Former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, Jim Shooter, has died at the age of 73. He joined Marvel after a hiatus from the comics industry and helped reshape the company from its difficult place. Though he was a “complicated man,” his time with the comics industry left a mark that can’t disappear.
Jim Shooter
The comic industry icon died on June 30, 2025, at the age of 73 after a battle with esophageal cancer. His son, Benjamin Shooter, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.Â
His career in comics started in his early teens. He created his own comics and sent them to National Comics (which would become DC Comics). That’s what prompted editor Mort Weisinger to call Shooter himself. He was offered a job most comic creators can only dream of. He is credited with creating new characters for the Legion of Super-Heroes, including heroes and villains. Though he left comics for several years, he returned in the 1970s, creating new stories for DC.
The comics industry wasn’t doing well in the late 1970s, and that’s when, at the age of 26, Jim Shooter became Editor-In-Chief of Marvel Comics after a short time as an editorial assistant. He turned things around for Marvel by ensuring that books were published on schedule, and on time, and provided royalties and health insurance to artists. It was under his leadership that popular stories like The Uncanny X-Men (Chris Claremont & John Byrne) and many others became classics that are still popular today.
In 1984, he pioneered crossover events with Secret Wars (Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, John Beatty). And Marvel continues to use this concept even now. He listened to the fans and even reached back out to them through calls and letters. He may have been driven and caused some talent to be pushed away, but he “was always trying to do the right thing,” according to Larry Hama. He was fired from Marvel in 1987. He launched Valiant Comics and Broadway Comics with other comic veterans. He even wrote for Dark Horse in 2010.
Rest Well
Jim Shooter may have been a complicated person, but his time with our beloved comics industry gave us so much entertainment. Without him, would there have been the robust Marvel we know today? Maybe. But he made sure of it. And, where would we be without the X-Men? His is a life to celebrate as we bid him farewell. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones as they mourn his loss.
