In the decades that DC Comics has been around, it’s had a lot of really neat plot twists. Is there anything better than reading an engaging superhero story only to have the rug pulled from underneath and hit with an unexpected development?
While many stories have sudden turns, from DC Comics’ history.
Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1
The Return of the Anti-Monitor
The “Sinestro Corps War” is one of the best story arcs in Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern epic. Hal Jordan’s greatest nemesis has gone above and beyond to destroy the Corps that threw him out so many years ago by creating a Corps of his own, powered by fear rather than will. Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 gives readers a glimpse at the firepower on Sinestro’s side, including a revived Anti-Monitor.
The Anti-Monitor had previously been revived thanks to the events of Infinite Crisis, but this was the first time he’d played an active role in a story since Crisis on Infinite Earths. This reveal showcased just how serious the stakes were during Sinestro’s greatest attack on the DC Universe and established his Corps as a force to be reckoned with.
Blackest Night #6
The Deputized Lanterns Are Revealed
During Blackest Night, the evil Nekron, unleashed his Black Lanterns onto the cosmos, and things just kept going from bad to worse. An army of zombies were ripping the hearts out of people everywhere and the Emotional Spectrum’s biggest power players were struggling to keep a hold on things. However, Guardian Ganthet triggered a special protocol within the Lanterns' rings to seek out and deputize new Lanterns to give the DCU a fighting chance.
Iconic DC heroes and villains were briefly inducted into various Corps. Flash was a Blue Lantern, Wonder Woman was a Star Sapphire, and Scarecrow was having the time of his life as a member of Sinestro’s Corps. The deputization was brief, but it had a big impact on readers, who were thrilled to see the Emotional Spectrum creatively applied to fan-favorite DC characters.
Identity Crisis #6
The Justice League Mind-Wipes Batman
Some may balk at this story’s inclusion in the list, but the truth is, Identity Crisis had one of the most memorable plot twists in a DC Comics story. It all began when the Elongated Man’s wife, Sue Dibny was murdered, sending shock waves through the superhero community. It was later revealed that Sue was sexually assaulted years prior by Doctor Light, who broke into the Watchtower. The Justice League caught him and voted to mind-wipe him and alter his personality using Zatanna’s magic.
During the procedure, Batman walked in on the League’s actions and tried to stop them, only to be stopped himself. The team voted to mind-wipe Batman, erasing the event from his memories. However, Batman was able to piece things together years later, something that nearly shattered his faith in his comrades for good.
Flashpoint #5
Barry Allen Created the Flashpoint
Flashpoint was a grim point in the DC Comics timeline. In an instant, Barry Allen woke up in a world where everything was different. Many of his friends were missing, new heroes had risen, and the world was being torn apart by a war between the Atlanteans and Amazons. The Flash tried to piece everything together, but his memories were fading fast in this reset timeline. Yet, Barry knew that his greatest adversary, the Reverse-Flash, was responsible for everything.
And yet, he wasn’t. During the final chapter of Flashpoint, it’s revealed that Flash actually created this diverging timeline by going back in time and saving his mother’s life. All the pain in this world was because of something Barry did. Flash did eventually put things right, but it’s hard to believe one choice could create so much chaos.
Green Lantern: Rebirth #3
The Truth Comes Out About Parallax
Green Lantern fans all when Hal Jordan went mad during “Emerald Twilight” and he became a villain called Parallax. It was a moment that showed even the greatest of heroes could fall from grace and become a villain. Except, however, one particular retcon helped absolve Green Lantern of this heel turn. Green Lantern: Rebirth revealed that Hal’s villainous development wasn’t his fault and that Parallax wasn’t what fans thought.
Parallax is actually the name of a fear entity (much like how the Green Lanterns have Ion). When Hal’s world was shattered after the destruction of Coast City, his willpower was low enough for Parallax to possess him and take control of Green Lantern. It was a controversial retcon, but it helped pave the way for Hal Jordan to step back into the spotlight once again.
DC Universe: Rebirth #1
Batman Discovers an Iconic Pin
As the New 52 wound down, fans were all looking forward to what was going to come next in the Rebirth era, which officially kicked off with DC Universe: Rebirth #1. Taking center stage of this story was Wally West, who’d been lost in the Speed Force for years and was trying to get out. He managed to make with Batman in the Batcave, but only briefly. But the event did help Batman discover something else, a certain smiley face badge.
In a that had everyone talking online, Batman found the Comedian’s pin from Watchmen. This would later be followed up in the Flash/Batman crossover “The Button” and later, Doomsday Clock, the story that actually brought Watchmen’s cast into the DC Universe. Few plot twists leave readers breathless, but this one had almost every fan stunned.
Batman #638
Jason Todd Finally Returns
There was a time when it was joked that no one stays dead in comics except for Jason Todd, Bucky, and Uncle Ben. But DC Comics opted to buck that trend by bringing the second Boy Wonder back. After a fake-out revival during “Hush”, Batman decided to revive Jason Todd for real in the classic “Under the Red Hood” arc, which revealed Bruce’s former sidekick was not just alive, but had become the murderous vigilante Red Hood.
It was hard to believe that Jason was actually back, but it was really him and this was the first step towards reintegrating him into the Bat-Family. It was certainly an unexpected twist, but it’s one that fans really came around to, especially as Jason served as a great foil to Batman and his allies for years.
Doom Patrol #57
The Chief Reveals His Most Shocking Truth
For years, the Chief was the Doom Patrol’s leader, mentor, and all-around guiding light. But at the end of Grant Morrison’s time on Doom Patrol, a dark secret was revealed about the team’s creator. In Doom Patrol #57, Robotman hears firsthand about Niles Caulder’s ‘Catastrophe Theory’, which hypothesized disaster could bring out the best in humanity. Cliff also discovers that the Doom Patrol was simply a product of Caulder testing his mad theory.
The Chief, someone the team all relied on, was actually the person responsible for each of their tragic accidents and giving them the transformations that changed their lives forever. It was a moment that completely upended everything the Doom Patrol knew, and while they eventually made peace with Caulder, they never looked at him the way they did in their earliest days again.
Superman: Red Son #3
History Comes Full Circle
There are a lot of alternate takes on the Man of Steel’s mythos, but few are as fascinating as Superman: Red Son, which examines Superman if he was raised in the Soviet Union. In this story, however, it’s Lex Luthor who is victorious, and he manages to become a beloved public figure that cures all known diseases and brings humanity into the cosmos. This begins a legacy that spans billions of years until Lex’s descendant, Jor-L is facing a crisis on Earth, now called Krypton.
That’s right, Superman: Red Son ends in a time loop that sees the Luthor descendant send his son through time and has him land behind the Iron Curtain in the early ‘30s. It’s a wildly creative twist that many still regard as one of the best endings for a Superman story.
Watchmen #11
"I Did It 35 Minutes Ago"
When it comes to plot twists, no moment in DC Comics history is better than Watchmen #11. Rorschach and Nite Owl finally confront their old teammate Ozymandias, who is revealed to be behind everything in the story, from the Comedian’s murder to the framing of Doctor Manhattan. Everything is all part of a plan to stage an alien attack and unite humanity against a common enemy and, as Nite Owl and Rorschach find out, Ozymandias has already put it in motion.
It’s a wonderful, yet harrowing revelation, seeing everything come together and hearing Ozymandias lay out every meticulous step, only for the story’s heroes too late to stop it. It’s something not generally seen in traditional superhero storytelling, but that’s what makes this final twist so good and helps Watchmen stand out from the pack.
