Md. Boy Who Inspired Superhero Character Dies of Brain Cancer

A Maryland first grader whose battle with brain cancer inspired a comic book has died.

Dominic Osorio died Friday at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. The 7-year-old has been hospitalized for the past two months. Dominic was diagnosed with cancer in 2007. His mom, Nicole Spagna, created the story of "The Dominator," a superhero, to help him through cancer treatments.

The owner of a local pizza parlor Dominic's family frequented, Dave Anderson, turned the story into a children's comic book. Anderson paid nearly $9,000 to design, create and copyright the Dominator and to publish 2,000 copies of the book.

The book has sold more than 1,000 copies since it came out in August. It costs $5, and proceeds from sales benefit children's cancer research.