Source: longboxgraveyard.com

5. Ben Urich

(Spider-Man, Daredevil, Marvel Comics)

Ben Urich was the ultimate man-on-the-street journalist. He was the hard bitten reporter making his way through the dirty streets of Hell’s Kitchen.

In his first appearance, he investigated Wilson Fisk in an attempt to prove that he was the Kingpin of crime. After he and Daredevil took down the Kingpin, Urich turned his attention to a different supervillainous businessman who spent time fighting Spider-Man: Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin.

Urich was an on-the-ground reporter through the Marvel superheroes Civil War. He founded the rival newspaper Frontline, dodged laser fire and explosions during Hulk and his Warbound’s invasion of Manhattan, lost his wife in the Skrull invasion, and coined the term Dark Reign to refer to Norman Osborn’s rise to power.

Depressingly, he also lost his nephew. Oh, he didn’t die, he just became the Hobgoblin, and turned into a straight up monster with no remorse or honor.

But he became friends with Spider-Woman, so that was all cool!