27 Years Ago, DC Released the Best Event of the ‘90s (& Literally No One Remembers It)

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When people think of big, universe-altering comic book events, DC Comics doesn’t usually come to mind first. These kinds of events have been common in comics for 43 years, starting with Marvel’s Contest of Champions, and while Marvel isn’t always perfect, they’re known for them. Looking back, Marvel has created the most popular event comics in almost every decade, with Infinity Gauntlet often considered the standout of the 1990s.

The Infinity Gauntlet is widely considered a fantastic and landmark event in comics. However, many fans agree that the best event of the 1990s wasn’t Infinity Gauntlet at all. That title belongs to DC One Million, a four-issue series from DC Comics that grew out of Grant Morrison’s JLA. What made DC One Million truly special was its unique story idea. While it might not be the most famous or impactful event, it’s easily the best of the decade – a perfectly crafted series with outstanding tie-in issues, illustrated by Val Semeiks.

DC One Million Took Readers to the 853rd Century and Blew Their Minds

The story arc began with the acclaimed Justice League tale, “Rock of Ages,” which introduced the Hourman from the 853rd century and featured a meeting between the Justice League and the Justice Legion A from the future. This set the stage for DC One Million. The future team traveled back in time hoping to bring the Justice League forward to witness the return of the Prime Superman. While the League was absent, Vandal Savage seized control of nuclear-powered Rocket Red suits, taking the Titans hostage and devastating Montevideo, Uruguay. In the future, Savage teamed up with Tyrant Sun Solaris, using their knowledge of the past to plot the downfall of heroes across all eras.

The core idea of the series was ambitious and exciting. To celebrate, DC gave every superhero comic a special #1,000,000 issue. The story was set in the 853rd century – the time Action Comics would theoretically reach that milestone if published monthly. This concept stemmed from Grant Morrison’s vision of using comics to inspire a positive future. The tie-in issues took readers to this distant time to show the lasting impact of the heroes’ actions. While many were great, JLA, Starman, Resurrection Man, and Chance were particularly outstanding.

The DC One Million storyline was definitely a creative stunt, but it was unlike anything fans had seen before. While other comics explored future timelines, this one jumped incredibly far ahead. Some of the futuristic technology now seems a little outdated, but back then it was cutting-edge science fiction and really enjoyable. The special #1,000,000 issues maximized the potential of this idea, largely because DC had some of the most talented writers in the industry at the time, resulting in consistently high-quality stories.

The four-issue series DC One Million was the highlight of the event, and showcased Grant Morrison at their peak. While Morrison’s stories sometimes get criticized for being overly complex, this one was a surprisingly direct and engaging superhero sci-fi tale. It cleverly used time travel to overcome the incredible challenges posed by the villains, Savage and Solaris. The artwork by Semieks is decent, though not as visually dynamic as many fans expect from large-scale events. Howard Porter, known for his work on JLA, might have been a better fit, but the art doesn’t detract from the overall story. The final page is a clever and funny reveal, demonstrating that even evil acts contain the seeds of their own downfall. It’s a truly fantastic read.

DC One Million Is Comics’ Best Kept Secret

DC Comics is known for big, universe-changing events, but DC One Million was different. It didn’t rewrite history or bring back alternate realities. Instead, it delivered a fantastic superhero story – a sci-fi gem with clever tie-in issues. While Infinity Gauntlet is significant, DC One Million is simply more enjoyable.

To truly experience a fantastic event comic, seek out one of the DC One Million omnibuses. Unlike most event stories, this one really benefits from reading all the related tie-in issues. Grant Morrison successfully brought almost the entire DC universe together for this story, and the result is incredible. It’s the best event comic of the 1990s and deserves recognition as one of the greatest of all time.

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2025-12-07 19:12