History Main / CListFodder

** The Enforcer was created in 1977, serving as a foe for the UsefulNotes/LosAngeles based Marvel heroes of the time: Comicbook/GhostRider (Johnny Blaze), ComicBook/WerewolfByNight (Jack Russell), and Comicbook/{{Spider-Woman}}. He was played as a legitimate threat foe a while and was recurring character to 1983. By 1985 these heroes themselves had lost their titles and were OutOfFocus. The Enforcer resurfaced just to become the first Scourge victim.

** Death Adder was created in 1980. He was originally a common human who was enhanced with [[ArtificialLimbs bionic technology]]. He served as ProfessionalKiller in the ranks of the Serpent Squad and (later) the Serpent Society. His most notable victim was MODOK, who stayed dead from 1986 to 1995. He was killed in 1986, but not because Gruenwald thought him lame. He wanted to have at least one legitimate threat terminated by the Scourge, to convince readers that AnyoneCanDie, and chose one of his own pet characters.

** Blowtorch Brand was created in 1984 as a one-shot foe of ComicBook/TheDefenders. He was an arsonist who was immune to the effects of fire. They vrought him back in 1993 just to kill him. He holds the dubious distinction of being the final victim of the original Scourge organization.

* Cheetah was created in 1977. He was a revolutionary who got mutated by Kree technology and received [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing Animal Abilities]]. He fought against {{CaptainMar-Vell}} and was supposedly BroughtDownToNormal. In 1986, they brought him back, with powers seemingly restored, just to kill him.
* Death Adder was created in 1980. He was originally a common human who was enhanced with [[ArtificialLimbs bionic technology]]. He served as ProfessionalKiller in the ranks of the Serpent Squad and (later) the Serpent Society. His most notable victim was MODOK, who stayed dead from 1986 to 1995. He was killed in 1986, but not because Gruenwald thought him lame. He wanted to have at least one legitimate threat terminated by the Scourge, to convince readers that AnyoneCanDie, and chose one of his own pet characters.

* The villain Scourge's whole point was the killing-off of C-list [[MarvelUniverse Marvel]] villains, something that creator Mark Gruenwald later came to deeply regret.

* {{Micronauts}} issue #49-50 of the first series: killed off a lot of supporting characters such as Argon, Pharoid, Slug, Margrace, Dutchess Belladonna, and Devil. Microtron and Nanotron (who was never a popular character) sacrificed themselves so that a resurrected Biotron could have their memories. Bill Mantlo did this in order to tie up a lot of the subplots and return the Micronauts to a small-knit group constantly on the run from Baron Karza.

* Much of the criticism of ''ComicBook/AvengersArena'' is related to preexisting but fairly obscure to most of the audience characters from ''ComicBook/Runaways'' and ''ComicBook/AvengersArena'' being killed off solely so the contrived WholePlotReference to ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' / ''Film/BattleRoyale'' can work and former JokeCharacter villain Arcade can look like a legitimate threat.

** Diamond Lil at least had the distinction of being a B-lister in [[AlphaFlight a title]] that in all fairness was itself B-list. Still averages out to C-list overall, but unlike the other two, she actually had a fanbase.
* When The Collective showed up in ''Comicbook/NewAvengers'', he killed off the entirety of AlphaFlight -- a superhero team with over thirty years of history in the MarvelUniverse -- before taking on the Avengers. Sure, that history consisted of being "Canada's premiere superhero team", but they were still mainstays of the setting. To add insult to injury, the guy who was possessed by The Collective at the time ends up on the new version of Alpha Flight and wears the same costume as its former leader.

* There was a SpiderMan[=/=]NewWarriors CrossOver through their annuals with the title "Hero Killers", which hinted at the prospect of well-known heroes getting killed off. The finale even contained the cover blurb, "Inside - A Hero Dies!". The issue in question showed two members of Gamma Flight getting captured with only one of them dying. For those of you who don't know, Gamma Flight is the B-team of AlphaFlight. Yeah.

* ''ComicBook/TransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers'' consists of a team made up primarily of C-listers (did you know who Ironfist was before this comic? How about Rotorstorm?) with a few A-list names like Springer and Perceptor, facing off a Decepticon team, also consisting of C-listers (The names Stalker or Snare ring any bells?). However, in spite of their C-list rating, the characters presented are actually given an amazing amount of characterization and personality, and the deaths among the Wreckers are always heartbreaking.
** This is actually a recurring trend of the Wreckers as a whole across the various publishers, and their Decepticon counterparts, the Mayhem Attack Squad; when they appear, they often consist mostly of little-known C-listers with one or two A-listers in their ranks (most notably Springer for the Wreckers and Bludgeon for the Mayhems), and many, many of their stories involve numerous members of both teams dying in gruesome ways.

This trope involves the cold realization that {{Shared Universe}}s enjoy events, but not necessarily [[StatusQuoIsGod changing the status quo]]. Whenever a purported big shake-up occurs, you can bet it's your so-called "C-list" characters and below who will be brought out of the woodwork.

** The NewWarriors started primarily as an [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap attempt to move]] youthful has-beens like Nova and never-weres like Speedball from CListFodder to {{Ascended Extra}}s. The latest incarnation continues the tradition with minor depowered mutants like [[GenerationX Jubilee and Chamber]].

* Averted in ''X-Men: Second Coming''. A-Listers Nightcrawler and Cable both die (even if you argue that they're not A-Listers, they're still definitely two recognisable and fairly popular characters), in addition to Vanisher (C-List, although arguably B-List since moving to X-Force), and Ariel (couldn't be more C-List if she tried). Although Cable, Vanisher and Ariel were all revived in relatively short order poor Nightcrawler still remains K.I.A.

* The recent ''Legion of Three Worlds'' limited series quickly killed off several lesser-known Legionnaires--the Threeboot Sun Boy and Element Lad, Kinetix, and the second Karate Kid--and a large handful of minor villains. Minor character Rond "Green Lantern" Vidar, on the other hand, was given an extended send-off and proved instrumental in moving the plot along.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' eventually ended up with the same cast that they started the series with, and a few extras. The only major deaths in the GrandFinale were Spike who got better on ''Series/{{Angel}}'') and Anya who, while popular, never played a role desperately needed on the show. Imagine the outrage from fans if Xander or Willow died in the GrandFinale. Also, throughout Season 7, the group of potentials often seemed to take the role of "people who get killed so as to show the situation is serious."

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' used this in episode that opens with a promise to kill 100 characters during the course of the story. Several A-Listers are teased as possibilities throughout the episode (including a few TemptingFate moments). Ultimately though, the death toll comes when a literal busload of C-Listers all go off a cliff together. The next episode opens with their mass funeral as a ContinuityGag, then quickly forgets about them to focus on the earlier episode's change to the status quo involving Haley and Jeff instead.

* This trope is discussed in issue #21 of ''[[Comicbook/AvengersTheInitiative Avengers: The Initiative]]'', where Gorilla Girl resigns from the team on the grounds [[GenreSavvy that as a black superheroine nobody has ever heard of, she's likely going to be killed sooner or later]].

[[/folder]]

This is a double-edged sword. It certainly can be shocking and emotional to fans of the character, but remember... the main people who ''recognize'' these characters are the same people who will be most angry if you kill them off, whereas those who do not recognize them will not care. Thus, you toy with the emotions of they who are likely to be your most dedicated fans.

* To set up their new addition to ''{{Batman}}'s'' RoguesGallery, Hush, in the aptly titled comic "Batman: Hush" as villainous enough, they have him KickTheDog by killing Harold. Who is Harold? Well, he's a character that's barely ever been mentioned in Batman comics in the last 10 years, a mute and deformed homeless person with a gift for mechanics that Batman took in and hired to work on the Batcave. No, you're not really supposed to know about him.

** The ''JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' tie-in issues lampshade this a bit. The resurrected Arthur Light mocks Kimiyo Hoshi by telling her that she'll quickly be forgotten after her death due to her relative obscurity. He then lists several deceased D-listers who were indeed quickly forgotten about by heroes and fans alike after their deaths.
* Happens twice in DC's ''IdentityCrisis'', wherein Elongated Man's wife is killed ''and'' raped (in a flashback) and Firestorm explodes after being stabbed through the chest with another C-Lister hero's (Shining Knight) sword by a C-Lister villain (Shadow Thief). The whole series was a C-List-fest!

* Most of the heroes created during the 90's ''Bloodlines'' event ended up quickly falling into obscurity, only to be brought out of limbo in order to be used as cannon fodder in events such as ''Infinite Crisis'' and ''Faces of Evil''. The high mortality rate of the Bloodlines heroes was referenced in-universe several times, with the Flash chalking this up to a general lack of competence on their part.

* The Atom (Ryan Choi) was killed to show how dangerous Deathstroke's new Titans team was, which occurred during the same month that the company was launching a new one-shot and co-feature starring Ryan's predecessor. After some controversy regarding killing off one of the company's few Asian heroes to push his white originator, DC decided to [[UnexplainedRecovery retcon Ryan's death]] and give him a slot on the [[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]].