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The Genesis crossover event of the 90s highlighted the fragility of the DC Universe and many of its enhanced human heroes.
While the idea of depowered heroes has been explored in many stories, DC’s Genesis event of the 90s took the concept a step further, threatening an impending end of reality as the heroes knew it. The event not only rendered many of the heroes of the Justice League powerless, but also placed them in the position of having to face down a grand scale apocalypse.
Genesis was a mini-event created by writer John Byrne and artist Ron Wagner. It ran for four issues, in October 1997. Although it’s often overlooked and forgotten today, the events it covered and its implications for many mainstay Justice League heroes and the universe they live in can’t be understated.
As explored in the saga of the New Gods, the Source, the aptly named wellspring of all life in the DC Universe, burst and spread forth into a huge, unstoppable wave of energy called the Godwave, creating the universe in the process. In addition to creating all the worlds, planets and life in existence, the Godwave is also responsible for the superpowers of all beings from demi-gods to enhanced humans. It controls everything from Green Lantern’s ring to the Flash’s Speed Force. And in Genesis, it started to move backwards.
The reversing Godwave had devastating effects on the universe, especially superheroes. The Flash lost his link to the Speed Force in the middle of a fight, nearly getting killed in the process. During his fight with Sonar, Green Lantern’s ring failed, while Sonar himself was suddenly overpowered. Shazam inexplicably plummeted to the ground in mid-flight, surviving only because his invulnerability miraculously remained intact. Martian Manhunter, despite not being a human, also felt his powers fade. Meanwhile, the ever-powerful Superman, instead of losing his powers, gained new ones–and found he was unable to control them. Non-powered humans, such as Batman, Nightwing and Huntress, were forced to step up and fill-in for the powered heroes despite not being properly equipped to handle the situation.
For the first time, heroes–and even supervillains–questioned their faith and resolve. Everyone, from the man on the street to Wonder Woman and even the New Gods, was plunged into an existential crisis. They sensed that something had gone missing from the world and became depressed. Some even started rioting in the streets. It felt like it was the end of the world as they knew it–and it turned out, it might have been just that. Once the Godwave returned into the source, the universe would be destroyed, so a new one could be created in its place.
This was a dire situation, and it wasn’t being helped thanks to the villain Darkseid, who saw this moment of chaos as the perfect opportunity to extend his power. All the planets’ heroes had to step up and find a way to stop Darkseid, and a whole host of other evil beings exploiting the malfunctioning Godwave, while at the same time halting the Godwave’s reversal altogether. And this was an insurmountable challenge as the heroes had lost control of their powers–and their faith.
Although the Godwave’s effects weren’t permanent, the questions it raises for the DC universe are massive. The events of Genesis highlighted the vulnerability of the empowered metahumans when they couldn’t rely on their powers. While many contemporary comics emphasize the emotional fragility of powerful superheroes, Genesis went deeper into examining how losing power and control would affect the heroes, their minds, and the millions of innocents who depend on them. It also shined a light on the potential impermanence of the DC Universe, the supernatural powers that make it possible, and the unwavering faith heroes should have in themselves.
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