7 Worst Retcons in Comics That Ruined Beloved Characters and Stories

In the world of comic books, continuity serves as both a cherished aspect and a source of frustration for fans. Marvel and DC Comics have crafted sprawling universes, steeped in histories dating back centuries, extending into potential future narratives. Fans appreciate the rich tapestry of events that such continuity provides. This is where the concept of continuity becomes crucial.

Both Marvel and DC have employed continuity differently, yet they share a common method for addressing inconsistencies – the retcon. A retcon, short for retroactive continuity, has been used to clarify or alter established stories, such as X-Men: Deadly Genesis, which significantly altered the history of the X-Men. Retcons are deployed when creators or editors have ideas that contradict existing continuity but wish to make them coherent with the longstanding history.

Retcons can be a contentious issue among fans, as they often elicit mixed reactions. On one hand, there are retcons that fans appreciate, viewing them as enhancements to the characters they cherish. On the other hand, there are retcons that fans detest, seeing them as instances where beloved characters or concepts were diminished. Of course, these opinions can vary greatly, but there are certain retcons that have earned a reputation as particularly disappointing for many fans. Here are seven of the most universally reviled retcons, which have been widely criticized for negatively impacting titles and entire publishing lines.

7) Apocalypse’s Past with Arakko

In the X-Men universe, Apocalypse is a significant antagonist whose influence spans centuries. Originally portrayed as an ancient Egyptian mutant, his survival-of-the-fittest ideology has led him to pit mutants against each other or even humans and superhumans, creating powerful servants and augmenting his already formidable powers. Over time, readers have gained insights into Apocalypse’s background, but a recent reinterpretation of his origin has caused significant issues for the character and the stories in which he appeared.

The revised origin story reveals that Apocalypse had connections with Okkara, an ancient mutant continent that eventually split into Krakoa and Arakko. It is also revealed that Apocalypse was a member of this mutant nation, marrying a mutant named Genesis who helped shape his Darwinist ideology. Surprisingly, Genesis was more interested in the survival-of-the-fittest concept than Apocalypse himself. When Okkara was split by the demonic forces of Amenth, it was revealed that Apocalypse had made a promise to his wife to create an army capable of defeating Amenth should it ever try to invade Earth again.

This retcon suggests that Apocalypse’s actions over millennia may have been driven by altruistic motives, as he could have shared the truth about Okkara, Krakoa, and Arakko with others to prevent conflicts. The problem is that it makes Apocalypse appear somewhat naive or unwise, which undermines the impact of his earlier stories because at the very least, he could have prevented many problems by being more open about his past.

6) The John Byrne Superman Reboot

In the realm of comic books, the event known as “Crisis on Infinite Earths” introduced some of the most impactful retrospective continuity changes (retcons) in history. While there might be debates over whether a reboot like “Crisis” qualifies as a retcon, for the purpose of this discussion, I’ll consider them as identical concepts given their shared characteristic of altering a character’s history.

Post-“Crisis”, John Byrne’s version of Superman stands out as particularly noteworthy. Assigned to reimagine the Superman mythos for the 1980s, Byrne crafted a Superman that was strikingly different from his predecessor. This new Superman embodied the essence of the Reagan-era yuppie, presenting a more conservative portrayal compared to earlier versions of the character.

Byrne redefined Superman as an All-American figure by altering his origins; instead of being an immigrant, he was born on Earth in a birthing matrix. Furthermore, Byrne made significant changes to Krypton, transforming it into a sterile, scientifically-oriented society reminiscent of the Vulcans from Star Trek.

For a considerable period, Byrne’s retcons were popular among fans. However, as accessibility to pre-“Crisis” Superman comics has increased over time, readers are coming to appreciate just how detrimental those changes were to the character. Byrne’s Superman serves as an intriguing illustration of shifting fan preferences and the potential harm that ill-conceived retcons can inflict.

5) The Zero Hour Hawkman Retcons

Hawkman is known for his complex history within the DC Universe. Making his debut during the Golden Age and contributing to the formation of the Justice Society, he was largely absent when superhero comics shifted in direction in the early 1950s. Hawkman resurfaced during the Silver Age, with DC Comics reimagining him as an extraterrestrial from the planet Thanagar on Earth-One, while retaining his human history on Earth-Two. This dual existence worked well when the multiverse was a factor, but after the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” reboot merged everything into a single universe, Hawkman’s background needed significant alteration. These changes were met with dissatisfaction among fans for several years.

The mid-1990s DC event called “Zero Hour” aimed to rectify some of the post-“Crisis” inconsistencies, and Hawkman was one of its key targets. The result was a unified version of Hawkman who possessed memories from all other Hawkmen, but the execution left much to be desired. This led to the concept of the Hawkgod, a powerful entity formed by various Hawkmen across time and space, yet it failed to gain traction due to the lack of a coherent explanation for its existence.

Later creators attempted to rectify Hawkman’s backstory, but the “Zero Hour” retcons did not accomplish this objective. In simpler terms, over time, Hawkman’s history has undergone numerous changes, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction among fans.

4) Sue Dibny’s Sexual Assault

The comic book series titled “Identity Crisis” has gained a highly unfavorable image due to its revisions to the Justice League’s history, notably the incident involving Dr. Light and Sue Dibny. In the initial issue itself, Sue is brutally murdered, and it is later disclosed that Dr. Light is the primary suspect, owing to an unacknowledged attack on her in the past. The revelation unfolds that Dr. Light had gained access to the Justice League satellite at some point and had sexually assaulted Sue Dibny. This shocking turn of events led to the Justice League physically punishing him and erasing his memories. Fans have strongly criticized this plot twist as it portrayed the beloved character, Sue Dibny, in a vile manner. The intention behind this was to demonstrate that DC Comics had matured since its earlier days, capable of delving into darker, adult themes. However, this insensitive treatment of one of DC’s cherished characters and the ideas it spawned ultimately proved detrimental for the publishers in later years. Sue Dibny deserved more respect, and so did her fans.

3) Wolverine’s Memory Implants

In the initial portrayal, Wolverine was depicted as the enigmatic figure among the X-Men, with a murky past seemingly rooted in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Marvel then opted to further shroud his background in mystery by introducing the Weapon X program. This clandestine organization transformed Wolverine into a lethal weapon by infusing his skeleton with adamantium and turning him into an assassin. However, Weapon X’s manipulations didn’t stop there. They also embedded false memories into Wolverine’s mind, as well as those of other Weapon X subjects. These memories were fabricated using a film set-like environment, creating illusory experiences reminiscent of movie or TV scenes. This move, referred to as a retcon, was poorly received. Its intention was to enable creators to invalidate any moment from Wolverine’s past whenever they wished by claiming it was an implanted memory. Unlike most retcons that enrich a character’s history, this one aimed to remove significant aspects of Wolverine’s life, which is generally considered a mistake in storytelling.

2) The New 52 Retcons. All of Them.

Over the years, DC has experienced significant success with their continuity revamps, such as Crisis on Infinite Earths, which boosted its popularity to levels that allowed it to challenge Marvel for the first time in a long while. Unfortunately, DC drew an incorrect conclusion from Crisis on Infinite Earths. Instead of recognizing that the success was due to the meticulous planning and collaboration among creators and editors at DC over many years, they attributed it solely to the excitement surrounding the revamp. The subsequent New 52 revamp was a misstep not only because it was a revamp but also because it lacked proper planning. In contrast to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the New 52 was more of an impulsive decision, as if made on a whim. Furthermore, DC admitted that the New 52 wasn’t a full revamp and that many elements from the DC Universe would remain intact. The issue lies in the fact that there were no clear timelines established for the events within the DC Universe. Essentially, the New 52 was a series of revamps and retcons that overshadowed previous, more popular reboots and retcons, all aimed at selling first issues. The New 52 sought success without putting in the necessary work, leading to its infamy as one of the worst retcons ever conceived.

1) “One More Day”

The tale titled ‘One More Day’ is widely considered the most disappointing Spider-Man story for many reasons, primarily due to its controversial retcon. By this point, most readers are familiar with the narrative of ‘One More Day’, which involves Spider-Man sacrificing his marriage to save Aunt May’s life. This decision significantly altered the Marvel universe timeline.

The union between Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and Mary Jane Watson was a significant aspect of the storyline, with them living together at Avengers Tower and Mary Jane interacting with the New Avengers. Marvel attempted to explain this change by suggesting Mephisto manipulated the timeline using a multiversal overlay, but even this explanation didn’t save the concept from widespread criticism. Fans seemed unimpressed that the creators had come up with a rationalization for the retcon, as they felt it was a poorly thought-out decision in the first place.

2025-06-04 02:42