Comic character Archie Andrews will die while saving his gay senator friend Kevin Keller, the publishers revealed.
There's more to Archie Andrews than just a boy who's confused about choosing between Betty and Veronica. For years now, people have regarded Andrews as the chaotic red-headed, freckled-faced Riverdale boy who has love issues. Wednesday's installment of "Life with Archie" is about to change that!
Archie Comics publishers recently announced that the comic character will die later this week making a point about gun control. According to media reports, Archie will die by taking a bullet while trying to intervene in an assassination attempt on his friend Senator Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character of the comic.
"The way in which Archie dies is everything that you would expect of Archie," said Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics publisher and co-CEO, according to Fox News. "He dies heroically. He dies selflessly. He dies in the manner that epitomizes not only the best of Riverdale but the best of all of us. It's what Archie has come to represent over the past almost 75 years."
While Archie fans still associate the character with soda shops and sock hops - and that still holds true for the very much alive teenage character in the original "Archie" series - Archie was thrust into adulthood with the launch of "Life with Archie" in 2010. The series kicked off after alternate futures were envisioned where the love-struck do-gooder married both Veronica and Betty. Over the past four years, storylines in the more socially relevant series aimed at adult Archie fans have included Kevin's marriage to his husband, the death of longtime teacher Ms. Grundy, Archie's love interest Cheryl Blossom tackling breast cancer and Jughead and friends dealing with financial struggles.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and several Archie fans praised Archie Comics' decision to have the character sacrifice himself to save Kevin, who is depicted in "Life with Archie" as a married military veteran turned senator.
"We wanted to do something that was impactful that would really resonate with the world and bring home just how important Archie is to everyone," said Goldwater, according to Rolling Stones. "That's how we came up with the storyline of saving Kevin. He could have saved Betty. He could have saved Veronica. We get that, but metaphorically, by saving Kevin, a new Riverdale is born."
The publishing house also said that the demise of Archie isn't a publicity stunt to generate intense reactions from the fans but a lesson about gun violence and a declaration of diversity in the new age of Archie Comics.
"Archie is not a superhero like all the rest of the comic book characters," said Goldwater, according to People Magazine "He's human. He's a person. When you wound him, he bleeds. He knows that. If anything, I think his death is more impactful because of that. We hope by showing how something so violent can happen to Archie, that we can - in some way - learn from him."
