The comic book world mourns the loss of Jim Shooter, who passed away at age 73 after battling esophageal cancer. While Shooter is perhaps best known for his transformative tenure as Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, his remarkable journey began with Superman and DC Comics when he was just a teenager.
A 14-Year-Old’s Bold Vision
In one of comics’ most extraordinary origin stories, Shooter broke into the industry at age 14 by literally mailing his hand-drawn Legion of Super-Heroes story to DC’s Mort Weisinger. What makes this even more astounding is that Shooter had identified what he saw as problems with Adventure Comics and pitched solutions inspired by Marvel’s storytelling approach of the mid-1960s.
Weisinger didn’t just buy the teenager’s two-part story—he had legendary artists Sheldon Moldoff and Curt Swan use Shooter’s amateur layouts as the foundation for Adventure Comics #346 in 1966. The audacious young writer had added four new Legionnaires in his debut: Karate Kid, Princess Projecta, Ferro Lad, and Nemesis Lad (who turned out to be a villain).
Expanding the Superman Universe
Shooter’s impact on Superman’s world extended far beyond the Legion. He introduced the iconic Superman villain Parasite in 1966, creating one of the Man of Steel’s most enduring enemies. Perhaps even more significantly, Shooter wrote the very first Superman/Flash race in 1967—a concept that would become a beloved recurring event in DC Comics.
Working under Weisinger’s guidance, Shooter contributed to various Superman titles throughout the late 1960s and into the 1970s, helping to shape the Silver Age mythology that still influences Superman stories today.
A Career Born from Teenage Ambition
What began as a teenager’s bold attempt to improve his favorite comics became a legendary career spanning decades. From those early Superman stories to his later role revolutionizing Marvel Comics, Shooter’s influence on the medium cannot be overstated.
His passing marks the end of an era for an industry he helped define. Jim Shooter proved that sometimes the boldest ideas come from the youngest voices—and that a 14-year-old’s vision can change comics forever.
Jim Shooter is survived by his family and an incredible legacy that spans from the streets of Metropolis to the far future of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Our condolences to his family and friends.
