DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. since 1967. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, and produces material featuring numerous culturally iconic heroic characters including: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Nightwing, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Hawkman, Cyborg and Supergirl.
A superhero is a type of heroic stock character, usually possessing supernatural or superhuman powers, who is dedicated to fighting the evil of their universe, protecting the public, and usually battling supervillains. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine, although the word superhero is also commonly used for females. Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially in American comic book and films since the 1930s.
Dollar Comics was a line of DC Comics comic book publications issued from 1977 to 1983. They included the titles The Superman Family, House of Mystery, G.I. Combat, World's Finest Comics, Batman Family, and Adventure Comics; as well as the series of specials with the umbrella title of DC Special Series. Dollar Comics were notable for costing $1, having 64 pages, and being advertising-free.
Prior to the events of Infinite Crisis, Matt Wagner re-invented the origin of the first meeting between Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in the DC Comics limited series Trinity in 2003.[2] Combined, these three heroes are the "trinity" of the World's Finest Team (also referred to as the World's Finest Trinity). The story takes place before the formation of the Justice League.[3]
"Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books. The main miniseries debuted in October 2005, and each issue was released with two variant covers: one by Pérez, and one by Jim Lee and Sandra Hope.
Matt Wagner is an American comics artist and writer who is best known as the creator of the series Mage and Grendel.
Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity is a three issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2003. Written and drawn by Matt Wagner, the series focused on the first meeting and alliance between DC's Trinity: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman., regarded as DC's most popular characters. The story takes place before the formation of The Justice League. The series was collected as a hardback and eventually a softcover trade paperback by DC Comics in 2005.
Dollar Comic format
In 1978, World's Finest Comics was among the few to be distributed as a "Dollar Comic". Jenette Kahn, the president and publisher of DC Comics at the time, wrote in a 1977 letter column that in the Golden Age of comics there were 64-page comics that sold for 10 cents. Over time, the comics reduced the number of pages to 32 for the same price. Eventually, the 32-page comics raised in price from 12 cents to 15, to 20, to 25, and then to 30.[4] As predicted, Kahn said in the future the prices would raise again due to inflation and the cost of living. The decision to introduce 80 pages of story at one dollar was to relive those glory days, and feature more all-new stories and art, by combining four comics for the price of three. This was exemplified by having the World’s Finest Comics series feature the finest DC Comics characters.
Jenette Kahn is an American comic book editor and executive. She joined DC Comics in 1976 as publisher, and five years later was promoted to President. In 1989, she stepped down as publisher and assumed the title of editor-in-chief while retaining the office of president. After 26 years with DC, she left the company in 2002.
Publication history
Beginning with issue #244, World's Finest Comics introduced a one-page blurb: "To a select few, the word super-hero is aptly applied, a few fantastic individuals have attained worldwide fame as heroes beyond all imaginings, persons such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and Black Canary, separately, they are among the finest, but here, together, they are the World's Finest."[5]
In World's Finest Comics #250, the World's Finest Team were officially united: "For the first time in history Superman, the Batman, Green Arrow and the Black Canary join forces with the new, original Wonder Woman in the cataclysmic epic that could only appear here, in the star-studded pages of the 250th issue of World's Finest Comics. Join these mighty champions of justice as they pit their fantastic powers against the cunning of Agent Axis and The Ravager of Time in a desperate mission to save reality."[1]
A rotating guest hero was added to the World's Finest roster, but not officially as a team member. These heroes included the Vigilante (issues #244–248), the Creeper (issues #249–252) and the Wonder Woman of Earth-One (issues #251–252).[6] The last official 80-page Dollar Comic of World's Finest Comics was issue #252, after which the page count dropped to 64 pages, as Kahn predicted. The new format had no ads and the Wonder Woman feature moved to Adventure Comics (starting with issue #459) to help launch that series' new Dollar Comic format similar to World's Finest Comics. The entire run with the World's Finest Team was from World's Finest Comics #244 to #252.
Vigilante is the name used by several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Earth-One is a name given to two fictional universes that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. The first Earth-One was given its name in Justice League of America #21, after The Flash #123 explained how Golden Age (Earth-Two) versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Silver Age counterparts. This Earth-One continuity included the DC Silver Age heroes, including the Justice League of America. Earth-One, along with the four other surviving Earths of the DC Multiverse, are merged into one in the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. This Earth's versions of characters were primarily the Earth-One versions, but some characters from the four other worlds were also "folded" in. In Infinite Crisis, Earth-One was resurrected and merged with the primary Earth of the publication era to create a New Earth that brought back more aspects of Earth-One's original history. In 2007, a new version of Earth-One was created in the aftermath of events that occurred within the 52 series.
Advertising is a marketing communication that employs an openly sponsored, non-personal message to promote or sell a product, service or idea. Sponsors of advertising are typically businesses wishing to promote their products or services. Advertising is differentiated from public relations in that an advertiser pays for and has control over the message. It differs from personal selling in that the message is non-personal, i.e., not directed to a particular individual. Advertising is communicated through various mass media, including traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, outdoor advertising or direct mail; and new media such as search results, blogs, social media, websites or text messages. The actual presentation of the message in a medium is referred to as an advertisement, or "ad" or advert for short.
Specific entries of the current versions of these heroes can be found in their individual entries. Notably, the current Wonder Woman of Earth-Two is not the same character as the Earth-Two Wonder Woman in the World's Finest Team. This version of Wonder Woman is a hybrid of the Golden Age Wonder Woman and the 1975–1979 television series Wonder Woman. Characters who appeared in these Wonder Woman stories, such as General Blankenship, Suzy and a dark haired Steve Trevor, are based on their TV versions.
Synopsis
After completing an outer space emergency mission, Superman and Batman return to Earth and encounter the Ravager of Time, who manipulates time by bringing World War II into the present. Discovering that the Justice League no longer exist, Superman and Batman search the civilian identities of each hero in hope of finding answers. Batman discovers that in this revised time period, the heroes never gained their powers and abilities.
Desperately, Superman and Batman search everywhere, eventually arriving at Paradise Island and encountering Princess Diana, who never became Wonder Woman. The heroes explain the situation and Diana believes them. She explains that as immortals, the Amazons understand the flow of time in a way inexplicable to man, and escorts them to her mother, Queen Hippolyte.
Hippolyte uses the magic sphere of Athena to visually explain that time has broken due to the appearance of the Ravager, a being that can transport back and forth through time like a pendulum, merging past and present, and eventually causing all reality to cease to exist. Hippolyte explains that the heroes will need to go back in time to August 13, 1942, to prevent the threat caused by four people: the Ravager, the man who can disrupt time; Wonder Woman, an Amazon who is (and is not) her daughter, Diana; and the true crux of the disaster, Green Arrow and the Black Canary. Even though Superman and Batman managed to remember most of the Justice League members including Wonder Woman, they did not remember the existence of Green Arrow or Black Canary. Superman used his time travel abilities to transport the two heroes.
Before all this occurred, Black Canary confided in Green Arrow her feelings to mourn after the death of her husband, Larry. She explained that she desired to return to Earth-Two, her birthplace, to adjust, among her friends and places she misses. Green Arrow supported her decision and they both journeyed to the Justice League Headquarters to use the Transmatter Machine, the device used to travel from Earth-One to Earth-Two. Hawkman, who was on monitor duty, explained that the device was unstable due to a battle with Professor Phineas Potter and needed to be repaired. Green Arrow ignored the warnings and used the machine to transport himself and Black Canary to Earth-Two. The machine then malfunctioned, causing all heroes nearest to it to lose their powers as if they never existed, returning them to their civilian life. Only four heroes escaped the fate: Green Arrow and Black Canary, and Superman and Batman, who were in outer space at the time.
Green Arrow and Black Canary noticed that the journey to Earth-Two was taking longer than normal. On Earth-Two in 1942, Wonder Woman, flying in her invisible plane, suddenly flew into a rift in the sky, causing a collision with Green Arrow and Black Canary in which the three were propelled into the void and emerged on Earth-One during World War II on August 13, 1942. Analyzing the situation, the heroes questioned how to return to their proper times and places, but were interrupted by army officials.
Birth of the Ravager
Nazis have been after Professor Mark Ronsom, who had invented a chronal transponder, to use the device to attack the Germans and Japanese in the past to prevent World War II. A Nazi agent, Agent Axis, manages to shoot down Professor Ronsom. Dying, he asks Wonder Woman to use the device on his body to place him into a time stasis to save his life. She does so, but instead Professor Ronsom becomes the Ravager and attacks the army officers and burns the Lincoln Memorial nearby. Wonder Woman lassos the Ravager, but he disappears.
Reports of the Ravager appearing and causing destruction all over the country are noted in news reports. Superman and Batman arrive from the future and offer their help. Batman explains that the Ravager is damaging all time by bringing a chunk of the previous era with him like a pendulum swing from 1942 to 1978. The task seems hopeless as the Library of Congress is attacked, but the World's Finest Team intercepts. Superman uses his strength to subdue the Ravager, but upon contact ages to an old man, weakened for a few minutes. Wonder Woman, who is immune to the ravages of age, finds that her strength causes the creature no pain. Green Arrow unleashes a blast arrow, which does nothing. Agent Axis emerges from behind the scenes and, using an electro-magnetic neutralizer harness, subdues the Ravager, but both disappear.
The World's Finest Team travels to a Nazi Headquarters in Bavaria to encounter Agent Axis. During the battle, Agent Axis tries to destroy the chronal transponder in fear that the device would be used against the Nazi forces. During the course of the action, time stops and the small group of people, including the World's Finest Team, are in the center of the chronal explosion. Superman identifies that the belt needs to be activated two inches from the Ravager's body to start the flow of time. Green Arrow times the device in 10 seconds and succeeds. Reality is restored and the heroes are returned to their proper times and places, with no memory of the entire ordeal. Only Queen Hippolyte, Green Arrow, and Black Canary retained knowledge about the Reality War.[1]
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His real name is Oliver Jonas Queen, a wealthy businessman and owner of Queen Industries who is also a well-known celebrity in Star City. Sometimes shown dressed like the character Robin Hood, Green Arrow is an archer who uses his skills to fight crime in his home cities of Star City and Seattle, as well as alongside his fellow superheroes as a member of the Justice League. Though much less frequently used in modern stories, he also deploys a range of trick arrows with various special functions, such as glue, explosive-tipped, grappling hook, flash grenade, tear gas and even kryptonite arrows for use in a range of special situations. At the time of his debut, Green Arrow functioned in many ways as an archery-themed analogue of the very popular Batman character, but writers at DC subsequently developed him into a voice of left-wing politics very much distinct in character from Batman.
The Justice League is a team of fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The Justice League was conceived by writer Gardner Fox, and they first appeared together, as Justice League of America (JLA) in The Brave and the Bold #28.
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name. Michael E. Uslan has speculated that this was because DC received a cease and desist letter from Better Publications, Inc., who had been publishing a comic book entitled Best Comics since November 1939. Virtually every issue featured DC's two leading superheroes, Superman and Batman, with the earliest issues also featuring Batman's sidekick, Robin.
Identity Crisis is a seven-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics from June to December in 2004. It was created by writer Brad Meltzer and the artistic team of penciler Rags Morales and inker Michael Bair.
Justice is a twelve-issue American comic book limited series published bimonthly by DC Comics from August 2005 through June 2007, written by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, with art also by Ross and Doug Braithwaite. Its story involves the superhero team known as the Justice League of America confronting the supervillain team the Legion of Doom after every supervillain is motivated by a shared dream that seems to be a vision of the planet's destruction, which they intend to avoid.
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Since their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #28, various incarnations of the team have appeared in film, television, and video game adaptations.
Green Arrow, a DC Comics superhero, has appeared in media other than comic books since 1973, including animated shows, live-action productions, and video games.
The World's Greatest Super-Heroes was a hardcover anthology collection of six oversized graphic novels published by DC Comics and created by artist Alex Ross and writer Paul Dini. The collection was released on July 6, 2005.
Trinity is an American comic book series published by DC Comics featuring the superheroes Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The first series was published weekly from 2008 to 2009. In 2016, a second monthly comic book series was launched by DC Comics.
DC Universe is a toy brand manufactured by Mattel. It has five sub-lines – Classics, Fighting Figures, Giants of Justice, Infinite Heroes, and the reintegrated Justice League Unlimited line.
The Bizarro League, also known as the Bizarro Justice League, are the Bizarro version of the Justice League.
Huntress is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. The two most well known women of the three to bear the Huntress name are Helena Bertinelli and Helena Wayne, the latter being from an alternate DC universe. Although Helena Wayne and Helena Bertinelli are both superheroes, the Huntress of the Golden Age was a supervillain.
Super Juniors are a group of fictional DC Comics characters based on members of the Justice League of America, designed as baby versions in order to appeal to younger audiences and introduce them to the publisher's most popular properties. At Kenner's request, first appeared in José Luis García-López's 1982 DC Comics Style Guide and had their first and only adventure in Super Jrs. Holiday Special: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #58 in a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Vince Squeglia. There was a considerable amount of merchandise based on them.
Flashpoint is a 2011 comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011. The core miniseries was written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Andy Kubert. In its end, the series radically changes the status quo for the DC Universe leading into the publisher's 2011 relaunch, the New 52.
Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League is an animated comedy film based on the Lego and DC Comics brands, released on February 10, 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD. This is the third Lego DC Comics film following Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite and Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered. Some actors from various DC properties reprise their respective roles, including Nolan North as Superman, Khary Payton as Cyborg, Diedrich Bader as Green Lantern and Tom Kenny as The Penguin and Plastic Man.
This is a list of the alternative versions of Black Canary from the DC Comics multiverse, Elseworlds, and other sources.
Agent Axis is the name of two fictional comic book supervillains from DC Comics.
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