Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate one’s family, friends, and the past year’s accomplishments. Everyone can agree that it’s nice to see the folks, and who doesn’t love gorging in unlimited amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie.
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The same can be said of the DC universe, where the heroes also take the time to appreciate how far they’ve come and just managing to survive another year. When you’ve been around as long as they have, there are bound to be some touchy subjects, one’s that can immediately throw the conversation into chaos if they happen to come up.
With the stakes so high, it was best to put together a guide for what not to bring up at a DC Thanksgiving, so hit the next slide to get started.
Flashpoint
The league has dealt with it’s share of alternate timelines and universes, but a recent storyline saw the world changed in dramatic ways. Even though he didn’t directly cause it, it was a major downer for many of his friends, so best not to approach it.
In Flashpoint, Barry awakens to a very different universe, and it all had to do with Eobard Thawne. Thawne is primarily a Flash villain, so it stands to reason Barry might feel a bit guilty about the whole thing. In this universe Bruce Wayne was the one that died, so his father Thomas took up the mantle instead, while Wonder Woman and Aquaman were at war, with thousands dying in the ensuing conflict.
Barry eventually figured the whole thing out with the help of his friends, but it’s still a sore spot.
That Fans Wanted Jason Todd To Die
This one is rough. Imagine that everyone despised you so much that they not only wanted you dead, but they actually called into a hotline to make it happen.
During Death in the Family, DC Comics actually set up a voting system for fans to determine the fate of Jason Todd. Todd wasn’t the most popular Robin, and in plotting the next big part of their Batman arc, the editorial team decided to get the fans opinion.
They made their opinion known quite convincingly, and Todd died a rather iconic death at the hands of the Joker. The event has served as the origin of many stories since then, and Todd is now back in the land of the living. Still, if the topic happens to rear its ugly head, best to move somewhere else until things settle down.
When Superman Rocked A Mullet
The death of Superman is one of the most recognized stores in DC lore, and while everyone at the dinner table understands that, death and turkey do not go hand in hand. You might still get away with mentioning it, however, depending on how close you are to Clark, but whatever you do don’t mention his mullet.
After Superman died at the hands of Doomsday, it was a long journey back to the land of the living. During his absence, four other Supermen took his place, with one of them turning out to be a key villain that laid waste to Hal Jordan’s Coast City. Clark did make a return, but when he came back he decided a new look was in order, so he wore a black and silver costume while rocking long hair.
He eventually went back to his classic Superman suit, but he had grown fond of his new hairstyle, so he kept the long hair. Unfortunately most times it looked more like a mullet, which is understandable given that he is getting thrown into buildings on a regular basis, which is not a productive environment for one’s hairstyle. He did go back tot he cropped cut, but there will always be pictures of his long-haired look, and it isn’t one he likes to be reminded of.
Martha
Everyone has triggers, whether that be a certain smell, word, or place that brings with it certain unwanted memories. It turns out that both Superman and Batman have one in common, and lord help you if you mention it during desert.
Clark’s adopted parents are what made him who he is today, and one of those is his beloved mother Martha Kent. While they weren’t around for most of his childhood, Bruce Wayne also has his parents to thank for his legacy, as he became the Batman to avenge their deaths and prevent more like them.
While both are incredibly important to their characters, accidentally mentioning one will instantly bring the room down. If you compliment Superman’s mother, he will delight in telling you how great she is, which kickstarts Batman into full brooding mode. Superman will then see this and feel instantly guilty, thus overcompensating. Batman then gets upset that everyone is treating him with kid gloves and walks out of the room.
All of that could be avoided if you just don’t bring up the name, and isn’t that worth it in the end?
Hal Jordan Going Crazy
No one likes to be reminded of their mistakes, and the same goes for Hal Jordan. The problem is that, well, Jordan went a bit crazy back in the day, and while it wasn’t his fault ultimately, it did leave a bad taste in people’s mouths.
Due to the entity of fear Parallax, Hal Jordan was encompassed with a thirst for power, and in an effort to claim all the Lantern rings for himself ended up killing a swath of Green Lanterns. The ones he didn’t kill he either injured or maimed, and he left a great deal of damage in his wake. The culprit was eventually identified and his name cleared, but when someone takes your hand from you, it’s understandable to be a bit bitter.
Still, it wasn’t his fault, and he’s done plenty to set things right, so don’t be that person and rile up a hornet’s nest with a passive aggressive comment when he passes the basket of rolls.
