History CrisisCrossover / TheDCU

* ''ComicBook/{{Legends|DCComics}}'' (1987): This series was a crossover in which the evil god ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} tries to turn humanity against all its superheroes; it doesn't take. ''Legends'' was most notable for launching the semi-humorous ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League International]]'' (the one with ComicBook/BlueBeetle) and the perennially popular supervillains-doing-espionage title ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad'', as well as starting the career of third Franchise/TheFlash, ComicBook/WallyWest. It also marked the post-Crisis debuts of Franchise/WonderWoman (after she was rebooted from scratch by George Perez and Greg Potter) and [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]].

** In ''[[ComicBook/InvasionDCComics Invasion!]]'', a whole mess of alien planets get together and try to take over Earth to keep all the superbeings we keep producing under control; yet again, it doesn't work out. This crossover also introduced the Metagene MetaOrigin concept in the DCU, as well as led to the launching of [[WestCoastTeam Justice League Europe]], L.E.G.I.O.N., a 20th Century ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' spin-off title known mainly for having Lobo and Brainiac 2 on the roster and serving as a SoftReboot for Creator/GrantMorrison's critically acclaimed ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' run.

* ''Bloodlines'' (1993): Whether you like this or not all depends on if you're a fan of MediaNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}}. This was a CrossThrough of all of DC's Annual series for 1993. A race of [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph-like]] parasites invade and start killing people by draining their spinal fluid. A small percentage of people, however, gained superpowers by this, leading to the creation of a new bunch of {{Nineties Anti Hero}}es. Nothing really changed and these new heroes were eventually reduced to [[CListFodder cannon fodder]] for ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis, or else ending up in ComicBookLimbo. The only notable result from this crossover being Creator/GarthEnnis' ''ComicBook/{{Hitman}}''. Aside from that, it's probably best remembered for crossing over with two far-better known DC stories from the same time period: ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' and ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'', due to featuring the four replacement Supermen and the Azrael-Batman for most of the crossover.

* ''Bloodlines'' (1993): Whether you like this or not all depends on if you're a fan of UsefulNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}}. This was a CrossThrough of all of DC's Annual series for 1993. A race of [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph-like]] parasites invade and start killing people by draining their spinal fluid. A small percentage of people, however, gained superpowers by this, leading to the creation of a new bunch of {{Nineties Anti Hero}}es. Nothing really changed and these new heroes were eventually reduced to [[CListFodder cannon fodder]] for ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis, or else ending up in ComicBookLimbo. The only notable result from this crossover being Creator/GarthEnnis' ''ComicBook/{{Hitman}}''. Aside from that, it's probably best remembered for crossing over with two far-better known DC stories from the same time period: ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' and ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'', due to featuring the four replacement Supermen and the Azrael-Batman for most of the crossover.

* 1995's ''ComicBook/UnderworldUnleashed'' saw Mark Waid killing off 90% of Franchise/TheFlash's rogue's gallery who he felt were too silly even for his [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] tastes (though this didn't last long and Waid was proven wrong in a BIG way later on) and introducing Neron, the ''de facto'' Satan of the DC Universe proper. It also saw a ton of DC villains [[DealWithTheDevil selling their souls]] for grim and gritty revamps, of which only a small handful actually stuck.

* ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' (2006-7): Basically the final act of the storyline of ''ComicBook/{{Identity Crisis|2004}}'' and ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' (story-wise). Innovative for its use of real time continuity, tossing ComicBookTime out the window in favor of the ''Series/TwentyFour'' approach, published weekly, from May 2006 to May 2007, each issue represents a week of time in-universe, covering the "missing year" of the DCU, as after ''Infinite Crisis'', all books were jumped forward "One year later". Written by a "dream team" of four writers (Creator/GeoffJohns, Creator/GregRucka, Creator/MarkWaid, and Creator/GrantMorrison) each of whom contributed something to every issue. It also followed the lives of minor characters of the DCU while the "Big Three" Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman took the year off for various reasons, Widely considered to be one of the greatest story lines of UsefulNotes/{{the Modern Age|OfComicBooks}}. It also introduced the Modern Batwoman, and Renee Montoya as ComicBook/TheQuestion.

** In ''[[ComicBook/InvasionDCComics Invasion!]]'', a whole mess of alien planets get together and try to take over Earth to keep all the superbeings we keep producing under control; yet again, it doesn't work out. This crossover also introduced the Metagene MetaOrigin concept in the DCU, as well as led to the launching of [[WestCoastTeam Justice League Europe]] and L.E.G.I.O.N., a 20th Century ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' spin-off title known mainly for having Lobo and Brainiac 2 on the roster.

* A more straight example for Milestone was ''Shadow War'', which included all of the titles in the line, using it to introduce titles like ''ComicBook/{{Xombi}}'' and ''Kobalt''.

** ''War of the Gods'' wasn't a bad idea in theory: All the different godly pantheons in Franchise/TheDCU (the ComicBook/NewGods, plus the Olympians, the Asgardians, etc.) have at it and the various divinely-powered superheroes (Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, etc.) get caught up in it. Unfortunately, writer George Perez made the mistake of double-booking himself drawing Marvel's ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'' and writing/drawing ''War of the Gods'' at the same time, leading to ''War of the Gods'' suffering from bad writing.

* ''ComicBook/FinalNight''[[note]]Not to be confused with either ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' or ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''[[/note]] (1996): is probably the most fondly-remembered crossover from the 1990s, most likely because the whole thing became one huge AuthorsSavingThrow/Last Hurrah for Hal Jordan (writer Karl Kessel agreed to write the story for DC on the condition that he could give Hal a mercy killing/[[RedemptionEqualsDeath heroic sacrifice death]]). An alien weapon called a [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes Sun-Eater]] arrives in the solar system and, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin surprisingly enough]], [[PlanetEater eats the sun]]. After Earth's heroes try to keep their sunless world alive, [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] make a HeroicSacrifice to rekindle the sun and redeem himself (of course, RedemptionEqualsDeath). Also, the Post-Zero Hour Legion meets everyone in the DC Universe proper for the first time -- and before his death, Hal resurrects ComicBook/GreenArrow off-panel, or rather shoehorned in retroactively in-panel by Creator/KevinSmith about three years later. [[ComicBookTime Realtime]], of course.

* ''[[ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004 Identity Crisis]]'' (2004): This was the first book to use "Crisis" in its title since ''Zero Hour''. It was a crossover, but not necessarily a ''crisis'' crossover -- in fact, it was a very low-key murder mystery far more concerned with buried secrets and the personal lives of heroes than with blowing stuff up -- but it did end up changing things, due to the nature of the secrets revealed rather than any cosmic shenanigans. It's also notable as it deretconed back into existence many pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} story lines from the Silver and Bronze ages, but at the same time made them DarkerAndEdgier. It turned B-list ComicBook/TeenTitans Villain Dr. Light into a [[RapeAsDrama rapist]], [[RetCon revealing]] that his "bumbling" and "pathetic" status was the result of a magically-induced lobotomy. The story was eventually revealed to be the first part of a trilogy to "explore the DC heroes" in which they were put up against "a very personal threat". Its repercussions were felt throughout Franchise/TheDCU (leading to mini-Crisis Crossovers such as ''[[ComicBook/SecretSix Villains United]]'' and the ''Day of Judgement'' sequel ''[[ComicBook/{{Shadowpact}} Day of Vengeance]]'') until they coalesced in:

* ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' (2006-7): Basically the final act of the storyline of ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' and ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' (story-wise). Innovative for its use of real time continuity, tossing ComicBookTime out the window in favor of the ''Series/TwentyFour'' approach, published weekly, from May 2006 to May 2007, each issue represents a week of time in-universe, covering the "missing year" of the DCU, as after ''Infinite Crisis'', all books were jumped forward "One year later". Written by a "dream team" of four writers (Creator/GeoffJohns, Creator/GregRucka, Creator/MarkWaid, and Creator/GrantMorrison) each of whom contributed something to every issue. It also followed the lives of minor characters of the DCU while the "Big Three" Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman took the year off for various reasons, Widely considered to be one of the greatest story lines of UsefulNotes/{{the Modern Age|OfComicBooks}}. It also introduced the Modern Batwoman, and Renee Montoya as ComicBook/TheQuestion.

* ''[[ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004 Identity Crisis]]'' (2004): This was the first book to use "Crisis" in its title since ''Zero Hour''. It was a crossover, but not necessarily a ''crisis'' crossover -- in fact, it was a very low-key murder mystery far more concerned with buried secrets and the personal lives of heroes than with blowing stuff up -- but it did end up changing things, due to the nature of the secrets revealed rather than any cosmic shenanigans. It's also notable as it deretconed back into existence many pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} story lines from the Silver and Bronze ages, but at the same time made them DarkerAndEdgier. It turned B-list ComicBook/TeenTitans Villain Dr. Light into a [[MemeticMolester rapist]], [[RetCon revealing]] that his "bumbling" and "pathetic" status was the result of a magically-induced lobotomy. The story was eventually revealed to be the first part of a trilogy to "explore the DC heroes" in which they were put up against "a very personal threat". Its repercussions were felt throughout Franchise/TheDCU (leading to mini-Crisis Crossovers such as ''[[ComicBook/SecretSix Villains United]]'' and the ''Day of Judgement'' sequel ''[[ComicBook/{{Shadowpact}} Day of Vengeance]]'') until they coalesced in:

* ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' (2004): This was the first book to use "Crisis" in its title since ''Zero Hour''. It was a crossover, but not necessarily a ''crisis'' crossover -- in fact, it was a very low-key murder mystery far more concerned with buried secrets and the personal lives of heroes than with blowing stuff up -- but it did end up changing things, due to the nature of the secrets revealed rather than any cosmic shenanigans. It's also notable as it deretconed back into existence many pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} story lines from the Silver and Bronze ages, but at the same time made them DarkerAndEdgier. It turned B-list ComicBook/TeenTitans Villain Dr. Light into a [[MemeticMolester rapist]], [[RetCon revealing]] that his "bumbling" and "pathetic" status was the result of a magically-induced lobotomy. The story was eventually revealed to be the first part of a trilogy to "explore the DC heroes" in which they were put up against "a very personal threat". Its repercussions were felt throughout Franchise/TheDCU (leading to mini-Crisis Crossovers such as ''[[ComicBook/SecretSix Villains United]]'' and the ''Day of Judgement'' sequel ''[[ComicBook/{{Shadowpact}} Day of Vengeance]]'') until they coalesced in:

* ''ComicBook/DarkCrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' (2022), the latest crossover in the DCU. Pariah, who was made a refugee following the events of the original ''Crisis'', suddenly goes crazy. This leads to the ''entire Justice League'' being "killed off." Emphasis on the "killed off" part, as the heroes find themselves in paradise dimensions suites to each of their ideal scenarios. It's up to Nightwing and the remaining heroes to reunite the Justice League, but little did they know they are falling right into Pariah's trap. This leads to the return of the Pre-''Crisis'' multiverse.

* ''ComicBook/CountdownToFinalCrisis'' (2007-2008): Meant to act as a bridge between ''52'' and ''Final Crisis''. It's remembered as one of the worst comic storylines of all time, having by hampered by massive ExecutiveMeddling, which led to an oversaturation of tie-ins resulting in even worse ArchivePanic (How bad? Another reviled event comic, ''ComicBook/AmazonsAttack'', ties into it... and that event has tie-in issues of its own!), and the main comic itself was riddled with plotholes and bad art. DC quickly worked to move the whole mess into CanonDiscontinuity.