Post-Crisis Chronology:
Introduction

Assumptions

This chronology is edited assuming:

1. Events occurred in the unified timeline of "New Earth." This is the continuity following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, when all parallel Earths were merged into a single universe.
2. Events largely involving Earth-Two characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, and the Huntress are not included. The exception is the Earth-Two Superman's participation in Infinite Crisis. To read Earth-Two continuity in its original form, please read the Earth-Two Chronology

About the Different Realities Referred to Herein

Pre-Crisis Reality (The original "Earth-Two" era)
(April 1958-January 1986):
The original version of the DC Universe, which included an infinite number of parallel Earths. The two most notably: Earth-Two, which was populated by DC's Golden Age heroes; and Earth-One, inhabited by heroes from the Silver Age onward.

Post-Crisis Reality ("New Earth")
(January 1986-2006):
After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, all infinite Earths were merged into a single "New Earth." This new reality, which will be referred to as the "post-Crisis reality," contained no parallel Earths. For the JSA, this meant that members with strict Earth-One counterparts (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin and Huntress) were erased from the timeline. A history without them coalesced.

It was later discovered that the JSA's Wonder Woman, Superman and Power Girl (of Earth-Two) survived the collapse of the multiverse. Wonder Woman and her husband Steve Trevor went to live on Olympus. Superman in a crystalline "haven" created by Alexander Luthor. Power Girl was shunted onto New Earth with no clear history.

Hypertime (established 1999):
For a time, any alternate timeline was explained as part of Hypertime. Like the infinite Earths before, Hypertime was an infinite branching of the DCU timestream. "Tributary" timelines were said to diverge from the "main" timeline. And, sometimes those tributaries feed again back into the "main" timeline. Created by Mark Waid during the 1999 Kingdom event, Hypertime seemed an obvious attempt to explain rampant poor continuity. Also, DC house ads began using the phrase "The Original Universe" when promoting an in-continuity book (set in the "main" timeline). All others are referred to as "Elseworlds" (set in "tributary" timelines).

For example, following the Crisis, Power Girl was explicitly removed from any membership in the JSA. Here the timeline diverged and an Elseworlds tributary traveled on in which she was a JSA member; the main timeline continued without her as a member. Gradually, more and more stories were told placing her firmly back into JSA membership (cemented in JSA: Our Worlds at War). Why, this can only be because that erstwhile tributary was "feeding back" into the main timeline. So anything goes. Continuity is ever-changing.

Post-Infinite Crisis Reality (2006-present):
Even before Alexander Luthor used his powers to recreate the multiverse, his henchman, Superboy Prime had been pummeling against the crystaline barrier of their "haven" outside normal time/space. Each blow reordered New Earth's history. Once free, Luthor birthed infinite Earths once again. Upon his defeat, they were merged back into a single Earth, but the leftover energy from his multiverse was channeled into the creation of 52 identical Earths.

The 52 Earths were then corrupted by Mister Mind, who "ate" events from all 52 Earths, altering their history and making each one unique. Now, again, there is an Earth-2 on which the Justice Society is the predominant force for good. This Earth is totally different from the original, pre-Crisis Earth-2, but shares some similarities.

• About the Rebirth Era (2016–)

  

  Despite the Justice Society's popularity, JSA characters were largely omitted from the New 52. The main problem was "legacy": if the New 52's aim was to reestablish heroes as "all-new," then they couldn't be tethered to prior histories (let alone World War II events).

  A new, youthful version of Golden Age heroes was presented by James Robinson in Earth 2, a series set on a parallel world. JSA heroes were recast in a contemporary context. It was a richly developed world, but it was totally disassembled in service of a confusing crossover event, "Future's End." The potential for the new Earth-2 was misspent and its fate is unresolved.

  In 2016, DC initiated "Rebirth," another reboot that was intended to clean up the messy and unpopular timeline that resulted from its "New 52." It was launched by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank in DC Universe: Rebirth (July 2016), which led directly into Doomsday Clock. The latter series explained that Earth-0 was different from other Earths in the multiverse. It was a "metaverse," one subject to constant change. Every time a major event changed the timeline of the Metaverse, the previous timeline was split off into it's own universe (potentially even its own multiverse). Meanwhile, the Metaverse/Earth-0 continues as the central pillar of reality, and all time realigns to its current state. (In DC K.O. #1 [Dec. 2025], Mark Waid described the New 52 timeline thus, "Eventually, this timeline was reabsorbed, but for a brief period, it existed outside larger reality.?)

  Doctor Manhattan, a godlike being from another universe was responsible for the event that altered the Metaverse and created the New 52. When he prevented Alan Scott from becoming the Green Lantern, there was no Justice Society, and no legacy of heroes to inspire Superman. Manhattan witnessed the metaverse's reaction against this. You see, the essential quality of the Metaverse is Superman, it's symbol of hope. In the New 52, Superman's life was without the inspiration of other heroes and a cancer developed in the Metaverse.

  Dr. Manhattan observed how the Metaverse fought to rebalance itself. It produced time anomalies that functioned like "antibodies." These anomalies included Wally West, the Flash who was left out of the timeline; and Johnny Thunder, a JSA member who remembered his friends' existence. Manhattan eventually saw his error and restored Alan Scott's origin as Green Lantern. The cascade effect was the restoration of the Justice Society, and the realignment of the entire Metaverse around an inspired, hopeful Superman. This new reality was its "Rebirth."

  Still, it took until 2019 for the JSA to be formally reintroduced (in "Justice League: Doom War") and their next series was set up during the Infinite Frontier event (2021).

  Two new series reestablished the team fully. After surprising fans with some new, retcon characters in The New Golden Age(2023), Geoff Johns and Mikel Janin produced a 12-issue limited series, Justice Society of America vol. 4 (2023). It introduced a new Helena Wayne Huntress, who came from the future to warn the team against Per Degaton.

  And in 2025, a new JSA series (vol. 2) by Jeff Lemire focused on the bringing the former members of Infinity, Inc. (Jade, Obsidian, Wildcat, Dr. Mid-Nite) to the front as the core of the Justice Society.

  Standards + Assumptions

  1. The "Rebirth" era (2016–) is considered a distinct timeline from "The New 52" (2011).
  2. Color Codes:
     

     Major story arcs (usually 3 issues or more).

     A member joins the JSA.

     A hero dies

  3. A character's name is bolded in their first appearance.
  4. A character's name is italicized in their first Rebirth appearance.
  5. When the placement of a tale within continuity is in question, the tale is usually placed in the most recent possible time.
  6. Consideration for inclusion is based on an event's relevancy to the JSA, its members, and their legacy. This includes major JSA series and key issues from other DCU series.

  Start Reading …

Standards

1. Color Codes:
   

   Major story arcs (usually 3 issues or more).

   A new member joins the JSA.

   A hero dies

   Events with continuity anomalies

2. Preference is given to the most recently published DC Comics story (like Wonder Woman/Hippolyta's joining the JSA). Exceptions are taken, however, where the most recent story is outweighed by a mountain of other evidence.
3. Characters' first appearance IN PRINT is bolded. These instances refer to the first appearance a character in post-Crisis continuity. (For example, Brain Wave: 1st chronological app. in All-Star Squadron #19, and 1st app. In print is All-Star Comics #15.)
4. When the placement of a tale within continuity is in question, the tale is usually placed in the most recent possible time.
5. The "XX Years ago" information is adapted from the information given in DC's Secret Files comics. Secret Files timelines are highly contradictory.
6. Only the inheritors to a title display the level of succession. Example: "Green Lantern II" (for Hal Jordan), but just "Green Lantern" (no "I" for Alan Scott).
7. Consideration for inclusion is based on an event's relevancy to the JSA, its members, and their legacy. This includes major JSA series and key issues from other DCU series.
8. Major series included in this chronology:
   • All-Star Comics, #1-57 (1941–51), #58-74 (1976–78)
   • All-Star Squadron, 67 issues (1981–87)
   • Infinity, Inc., 53 issues (1984–88)
   • Justice Society of America vol. 2, 10 issues (1993)
   • JSA, 85 issues (1999–2006)
   • Justice Society of America vol. 3, current (2007–11)

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