Sometimes, there are moments in DC Comics stories that are just so out there, they end up being glossed over or forgotten about completely. There’s no doubt that in the near century DC Comics has been around, there have been some truly epic moments in comic book history.
But there’s also been some moments that left fans scratching their heads, either due to how dumb, crazy, or just plain weird they were. But for better or worse, many of these things still linger in the minds of some fans, so read on to discover 8 hilariously ‘off’ moments from DC’s history.
8 Tim Drake’s Using His Own Name as a Hero Identity
As Seen In: Young Justice #10 (2019)
Tim Drake fought and clawed to earn the Robin mantle, but after Damian Wayne entered the scene, Tim’s time as the Boy Wonder came to a close. He was able to make do for a while as Red Robin, but after a chance encounter with his Earth-3 doppelgänger, Tim found a new identity. The Earth-3 Tim inspired the Prime version to simply go by his surname, Drake, claiming it was “one of the most dangerous birds”. So, in Young Justice #10, Tim officially debuted his new look and identity.
Look, Tim has been around long enough to deserve his own superhero identity, but this was not it. Even Tim’s biggest fans were perplexed at the idea of him using his last name as a superhero moniker. Not only does it raise security concerns, going by the male name for duck honestly isn’t that intimidating, even if it really is one of the most dangerous birds. Thankfully, Tim wised up and stopped going by Drake, returning to his familiar identity, Robin.
7 Superman's 'Gift' to Repopulate the Earth
As Seen In: JLA: Created Equal #1 (2000)
Who doesn’t love a good Elseworlds story and the incredibly bizarre directions they can go? JLA: Created Equal certainly took advantage of its non-canon setting and presented a DC Universe that was affected by a cosmic plague that eradicated the males of Earth. Superman, thankfully, was immune to this plague and helped restart the world’s population by giving a ‘gift of hope’. Namely, a vessel containing all the genetic material from Superman that they would need to create a new generation (and yes, that jar has exactly what one thinks is in there).
Comic books are full of wild concepts and ideas. And truth be told, repopulating an entire planet really is a job for Superman. But this alone, with Wonder Woman holding a jar of Superman’s leftover DNA, is just so unfathomably out-there, it’s hard to believe that DC Comics ever approved it in the first place. Thankfully, this is just an out-of-continuity story that has no impact on the Prime Universe. But that doesn’t mean this moment isn’t laughably weird.
6 Joker Becoming an Iranian Ambassador
As Seen In: Batman #428 (1988)
The “Death in the Family” is one of the most harrowing moments in Batman’s history and a crucial turning point in DC’s overall history. However, for all the drama that came with Jason Todd’s untimely and brutal death, there’s a moment that just floors most fans when reading the story. After killing the Boy Wonder, Joker is approached by Ayatollah Kohmeini and offered the role of Iran’s representative to the United Nations, a position Joker gladly accepts.
To be fair, Batman was in a dark place and by taking on the UN position, Joker made it so that any attack by the Dark Knight would cause an international incident. But this over-the-top storyline really undercuts the serious drama that followed Jason’s death. Neither Batman nor fans had time to process Robin’s murder before Joker was doing something far more outlandish than his usual antics. Maybe it’s not the worst Joker story, but the time and place of this plotline was really off the mark.
5 Superboy-Prime's Infamous "I'll Kill You To Death!"
As Seen In: Countdown to Final Crisis #13 (2008)
For a few years, fans could always count on the DC Universe’s bitter, teenage punching bag Superboy-Prime delivering a line or doing something that would have even the most hardened reader laughing at him. And that stayed true in Countdown to Final Crisis #13 where Superboy-Prime (now calling himself Superman-Prime) is engaging in battle with Monarch and the doppelganger’s anger gets the best of him, leading to him uttering his arguably most famous line “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you to death!!!”.
Superboy-Prime is a character that was so hard to take seriously. Not to mention, Countdown to Final Crisis as a whole was hard to take seriously due to the wild characterizations and storylines that went nowhere. But this line, perfectly delivered with all the bitter fanboy rage that Superboy-Prime embodies, at least stands out as a small, comical silver lining in a grand storyline that hasn’t really been on anyone’s mind since it came out years ago.
4 The Amazons' Failed War on the United States
As Seen In: Amazons Attack! (2007)
Not every event turns out to be a critical darling like Crisis on Infinite Earths or even a fan-favorite like Blackest Night. And some events just go down in comic book history as misses that many would rather just move past. Amazons Attack! is one such event and involves the Amazons of Themyscira attacking the United States over the illegal detention of Wonder Woman. On the surface, not a bad idea. But the event was misstep after misstep, filled with character assassinations, convoluted plots and weaponized bees.
Very little about Amazon Attacks is ed fondly, except for Batman, whose serious reaction of “My God” to the Amazons’ ‘deadly bee weapon’ is one of the funniest unintentional memes DC ever created. Other than that, it’s a storyline that portrays the Amazons as violent man-haters and is needlessly complicated with numerous twists and turns that feel unsatisfying. But again, having Batman stoically contemplate the horrors of weaponized bees does at least make the event somewhat entertaining.
3 The New 52 Making the Robins' History Incredibly Confusing
As Seen In: Batman (2011)
Fans who were around for the New 52 all the headaches that came with the sudden shift to DC’s continuity. Several years were stolen from the DC timeline thanks to external forces, and as such, most heroes had only been around for around five years, including Batman. The truncated timeline caused a number of problems, one of the greatest being Batman’s history with his Robins. All of the Robins were still canon, but somehow, Batman had gone through all four, from Dick to Damian, in five years.
This wasn’t exactly clarified as an official New 52 timeline was never released, making it anyone’s guess how long anyone actually worked with the Dark Knight. The Robins’ partnerships were all glossed over until the “Infinite Frontier” arrived, which largely brought back their prior histories into canon. While changes understandably had to be made to make the New 52 work, trying to cram four Boys Wonder into a five-year timeline with Batman is just odd.
2 Harley Quinn Managed to Take Out the Trinity
As Seen In: Heroes in Crisis #2 (2018)
Harley Quinn’s star has risen considerably in the last decade. She’s been featured in several Suicide Squad books, held down her own self-titled series, and even been courted to the Justice League (Jon Kent’s League, but still). During this meteoric rise, Harley got the chance to show off just how badass she was during Heroes in Crisis #2, where she takes on DC’s iconic Trinity. She steals Wonder Woman’s lasso, steals Batman’s spare kryptonite, and disarms Superman before making a showy escape.
Here’s the thing: Harley Quinn is a great athlete, but this 100% should not have happened, and most fans who read this series agree. This team has taken on Darkseid, Mongul, and the Anti-Monitor, but they’re all shown up by a street-level character who either got lucky or who faced the Trinity on a very off day. Harley Quinn's victory is not the only problem with Heroes in Crisis, but it really does stand out as one of its more bizarre moments.
1 Superman Being Forced to Make a Dirty Movie with Big Barda
As Seen In: Action Comics #593 (1987)
If Superman leaving a vessel of his seed didn’t give anyone the ick, the idea of him being forced to make a dirty movie will. Action Comics #593 saw Superman and the New God Big Barda under the control of an alien pervert appropriately named Sleez, who forced the two to make an adult film together, so he could use the profits from it to raise an army and fight Darkseid (as one does). However, control over the duo is broken by Barda’s husband, Mister Miracle, who saw way more than he needed to.
Before anyone asks, no, Superman did not do anything unsavory since he was actively fighting his mind control. But that doesn’t stop this entire plotline just feeling so greasy. Parts of the story are played for laughs and, ittedly, this is so over-the-top, it circles back to being funny. But it’s also just so profoundly uncomfortable that maybe it’s best this particular DC moment stays forgotten.
