History ComicBook / IdentityCrisis2004

''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' and ''ComicBook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime''--these two series were massive crossovers and usually resulted in some form of RetCon for at least one character involved. ''Crisis'' was the big one, merging [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Earth-2]] and [[MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Earth-1]] together, bringing us into the newly established ComicBook/PostCrisis era. ''Zero Hour''... made Hal Jordan, the most popular ComicBook/GreenLantern, [[FaceHeelTurn into a supervillain]] and [[ContinuitySnarl mucked up continuity]]. What ''Identity Crisis'' brought was similar but definitely NOT what readers were expecting.

''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' and ''ComicBook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime''--these two series were massive crossovers and usually resulted in some form of RetCon for at least one character involved. ''Crisis'' was the big one, merging [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Earth-2]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Earth-1]] together, bringing us into the newly established ComicBook/PostCrisis era. ''Zero Hour''... made Hal Jordan, the most popular ComicBook/GreenLantern, [[FaceHeelTurn into a supervillain]] and [[ContinuitySnarl mucked up continuity]]. What ''Identity Crisis'' brought was similar but definitely NOT what readers were expecting.

* DeathBySecretIdentity: We learn that during UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, villains learned superheroes' secret identities all the time. Heroes toed the line of the MoralEventHorizon by using Zatanna to make them forget, and neglecting to tell the more principled heroes -- such as Superman and Batman -- who are also implied to have an inkling that something fishy is going on, but refuse to investigate why villains mysteriously keep forgetting their identities.

** Of [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks the Silver Age]] [[ComicBook/JusticeLeague JLA]]. It fills in the blanks between adventures to explain the measures necessary to clean up after defeating supervillain schemes and [[StatusQuoIsGod restoring the status quo]]. They specifically reference an occasion when the [[LegionOfDoom Secret Society of Supervillains]] took control of the JLA's bodies and (likely) learned their secret identities. How do you think the heroes averted DeathBySecretIdentity for the villains? Green Arrow further suggests that Superman and Batman knowingly look the other way and don't ask questions about how the League's B-Squad does its clean-up.

** The series retcons much of the goofiness of UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks, particularly in the form of Doctor Light.

As the story begins, Sue Dibny, the wife of the superhero the ComicBook/ElongatedMan, is mysteriously murdered with her body set on fire while her husband is on stakeout. The [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]] investigates the scene of the murder, the Dibny household, and are bewildered by the lack of evidence to be found. While sending out most of the League and the ComicBook/TeenTitans to look for fire- and/or teleport-based villains, the core members of the League (minus Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/{{Batman}}) secretly turn their attention to small-time villain Dr. Light (the male one, not to be confused with the female superhero who debuted in [[ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths the Crisis]]). But before they can confront him, [[Franchise/TheFlash Wally West]] and [[Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner]] overhear the League's plans and demand to know why they are confronting Light.

Sue's autopsied, and it is revealed she didn't actually burn to death. Meanwhile, Jean Loring (ex-wife of Ray Palmer, aka ComicBook/TheAtom) is nearly lynched by an unknown assailant, and [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Lois Lane]] is threatened by someone who knows she married Franchise/{{Superman}}. Tim Drake goes through a parental struggle with his father, who knows Tim is [[ComicBook/{{Robin}} Robin]] and wishes for his safety. [[Franchise/TheFlash Captain Boomerang]] reconnects with his bastard son and discovers he is a speedster. While the divorced Atom and Jean reconnect, Jack Drake, Tim's father, is sent a gun with a warning and attacked. Jack uses the gun to kill his attacker, Captain Boomerang, but is killed by one of Boomerang's weapons. Robin and Boomerang Jr. both lose their fathers, and the mystery is apparently solved… until the autopsy of Sue reveals tiny footprints in her brain, which really killed her. Batman learns of this and deduces also that the Atom didn't kill Sue, and we learn that Jean discovered one of Atom's spare suits. In an attempt to reconnect with Ray (her ex-husband), Jean tried to organize an illusion of a threat to superhero families, but accidentally killed Sue and hired the wrong assassin for Jack Drake. Ray commits Jean to Arkham Asylum, shrinks to a microscopic size, and disappears completely. In the end, the League is shaken up, it is implied by Green Arrow that Batman might know he was mind-wiped; Dr. Light regains his old personality, Boomerang's son becomes the new Captain Boomerang, and Ralph Dibny is now a widower.

So in the end, where [[ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths the Crisis]] and Zero Hour were large crossovers that involved retconning and large gigantic battles, ''Identity Crisis'' was much more low-key, being a quieter crossover that was instead a murder mystery. However, that is why fans would point to this book if a new reader ever asked for a good starting point to get into Franchise/TheDCU. The retcons were smaller, but a little obvious. Especially with the ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]]''.

* IdiotBall: A superhuman search for evidence lead by "[[Franchise/{{Batman}} The World's Greatest Detective]]" [[spoiler:doesn't check the phone records]].