History Main / ComicBookLimbo

* In UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, Creator/MarvWolfman created a team called the Forgotten Heroes, whose members were old [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] characters that hadn't appeared in years, like Cave Carson, ComicBook/RipHunter, Dolphin, and ComicBook/AnimalMan. Animal Man has become a more prominent character since then, but the others are still pretty obscure even today. In Dolphin's case, she was initially a one-shot character from a 1968 ''Showcase'' issue. Besides being added to Aquaman's supporting cast, she has had few other appearances in the last 50 years. Hunter, at least, got a ColbertBump, albeit in another medium, when he popped up on ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''.

* In UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, Creator/MarvWolfman created a team called the Forgotten Heroes, whose members were old [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] characters that hadn't appeared in years, like Cave Carson, ComicBook/RipHunter, Dolphin, and ComicBook/Animal Man. Animal Man has become a more prominent character since then, but the others are still pretty obscure even today. In Dolphin's case, she was initially a one-shot character from a 1968 ''Showcase'' issue. Besides being added to Aquaman's supporting cast, she has had few other appearances in the last 50 years. Hunter, at least, got a ColbertBump, albeit in another medium, when he popped up on ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''.

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]

* Comic Book Limbo was later revisited in the Morrison-penned ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' tie-in Superman Beyond. By Franchise/{{Superman}}. This results in the ''invasion'' of Comic Book Limbo and the King of Limbo (Merryman, one of the ''ComicBook/InferiorFive'') yelling "LIMBO SAYS NO!"

* ComicBook/{{Darkhawk}} was in limbo for a few years, recently returning in a few crossovers.
* ''Franchise/XMen'':

** And not even they are absolutely safe. In the early 80's, DC blamed Superman's declining sales on his spin-off characters. In 1985, [[ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths Kara Zor-El]] was killed off and her character consigned to Limbo. Krypto and the criminals of the PhantomZone followed right after. DC intended they were gone permanently, but eighteen years and half dozen of failed Supergirl replacements later, DC gave up and brought Kara Zor-El -and later everyone else- back.

* In UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, Creator/MarvWolfman created a team called the Forgotten Heroes, whose members were old [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] characters that hadn't appeared in years, like Cave Carson, ComicBook/RipHunter, Dolphin, and Animal Man. ComicBook/AnimalMan has become a more prominent character since then, but the others are still pretty obscure even today. In Dolphin's case, she was initially a one-shot character from a 1968 ''Showcase'' issue. Besides being added to Aquaman's supporting cast, she has had few other appearances in the last 50 years. Hunter, at least, got a ColbertBump, albeit in another medium, when he popped up on ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''.

* ''ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls'' saw its final comic book appearance under DC Comics in July of 2009 in issue #59 of Cartoon Network Block Party (its final issue as a singular title was issue #70 in January 2007). IDW revived it in September 2013.

* ''ComicBook/CrystarCrystalWarrior'': Crystar and his supporting cast on planet Crystalium hadn't been seen since their 1980's series. Despite having been part of a [[MerchandiseDriven toy tie-in,]] Marvel owns all rights to the characters and could have brought them back at any time. At long last, the characters reappeared in the revival of ''[[Comicbook/{{Weirdworld}} Weirdworld]].''

* Comic Book Limbo was later revisited in the Morrison-penned ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' tie-in Superman Beyond. By Franchise/{{Superman}}. This results in the ''invasion'' of Comic Book Limbo and the King of Limbo (Merryman, one of the Inferior Five) yelling "LIMBO SAYS NO!"

* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} - After his series was almost cancelled, he had a dream in which he sits in camp with heroes of many closed titles.
* ''[[ComicBook/AntMan Irredeemable Ant-Man]]'' - The last issue's cover shows the titular character fighting many forgotten heroes and screaming that he will never share their fate.

* In UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, Creator/MarvWolfman created a team called the Forgotten Heroes, whose members were old [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] characters that hadn't appeared in years, like Cave Carson, ComicBook/RipHunter, Dolphin, and Animal Man. ComicBook/AnimalMan has become a more prominent character since then, but the others are still pretty obscure even today. In Dolphin's case, she was initially a one-shot character from a 1968 ''Showcase'' issue. Besides being added to Aquaman's supporting cast, she has had few other appearances in the last 50 years.

** Every time the Man of Steel is rebooted, the entirey of his non-essential supporting cast is left behind and forgotten. The only characters who have survived every reboot are his biological parents, the Kents, ComicBook/LoisLane, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen, Perry White, ComicBook/LanaLang, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} -Kara Zor-El- and ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog.

* In UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, Creator/MarvWolfman created a team called the Forgotten Heroes, whose members were old [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] characters that hadn't appeared in years, like Cave Carson, ComicBook/RipHunter, Dolphin, and Animal Man. ComicBook/AnimalMan has become a more prominent character since then, but the others are still pretty obscure even today.

** As a bit of a HilariousInHindsight / HarsherInHindsight, he ''did'' escape limbo as a member of the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} and ComicBook/SecretAvengers...only to be [[DroppedABridgeOnHim violently killed off]] as soon as Marvel decided to [[DyingToBeReplaced bring back]] [[TheChosenMany the Scott Lang version of Ant-Man]] during ''Comicbook/TheChildrensCrusade''.

* ''ComicBook/CrystarCrystalWarrior'': Crystar and his supporting cast on planet Crystalium had't been seen since their 1980's series. Despite having been part of a [[MerchandiseDriven toy tie-in,]] Marvel owns all rights to the characters and could have brought them back at any time. At long last, the characters reappeared in the revival of ''[[Comicbook/{{Weirdworld}} Weirdworld]].''

* ''ComicBook/CrystarCrystalWarrior'': Crystar and his supporting cast on planet Crystalium haven't been seen since their 1980's series. Despite having been part of a [[MerchandiseDriven toy tie-in,]] Marvel owns all rights to the characters and could bring them back at any time.

** As a bit of a HilariousInHindsight / FunnyAneurysmMoment‎, he ''did'' escape limbo as a member of the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}} and ComicBook/SecretAvengers...only to be [[DroppedABridgeOnHim violently killed off]] as soon as Marvel decided to [[DyingToBeReplaced bring back]] [[TheChosenMany the Scott Lang version of Ant-Man]] during ''Comicbook/TheChildrensCrusade''.

* SNK used to have several fighting game series, but most have been apparently abandoned, the the only way some character from the older series ever return is through the ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' series - so there's [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/snk/images/c/ca/Kofperfect_insert.jpg official artwork of several near-forgotten characters in out-of-focus games waiting for their turn at a KoF return in a locker room]], which is functionally SNK limbo. Some like Hwa Jai have managed to return from it though.

Sometimes this is a direct choice on the part of the editorial staff. For instance, in the '90s, Hawkman and his family were purposefully put into Comic Book Limbo because the editors decided that he'd only shown up a few years ago -- after other writers had put him into the founding of the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. So [[ContinuitySnarl/Hawkman an alien spy had been masquerading as him in the interim, except when he hadn't, except that he still knew the characters that knew the alien spy him, and then they didn't know if the reincarnated magical pharaoh Hawkman was related to him or not, and then they merged into the even more confusing Hawk-God]], and... at this point, limbo becomes a mercy. A character may also be moved to limbo on purpose if the fandom turns against them, if they turn controversial in the real world for some reason, or if some legal issue (such as copyright or trademark disputes) prevents the active use of the character.