DC90

Waverider referred to it as an event horizon, a massive convergence of crises.  But it's a little difficult to explain without examples, so that's exactly what I'm going to give you...

The unthinkable happened for the first time when Lois Lane discovered that Clark Kent was Superman.  In some circles this was always the worst kept secret in the universe, but Superman had managed to keep his secret identity intact, even from a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter who'd been obsessed with him for years, until he had become engaged to Lane and felt continuing the ruse was no longer morally justifiable.  It was a testament to Superman's character all the way around, just one of his many defining moments that decade.  If only it hadn't been followed by a bigger one so soon...

Before that could happen, I myself was drawn into these events in the near future, when the hero once known as Hawk became the villainous Monarch and sought to protect his identity, except he couldn't account for a man being sent into the past to stop him, a man who became Waverider.  A man named Matthew Ryder.  Me. 

The Greek gods went to war, sending Wonder Woman into a truly epic struggle.

Superman's next crisis involved Brainiac, against whom he assembled an army of allies.

John Stewart assumed stewardship of Oa's Mosaic, attempting to maintain peace among a legion of alien species.

Doomsday came for Superman, at last.  His epic battle against an unconquerable monster led to their mutual destruction, an unspeakable outcome for a world suddenly without its greatest protector.

Similarly, the brilliant, drug-enhanced Bane targeted Batman, breaking his back and taking control of Gotham City.

In both instances, these icons were replaced, for a time, by pretenders to the throne. 

Alien parasites came to Earth and transformed unsuspecting citizens into a new breed of superhero.

Driven mad by the utter destruction of Coast City, Hal Jordan declared war on the Green Lantern Corps so that he might obtain enough power to bring his beloved city back.

Bart Allen arrived from the future to create a new kind of Kid Flash, the single synapse Impulse, pushing the concept of speed, and the Speed Force itself, to new heights.

Jordan's mad quest converged with Monarch's, who elevated himself to the villain called Extant, threatening all of reality, until it collapsed around them with a cosmic rebirth.  In the aftermath, David Knight took up the Starman legacy, and redefined it, as well as the concept of the superhero.

Diana lost the role of Wonder Woman to Artemis but continued her fight for justice in Man's World.

Green Arrow died in a fiery explosion.

Neron struck literal deals with the devil across the villain landscape, significantly augmenting their threat level, notably revitalizing Lex Luthor so that he could plague Superman anew.

Heroes across two realities collided.

I witnessed a chilling vision of a future in which Superman walked away from his never-ending crusade.

In the present, he had the extraordinary development of working alongside Lex Luthor to combat the extinction of the sun, which only Hal Jordan's redemptive sacrifice ultimately prevented.

Then, of course, he finally married Lois Lane.

Batman tackled one of his greatest cases ever, seeking the identity of the Holiday Killer.

Superman and Batman led a spectacular revival of the Justice League.

And then Superman became radically altered, transforming into an energy being complete with a bold new look.

The Godwave made its way through the galaxy, wreaking havoc on everyone's powers.

Iris Allen wrote her late husband Barry Allen's life story.  This is significant, as he had been known as the Flash.

A cataclysmic earthquake hit Gotham.

The heroes of the 853rd century united with the modern day to battle the Tyrant Sun.

The Justice Society made a triumphant return.

Hal Jordan completed his redemption by becoming the new host of the Spectre.

Waverider saw all of this, and I suppose I ought to believe him.  His future is mine, his past mine.  He has seen wonders.  What effect does this have on a man?  I suppose I'll find out...

Adapted from DC YEAR BY YEAR: A VISUAL CHRONICLE, based on entries from
ACTION COMICS #662
ARMAGEDDON 2001 #1
WAR OF THE GODS #1
SUPERMAN #66, 75, 123
GREEN LANTERN: MOSAIC #1
BATMAN #492, 500
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #500
BLOODBATH #1
GREEN LANTERN #48
THE FLASH #92
ZERO HOUR #4
STARMAN #0
WONDER WOMAN #93
GREEN ARROW #101
UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED #1
DC VERSUS MARVEL #1
KINGDOM COME #1
THE FINAL NIGHT #1
SUPERMAN: THE WEDDING ALBUM
BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN #1
JLA #1
GENESIS #1
THE LIFE STORY OF THE FLASH
BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #73
DC ONE MILLION #1
JSA #1
DAY OF JUDGMENT #1