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Some Implications Of The New DC Comics 60-Year Timeline – Are We Partying Like It's 1999?

Published Sun, 06 Oct 2019 08:30:29 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Fri, 13 Jan 2023 07:11:46 -0600

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Over the weekend, DC Comics put up their new DC Comics timeline. Bleeding Cool got the best resolution possible, deliberately low res for the presentation, and we have been doing out best to squint at various blurs to work out what they mean. With the help of others, we think we've done a pretty good job – though there is still much to fill in. Split into four generations, each taking a chunk of years. Generation 1 – 25 years, Generation 2 – 15 years, Generation 3 – 15 years and Generation 4 – 5 years respectively, DC Comics has squeezed its 85 years of publishing into 60 years, since just before the second world war.

Which, yes, would make the DC Universe at around 1998 right now. And suggests we are going to have a lot more arguments like this. Which was published in 1977.

We look forward to seeing how things work. But here are a few takeouts.

In the DC Universe it is currently 1998/1999. Somehow twenty years out of synch.
Wonder Woman is the first DC superhero. And she's been around forever. Wonder Woman's age isn't stated, when she is born is not mentioned in the DC timeline, only when she met Steve Trevor, left Themyscria and joined the world of man. She went back home after the US dropped the atomic boms on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Clark Kent is 60 years old, his spaceship crash landing in 1938/1939. Bruce Wayne is just younger than him. They have been operating publically as Batman and Superman since the mid fifties, though Clark Kent operated undercover as Superboy before that, until the Senate banned superheroes in the late forties,
The Black Canary is in her late forties. Dick Grayson was made Robin in the mid-sixties, same year Wally West became Kid Flash. Supergirl arrived five years later. Dick Grayson was Robin for eighteen years, then became Nightwing for the past twenty. Oh and Donna Troy becomes Wonder Woman.
The Justice Society of America happened. The Justice League of America happened. Justice League International happened. JLA happened. Cassandra Cain was Batgirl. Stephanie Brown was Robin. Batman had his back broken, Superman died, Barbara Gordon has the Killing Joke. Wonder Woman was God Of War. And yes, Identity Crisis still happened.
Wallace West is nineteen now. Damian Wayne is fourteen now. He became Robin when he was ten, died when he was eleven, came back when he was twelve. Does his time-as-dead count? And Jonathan Kent aged – but when he went to join the Legion Of Super-Heroes. Or does that mean he's ageing again.
And whatever happened, Booster Gold is the one who is aware of timeline changes. Is he partying like it's 1999?
Steve Trevor is dead.

Generation 1: Dawn of The Heroic Age – 25 Year Time Window

Year 1 Krypton explodes. Rocket crashes in Smallville. Wonder Woman debuts, Steve Trevor crashes on Themescyria

Year 2 Jay Garrick debuts as The Flash. Alan Scott debuts as the Green Lantern. Zatara debuts as a stage magician. Dan Garrett debuts as Blue Beetle. Blackhawk assembles Crew.

Year 3 JSA. Wonder Woman [Redacted] Jay joins JSA. Alan joins JSA. Dinah Drake debuts as Black Canary

Year 4 Sgt Rock & the Easy Company enter European theater

Year 5 JSA Enters World War II. Freedom Fighters debut. All-Star Squadron formed.

Year 6 Thomas and Martha Wayne xxx [Redacted]. xxx debuts. Justice League [Redacted] Newsboy Legion supports the war effort at home.

Year 7 xxx debuts

Year 8 Wonder Woman retreats to Themysicira following atomic bomb drop. Freedom Fighters disband.

Year 12 Dinah Lance born.

Year 13 Clark Kent becomes Superboy, works in secret. Creature Commandoes debut

Year 14 Alfred Pennyworth hired by Wayne Family.

Year 16 Thomas and Martha Wayne death.

Year 18 Senate bans superheroes. Clark stops being Superman. The Flash [Redacted]. Alan retires as Green Lantern. JSA disbands. Dan Garrett goes underground. Task Force X assembled

Year 19 Arthur Curry's father dies. Black Manta's father dies. J'onn J'onnz arrives on Earth.

Year 20 Arthur meets 'The Others' Arthur meets Vulko.

Year 21 Arthur meets Orm.

Year 24 [Redacted] Challengers Of The Unknown formed

Generation 2: The Space Age – 15 Year Time Window

Year 26: Batman & Superman. Batman debuts. Year One, Superman debuts. xxx

Year 27: Rogues Gallery debuts Joker, Catwoman xxx, Batman Year Two. xxx Aquaman debuts. Barry Allen debuts as the Flash. Flash Year One. Hal Jordan debuts as Green Lantern. Oliver Queen debuts as Green Arrow. xxx

Year 28: Dick Grayson debuts as Robin. World's Finest Batman and Superman debut. Wally West debuts as Kid Flash. The Rogues debut. Sinestro xxx Aquaman [Redacted] xxx [Redacted]

Year 29: Justice League of America. Batman joins JLA, Superman joins JLA, Wonder Woman Returns from xxx , xxx Diana joins JLA, Barry joins JLA, Hal joins JLA, Black Lantern xxx JLA, Aquaman joins JLA, Black Canary (Dinah Lance) joins JLA, Martian Manhunter joins JLA. The Atom joins JLA.

Year 30: Doom Patrol. Donna Troy returns & Wonder Woman xxx, Barry meets Jay (Flash Of Two Worlds), Guy Gardner xxx Green Lantern, Green Arrow joins JLA, xxx

Year 31: Crisis of Two Worlds. Teen Titans Debut – Dick, Wally, Garth, Roy, Donna, Garth debuts as Aqualad,

Year 32: JSA Returns, JSA xxx , xxx born.

Year 33: Supergirl arrives. Superman [Redacted], Teen Titans xxx, Flash marries Iris West, Guy Gardner debuts as JL Green Lantern, Dinah and Ollie fight Batman, Tula as Aquagirl, xxx returns xxx

Year 34: Ra's al Ghul and Talia debut, Hawkman joins JLA,

Year 35: Diana loses powers, xxx Aquaman,

Year 36: Barbara Gordon debuts as Batgirl, xxx Teen Titans, xxx Green Lantern, Professor Zoom kills Iris, The xxx War, John Stewart is the new Green Lantern, Hal xxx [Redacted], xxx debuts, xxx

Year 37: New Teen Titans. Wonder Woman xxx returns, New Teen Titans debuts Dick, Cyborg xxx , xxx & xxx break up, xxx xxx joins JLA

Year 38: Shazam. xxx black xxx, Flash kills Professor Zoom, xxx the throne of Aquaman, Billy Batson xxx, xxx

Year 39: xxx debuts as the new xxx , xxx , xxx , Ted Kord debuts as Blue Beetle

Year 40: Crisis On Infinite Earths. Dick Grayson debuts as Nightwing, xxx as xxx, Supergirl dies, the xxx & xxx, xxx the future xxx, The Judas Contract, xxx , Barry dies, Wally West debuts as the Flash, [Redacted], Aquaman dies, xxx

Generation 3: The Age Of Crisis – 15 Year Time Window

Year 41: Justice League International, Wallace West born, xxx/GL of Earth, xxx/GL Of Space, xxx , xxx Shazam joins JLI, Captain Atom joins the JLI, Blue Beetle joins the JLI, John Constantine meets Swamp Thing.

Year 42: Death In The Family, Jason Todd murdered, xxx up, Booster Gold joins JLI, xxx

Year 43: Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon paralyzed. Wally Meets Linda Park, xxx returns xxx, xxx

Year 44: Knightfall, Tim Drake debuts as Robin, Barbara Gordon debuts as Oracle, Death of Superman, Reign of the Supermen, xxx , Blue Beetle xxx

Year 45: Birth of the Demon, Superman Returns, Artemis debuts, Teen Titans xxx, Bart Allen debuts as Impulse, [Redacted] Kyle Rayner as GL, xxx Black Canary BOP, Rise of Parallax xxx , xxx

Year 46: Zero Hour. Damian born, Teen Titans, xxx , Hal dies, xxx as Parallax, Final Night, xxx Connor, Aquaman xxx Mera, xxx

Year 47: JLI Replaced by JLA. No Man's Land, Cassandra Cain debuts as Batgirl, Harley Quinn debuts, xxx Lane returns, xxx, Electric Blue Superman debuts, Cassie Sandsmark debuts, All-New Teen Titans xxx, Kyle joins JLA, Aquaman rejoins JLA, Aqualad xxx, [Redacted],

Year 48: Hush, Year of xxx, xxx return xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, Wally married Linda, xxx, Oliver & Dinah xxx, xxx, xxx

Year 49: Identity Crisis. Stephanie Brown debuts as Robin, xxx, Public Enemy, President Luthor, Jon Kent Born, Supergirl Reborn, Death of Donna Troy,, Teen Titans xxx, Dinah & Oliver xxx, xxx JLA, xxx, xxx debuts as Aquaman, xxx, xxx,

Year 50: Jason is Red Hood, xxx returns, Batwoman debuts, Wally & Linda xxx are born, Oliver & Dina's xxx, xxx, xxx & new xxx, xxx, xxx

Year 51: Infinite Crisis. xxx, Superboy dies, Wonder Woman kills Maxwell Lord, xxx returns, xxx, Billy Batson xxx, Jamie Reyes/Blue Beetle

Year 52: xxx, xxx Barbara returns as Batgirl, Donna Troy returns, xxx, xxx of the xxx, xxx, xxx returns to Earth,

Year 53: xxx, xxx, Teen Titans xxx, xxx, [Redacted] xxx

Year 54: Final Crisis. Damian debuts,[Redacted] Tim debuts as Red Robin, the xxx, xxx, xxx,

Year 55: Blackest Night, Flashpoint. xxx the team, xxx, Blackest Night, xxx, Brightest Day, Dinah & Oliver separate, Aquaman xxx & xxx, Jackson Hyde debuts, Barry Allen returns, xxx, xxx returns, xxx, xxx returns to public eye, xxx returns to public eye.

Generation 4: The Flashpoint – 5 Year Time Window

Year 56 – Wildstorm. Damian debuts as Robin, Dick Grayson debuts as Batman, Bruce returns, Donna Troy takes over Wonder Woman mantle, War of the Green Lanterns, Hal kills Mad Guardian

Year 57 – Justice League. Court Of Owls, Damian Dies, Kryptonian Armour, Diana back as Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman becomes God of War, Tim returns to lead Teen Titans, Wally and Bart disappear into time stream, Hal is Green Lantern in Justice League, Kyle debuts as the White Lantern, Aquaman joins Justice League, Arthur crowned King again, Booster aware of timeline changes, vanishes, Plastic Man hibernation, Billy Batson and Shazam joins Justice League, Vic Sage resurrected, Harley Quinn joins Suicide Squad,

Year 58 – DC Rebirth. Damian returns, Jim Gordon briefly becomes Batman, Batman (Bruce) and Red Robin unite Gotham vigilantes as formal team, Oz Effect, Joe-El Returns, Kents back in Metropolis, Wonder Woman relinquishes God Of War mantle, Original Titans reform, Dick, Lilith, Wally, Garth, Roy, Donna, Teen Titans reform, Damian, Kid Flash, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, Wally returns, Ollie + Dinah back together, Ryan Choi returns, Booster returns, Ted Kord returns, Vic assumes the Question identity again.

Year 59 – Dark Knight Metal, New Age Of DC Heroes, Bat/Cat wedding, Rogol Zaar, Jon travels to future, Damian's New Teen Titans, Robin, Kid Flash, Crush, Red Arrow, Roundhouse, Bart Returns, The Terrifics formed, Plastic Man wakes from hibernation,

Year 60 – Year Of The Villain, Hell Arisen. Jon returns from future/aged.

I am starting to get an inkling about what will really be going on for the DC Universe, what 5G means and why 2020 is going to be a very big year for DC Comics. But I need to get all my ducks in a row. More tomorrow, I think. 6am PT. 9am ET, 2pm BST. If I'm right, and everything pans out today,m it will be a big one. Just as everyone is flying back from New York Comic Con so no one will be able to stop me.