Rebirth Year Ten

Rebirth Era (Post-“Superman Reborn”) Chronology

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YEAR TEN (2011)
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–REFERENCE: In Harley Loves Joker #1—originally told in the Batman The Animated Series TV show. Batman rescues Catwoman from Kirk Langstrom’s mentor Dr. Emile Dorian, a Dr. Moreau analogue that does human-animal hybridization experimentation on a remote island with his young assistant Abel Cuvier.

–Wonder Woman Vol. 5 #22
This item occurs exactly eight months and seven years since Wonder Woman first left Themyscira. Wonder Woman volunteers to participate in a date auction for charity in Las Vegas. In attendance are Bruce—in full sociophile playboy persona, surrounded by women—and Lex Luthor. Both men bid top dollar, but Dr. Veronica Cale winds up spending the most dough, winning the date. Veronica secretly wants to analyze Wonder Woman’s powers on behalf of her organization Godwatch. After dinner, Veronica tells a sob story that leads Wonder Woman into battle against human-traffickers. During the fight, Veronica scans Wonder Woman’s metapowers and magick lasso. The next day, Wonder Woman visits and scolds Veronica, having learned that she is connected to the Cheetah and is up to no good.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Giant #1. Batman busts a small-time crook named Frank.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #957, Detective Comics #963, and Detective Comics #971—originally told in Detective Comics #609-609 (“ANARKY IN GOTHAM CITY”). Batman encounters teenage left wing anti-hero Anarky (Lonnie Machin), who hides beneath a large red cloak, holding his mask on a stilt above his head, in order to make himself look taller and hide his age. Anarky’s goal is to, by any means necessary, radicalize the lumpen masses by exposing the damage that decades of neoliberal disinvestment have caused to America. Batman takes umbrage with this, especially the “by any means neccessary” part, and sends Anarky to Juvenile Hall.

–REFERENCE: In Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #3 and Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #5—originally told in Justice League America #34. Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and Kilowog embezzle funds from the JLI to open a resort casino on an island in the Pacific. Max Lord is furious when he finds out, while Batman is somewhat amused. The resort casino doesn’t last long, though, as everyone realizes it’s been built on a sentient living island known as Kooey Kooey Kooey. The angry island crumbles the structure to the ground.

–REFERENCE: In Batgirl Vol. 5 #24. Batman busts members of one of Gotham’s longest-running biker gangs, The Street Demonz.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Lost #1—originally told in Batman #452-454 (“DARK KNIGHT, DARK CITY”). Riddler, possessed by Barbatos, tricks Batman into going through a series of syncretist rituals that lead him to a hidden tomb. There, Batman witnesses hazy vision of 1765 in which several prominent figures, including Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Wayne (Simon Hurt), engage in an occult ritual to summon Barbatos. Hurt sacrifices a young woman named Dominique and considers the summoning a success, coming into contact with the defeated Hyper-Adapter in bat form (which he mistakes for the actual Barbatos). Hurt feasts upon the flesh of the Hyper-Adapter, which endows him with extended life/semi-immortality. Unknown to Hurt and company in 1765, Barbatos has used them as part of an opening rite of his “Mantling” ritual. The City of Gotham is now prepped to become the place of his arrival in just over 250 years’ time. After the vague and inscrutable flashback vision ends, Batman can’t quite make sense of it. Despite having just witnessed the origin story of Simon Hurt and a key part of Barbatos’ plan, Batman has no clue what this hallucinatory trip was all about. Nevertheless, the Caped Crusader finds the skeletal remains of Dominique and gives her a proper burial.

–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #2. The Wayne Enterprises Board of Directors orders Bruce to take a psychiatric exam. Bruce is honest during the session, raising many red flags about his state of mind. After putting the Board at ease, the Board demands, for insurance purposes, that Bruce take an annual psych exam. Lucius Fox has Bruce agree to the terms.

–REFERENCE: In Doom Patrol/Justice League of America Special #1—originally told in Justice League Quarterly #2. Skyscraper-tall cosmic designer Mr. Nebula—a former student of Manga Khan’s—arrives to give Earth a gaudy makeover, bedizening up a colossal mess that Batman and the other superheroes are forced to clean up.

–REFERENCE: In Justice League: No Justice #2. Batman becomes aware of Brainiac’s cloned son, Vril Dox 2.0 (aka Brainiac 2.0). The Dark Knight is likely briefed about Vril Dox II by Superman. Batman and Vril Dox 2.0 never interacted with one another in previous eras, so there’s no reason to assume they do in the Rebirth Era either. Suffice to say, Batman would definitely know about the guy.

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 2—and referenced in Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1 Part 1. Batman fights Onomatopoeia.

–REFERENCE: In Superman and The Authority #2. Superman gets one of Batman’s Batmobiles and puts it on display inside his Fortress of Solitude.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #999. February—Bruce’s birthday. As he does every year on his birthday, Batman runs Program 2.1, placing himself into a virtual world that challenges him by pushing him to his most extreme limits.

–REFERENCE: In Batman/Superman Vol. 2 #15. Batman fights master assassin Deadline.

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #58. At a water park, Harley Quinn whacks Batman in the face with a large pan of lasagna.

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 2. Batman fights an escaped Firefly.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: The World Part 4. Batman gets word that his Italian friend Cesare, now in his mid teens, is in juvenile hall, having become somewhat of a bad seed. Batman visits Cesare after hearing that the teen has nearly beaten another kid to death. Batman talks to the troubled Cesare atop juvie hall.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: Urban Legends #9 Part 2. Tweedledum and Tweedledee attempt to pillage a diamond mine, but Batman infiltrates the cavern with his burrowing Bat-subterrene. Batman takes down all of Tweedledum and Tweedledee’s miners, but the main villains escape using their flying propellor beanies.

–REFERENCE: In The Joker Vol. 2 #8. French scientists working for an unnamed criminal organization are able to sneak a sample of Batman’s blood, adding it to their ongoing collection of superhero and super-villain DNA samples.

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 2. Batman fights an escaped Scarecrow.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Giant #1. Batman busts an unnamed small-time crook, which nets the bad guy five years behind bars.

–Batman: Arkham – Victor Zsasz Part 12
An escaped Victor Zsasz fights and is bloodied by Batman. Zsasz flees, but Batman tags him with a coagulant. A dizzy and hallucinating Zsasz “butchers” a bunch of store mannequins before Batman brings him back to jail. Note that this item was originally intended for publication in Batman: Gotham Knights #12 (2001), but it wasn’t released until 2020, hence it’s inclusion on the Rebirth/Infinite Frontier timeline.

–Action Comics Special #1 Part 2
Late April. Lois Lane and Clark Kent perform comedy routines at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, with Lois skewering President Obama pretty hard on his use of indiscriminate drone strikes in Africa. Batman does security duty, watching from the rafters. Wonder Woman, Flash (Wally West), and Aquaman are guests, seated near the POTUS. Clark roasts attendee Lex Luthor by making fun of his early costumed super-villain days and showing video of Superman busting Luthor from nearly a decade ago. Afterward, an angry Luthor calls his people and says he is running for president in the next election. NOTE: This is an interesting item to place. Writer Mark Russell seems to be spoofing the White House Correspondents’ Dinner from late April of 2011, in which President Obama and Seth Meyers ripped Donald asshole Trump a new one. As one of many apocryphal stories about Trump deciding to run for office goes, Trump’s fragile ego was so crushed that he decided then-and-there to throw his hat into the ring as revenge. In Russell’s Rebirth Era DCU version, Clark is a stand-in for Meyers and Luthor is a fitting stand-in for Trump. Also worth mentioning, it would seem that Obama’s drone strike usage, in the DCU, was a mainstream news story earlier in the DCU than it was IRL. The Washington Post first reported extensive details of drone strikes in October 2012, but here we are, warts and all, in April 2011. At the end of Russell’s tale, Luthor does indeed tell his people that he’s going to run for office. And Luthor certainly will.

–REFERENCE: In Action Comics Special #1 Part 2 and Action Comics #1004. Lex Luthor publicly announces his candidacy for the Presidency and begins campaigning. Luthor will eventually choose Clark Kent’s childhood friend Pete Ross as his Vice Presidential partner. Ross is married to another childhood friend of Clark’s, his ex-girlfriend Lana Lang.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #51. Batman saves a lady from Joker. This is a vague reference that could be its own thing or linked to almost any other Joker story—and which could occur at pretty much any point on our timeline. You decide.

–FLASHBACK: From Nightwing Vol. 4 #69. Batman and Nightwing fight Penguin and his henchmen.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #1009. Batman has always had a very brooding and disagreeable persona. Because of this, Batman comes to realize just how much it can weird people out when he smiles.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #79. For the fourth time, Catwoman steals the Coner Diamond from the Gotham Museum, but, as before, Batman steals it right back.

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 2. Batman fights an escaped Killer Croc.

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 2. Batman fights an escaped Harley Quinn.

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 2. Batman fights Victor Zsasz as the villain tries to escape from Arkham Asylum.

–Batman Secret Files #2 Part 1
Batman creates a brand new “cape defense mode” for his costume—a special button on his costume that stiffens his cape and then causes it to wrap around him like an impenetrable cocoon. Soon after, Joker captures Batman, binds him in chains, and hangs him upside down. Joker tries to remove Batman’s costume, but his costume defenses prevent Joker from doing so. When Joker fiddles with Batman’s utility belt, he accidentally releases some incendiaries. Joker then accidentally activates the new cocoon defense, allowing Batman to escape and kick his ass.

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 2. Batman fights an escaped Ventriloquist and Scarface.

–Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #2 Part 3
While Batman chases after an escaped Joker, a random unrelated dude detonates an electromagnetic pulse bomb over Gotham, disabling all electronics and causing the Dark Knight to crash the Batmobile into a spillway drainage ditch. Joker gloats over the dazed Batman, who remains pinned inside his crumpled vehicle. As the damaged spillway wall slowly fills the car with rising water, Joker’s schadenfreude increases with each deadly second. Batman makes a daring escape and busts Joker. We are told Batman will have a long night ahead of him, cleaning up disaster sites all over the city. Presumably, Batman does so.

–REFERENCE: In Deathstroke Vol. 4 #19 and Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #5 Part 1. Batman tells his “criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot” mantra to Tim.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #964, Detective Comics #967, Detective Comics #970, and Robins #1-2—originally told in Detective Comics #618-621 (“RITE OF PASSAGE”). Anarky (using the codename “Moneyspider”) is able to strike from Juvenile Hall, using his hacker skills to online-transfer a ton of cash from commercialist big businesses and international banks to charitable organizations. Thanks to some ace detective work by Tim Drake, Batman is able to trace the hacks to Moneyspider, putting a stop to Anarky’s illegal (albeit revolutionary) scheme. However, with this bit of good news comes unfortunate bad news. Tim’s parents, millionaire industrialists Jack Drake and Janet Drake, have been kidnapped. Tim discovers that his parents have been taken by The Obeah Man (Makenson Innocente) and brought to Haiti. Batman flies down to Haiti to save them, but is only able to rescue Jack. Janet dies. The Obeah Man goes to prison.

–REFERENCE: In Robins #2—originally told in Batman #455-457 (“IDENTITY CRISIS”). Janet Drake’s funeral is held. Shortly thereafter, Scarecrow uses his drugs to cause regular folks to go on murder sprees all over Gotham. Batman tasks Tim with remotely working the Scarecrow case, assigning it as Tim’s final “gauntlet” training challenge. When Batman is captured by Scarecrow, Tim dons a ski mask and goes after him. Despite taking a dose of Fear Gas and suffering a hallucination of the Obeah Man, Tim is able to defeat Scarecrow and save Batman.

–REFERENCE: In Batwoman: Rebirth #1, Batman Beyond Vol. 8 #7, Detective Comics #965, Detective Comics #975, Flash Vol. 5 #64, Batman: Pennyworth RIP #1, and Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4. Early July. Having completed his training, Tim becomes the third Robin, donning a costume designed for him by Alfred. Tim will be the most hopeful Robin yet, focused on social justice more than any other superhero before. He will often speak to Batman about progressive ideas that involve new methods of crime-fighting in regard to organization and logistics in an attempt to influence his mentor just as much as the Caped Crusader has influenced him. As referenced in Batman: Pennyworth RIP #1 (and in a nod to his New 52 origin), Tim also takes the nickname “Red Robin,” wanting to differentiate himself the previous Robins. While this is an unofficial name, he does make an alternate “RR” chest insignia, which he will, on occasion, wear into combat.

–REFERENCE: In the second feature to Batman Vol. 3 #132. The new Robin (Tim) tells Batman that he’s unsure if he can do the job, and that he’s worried fear will hold him back. Batman reassures him, saying that fear is “what keeps you alive, makes you prepared, and brings you back home by dawn.”

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #974 Part 2. Batman tells his new Robin how similar they are in personality and drive. This is definitely true as Tim is more like Bruce than the previous Robins. Batman, with admiration, will often remind Tim how alike they are, moving forward.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #130. Batman continues training his new Robin. While not seen on our timeline ahead, they will train often. Unlike Dick, Tim will always happily follow the rules, and unlike Jason, Tim will also look forward to training. Tim loves teamwork and discipline.

–Batman: Urban Legends #18 Part 4
When everyone inside Arkham Asylum suffers instant sleep paralysis, Batman and the new Robin are summoned to the prison by a grumpy Harvey Bullock. After administering some epinephrin to an orderly, the Dynamic Duo learns that Dr. Destiny is the culprit. The heroes fight Dr. Destiny and some mind-controlled sleepwalkers, during which Batman sees a vision of Tim getting bludgeoned with crowbars by a bunch of Jokers. While Batman hesitates and calls out Jason’s name, Robin is able to bust Dr. Destiny on his own. Later, Robin asks a shaken Batman if he wants to talk about Jason. The issue ends on that note, but we can assume they have a cathartic conversation about the former Boy Wonder.

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 4 #42. While on an unspecified case, a costumed villain tells Batman and Robin that he’s not so different from them. While we won’t necessarily specifically see it on our timeline ahead, several other costume villains will utter a similar line while being confronted/hunted by the Dynamic Duo. We simply have to imagine these instances occurring randomly ahead.

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21. The JLI puts Dr. Destiny’s original costume and the second version of the Materioptikon on display in the JL trophy room.

–REFERENCE: In Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1. Batman and Robin fight Maxie Zeus, who uses his Greco-Roman mythology-themed “pantheon” henchmen. While we won’t actually see the “pantheon” henchmen listed on any items on our timeline ahead, Batman and Robin will indeed encounter them again, so we can imagine them randomly attached to future items.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #125. Bruce attends the wedding of his close friend Colin Fitzroy and bride Clara.

–NOTE: In Doomsday Clock #5, Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Last Stories of the DC Universe #1 Part 1, and Titans Vol. 4 #5. Nightwing starts a “New Titans” venture. The group features himself, a nearly twenty-one-year old Cyborg, Jericho, Arsenal (formerly Speedy),^[1] Starfire, Changeling, Donna Troy, Mirage (Miriam Delgado), Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Red Star, Pantha, and Phantasm (Danny Chase). Shortly after forming, Team Titans (a group of teenage heroes from the future) time-travel back to the present and begin involving themselves in the adventures of the New Titans. Terra II (a clone of the original Terra) is a member of Team Titans, who will quickly become a de-facto member of the New Titans as well. This New Titans venture will only last for a couple months.

–Detective Comics #1000 Deluxe Edition Part 13
Following a tip, Batman busts up a big drug deal that the Ventriloquist (with Scarface) is facilitating. Batman busts the dealers and puts a tracer on the Ventriloquist’s fleeing car. Upon returning to their drug mansion, Ventriloquist and Scarface find Anarky, who is there filming an activist video series about the wealthy “public enemies” of Gotham. Anarky is quickly captured, but Batman crashes into the palatial estate, rescuing the young vigilante and busting the Ventriloquist and his henchmen.

–NOTE: Referenced in Dark Crisis: Young Justice #4—originally told in New Titans #72 and New Titans #83-85. Double tragedy strikes when Golden Eagle is killed by the Wildebeest Society and Jericho is killed by Deathstroke. Don’t worry, though. Golden Eagle and Jericho will soon be resurrected. A benevolent superhero Wildebeest joins the New Titans.

–REFERENCE: In Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1 and Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #3—originally told in Justice League Quarterly #3. Green Lantern Kilowog and General Glory join the JLI. Mini-robot L-Ron replaces Oberon Kurtzberg as team manager.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4—originally told in Batman versus Predator #1-3. Batman defeats an alien hunter-warrior known as a Predator. (This is but one of a race of many Predators that have hunted “dangerous prey” for sport all over the universe for centuries.) Just as it was in the Modern Age, note that the Predators featured in this item are totally separate from the primary world of the Predator films, books, and comics. To reiterate, the Predators in the DCU proper are alternate universe Predators, different from the ones seen in cinema, Dark Horse Comics, or Marvel Comics.

–REFERENCE: In New Talent Showcase 2017 #1 Part 2, and Robin Vol. 3 #1, and Batman: One Dark Night #1—originally told in Batman #467-469 (“SHADOWBOX”). Martial arts master King Snake (Sir Edmund Dorrance) unifies Gotham’s Chinatown gangs (Ghost Dragons, Steel Unicorns, Steel Sevens, and Black Clouds). Batman and Robin best the gangs and bring down King Snake and his assistant Lynx.

–FLASHBACK: From Tales of the Dark Multiverse: Wonder Woman – War of the Gods #1—originally told in “WAR OF THE GODS.” Immortal Greek sorceress Circe—influenced and powered by the witch goddess Hecate—manipulates the major ancient gods to begin warring against one another, using Earth as a battlefield. As the Greco-Roman pantheon—cosmically severed into two groups, a Greek and Roman group—fights against itself, the superheroes of Earth (including Batman, Superman, and Shazam) take on the combined force of the Norse, Egyptian, Babylonian, African tribal, and Thanagarian gods. Not only that, Circe starts an Themysciran civil war and nearly starts a separate conflict pitting the Amazons versus a coalition of various nations. Eventually, the populace of Earth joins with the deities under the command of Greco-Roman Goddess of Earth Gaea, thus defeating Circe and ending her plot.

–REFERENCE: In Infinite Frontier #4—originally told in “ARMAGEDDON 2001.” Time-traveling future superhero Waverider comes to present day warning of a dystopian future where a super-villain called Monarch reigns supreme. Waverider and Batman investigate, discovering that Hawk (Hank Hall) is the person destined to become Monarch. Distraught at the news, Hawk flips-out, becomes Monarch early, and fights a bunch of heroes. During the scuffle, Monarch and Captain Atom are both teleported to another dimension. Waverider then confirms that the dystopian future has been avoided, although a Monarch will still appear in the future. (In a twist of fate, Captain Atom will one day, albeit briefly, become the villainous Monarch, but that won’t happen for a while.)

–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #5 and Year of the Villain #1 Part 2—originally told in Suicide Squad #59-62 (“LEGERDEMAIN”). The ex-dictator of Qurac, Hurrambi Marlo, is held at the Guantanamo Bay-esque Blood Island. Israeli and Arab metahuman teams try to get to Marlo first—the former trying to assassinate, the latter trying to rescue). (The Israeli team is called Hayoth, consisting of Colonel Hacohen, Dybbuk, Judith, Ramban, and Golem. The Arab team is called The Jihad, consisting of Agni, Badb, and Piscator.) Meanwhile, Batman goes to confront Amanda Waller regarding a missing Atom. While at her government office, he runs into a wheelchair-using Barbara Gordon, who is currently working with Task Force X! Waller and Babs tells Batman to piss off. Shortly thereafter, Batman, Superman, and Aquaman go to Blood Island searching for the Atom. There, the heroes clash with Hayoth, the Jihad, and the Suicide Squad—which currently includes Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Count Vertigo, Poison Ivy, Nightshade, Bronze Tiger, The Thinker, and Nemesis (Tom Tresser). The Atom returns, revealing that he had gone undercover to expose a CIA plot, which involves setting up the four-way war on Blood Island and delivering Marlo back into the hands of the Quracis. The messy political conflict comes to a messy and unsatisfactory end for all parties involved.

–REFERENCE: In Tim Drake: Robin #6—originally told in “THE IDIOT ROOT” and Robin II #1-4. Batman travels to Rio de Janeiro to defeat the super-villain known as The Idiot. Meanwhile, back in Gotham, Robin faces off against an escaped Joker all on his own. Batman returns to Gotham just in time to help his sidekick best Joker.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Days: The Casting #1. Batman spies-on and learns all about Project Cadmus, a secret super-science organization that, among other bizarre experiments, creates genetically-modified lifeforms known as DNAliens. Batman meets one of Cadmus’ top scientists, a telepathic DNAlien named Dubbilex.

–REFERENCE: In The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 Part 2—originally told in “PANIC IN THE SKY!” Brainiac and Maxima (queen of the planet Almerac) take over Warworld, capture a few New Gods, and invade Earth. In response, Superman assembles a defense army—including Batman, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Shazam, Flash (Wally West), Aquaman, Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), Deathstroke, The Forever People (Beautiful Dreamer, Big Bear, Infinity Man, Mark Moonrider, Serifan, and Vykin the Black), Dr. Will Magnus, the Metal Men (Gold, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Platinum, and Tin), Gangbuster (Jose Delgado), Agent Liberty (Benjamin Lockwood), new Dr. Fate (Inza Cramer-Nelson), Mon-El, The Guardian (Jim Harper), a fake Supergirl called Matrix, Dubbilex, Draaga, Thorn (Rose Forrest), and one of the Crimson Foxes. This army fights against Brainiac’s hordes. Eventually, Maxima betrays Brainiac, joining the side of good. The Metropolis Police Department (led by the Special Crimes Unit‘s Detective Dan Turpin), Team Luthor (Lex Luthor’s privately-contracted militia), and STAR Labs’ top scientist Emil Hamilton help the heroes defeat Brainiac once and for all.

–REFERENCE: In Justice Society of America Vol. 4 #10—originally told in Armageddon: Inferno #1-4. Waverider sends Batman, the Spectre, Ultra Boy (Legionnaire from the 31st century), Firestorm, and Creeper to deal with the threat of the evil Abraxis and his Daemen minions. Not only do the heroes defeat the villains, they are also able to find and rescue the missing JSA members that have been stuck in a Ragnarok simulation for the past two years (two years from present day perspective, but sixty-six years from the JSA’s perspective).

–FLASHBACK: From Deathstroke Inc #1—originally told in Deathstroke the Terminator #6-9 (“CITY OF ASSASSINS”). Batman and Deathstroke shake hands, forming a temporary truce in order to team up to bring down Gotham’s top mobsters.

–REFERENCE: In Deathstroke Vol. 4 #41—originally told in Detective Comics #644-646 (“ELECTRIC CITY”). Batman fights the debuting Electrocutioner (Lester Buchinsky).

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #39 and Batman: City of Madness #1—originally told in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4 (“THE LAST ARKHAM”). In order to find out how Victor Zsasz keeps escaping Arkham Asylum, Batman goes into the belly of the beast, imprisoning himself with Jeremiah Arkham’s permission. Batman fights a bunch of his rogues, including Amygdala (Aaron Helzinger), before figuring out Zsasz’s escape route and busting him.

–REFERENCE: In Robins #2—originally told in Detective Comics #647-649. Cluemaster commits a series of high-profile puzzle-themed heists. Enter thirteen-year-old superhero, Spoiler aka Cluemaster’s daughter Stephanie Brown, who helps the Dynamic Duo spoil her dad’s plans.

–REFERENCE: In The Joker Vol. 2 #9. Jim Gordon and Sarah Essen get married.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #972—originally told in Batman #486. Batman defeats one-shot super-villain Metalhead, who wears a spiky all-black S&M ensemble.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #23—originally told in Batman #487. Batman saves Commissioner Gordon’s life from master assassin Headhunter, whose MO is to put two bullets in each victim’s head at close range. After fighting and chasing after him, Batman busts Headhunter, taking notice of an extremely rare white caiman crocodile tooth necklace that the super-villain wears.

–REFERENCE: In DC All In Special #1—originally told in Legends of the World’s Finest #1-3. A demon called Tullus the Damned turns Silver Banshee’s relative (Branwyn McDougal) into a new temporary Silver Banshee in an effort to break free from his master Blaze, the current queen of Purgatory. After messing with Batman and Superman’s heads, Tullus is able to mind-control the Man of Steel. Tullus, the fake Silver Banshee, and Superman attack Blaze and her demon army in Purgatory, deposing her from the throne. With Tullus as new ruler of Purgatory, the current rulers of Hell—a demonic triumvirate that includes The First of the Fallen, The Second of the Fallen, and The Third of the Fallen—and current rulers of Heaven—angels Remiel and Duma—are shaken and displeased. Eventually, a demon-powered Batman, Man-Bat, and Lois Lane travel into Purgatory where they defeat Tullus, fake Silver Banshee, and Superman, restoring the latter to his right state of mind. Tullus returns to the enslavement of Blaze, who retakes her throne in Purgatory.

–REFERENCE: In Batgirl & The Birds of Prey #11-12 and Year of the Villain #1 Part 2. The wheelchair-using Barbara Gordon decides that she’s not done being a superhero. She takes leave of her gig with Task Force X and becomes the Bat-Family’s resident super-hacker and information-dispatcher, Oracle. As Oracle, Babs also leads her own superhero group known as the Birds of Prey, which features Black Canary and rotating cast of other female heroes. Oracle will also work as an unofficial remote-investigator for the GCPD.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Days: The Forge #1 and Doomsday Clock #5. Batman’s Outsiders disband. A new version of the team—still operating under the same mission to explore the “dark metal” mystery, but operating more independently from Batman—is formed. This version of the team includes Sebastian Faust, Technocrat, Charlie Wylde, the Eradicator (currently merged with Dr. David Connor), Dervish, Terra II (a clone of the original Terra), and Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi). These Outsiders will continue going on unspecified missions and investigating the “dark energy” signature found in geological anomalies across the globe.

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21. The JLE disbands. In its wake, Wonder Woman forms a new Justice League (Justice League America) lineup featuring Superman, Batman, Bloodwynd (J’onn J’onzz), Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, Maxima, Fire, and Ice. This team will co-exist alongside the JLI. (Technically, Batman is on both JL teams, but he’s not very involved with either these days.) Meanwhile, the UN sanctions the creation of a third splinter branch of the JL called the Justice League Task Force. Led by Martian Manhunter and utilizing a rotating roster of members, the JLTF is specifically for covert mission ops.

–FLASHBACK: From Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 Part 1—and referenced in Action Comics #976, Action Comics #978, Man of Steel #1, Suicide Squad Vol. 7 #3, Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 Part 1, Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #4, and Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #14 Part 5. Originally told in “THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN” and “FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND.” Note that Dan Jurgens’ Action Comics #976-978 originally oddly placed Superman’s death and marriage to Lois Lane prior to Jon Kent’s birth (two years earlier), but that was always off and has since been corrected/retconned by Joshua Williamson’s Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 Part 1, which returns Superman’s death and his marriage to Lois to their correct chronological place here, mirroring their placement in the Modern Age. Doomsday debuts, dispatching the Justice League (sans Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman) with ease. Doomsday solo, Superman is killed by the monster. A funeral is held and the world mourns. Batman obtains Superman’s tattered cape, hanging it up in the Batcave in honor of his fallen friend. Soon after the tragedy, The Eradicator, Steel (John Henry Irons), Cyborg Superman, and Superboy (Conner Kent) rise up to replace the deceased Man of Steel. Note that Conner Kent is a twelve-year-old clone of Superman and Lex Luthor. (As referenced in Justice League Incarnate #5, Doomsday is an agent of the Great Darkness.) Following Superman’s funeral, the JL inducts new members Black Condor (Ryan Kendall) and Agent Liberty (Benjamin Lockwood) into its ranks. Meanwhile, the JLI inducts the new Ray (Ray Terrill) into its ranks. The Ray will actually pull double duty on both the JL and JLI.

–REFERENCE: In Justice League of America Vol. 5 #7, Doomsday Clock #5-6, Heroes in Crisis #3, Superman Vol. 5 #30 Part 2, and Green Arrow Vol. 7 #9. Originally told in “BLOODLINES.” The Bat-Family—along with the Eradicator, Steel, Cyborg Superman, Superboy, Vril Dox II, Lobo, Deathstroke, Etrigan, Elongated Man, Lionheart, Gunfire, the New Titans, Team Titans, the JLI (including new member Tasmanian Devil), and others—fights against the Xenomorph-like Bloodlines Parasites (Angon, Gemir, Glonth, Lissik, Pritor, Slodd, and Venev), which suck people’s spinal fluid out of their bodies, either killing them or turning them into metahumans with random powers. Lissik and Venev create the super-villain Terrorsmith. With the JLI occupied with other Bloodlines Parasites, the JL handles Terrorsmith. Robin teams with the hacker team known as The Psyba-Rats (Razorsharp, Channel, Hackrat, and Megabiter) to take on Venev. All the heroes, including a handful of new ones inadvertently created by the Bloodlines Parasites (Anima, Sparx, Loose Cannon, Edge, Prism, Joe Public, Mongrel, and Nightblade), combine to defeat and kill the Bloodlines Parasites.

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21. The Justice League International disbands, thus reducing the tripartite JL format back into only two splinter branches. Several JLI items are placed into the JL Trophy Room, including: one of Blue Beetle’s Bug-ships, some of Big Barda’s weapons (including her original Mega Rod), Dr. Fate’s helmet (a replica or one of several?), and Skeets’ original shell.

–REFERENCE: In Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 #13 (Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 Print Edition #7). Originally told in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1-4. Batman meets the current Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley Jr) of the Sacred Order of St. Dumas and his mentor Nomoz Smith. (Jean-Paul is the cloned teenage son of a previous Azrael.) Despite their differences, Batman is forced to team-up with Jean-Paul to take down super-villain Carlton LeHah.

–Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 #13-14 (Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 Print Edition #7) (“CATECHISM”)
This item must take place during the brief time where Jean-Paul Valley Jr is still working for the Sacred Order of St. Dumas, hence placement here, right after his debut but prior to joining the Bat-Family. Batman tracks Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins through North Africa, Egypt and Italy. Ra’s al Ghul is after the artifact known as the Vessel of St Januarius, which can supposedly magnify the powers of a Lazarus Pit. After battling for control of an ancient star map created long ago by the Knights Templar, Batman soon finds himself sloshing through catacombs in Venice. Upon recovery of the Vessel in a skeleton-filled vault, Batman is accosted by Azrael (Jean-Paul), who has sworn to defend the artifact for his Order of St. Dumas brethren. After fighting Azrael to a stalemate and convincing him that they are not enemies, Batman is attacked by Ra’s al Ghul, who meets Azrael for the very first time. Outnumbered, Batman and Azrael make a quick escape to the latter’s sanctum. After a history lesson about St Januarius and a hidden Lazarus Pit under Venice, the heroes soon confront Ra’s al Ghul yet again. After Azrael combats both Batman and Ra’s al Ghul simultaneously, bombs are detonated, sealing up the Lazarus Pit for good. With Azrael and Ra’s al Ghul missing, Batman remotely debriefs Alfred and returns home.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Beyond Vol. 8 #15, Detective Comics #1000 Part 2, Detective Comics #1000 Part 11, Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Blackest Night #1, Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Batman – Knightfall #1, Batman: Three Jokers #1, The Joker Vol. 2 #8, Sword of Azrael #1, Batman: One Bad Day – Bane #1, Multiversity: Harley Screws Up the DCU #1, Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4, and Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #4 Part 4—and also referenced in Batman Vol. 3 #17, Detective Comics #987, Batman: Kings of Fear #2, Doomsday Clock #12, Batman: Urban Legends #7 Part 1, Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #6 Part 5, the second feature to Detective Comics #1054, Batman: Legends of Gotham #1, and Detective Comics #1090. Originally told in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1, Batman #489-490, and “KNIGHTFALL.” New super-villain Bane (King Snake’s son) makes his presence known publicly in Gotham, threatening Batman. After demonstrating his strength by beating up Killer Croc in the sewer, Bane releases all of Arkham’s inmates. Batman and the Bat-Family wear themselves down re-jailing most of them. Bane again fights Killer Croc, who becomes his lifelong rival. Re-apprehending Two-Face, Joker, and Scarecrow proves to be particularly draining to the Bat-Family. Batman eventually defeats Bane’s top henchmen Trogg, Zombie, and Bird (and Bird’s pet falcon Talon) before finally taking on Bane himself. Pumped full of Venom, Bane enters Wayne Manor to crush the weakened Batman, breaking his spine. Bane drags Batman’s fractured body downtown, tossing it into a crowd of stunned onlookers. Alfred and Robin collect Bruce and put him into intensive care. Bruce undergoes several surgeries all over his body. (Detective Comics #1090 tells us that Bruce will have had multiple knee surgeries by 2024, so we can assume that Bruce has his first knee surgery here. We’ll have to imagine further knee surgeries ahead on our timeline, attached to future injuries.) With the public believing Batman has died, Bane instantly becomes the king of Gotham’s underworld. Due to the severity of his spinal injury, Bruce will be out of action for an extended period. Bruce passes the mantle of Batman unto teen superhero and current Order of St. Dumas avenger Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley Jr). Jean-Paul quickly builds a new Bat-costume (his high-tech Az-Bat costume) and begins using immoderate violence while patrolling. Robin and the paralyzed Bruce (now in a wheelchair) both take notice of Jean-Paul’s frenzied anger. The new Batman begins patrolling with Robin, but they sure don’t get along.

–the second feature to Detective Comics #1054
The “Shadows of the Bat: House of Gotham” arc continues here. Having broken Bruce’s back, Bane reigns supreme over a chaotic and burning Gotham. Two-Face, Joker, Scarecrow, and Anarky are all at large as well. In the Batcave, the paralyzed wheelchair-using Bruce speaks with Tim about Jean-Paul and the current situation. Bruce orders Tim to seek out and help the teen that was orphaned by Joker years ago. (Bruce knows the teen isn’t of the same ilk as the rest of the super-villain community.) Robin confronts the orphaned teen and his pal Elliot, taking down the latter. Robin then tries to convince the orphaned teen that he and the Bat-Family want to help him, but he gets interrupted by Batman (Jean-Paul), who goes zero to a hundred and begins chasing and assaulting the orphaned teen, eventually pelting him with razorblade Batarangs and knocking him off a bridge. Paramedics are able to save the orphaned teen’s life.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #14 Part 5—and referenced in the second feature to Detective Comics #1054. Originally told in “KNIGHTQUEST” and “KNIGHT’S END.” It has been a couple months since Bane broke Bruce’s back. The hyper-violent new Batman (Jean-Paul Valley Jr) busts all the remaining Arkham escapees (including Joker, Two-Face, and Scarecrow), roughs up a newcomer called Tally Man, and then defeats Bane. Meanwhile, as he did in the Modern Age and New 52, Bruce makes a miraculously speedy recovery. (Some metahuman healing power, magick, or science fiction-type event must occur, helping Bruce heal-up in mere months.) Bruce re-trains his body under the tutelage of Lady Shiva, who forces him to run a gauntlet against a swarm of ninjas led by the Armless Master. Wearing a martial arts gi and Tengu mask, Bruce defeats the opponents. Ready for action against Jean-Paul, Bruce returns and forcibly takes back the mantle of the Bat. Afterward, Bruce puts the Tengu mask on display as a trophy in the Batcave.

–REFERENCE: In Catwoman Vol. 5 #58 and Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Scorched Earth #1. Batman puts Bane’s luchador costume (complete with Venom-injecting backpack) on a mannequin display in the Batcave.

–REFERENCE: In Trinity Vol. 2 #13. Batman begins fine-calibrating the chemical darts for his tranquilizer gun, noting how many are necessary to take down specific foes. For instance, three darts are (or should be) enough to take down Bane.

–Batman: Kings of Fear #1-3^[2]
Batman busts Penguin, who is sentenced to a short stay in Arkham Asylum, marking a rare moment he sees jail time (and one of the rare times he goes to Arkham). Later, Batman captures an escaped Joker and drives him back to Arkham. Just as Batman is about to leave, an alarm rings and a bunch of inmates get loose. Batman kills the lights and, with the advantage of fighting in the dark, is able to defeat Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Bane, Riddler, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, Penguin, and Joker. Scarecrow, however, makes it out of the building with an Arkham guard, Kenneth Rhee, as a hostage. Scarecrow then sprays Batman in the face with Fear Gas to make his escape. When Batman comes-to, he visits Rhee’s apartment and speaks with his rentier. Later, after busting some smalltime drug pushers, Batman finds himself face-to-face with Scarecrow and, once again, succumbs to Fear Gas exposure. Thus begins a night of off-kilter patrolling for Batman while Scarecrow tags along, continuously re-dosing the Dark Knight with Fear Gas as he goes along. Batman goes the whole night unable to determine whether or not his routine patrol experiences are real or hallucinations. Eventually, Scarecrow guides the Caped Crusader to the location where he’s detained Rhee.

–Batman: Kings of Fear #4-6
As Commissioner Gordon kicks ass all over town in an effort to locate Scarecrow’s hidden lair, Batman hallucinates, trapped under the dizzying spell of a new strain of Fear Gas. While on the outside, Batman remains poised and silent, inside he faces turmoil, envisioning that Scarecrow has gained access to his mind. In his dream, Batman talks to Scarecrow self-reflection and crimefighting before admitting that his main unrequited love is the city of Gotham itself. Batman convinces himself that almost all his rogues would be good people if not for his own influence on them. Batman also convinces himself that his entire war on crime is regressive, right wing, and draconian, citing that he should have instead used his vast wealth to build a more utopian Gotham. Batman is making a lot of legit points about himself here. Batman snaps out of his vision by hulking-up and giving him self a double-dose injection of Fear Gas antidote serum. He then thrashes Scarecrow just as Commissioner Gordon finds him. Batman drives Kenneth Rhee and a detained Scarecrow back to Arkham. During the ride, Batman fingers Rhee as Scarecrow’s accomplice, but allows him to walk free. Back at Arkham, Batman runs into a doctor that he saved from a mugging five years ago. She tells him that her entire family owes him their lives, citing that she also scared her current husband, former crook Sammy Sanchez, straight. The doc then tells Batman a fun Bat-fact to help keep his chin up: while the super-villains constantly break-out and cause endless chaos, the recidivism rate of non-costumed criminals busted by Batman is only 2%. Back home, Batman chats with Alfred about how Scarecrow got into his head and made him doubt himself. Alfred gives him a pep-talk and tells him that Batman has always been a necessary force for good in the city and that any spin on that is total bunk. Batman settles-in to check junk e-mails from Lucius Fox, but soon heads back out to quell an escape-riot at Blackgate Penitentiary.

–FLASHBACK:From Action Comics #978—and referenced in Action Comics #976, Action Comics #978, and Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 Part 1. Originally told in “THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN” and Superman: The Wedding Album. According to Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1, a few months have passed since Superman’s death. Cyborg Superman reveals his evil nature, teaming with Mongul to fight Hal Jordan and wipe the hero’s hometown of Coast City off the map with a nuclear explosion. Thanks to Kryptonian technology, Superman comes back from the dead—complete with a black costume and long coiffure. The resurrected Superman defeats Mongul and Cyborg Superman. The world celebrates the Man of Steel’s return. Shortly thereafter, Clark gets engaged to Lois. Wedding invitations are sent out to friends, including Bruce. Shortly after that, Bruce attends the wedding of Lois and Clark, who are happily married.

–DC’s I Know What You Did Last Crisis #1 Part 4
When the sky burns bright red and people from alternate universes begin appearing on Earth-0, the superhero community discovers that time itself is being erased and various alternate realities are merging into one timeline. Metron and Waverider announce that the architect of this “Crisis in Time” aka “Crisis II” is none other than two heroes that have turned heel: Hawk (who has been secretly influenced by the Great Darkness and is now calling himself “Extant” instead of Monarch) and Hal Jordan (who has been taken over by an evil yellow energy symbiote called Parallax and secretly influenced by both the Great Darkness and Perpetua). Extant has used the cosmic artifact known as the Worlogog to mess with time and alter reality. Simultaneously, evil Hal kills Time Trapper.^[3] Superman puts out a global call, summoning all superheroes into action. Investigating the various time anomalies, the Justice Society of America travels to Vanishing Point—home of the Linear Men (Waverider, Rip Hunter, an alternate universe Matthew Ryder, and Liri Lee). There, they fight and temporarily defeat Extant. After several harrowing JSA adventures, Sandman (Wesley Dodds) meets with Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), and Kyle Rayner to discuss how to best handle the Crisis.

–REFERENCE: In The Green Lantern #5, Doomsday Clock #10, Detective Comics #1010, Dark Nights: Death Metal – Multiverse’s End #1, Justice League Vol. 4 #60, Infinite Frontier #1, Justice League Incarnate #4, Flashpoint Beyond #5, and DC’s I Know What You Did Last Crisis #1 Part 4—originally told in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time. This item picks up directly from DC’s I Know What You Did Last Crisis #1 Part 4, continuing the Zero Hour storyline. In NYC, a bunch of superheroes battle the possessed Hal Jordan, ending the threat of Parallax and a resurgent Extant. Thanks to the Linear Men, reality is fixed, although countless people’s memories have been permanently altered. After the cosmic dust settles, Wonder Woman moves the JL into a new satellite HQ constructed from the remains of a ship she has claimed as a prize from besting the alien super-villain Overmaster. For the next couple months, Wonder Woman’s JL will have a revolving door lineup featuring many superheroes, ranging from Blue Devil to Yazz. Note that the opening splash pages of Brian Michael Bendis’ Action Comics run are super-meta, containing winks, nods, and Easter Egg references galore. The info from these splashes cover a wide range of narrative, spanning from references that could easily be canon to references that could never ever be canon even with the most bent fanwank imaginable. It is precisely because of this range that Bendis’ opening splashes are not (and were never intended to be) gospel—instead existing more akin to the old non-canon splash pages of the Golden and Silver Ages. But why am I mentioning Bendis’ Action Comics splashes here? The splash from Action Comics #1008 lists the first seven major “DC Crises,” specifically categorizing the “Crisis in Time” as number two. While this splash is non-canon (as per the reasons above), the Crisis list is dead on the money, confirming and adding detail to the other decidedly canonical Zero Hour references.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #1000 Part 5 and Detective Comics #1000 Part 10. September 21. Batman, as he does every year on the anniversary of his parents’ murders, visits both Crime Alley (where his parents were killed) and the cemetery where his parents are buried.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1 Part 1. Guy Gardner, who traded in his power ring for Vuldarian metahuman abilities during the Zero Hour “Crisis in Time,” opens a superhero-themed restaurant called Warriors Bar. Batman and a bunch of superheroes visit for the grand opening. Note that Gardner’s Vuldarian switch won’t last that long.

–REFERENCE: In Bane: Conquest #2. Batman fights the underground martial arts gang known as The Monkey Fist Cult (aka The Brotherhood of the Monkey Fist), which is led by the deadly assassin Silver Monkey.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Metal #1 and Batman: Urban Legends #18 Part 4—originally told in Sandman Vol. 2 #71. Morpheus aka The Sandman aka Dream of the Endless dies, allowing Daniel Hall to become the new Dream. Many of Earth’s superheroes, including Batman, attend Morpheus’ wake (although they do so only in dreams and have no recollection of it afterward).

–REFERENCE: In Robin Vol. 3 2021 Annual and Green Arrow Vol. 7 #5—originally told in Green Arrow Vol. 2 #101. Green Arrow is killed during a terrorist bombing. His son, Connor Hawke, becomes the new Green Arrow. A funeral his held for Oliver Queen.

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #61, Gotham City Villains 100-Page Anniversary Giant #1 Part 6, Shazam! Vol. 4 #2-3, the quasi-canonical Harley Quinn’s Villain of the Year #1, and Nightwing Vol. 4 #98—originally told in “UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED.” Several super-villains sell their souls to the King of Hell Neron in exchange for power upgrades. Notably, Killer Moth becomes a monster moth man called “Charaxes,” Blockbuster becomes super-smart, and Fay Moffit kills her boyfriend Spellbinder to become Lady Spellbinder. The power upgrades are only temporary, although in the case of Blockbuster, he will later renegotiate, trading more souls to keep his smarts. During the chaos, new vigilante Lock-Up (Lyle Bolton) begins capturing super-villains—such as Charaxes, Allergent, and Two-Face—locking them up in his own personal torture chamber. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, and Commissioner Gordon bust Lock-Up. In the end, the world’s superheroes defeat Neron. (As referenced in Justice League Incarnate #5, Neron is directly linked to the Great Darkness.)

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #37—originally told in Extreme Justice #0-1 and Extreme Justice #16. Batman has nothing to do with this item, but he, like the rest of the world, would be well aware of what occurs. The JL (led by Wonder Woman) and the JL Task Force (led by Martian Manhunter) still have the full backing of the UN. Frustrated that he’s been left out of the action, Captain Atom forms a third unsanctioned branch of the Justice League. This group is nicknamed Extreme Justice and features notable sidekick team members The Wonder Twins (Zan and Jayna). Batman never meets the Wonder Twins, who are ten-year-old shapeshifters from the planet Exxor. The Wonder Twins are only around for a very brief period of time before returning to their home planet, but they make quite a splash and are beloved fan favorites across America. We know this fun Wonder Twin entry is canon from the fact that people often choose to dress in cosplay as Zan and Jayna, as first seen in Batman Vol. 3 #37, but also depicted in a couple other Rebirth Era issues as well.

–REFERENCE: In Bane: Conquest #12—originally told in Batman: The Vengeance of Bane II. Bane is a shadow of his former self, wasting away in Blackgate Penitentiary. (He was transferred there from Arkham Asylum.) In fact, he’s gotten so soggy that fellow inmate KGBeast kicks the shit out of him just for fun. After suffering this humiliation, Bane decides to get back into shape. Bane talks to a therapist about his horrible childhood growing up in a Santa Priscan prison, and how the only positive thing in his life was his prized teddy bear. Bane’s therapist gets him a teddy bear as a gift. A revitalized Bane, having earned KGBeast’s respect, gets his help to fly the coop. Bane then meets with Batman and helps him bust some Venom dealers. Bane tells Batman that he was once an innocent child, and he will no longer be driven by hate. Batman lets Bane go, and the latter departs the US in search of his father, King Snake.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #5 Part 5. Nightwing and Batman get into an unspecified argument in the Batcave, with Alfred trying to play peacemaker. This Jamal Campbell flashback shows that Nightwing has switched to a more modern costume (sans yellow) and has long hair—a reference to the mid 1990s Chuck Dixon era of Nightwing, but mashed-up with Nightwing’s New Batman Adventures animated TV look from the late 1990s.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Knightwatch – Batman Day Special Edition #1 (Batman: Knightwatch #1). Batman puts Nightwing’s original costume (the modified blue-and-yellow Flying Grayson outfit) into a display case in the Batcave.

 –REFERENCE: In Justice League of America Vol. 5 #21—originally told in Aztek: The Ultimate Man #6-7. Batman tracks an escaped Joker to Vanity, OR. There, the Caped Crusader teams with Aztek to defeat Joker, sending him back to Arkham Asylum.

–REFERENCE: In Outsiders Vol. 5 #5—originally told in Hitman #1-3 (“A RAGE IN ARKHAM”). Hitman Tommy Monaghan accepts a job to bust into Arkham Asylum and execute Joker. Aware of the Joker hit, Batman confronts Tommy, who vomits on the Dark Knight and then gets arrested. Tommy immediately escapes from jail and heads right back to Arkham where he starts shooting at everyone before coming face-to-face with an eight-armed, gun-toting demon known as Mawzir, who has been sent from Hell to recruit Tommy to become the new Earthly killing agent for the demonic duo known as The Arkanonne. Tommy shoots Joker and then turns down Mawzir by shooting at him as well. While Batman reluctantly saves Joker’s life, Tommy defeats Mawzir and the Arkanonne.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Death Metal – The Last Stories of the DC Universe #1 Part 1 and Nightwing Vol. 4 #89—originally told in Teen Titans Vol. 2 #1. While Batman is not involved in this at all, he surely would be aware of the details. The Atom (Ray Palmer) is magickally de-aged into a teenager. Instead of getting upset, the Atom forms his very own version of the Teen Titans, consisting of rookie superheroes Prysm, Risk, Hot Spot, and Argent. This team will last until next year, and the Atom will become an adult again.

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #39. Batman busts husband-and-wife assassin duo Gunhawk (Liam Hawkleigh) and Gunbunny.

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #36. Batman busts the cowboy-themed sibling robbers known as The Trigger Twins (Tod Trigger and Tad Trigger).

–REFERENCE: In The Green Lantern #4-5, The Green Lantern: Blackstars #2, Robin Vol. 3 2021 Annual, Knight Terrors: The Flash #1, Green Arrow Vol. 7 #5, and Superman Vol. 6 #13—originally told in “THE FINAL NIGHT.” A baby Sun-Eater (Starbreaker’s alien species) arrives in the Milky Way Galaxy, threatening all life on Earth. While adult Sun-Eaters appear as regular humanoids (à la Starbreaker), larval Sun-Eaters are massive amorphous Black Holes capable of devouring entire stars whole. (The Green Lantern #4 reveals that Sun-Eaters return to their massive living-Black Hole forms when they reach geriatric age as well. Thus the life cycle of a Sun-Eater starts out as giant baby star-devouring cloud, then regular-size humanoid, and then a return to giant baby star-devouring cloud. Fun! This particular second-cycle infant Sun-Eater is Starbreaker’s mother.) She immediately engulfs the sun, causing the Earth to plummet into a darkness that the news outlets label “The Final Night.” As riots begin all over the panicked planet, the superhero community—including relative newcomer Alpha Centurion—buckles down to maintain order. Lex Luthor, recently married to Contessa Erica Alexandra Del Portenza, revamps his public image by aiding the superheroes. While the Bat-Family protects Gotham, Batman and a drained Superman bust Vandal Savage in Paris. Batman also busts a rampaging Man-Bat. Hal Jordan uses the power of Parallax to resurrect Oliver Queen and single-handedly destroy the Sun-Eater, thus saving the Earth, but at the cost of his own life. Having gone over a week straight without sunlight, Superman briefly loses his powers, but they soon return. A funeral is held for Hal. Note that there are now two Green Arrows, Oliver Queen and his son Connor Hawke.

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21, Justice League Vol. 3 #39, Green Arrow Vol. 6 #31, Adventures of the Super Sons #1, Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 8 #5, and DC All In Special #1—originally told in JLA #1-4 (“NEW WORLD ORDER”). The Justice League, JL Task Force, and Extreme Justice all disband. In their place, the main JL reforms with a new stronger “Big Guns” lineup—Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Flash Wally West, Aquaman (who has a temporary prosthetic harpoon hand, having recently lost his hand in battle), and Metamorpho. The first threat the new “Big Guns” JL deals with is the White Martian group known as The Hyperclan (Armek, Protex, Primaid, ZüM, A-Mortal, Fluxus, Tronix, and Zenturion). The Hyperclan destroys the JL Satellite and kills Metamorpho, but are eventually defeated. (As usual, all the JL trophies are saved thanks to automatic phase-shift technology.) After defeating the Hyperclan, the JL keeps the robotic head of Armek, along with the costumes of Protex, Primaid, and ZüM. All of these items will eventually wind up in yet another new JL Trophy Room. In fact, following the defeat of the Hyperclan, the new JL constructs a massive HQ on the Moon known as The Watchtower, complete with all the amenities, including a trophy room. A funeral is held for Metamorpho.

–REFERENCE: In Wonder Woman #793. Batman gets to know the Watchtower intimately, studying blueprints and schematics. He also familiarizes himself with emergency protocol, alert signals, tech, and various hidden compartments.

–REFERENCE: In Justice League Vol. 4 #1. Now that the Earth’s superheroes have a permanent presence on the Moon, Batman sees the entire lunar surface as a potential battlefield or target. Thus, the paranoid Dark Knight secretly plants bombs all over the Moon. These explosives, strong enough to destroy the entire Moon, will act as a last-ditch emergency failsafe.

–REFERENCE: In Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 #9 (Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 Print Edition #5). Batman studies in the Watchtower’s vast library, learning part of the Martian numerical system and alphabet.

–REFERENCE: In Wonder Woman #793—originally told in Justice League The Animated Series TV show (season 1, episode 1-3). The Justice League (with John Stewart and Hawkgirl) prevent an invasion by a horde of shapeshifting aliens collectively known as The Imperium. (This is the origin story of the Justice League for the Justice League The Animated Series TV show, but obviously it is not an origin story on our primary timeline.)

–REFERENCE: In Justice League Vol. 4 Annual #1 and Batman Vol. 3 #129—originally told in Justice League The Animated Series TV show (season 1, episode 4). The Justice League builds a series of sleek spacecrafts, each known as the Javelin. These ships will be stored in every iteration of JL headquarters, moving forward.

–FLASHBACK: From Absolute Power: Origins #2—originally told in Justice League The Animated Series TV show (season 2, episode 2). The Justice League (with John Stewart) defeats Amazo.

–REFERENCE: In Justice League of America Vol. 5 #29 Epilogue, Adventures of the Super Sons #2-3, New Year’s Evil #1 Part 2, and Robin Vol. 3 2021 Annual. Superman’s Kryptonian physiology unexpectedly changes him into a blue electromagnetic energy being. Blue Superman dons a new cape-less “electric” containment-suit costume and continues his superhero adventures with a new looks and slightly altered power set. Note that, in the Modern Age, Superman Blue was a thing for both a full in-story calendar year and a full year’s worth of publications as well. In the Rebirth/Infinite Frontier Era, it’s for a much shorter time period.

–FLASHBACK: From Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1 Part 4. The Justice League—electric blue Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash (Wally West), Kyle Rayner, Martian Manhunter, and harpoon-hand Aquaman—mobilize into unspecified city action.

–REFERENCE: In Green Arrow Vol. 7 #14-15—originally told in JLA #5 and JLA: Tomorrow Woman #1. The Justice League holds a membership drive, which includes Tomorrow Woman, Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), Artemis, Steel (John Henry Irons), Supergirl (Matrix), Plastic Man, Aztek, Guy Gardner, Superboy, Ultra the Multi-Alien, Tommy Monaghan, Max Mercury, and Damage (Grant Emerson). The drive results in the immediate recruitment and induction of Tomorrow Woman as the team’s newest official member. Tomorrow Woman helps the JL defeat an alien monster called Taint, after which the team battles the sentient energy-orb called the Implicate Field (IF). During combat, Tomorrow Woman learns she is actually an android sent by Professor Anthony Ivo and Dr. TO Morrow to infiltrate the JL. Tomorrow Woman defies her evil programming and winds up sacrificing her life to defeat the IF. Afterward, a funeral is held.

–REFERENCE: In Suicide Squad Vol. 5 Annual #1—originally told in Scare Tactics #11. When one of the members of Scare Tactics, a teenage pop group comprised only of metahumans and monsters, turns up dead in Gotham, Batman is on the case and interrogates the remaining members of the band—werewolf Fang, vampire Scream Queen, and muck monster Gross-Out. Eventually, Batman learns that the “murder” was done by Gross-Out but as an assisted suicide. Scare Tactics then goes from band to superhero trio.

–FLASHBACK: From Robin Vol. 3 2021 Annual—originally told in JLA #6-9. Connor Hawke (the new Green Arrow) joins the Justice League. The JL goes on an unspecified mission with Aztek, who is not yet a member of the team.

–REFERENCE: In The Green Lantern #5—originally told in The Spectre Vol. 3 #62. Detective Jim Corrigan dies, leaving the Spectre host-less. Batman attends Jim Corrigan’s funeral. (Don’t forget, Batman still has no idea that Corrigan was ever linked to the Spectre.)

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21, Dark Days: The Forge #1, and Justice League Vol. 4 #1—originally told in JLA #11-15 (“ROCK OF AGES”). Lex Luthor forms a new Injustice Gang featuring himself, Joker, Ocean Master (Orm Marius), Mirror Master II (Evan McCulloch), Circe, and Dr. Light (Arthur Light). The new Injustice Gang debuts by threatening the Justice League with the cosmic-powered Philosopher’s Stone, alternately known as the Worlogog, in which part of the Source resides. Metron introduces the JL members to the android Hourman from the 853rd century (Matthew Tyler) and shows them how to deal with Luthor and his cronies. Plastic Man officially joins the JL roster, helping to defeat Luthor and the Injustice Gang on his very first mission with the team. Afterward, the Worlogog goes into the JL Trophy Room. Luthor is able to distance himself from any illegalities following this affair.

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21 and Justice League Dark Vol. 2 #1—originally told in JLA: Paradise Lost. Fallen angel Zauriel and the Justice League get stuck in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell as the fallen angel Asmodel teams with Neron (King of Hell) to battle the empyrean seraphim. The war ends when Neron begins infighting with Asmodel. Afterward, Zauriel becomes the newest member of the JL. Zauriel’s original cloak and flaming sword will go into the JL’s Trophy Room when he eventually goes back to Heaven.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Death Metal #5—originally told in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #69-70. Batman teams-up with the new (temporary) wearer of the Helm of Nabu, Jared Stevens, who simply goes by the name Fate. Batman and his new version of Dr. Fate defeat the wizard Malochia and a spirit of the apocalypse.

–REFERENCE: In Year of the Villain #1 Part 2 and Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2—originally told in JLA Secret Files and Origins #2 Part 1. The new “Big Guns” JL holds another membership drive to update its roster to: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Kyle Rayner, Flash (Wally West), Plastic Man, Zauriel, Steel (John Henry Irons), Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Artemis, and Oracle.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Death Metal #1. Batman saves John Zatara from Neron. As a token of appreciation for saving her dad, Zatanna gives Batman the Cloak of Erasure, which can turn its wearer invisible.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #125. Bruce and Tim attend a high society event. Colin and Clara Fitzroy rib Bruce, telling him he needs to settle down. Bruce and Tim will attend several more events with the Fitzroys in the years to come (although they won’t be listed on our timeline).

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21—originally told in JLA #16-17. The new “Big Guns” Justice League is taken down by the debuting Prometheus, who infiltrates Watchtower security. Catwoman, while attempting to steal from the Watchtower, winds up saving the day, defeating Prometheus, who retreats to a Limbo space. It’s unclear to which Limbo space Prometheus has access, but it could be the Hell-adjacent Purgatory. He uses the term Ghost Zone, which is synonymous for Phantom Zone, but the Phantom Zone isn’t technically a Limbo space; it’s an Underworld realm. But I digress. (Note that Catwoman has switched to yet another new costume—an all black leather piece with a zipper and attached goggles, designed by the legendary Darwyn Cooke.)

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21—originally referenced in JLA Secret Files and Origins #2 Part 2. The Justice League acquires a Kirby Dot from the illustrious Professor Kirby! The Kirby Dot goes into the JL Trophy Room!

–REFERENCE: In Justice League of America Vol. 5 #29 Epilogue, Adventures of the Super Sons #2-3, New Year’s Evil #1 Part 2, and Robin Vol. 3 2021 Annual. Superman’s electric powers falter, causing him to split into two separate energy forms (blue and red) before returning back to status quo (and to his prior uniform).

–REFERENCE: In the second feature to Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #22-25, Batman Vol. 3 #115, and Arkham City: The Order of the World #6. Batman encounters The Wonderland Gang, a Lewis Carroll-inspired crime group that includes Mad Hatter, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, The Carpenter (Jenna Duffy), The Lion, The Unicorn, The Walrus, Dormouse, and two rabbits (a male March Hare and female March Harriet). The Carpenter is responsible for constructing the gaudy hideouts of most of the super-villains in Gotham.^[4]

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1052. Batman rescues Dr. Chase Meridian (a very welcome canon immigrant from the film Batman Forever), who had been strung up to a crane with explosives set to go off at any minute. We are only given vague details—notably that a masked super-villain’s girlfriend left him for Dr. Meridian, which led to the unnamed villain putting Dr. Meridian in this precarious death trap. The crane is speckled with green lights and has a somewhat question mark-ish shape, so Riddler is likely the man in question (pun intended), which would also reflect Batman Forever.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Urban Legends #11 Part 4. Ace the Bat-Hound either dies or retires to a nice home (use your imagination). We aren’t told the final fate of the original Ace, but we do know there will be a second Ace, so the original has to go away, hence this item.

–FLASHBACK: From Justice League Vol. 3 #37. The Justice League (with Hal Jordan) defeats Shaggy Man in East St Louis. During the tumultuous battle, the heroes save a teenager named Joshua Andre Christian (aka Diesel aka Deez). One of Deez’s unnamed friends suffers severe injuries to his legs when falling debris hits him. Note importantly that this flashback shows just about every hero wearing incorrect anachronistic costumes. Ignore all their looks.

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<<< Rebirth Era Year 9 <<< ||| >>> Rebirth Era Year 11 >>>

1. ^[1]COLLIN COLSHER: As referenced in Green Arrow Vol. 6 #23, Speedy had a falling out with Green Arrow about four years ago, changing his name to Arsenal and going solo at that time. We are told Roy’s switch to the Arsenal moniker occurs roughly a decade prior to Year 16, meaning at some point in Year 6. As such, Roy has actually been Arsenal for a while now.↩
2. ^[2]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman: Kings of Fear #2 has a double-splash mural flashback featuring key players from Batman’s past. Every one pictured is a big name, except for a stern-looking brown-haired woman in the middle, who artist Kelley Jones shows talking to Batman. Who is this? Only Jones knows.↩
3. ^[3]COLLIN COLSHER: Time Trapper’s metapower is chronokinesis, the ability to not only travel through time, but to manipulate it as well. Furthermore, Time Trapper is a physical manifestation of a sentient alternate timeline. In any case, Time Trapper’s secret identity morphs, warps, and alters over time. The Time Trapper killed here is an adult Cosmic Boy. Due to Time Trapper’s chronokinesis, he/she/they never really dies—instead, he/she/they simply gets auto-resurrected with a new history. Following Time Trapper’s murder here during Zero Hour, Time Trapper becomes an alt-Batgirl. Time Trapper will also eventually become Lori Morning, then Superboy-Prime, then Doomsday.↩
4. ^[4]COLLIN COLSHER: In the Modern Age, the Tweeds were the secret leaders of the Wonderland Gang. In the New 52, they were merely “foot soldiers” in the group. In the Rebirth Era, it is strongly implied in Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special #1 Part 2 that Mad Hatter is leader of the Wonderland Gang, but we still don’t know which pair of Tweeds are in the group. It could be Dumfree and Deever or Dumson and Deever.↩