The summer has barely started and we've already seen the deaths of two fan favorite heroes. With the loss of Martian Manhunter in Final Crisis #1 and Kitty Pryde getting a heroic send off in Giant Size Astonishing X-men #1, two of the most beloved comic book characters have been sent to that back issue bin in the sky. When we last saw Martian Manhunter, he was a prisoner of Lex Luthor and company in the pages of the villain-centric Salvation Run mini-series. Left on the prison planet by the escaping villains at the end of that series, Martian Manhunter is brought back to Earth at the conclusion of Justice League of America #21. Unfortunately for J’onn J’onzz, his apparent rescue turns out to be a boom tube to his death at the hands of the mysterious Libra, who seems to be playing a major, villainous role in Final Crisis. Most fans were probably expecting the foreshadowed return of Barry "Flash" Allen in the first issue of the DC event, but instead of a hero being brought back to life, the creative team of Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones gave fans a surprising death for one of DC's most under appreciated heroes as Libra struck the Manhunter from Mars straight through the chest with a spear, creating a one panel, shocking death scene. At the same time as Martian Manhunter was trying to survive in Salvation Run, Joss Whedon and John Cassaday were over on the Marvel side of town working on one of the most critically acclaimed and fanboy loved runs of X-men in recent years. For 24 issues, Astonishing X-men had taken fans on a roller coaster ride of action and emotion that brought the heroic Kitty Pryde back together with the X-man Colossus, who fans were led to believe was killed in 2001. At the conclusion of Whedon and Cassaday's Astonishing X-men story, the X-men were on Breakworld and trying desperately to stop a missile that was aimed at Earth. As Kitty phases her way into the weapon to try to stop it, she discovers it is not a missile, but a bullet. Hurtling toward Earth, Pryde is seen sacrificing herself by using her powers to phase the bullet straight through the planet, sending the bullet and herself rocketing into space and leaving her teammates with no way to rescue her. Due to a delayed release schedule, many fans already expected Kitty Pryde to not live through the story. Other titles in the X-men line had moved forward while waiting for the concluding issues from this story to reach stores. An X-men crossover from earlier in the year had already shown a team minus Pryde. While Pryde's death was hinted at by her absence in other X-men titles and was expected by many fans, her death was pulled off as one of the most touching moments in a comic this year, possibly ever. The death of Kitty Pryde, which was both heart-wrenching and inspiring, was in sharp contrast to the shockingly quick death of Martian Manhunter. Her sacrifice was witnessed by many other heroes from the Marvel Universe, taking place on a cosmic, galaxy spanning stage and, while she was portrayed through most of her history as a sidekick and an underdog compared to the rest of her team, she perished with courage and a heroic determination that was practically unmatched. Martian Manhunter's death was a polar opposite to Kitty Pryde's. Being introduced into the story only a few panels before; he is struck down in front of a seedy bar full of villains, by an enemy readers know little about. Martian Manhunter's last words are not a heroic speech or witty banter with a friend or teammate. As he's killed, he calls out the name of his deceased wife, leaving readers with a perverse uneasiness. At this point, we're not even sure how his fellow heroes become aware of his death. Unlike Kitty Pryde, no clues were given leading up to the event that Martian Manhunter might be a casualty in this crisis, other than an oddly-short membership in the recent relaunch of Batman and the Outsiders. As the first issue of Final Crisis ends, former Justice League teammate Green Arrow is shown on a television announcing the death of his friend and promising justice. Both of these characters acted as a foundation to their respective teams. Their caring and compassionate attitudes brought readers farther into the story, and at the same time, gave their teams a conscience and purpose that defined both of these groups of heroes. Is the story really finished for these two fan favorites? Only the publishers know for sure. With recent returns of characters such as Bucky Barnes in Captain America and Jason Todd in Batman, even characters with deaths that were almost sacred for comic readers have returned to boost sales and carry on their story lines. One can only speculate that we will see Martian Manhunter and Kitty Pryde again. The world will obviously be a darker place without them. With summer barely underway and Final Crisis and Secret Invasion both gearing up for huge summer crossovers in both DC and Marvel respectively, fans can only be left on the edges of their seats wondering who might be the next hero to fall...or the next hero to rise. *(Andrew Van Huss is a longtime comic fan and collector, and a contributor for Comic Collector Live).