Across both Marvel and DC, speculation of the future of these publishers respective universes has occupied the mind of fans for many years. In a genre full of divergent timelines and alternate realities, it's no surprise that the two biggest publishers of superhero comics have released numerous comics depicting potential alternate futures of their characters and worlds. While they range from idealistic science fiction adventures to dystopian nightmares, we love the prospects of seeing what's to come for our favorite heroes! So here today, we're counting down our Top 10 Alternate Future Superhero Comics!
10 Last Knight on Earth
Though Scott Snyder's Last Knight on Earth has only just begun, with only two issues of the series currently available of the time of this article's release, at it's core, it exemplifies everything we want to see from alternate future comics. The comic presents a far off alternate future version of the DC universe, that is effectively the ruins of a world we're all too familiar with. However, Bruce Wayne is utilized as a framing device who as a relic of a time gone by, has the same amount of knowledge of the world as the reader, allowing for us the better empathize with him while organically learning the history of this new future.
9 Marvel Comics 2
A spin off of What If, Marvel Comics 2, also known as MC2, is a series of comics that take place in an alternate future of the Marvel Universe in which the vast majority of heroes have given their mantles to their children and other heirs. The series features such standouts such as Spider-Girl, who was the daughter of Spider-Man, and Wildthing, who was the daughter of both Elektra and Wolverine. This universes Spider-Girl notably made an appearance in the Spider-Verse storyline.
8 Old Man Quill
Spinning off from the events within the universe of Old Man Logan, Old Man Quill showcased the ramifications and fallout that the loss of the Majority of the earth had on the Cosmic Marvel. Unlike Old Man Logan, in which the vast majority of the heroes are long deceased, Old Man Quill showcases the Guardians of The Galaxy left alive almost entirely. This allows for the focus to be shifted to how these characters deal with the losses within the universe and the the changes to the status quo, while simultaneously learning the fates of those who were unaccounted for in the original Old Man Logan.
7 The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect
Conceptually, Future Imperfect is a very intriguing alternate Future alternate future storyline. While many alternate future storylines showcase the ramifications of dystopian fallout such as in comics like Old Man Logan or show the endeavors to prevent villains of the future such as in Days of Future Past, Future Imperfect depicts a character at war with themself. Future Imperfect shows a potential future of Bruce Banner, and how he could combine his knowledge and power to become one of the most potent villains of the DC Universe, pitting the modern and heroic Banner that we know and love against his futuristic counterpart as he physically fights his fate.
6 Batman Beyond
Based off of the 1999 animated series of the same name, Batman Beyond answers the question of "what would happen when Bruce Wayne became old enough that he needed to retire?" The answer is Terry McGinnis, a teenager whom Bruce Wayne hands off the mantle of the Dark Knight onto several decades into the future. With the now elderly Bruce Wayne as his "guy in the chair," Terry traverses the cyberpunk Gotham of the Future and combats foes both familiar and new. One of Batman Beyond's greatest strengths is the character of Terry McGinnis, who serves as a great change of pace from the Bruce Wayne's Batman, who brings a very different flavor to the character of Batman.
5 Spider-Man 2099
As one would assumably glean from the title, the Spider-Man 2099 comics depict an alternate future for the Marvel Universe in the year 2099. However, unlike Batman Beyond, in which the namesake hero is given the mantle by its previous owner, Miguel O'Hara is a completely separate entity from Peter Parker. Though he is inspired by records of the original Spider-Man, his choice to become Spider-Man is ultimately his own. This helps to differentiate the character and provide him with his own identity.
4 Old Man Logan
Easily one of the most dystopian entries on our list, Mark Millar's Old Man Logan is one of the most influential comics on this list, having an impact on Marvel's comics such as the previously listed Old Man Quill and films such as 2017's Logan. The comic depicts what is likely the worst possible scenario for the Marvel Universe. Due to a unified effort by the villains of the Marvel Universe, the vast majority of Marvel's heroes have been slain, with control of the United States being split amongst villains such as Doctor Doom and the Red Skull. A great deal of this comic's strength lies in its character work of the character Logan, who was a central factor in the fall of the X-Men and has refused to brandish his signature claws in years.
3 Days of Future Past
When you decided to read this list, you knew that Days of Future Past was going to be on this list. One of the oldest entries on this list as well as one of the most well known X-Men storylines of all time, Days of Future past details a hypothetical and grim future for mutantkind that must be prevented from coming to fruition. In a future in which the Sentinal's rule supreme, with limited exception, the vast majority of mutants have all been either been imprisoned or killed at the hands of the Sentinels. In an attempt to prevent this future from ever existing, the consciousness of Kitty Pryde is sent back from this future into the present in order to stop the events that lead to this future from ever transpiring.
2 Kingdom Come
There are few comics quite like 1996's Kingdom Come. Created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, Kingdom Come is the perfect mesh of Rockwell-esque idealism and grim dystopianism. Set in a world in which many heroes have either retired or become complacent, a newer generation of heroes is becoming increasingly violent in their tendencies. This results in a rift between the old guard of heroes and the newer generation, bringing into question the meaning of justice and bringing the definition of a hero into question, as the lines of morality are blurred.
1 The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is not only one of the greatest alternate future superhero comics of all time, but one of the greatest Batman comics of all time. For a character with as much comics and longevity under their belt as the Dark Knight, that's truly saying something.
In a future in which super-heroism has been outlawed and all heroes have hung up their costumes and retired (with limited exception), crime has grown progressively vicious. It is under these circumstances that the now grizzled and aged Bruce Wayne decides to come out of retirement and continue his war on crime.
Many of the Dark Knight Returns' greatest strengths lie in its greyed heroism and moral ambiguity, painting traditionally archetypal heroes such as Batman and Superman in a less than favorable light, bringing their ethics and actions into question in a way that feels very human.