The Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths | 1985 | The Anti-Monitor tries to destroy the DC Multiverse but succeeds only in merging it into a single universe; numerous characters die, including Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and the Flash (Barry Allen). Series to spin out of event; Man of Steel, Green Lantern Corps. |
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series (identified as a "12-part maxi-series") and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity. The series was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by George Pérez (pencils/layouts), along with Mike DeCarlo, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway (who shared inking/embellishing chores). The series removed the concept of the Multiverse in the fictional DC Universe, and depicted the deaths of such long-standing superheroes as Supergirl and the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash. As such, it is one of the most important events in the DC Universe, and continuity in the DCU is typically divided into pre-Crisis and post-Crisis periods.
The title of the series was inspired by earlier crossover stories involving the multiple parallel Earths of the Multiverse, such as "Crisis on Earth-Two" and "Crisis on Earth-Three", but instead of lasting two to five issues and involving members from many superhero teams from many parallel worlds, it involved virtually every significant character from every parallel universe in DC's history. It in turn inspired the titles of four subsequent DC crossover series: Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1994), Identity Crisis (2004), Infinite Crisis (2005–2006), and Final Crisis (2008).
Prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC publications were notorious for continuity problems. No character's back story, within the comic books, was entirely self-consistent and reliable.
For example, DC's oldest superhero character, Superman, the lone survivor of the destroyed planet Krypton, originally could not fly (he could instead leap over an eighth of a mile), and his powers came from having evolved on a planet with stronger gravity than Earth's. Soon, he was depicted as able to fly and his powers were explained as coming from our solar system's yellow sun. A more complex origin story was invented. In time, his career was altered to include early exploits as Superboy. More survivors of Krypton were introduced, including Supergirl, a dog named Krypto, the inhabitants of the bottled city of Kandor, and others. This further watered down the original concept: that the character was the sole survivor of his planet's destruction.
Issues also arose regarding the age of characters. Batman, an Earth-born human without superpowers, retained his youth and vitality well into the 1980s despite having been an active hero during World War II. His sidekick, Robin, took over thirty years in real time to graduate from high school.
Characters such as the Flash, the Atom, and Green Lantern, often featured conflicting story lines. Origins and even powers differed between tales, depending on the writers. Crisis also helped popularize the formula of the line-wide "crossover" comic book series, a concept deployed previously in Marvel's Contest of Champions (1983) and Secret Wars (1984).
| The Final Night | 1996 | It featured the main heroes of the DC Universe. At the end of each issue is an in-story text piece written by S.T.A.R. Labs, giving advice and support. |
Plot Summary
The story begins as a young alien woman named Dusk arrives on Earth to warn the population that a giant extraterrestrial being, known as the Sun-Eater, is heading our way. Dusk is a member of an unknown alien race, and does not speak or understand a word of English, so Saturn Girl uses her telepathic powers to translate and taught her the language. Dusk has attempted to warn hundreds of worlds, prior to Earth, about the Sun-Eater. Each planet had tried, in its own way, to stop the Sun-Eater, but every attempt was as unsuccessful as the last one. This has convinced Dusk that the Sun-Eater is indestructible.
Despite her warnings, the Justice League still try to stop the Sun-Eater. For their first attempt, Mr. Miracle tries using his boom tube to send it into another dimension. This proves unsuccessful, since they discover that the Sun-Eater is not entirely in our dimension. As a last resort, Superman and several other "heat-producing" heroes combine their energies to create a second sun and try to lure the Sun-Eater away from Sol. The Sun-Eater quickly consumes that sun before moving on to Sol.
| Identity Crisis | 2004 | Sue Dibny is mysteriously murdered; the Justice League of America is revealed to have performed "mindwipes" on various supervillains and one on Batman. |
One of DC's top-selling series, the first issue was released in June 2004 and was ranked first in comic book sales for that period with pre-order sales of 163,111. The second issue saw a decline in sales and ranked third in comic book sales in July 2004 period with pre-order sales of 129,852. The story also adheres to the continuity changes introduced by Crisis on Infinite Earths, as heroine Wonder Woman was retconned out of the pre-Crisis JLA. In all further references to the JLA's pre-Crisis adventures, including its origin story and the Secret Society incident, Wonder Woman is replaced by Black Canary. Following Infinite Crisis, however, Wonder Woman is restored as a founding member.
One of the major plot threads - the breakdown of relationships within the Justice League of America - is examined in the storyline Crisis of Conscience in JLA #115-119 (Aug. - Dec. 2005). The mini-series is followed by the inter-company crossover Infinite Crisis.
Sue Dibny, the wife of superhero Elongated Man, is murdered in their apartment, apparently dying of burns (the Elongated Man was at the time on a stakeout, during which a minor character called Bolt is shot and wounded by criminals). The DC superhero community rallies to find the murderer, with villain Doctor Light being the prime suspect. Green Arrow reveals to the Flash (Wally West) and Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) that Light once raped Sue Dibny in the JLA satellite headquarters. To ensure this could not happen again, the current members of the League - Atom (Ray Palmer); Black Canary; Hawkman; Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and a very reluctant Flash (Barry Allen) allowed the sorceress Zatanna to mind-wipe the villain and alter his personality.
Further discussion reveals that a mind wipe was also done on another occasion: when the Secret Society of Super Villains (The Wizard; Floronic Man; Star Sapphire; Reverse-Flash and Blockbuster) captures JLA members Superman; Batman; Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); Zatanna and Wonder Woman switched bodies with the heroes, allowing the villains to learn their secret identities. Although the heroes defeat the villains, Zatanna once again erases the villains' memories of the incident, and their knowledge of the secret identities.
| Countdown to Infinite Crisis | 2005 | Consists of the one-shot Countdown to Infinite Crisis and four miniseries which spin out of this comic: Day of Vengeance, in which Shadowpact is formed to defend magic from the Spectre; Rann-Thanagar War; Villains United, in which the Secret Six is formed to fight the Secret Society of Supervillains; and The OMAC Project, in which Batman's mistrust of his fellow heroes leads to the creation of an army of cyborgs. |
Plot Summary
The main plot concerns Ted Kord, the superhero and former Justice League member known as the Blue Beetle, investigating the theft of funds from his company that has left him nearly bankrupt. Most of the other DC heroes dismiss Kord's concerns, either politely or outright. Only Booster Gold, another superhero and Kord's best friend, eventually decides to help complete the investigation, but before he can he is seriously injured by an explosive trap.
Alone and unaided, Blue Beetle continues to follow the clues to Switzerland where he infiltrates the castle base of the Checkmate organization. There, he confronts Maxwell Lord, who is revealed to be using his Justice League files and Batman's satellite, the Brother MK I, to keep an eye on the superhero community, which he considers a threat to the human race. After Beetle refuses to join Lord, Lord shoots him in the head and kills him.
| The OMAC Project | 2005 |
Plot Summary
It is one of four miniseries leading up to DC Comics' Infinite Crisis event. The series directly follows the Countdown to Infinite Crisis special, picking up the story where the special left off. While the OMACs look similar to the earlier Jack Kirby creation OMAC, they are quite different, with a different acronym than the original One-Man Army Corps. OMAC originally stood for Observational Meta-human Activity Construct, but currently stands for "Omni Mind And Community."
In the mini-series, the OMACs are modified humans who work as sleeper agents, a product of the Checkmate organization, now led by Maxwell Lord. They possess the Brother Eye spy satellite built by Batman following his realization, after the events of Identity Crisis, that his fellow Justice Leaguers had wiped his memory some years before. The OMAC Project ends with an autonomous Brother Eye having command of over 200,000 OMACs and seemingly planning war on the superheroes, starting with the worldwide broadcast of Maxwell Lord's death at the hands of Wonder Woman.
| Rann-Thanagar War | 2003 | The series concerns a war between the planets Rann and Thanagar, and features Adam Strange, the Green Lantern Corps, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, L.E.G.I.O.N. and Captain Comet, along with other DC space adventurers |
Plot Summary
Rann-Thanagar War, along with Villains United, The OMAC Project, and Day of Vengeance, is one of four miniseries which lead up to DC Comics' Infinite Crisis event. Unlike most of the other tie-ins, it is also a continuation of storylines from two other series: Adam Strange: Planet Heist and Green Lantern: Rebirth.
In the continuity which existed prior to the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series, a war erupted between the planets Rann and Thanagar. Rann's adopted hero Adam Strange and Thanagarian law enforcement officers Hawkman (Katar Hol) and Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol) worked desperately to end the conflict. The trio succeeded, eventually revealing that events leading up to the war were manipulated by the intergalactic criminal Kanjar Ro.
During Planet Heist, Adam Strange fought a rogue group of Thanagarians. During the battle, the leader of the group transported Strange's adopted homeworld of Rann into the Thanagarian system in the hope of creating a dictatorship. However, Rann's new location caused the orbit of Thanagar to become unstable, and the planet crashed into the system's sun. The surviving Thanagarians and Rannians now all live on Rann, and tensions are high between the two groups, as each blames the other for their predicament.
| Day of Vengeance | 2005 |
Plot Summary
Through the Enchantress, the group, later named the Shadowpact, learn that the Spectre was being seduced and corrupted by Eclipso. They plan what is essentially a suicide mission to find the Spectre (and Eclipso), attack Eclipso with overwhelming surprise and numbers and to kill her, hoping to free the Spectre before he turns on them. As Enchantress, Blue Devil, Ragman and Nightmaster teleport in, they happen on Captain Marvel fighting a duel of magic versus spirit, which gives them the time and a chance to try to defeat Eclipso, while the Spectre is distracted. Hoping to give Captain Marvel more time to hold off the Spectre (which gives them more time to defeat Eclipso), Enchantress siphons magical energy first from herself; then from mystics around the world including heroes such as Alan Scott, Zatanna, The Phantom Stranger (in mouse form); villains like Blackbriar Thorn; and finally, ordinary mortals with little magic power, adding to Captain Marvel's own magical power. Meanwhile, Detective Chimp and Nightshade work on a backup plan by trying to bring back Black Alice, a girl with the power to steal another's magical abilities for a short period of time, leaving her target powerless. The Shadowpact defeats Eclipso when Blue Devil skewers Eclipso with his trident of Lucifer while Captain Marvel gains the upper hand over the Spectre, thanks to the tens of thousands of magic users supporting him. However, the strain of gathering such immense quantities of magic drives Enchantress temporarily insane, and she releases her link to Captain Marvel to battle her own teammates. Captain Marvel's strength fades, and he is barely defeated by the Spectre.
| Villains United | 2005 |
For months now, former President Lex Luthor has been using his resources to assemble an army against the superheroes. Luthor's team now has over two hundred members with a six-member core team consisting of Luthor, Talia al Ghul, Doctor Psycho, Deathstroke, Black Adam, and the Calculator. But not all the villains offered a chance to join this army are thrilled with this idea. Batman villain Catman has joined a team of five supported by the mysterious Mockingbird including Cheshire, Deadshot, Scandal, Ragdoll, and Parademon to oppose this new Secret Society. Catman replaced the first Fiddler, after he was killed by Deadshot on Mockingbird's orders when Mockingbird felt he had not fulfilled his part in a mission.
| Infinite Crisis | 2005 | Kal-L, the Superman of Earth-Two, and several other characters return to attempt to change the universe for the better. History is altered at the end of the series. |
Infinite Crisis is a seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway. The series was published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. Each issue was released with two variant covers: one by Pérez, and one by Jim Lee and Sandra Hope.
The series storyline was a sequel to DC's 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths. It revisited characters and concepts from that earlier Crisis, including the existence of DC's Multiverse. Some of the characters featured were alternate versions of comic icons such as an alternate Superman named Kal-L, who came from parallel universe called Earth-Two. A major theme was the nature of heroism, contrasting the often dark and conflicted modern-day heroes with memories of "lighter" and ostensibly more noble and collegial heroes of American comic books' earlier days.
The story begins in the wake of the four lead-in limited series, with Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman feuding, the JLA Watchtower destroyed, and the heroes of the world all facing a variety of menaces. Over this backdrop, Kal-L (the Earth-Two Superman), along with Earth-Two Lois Lane, Earth-Three Alexander Luthor, and Superboy-Prime escape from the pocket universe where they had been left at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Kal-L seeks out his cousin, Power Girl, also a survivor of Earth-Two. Believing Lois' health will improve on her native world, he hopes to replace the current Earth with Earth-Two, which he considers perfect.
Kal-L tries to enlist Batman's support, stating that the Post-Crisis Earth's inherent "bad" nature caused Batman's recent mistrust and hostility. Batman refuses. Afterward, he learns Superboy-Prime destroyed the JLA Watchtower. DC officially began leading up to the new Crisis with a one-shot issue Countdown to Infinite Crisis.
Once the Crisis was completed, DC used the One Year Later event to move the narratives of most of its DC Universe series forward by one year. The weekly series 52 began publication in May 2006, and depicts some of the events which occurred between Infinite Crisis and One Year Later.
Foreshadowed by references to this Crisis in DC continuity as the "middle Crisis", in 2008, a third and Final Crisis began a run in June 2008, and is set immediately following the conclusion of the 51-issue Countdown to Final Crisis.
| 52 | 2005 |
52 consists of 52 issues, published weekly for one year, each issue detailing an actual week chronicling the events that took place during the missing year after the end of Infinite Crisis. The series covers much of the DC Universe, and several characters, whose disparate stories interconnect. The story is directly followed by the limited series Countdown to Final Crisis.
In the aftermath of Infinite Crisis, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have temporarily retired their costumed identities, and the remaining heroes attend a memorial for Superboy in Metropolis. Time traveler Booster Gold attends the memorial, but when Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman do not arrive as he expects, he suspects his robot sidekick Skeets is malfunctioning. After Skeets reports other incorrect historical data, Booster searches fellow time traveler Rip Hunter's desert bunker for answers, but finds it littered with enigmatic scrawled notes and photos of himself and Skeets surrounded by the words "his fault" with arrows pointing toward them. Booster's reputation is ruined by his unscrupulous attempts to maintain his corporate sponsorships, as well as the arrival of a mysterious new superhero named Supernova. Booster tries to regain the spotlight by containing an exploding nuclear submarine, but is seemingly killed in the attempt. Skeets uses Booster's ancestor Daniel Carter to regain access to Hunter's lab, where he sees the photos and arrows pointing at Skeets himself. Realizing that Hunter is aware of his plan, Skeets traps Carter in a time loop in the bunker and sets out to locate Hunter himself. He eventually corners Hunter and Supernova in the bottle-city of Kandor, where Supernova reveals himself to be Booster Gold, having faked his death with the help of Hunter to uncover Skeets' true intentions. Hunter and Booster attempt to trap Skeets in the Phantom Zone, but Skeets appears to consume the sub-dimension and pursues his two adversaries through time.
| One Year Later | 2006 | All DC comics jump forward in time to one year after the end of Infinite Crisis. Diana has a secret identity of Diana Prince and reclaims the Wonder Woman mantle, Bruce Wayne resumes as Batman, and Clark Kent gets his powers back and returns as Superman. |
Plot Summary
Following the events of the limited series crossover Infinite Crisis, every DC comic series jumped ahead in-story by one year. The events of the missing year were depicted in real time in the weekly comic book series 52. The "One Year Later" event started in March 2006, starting the same week that Infinite Crisis #5 went to press, and before the first issue of 52. Most first issues bearing the "One Year Later" logo were the first parts of multi-issue storylines, and featured major changes to the status quo of each character, often intentionally left unexplained as these details would be filled in by the remaining issues of Infinite Crisis and the 52 series.
Numerous prominent heroes were missing or inactive for most of the year as the "One Year Later" issues commenced. Heroes known to have been gone for the missing year were Aquaman, Batman, Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, Nightwing, Robin, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The Flash has been missing, but Jay Garrick had been protecting Keystone City in his absence.
Countdown (to Final Crisis) | 2007 | A weekly series that started a week following the end of 52, Countdown acts as the "spine" to the DC Universe that, as the name suggests, counts down to a new event for 2008. The series crosses over with certain titles and deals with Jimmy Olsen getting super powers, Mary Marvel trying to get her powers back, and a plot with the Monitors that involves the new Multiverse and the three characters that were supposed to die in Infinite Crisis: Jason Todd, Donna Troy, & Kyle Rayner. |
Countdown was bannered as a bridge to all four of the Crisis leadup titles, but featured each of them unevenly. The main plot was essentially an extended prologue to The OMAC Project. The events of Day of Vengeance were foreshadowed, when the Beetle confronted the wizard Shazam, but no particular hints about that title were made. The Rann-Thanagar War was mentioned on a single page, but seemed to already be underway in the story. The main characters of Villains United were featured in a single chapter of the book, but one that did not connect to the Blue Beetle storyline in any way.
Countdown consists of 51 issues, number in reverse, published weekly for one year, crossing over with noteworthy and significant titles published by DC. The series covers much of the fictional DC Universe - told in parallel narratives, through the interconnecting stories of a cast of characters, and frequently crosses over with various other DC titles. Unlike the 52 limited series of the previous year, Countdown is not depicted as taking place in "real time" but presumably operates on the same vague timescale as DC Comics stories in general.
The series follows the success of 52, which, in contrast, did not cross over with DC's other regular titles. 52 concluded with the revelation that the Multiverse (a storytelling device which posits the existence of alternate realities) exists, and which now serves as a backdrop to several stories in Countdown. Beginning with issue #26, the series trade dress was reworked to identify the series as Countdown to Final Crisis, The stories taking place in Countdown set the stage for the approaching Final Crisis limited series.
| Death of the New Gods | 2008 | The series follows the final days of the New Gods as they are stalked by a mysterious killer. |
The series begins with Darkseid recalling how he first became aware of a growing crisis with the death of Willie Walker. Walker, who is the corporeal form of the Black Racer, is seen being killed by an unidentified figure who tears out his heart; the same fate that had met all the other New Gods who were killed. Orion, Himon, and others discover the full extent of the death toll when on screens shows the New Gods who have been killed and others who are still missing. The Forever People are shown to be missing and two of them are prime suspects as Serifan and Beautiful Dreamer are both seen leaving two of the murders. Orion blames Darkseid; Takion asks him to hold off until further information can be revealed. Mister Miracle's wife, Big Barda, is killed in their kitchen while his back is turned. The Justice League comes to investigate Barda's murder. Dr. Mid-Nite performs an autopsy which doesn't reveal how she was killed. Mr. Miracle contemplates using the Anti-Life Equation to bring his wife back, but stops himself. He receives an urgent summons back to New Genesis. Superman and Mr. Miracle bring Barda's body back to New Genesis. Darkseid asks Desaad to investigate these murders by having him examine Justeen, who was also murdered. Superman and Mr. Miracle arrive on New Genesis. Orion is insulted by Superman's presence and attacks him. Metron arrives and reveals what the cause of death is to all the New Gods. Darkseid has also come to the same conclusion: their souls have been taken from them. Darkseid wonders if all his theories on the Anti-Life Equation were actually true or not.
| Gotham Underground | The series looked at the repercussions of Countdown to Final Crisis and focuses on the Batman Family banding together to prevent a gang war to find out who will occupy the territory that belonged to the recently deceased Black Mask. |
A group of people hidden in the shadows targets Man-Bat with their hi-tech gadgetry and take him captive. Talking amongst themselves, they discuss what their next target will be. At Gotham City's Police headquarters, Commissioner Gordon lights the Bat-Signal, but only Robin answers the call. Gordon tells him about the recent upsurge in gang-related violence. Dozens of would-be crime lords are trying to fill the vacancy created by the death of Black Mask. Meanwhile, Batman infiltrates the Iceberg Lounge in the guise of henchman Matches Malone. He wants to keep an eye on the Penguin's recent activities. He knows that the Penguin is projecting the image of a legitimate businessman, but he suspects that Penguin may also be the ringleader behind an "underground railroad" for supervillains. As the Penguin conducts his affairs, Two-Face enters the club and wants in on his underground railroad project. Penguin tells him to meet him later after hours. Elsewhere, Nightwing and Alfred Pennyworth investigate another nightclub where wagers are placed on hero/villain battle outcomes. Nightwing raids the gambling den and takes down all of the goons. He is surprised however by the hi-tech weaponry that these low level thugs now have access to. At Giovanni's Ristorante, the leaders of two of Gotham's more powerful criminal gangs, the Galantes and the Odessas, meet to discuss territory. Their meeting is interrupted by Tobias Whale who announces his intention of taking control of Gotham's underworld. Later, the Penguin holds a meeting with several of Gotham's most notorious villains including Hugo Strange, Two-Face, Scarecrow and Mad Hatter. Matches Malone spies on the meeting from behind a darkened alcove. Suddenly, the Suicide Squad bursts into the room and attacks the assemblage of villains. Bane knocks Matches Malone out with a single punch.
Final Crisis | 2008 | The event that started at the conclusion of Countdown. Started May 2008. Batman is apparently killed by Darkseid in this event. In reality, he is trapped in the past, where he witnessed Anthro's death. Barry Allen, who died in Crisis on Infinite Earths, returns to life in this event. |
It directly follows DC Universe #0 after the conclusion of the 51-issue Countdown to Final Crisis weekly limited series. Promotion about the limited series describes its story as "the day evil won". The series deals with alien villain Darkseid's plot to overthrow reality, and the subsequent death and corruption of various DC characters and their universe.
References to Infinite Crisis as the "middle Crisis" gave readers the impression there would be at least one additional major follow-up to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. A May 2007 teaser poster confirmed this speculation with the tagline: "Heroes die. Legends live forever."
Final Crisis was preceded by Countdown, a year-long weekly series which was meant as a follow-up to 52. Halfway through, the series was re-named Countdown to Final Crisis. However, the artwork met with delays.] To keep the release on schedule, Countdown wrapped with issue #1 and its planned final issue (#0) was revamped as a 50 cent one-shot special called DC Universe #0. Besides hyping upcoming storylines such as "Batman R.I.P." and "Blackest Night," the issue was narrated by Barry Allen and featured Libra leading a group of super-villains in prayer for the "god of evil", Darkseid. The result is, as described by Morrison, that "we’re watching him fall back through the present, into the past of Seven Soldiers where he finally comes to rest in the body of 'Boss Dark Side’, the gangster from that story."
Metron of the New Gods is shown at the dawn of human civilization giving Anthro the gift of fire, proclaiming, "Here is knowledge." In the present day, detective Dan Turpin discovers a dying Orion. The Guardians of the Universe inform the Green Lantern Corps that a god has been murdered. The superhuman community becomes involved. Libra recruits a supervillain army, killing the Martian Manhunter in a display of power. While investigating the area where Orion's death occurred, Green Lantern John Stewart is nearly killed by an unknown assailant using a Green Lantern power ring. Hal Jordan is framed for the attack.
The superhuman community becomes aware of a plot by the New Gods of Apokolips to enslave humanity. After discovering that John Stewart's attacker was an Alpha Lantern named Kraken, Batman is abducted. Superman leaves Earth in order to save the life of Lois Lane. Freddy Freeman, Supergirl, the new Aquaman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and many other heroes get invites for Article X by Alan Scott which is actually a Superhero Draft. They join most of Earth's heroes in the JLA's Hall of Justice. Mary Marvel, whose body is possessed by Desaad, infects Wonder Woman with morticoccus, the "god bacterium" designed to strip Earth's heroes of their powers. Barry Allen, the second Flash, returns from the dead and attempts to prevent Orion's murder. The Evil Gods' forces release the Anti-Life Equation on modern means of communication, turning half of humanity into mindless slaves of Darkseid.
| The Flash: Rebirth | 2009 | The series features characters from throughout the nearly seventy year history of Flash comics. The storyline follows the "rebirth" of the Silver Age Flash Barry Allen, after an initial return in the pages of DC's 2008 crossover event Final Crisis. |
Two forensics scientists in Central City are killed by a mysterious man wielding a spear with a lightning bolt-shaped tip. He rearranges several containers of chemicals on the shelves and, using the spear as a lightning rod, recreates the accident that first gave Barry Allen his powers. He escapes from arriving police officers with a dash of super-speed, his thoughts indicating he is somehow responsible for Barry Allen's return.
In Central City and Keystone City, Linda Park-West announces that a celebration will be held for the return of the Flash. Different members of the Flash family react to Barry's return: at Justice Society headquarters, Jay Garrick recounts how Barry inspired him to return to superheroics; at Titans Tower East, Wally West remembers Barry with fondness and respect; at Titans Tower West, a newly returned Bart Allen views his grandfather's return with skepticism, admitting a desire for things to "go back to the way it used to be", as well as feeling angry that Barry is the only one to escape the Speed Force (referencing Max Mercury); and Iris West Allen waits happily for her husband to come home. However, Iris receives a phone call from police Captain Frye, who asks for Barry's help.
Barry Allen is visiting the Flash Museum, where he meets with Hal Jordan. Barry is studying the exhibits to catch up on everything that has occurred in his absence. He admits that his memory from his time spent in the Speed Force is fading. Barry also reveals that he feels he was not supposed to come back, and that the Speed Force is trying to draw him back in.
Superman
| Braniac | 2008 | The story is notable for several major plotlines regarding Superman: besides featuring the death of Superman's adopted father Jonathan Kent, it features the return of the pre-Crisis bottled city of Kandor as well the return of the original Silver Age incarnation of Brainiac. |
Plot Summary
In flashback, Brainiac steals the city of Kandor. In the present time the Daily Planet is having a staff meeting attended by Perry White, Lois Lane, Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, and Ron Troupe as well as Cat Grant and Steve Lombard, who have recently returned to the staff. Clark hears a mysterious noise with his super hearing and goes to investigate as Superman.
He discovers the noise was a Brainiac drone, sent to try to locate Superman. Superman promptly defeats the drone and takes it back to the Fortress of Solitude. With help from Supergirl it is revealed that Superman has never fought Brainiac before, and all earlier encounters Superman has ever had with Brainiac has been with one of his probes. It is also revealed that Kara was on Krypton when Brainiac stole Kandor, and because of this is terrified of Brainiac.
After visiting the Kents, Superman then goes flying all through the galaxy in an attempt to track down Brainiac. He discovers his probes on one planet, and witnesses Brainiac capture a city like he did with Kandor. Brainiac also fires a missile into that planet's sun, causing the sun to explode and destroy the planet.
The explosion knocks Superman unconscious and he is brought upon Brainiac’s ship. When Superman awakes he escapes and makes his way around Brainiac's ship. There he discovers a room full of thousands of bottled cities, including Kandor. At this point the true Brainiac reveals himself. It is revealed that Brainiac has been collecting information of all the planets he has been destroying and the next planet he decides to attack is Earth, including capturing Superman and Supergirl as the last remnants of Krypton.
| Superman: New Krypton | 2009 | The story features Superman coming to terms with the death of his adoptive father while also dealing with 100,000 Kryptonians now living on Earth as a result of the Brainiac story arc. |
Plot Summary
Following the events of the "Brainiac" story arc, the entire city of Kandor now resides near the Fortress of Solitude in the North Pole, populated by 100,000 Kryptonians.
Although distracted by the recent death of his adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, Superman attempts to aid the Kryptonians in their assimilation with the rest of the Earth, something very few Kryptonians seem interested in, including the city’s leaders, Zor-El and Alura, Supergirl’s parents.
After the first televised meeting between the President of the United States and a delegation from Kandor is interrupted by a rampaging Doomsday, Zor-El and Alura form a task force determined to preemptively end any future threat to Kandor by capturing Superman’s worst villains and trapping them in the Phantom Zone. However, several human police officers are killed when they refuse to hand over the Parasite, enraging Superman.
| Superman: World of New Krypton | 2009 | World of New Krypton takes place after the crossover Superman: New Krypton, in which approximately 100,000 Kryptonians and their city of Kandor are saved by Superman from the alien Brainiac and restored to existence. After spending time on Earth, the Kryptonians raise the city into space where they form the planet New Krypton in Earth's solar system. |
Plot Summary
For the majority of 2009, this was the only DC Comics title that Superman appeared in.[3] Action Comics and Superman will have new feature characters for the duration of World of New Krypton, with the new incarnation of Nightwing and Flamebird in Action Comics and the Guardian and Mon-El in Superman.
Due to the expansive nature of DC's 2009 summer event Blackest Night, World of New Krypton co-writer Greg Rucka stated, "Superman's on Earth in August." This ended up being foreshadowing for the tie-in mini-series Blackest Night: Superman, which was written by James Robinson and penciled by former Action artist Eddy Barrows. Superman also appears in the main Blackest Night title by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis in a supporting role, with the main characters in that series being Green Lantern and The Flash.
The events of the series will lead into the major War of the Supermen storyline.
Superman: War of the Supermen | 2010 | Serves as the culmination to the Superman line-wide event New Krypton. The whole event is portrayed as a "100 Minute War" in the narrative's time, although the whole event lasted one month in May 2010. No other Superman family books were solicited that month. |
Following the events of New Krypton, World of New Krypton and Last Stand of New Krypton, the people of the new planet Krypton and Earth wage war after General Zod issues a formal declaration after discovering a human (Lex Luthor) helped destroy their planet. Superman himself is caught in the crossfire and must keep peace between Earth and the people that represent his heritage.
As the series opens on the heels of the conclusion to Last Stand of New Krypton, Superman is furious that General Zod is moving forward with his plans to make war with Earth. He punches his way into Zod's underground military installation and confronts him. Superman declares his intent to shut down Zod and his war machine. He punctuates his remarks by landing a hard right fist to Zod's jaw.
Rather than retaliate personally, Zod has his minions, Ursa and Non, do his dirty work. Ursa attacks Superman with a Kryptonite knife, which draws blood. Superman damages the knife with his heat vision, but does not completely destroy it. Then Non attacks from above, descending feet first and landing hard on Superman. Non and Ursa gang up on Superman, using the broken Kryptonite knife to restrain him while Zod gloats. Superman manages to break free and lunge at Zod, but Ursa and Non again provide interference.
The entire time, Superman and Zod are engaged in dialogue; recapping the events of Brainiac through Last Stand while Zod gloats and threatens to destroy all humans on Earth and Superman expresses his determination to prevent this. On the final two-page spread, we see countless Kryptonians speeding towards Earth in the first wave of the attack.
The Batman
| Cataclysm | 1998 | The story takes place in the aftermath of "Batman: Contagion" and "Batman: Legacy." The story begins with Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor, which comes tumbling down on top of Batman and Alfred. In the aftermath of the destruction, Batman and his allies join the frantic rescue efforts around the devastated city. |
Seismologist Dr. Jolene Relazzo believed the Gotham area was due for a major earthquake as her gear began registering hits nearing the city. Oracle (Barbara Gordon) lost connection with the Batcave at 7:03 p.m. while giving a report when a 7.6 earthquake hit Gotham City. Batman was swept up by the rising currents from an underground stream and Alfred fell into the cave from the crumbling Wayne Manor above. Oracle headed to Gotham City Police Department HQ to find her father and rally the troops.
Shortly after the quake, it appeared Wayne-owned buildings were the only ones left without major structural damage. Bruce Wayne had seen to it that all of his buildings were quake-proof up to 8.5. However, Wayne Manor and the Batcave were destroyed. With all the exits blocked, Batman strapped on scuba gear and promised Alfred he would be back soon. Barbara Gordon rallied the police force, and Detective Harvey Bullock had found Commissioner Gordon. At 8:52 p.m., the first aftershock hit.
"Batman: Cataclysm" reading order:
- Prelude: Detective Comics #719
- Part 1: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73
- Part 2: Nightwing (vol. 2) #19
- Part 3: Batman #553
- Part 4: Azrael #40
- Part 5: Detective Comics #720
- Part 6: Catwoman (vol. 2) #56
- Part 7: Robin (vol. 2) #52
- Part 8: Batman: Blackgate - Isle of Men #1
- Part 9: Shadow of the Bat #74
- Part 10: The Batman Chronicles #12
- Part 11: Nightwing (vol. 2) #20
- Part 12: Batman #554
- Part 13: Batman: Huntress/Spoiler - Blunt Trauma #1
- Part 14: Detective Comics #721
- Part 15: Catwoman (vol. 2) #57
- Part 16: Batman: Arkham Asylum - Tales of Madness #1
- Conclusion: Robin (vol. 2) #53
- Part 1: Batman 555
- Part 2: Batman 556
- Part 3: Batman 557
- Part 4: Batman 558
- Part 5: Batman 559
- Part 6: Detective Comics 722
- Part 7: Detective Comics 724
- Part 8: Detective Comics 725
- Part 9: Detective Comics 726
- Part 10: Robin 54
- Part 11: Shadow of the Bat 75
- Part 12: Shadow of the Bat 76
- Part 13: Shadow of the Bat 77
- Part 14: Shadow of the Bat 78
- Part 15: Shadow of the Bat 79
- Part 16: Batman Chronicles 14
| No Man’s Land | 1999 | The lead-up story began with the "Cataclysm" story arc, which described a major earthquake hitting Gotham City. This was followed by the storylines "Aftershock" and then "Road to No Man's Land" which resulted in the U.S. government officially evacuating Gotham and then abandoning and isolating those who chose to remain in the city. "No Man’s Land" covered, in detail, a period in the lives of the residents of the city, explaining all events from the time of isolation, until its time of re-opening and the beginning of rebuilding. |
Plot Summary
Gotham City had suffered the results of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the earlier Cataclysm storyline. In response, the U.S government declared Gotham a "no man's land," destroyed all bridges leading to Gotham and forbade people from entering or exiting.
The city was swiftly carved up by gangs and various supervillains Batman had battled over the years. Jim Gordon and several members of the Gotham police department stayed behind to protect civilians. Oracle and Huntress also ended up on the inside. Bruce Wayne (Batman) left the city to lobby the government to not cut Gotham off, but failed. Gordon and his men waited for his return, but by the time he returned more than three months later, they believed he had abandoned Gotham.
Huntress attempts to keep order, fashioning a Batgirl costume. She soon discovers that criminals fear her more as Batgirl than they do Huntress and succeeds in holding territory of her own. When Batman returns, he allows her to continue to use the costume. However, when she fails to hold off Two-Face and his army of men and loses Batman's territory, she abandons the costume.
- Batman: No Man's Land #0-1
- Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files & Origins #1
- Young Justice in No Man's Land #1
- Batman: Harley Quinn (graphic novel)
- Batman: Day of Judgment (also part of Day of Judgment)
- Detective Comics #730-741
- Batman #563-574
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-126
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-94
- The Batman Chronicles #16-18
- Catwoman #72-77
- Robin #67-73
- Nightwing #35-39
- Azrael #50-61
- JLA #32
- Hitman #37-46
| Batman R.I.P. | The story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands. It has a number of tie-ins in other DC Comics titles describing events not told in the main story. |
DC Universe #0 shed some light on the potential plot of the series, with a scene between Batman and the Joker written as a prelude to the upcoming storyline. In the sequence, Batman confronts the Joker about the mysterious "Black Glove," villain(s) who were behind the attempt to kill Batman during Morrison's "International Club of Heroes" arc in Batman #667-669. The Joker, nonchalantly dealing out a "dead man's hand" from a deck of cards, taunts Batman regarding his fear of the mystery villain and how the Black Glove intends on destroying him.
In the beginning, Batman is pre-occupied with the recovery of Catwoman's heart, as the demented Hush had cut it out and left her relying on a complicated machine to keep her alive. Once Batman recovered her heart and stopped Hush's twisted plan to take over Bruce Wayne's life, Batman's life turns in a completely different direction.
R.I.P. Reading order
- Batman #676-681
- Detective Comics #846-850 "Heart of Hush" (Takes place immediately before Morrison's officially titled main "Batman R.I.P." storyline)
- Nightwing #147-150 "The Great Leap" (Epilogued in Nightwing #151. Labeled "Last Rites")
- Robin #175-176
- Batman and the Outsiders #11-13 (Takes place in accordance with Batman #680-681)
| Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne | 2010 | Bruce Wayne returns to present-day Gotham City after the events of Final Crisis. |
Struck by the time-and-space-bending Omega Beams of the alien god Darkseid, an amnesiac Bruce Wayne is cast back in time to the dawn of history. Nearly killed by a tribe of Neanderthals led by the immortal caveman who will become Vandal Savage, Wayne is rescued by a younger human, who returns his utility belt to him. Operating more on instinct than actual knowledge, Wayne dons the pelt of a giant bat and uses the tools in his belt against the cavemen, but is eventually forced to flee by jumping over a waterfall. When he recovers at the bottom, he finds he has jumped further forward in time, arriving in Puritan times.
His first act in this new era is to save a woman named Annie from a monstrous, tentacled creature, after which he tries to build a life for himself in the small colony of Gotham. Calling himself "Mordecai", he joins the ranks of the local witch-hunters alongside his own ancestor Nathaniel Wayne, and uses his forensic skills to solve crimes that might otherwise be blamed on witchcraft. When Annie is revealed to be a witch and claims responsibility for summoning the monster, Bruce is unable to stop her being hanged by Nathaniel. Annie curses the Wayne family before she dies. Wayne again finds himself catapulted forward in time.
| Battle for the Cowl | 2009 | After the apparent "death" of Batman, the heroes and villains of Gotham decide who will take up the mantle next. |
Plot Summary
The prelude to the story begins with Grant Morrison's Batman and Son, which is the first in a five part volume that includes The Black Glove and Batman R.I.P.
In Batman R.I.P. Batman is confronted by the head of the Black Glove himself, Dr. Hurt, who claims to actually be Batman's father, Thomas. He drugs Batman and leaves him for dead in the streets while systematically hunting down his partners. But Batman's preparation keeps him alive, as he regains his faculties and attacks the doctor. They appear to both plunge to their deaths in a helicopter crash.
In Last Rites it is told that Batman survives the attack, and goes on to join the Justice League in investigating the death of the New God Orion. However, he's ultimately captured by Granny Goodness and locked into a cloning device, with the intent of creating an army of mindless "bat-men" soldiers for Darkseid. But during the memory download stage, experiencing the collective trauma of Batman's entire life all at once proves too much for the clones, who commit mass suicide as he escapes.
Eventually Batman confronts Darkseid. Realizing there is no other alternative, he uses the Radion-coated bullet used to murder Orion, and shoots Darkseid. However, before falling to his injuries, Darkseid apparently vaporizes Batman with the Omega Sanction. It is implied though, that due to the nature of the Omega Sanction, Bruce's mind survived where his body did not and he rematerialized in the distant past.
Superman returns Batman's "body" to his partners. Chaos quickly breaks out in Gotham without Batman guarding it. Taking advantage of the madness, Penguin and Two-Face quickly take control of the different factions of the mobs.
| Bruce Wayne: The Road Home | 2010 | The event deals with the return of Bruce Wayne and the effect that it has on a number of Gotham's heroes and villains and the impact upon Dick Grayson, who has been using the alias Batman since Battle for the Cowl. |
Plot Summary
During October all Batman titles will be suspended in favor of eight one-shots, each dealing with a hero or villain. A final, ninth one-shot simply titled "Batman the Return" will round out the event and act as a launching pad for the new continuity of the Batman universe and specifically for Batman, Inc., a new monthly ongoing title premiering in November being written by Grant Morrison.
More than one year after the supposed death of Batman during Final Crisis, Bruce Wayne returns, armed with a new technologically advanced suit, as well as a new identity, The Insider. The Insider, recording his exploits in the White Casebook, determines how each of the people that played a great part in the life of the first Batman have been coping since his death.
Green Lantern
| Emerald Twilight | 1994 | It caused great consternation among comic fandom, as it transformed the well-established silver age super-hero Hal Jordan into the super villain Parallax. The story introduced a new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, who gained a significant fan following. |
Plot Summary
In Green Lantern #46, as part of the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline, the extraterrestrial villain Mongul teams up with a Cyborg Superman that had been passing himself off as the real Superman. They use a series of bombs to destroy Hal Jordan's home city of Coast City with the intention of using the area as one of four way-stations for a giant engine that would ultimately transform Earth into the massive spaceship Warworld. Hal Jordan returns to the city to find a massive fortress-engine standing in the ruins of his home and furiously attacks, hearing the voices of those killed crying out in his mind. The voices fall silent when Jordan defeats Mongul in battle. Hal also witnesses the return of Superman, who has defeated the Cyborg elsewhere in the city.
In issue #47, he teamed up with Green Arrow for a completely different mission, and at the end of the issue, his thoughts once again turn to Coast City.
Issue #48 began with Hal in the center of what used to be Coast City, clutching the remains of a doll - the only physical evidence of the seven million people who once lived there. In a moment of pure anguish, Hal uses his power ring to re-create Coast City, down to the people who had previously died, including his father. When his ring’s energy runs out, one of the Guardians of the Universe contacts him via a holographic projection to tell him he is in violation of one of the principal rules of the Green Lantern Corps, which forbids Lanterns from using their rings for personal gain. Enraged, Hal siphons off the energy from the projection and makes his way to the Guardians’ planet Oa, with the intent of bleeding off all the energy from the Main Power Battery in order to permanently re-create Coast City. Issue #49 saw him going up against various members of the Green Lantern Corps, each of whom fell against Hal, until he got to Oa. Hal steals the rings from each defeated colleague and leaves them for dead.
Issue #50 sees Hal battle the renegade former Green Lantern Sinestro on Oa, who had been previously imprisoned in the Main Battery, but released by the Guardians to stop Jordan. Jordan kills Sinestro, as well as his fellow Green Lantern Kilowog. The Guardians, having realized that their cause was lost, had given all their remaining energy to the Guardian named Ganthet, who become the sole Guardian after this energy transference resulted in the death of the rest of them. Hal takes all the energy in the Central Power Battery, and when he emerged from it, he has a new costume and takes the name Parallax.
This storyline was retconned in Green Lantern: Rebirth. Hal Jordan's murderous actions were the result of being under the dual influences of Sinestro (who was puppeteering a hard-light duplicate of himself in the battery) and a fear-inducing entity Parallax. Jordan's eventually resurrected and returns as a Green Lantern once more as well as resuming his career as a captain within the United States Air Force. His returns also signal the rebirth of the Green Lantern Corps.
| Green Lantern: Rebirth | 2004 | The storyline follows the "rebirth" of the Silver Age Green Lantern Hal Jordan as he overcomes fear itself in the form of the cosmic entity Parallax. The series starred various members of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Guy Gardner. It revived elements of the Green Lantern mythos including the Guardians of the Universe, Kilowog and the villain Sinestro, while introducing new concepts such as the emotional spectrum. |
In 1994, DC Comics decided to do away with Hal Jordan, who had been the perennial Green Lantern of Earth since his first DC Comics appearance in 1959, and replace him with a new character to carry on the Green Lantern legacy, Kyle Rayner, in the hopes of attracting new readers with a younger character. The storyline, ”Emerald Twilight”, which began in Green Lantern (vol. 3) #48 (January 1994), involved Hal Jordan descending into madness following the complete destruction of his home town, Coast City, by the villain Cyborg Superman, and becoming the villain Parallax. Jordan went on a rampage on the planet Oa, the planetary citadel of the Guardians of the Universe, who oversee and administer the Corps. He killed some fellow Green Lanterns who opposed him, and all the Guardians save for one, Ganthet. He also destroyed the Central Power Battery, with which all Green Lanterns recharge their power rings, and even killed the renegade former GL, Sinestro, whom Jordan himself had exposed as a criminal who used his power ring to enslave his planet, and whom the Guardians apparently freed from his imprisonment in their Central Power Battery in a failed attempt to stop Jordan. Jordan then attempted to destroy all of existence so that he could recreate it to his liking in the 1994 miniseries and crossover storyline, Zero Hour.
The Emerald Twilight debacle, as scripted by Ron Marz, provoked severe outrage amongst many Green Lantern fans. While attempting to retain Kyle Rayner as the sole remaining Green Lantern, DC responded with more than one attempt to redeem Jordan’s image and hopefully placate the irate fans, first in the 1996 Final Night miniseries and crossover storyline, in which Jordan sacrificed his life in order to re-ignite Earth’s sun, and then in the 1999 Day of Judgment miniseries, in which his soul, languishing in purgatory, was chosen as the newest host for God’s “Spirit of Vengeance”, known as The Spectre.
These attempts, however, failed to placate the fans. In 2004, following the cancellation of the Hal Jordan as The Spectre comic, and a dropoff in sales of the Green Lantern comic as well as the character's prominent appearance in the popular DC: The New Frontier, DC decided to give in to a decade of demands from fandom. First, the Green Lantern monthly series was canceled with issue #181, and Geoff Johns was assigned to write Green Lantern: Rebirth, which would pave the way for Jordan's return as a Green Lantern. The series would also answer lingering questions about Jordan's character, as well as reveal the decades-long mystery of why the Green Lantern power rings, the powerful weapons assigned to each Lantern that allow them to conjure virtually any form of matter or energy, were unable to affect anything yellow in color.
Plot Summary
A spacecraft suddenly falls out of the sky, crashing near 2 hikers, and inside they find the Green Lantern of Earth, Kyle Rayner, injured and weak, who mumbles “It has a name”, and then collapses near a long green object that appears to be a coffin.
A series of strange and disturbing incidents then begins to occur. Jordan, pronouncing judgment on the villain Black Hand, becomes unable to focus clearly, and senses that something is wrong, telling his friend Oliver Queen (aka Green Arrow), “None of this should have happened. This isn’t me. This isn’t who I am.” The shape-shifting Vuldarian physiology of former GL Guy Gardner begins going haywire. Coast City, long destroyed, suddenly reappears to two pilots flying over it, though the only building that is restored is Hal Jordan’s old home.
Back in Highway Hill, Rayner, semi-conscious, tells the hikers that he has “to show them”. As he passes out, his power ring begins speaking, “Parallax is coming…”
| Sinestro Corps War | 2007 | The Sinestro Corps gather strength by freeing Superboy-Prime and reactivating Warworld. |
Plot Summary
"Sinestro Corps War" is an American comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in its Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps titles. Written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and drawn by Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, and Ethan Van Sciver, the 11-part saga was originally published between June and December 2007. In addition to the main storyline, four supplemental "Tales of the Sinestro Corps" one-shot specials and a Blue Beetle tie-in issue were concurrently released.
The story centers around the Green Lanterns of Earth—Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Guy Gardner—and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps as they fight an interstellar war against the Sinestro Corps, an army led by the former Green Lantern Sinestro who are armed with yellow power rings and seek a universe ruled through fear.
Critical and fan reception to "Sinestro Corps War" was highly positive. Many reviewers ranked it among the top comic books of the year and the storyline's first issue garnered a 2008 Eisner Award nomination for Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team. The storyline was also a financial success, and several issues underwent multiple printings. "Sinestro Corps War" is the second part of a trilogy in the Green Lantern storyline, preceded by the 2005 miniseries Green Lantern: Rebirth. The conclusion of "Sinestro Corps War" sets up the third and final part of the trilogy, Blackest Night, which was published in 2009.
Following his defeat in Green Lantern: Rebirth, the events of Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 see the supervillain Sinestro retreat to the planet Qward in the Antimatter Universe. There he amasses an army, the Sinestro Corps, that he selects based upon their ability to "instill great fear". Each member is armed with a yellow power ring, mirroring the green ones of the Green Lantern Corps. Amongst Sinestro's allies are Parallax and the resurrected Anti-Monitor. The Sinestro Corps then launch an all-out assault against the Green Lantern Corps and the universe itself.
Blackest Night | 2009 | An all out war between the living heroes and villans and the Black Lantern Corps and the DC Universe stemming from the war of light. |
The storyline was first mentioned at the conclusion of the "Sinestro Corps War" in Green Lantern vol. 4, #25. As the war between the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps reaches its climax, the four Green Lanterns of Earth (Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner) are told by the Guardians Ganthet and Sayd of the "Blackest Night" prophecy. According to the prophecy, the two existing Corps would be joined by five new ones, each driven by a specific emotion and empowered by a specific color of the emotional spectrum, leading to a "War of Light" that would subsequently destroy the universe. Johns says the prophecy has its origins in the story "Tygers" by Alan Moore, which touches on the rising up of the Guardians' enemies, like the Weaponers of Qward, Ranx the Sentient City, and the Children of the White Lobe, and the destruction of the Green Lanterns, showing Sodam Yat and Mogo dying. Atrocitus, however, denies the accuracy of this prophecy, suggesting that it blended the Blackest Night and the Sinestro Corps War with pure falsehood.
The teaser for the storyline stated that "...the armies of fear and willpower must come together, because across the Universe, the dead will rise." A decomposing hand was shown coming out of the ground with a black ring on its finger. The symbol on the ring is of Green Lantern villain Black Hand. Both Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver have stated that "Blackest Night" is the third part of a Green Lantern event trilogy that began with Rebirth and continued with "Sinestro Corps War". In an interview with IGN, Johns stated that he has the monthly Green Lantern book plotted up until issue #55. More details for the event were revealed in DC Universe #0, which depicted Green Lantern villain Black Hand discovering the black power battery on the planet of Ryut.
In Gotham City, Black Hand removes a skull from Bruce Wayne's grave and carries it around with him as a Black Lantern power battery begins to charge.
The Guardians of Oa observe the War of Light and realize that Ganthet and Sayd have been right but are kept from intervening by Scar, who swiftly kills one and imprisons the rest. Thousands of black rings assault the Corps' crypt, creating a Black Lantern Corps as Hal Jordan and the newly revived Flash investigate Bruce Wayne's grave and are attacked by Black Lantern Martian Manhunter. On Oa, the Green Lanterns are met by all of the formerly deceased Lanterns now reborn as Black Lanterns. Hawkgirl and Hawkman are killed by Black Lanterns Elongated Man and Sue Dibny and also join the growing Black Corps.
| Brightest Day | 2010 | The events immediately following the final moments of the Blackest Night. |
At the end of Blackest Night, 12 heroes and villains were resurrected for some unknown purpose. The events of Brightest Day follow the exploits of these heroes and villains as they attempt to learn the secret behind their salvation.
Brightest Day #7 revealed that the 12 resurrected must complete an individual assignment given to them by the White Lantern Entity. If they are successful, their life will be fully returned.
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