Moral Ambiguity in Death's Double-Cross

Although written pre Comics Code Authority Crime Suspenstories Volume One offers a number of interesting stories to evaluate using the CCA. Death's Double-Cross in particular is a more problematic example in that it makes little distinction between hero and villain. Although not overtly gory the story portrays three characters all making poor moral choices to varying degrees, deterring the reader from sympathizing with any one character.

Death's Double-Cross depicts the love triangle between Ruth and twins John and Ronnie. Although Ruth prefers Ronnie with time she falls for John and marries him. However, when Ronnie returns from traveling the two reconcile and develop a plan to murder John so that they can be together. Ronnie plans to lure John to a nearby lake to drown him. The plan is executed although it's later revealed that John has actually drowned Ronnie and has attempted to kill Ruth by smashing her with a chandelier and a safe.

Although the story doesn't contain bloodshed or gruesome displays of violence its storyline does pose a challenge to the CCA regarding General Standards Part A which states, "In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds" and General Standards Part C which states, "The treatment of love-romance stories shall emphasize the value of the home and the sanctity of marriage". Although all three characters have immoral intentions John could be the considered the overlying villain in the story given he does actually kill a person, but nevertheless the morality in Death's Double-Cross is overwhelmingly ambiguous. Evaluated by the CCA the comic also depicts scenes of love outside of marriage, although it could be argued that to a degree the "sanctity of marriage" is maintained because Ronnie is killed. In evaluating the story to the CCA it could be argued that although it doesn't meet the code's standards the moral ambiguity makes for more complex characters and therefore a more thoughtful and beneficial story. Perhaps readers can learn more from a story that depicts a reality in which individuals can't be separated into groups of good and evil. In this light, Death's Double-Cross provides a more nuanced approach to the traditional good/evil dichotomy.