"Millennium" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through an eight-issue, self-titled, limited series and various other titles cover dated January and February 1988 by DC Comics. The limited series was published weekly, [1] which was a departure for an American series. It was written by Steve Englehart, and with art by Joe Staton and Ian Gibson. [2]
The story took place at a time when the Guardians of the Universe had left Earth's dimension along with their mates, the Zamarons. However, one Guardian, Herupa Hando Hu, and his Zamaron mate, Nadia Safir, traveled to Earth and announced to the world that they would select 10 persons who would become the new Guardians of the Universe, and give birth to a new race of immortals. They gathered Earth's superheroes and sent them to find the chosen persons, who came from various parts of the world. One of them turned out to be Hal Jordan's friend, Thomas Kalmaku, while another was the former villain known as the Floronic Man.
Unknown to everyone, the robotic cult known as the Manhunters (whom the Justice League believed had been destroyed years before) had found a sphere that Harbinger had used to store all the information she had gathered about the universe after the Crisis on Infinite Earths . Because of it, they knew the secret identities of Earth's heroes, and had planted their agents (including androids, mind-controlled humans and willing human agents) close to them (in other words, many of the supporting characters featured in the heroes' own comic titles were revealed to be Manhunters). On finding out about the search for The Chosen, the Manhunters decided to prevent it, and had their agents reveal themselves and attack Earth’s heroes. The heroes, joined by Harbinger, defeated the Manhunter agents and then attacked their home planet, defeating the cult again.
The Heroes managed to gather most of the Chosen, but two were killed over the course of the series, one (Terra of the Teen Titans) was already dead before it started, and one was senile. Another Chosen, a white supremacist from South Africa named Janwillem Kroef, eventually left the group because it contained non-white members. The Guardian and the Zamaron then died activating the latent powers of the remaining Chosen. They became a new superhero group, The New Guardians, which had its own comic book series afterwards, also by Englehart and Staton. The new series only lasted 12 issues.
The spirits of Haru and Safir later reappeared and explained that alternate plans had also been put in motion, and that a group of beings created by Kroef would be the true Chosen. The New Guardians later disbanded. The current status of the second Chosen is unknown. The Manhunters are apparently active again.
Guy Gardner, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, usually in association with the Green Lantern Corps, of which he is a member. For a time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was also a significant member of the Justice League. Gardner's original design is based on actor Martin Milner.
Booster Gold is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in Booster Gold #1 and has been a member of the Justice League.
Steve Englehart is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett.
The Manhunters are a fictional race of extraterrestrial robots that appear in titles published by DC Comics.
HalJordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in Showcase #22. Hal Jordan is a reinvention of the previous Green Lantern who appeared in 1940s comic books as the character Alan Scott.
Paul Levitz is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002 to 2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn and managing editor Dick Giordano, Levitz was responsible for hiring such writers as Marv Wolfman and Alan Moore, artists such as George Pérez, Keith Giffen, and John Byrne, and editor Karen Berger, who contributed to the 1980s revitalization of the company's line of comic book heroes.
The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Corps and the Justice League.
The Rocket Red Brigade is a DC Comics superhero team. They first appeared in Green Lantern Corps #208, and were created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton.
Kilowog is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is a member of the Green Lantern Corps.
The Floronic Man, also known as the Plant Master, Floro, and the Seeder, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Secret Society of Super Villains (SSoSV) is a DC Comics title that debuted in May–June 1976. The series presented a group of DC's supervillains, mostly foes of the Justice League of America. The series was cancelled with issue #15 in July 1978, as part of the DC Implosion, a period when DC suddenly cancelled dozens of comics.
Extraño is a superhero magician appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Joe Staton, he first appeared in Millennium #2. Extraño is noted for being the first openly gay superhero in DC Comics. Originally a character affiliated with the Green Lantern mythos, the character in recent stories is instead cast as a sorcerer in the DC Universe, serving as the magical ally of Midnighter and later both leader and founder of Justice League Queer, a loose network for LGBTQ superheroes who can call on each other for superheroic and personal support.
Joe Staton is an American comics artist and writer. He co-created the Bronze Age Huntress, as well as the third Huntress, Kilowog and the Omega Men for DC Comics. He was the artist of the Dick Tracy comic strip from 2011 to October 2021.
The New Guardians are a DC Comics superhero team featured in the short-lived eponymous series The New Guardians. It was a spin-off from the Millennium event and ran for twelve issues, from 1988 through 1989, before being canceled. It is also the name of the group of characters who appeared in the series. The characters first appeared in Millennium #1,, written by Steve Engelhart and drawn by Joe Staton. The series has since gained infamy among comic fans due to the second issue, which features "Snowflame", a supervillain who gained powers from the use of cocaine.
History of the DC Universe is a two-issue comic book limited series created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez which was published by DC Comics following the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Tangent Comics is a DC Comics imprint created in 1997, developed from ideas by Dan Jurgens. The line, formed from 18 one-shots, focused on creating all-new characters using established DC names, such as the Joker, Superman, and the Flash. Contrasting the Tangent Universe with the DC Universe, Jurgens commented:
The Tangent Universe tells the story of an Earth greatly influenced by the presence of super-powered beings. While the DCU Earth is essentially the same as our own, no more advanced in terms of technology or communications despite the existence of those qualities within the super-powered community, Earth Tangent is greatly influenced by all of that. Earth Tangent's economic, geographic and political landscapes are defined by the superhero community, whereas in the DCU those aspects exist unaffected by the superhero community.
The Harbinger is a superheroine appearing in publications by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, she first appeared in her civilian form in The New Teen Titans Annual #2 before taking on the mantle of Harbinger in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1.
Betty Clawman is a fictional superhero and disembodied cosmic force in the DC Comics shared universe. She first appeared in Millennium #2, and was created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton.
Millennium an eight-part miniseries, written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Joe Staton [was] delivered in weekly installments.
