7 DC Comics Moments I’m Still Not Over

DC Comics has been creating amazing moments in their superhero comics for decades. While an argument can be made that DC was the more “kiddie” of the Big Two for a long time, DC more than made up for that by becoming the home of more mature ideas in superhero comics in the mid ’80s, changing what superhero comics could be. DC Comics have given readers some amazing stories, stories made all the better by the excellent moments these tales contain. DC has created some unforgettable moments, ones that have stayed with readers for years after reading them. That’s the definition of a great comic moment, creating iconic moments that will never be forgotten.

I’ve been reading DC Comics for decades, and have experienced many of the greatest moments in the publisher’s history. Many of them had an impact, but didn’t really stay with me. However, there are over moments that not only stuck with me, but some of them that I’m still not over. These seven DC moments are the ones I’ve never been able to get over, the ones that stay with me like a jagged shard embedded in my skin.

7) Oliver Queen Knew About Connor Hawke the Whole Time

Green Arrow: The Archer’s Quest, by Brad Meltzer and Phil Hester, is a perfectly poignant story. Oliver Queen’s 2000 resurrection was a huge deal at the time — Green Arrow became a bestselling comic, partly thanks to director Kevin Smith’s writing it — and The Archer’s Quest was yet another hit for the character. The story followed Oliver Queen and Roy Harper as they take a trip through Green Arrow’s history, looking for objects that defined Green Arrow’s career — his Justice League certificate, a diamond-tipped arrow, a Flash ring containing a Green Arrow costume, and a Green Lantern ring — all so that Ollie could finally propose to Black Canary. However, readers learn the real reason he hunted down the objects — behind the Justice League certificate is a picture of Ollie holding his son Connor Hawke on the day he was born. Ollie had told everyone that he never even knew Connor existed, but had actually abandoned Connor and his mother because he wasn’t ready for kids yet. This moment is a heartbreaker, the regret and pain that Ollie caused bubbling up under his surface, and manifesting as tears. This moment will change the way you think of Oliver Queen forever.

6) The Death of Superman

“The Death of Superman” is one of the most important DC stories of the ’90s, a bestselling story that gave readers the death of the first superhero. “The Death of Superman” wasn’t the first time that fans had seen Superman die in comics — the Silver and Bronze Age were full of “imaginary stories” that sometimes had the death of Superman in them — but it was the first time that it counted. “The Death of Superman” is a simple story, just a multi-issue brawl between Superman and the monster Doomsday. Watching Doomsday steadily weaken Superman, getting closer and closer to Metropolis, builds anticipation for the big moment, which takes place in Superman (Vol. 2) #75, by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, an issue that is composed entirely of splash pages, every full page image a cinematic snapshot. It goes on and on until Superman and Doomsday land their final blows, with Superman falling and Lois running over to the man she loved. Watching the two of them share what they thought was their last moment together is beautiful; we all sort of knew that Superman would come back, but this moment is one that sticks with you, especially if you were reading the comics way back then.

5) Hippolyta Molding Diana in Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons is a harrowing story that tells the tale of the beginning of the Amazons, created by the Greek goddesses to protect women from the gods, who often used women as little more than playthings. This started a war between the gods and the Amazons, with the three issue series showing the brutality of the gods and the resolve of the Amazons. However, eventually, the Amazons were able to win, holding out against the gods and their forces, earning their respect. The Amazons were given Themyscira and the book ends with one of the most well-known moments in DC history — Hippolyta molding baby Diana, with the Greek goddesses breathing life into the baby girl, a reward for Hippolyta and the Amazons after years of terrible war with the gods. It’s a beautiful moment, the culmination of a series about women fighting for better treatment. While readers have seen this moment many times over the years in DC Comics, the events of Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons give this moment of creation and love even more narrative heft. Artist Nicola Scott does a beautiful job of rendering this scene with the kind of emotion it demands, a happy ending to a book that is as much an emotional journey as it is a story.

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4) The Death of Supergirl from Crisis on Infinite Earths

Crisis on Infinite Earths is the best event comic ever, for multiple reasons. The book touched on every corner of DC history, and was meant to do away with the DC Multiverse, replacing it with a singular universe that combined all of them. It was the first event book with these kinds of stakes, but that’s not all it did. Crisis killed a lot of heroes during its run, and the two most well-known kills are the deaths of Barry Allen and Supergirl. While Barry’s death was a great moment, it can’t really stand up to the heartbreak of Supergirl’s death. Supergirl jumped into battle with the Anti-Monitor to save her cousin, and was able to seemingly get the upper hand, which only lasted a few punches. The Anti-Monitor dominated Supergirl for the rest of the fight, and it soon became apparent that the Maid of Might wasn’t getting out of this one alive. It’s a powerful death scene, made all the sadder by the heroes mourning her at the end of the issue. It’s an iconic moment in DC history, and it’s a death that we haven’t gotten over all these years later.

3) The Death of Sue Dibny in Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis is the most maligned DC event of the 21st century. While there are events that are of worst quality than it — Amazons Attack! immediately comes to mind — Identity Crisis has one of the more egregious examples of the “women in refrigerators” trope. The first issue of Identity Crisis gave readers the history of the relationship between Elongated Man and Sue Dibny, manipulating their emotions before revealing that not only was Sue Dibny dead, but she was also pregnant. However, as tasteless as this ‘fridging can be, there’s no denying that it’s a moment that has stuck with all of us for the last 21 years. A big part of what has made it such an memorable moment is the art. Elongated Man’s grief is palpable, and artist Rags Morales did a fantastic job of taking something that could have looked silly — Elongated Man’s face stretching as he lost control of himself — and making it heartbreaking. The death of Sue Dibny has been a controversial moment since Identity Crisis #1 dropped, and that controversy made sure that it would survive in the hearts and minds of readers forever.

2) The Death of Earth-Two Lois Lane and Superman in Infinite Crisis

This is technically two moments, but I’m going to count it anyway. Infinite Crisis was a blockbuster event, with DC celebrating the 20th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths. This story was built meticulously over the course of several years, and it all culminated in the end of the first issue, which revealed that the heroes of Crisis — Earth-Two Superman and Lois Lane, Earth-Three’s Alexander Luthor, and Superboy-Prime — were still around and disappointed in the universe the heroes had created. Lois was struck down by the infirmities of age, and her death was inevitable, taking place in Infinite Crisis #5, a moment that showed Earth-Two Superman that he couldn’t trust Luthor or Prime’s goals. Her husband would join her in Infinite Crisis #7, killed during the final fight with Superboy-Prime. This is a hugely important moment in the history of the comic medium and doesn’t get nearly enough credit. This is the death of the first superhero and his first love interest, and it’s never anything less than a tearjerker. It’s made all the poignant by the fact that Power Girl, who Earth-Two Superman and Lois Lane raised, is there with her cousin, losing the family that she only just found. Add in the gorgeous George Perez art above, and it’s a moment that has stuck with me ever since.

1) Pa Kent’s Heart Attack in All-Star Superman #6

The death of Pa Kent has long been an important moment in the history of Superman. Superman is basically a god, and can pretty much do anything. However, the death of Pa Kent showed that even Superman couldn’t save everyone. There have been some brilliant versions of the death of Pa Kent — the ones from Superman: The Movie and from the Action Comics story “Brainiac” stand out — but none of them can match the death of Pa Kent from All-Star Superman #6. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely were able to take every iconic Superman moment and make them even better, and they went above and beyond the call of duty for this one. From the Superman of the present getting to be with his father as he died, disguised as the Unknown Superman and having been brought back in time by the Superman Corps, to the past version of Superman trying his best to get to Pa in time, it’s a beautiful and heartbreaking moment that will never leave readers’ hearts.

What DC moment have stayed with you? Sound off in the comments below.