This section is dedicated to anyone that I haven’t mentioned who has passed or moved on in my lifetime and has left a mark on me. We all have such a finite life, and it’s always sad thinking about the people who made impacts on us but can’t be with us until the end. That’s life, though. People come and go throughout the time we’re on this wacky rock. It’s up to us to always make the best of the time we have and team up with the right Justice League, Avengers, or Z Fighters—or wherever your alliance lies.

Many people come to mind when it comes to my personal connections who have passed throughout my lifespan. These are the people that I grew up with and experienced life alongside. Their absence hurts. To be in this life without some of these people is a challenge every day. But for them, we fight. There is nothing more important than never giving up, and these people would never want anything less. We preserve for them—honoring them while attempting to be a good person each day. For the heroes they once were and still are through memory.

Now, for the heroes of memory: these are the people who have impacted my life that I have not mentioned outright but have lost contact with over the years. There are a few specifically in mind who were treasured individuals with whom I have since drifted apart. These heroes are still a part of me, and I will never forget them. For better or worse, we have drifted apart, but doors are meant to be left open. Heroes reunite all the time. And I hope that one day all my friends will come together.

My final criteria for fallen heroes are characters and people that I haven’t traditionally dealt with or encountered but who have left a huge imprint on my life. Whether they are cartoon characters or innovators of years past, I have my chosen picks that are no longer with us but have molded me into the crazy son of a gun I am today. And for that, I thank them.

In the end, I treasure my heroes. For whatever period they graced me with their presence, I was blessed. Even if they graced me with their presence only briefly, I’m forever grateful that my heroes were here as long as they were. I can’t imagine a world where these heroes of the past were not in my life, so thinking back and honoring them all is the best I could have done. I hope that wherever they are, they’re smiling down at us all, partying like rock stars and kicking a little ass.