Kistler's Final Crisis Timeline
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 01:47PM NEWLY UPDATED!
For your enjoyment, here is a timeline of the Final Crisis issues and tie-ins in rough chronological order. This is part of my Crisis Files and deals specifically with the third and final crisis.
And now the LEGEND:
Black lines connect the issues that are either part of the main storyline or which I think should be read in order to fully understand/appreciate the events of the main series.
Dotted lines show those stories that are related to the main series and add extra insight. However, these stories aren't, in my opinion, required reading by any means.
Blue shows Superman's path when he was transported into the 31st century, not returning to the present until Final Crisis 6. It's just to help you have a visual idea of where and when he was during some of the story.
Keep reading if you wish to understand the reasoning for the chronology placement. Be warned, some SPOILERS FOLLOW.
RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS: In the Rage of the Red Lanterns one-shot, Hal mentions that Orion's body has been found but he doesn't mention J'onn's fate at all. What's more, Earth has clearly not yet been quarantined by the Alpha Lanterns. Rage of the Red Lanterns leads into the Orange Lantern storyline in the main Green Lantern title and it is clear during all of this that Hal does not have a chance to return to Earth until after Green Lantern 42.
This may not seem possible at first glance, but in Final Crisis 1 we are not specifically told how much time passes between Page 15 (when Hal and John call-in Orion's body) and Page 16 (when Dr. Light and Mirror Master find what appears to be the Moebius chair). If we assume that perhaps even a full day passes in between those pages, that gives Hal and John just enough time for their adventures against the Red Lanterns and Agent Orange.
REQUIEM one-shot: The story begins at the funeral depicted in Final Crisis 2 and uses flashbacks to expand on events from Final Crisis 1. For anyone who felt J'onn's scene was too sudden and short, this provides a lot more meat to it. I think this issue is good to include in the main timeline because it also gives the full impact J'onn's loss has on the heroes who now must face the rest of the crisis without him.
ROGUE'S REVENGE mini-series: While this mini-series is fun and a must-read for any Flash fans, it really doesn't play into the rest of the main Final Crisis series. Since the Rogues have recently left Libra's employ, the mini takes place after they are seen in Libra's company in issue 2. Since the anti-life equation hasn't been unleashed, it takes place before issue 3.
SUPERMAN BEYOND mini-series: A scene in Final Crisis 3 directly leads into this mini. Superman is taken out of time and has this adventure literally in the span between two-heartbeats. This two-part tale is very important to get the full impact of Final Crisis 7.
LEGION OF THREE WORLDS mini-series: While a very fun story, especially for Legion fans, it does not have any direct impact on Final Crisis. Superman is seen flying through the city just before he is forced to travel to the 31st century. Due to how the story ends and due to certain characters who show up in the last couple of issues, this story clearly takes place after Final Crisis. It cannot take place before or during Final Crisis because of how the ending goes and because those same characters I mentioned would have been seen during the main storyline. This is confirmed in Red Robin #3 when Wonder Girl and Robin have a conversation (in flashback) that clearly takes place after the events of Final Crisis but before the events of Legion of 3 Worlds.
REVELATIONS mini-series: This story is of interest to any who want to see the immediate effects of the anti-life equation and how cosmic forces such as the Spectre react to it. Though events depicted here do not really affect the main Final Crisis storyline, it does feature the first appearance of the Radiant, who shows up again briefly in Final Crisis 7.
BATMAN 682-683: This two-parter features what Batman suffered during his imprisonment, ending with his escape. Final Crisis 5 has a scene where an injured Mokkari explains to Darkseid that Batman has just escaped, so this two parter takes place parallel to Final Crisis 4 and 5 (and likely during the month gap between issues 3 and 4).
And that just about wraps it all up, folks. Until next time, cheers!
Reader Comments (3)
Batman has not been captured, so it must take place before issue 2. Black Lightning is walking around free, which indicates it could happen before issue 3. But the world at large is aware of that the world may end tomorrow. That would seem to imply the final battles and universal destruction that happen in issue 7, meaning the story must take place after or during issue 6. But none of Earth's cities seem to be ruined from battles, as they were by the time issue 4 begins. Wally is not racing alongside Barry and is able to have a conversation with Hal, which indicates it must happen before issue 2 again. Superman tells everyone the world may end tomorrow, which indicates that it might take place after issue 6, except for all the previous reasons which make that impossible (such as Batman being around and free). And the characters in Last Will mention all the lights being out and the world consumed in darkness, but this is mentioned nowhere else in Final Crisis or its other tie-ins. Perhaps all the lights went out due to the Anti-Life Equation being released a the end of issue 3, but again, Batman and Wally are walking about and interacting with people so it can't take place after issue 2.
So yeah, I can't tell you. I don't know. I guess the editors weren't watching.