow down and even negate healing factors, even those of villains like Sabretooth. With the sword and his claws, Wolverine sliced Sabretooth piece by piece before finally finishing off with a decapitation. And with that, Wolverine avenged all the people Sabretooth has killed over the years.
6) Punisher Butchers Barracuda
There are few anti-heroes in comics more vicious than the Punisher. The villains who have the misfortune to meet him suffer painful, graphic demises. Barracuda, the Punisher’s deadliest adversary, has cheated death on multiple occasions and returned to torture the lethal vigilante. However, eventually Barracuda’s luck ran out when he and the Punisher had their last showdown. After kidnapping the Punisher’s baby daughter, Barracuda and the anti-hero engaged in a brutal firefight that devolved into a fist fight. The Punisher tore off Barracuda’s nose before chopping off his arms with an axe. To finish his nemesis off, the Punisher drove the axe into Barracuda’s heart before unloading an entire machine gun clip into the villain’s head, reducing it to paste.
