Which Avenger Just Got Killed In Marvel's 'Civil War II' Comic Book Event?

Marvel Comics already shook up the comic book world by revealing that Captain America was an agent of Hydra in a recent story arc. While there was plenty of outrage and even death threats towards the writers, the real reason for Cap's apparent turn to villainy was just a typical comic book twist brought on by the Red Skull using the Cosmic Cube. However, another big moment has arrived in the Marvel Comics universe, and this one likely won't be undone for awhile.

In the most recent issue of Marvel's Civil War II comic book event, one their biggest superheroes was taken out, and this one was a longtime Avenger. What's even more surprising is who actually ends up killing the hero in question. Find out about the latest Civil War II death after the jump, but obviously beware of spoilers.

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that today's Civil War II #3 sees Bruce Banner killed right in front of Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) along with a bunch of other superheroes. Banner takes a purple arrow right between the eyes, a shot that comes straight from Hawkeye. So why did the expert marksman take out the big guy?

The Inhuman known as Ulysses, who has the ability to see the future, saw a vision where Hulk beat the hell out of some heroes, resulting in the death of several other Avengers. Carol and Tony decide to confront Banner in front of an assembly of a bunch of other Marvel heroes where it is revealed by the mutant Beast that Banner has been experimenting on himself with Gamma radiation, only adding to the threat of the predicted future where Banner kills a bunch of heroes.

Though the scientist says his experiments have been an attempt to keep the Hulk at bay, the accusations by his friends and allies begin to agitate him, and just when it looks like he's about to Hulk out, he takes a shot between the eyes. Here's the panel where Banner meets his demise:

Hawkeye surrenders himself after doing the deed and explains that Banner actually instructed him to take Hulk out if it looked like he was going on another rampage. Some video evidence even showed Banner providing Hawkeye with the anti-Hulk arrow.

Hulk isn't the first death to come out of Civil War II. War Machine died at the hands of Thanos in the preview issue that arrived before the event sequel officially began. However, this doesn't mean there isn't still a Hulk in the Marvel Comics universe. In The Totally Awesome Hulk comic line, a character named Amadeus Cho has absorbed Bruce Banner's radiation, leaving the latter to lead a normal life. Cho will continue to be the Hulk for Marvel as part of the revamped Marvel Now! beginning this fall.

As is usually the case with comic book deaths, Banner likely won't stay dead forever, but he's not likely to come back immediately. Previously characters such as Captain America have bit the big one only to come back sometime down the road. Marvel isn't likely to let Hulk sit out of the Marvel comic universe by the time he hits the big screen again in Thor: Ragnarok, but there's plenty of time between now and the release of the sequel next year for Banner to lay dormant in the comics.