Source: nickyarborough.com

8. Jack the Ripper

(From Hell)

Yes, Jack the Ripper was a real dude and not just a comic book character, but since the version of Jack presented in Alan Moore's From Hell was definitely fictional, as it was impossible, I'm counting him as a comic book character first.

William Gull, a doctor slowly descending into insanity, is asked by the freemasons to tidy up a little problem for the crown. He does so by transforming into a vicious and brutal murderer driven by bloodlust and visions of the future.

The Gull depiction of Jack the Ripper is at once horrifying and understandable. Alan Moore's writing creates a character who feels theatrical in a classic old drama sense of the term. His slowly building insanity is horrific to watch, and as it develops, we watch a killer turn into a legendary madman.

Gull's last moments legitimately took my breath away as I read them. A beautiful, haunting painting of insanity. That was the life of William Gull.