History ArtifactTitle / ComicBooks

* The [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] comic book series ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daredevil_(Lev_Gleason_Publications) Daredevil]]'' ([[NamesTheSame no relation]] to Creator/MarvelComics' ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}) only featured its eponymous hero in 71 of its 134 issues. DD disappeared after issue #69, returned in issue #79 to explain he'd been out of the country, but was returning to join the Air Force, and then disappeared again after issue #80. Although his {{Kid Sidekick}}s, the Little Wise Guys, took over the book, the series remained named after Daredevil.

** The name "Paperinik", however, is an artifact title itself; though it's widely unknown today, it was an allusion to a popular comic book and pulp-novel GentlemanThief named ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}, mixed with Donald's Italian name, Paperino. This made sense because the Duck Avenger/Phantom Duck's original adventures showed him as ChaoticNeutral, using his secret identity and gadgets more to avenge ''himself'' than to [[TheyFightCrime fight crime]] like later, more politically [[ExecutiveMeddling correct and editor-friendly]] stories showed him doing. Paperinik is no longer a Disney version of Diabolik, but he kept the name.

* ''ComicBook/LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps'' (The Quest for the Time Bird): The last four books are a prequel cycle taking place years before Pélisse was sent to retrieve the Time Bird.

* The ComicBook/IronMan armor isn't really iron anymore. Hell, going by ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'', it's not even ''metal'' anymore! In the movies it was never iron; this is lampshaded at the end when the press finally dubs Tony thus. Referenced in ''ComicBook/TheUnbeatableSquirrelGirl'':

* The 'DC' in ''Creator/DCComics'' originally stood for ''Detective Comics''. Very few of their comics today feature actual detectives, and officially the acronym no longer has any meaning.[[note]]If it ''did'', the company's name would be [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment "Detective Comics Comics."]][[/note]]

** Similarly, while the actual ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' publication does feature Franchise/{{Batman}}, "the world's greatest detective", many of the stories therein feature little or no actual detective work. This means that if you buy an issue of Detective, you are in fact buying an issue of ''[[DontExplainTheJoke Detective Comics Comics']] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Detective Comics]]''.

* The Creator/MarvelComics line [[ComicBook/Marvel2099 2099]] showcased the future of the Marvel Universe, including future versions of classic heroes. Initially, the comics took place [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in the year 2099]]. Instead of straining the confines of ComicBookTime, Marvel allowed the titles to mention months and years going by, thus the titles eventually took place in the year 2100 and beyond.

* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''. When Robot disbands the "teen team" because he's joining the guardians of the globe, he points out that the name would've become inaccurate within a couple years anyway.

* When Creator/JackKirby and Creator/JoeSimon created the Newsboy Legion in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, they were so called because they were orphans who sold newspapers to earn a living. This had become an anachronism in later years, which was addressed in several different ways:
** When Kirby introduced their identical sons in UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|of comic books}}, they were also known as the Newsboy Legion, even though they'd never sold a paper in their lives.
** The ComicBook/PostCrisis incarnation of the Legion were [[CloningBlues clones]] of the originals (the sons didn't exist), and they ''still'' didn't sell papers.
** Creator/WalterSimonson tried to bring them up-to-date in ''[[ComicBook/NewGods Orion]]'' as the News''group'' Legion, a term later used by [[{{Superman}} Jimmy Olsen]] (although it wasn't revealed if he was talking about the same kids).
** In Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'', the Newsboy Legion is the ''Manhattan Guardian'''s army of amateur reporters.
** Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' reimagined the group as young news livestreamers, with Tommy, Gabby, and Big Words getting {{Gender Flip}}ped and Scrapper recast as their adult companion in the vein of the Guardian.

* Not exactly a series title, but the name of the ComicBook/XMen foes "The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" became a bit obsolete when Magneto was recharacterized as a WellIntentionedExtremist as opposed to a CardCarryingVillain. Usually they justify it by Magneto intentionally invoking ThenLetMeBeEvil. Some versions have just been called "the Brotherhood of Mutants".

** Similarly, ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' was intended to be an anthology title of, well, action comics. The debut of Superman in the first issue and his subsequent popularity led to the character taking over the line. There was an attempt to revive the anthology format in a weekly format, but that experiment only lasted 42 issues before returning to being a Superman book.

* Stephanie Brown, ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2009}}'', originally operated under the superhero identity of the Spoiler. Her name and ''modus operandi'' came from her relationship with her father, the Cluemaster, who was [[CriminalMindgames a B-grade Riddler knockoff]]. Stephanie grew to despise her father and his criminal ways, so she would go out and leave clues to help Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}} catch him, {{spoil|er}}ing his crimes. However, Stephanie quickly branched out into crimefighting beyond her father and she no longer did any "spoiling", she would directly intervene and fight crime herself. She retained the name for years, not counting her brief tenure as the fourth Robin, and there became such a disconnect between her current activities and her original actions that even a lot of her fans did not know where her identity came from. In 2009, following the death of Batman, [[LegacyCharacter she inherited the Batgirl title from]] [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 Cassandra Cain]] and the Spoiler identity was laid to rest. When she came back in ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}'', she was back to her original motivation of spoiling her father's crimes.

* ''ComicBook/HolyTerror'' was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally a new story set in]] ''Creator/FrankMiller'''s Franchise/{{Batman}} books called "Holy Terror, Batman!" to reference Robin's catchphrase from the 60's ''Series/Batman1966'' show. Take out Batman from the story and the "Holy" part doesn't have any reason to still be there.

** When DonaldDuck's superhero alter-ego from the Italian comics, originally known as Paperinik, made its way into American comics in ''Magazine/DisneyAdventures'', the characters was given the English name of the Duck Avenger, the obvious reason for the change being so that he'd have the same initials as the magazine. Nine years later, the Duck Avenger is still the character's official English name, even though ''Disney Adventures'' is no longer published.

* The very term "comic book". Unless you think Franchise/{{Batman}} is ''hilarious''. [[TheComicallySerious Which]] [[http://www.shortpacked.com/2005/comic/book-1-brings-back-the-80s/02-one-upmanship/a-25/ he is]], but still....

* ''ComicBook/LaQueteDeLOiseauDuTemps''(The Quest for the Time Bird): The last four books are a prequel cycle taking place years before Pélisse was sent to retrieve the Time Bird.

* While ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'' always had the tendency to focus more on [[ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} the latter]] than [[ComicBook/{{Cable}} the former]], the title became obsolete once Cable ([[DeathIsCheap temporarily]]) died. They [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] this by crossing out the word "Cable" on the covers and replacing it with the name of the guest stars.
** The comic "Batman and Robin" followed this formula as well after the death of Damian Wayne. Once the guest-stars stopped being a thing, it was Batman and Two-Face since it was a Two-Face arc. Then it involved Damian's resurrection so they kept the original title.

* While ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'' always had the tendency to focus more on [[SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}} the latter]] than [[ComicBook/{{Cable}} the former]], the title became obsolete once Cable ([[DeathIsCheap temporarily]]) died. They [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] this by crossing out the word "Cable" on the covers and replacing it with the name of the guest stars.

* ''[[ComicBook/{{Suzie}} Suzie Comics]]'' published by Franchise/ArchieComics in TheForties and TheFifties originally focused on the titular heroine - a [[BrainlessBeauty beautiful but ditzy]] young woman who was forever losing jobs due to her ineptness. She eventually gained a friend called Ferdie (who ranged between UnluckyChildhoodFriend and actual boyfriend depending on the issue) who slowly came to dominate the comic. By the time the comic ended in 1954 it was still named after Suzie and she continued to appear on the cover but Ferdie was the real star with Suzie largely restricted to playing his StraightMan love interest.

* While ''Comicbook/CableAndDeadpool'' always had the tendency to focus more on the latter than the former, the title became obsolete once Cable ([[DeathIsCheap temporarily]]) died. They [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] this by crossing out the word "Cable" on the covers and replacing it with the name of the guest stars.

* In Vol. 4 of Mirage's ''[[Comicbook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' series, the turtles are now in their thirties, having aged in real time since the original series.

* None of the main characters in ''Comicbook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' are (Jedi) Knights: Zayne is a Padawan who missed his first opportunity at knighting due to a combination of circumstances and later refused the offer of knighthood after [[ClearMyName clearing his name]], and his companions never had any formal Jedi training (and most of them aren't even Force-sensitive). The comic inherited that title from the [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic video game]], which in turn got it from an even earlier arc of the ''Tales of the Jedi'' limited comic series.

* The home titles of Creator/DCComics' ''Comicbook/EnemyAce'' feature were ''Our Army At War'' and ''Star-Spangled War Stories''. For the mostly-American readership, the tales of German UsefulNotes/WorldWarI ace Hans von Hammer were neither "star-spangled" nor about "our" army.

* ''Comicbook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' retains its title up until the very end, even though the eponymous League was officially disbanded sometime between the events of ''Century: 1910'' and ''The Black Dossier''. By the end, the main cast has ceased to be a "league" and become a dwindling "trio".

* ''[[ComicBook/{{Suzie}} Suzie Comics]]'' published by Franchise/ArchieComics in TheForties and TheFifties originally focused on the titular heroine - a [[BrainlessBeauty beautiful but ditzy]] young woman who was forever losing jobs due to her ineptness. She eventually gained a friend called Ferdie (who ranged between UnluckyChildhoodFriend and actual boyfriend depending on the issue) who slowly came to dominate the comic. By the time the comic ended in 1954 it was still named after Suzie and she continued to appear on the cover but Ferdie was the real star with Suzie largely resricted to playing his StraightMan love interest.

* When the ''Comicbook/StarTrekIDW'' comic was retelling ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episodes in the reboot movieverse, "Return of the Archons" became this. In the original episode, the Betans are humanoid aliens who have a vague history that 100 years earlier the USS ''Archon'' visited them and was destroyed by Landru, calling the crew "the Archons". They recognise the ''Enterprise'' crew as being the same, therefore this is the return of the Archons. In the comic, the Betans are a LostColony who have built a shrine to Landru out of the ''Archon'', and the idea that Starfleet outsiders are "Archons" doesn't exist.

* "Comic-Con" (In particular the annual one in San Diego, California) has essentially become this. Originally, it was a comic book convention that also supported fandoms for the ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}} genres as well as related genres such as {{Anime}}. Logical, since these genres tend to [[FriendlyFandoms cross-pollinate each other]]. Today, the event has mutated into a {{Hollywood}}/PopCulture/Celebrity festival where comic books are relegated to one small corner and most of the comic book related events are related to the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse mainstream cinematic adaptations of these properties]]. And it is not unusual for festivities to include non-genre fare such as ''Series/{{Glee}}'' or ''Series/BreakingBad''. This has become a subject of discontent amongst hardcore, old-school fans who feel that many of the newcomers are there just for the scene.

* ''ComicBook/HolyTerror'' was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally a new story set in]] ''Creator/FrankMiller'''s Franchise/{{Batman}} books called "Holy Terror, Batman!" to reference Robin's catchphrase from the 60's ''Series/{{Batman}}'' show. Take out Batman from the story and the "Holy" part doesn't have any reason to still be there.

* "Comic-Con" (In particular the annual one in San Diego, California) has essentially become this. Originally, it was a comic book convention that also supported fandoms for the ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}} genres as well as related genres such as {{Anime}}. Logical, since these genres tend to [[FriendlyFandoms cross-pollinate each other]]. Today, the event has mutated into a {{Hollywood}}/PopCulture/Celebrity festival where comic books are relegated to one small corner and most of the comic book related events are related to the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse mainstream cinematic adaptations of these properties]]. And it is not unusual for festivities to include non-genre fare such as ''Series/{{Glee}}'' or ''Series/BreakingBad''. This has become a subject of discontent amongst hardcore, OldSchool fans who feel that many of the newcomers are there just for the scene.

*** The "PK" science-fiction series[[note]]PK standing for PaperniK[[/note]], which are the DarkerAndEdgier version of Duck Avenger/Phantom Duck (using high-tech instead of cartoony gadgets and fighting an alien invasion), pushes the "Artifact Title" aspect of Paperinik even further, because at least, officially, in the "normal" continuity, the stories in which Donald used his secret identity to act like Diabolik are still canon; we're just supposed to believe that he got softer later and decided to use his powers for more virtuous purposes. "PK" pretended to keep this origin story, but in fact, the second series bearing that name (PK New Adventures) completely dropped the idea by saying that this version of the character never was the original Paperinik to begin with and only started to be a superhero when the alien invaders dropped by. This begged the question of where the name ''comes from'', then. But in fact, the cast of the series had started to nickname Donald's identity simply "PK", like the title of the series, so eventually they [[RetCon retconned]] that PK stood for some CanisLatinicus meaning "heroic duck" and decided that the series was an alternate universe altogether from the original stories.

* When the IDW ''Star Trek'' comic was retelling ''Comicbook/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episodes in the reboot movieverse, "Return of the Archons" became this. In the original episode, the Betans are humanoid aliens who have a vague history that 100 years earlier the USS ''Archon'' visited them and was destroyed by Landru, calling the crew "the Archons". They recognise the ''Enterprise'' crew as being the same, therefore this is the return of the Archons. In the comic, the Betans are a LostColony who have built a shrine to Landru out of the ''Archon'', and the idea that Starfleet outsiders are "Archons" doesn't exist.

* Stephanie Brown, ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2009}}'', originally operated under the superhero identity of the Spoiler. Her name and ''modus operandi'' came from her relationship with her father, the Cluemaster, who was [[CriminalMindgames a B-grade Riddler knockoff]]. Stephanie grew to despise her father and his criminal ways, so she would go out and leave clues to help Franchise/{{Batman}} and Robin catch him, {{spoil|er}}ing his crimes. However, Stephanie quickly branched out into crimefighting beyond her father and she no longer did any "spoiling", she would directly intervene and fight crime herself. She retained the name for years, not counting her brief tenure as the fourth Robin, and there became such a disconnect between her current activities and her original actions that even a lot of her fans did not know where her identity came from. In 2009, following the death of Batman, [[LegacyCharacter she inherited the Batgirl title from Cassandra Cain]] and the Spoiler identity was laid to rest. When she came back in ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}'', she was back to her original motivation of spoiling her father's crimes.