After 27 Years, DC Officially Kills Off the Superheroes of Its Criminally Underrated Universe (But For a Good Reason)

WARNING! Spoilers for Green Lantern: Dark #1One of DC Comics’ most underrated universes has made its long-awaited return, only for its heroes to be tragically killed off. In DC’s new Elseworlds story, the forgotten Tangent Universe becomes the setting for an apocalypse that results in the untimely demise of every hero that fans might recall from the ’90s comic imprint. The Tangent heroes may be gone, but their legacy lives on through a new hero that fights on their behalf.

In Green Lantern: Dark #1 by Tate Brombal, Werther Dell’Edera, Giovanna Niro, and Tom Napolitano, Solomon Grundy has been revived by the Tangent Green Lantern and seeks her out by attacking the other heroes. Familiar faces from DC’s alternate universe – including the Atom, this continuity’s replacement for Superman – appear, proving the connection between this mysterious new world and the Tangent Universe. Together, they make a final stand against Grundy, though their efforts are unfortunately in vain.

The Tangent superheroes all perish in battle as Grundy’s forces overtake the world and plunge it into darkness. Their deaths signify the end of the Tangent Universe as fans knew it, with no return in sight for these multiverse variants of DC’s superheroes.

DC Comics Permanently Eliminates the Tangent Universe’s Heroes

The Superheroes of Earth-9 Face Their Shocking End in Battle

The Tangent Universe kicked off in 1997 with a series of one-shots, all of which redefined DC’s classic heroes in unique ways. Tangent Comics’ name is derived from how these heroes differ so greatly from their main continuity counterparts that they’re only “tangentially” related to them, despite using the same names. For instance, the Tangent version of the Flash has light-based powers rather than a connection to the Speed Force, while the Joker is a superhero with an anarchist streak. These heroes, among others like Plastic Man and Wonder Woman, are seen fighting to the bitter end in Green Lantern: Dark #1.

Following their debut in the 1990s, the heroes of this universe became less and less prevalent over the years as the original versions kept going strong in DC lore. Their last prominent appearance was in 2015’s Convergence event, when every universe that had been erased in Flashpoint was briefly restored. Although they lack relevance in the modern era of comics, it’s still shocking to see DC officially wipe them out in their entirety, erasing a team of heroes that could have made a proper comeback. However, their deaths aren’t without purpose, as they give rise to a new hero in their stead.

DC’s New Green Lantern Carries On the Tangent Heroes’ Legacy

Rina Mori Inherits the Tangent Green Lantern’s Powers to Fight In Her Honor

With the Tangent Universe’s heroes wiped out by Grundy, only Green Lantern remains as the last surviving superhero. This Lantern, Rina Mori, alludes to her powers having been bestowed upon her by the previous Green Lantern. Rina is therefore confirmed to be the successor of the Tangent Green Lantern, hence their designs and powers being very similar.

This Green Lantern alone upholds the legacy of the heroes who gave their lives, so their contributions to their universe aren’t completely lost to time. DC Comics‘ forgotten universe lives on thanks to Green Lantern, as she carries the torch – or, in her case, lantern – passed down to her from the Tangent superheroes.

Green Lantern: Dark #1 is available now from DC Comics.