Nothing shakes up a comic book series like a death and the death of the iconic Archie Andrews is certainly going to fuel sales. Just how the star of Archie Comics dies is far different from other comic book characters, though.
Archie will die while taking a bullet for his gay friend, Kevin Keller. The character was introduced back in April 2010, but he becomes an assassin’s target. Archie, whose death was announced back in April, will die trying to save Kevin’s life.
“The way in which Archie dies is everything that you would expect of Archie,” Archie Comics publisher Jon Goldwater told The Associated Press Monday. “He dies heroically. He dies selflessly. He dies in the manner that epitomizes not only the best of Riverdale but the best of all of us. It's what Archie has come to represent over the past almost 75 years.”
Kevin’s life is surprisingly more political than one might expect for an Archie character. He debuted in Veronica and was a military veteran with a husband. He ran for the Senate and won. There, he has been pushing an agenda for stronger gun control.
“We wanted to do something that was impactful that would really resonate with the world and bring home just how important Archie is to everyone,” Goldwater added.
Goldwater is hoping that the death of the iconic character can bring more attention to gun violence.
Archie’s death will appear in Life with Archie Nos. 36 and 37. Archie has been around since 1941.