Does Maria Hill Die in the Comics? Explained

WARNING: Potential SPOILERS for MCU’s ‘Secret Invasion.’ Reader discretion is advised!

Maria Hill is a Marvel character that appears both in the comics and the MCU. She’s a fiery, highly-skilled S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who serves as Nick Fury’s closest ally in the MCU. Unfortunately, Maria Hill is seemingly killed off in the first episode of the new MCU show, Secret Invasion, which made fans wonder – does Maria Hill die in the comics, too?

Maria Hill seemingly dies in 2020’s ‘Taskmaster Vol. 3’ #1, where Tony Masters, aka Taskmaster, is framed for her murder. As it turns out later, Maria is alive and actually the one to frame Taskmaster for her faked assassination to get him to retrieve the Kinesic signatures she could use to destroy the Rubicon Trigger.

It might sound a bit hardcore of her, but those who read Marvel Comics will know that Maria Hill puts everything into completing the mission, no matter what it takes. She’s done some questionable things, but Maria Hill gets the job done. However, the fact that she faked her own death caused fans to think that maybe it’ll happen in the MCU as well. Let’s break it all down.

Who is Maria Hill?

Maria Hill first appeared in the comics in 2005, in ‘New Avengers’ #4, as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and a close associate of Nick Fury and the Avengers – especially the Black Widow, who she has a long history with.

Hill is an amazing character, putting everything behind her work. Even if it means risking her own life, Maria Hill will do whatever it takes to complete the mission. That led to her making some questionable decisions, but it always led to results.

That’s why her career with S.H.I.E.L.D. was so highly successful. At one point, she was promoted to a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Level 9 and served as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. for quite a while, too. While Maria Hill worked closely with Nick Fury, they were often seen as rivals, as both of them were S.H.I.E.L.D. directors at one point.

In contrast, Maria Hill is Nick Fury’s closest friend and associate in the MCU. She had already appeared in, I believe, six or seven MCU projects, including all of the Avengers films, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ and, most recently, the Disney+ show ‘Secret Invasion.’

Hill is incredibly skilled, cunning, and smart and often provides guidance for Fury in terms of staying alert and vigilante. Unfortunately, her fate is likely sealed already in the first episode of the ‘Secret Invasion’ show…

Does Maria Hill die in the MCU?

Unfortunately for fans, it seems that Cobie Smulders will not return as Maria Hill in the MCU anymore, as the character was seemingly killed off in the resolution of the first episode of ‘Secret Invasion.’

Talos, Maria Hill, and Nick Fury tried to stop the bombing done by a Skull extremist leader named Gravik but failed to do so. Just a little while after telling Fury to stay locked in and be careful himself, she suffered a fatal gunshot wound from Gravik, who posed as Nick Fury.

It was a shocking and sudden death of such an important, prominent MCU character, especially considering it was only the first episode of the show. It was so sudden, in fact, that some fans didn’t believe that the death was real.

Does Maria Hill die in the comics?

In the comics, Maria Hill is still alive and kicking as we speak. However, there was quite a big scare in late 2020 and early 2021 when ‘Taskmaster’ Vol. 3 #1-5 came out. In the very first of those issues, Maria Hill is seemingly murdered by none other than Tony Masters, aka Taskmaster.

However, Taskmaster reiterates his innocence, claiming he was framed for the murder of Maria Hill. As he’s trying to set the record straight, Nick Fury and Black Widow track him down. An emotional Natasha Romanoff beats Taskmaster to a pulp for killing Hill.

And, just as she was about to kill him, Maria Hill emerged from the shadows, alive and well. She never said anything to Black Widow, Nick Fury, or anyone else, for that matter, but she was actually the one to fake her own murder and framed Taskmaster in order to get him to do what she needed from him.

She needed Taskmaster to retrieve the Kinesic signatures of Phil Coulson, Ami Han, and General Okoye, which she could, in turn, use to destroy a very dangerous artifact known as the Rubicon Trigger (basically a doomsday device that was locked away with Kinesic signatures).

That brutal move caused Maria Hill to damage some of her most profound friendships, but it showed just how dedicated Hill was to her work. She put everything on the line to complete her missions, even if it came at her own peril.

Did Maria Hill really die in the MCU?

Seeing that Maria Hill had faked her own death in the comics, many fans wondered if her early death in ‘Secret Invasion’ would also turn out to be fake. Unfortunately for those who hoped that would be the case, Maria Hill is, as things stand, actually dead in the MCU. 

Take this with a grain of salt, as the following episodes of ‘Secret Invasion’ might eventually change that, but if you take a peek at an interview between Marvel.com and the actress behind Maria Hill, Cobie Smulders, it seems that her time in the MCU had actually come to an end – no tricks.

The second episode of ‘Secret Invasion’ dropped today, June 28, 2023, and subsequent episodes will come out weekly until the season finale on July 26, 2023, exclusively on Disney+.

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