For all the great storiesMarvelandDC Comicshave put out, there are a handful that are known for a controversy that made certain comics change course. It’s not unusual for stories to receive some kind of flak or pushback in one way or another. But with some comics, there’s no choice but to pivot.
Just look at how DC’srefusal to let Batwomanget married led to its creative team leaving or how the mere preview of Marvel’sNew Warriorsled to the series quietly being canceled. Read on to discover eight Marvel and DC stories that unexpectedly changed to the surprise of fans.
8Batwoman
DC Put the Kibosh on Kate Kane’s Marriage
TheBatwomanseries wasa fan-favorite during the New 52 era, with readers loving the continuing adventures of Batman’s cousin Kate Kane. The series was incredibly progressive at the time and fans liked seeing an openly lesbian character like Batwoman thrive. However, about 2 years into the New 52, the creative team called it quits.
What drove J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman to leave? The creators wanted to have Batwoman marry her partner, Maggie Sawyer, but, unfortunately, were told no by editorial at the time. Instead of a wedding, the engagement was broken off about a year later, andBatwoman is still unmarried, to the displeasure of fans.
7DC’s 5G
The New Era That Never Was
5G was less of a story and more of an initiative that was meant to take place afterDark Nights: Death Metal.Led by the miniseriesGenerations, 5G was to guide fans through the various periods of DC history all the way up through the new, fifth generation of heroes.
5G went out the door withformer publisher Dan Didiowhen he left DC Comics and much of the push was folded into the Future State line of comics. Given thatFuture Statesaw many heroes replaced by newer generations of heroes,it’s probably for the best 5G never materialized.
6New Warriors
Backlash Prevents a Team From Ever Debuting
Speaking of things that never materialized, Marvel Comics was dragged for weeks by fans after the publisher revealed concept art for its revivedNew Warriorstitle. Though the series was never released, fans immediately started dogging on the comic, largely due to its characters. Two of them were named Safespace and Snowflake, while another’s power revolved around ‘internet gas’.
The controversial comic was previewed right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and during the adjustment period, the newNew Warriorsseries was quietly canceled, with Marvel Comics barely saying a word about it since. That said, one of the new characters, a vampire named B-Negative, later appeared inDarkhold: Blade.
5Batman
The Dark Knight Was Forced to Pivot Hard
Tom King’sBatmanadmittedly received a lot of praise during the first half of its run and fans everywhere were liking the direction it was going. Until the infamous wedding that wasn’t in Batman #50. Reception from fans became pretty uneven afterward and while King had 100 issues planned for the run, he unexpectedly left the title withBatman #85.
Admittedly, King did get a chance to wrap up his story with 12 more issues in the DC Black Label series,Batman/Catwoman. But it’s hard to believe that a series that began with so much hype from fans behind it ultimatelyhad to wrap up in a completely separate comic book.
4Flashpoint
A One-Off Story Becomes Much Bigger
Flashpointis an interesting case, because the changes to this story had a far greater impact than most other comic books. Originally, this event was meant to be just another story in Flash canon. But the event was eventually modified to lead to a broader, bigger initiative, what fans would come to know as the New 52.
What wound up being the ‘cause’ of the New 52 also ended up earning the ire of fans who were not happy with the changes the New 52 brought. Had it remained simply aFlashstoryline, it might have a few more fans. But now it’s simply seen asa lead-in to a particularly dark time in DC history.
3Armageddon 2001
A Leak Causes the Ending to Be Completely Rewritten
When it comes to last-minute changes, few stories are as infamous for scrambling as DC’sArmageddon 2001. Originally, the series’ villain, Monarch, was going to be revealed as a rogue Captain Atom. There were even other comics that hinted at this conclusion. But due to a leak regarding Monarch’s identity, DC pivoted at the last minute.
Instead, Monarch was revealed to be Hawk, even though that revelation didn’t make sense in the story (which definitively stated Hawkcouldn’tbe Monarch). The change was upsetting to fans and creators alike, who were not happy with the alteration. It was so widely reviled that it was later retconned to salvage Hawk’s character.
2Web of Spider-Man
A Storyline That Invoked a Real-Life Bomb Threat
Roughly a year into the seriesWeb of Spider-Manseries, Marvel gave the series a new direction, which saw Spider-Man encountering issues lifted directly from the headlines. Just a few issues into this new direction, the comic featured a storyline that touched on the Troubles conflict in Northern Ireland in the late 20th century.
The storyline’s inclusion of the Troubles (as well as its comments on the situation) actuallyresulted in Marvel Comics’ offices receiving a bomb threat, though thankfully, no one was hurt. The storyline was abruptly changed in its second half and the ‘real-world’ aspect ofWeb of Spider-Manwas downplayed.
1X-Statix
Marvel CameThisClose to Making Princess Di a Mutant
X-Statixwas a popular Marvel series that was beloved for its new take on the mutant heroes, satirizing the superhero genre and the modern-day pop culture. However, it took things a bit too far when it decided to incorporate public icon Princess Diana just a few years after her death.
News of the plot point leaked and Marvel was called out by the British media. The publisher even received harsh words from a spokesperson for the British royal family. TheX-Statixteam capitulated and opted not to include Diana in the series, reworking her character into an original Marvel character named Henrietta Hunter.
