The argument can made that Crisis On Infinite Earths is the greatest comic book crossover event ever. There are very few events that can rival its scope- it wasn't just the heroes of one universe, but the heroes of an entire multiverse fighting the biggest threat they had ever faced. It's also unique in that its consequences were wide reaching and actually changed things. So many events try to be Crisis, but few if any have ever had the same impact.

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The event's impact completely changed DC Comics forever. This list is going to look at the undeniable ways Crisis On Infinite Earths affected the DC Universe.

10 Reboot Culture

Crisis On Infinite Earths acted as a tool for the editors and creators of DC Comics to rework the entire line. Sales were down and the powers that be decided that it was time for things to change. That change would alter the very history of the DC Universe.

Reboots would become a staple of DC Comics as the years progressed. While usually not as drastic as Crisis, every five to ten years would bring a line wide change, with certain titles undergoing small continuity changes.

9 It Broke Hawkman

Hawkman yells as he flies into combat

Hawkman debuted in the Golden Age as Carter Hall, the reincarnation of the pharoah Khufu. He would join and lead the Justice Society of America. Like many Golden Age characters, he would return in the Silver Age, but this time as Katar Hol, an alien policeman. Eventually, it would be revealed that the Golden Age Hawkman was from Earth-2 and the alien Hawkman from Earth-1.

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However, Crisis did away with multiple Earths, so creators had to figure out a way to reconcile Hawkman's many separate origins. It would take over a decade before the character was considered fixed and even today, Hawkman still has a reputation for being one of the most complicated characters in DC Comics.

8 Powered Down

Superman Mini-Superman Silver Age

In the Silver Age, Superman could fly to another solar system in minutes. He could throw planets. He got new powers as the writers needed them to resolve stories. He wasn't the only overpowered in DC Comics either. Most of the superpowered characters of DC had power levels that were insane by modern comic standards.

One of the aftermaths of Crisis was a general powering down of the DC Universe. It made the characters seem more down to Earth and relatable to readers and while some DC characters are still very powerful, they are nowhere near as powerful as they were before the event.

7 Long Live The Legion

The Legion Of Superheroes was heavily affected by the events of Crisis. In the Silver Age, the team's origin was tied to the existence of Superboy, the young Clark Kent, and Supergirl. Crisis did away with Superboy and Supergirl, so the Legion was left without an inspiration. The Legion's origin would be drastically changed, and this wouldn't be the last time, either.

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The Legion would go through more mini reboots than any other DC property, a practice which would be started by the one that unfolded because of Crisis. Right now, the team is on its fourth reboot, with multiple little changes made over the years to them.

6 Introducing Legacy To The DC Universe

all-star-comics-3-justice-society-of-america-cover

The characters of Earth-2 would be folded into the regular DC Universe after Crisis ended. This meant that all of the Golden Age characters of the 40s existed in continuity (except Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman). This would open some storytelling doors that would come to define DC.

The notion of legacy would drive characters like the Flash and Green Lantern, who had antecedents in the Golden Age, and the Justice League, who were now inspired by the Justice Society of America. This emphasis on generational storytelling would become a hallmark of DC, one that set it apart from Marvel.

5 Making Superman Special Again

Superman was called the Last Son Of Krypton, but in the Silver Age, there were Kryptonians out the wazoo. From Supergirl and the shrunken residents of Kandor to villains like Jax-Ur and General Zod, the DC Universe was lousy with Kryptonians.

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Crisis would change all of that and make Superman into the actual Last Son of Krypton. In fact, it was an editorial edict that no Kryptonians could be introduced into the main DC Universe (although John Byrne did get away with doing a General Zod story- however, Zod and his compatriots were from another universe and dead by the end of the story). This would serve to make Superman more special and it would be years before readers saw another Kryptonian.

4 Redefining Barry Allen

The Flash standing before the Anti-Monitor in Crisis on Infinite Earths

By the 80s, Barry Allen was kind of played out. Unlike other Silver Age characters, Barry never really grew beyond the hokey characterization of the time. Fans were kind of tired and he was eventually written out of the present day, and sent to a retirement in the 30th century with his wife, Iris.

Crisis would spell the end of the character for two decades, but he would go out in much more heroic fashion than he had acted in years. His sacrifice would endear him to readers and change the view of the character.

3 The End Of The Silver Age

Supergirl Silver Age

Silver Age DC was kind of crazy, to say the least. Superheroes would be melded with with gonzo sci-fi concepts. The multiverse would open a wide variety of strange avenues to take stories down. There was little to no continuity. Superman was a mean spirited prankster to his supporting cast. There was a zaniness to the whole thing.

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Crisis would put a cap on the Silver Age, and DC would go on to embrace a more realistic storytelling style, one that would give birth to some of the greatest comics ever made.

2 A New Monster

The main villain of the Crisis was the Anti-Monitor, a powerful being who wanted to destroy the positive matter universe and convert its energy to anti-matter. Even though he would be defeated by the end of the event, his threat and legacy would loom large over the DC Universe.

Like all good villains, he would come back and each time he did so, he would bring the same fear to the heroes he had during Crisis. Even today, the Anti-Monitor is one of the most powerful and feared villains in the DC Universe and right now is playing a part in Scott Snyder's Justice League saga.

1 It Engaged A Whole New Generation Of Readers

By the time of Crisis, DC had fallen out of favor with most readers. While books like New Teen Titans and Alan Moore's Swamp Thing were making a splash, most of the line was faltering. Fan engagement was at an all time low.

Crisis changed all of that. By doing away with all the baggage of the Silver Age and the multiverse, and changing the tenor of the comics, a whole new generation of readers got into DC Comics. Creators would learn to use the lessons of yesterday, combine them with a new approach, and make some of the most entertaining and critically acclaimed comics of all time. Thirty five years later, the post-Crisis DC Universe would be the ideal DC Universe that fans wanted to read about, regardless of how many changes DC made over the years.

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