Key Marvel figure dies at 73

Jim Shooter, a major force behind Marvel Universe’s rise, has passed away at the age of 73.

The comics prodigy, who first made waves in the comic book world as a teenager in the 1960s, passed away after a long battle with esophageal cancer.

His death was shared publicly on Monday, June 30, by fellow comic book writer and editor Mark Waid on Facebook. 

In addition, Jim’s son, Benjamin Shooter, confirmed the news of his father’s passing to The Hollywood Reporter.

Shooter is best known for his time as Editor-in-Chief at Marvel, a role he held from 1978 to 1987. During this period, he helped shape what many fans now know as the modern Marvel Universe.

While leading Marvel, Jim played a major role in publishing now-iconic stories, including Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil and the X-Men series by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.

In 1987, Shooter was let go from Marvel, partly due to tensions with other staff and the failure of a new publishing project.

However, he didn’t leave the comic world. A few years later, he launched Valiant Comics, a company that revived older characters like Magnus, Robot Fighter and Solar, Man of the Atom, and introduced new ones in an attempt to compete with giants like Marvel and DC.