It’s happened again, folks! As we all know, whenever Marvel launches a new Big Event Crossover, somebody’s got to die. They’ve got plenty of characters that can be used as cannon fodder, and many of them are some of my favorite comic book characters. That’s what happens when you have a special place in your heart for C, D and Z-list superheroes.

In the last big event, Inhumans vs. X-Men, it was my all-time favorite comic book character who bit the dust: Madrox the Multiple Man.

Never forget

Madrox died in the prologue to the main event, making it sting just that little bit more.

And sure enough, with Secret Empire kicking off this week, another one of my favorite C-list comic book characters has been killed off during the prologue. Gosh darnit!

Who bit the big one? Who has Marvel carelessly cast aside in the name of having casualties? Join me after the jump to find out! SPOILERS, obviously.

In this week’s issue of Thunderbolts, the hero Mach X is killed in battle! Otherwise known as Abe Jenkins. Otherwise known as the original Beetle!

Real heroes wear lanyards

We don’t see a body and he doesn’t get a big, dramatic death scene, so there’s probably a very good chance that he could be brought back without any fanfare. But for the sake of this issue, it looks pretty final.

First, he’s attacked by the Wrecking Crew.

Then the building collapses on him and he’s declared dead.

Then his girlfriend, Songbird, cries out for him.

Then writer Jim Zub sort of confirms it when he doesn’t mention Abe among the survivors.

So the only person who didn’t survive the building collapse was Abe?

This was also the final issue of the current Thunderbolts incarnation, so it’s not like we’ll be able to get confirmation either way in the next issue. It looks pretty final for now, until the next time somebody decides to play around with Mach X.

Abe Jenkins started out as the Beetle, one of dozens of low-level super-villains who menace the likes of Spider-Man or Daredevil or whoever. A real nobody. But then he was selected to join the original Thunderbolts, the story of a group of villains who decided to become superheroes.

I have a deep-seeded love for both low-level Spider-Man villains and villains who become heroes, so Jenkins — now known as Mach # — has been right up my alley!

He’s also a poor man’s Iron Man

And now he’s dead.

Man, what a stinker. He’s not even that major of a character! Why kill him off so plainly?

Why can’t I have nice things?!

At least Songbird is still alive. She’s pretty great, too. And you know what? Let’s have some fun with that! Just like I put myself on Strong Guy Watch during Inhumans vs. X-Men, consider me now on an unofficial Songbird Watch!

If Songbird randomly shows up in Secret Empire to avenge the death of her beloved, you will be notified!

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