Modern YEAR TWENTY-THREE (Part 2)

2011 (May to August)
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–Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13
Early May. Guy Gardner is called to investigate a murder mystery aboard a NASA/US Air Force joint space station in Earth’s orbit. Much to his annoyance, Batman is already aboard and working the case. The murder victim is a Wayne Enterprises scientist who was working on a new “space-plane,” so the Dark Knight has taken a personal interest. While Guy interrogates the crew by asking inane questions, Batman does some actual detective work and solves the mystery with relative ease. After fingering the suspect as Dr. Tim Owens (actually a secret agent working for the League of Assassins), the villain steals the prototype space-plane and sends the space station hurtling toward Earth. Guy uses his ring to maximum ability to capture Owens and prevent the station from crashing.

–Batman 80-Page Giant 2011 #1 Part 1
Jade O’Keafe, the teen drug user that Bruce befriended a few weeks back, has been clean for three weeks, but winds up relapsing on the Fear Toxin-based drug known as Intrepid, which is being dealt on the streets by a Scarecrow-inspired gang.  After getting in a heated argument with Alfred, who accuses Batman of being “addicted to crime-fighting,” the Dark Knight busts the drug peddlers.

–NOTE: In a reference in Batman & Robin #21. Aaron “Bat Boy” Langstrom is cured and no longer looks like a freakish character out of the National Enquirer. We can only assume that the scientific genius of his parents was able to concoct a remedy for his permanent bat-like appearance. When we next see Aaron (in Batman & Robin #21) he will appear human.

–REFERENCE: In Batman/Nightwing: Bloodborne. May 9. Bruce continues his annual tradition of sending a flower arrangement to Dick to commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of the Flying Graysons. While we won’t see it listed in the “Future” section of the Modern Age timeline, Bruce will send flowers for Dick’s parents on May 9 for the rest of his life.

–Batman & Robin #20^[1]
According to Dick it’s been “a few weeks” since Bruce did a “tango of death with a hot Latin number” i.e. about a week-and-a-half tops since the events of Batman Incorporated #3-5. As for the snow on the ground, we must simply ignore it since we are in May. Our story begins with all the boys (Bruce, Alfred, Dick, Tim, and Damian) joined together at Wayne Manor for smoothies, popcorn, and screening of The Mark of Zorro! Later that night after patrol, Dick attends a fundraiser at the opera, but before the show begins a John Doe dressed as an angel falls 80 stories to his gruesome death. After a quick autopsy and discovery of what appears to be a fake suicide note, Dick and Damian are attacked by an out-of-control Man-Bat who claims his family is in danger. Man-Bat’s family is indeed in danger, as is anyone related to a current or former Arkham inmate. The new villain White Knight has entered the Gotham scene (as seen in Batman & Robin #21).  Bruce will let Dick, Damian, and Alfred handle this case on their own.

–Batman & Robin #23
For over four months the red-headed stepchild of the Bat-Family, Jason Todd, has been locked away in an Arkham cell. With his identity still a secret from the Arkham staff, the Red Hood doesn’t pose a threat to Batman’s security. When we last saw Jason, he was a wreck, his hair falling out and his body deteriorating due to a dependence upon and withdrawal from Lazarus Pit bathing. However, it looks now as though Jason has overcome his demons; the Red Hood is in the best shape of his career.  Batman (Bruce) finally meets with Jason for the first time since returning from his Omega Sanction jaunt through time. But it’s not a personal visit; Bruce has learned that Jason will soon be transferred to a minimum security facility and wants to warn him to be good.  In the Bat-Bunker, Bruce tells Dick and Damian to prepare for the worst.  At Gotham City Corrections, Jason immediately begins killing his fellow inmates without mercy.  Jason kills 97 men (most of them poisoned in the cafeteria) before being shipped right back to Arkham.  When the Dynamic Duo learns of Jason’s rampage, little can be done, and Jason easily escapes custody en route back to Arkham thanks to the assistance of the TMNT-esque South American super-villain team known as The Menagerie.

–Batman Incorporated #6
Bruce gives a television interview regarding Batman Inc. When Emoticon-Man and his thugs show up, Alfred kicks ass (!) and the villain is left surrounded by a bunch of GI Bat Robots and a grinning Bruce. Batman (Bruce), Batman (Dick), and Robin then meet with Commissioner Gordon to discuss the fact that Mayor Sebastian Hady has now been trying (unsuccessfully) to frame Gordon for murder. In the Batcave, Bruce appoints Red Robin as the new leader of the Outsiders. Subsequently, Bruce holds a meeting with his closest allies and declares war on Leviathan. The following are in attendance: Batman (Dick), Robin, Red Robin, Batgirl, Huntress, Oracle (via satellite), Halo, Looker, Katana, Metamorpho, and Freight Train. Later at the Bat-Bunker, Bruce explains to Dick and Damian that many people will now be trying to expose the secret IDs of all the Batman Inc members. After examining an Internet message board, Bruce demonstrates that much of the Internet community already believes that Bruce is indeed Batman! Bruce isn’t worried, claiming that a “blizzard of rumor, denial, and misinformation” will keep their IDs safe and keep the masses guessing. Bruce and Alfred then begin a trip around the globe. In France, Batman (Bruce) and Nightrunner attempt to rescue kids from an enslaved child ring. However, the children have been brainwashed by Leviathan and brutally slaughter their own kidnappers, the crime franchise known as Les Stereotypes. Bruce and Alfred then travel to Kuala Lumpur, where Oracle informs them that Les Stereotypes was linked to Hong Kong criminal Jimmy Song. In Hong Kong, Cassie Cain debuts as Black Bat (!!!) and takes down Song’s organization. Bruce and Alfred then shoot on down to Melbourne where Batman (Bruce) and Dark Ranger apprehend the remaining associates of the enslaved child ring. Then it’s off to North Africa where Batwing, Traktir, Spidra, and Batman (Bruce) shut down a Leviathan training camp. (Traktir and Spidra are official Batman Inc members now.) Following the African safari, Bruce appoints a mystery man, who knows his identity as the Dark Knight, as the new Wingman. (We learn in the New 52 era Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #4 that, in spite of everything, Bruce has finally decided to give Jason Todd a second chance. Jason is Wingman!) Bruce then returns to Gotham where he goes undercover as fat alien-like metahuman PI named Nero Nykto to infiltrate the ranks of the Pennsylvania crime syndicate known as the Average Joes. The Joes are trying to break into the Gotham scene, but Nero Nykto reveals himself as the Caped Crusader and quickly sends them packing. Aboard the Leviathan satellite HQ, Doctor Dedalus and the leader of Leviathan begin their final preparations for an all out assault against the entire planet. On the twinkling blue Earth below, Batman Inc is ready and waiting. Artist Chris Burnham gives us a two-page splash that shows the members of Batman Inc in action. Batwing kicks ass in Africa. Nightrunner kicks ass in France. Gaucho kicks ass in South America. Cassie Cain kicks ass in China. Red Robin kicks ass in Haiti. Jiro Osamu kicks ass against Clayface IX in Japan. And Dark Ranger kicks ass in Australia.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #0. After Gaucho kicks ass in South America, Batman (Bruce Wayne) finally introduces him to more of his fellow Batman Inc teammates, specifically the lovely ladies of the Outsiders.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #0. Batman (Bruce Wayne) teams-up with Batman Inc’s own Dark Ranger to check out his new moves and helps him take down some criminals in Melbourne, Australia. Later, back in the States, Bruce chats with Alfred about Batman Inc and how great the movement has been thus far.

–Batman Incorporated #7
Dr. Great Eagle is a doctor by day, but by night he is Man-of-Bats, longtime costumed lawman of the Lakota Sioux Nation in South Dakota. For years Man-of-Bats and his son Little Raven (now going by Raven Red) have been fighting a consistently losing battle against the privation, crime, corruption, alcoholism, drug abuse, unemployment, and suicides that have plagued the troubled reservation community. While Man-of-Bats remains ever vigilant, the nineteen-year-old Raven Red has lost the faith. After returning home to his father’s ramshackle makeshift “Bat’s Cave,” Raven contemplates giving up the superhero game. Raven quickly changes his mind when Batman (Bruce) pays him a visit and explains that Leviathan is out to eliminate him and his dad. Meanwhile, Leviathan has already infiltrated the Native American community’s police, schools, and hospitals through a systematic distribution of mind control drugs. This is bad news for Man-of-Bats, who is taken on a joyride by a cop and a gang member—both associates of Leviathan. Man-of-Bats is stabbed in the belly, but manages to stand tall before eight Leviathan thugs. Despite his bravado, it appears as if Man-of-Bats is doomed, but Batman and Raven (on horseback) arrive just in time to save his life, although Man-of-Bats does take a bullet in the process. Supportive members of the community also arrive to help fight off the Leviathan baddies. (Man-of-Bats cutely refers to them as “Man-of-Bats Inc”). Afterward, while Man-of-Bats is laid-up in the hospital, Raven and Batman have a chat and the latter explains that Leviathan has already planted evil seeds, using mind control drugs, in most of the poorer and neglected communities all across America. NOTE: The final page of this issue has a one-panel preview of Batman Incorporated #8. However, this scene doesn’t actually occur, so it must be taken simply as a non-canon advertisement for the next issue.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated Special #1. Man-of-Bats and Raven Red trail their arch rival Coyote to Gotham. Atop a tall skyscraper under construction, the Native American Dynamic Duo busts Coyote just in time for Batman to pick him up in the Batplane.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1 Chapter 1. Batman goes undercover as a gardener at St. Hadrian’s Finishing School for Girls, a longtime Spyral training academy that has been infiltrated by Leviathan and turned into a brainwashing facility for creating young female super-villains. Batgirl has been inserted at the school as a mole on behalf of Batman Incorporated. Over the course of the next four weeks, Batman will return to St. Hadrian’s in disguise as its groundskeeper to check up on Batgirl (at least once more).

–Batman 80-Page Giant 2011 #1 Part 2
For the past four years, an unnamed government organization (most likely on behalf of the US Armed Forces) has been evaluating new high-tech hand-to-hand combat equipment on the best possible test subject in the world: Batman. Mission number five occurs now as a random soldier is tasked to fight the Dark Knight. Batman easily defeats him.

–REFERENCE: In a flashback from Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1 Chapter 1. Batman, disguised as an elderly groundskeeper, returns to St. Hadrian’s Finishing School for Girls to check up on Batgirl. If you will recall, Batgirl has been inserted at the Spyral training facility (now infiltrated and secretly run by Leviathan) as a mole on behalf of Batman Incorporated.

–Batman 80-Page Giant 2011 #1 Part 3
A lonely (and presumably horny) Bruce lays in his bed and decides to visit Selina with a dozen roses.  But when he arrives on her terrace, he is saddened to see Selina already engaged with a gentlemen caller.  Both men promptly leave.  Later on patrol, Batman discovers that Selina’s date is a criminal and gets in a fight with him.  Catwoman shows up to help bust the bad guy and we learn that she was only “pumping him” for information.  After a sexually tense roll-around on the docks of Gotham Bay, Catwoman playfully pushes Batman into the drink and skips on home.  Sigh.  Catwoman and Batman are so in love.

–NOTE: In Red Robin #25. In Hong Kong, Black Bat (Cassie Cain) and Red Robin are soundly defeated by a ten-year-old metahuman named Cricket. Tim is severely injured and suffers multiple broken bones, including his arm. He will be out of action for the next six weeks.

–Batman Incorporated #8
Late spring. Months ago, Bruce told his Bat-Family that Internet 3.0 would be up and running by spring. And here we are in late spring and Internet 3.0 is up and running! What is Internet 3.0, you ask? Well, it’s nothing we haven’t already seen a million times in the DCU already: A virtual web world where your personalized avatar can literally wander through and explore.  While this concept may not be original, Bruce’s Internet 3.0 is state-of-the-art and comes with a special anti-viral program: Babs in a kick-ass avatar version of Batgirl! We first saw the design for this Batgirl avatar in Batman: The Return #1. Avatar Batgirl is forced into action when Bruce gives his five main investors a virtual tour of Internet 3.0. One of his investors, Mr. Tanaka, is actually a sadistic gamer who tries to kill off everyone else using a team of “Internet zombie” avatar henchmen and by morphing himself into a giant monster avatar. Tanaka intends on stealing the investors’ money after killing them online. Bruce (while controlling both an avatar of himself and an avatar of Batman) helps Babs and the other investors defeat Tanaka and his cronies. After the crisis is averted, Bruce and Babs learn that Tanaka was planning on laundering the stolen investors’ money through Mtamba, Africa via a criminal network supposedly led by Jezebel Jet. That’s right, Jezebel is back—or is she? SPOILER ALERT: She’s actually not, but we’ll get to that soon enough.

–REFERENCE: In The Batman Files. Batman assembles a few-hundred-page scrapbook, called “The Batman Files,” detailing the history of his entire life up to this point. The idea is that this scrapbook can be passed on to future generations of Batmen and Batwomen to inspire them and guide them. The Dark Knight merges several items that he has been working on for years—his old scrapbook, journal(s), crime-logs, and casebooks—into the new “Batman Files.” He also gathers even more photos, dossiers, clippings, and other flat historical artifacts to put in the new book. He then writes out copious notation for the new book and reaches-out to both Babs and Dick for help in putting the new book together. Babs hands over hundreds of photos from her Oracle surveillance drones, which she has been using to snap secret pictures for over a decade. Dick hands over pages from the journal he has been keeping for the past year. Once the tome is complete, Batman reads it and stores it away. (As stated before but worth reiterating, The Batman Files was written by Matthew Manning, and produced by DC Comics and Lionheart Books, in 2011. The physical book itself is the literal new scrapbook that Batman makes, functioning as a recap of the entire Modern Age from his perspective. The Batman Files is highly comprehensive to the point of being encyclopedic, but because it contains images from various comics throughout the Modern Age (reimagined as photos) and has some things out-of-order, it must be viewed as a quasi-canonical publication, meaning that not everything inside is necessarily 100% canon.)

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #11. Nearly all of Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #11 is a random flashback to this Batman Japan adventure. Jiro Osamu and Lolita Canary (of the Super Young Team) are interrupted by Batman while on an Internet 3.0 VR date—(Internet 3.0 is the only place they can be together and be the same size). From Gotham, Batman alerts the heroes to a situation in downtown Tokyo involving an all-female Leviathan gang consisting of Power Ranger styled bikers. Batman Japan and Lolita Canary eventually infiltrate the biker secret HQ and confront their leader, Lady Tiger Fist, a cyborg warrior woman that has pet robot tigers, whose heads pop off and become her fists. The heroes convince the biker gals to turn on their abusive Leviathan momma and then defeat the super-villain by entrapping her within Internet 3.0.

—^[2]

–Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1 Chapter 1
Stephanie has been enrolled in St. Hadrian’s Finishing School for Girls, a Spyral training academy that has been infiltrated by Leviathan and turned into a brainwashing facility for creating young female super-villains. The school, at the moment, is run by a false Spyral headmistress named Miss Hexley, who secretly reports directly to Leviathan. Dragonfly, Silken Spider, and Tiger Moth are all teachers at the academy. Steph has done her best—over the course of the past four weeks—to impress and infiltrate the higher ranks of the school. However, Steph is outed as Batgirl and is nearly killed by Johnny Valentine. Batgirl and Batman—who sheds his elderly gardener/groundskeeper disguise—then kick the asses of a bunch of teenage super-villainess wannabes, Valentine, and the school’s false headmistress, Miss Hexley.

–Red Robin #26
June 23-24. Tim has been recovering from the beating he took at the hands of Cricket for the past six weeks. The whole time Tim, the master of convoluted schemes that involve the most ludicrous trickeration known to man, has been planning the assassination of Captain Boomerang (Digger Harkness), the villain who murdered his dad. Red Robin lures Boomerang out of hiding with a complex set of baits that involve taking advantage of STAR Labs, creating a fake Black Lantern energy container, and setting up a meeting with Mr. Freeze. However, Tim has second thoughts and actually winds up saving Boomerang from Freeze. Tim then has another change of heart while fighting Boomerang. Although he contemplates murder yet again, Tim ultimately spares the villain’s life. Dick and Damian show up and congratulate Tim for not giving into the temptation of revenge. Bruce shows up and has a different sentiment, chastising Tim for even considering using lethal force.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1. Since the finale of Batman Incorporated Volume 2 is the final official entry of the Modern Age (before Flashpoint!), we must add the New 52 story arc that Batman Inc Vol. 2 #1 references: Peter Tomasi’s Batman & Robin Vol. 2 #1-8. Of course, we needn’t (and shouldn’t) add those eight issues in as they are. They are merely referenced to—all we need know is that Henri Ducard’s evil son, Morgan Ducard aka “Nobody,” murders Batman Inc member Ravil. In return, Nobody is killed by Damian, after which he promises never to kill again. Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1 tells us that the murder of Nobody occurs before Chapter 2 of Leviathan Strikes, which puts it right here on our timeline. Oh, the other thing to take away from the reference to Tomasi’s New 52 arc is that Bruce gets Damian a dog named Titus.

–Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1 Chapter 2
Bruce meets with Lucius Fox and they discuss the diamond that was taken from Dr. Sivana’s lab (way back in Batman Incorporated #1). The gem is constructed of a metamaterial that is basically a form of unknown renewable energy source. Lucius also informs him that the full army of Batman Robots is ready for action. Batman Incorporated is finally ready to attack Leviathan head-on. Batman (Bruce), Batman (Dick), Robin, and Red Robin converge on a Leviathan oil tanker far out at sea. Gaucho is already on the ship somewhere. The heroes also send out a message to all other Batman Incorporated members available to go to the site as well. Upon infiltrating the ship, the Bat-Family is trapped within a deadly labyrinth. Batman (Bruce) is dosed with an experimental drug that induces early onset Alzheimer’s instantaneously. As the Dark Knight becomes separated from his group, he stumbles through the labyrinth and his mind begins to fade. Doctor Dedalus, on board the ship, is able to taunt Batman and pry precious secrets about Batman Incorporated from the struggling hero. Dedalus starts a twenty-minute countdown clock and declares that every five minutes Batman Incorporated members will die. The clock hits fifteen and in Mtamba, Batwing and his comrades are overwhelmed. At ten, the Hood is seemingly assassinated in London by his superior, Matron, who claims his loyalty to Spyral and the legitimate headmistress of St. Hadrian’s i.e a living and breathing Kathy Kane! Meanwhile, Batman (Dick), Red Robin, and Robin knock out some masked attackers, who turn out to be Dark Ranger and Nightrunner. Both had arrived at the Leviathan ship, per Batman’s orders, but were captured and immediately brainwashed by Dedalus. After going through several rooms containing fake Dedaluses, Batman (Bruce) finally reaches the real deal. But Gaucho is there and reveals himself as a double-agent still working for his old Spyral boss after all these years. Gaucho punches the unsuspecting Dark Knight to the ground. Dedalus detonates an explosive on the ship, which causes the vessel to begin sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Concurrently in Earth’s orbit, the Outsiders, per Batman’s request, investigate the Leviathan satellite HQ. There, they are not only shocked to discover a cackling Lord Death Man, but a countdown clock that reads “five minutes.” The satellite explodes. Back aboard the sinking ship, Dedalus reveals that when the countdown reaches zero, several meta-bombs strategically placed across the world will detonate causing global death and massive damage. Dedalus then orders Gaucho to administer a poison to the Caped Crusader. Gaucho has a change of heart and betrays Dedalus, giving Batman the antidote to the Alzheimer’s drug. A surprisingly deft Dedalus then stabs Gaucho in the throat with a knife engraved by Hitler, and then attempts to shock Batman to death with an electric prod. Robin enters the room just in time to save his father by throwing the Hitler knife into Dedalus’ head, killing the villain. A nervous Damian mutters, “Father. I’m sorry. He was going to kill you.” Great stuff. Meanwhile, Oracle takes control of the army of Bat Robots via Internet 3.0 and they raise the ship out of the sea. Batman, Batman, Red Robin, Robin, and a nearly dead (but surviving) Gaucho make their way to the inner sanctum of the ship. Behind a sealed door, Bruce finds on display the severed head of Jezebel Jet and a ringing red telephone. Bruce knows who the head of Leviathan is. He picks up the phone and hears the voice of pure evil, the voice of Leviathan: Talia al Ghul. Talia tells Bruce that the war is now started and that there is a half-a-billion dollar bounty on Damian’s head. Talia hangs up the phone from her secret location, inside the Monarch Theater on Crime Alley in Gotham City. She has dealt a huge blow and shock to Batman Incorporated in one fell swoop, controls all of Leviathan and the League of Assassins, and rules the dictatorship of Mtamba. With the mysterious Heretic as her right-hand man, Talia will stop at nothing to destroy the entire Bat-Family.^[3]

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Gates of Gotham #5, Justice League of America Vol. 2 #60, and Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1. Dick retires his Batman costume and becomes Nightwing again. We will see that Dick has returned to his Nightwing persona in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1. Batman permanently switches from his yellow oval costume back to a more traditional black Bat-symbol costume.

–REFERENCE: In the Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 series. Batgirl, Oracle, and Black Bat will not be shown or mentioned in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 at all. Thus, we must assume they are sent by Batman to go on special assignments for the duration of the Modern Age. Sorry, ladies (and sorry, fans of these ladies). Bummer.

–NOTE: In Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #3. Commissioner Gordon dyes his hair and mustache red again. He did this a lot in the “Early Period,” so it should come as no surprise that he’s doing it again, especially since he’s getting older.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1-5. A sniper named Goatboy attempts to kill Robin, hoping to collect on Talia’s bounty. The villain fails, but evades capture. Meanwhile, Talia and the mysterious and powerful Heretic strong arm Gotham’s underworld leaders to turn over their operations to Leviathan. Batman and Robin manage to stop a shipment of poisoned meat from entering Gotham’s markets—and take one of the healthy bovines as a pet, which Robin dubs “Bat-Cow!” Unfazed, Talia’s ninja man-bats drop the corpse of one of Gotham’s top mobsters in front of the Dynamic Duo. In San Francisco, behind a secret wall in a sex shop lies Batcave West (!), complete with an Outsiders “Hall of Trophies,” where Batman Incorporated members regroup following the recent Leviathan battle. Wingman gathers the troops—Batwing, Hood, Gaucho, Freight Train, Looker, and Halo—and we learn that the world believes that all of these heroes have perished. Katana and Metamorpho, who has changed his name to “Element Man,” are no longer active members of the Outsiders. While the details are not given, we must assume that they were injured enough in the satellite blast that they cannot continue the war against Leviathan. Back in Gotham, while the Dynamic Duo fights some Mutant Gang members, Goatboy puts a bullet in Robin’s head! Of course this is a ruse and Damian is fine. Talia isn’t fooled so easily and meets with her father, who tells her to stop her war against Batman. Talia takes over her father’s empire and puts him under house arrest. Back in Gotham, Batman dons his Matches Malone guise and debuts a new high tech undercover taxicab for Alfred to drive. Along with Dick (who is dressed as Batman!) and an undercover Gaucho, Hood, and Freight Train, “Malone” pumps the local bar scene for information regarding Leviathan. Afterward, “Malone” visits a mansion owned by Leviathan only to get captured by Goatboy, Judge, and a debuting Hangman (not to be confused with the Hooded Hangman). Sick of playing dead, Robin dons a “Redbird” costume and goes to rescue Batman. At the Leviathan house, Batman Inc defeats the weirdest assortment of League Assassins ever assembled—including the Seven Men of Death, Merlyn, Alpha, Tzin-Tzin, Sportsmaster III (a clone of the original), Ojo, Shrike (Boone, former student of the original Shrike), Mad Dog Cain, Aron Abromowitz, the Turnip Twins, Kitty Kumbata, Wam Wam, some Mutant Gang members, and others. Goatboy gets killed during the chaos. Afterward, Wingman unmasks, revealing himself as Jason Todd! Batman then tells Damian that in order to end the war between Leviathan and Batman Inc and to avoid global carnage, Bruce has decided that the only course of action is for him to return into his mom’s care. Batman tells Damian the whole of his Thögal/Omega vision (his future vision shown in Batman #666, Batman #700, and Batman Inc Vol. 2 #5). Meanwhile, some Batman Inc members are lured to the Leviathan HQ at Crime Alley where a bomb explodes seemingly killing them all.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #6-10. Batman, with a bunch of GI Bat-Robots and the GCPD, goes to Crime Alley. Inside a building, Batman chats with Talia via radio and fights Leviathan agents. At the top floor, Batman’s agents lie bloody and battered. Back at the Batcave, Jason rallies the troops—including Red Robin, who debuts his new “razor-wing” costume. Alfred gives Damian a pet cat, which he names Alfred. Back across town, Talia explains that Batman must choose between the Damian’s death or the destruction of Gotham. Talia also explains that the Otto Netz’s “Oroboro” is not only a weapon, but also a new energy source that will cause the global power shift. The Heretic then murders Knight and beats-down Batman, who is taken away by ninja man-bats. At Batcave East (underneath an oil refinery), the Hood betrays Batman Inc for the second time, pledging his loyalty to Spyral and taking-out Wingman. Red Robin is nearly blown to bits by yet another bomb. Back at Crime Alley, a school bus full of Leviathan brainwashed children attack Nightwing, Batwing, and Commissioner Gordon. Leviathan soldiers then take over Wayne Tower. Thanks to a report from Traktir and Spidra in Yemen, Damian confirms that the Heretic is none other than an adult clone of himself. Atop Wayne Tower, the Heretic throws a safe (with Batman trapped inside) into the penthouse pool. Robin saves Nightwing and Gordon and heads to Wayne Tower. Robin and Nightwing then team-up to fight the Heretic. The Heretic kills Damian. Batman, Nightwing, and Red Robin all fight off the Heretic and flee to safety with Damian’s corpse. The next day a solemn funeral is held to lay Damian to rest at the Wayne Cemetery plot. Bruce swears revenge, orders Alfred to take a vacation, and tends to his own multiple wounds. A week later, across the pond in London, Beryl becomes the new Knight. Back in Gotham, with Leviathan still in control of Wayne Tower, looting and riots continue across the city. The media reports that Leviathan has struck against Wayne because of his public link to Batman Incorporated. Leviathan contacts Mayor Hady with an ultimatum. They demand the shutdown of Batman Inc, the arrest of Bruce Wayne, and the banning of the Batman brand from the city or else the city will crumble. Mayor Hady complies with the demands, citing that Batman Inc has essentially operated as a sanctioned private paramilitary venture that has disregarded US laws in order to do so. Batman Inc goes underground. A day later, Nightwing, Red Robin, Knight, and Dark Ranger touch base via satellite link-up with Gaucho, Man-of-Bats, Raven Red, Batman Japan, and Nightrunner. In the process, they learn that there are Oroboros bombs at each location where a Batman Inc member has been recruited. Elsewhere, in a Spyral base, original Bat-Woman Kathy Kane (!), the Hood, and a gang of St. Hardian’s girls hold Jason Todd hostage. Talia visits her father in Switzerland to brag about her achievements. However, Ra’s laughs, doubting her ability to finish the job. Returning to a Gotham where Batman is public enemy number one, Talia demands that the Dark Knight surrender. Batman prepares for his confrontation with Talia by acquiring some Man-Bat Serum from Dr. Langstrom and by getting the Suit of Sorrows from Azrael. Batman dons the magickal armor, injects himself with Man-Bat Serum, and suits up into a flying combat robot suit.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #11-13. A jacked-up Batman charges into battle. Following a random Chris Burhnam scripted Batman Japan interlude flashback, Batman attacks the Heretic head-on, gaining the upper hand after activating an invisibility function on his suit. Meanwhile, at the Spyral HQ, Nightwing, Red Robin, Knight, and Wingman learn that Kathy Kane is one of the leaders of Spyral! Wingman explains that Spyral (which includes Hood and the St. Hadrian’s girls) is actually in league with Batman Inc! Knight and Nightwing show up just in time to help Batman restrain the Heretic, whose mask gets smashed off to reveal the face of an eleven-year-old (soon to be twelve-year-old) Damian. The Heretic flees to Talia, who promptly decapitates him, declaring that she can make Damian clones anytime she wants. (As we will find out in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #13, Talia secretly already has a “nursery” of many cloned Damians that she is rearing). Talia then blows up Wayne Tower and departs. Later, Talia has a sword battle with Batman and they kiss passionately. Talia poisons Batman. Meanwhile, the combined forces of Batman Inc and Spyral face off against Leviathan all over the globe. Wingman rushes into the Batcave with the Oroboros weapon activator. Talia thinks Jason will help her, but instead he helps Batman and reveals that the Oroboros weapon has been deactivated. With the antidote to the poison running into his veins, Batman exclaims that his meta-material (the invisibility diamond stuff) will work as a better energy source for the world. Kathy Kane then shoots Talia dead! Batman is shocked to see Kathy, let alone leading a cell of a spy cartel. Kathy disappears and says that Bruce won’t see her again. Shaken, Bruce buries Talia in a grave next to Damian’s.

THE DARK KNIGHT & THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER
——————–Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1 Intro
——————–Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #13
A few days after Talia’s death, Bruce and Alfred stand in the pouring rain and mourn over the graves of Talia and Damian (as seen in the opening scene of Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1). Exactly one month has passed since the beginning of Batman Incorporated Vol. 2. Bruce tells Alfred that Batman is done for good. Gordon arrives with a warrant for Bruce’s arrest (for involvement in murder, treason, and terrorism linked to the Batman Inc-Leviathan War). At GCPD HQ, the arrested Bruce chats with Commissioner Gordon about all that has happened. Bruce talks about his relationship with Talia (without spilling the beans about his secret ID). Bruce also mentions how a rookie cop Gordon was on hand with Leslie Thompkins when his parents were killed—a huge revelation, which means that, in the Modern Age, Gordon was a rookie in Gotham before going to Chicago and then returning to Gotham for Miller’s “Year One.” (This marks the first time in any continuity—aside from Chris Nolan’s Batman Begins film—that Gordon is placed at the scene of the Wayne murders. The New 52, because it also holds the complete narrative of Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 as canon, will follow suit, placing Gordon at the scene of the Wayne murders. As will the Gotham live action TV show, which debuts three years after Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #1.) Bruce and Commissioner Gordon also talk about how the city is in chaos—a chaos not seen since “Zero Year”—due to the aftermath of the Batman Inc-Leviathan conflict. (Since there was no “Zero Year” in the Modern Age, this has to be a reference to No Man’s Land. Also note that Bruce is incorrectly stated to have been 10-years-old at the time of his parents’ deaths. This is a point of debate in the New 52, but Bruce was definitely 8-years-old when his parents’ died in the Modern Age.) Eventually, the US Government drops all charges against Bruce, thanks to Kathy and Spyral. Before letting Bruce leave, Gordon tells him that Gotham needs Batman. Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred ushers Bruce to the Wayne Cemetery plot where Talia’s and Damian’s bodies have been exhumed and taken. The next day, as reconstruction begins on Wayne Tower, Batman makes his triumphant return, taking on random thugs and dealing with a Poison Ivy case. Batman will go on, because he must, but he will do it as he started, grim and alone, for this is how things must be. Elsewhere, Ra’s al Ghul begins rebuilding the League of Assassins. Without access to a Leviathan Pit (they are all dried up), Ra’s begins slowly harvesting Lord Death Man’s blood, which he refers to as “Lazarus blood.” (Apparently, Lord Death Man’s hemoglobin is similar to the restorative fluid that flows in the Lazarus Pits.) Ra’s reveals that all of Talia’s fetal Damian clones are still intact in a science-fictiony “nursery” lab. According to Ra’s, these “Sons of Batman” will be the Caped Crusader’s undoing. THE END. Well, the beginning and the end. The Oroboros cycle completes itself only to begin again. The meta-commentary of Morrison’s grand epic concludes with the message that Batman is eternal. His stories will never end. The Modern Age comes to a close, but Flashpoint rockets us into a new continuity. Eventually, something else will rocket us into the future again. Batman will never die.

–Batman Incorporated Special #1
This issue functions as a slight reiteration of the end of Batman Inc Vol. 2 #13—the idea here is that Batman will live on forever, no matter what. Batman ponders what to do with the Batman Incorporated venture now that it has ultimately failed and resulted in the deaths of many people, including his own son and former lover. The Dark Knight solemnly sits in the Batcave and reviews some old Batman Inc case files: his own team-up with Raven Red versus Coyote; Batman Japan versus Dr. Inside-Out; Knight (Beryl Hutchinson) versus Springheeled Jack; Nightrunner, Dark Ranger, and El Gaucho versus La Muerte en Vida; and Bat-Cow versus some random kidnappers. After reviewing these old Batman Inc case files, Batman decides not to archive them, presumably meaning that Batman Inc will continue on in some form. We should note, however, that Batman probably can no longer legally operate Batman Inc in the United States. Therefore, any continuation of Batman Inc will have to happen overseas—in Africa, South America, and parts of Europe.

–REFERENCE: In Convergence: Batman and Robin #1. Damian is resurrected. No details are given, but we can probably assume that the boy’s resurrection happens similarly to how it goes down in the New 52.

–Convergence
The entirety of Gotham is scooped-up and collected by Brainiac. (Note that this is the über version of Brainiac, not to be confused with the Brainiac that we’ve already seen on our timeline. This Brainiac is the original pre-Crisis Brainiac, who has survived through multiple reboots. Emerging from 2015 of the alternate New 52 timeline, he scoops up and captures entire cities. By 2015, Brainiac will not only have survived the upcoming Flashpoint reboot intact, but he will also somehow be able to travel to prior defunct—i.e. erased—timelines, an act that goes beyond mere time-traveling and into the realm of navigating through the “metaverse,” the actual fictional history of DC Comics.) Brainiac places Gotham under an impenetrable dome and relocates it outside of time and space onto the sentient planet Telos. (Telos is a transformed Arak Red-Hand of Skartaris.) After all the citizens of Gotham spend over a year stuck on Telos, the entire Modern Age timeline gets erased. Eventually, the “Superman Reborn” arc, which reboots the New 52 into the Rebirth Era, causes the restoration of the Modern Age timeline. This means that, from the perspective of Batman and all the other kidnapped Modern Age characters, Convergence never really happens at all. Mere seconds pass, after which everyone has no memories nor do they feel any of the effects of having been stuck under the dome for over a year. (The same erasure effect goes for Superman and Lois Lane, who actually have a child and live in the New 52 for over 12 years before returning back to status quo at this moment in the restored Modern Age.) To reiterate, Convergence is an outside-of-time-and-space story that winds up (thanks to “Superman Reborn”) registering as nothing more than a relatively worthless blip on our chronology. However, since Convergence is such a lengthy story (i.e. characters trapped under the dome for over a year), I’ve included a timeline-format narrative synopsis in the following footnote.^[4]

–NOTE: In Flashpoint Vol. 2 #1-5, Flashpoint: Knight of Vengeance #1-3, Flashpoint: The Outsider #1-3, and DC Universe: Rebirth #1. “It all changes here!” So says the cover tagline, and it is very true. Flashpoint doesn’t feature Batman (not the version of Batman we’ve been following, anyway). But Flashpoint is important to our chronology because it signifies the end of the Modern Age and the conclusion of this timeline. Yes, dear readers, this is the end, the final entry. Flashpoint, for the purposes of the main story and in relation to Batman, takes place in the following order:
——————–flashback from Flashpoint Vol. 2 #5
——————–Flashpoint Vol. 2 #1-3
——————–Flashpoint Vol. 2 #4 Part 1
——————–Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #2-3
——————–Flashpoint Vol. 2 #4 Part 2
——————–Flashpoint Vol. 2 #5
Here we go. Barry Allen finally discovers that Reverse-Flash (aka Professor Zoom aka Eobard Thawne) was responsible for the murder of his mother many years ago. Angry and distraught, Barry travels back in time using the Cosmic Treadmill in an attempt to prevent his mother’s death. This is a terribly brash idea that results in serious consequences. The entire DCU and its history are altered severely through a massive reality-shattering butterfly effect. After his time trek, Barry awakens in a world where his mother is alive again but literally everything is different: Barry is powerless; a giant war between Amazons and Atlanteans is ravaging the Earth; Kal-El’s spaceship originally crashed in Metropolis and he has been held captive by the government ever since, thus never becoming Superman; Cyborg is the main superhero on Earth; and most importantly, Bruce was the one who was killed by Joe Chill in Crime Alley, causing his father Thomas to become Batman and his mother Martha to become the Joker. The dark Thomas Wayne Batman (aka Flashpoint Batman), not opposed to using lethal force, meets with Cyborg and the other superheroes, who try to recruit him into getting involved in the Amazonian-Atlantean War (as also shown in Flashpoint: The Outsider #1).  Batman declines. Meanwhile, a frantic de-powered Barry incorrectly believes that his arch-nemesis Thawne is responsible for altering reality. Struggling to maintain his memories of what the DCU is supposed to be like, Barry visits the Batcave and is shocked to learn that Thomas Wayne is Batman and that Bruce is dead. A preoccupied Batman (currently working on the kidnapping case of Judge Harvey Dent’s twins by the Joker—as seen in Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #1) kicks the shit out of Barry, but eventually hears him out and buys his story. While remaining skeptical, Batman assists Barry on the roof of Wayne Manor where Barry straps himself to a lightning rod during a thunderstorm. After two painful and skin-scorching strikes, Barry regains his Speed Force powers and becomes the Flash once again. Flash tells Batman that there is still a chance he can make the world right, something Batman is on board for, even at the cost of his own existence since he hates the “World of Flashpoint” and would do anything to gain a universe where Bruce is alive. Batman and Flash join up with Cyborg and break Kal-El out of his prison. However, a scared and emaciated Kal-El, who has never seen the light of day before, flies away in terror. After escaping from Kal-El’s government guardians, the heroes regroup at the home of several children who combine to form Captain Thunder (Captain Marvel in the “World of Flashpoint”). The Earth’s heroes decide its time to join forces and stop the Amazonian-Atlantean War once and for all. But first, Batman has to save Judge Dent’s kids and bring his wife to justice. Oracle (Selina Kyle, who replaces the never-born Barbara Gordon in the “World of Flashpoint”) sends an alert to Commissioner Gordon and Batman that Joker is at Wayne Manor. Gordon shows up first but is killed. Batman rushes to his home and does battle with Joker. He tries to explain that there is now a way to change reality so that Bruce will have survived instead of them. This seems to calm Martha—until she learns that Bruce becomes Batman, which sends her laughing backward and spiraling to her death at the bottom of the Batcave. Thomas rejoins the rest of the superheroes and flies the group in the Batplane to the front-line of the war in England (as also shown in Flashpoint: The Outsider #3). In London, the heroes engage in a brutal and bloody battle with both Amazons and Atlanteans alike. Thawne (like Barry, also aware of the original DCU) shows up and reveals that it was Barry, not he, who inadvertently changed the universe. Thawne fights Barry, but is killed by Batman. Batman, in turn, is killed by the Enchantress, but not before giving Barry a handwritten letter to give to Bruce, should Barry be able to revert everything back to status quo. After Barry departs, Dr. Manhattan (of Watchmen fame), who has been watching everything from afar, saves Thomas Wayne Batman, returning him to life—as revealed in Batman Vol. 3 #21-22 and Flash Vol. 5 #21. Leaving the battle behind, Barry says goodbye to his mom and bursts into the timestream again. This is where things get really abstruse. First, Barry is able to locate himself (at the point where he was using the Cosmic Treadmill earlier to save his mom). However, without the original aid of the Treadmill to do so, Barry simply uses the Speed Force to haphazardly travel through time, an act which results in even more anomalies. Then Barry fights himself as he travels back through the timestream, causing the Speed Force to go all kablooey even more, which causes time itself to go all wacky too. As he stumbles through time, Barry is addressed by a mysterious hooded female entity (the godlike Pandora) who explains that the “history of heroes was shattered into three long ago, splintered to weaken your world for their impending arrival.” Not quite sure what that means, but Pandora is definitely referencing the Vertigo Universe (the parts that don’t overlap with the DCU proper), the Wildstorm Universe, and the main DCU. The “World of Flashpoint” fades away (although Barry retains all memory of it) and the three aforementioned universes merge and reform into one new DCU with a brand new history. But as we learn in DC Universe: Rebirth #1, Batman Vol. 3 #21-22, and Flash Vol. 5 #21, Pandora is being played. Dr. Manhattan secretly keeps the “World of Flashpoint” in existence as an alternate timeline. He also secretly “guides” Pandora’s world-sculpting hands, stealing a chunk of continuity information from Pandora’s intended new timeline. In this way, Dr. Manhattan not only becomes the secret majority creator of the New 52 and Rebirth Era, with Pandora actually doing far less than she is aware of, but he also is directly responsible for ending the Modern Age. (As revealed in Justice League Incarnate #4, The Great Darkness secretly influences Dr. Manhattan here.) In an instant, the previous twenty-three years of Batman’s career are erased and replaced with something new. Barry wakes up and immediately visits the Batcave. Bruce is indeed wearing the cape and cowl again. Barry then explains all that has happened and delivers Thomas’ letter to a teary eyed Dark Knight. The chaos and alteration done to the DCU has been corrected, but not properly. This ain’t our Caped Crusader any more. This ain’t our old DCU either. Different costumes, different histories. The Modern Age is over.

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<<< PREVIOUS: YEAR 23 Part 1 <<< | >>> QUICK LISTS >>>

1. ^[1]ALEKSANDAR / COLLIN COLSHER: Batman & Robin #20-25 must go shortly after Batgirl Vol. 3 #22, i.e. right here on our timeline, for several reasons. In Batgirl Vol. 3 #22, Stephanie moved to London as per Batman’s orders. However, this cut into her “Reapers” case she was working in the prior Batgirl Vol. 3 #20-21. Batgirl Vol. 3 #23-24 sees Stephanie briefly return to Gotham to finish the “Reapers” case—(Steph remarks to the detective she’s been working with that she was out of town)—before returning to England. The Batman-less Batgirl Vol. 3 #23-24 specifically overlaps with Batman & Robin #20-22 (“White Knight vs Dark Knight”). We know this because, in Batgirl Vol. 3 #23-24, some random cops talk about an angel falling from the sky (a reference to the “White Knight” case). Furthermore, when Batgirl is about to infiltrate Blackgate prison in Batgirl Vol. 3 #24 she says that Batman (Dick) and Robin are handling a hostage situation at Arkham (a reference, again, to the “White Knight” case). Note also that Batman Incorporated #6 and all following Batman Inc issues and related notes must go after this (i.e. after Batman & Robin #20-25) due to the fact that Batman Inc #6 follows-up on Jason Todd’s status after he escapes prison in Batman and Robin #25. (Jason becomes Wingman in Batman Inc #6, which has to occur after Batman and Robin #25.)↩
2. ^[2]COLLIN COLSHER: While Bruce doesn’t make an appearance in the issue, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a hallmark moment on our timeline. Batman #713 (2011) takes place now, acting as the final issue of the Modern Age’s Batman Vol. 1, ending a continuous run since 1940.↩
3. ^[3]COLLIN COLSHER: Flashpoint was published shortly before Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1 Chapter 2, ending the Modern Age and rewriting the entire chronology for a “New 52” era. Thus Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! effectively forms the final Modern Age Batman story published prior to the 2011 reboot. But Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! ends with a cliffhanger—the first strike in what promises to be a brutal war. Several things are left unfinished. Did Batwing and the Outsiders really die? It wasn’t explicitly shown. And, of course, there is the unfinished question of the war itself. However, the story continues in the new continuity! But how can this be, you might ask? Doesn’t a ton of stuff get retconned in the new continuity, including the details of this “Leviathan” story arc? It’s true and it would have been nice to wrap up this wonderful story before the reboot, but the proper timing just wasn’t in the cards. HOWEVER, the story still officially continues (according to Batman Incorporated Absolute Edition) with Batman Incorporated Vol. 2, thus ending the Modern Age AND simultaneously occurring in the New 52! This amazing exercise in making an arc work in TWO SEPARATE continuities at the same time requires copious asterisks, bullet points, and footnotes. Nevertheless, the wily Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart did their best to make it function correctly. This was truly no small feat, and we can see how unbelievable was the task via an amazing chestnut, as quoted by scholar Véronique Emma Houxbois: “Morrison’s Batman Incorporated epic was bifurcated by Flashpoint to such a comical degree that when Stewart was drawing the Leviathan Strikes one shot bridging the two volumes, he had to go back and redraw Stephanie Brown alternatively as Batgirl and Spoiler while editorial went back and forth on whether it took place before or after Flashpoint, which wiped out her time as Batgirl. So if there’s a single, identifiable point at which time died screaming at DC comics, it was when Stewart was hunched over his artboard contemplating Schrödinger’s Stephanie Brown.” The exciting conclusion to the Batman Inc-Leviathan War, born out of the burnt ashes of Dan DiDio’s screaming time and stitched together against all odds, will be listed on our humble timeline below. Additional notes to follow (and some scattered earlier) are my attempt to reflect/explain any drastic continuity changes that appear in the second volume of Batman Inc, so that a reading of the New 52 Batman Inc volume, for the purposes of giving the Modern Age a proper/official ending, can be done without any retcons or alteration of the text or images as they appear (despite the fact that volume two simultaneously occurs in the New 52).↩
4. ^[4]COLLIN COLSHER: The following is the full timeline with synopses of events for Convergence.

   –REFERENCE: In Convergence #0-1 and Convergence: Speed Force #1. The über Brainiac causes a “chronal disturbance” to appear over Gotham, which brings a large number of heroes to the city. The über Brainiac then “collects” Gotham City, literally digging it up and putting an impenetrable energy dome around it, mere moments before Flashpoint erases the Modern Age timeline. Gotham is placed, along with other stolen cities from alternate chronologies, onto the sentient planet Telos, who exists outside of time and space. Besides Batman and his Bat-Family, several other non-Gothamites, including members of the disbanded final incarnation of the JLA, Flash (Wally West), Superman, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen are present in Gotham at the time of its “collection,” thus placing them in the same boat as the others. Brainiac and Telos use special tech to de-power any metahumans under the domes they collect. No one under the dome will have any idea how or why they have come to be prisoners. Nor will they even realize their city has been removed from an about-to-be dead timeline and taken to an interdimensional planet removed space-time.

   –REFERENCE: In Batman and Robin: Convergence #1 and Convergence #2. Batman (along with everyone else) will live trapped under the dome for the next calendar year. Telos will provide energy and limited resources while Poison Ivy will use what is left of her chemicals to maintain gardens and urban farms—under the direct protection of Batman and the GCPD—to feed the hungry. Batman, vacillating between his old black insignia costume and his Batman Inc yellow oval model, will regularly patrol the streets of Gotham with Damian, even despite the strange conditions.

   –FLASHBACK: From Convergence: Speed Force #1. Flash (Wally West) visits with Batman to brainstorm ideas about how to get through the dome wall. Batman is at a loss and can offer no help.

   –REFERENCE: In Convergence: Batman and Robin #2. Batman trains Damian, teaching him, among other things, the “Sprang-Aparo Combination.”

   –REFERENCE: In Convergence: Titans #2. With Batman’s assistance, Arsenal constructs a hidden defense network, comprised of various remote-controlled weaponry all over Gotham.

   –REFERENCE: In Convergence: Nightwing & Oracle #2. Bruce builds a high-tech motorcycle called the Rocketwing and gives it to Dick for his birthday.

   –Convergence: Batman and Robin #1-2
   It’s been exactly one year trapped under the dome. Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Kirk Langstrom (now stuck in Man-Bat form), and Black Mask attempt to wrestle control of Gotham’s largest urban farm away from its caretaker Poison Ivy. Batman and Robin make the save with a surprising assist by Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Scarlet—neither of whom have been seen since Gotham went under the dome. Back in the Batcave, a jealous Damian tells-off his dad for accepting the help of Jason once again. Damian runs off on his own to fight Red Hood and Scarlet. Batman chases after him and breaks up the fight just as a towering voice thunders through the entire dome. Telos has taken initiative and decided to start a fighting tournament that includes all of the captured domed cities. (Brainiac was defeated, as seen in The New 52: Futures End, while attempting to collect another city, thus giving the abandoned Telos free rein to carry on his master’s mission as he sees fit.) All of the domes on Telos are lifted, all powers are re-granted, and Telos himself declares that only being the last warrior standing will spare destruction for one’s respective city. (Telos’ declaration is also shown in Convergence #1.) The dome walls have barely disappeared before the pre-Zero Hour Extremists—Death Angel, Brute, Carny, and Meanstreak—attack! (Note that, here, DC considers the Modern Age timeline as two separate continuities, hence the use of the term “pre-Zero Hour” to describe the Extremists—and later Parallax Hal Jordan. For the purposes of our chronology, we should not consider the pre-Zero Hour characters as coming from a separate pre-Zero Hour continuity. They are still from the Modern Age, only specifically from around the Modern Age’s in-story 2001-2002 i.e. from publications just prior to 1994. Since the Batman Chronology Project considers Zero Hour as a soft reboot, not a hard reboot, we have only one Modern Age timeline, not a messy-as-hell two.) Batman, Robin, Red Hood, and Scarlet defeat the Extremists. Afterward an earthquake rumbles across all of Telos. (Note that this is supposed to be the earthquake caused by the fall of Skartaris from Convergence #5, but this story definitely occurs before Convergence #2, so either it is a separate quake or a continuity error.) Batman then chats with Superman before departing with his boys.

   –Convergence #2
   Several New 52 Earth-2 heroes—Superman (Val-Zod), Batman (Thomas Wayne), Yolanda Montez, Dick Grayson, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), and Flash (Jay Garrick)—were spared death at the hands of Darkseid by being ripped away by Telos just as Apokolips destroyed their home planet. However, since their timeline technically hasn’t been erased, these heroes have no domed city to protect and have decided to wage war directly against Telos. After splitting up, Batman (Thomas Wayne) and Earth-2 Dick Grayson break into the Batcave and meet Alfred. Earth-2 Dick Grayson views Oracle on a video screen, which moves him deeply since he was married to his world’s Barbara Gordon until her recent death during the Earth-2 Apokoliptian War. In a touching scene, Earth-2 Thomas Wayne ascends into Wayne Manor and meets Bruce face-to-face. After a heartfelt alternate lost father/alternate lost son reunion, Bruce gives Thomas a Batmobile and the latter departs with his Dick Grayson in tow. Meanwhile, the other New 52 Earth-2 heroes run into magick man Deimos (of Skartaris).

   –NOTE: In Convergence #3. New 52 Earth-2 Batman (Thomas Wayne) and New 52 Earth-2 Dick Grayson fight against White Knight, The Absence, Victor Zsasz, Eduardo Flamingo, Riddler, Professor Pyg, Old King Coal, Man-Bat (Kirk Langstrom), and Simon Hurt. Overwhelmed, Earth-2 Batman detonates a suicide-bomb on his belt, killing himself to take out the villains. Everyone is seemingly killed except for Dick and Langstrom. Joker then appears and shoots Dick in the spine, paralyzing him instantly. Telos arrives and immediately kills Joker, referring to him as a “vile creature” and a “plague in every timeline.”

   –Convergence: Nightwing & Oracle #2
   Nightwing, Oracle, and Black Canary defeat Flashpoint Hawkman and Flashpoint Hawkgirl (Shiera Sanders-Hall), saving Gotham from their assault and providing a much needed albeit brief period of calm for the city. Immediately afterward, an impromptu wedding ceremony is held. After an earthquake (caused by the fall of Skartaris in Convergence #5) disrupts the festivities, things settle and Dick and Babs tie the knot! Bruce, Clark, Lois, the whole Bat-Family, and many other heroes are present for the ceremony.

   –Convergence #8
   Deimos has taken control of Telos and forced him out of limbo space into New 52 Universe-0 in the year 2015. On Telos, a huge war between villains and heroes erupted, leading to pre-Zero Hour Parallax Hal Jordan murdering Deimos, an action that has turned Telos into a giant bomb that will detonate and destroy the multiverse. Modern Age Batman and his Bat-Family join dozens of other heroes as pre-Crisis Earth-2 Dr. Fate and Telos fill-in the onlookers about the situation at hand. New 52 Earth-0 Booster Gold, Booster Gold (who is now the new Waverider), and Goldstar appear and do the only thing that can save everyone: they release über Brainiac from captivity. Brainiac reveals his true history and comes to understand the error of his ways. In deep space of New 52 Universe-0, New 52 Earth-0 Superman and New 52 Earth-0 Supergirl watch helplessly. Brainiac takes control of Telos and explains that he will reset the universes to appear as they did right before he stole their respective cities. But in order to do this, the original Crisis must be re-fought in such a way that the multiverse doesn’t collapse as it originally did in the year 1986 of the Golden and Silver Age timelines. All of the key players of the first Crisis are sent back. Then pre-Zero Hour Hal Jordan, Silver Age Flash, Silver Age Supergirl, Superman, Lois Lane, (and their newborn baby Jonathan Samuel Kent) volunteer to help fight in the original Crisis—meaning the Golden Age/Silver Age version of the Crisis and NOT the Modern Age version. Brainiac sends them back. While their battle is definitely packed with 12 issues’ worth of chaos, only seconds pass for the heroes and villains on Telos. With the mission to the original Crisis a success, all the displaced heroes and villains (and civilians) are sent back to the moment right before they were gobbled up by Brainiac’s domes. While not explicitly specified, there’s no way the thoughts, memories, and occurrences of the year under the dome can remain intact. Everyone, including Modern Age Earth-0 Batman, likely loses all memory of the long Convergence adventure.

   –NOTE: In Convergence #8 and Superman: Lois and Clark #1. As seen in Convergence #8 but further fleshed-out in Superman: Lois and Clark #1, time and space literally “reset” following Superman, Lois, baby Jon, pre-Zero Hour Hal, Silver Age Flash, and Silver Age Supergirl’s trek back to change the original Crisis. During this period of “resetting,” the Modern Age (along with all prior eras) gets erased completely—not rebooted, not archived or made defunct, but fully erased. With no place to return to for our displaced heroes, Brainiac allows them to live on the New 52 timeline. Thus, Superman and Lois go to 2006 of the New 52 timeline where they take alternate identities and begin living a relatively quiet and secretive life with baby Jon. The Silver Age Flash, Silver Age Supergirl, and pre-Zero Hour Hal disappear into points unknown.

   This is where writer Jeff King ends his arc—bringing characters from past continuity into a new continuity (at the time of publication, the New 52). Of course, in order to achieve this, one must almost incomprehensibly violate the narrative physics (i.e. Many Worlds Interpretation) associated with canon. As stated in interviews by King himself, the very act of bringing prior continuity characters into a new continuity (when said characters factor heavily into the genetic makeup of the prior continuities) can only cause the total erasure of said prior continuities. King’s idea at the time of Convergence‘s final issue release in 2015, was to essentially destroy DC’s past in order to bring a handful of old school characters back into play. This of course makes no sense for King’s own Convergence narrative, which hinges upon Brainiac pulling things from prior continuities as an inciting act. As such, King ends Convergence with a pile of mind-numbing paradoxes and stupid impossibilities.

   As detailed in Dan Jurgens’ Superman: Lois and Clark series (2015-2016), Modern Age Superman, Modern Age Lois, and Jonathan Kent live in the New 52 for over twelve years (in relative quiet and secrecy). In 2017, Jurgens ends his Superman: Lois and Clark arc with “Superman Reborn,” a reboot that formally ends the New 52 and creates the Rebirth Era. And because Superman: Lois and Clark and “Superman Reborn” are both direct continuations of Convergence, Jurgen’s reboot functions as a coda to the latter, essentially fixing the literary conundrums King left behind. “Superman Reborn” restores the Modern Age timeline and undoes any meddling that King’s displaced heroes did with the original Crisis. Specifically for the Superman-Family in the New 52, Jurgens’ reboot has Rebirth Era Superman replace Modern Age Superman, Rebirth Era Lois replace Modern Age Lois, and Rebirth Era Jonathan Kent replace Jonathan Kent (who is not affiliated with any comic book era due to having been born during Convergence). With Modern Age Superman and Lois no longer in the New 52, they can return to the Modern Age where they belong, back to the moment from whence they were removed (in order to complete their actions and live out their lives as originally intended, thus restoring and securing the sanctity of their timeline). While Jurgens took on the challenge of cleaning up King’s mess in regard to Superman, Lois, and Jonathan, no writers bothered to detail the post-Convergence adventures pre-Crisis Supergirl or pre-Crisis Barry Allen. A version of (emphasis on version of) post-Zero Hour Hal Jordan actually does turn up in some post-Convergence stories, but, the less said about that, the better. In any case, we can logically apply what happened to Modern Age Superman and Modern Age Lois to pre-Crisis Supergirl, pre-Crisis Barry Allen, and post-Zero Hour Hal Jordan as well, giving the Convergence debacle a full correction across the board and restoring the Silver Age timeline too. Returned to their respective eras, the displaced heroes likely lose all memory of their time during Convergence and the New 52. Notably, Jonathan, an anomaly of Convergence, with nowhere to return to, simply ceases to have ever existed in the Modern Age.

   Essentially, the sandbox metaphor can be applied here very aptly. The old continuities and their old characters are old sandboxes filled with old action figures or toys, existing as preserved artifacts in a museum. Contemporary continuity and its contemporary characters equate to a new sandbox filled with new toys, existing in an active playground. Regarding the old sandboxes at the museum, the toys within are generally not meant to be played-with anymore—and almost never in the new sandbox. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and this type of play can sometimes make for inventive and interesting fun! An ambitious King decides to break the rules and move some old toys from some old sandboxes into the new sandbox. But King goes too far, deciding that he wants the old toys that he’s moved to remain in the new sandbox permanently. The old sandboxes that are missing their toys are fundamentally damaged to the point that they can no longer be used, let alone be regarded as museum pieces. Seemingly aware of the destruction he’s weaved, King tries to calm worried museum-goers by having his in-story narrative say that the old sandboxes never even existed. Realizing how confusing/impossible this is, especially to museum-goers, King makes numerous statements (not in the narrative of his story, mind you, but on Twitter) about how the old sandboxes are only technically gone but still have to obviously exist in some fashion. Finally done, King leaves the museum and playground, shrugging with his hands thrown up in the air. Later, Jurgens comes along, plays with some of the toys that King moved, but then ultimately returns all the toys to where they belong, thus fixing everything. This is the fundamental nature of the way comic book universes operate—the very “physics of comic book worlds.” ↩