Mark Millar's Big Game miniseries turned Wesley Gibson, the protagonist of his earlier book Wanted into the world's most unsympathetic villain. Now, the conclusion to the massive Millarverse crossover event finds the character emphatically getting what he deserves: Wesley is killed by Hit-Girl, ending his schemes and shadowy control of Earth.
Big Game #5, written by Mark Millar, with art by Pepe Larraz, is a double-sized climax to the sprawling saga (a "mini"-series only in the strictest sense of the word) which brought together the many characters of the Millarverse, and the many strands of the series' plot, in a legitimately epic conclusion.
Previous issues featured decades' worth of Millar's superhero creations systematically wiped out by Wesley's Fraternity of Super Criminals. Issue #5 brings most of them back in spectacular fashion, leading to a final confrontation that features the definitive death of the uber-villain, Wesley Gibson.
Wesley Gibson's Death Is A Satisfying Pay-Off To Both Big Game & Wanted
Without realizing it, Wesley Gibson made a tactical error in Big Game #4, which would ultimately prove to be his undoing. Allying himself with a mystical antagonist named "Diabolos the Sorcerer" allows the Millarverse's secret defenders, the Magic Order, to involve themselves in the conflict (having previously remained on the sidelines, sworn not to interfere in non-magical issues). The combination of the Order, and a superteam of previously murdered heroes ultimately proves too much for the Fraternity and their new allies, leading to their downfall, and in a moment equally inevitable and stunning... the death of Wesley Gibson.
The moment is stunning in part because, before he is taken out, Wesley kills Hit-Girl. But before readers can process this loss, Wesley is killed in the exact same way – by none other than Hit-Girl. Thanks to her time-travel odyssey in the past two issues, there were two versions of Hit-Girl present during the series' final battle. Though one loses her life at Wesley Gibson's hands, the other is the hero who finally manages to put an end to his reign of terror. It is a well-earned conclusion, pulling no punches, while at the same time managing to provide an authentic happy ending.
Mark Millar Makes Sure Wesley's Death Is As Permanent As Possible
Wesley's death is a satisfying final beat for his story arc, which began in 2003's Wanted, and found the character growing from an "everyman" audience-proxy to an enthusiastic super-criminal. The start of Big Game revisited the character at the height of his power, and during the course of its events he very nearly established himself as the supreme ruler of Earth in perpetuity. A fate only averted in the final pages of Big Game #5
To make the ending even more final, the end of the issue shows that following his Earthly death, Millar goes one step further, having him killed in the afterlife by the protagonist of his series Reborn, ensuring Wesley Gibson will not be able to haunt the Millarverse any longer.
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