Comic book fans are no stranger to retcons. They're a common practice amongst the DC and Marvel universes, and it's hard to say if either company is more guilty of rewriting their characters' histories than the other.

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However, it can be said that DC has more reason to do this regularly. They reboot their universe more frequently to keep the world and characters more current to the modern world, so they've been recreating their characters every five to ten years since Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. Almost all of their characters have been subject to some form of a rewrite, but there have been a few instances of DC heroes who had their backstories rewritten completely.

10 Firestorm's Origin Of Being Made Up Of Two Different People Has Taken On Several Different Forms

Firestorm

Firestorm has always been more than one person; it was initially the fusion of high school student Ronald Raymond and nuclear physicist Professor Martin Stein. They were united in the Firestorm Matrix to become Firestorm, the Nuclear Man. The idea was that the body of Firestorm was young and athletic Ronnie Raymond, and the genius Professor Stein was in his head doing the complicated equations needed to transmute matter as Firestorm.

Later, Martin Stein became a different Firestorm, and Ronnie died. He was replaced by Jason Rasch and Mick Wong as the new Firestorm. Mick was killed during Infinite Crisis and replaced by Gehenna, but she was killed during Blackest Night. In the New 52 reboot, it was changed that Ronnie and Jason became Firestorm at the same time but were two distinct halves of the Firestorm character, with Ronnie being able to project energy blasts and Jason being able to transmute matter. When they fused, they became the uncontrollable hulk known as Fury. Later, this was changed so that they just became regular old Firestorm, and then Jason was kicked out of the Firestorm Matrix and Firestorm became Ronnie and Stein again.

9 Huntress Was Helena Wayne, Then Helena Bertinelli, Then Helena Wayne Once Again

Huntress

Huntress was initially from Earth-2. She was Helena Wayne, daughter of Batman and Catwoman. She was Robin first, and later took on the mantle of Huntress. After Crisis, she was retconned to be Helena Bertinelli, daughter of a powerful crimelord who was assassinated. Helena became Huntress to get revenge on those who murdered her father and became a frequent associate of Batman, the Question, and the Justice League.

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In the New 52, Huntress was Helena Wayne again, and she and Power Girl (Supergirl of Earth-2) narrowly escaped Earth-2 before it was overrun by the armies of Darkseid. Since then, Huntress Helen Bertinelli has been reintroduced as a former agent of Spyral, and Helena Wayne hasn't been seen in some time.

8 Captain Marvel Became Shazam & Was Given Shazam-Powered Siblings

Marvel family cover with Shazam

Shazam's backstory has remained relatively untouched as these things go. Orphan Billy Batson wandered the streets of Fawcett City until he stumbled upon a subway car that took him to the Rock of Eternity and the Wizard. The Wizard grants Billy the power of the gods, and he becomes Shazam (formerly Captain Marvel). Later, he was able to share the power with the likes of Freddy Freemen, Mary Batson, and "Uncle Marvel"

The only real change is that, in newer comics, Billy isn't alone. He lives with a foster family that includes five loving siblings who also have access to the Power of Shazam.

7 Black Canary Went From A Multigenerational Alias To Just Being A Single Person

Black Canary From DC

Black Canary's retcons are relatively mild as well, but they are still worth noting. Dinah Laurel Lance wasn't the original Black Canary, as her mother, Dinah Drake, was a veteran member of the Justice Society of America. When Dinah grew up, she decided to take on her mother's mantle and was trained by Wildcat.

In the New 52, Dinah was an orphan on the streets of Gotham and was taken in by Desmond Lamar, who owned a dojo and trained Dinah. During the Batman story Zero Year, she left Gotham to join the special forces group known as Team 7. However, she later left the team to first join the Birds of Prey, then become a partner of Green Arrow, and finally, became a member of the Justice League.

6 Swamp Thing Was Initially A Mutated Man, But Became A Separate Creature With A Dead Person's Memories

Swamp Thing from New 52

Swamp Thing has the rare kind of retcon that was actually celebrated by readers. Initially, it was believed that Alec Holland was melded to the swamp flora and the Green by a chemical explosion at his lab. However, it was later revealed that Alec Holland was dead, and his memories and mind were merely melded to the Swamp Thing that was born in the accident.

Later, Holland was resurrected with the Brightest Day story and became Swamp Thing once again. Since then, Holland has apparently died and Levi Kamei has become the new Swamp Thing.

5 Cyborg's Origins Were Changed To Coincide With/Be A Result Of Darkseid's Invasion

Cyborg

Vic Stone was the son of scientists Silas and Elinore. One day, he visited them at S.T.A.R. Labs to find them opening an interdimensional portal, unleashing a monster that killed Elinore and mutilated Vic. Silas used experimental technology to keep Victor alive and transform him into the superhero, Cyborg.

Vic's backstory has largely remained the same in the New 52, except now it coincides with Darkseid's first invasion of Earth, and Victor was melded with Apokolips technology, a Boom Tube, and a Mother Box. Instead of joining the Teen Titans, Cyborg became a founding member of the Justice League.

4 Hawkman & Hawkgirl's Origins Keep Stretching Farther Back In History

Hawkman Hawkgirl DC Comics

These two heroes are tied together, as their pasts were changed at the same time. They were a pair of reincarnated heroes who were first born in Ancient Egypt as Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-Ara. They discovered the alien Nth Metal but were assassinated by a betrayer named Hath-Set.

This backstory is prime for retcons, as Hawkman and Hawkgirl have infinite lives behind them. This was complicated further when they were reincarnated as Thanagarians once, and then a woman named Kendra Saunders became Hawkgirl. In the most recent run of Hawkman, it was revealed that their past goes back even further, with Hawkman actually once being a General Ktar of the genocidal Deathbringers, and Shayera being once an actual angel of God. They've actually been reincarnating across time, space, and the Multiverse. To make it even more complicated, Kendra Saunders no longer seems to have any relation to Carter and Shayera, just being a former Blackhawk-turned-Justice Leaguer.

3 Aquaman Has Gone Back And Forth Between Being Half Human & Being Full-Blooded Atlantean

Aquaman sitting on a throne

Aquaman's backstory has gotten pretty funky. Initially, Arthur Curry was the son of Tom Curry and Atlanna, the latter of which revealed she was the Atlantean Queen on her deathbed. However, this was changed post-Crisis, with Arthur being a full-blooded Atlantean named Orin who was born of magic to Atlanna and King Trevis. Even more confusing, Orin later died and was replaced with a cousin named Arthur Joseph Curry who was a mutated human who became the new Aquaman but abandoned the job after some time.

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With the New 52, Aquaman's backstory was reverted to the original and mercifully simplified. The one change is that Atlanna told Tom about her origins far sooner and mysteriously disappeared, leaving Tom to raise Arthur alone.

2 Wonder Woman Went From Being Molded By Clay To Actually Birthed By Hippolyta

Wonder Woman holding a shield and sword

Wonder Woman's tale is a little weird as well, but it has largely stayed the same (most of the time). Initially, she was a child of Hippolyta born from clay and granted life by the gods. However, it was soon altered to her just being born...somehow. However, it was changed so that she was just born of clay after Crisis, with all the actions of the Earth-2 Wonder Woman being attributed to Diana's mother, Hippolyta.

With the New 52, it was changed so that Wonder Woman was actually born from an affair between Hippolyta and Zeus. However, this was revealed to be a lie created by Phobos and Deimos, and Wonder Woman's original origins were re-established with Rebirth.

1 Superman Was The Last Remaining Kryptonian, Until He Wasn't

superman

Finally, there is Superman. His backstory has remained stagnant, with the only thing really changing is when or if John and Martha Kent have died.

However, this got a big shakeup with Rebirth, with a villain named Mr. Oz being revealed to be Jor-El, who had somehow survived the destruction of Krypton. He started doing some pretty villainous stuff, but he did help uncover the fact that Krytpon may have not been destroyed by the hubris of Kryptonians but instead by an apocalyptic warrior named Rogol Zaar, who was tasked with killing Krypton by other species in the universe. Ultimately, Rogol Zaar was arrested for his crimes and put in stasis while Jor-El was punished by the newly-formed United Planets by being sent back in time and space to Krypton on the eve of its destruction.

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