With the introduction of the film Black Adam into the DCEU franchise, DC is moving closer and closer to adapting some of their most significant comic crossover events onto the big screen. Though DC Comics usually leads the way with epic storylines, their Crisis events are always top-notch examples of comic book excellence.

From the earth-shattering Crisis on Infinite Earths to modern-day sagas like Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, whenever the DC Universe is in "crisis," fans know they are in for a treat. Though each Crisis is exciting, some had a much more profound impact on the comic universe, and fundamentally changed the storyline going forward.

Crisis On Earth Three (1964)

The Crime Syndicate mocks the Justice League in Crisis On Earth-Three

Though Crisis on Infinite Earths introduced the idea of a continuity wipe to comics, DC's multiversal crossovers had been happening for decades up to that point. The Crisis on Earth-Three storylines sees Earth-Three's Crime Syndicate of America travel to Earth-One and Earth-Two to attempt to defeat their counterparts from those universes.

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Spread over two issues of Justice League of America, the second Crisis event is more of a rehash of ideas than any kind of monumental storyline. The superhero action contained within the arc is exciting, but in the end, it has almost no impact on the future of the DC universe.

Crisis On Earth Prime (1982)

DC heroes stand in an arena from Crisis on Earth Prime

The first Crisis event to span across multiple titles, Crisis on Earth-Prime helped to form what modern crossovers in comics look like today. Topping the villains of the first two Crisis events, the dastardly Per Dagaton travels back through time to wreak havoc on Earth-Prime which he reduces to a nuclear wasteland.

Unlike earlier events which didn't take things too far, Per Dagaton proves to be a powerful DC Comics D-list villain because he actually succeeds at his plan. Fortunately, the heroes are able to correct the past and capture their adversary, but a mind-wipe essentially means that only a handful of people even remember that it happened.

Crisis On Earth-One/Crisis On Earth-Two (1963)

Villains appear over the heads of the Justice League in Crisis on Earth-One

Though it is hardly a crossover event by today's standards, DC planted important seeds in their two-issue arc in the Justice League of America comic way back in the early '60s. Crisis on Earth-One/Earth-Two sees the heroes of the JLA attempt to stop a band of villains from committing crimes in the three known universes.

While the short arc had little impact on the continuity of the story, it was still interesting to see some of the greatest DC heroes of all time travel between worlds. The comics tackled pretty heady topics for a Silver Age story, and the groundwork was eventually laid for what would come to fruition in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Heroes In Crisis (2018-2019)

The heroes of DC look on solemnly from Heroes in Crisis

Heroes in Crisis didn't have the largest impact on the DC Comics continuity, but it did stand out among the other Crisis events for its tackling of tough issues. A shocking massacre at a villain mental health facility leads to the erosion of public trust for heroes as their plan seemed to directly lead to the slaughter.

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Unlike the multiversal scope of most Crisis events, Heroes in Crisis narrowed its focus to a singular character and explored political issues as well. Wally West takes center stage, and the repercussions of the New 52 reset are finally felt within the DC universe. Some were upset with its handling of sensitive topics, but the crossover showed that an event didn't have to be large to be powerful.

Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths (2022)

A team of young heroes spring into action from Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths

DC's newest Crisis is certainly not limited in its scope, but the full effect of its outcome is yet to be completely realized. With the Justice League vanquished, the remaining heroes of the multiverse must band together to rescue their allies and stop The Great Darkness from erasing everything.

While it is yet to be seen, it is clear that Dark Crisis is meant as another reboot of the DC universe and big changes are on the horizon for the comic imprint. With younger heroes like Nightwing factoring heavily into the storyline, the future of DC Comics might include a major shuffling of the hero hierarchy.

Infinite Crisis (2005-2006)

An aged Superman looks over multiple universe in Infinite Crisis

Showing how important Crisis on Infinite Earths has been to the DC universe, Infinite Crisis is a direct sequel to the storyline that came two decades later. In the midst of a team squabble, the Justice League must stop escapees from the Pocket Universe from replacing Earth-One with Earth-Two.

With Batman's distrust of supers at an all-time high, the storyline went a long way in showing the stress fractures within the entire framework of the DC universe. It also featured some of the most shocking deaths in DC Comics history and wasn't afraid to reintroduce and then eliminate characters with abandon. Though the character deaths weren't extremely crucial to DC's future, they showed fans that no one was truly safe.

Final Crisis (2008-2009)

Superman holding dead Batman in Final Crisis

The inappropriately named Final Crisis was hardly the last from the comic imprint, but it was certainly one of the darkest. Darkseid finally succeeds at unleashing his wrath on planet Earth, and it is up to Superman to reset the damage that was done.

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Like a lot of DC's earth-shattering stories, Final Crisis is wrapped up neatly in the end with the knowledge of the multiverse largely missing from the character's minds. The arc doesn't make too many changes, but it does shine a light on missing elements from the continuity since Crisis on Infinite Earths. Batman's sudden death was shocking, but the wrap-up at the end seems to undo what the storyline presented.

Zero Hour: Crisis In Time (1994)

Batgirl sacrificing herself to same Damage in Zero Hour Crisis In Time

Showing that their major events would have consequences, Zero Hour: Crisis in Time was the payoff of several crossovers that came before. Mad with grief for the loss of his city during the Reign of Superman arc, Hal Jordan wields his power in an attempt to recreate the universe and fix the wrongs he sees.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was the great reset for the DC universe, but some questions still plagued readers regarding the timeline. Zero Hour addressed those issues, and explained why characters from the 1930s were still youthful in the '90s, and it attempted to re-establish dates. Generally considered one of Green Lantern's best comic storylines, Zero Hour illustrated DC's commitment to their own continuity.

Identity Crisis (2004)

The Justice League looks on from the cover of Identity Crisis

Secret identities are crucial to the well-being of a superhero and their families, and Identity Crisis introduced a storytelling device that explained DC's continuity shifts. A series of brutal murders of superhero family members necessitates the disclosure that Zatana's mind-erasing ability has been used to conceal secret identities.

Brutal and unforgiving, Identity Crisis moved DC in a darker direction for the new millennium and introduced the exploration of superhero ethics into the story. The arc's most important contribution is the Zatana revelation, and it allows writers to excuse away gaps in the story as memory wipes from the magician.

Crisis On Infinite Earths (1985-1986)

Superman mourns multiple deaths from Crisis on Infinite Earths

Helping to popularize the massive crossover event in comics, Crisis on Infinite Earths was a triumph for DC in terms of sales and helped them clean up their continuity as well. The evil Anti-Monitor hopes to destroy the multiverse and DC's greatest heroes and villains must work together to stop their worlds from collapsing,

With over four decades of continuity to contend with, Infinite Earths allowed the DC universe to be reset for the first time. The storyline killed off several characters like Supergirl and Barry Allen, and its complex plot was so much more than a mere slate cleaning. Not only is the arc a brilliantly written tale, but it was so influential that the history of DC Comics is now categorized as pre-Crisis and post-Crisis.

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