Generations (DC Comics)

Generations is an upcoming event set to be published by DC Comics. The event was originally announced as a limited comic book series that would have united all eras in the history of the DC Universe, and was scheduled to begin on Free Comic Book Day on May 2, 2020. However, following the firing of publisher Dan DiDio and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the comics industry, the series was delayed and intended plans changed. The event, now in a new form, was revealed in September 2020 with the announcement of the one-shot Generations: Shattered.

Initial plan
Generations was originally planned as the event that would unite all eras in the history of the DC Universe, starting with Generation Zero, which was scheduled to release during Free Comic Book Day on May 2, 2020. However, following the exit of publisher Dan DiDio from DC Entertainment in February 2020, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the comics industry, the series was delayed. Writer Scott Snyder stated the plans for Generations had become more "fluid", and in June 2020, Generation Zero was not part of DC's plans for the revised Free Comic Book Day. A story featured in Wonder Woman #750 was considered a prelude to the event in its original form.

Revised plan
The story "Generations: Fractured" that appeared in Detective Comics #1027 is considered the first chapter in the event's new form. In September 2020, DC announced the one-shot Generations: Shattered for release in January 2021. As well, DC Comics publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee stated that the 5G initiative, which would have occurred at the end of the original plan for Generations, was no longer happening. He said, "We had a lot of great ideas that we were floating around. And rather than dumping it all in one month and renumbering the line and going for that really short term spike in sales, we just naturally gravitated to the story ideas and concepts we love and building them into the mythology, the ongoing mythology, in a very organic way." Writer/artist Dan Jurgens added the revised version of the event came about through "a very organic process with a natural evolution of ideas".

Generations: Shattered was originally teased as Generations: Future State in the Detective Comics #1027 story, suggestion a connection to the planned event "Future State", set to be released in January and February 2021. While this was originally the plan, Generations no longer connects to "Future State", with Jurgens stating, "Originally, we were going to touch on what's coming with Future State. We're detouring from that a bit to focus more on our own story." Batman group editor Ben Abernathy also confirmed Generations was now its own story. Generations also picks up from the events seen at the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal. The characters featured in the event were selected "to reflect different periods of DC publishing history" and because they "made for a very interesting mix of personalities, backgrounds, powers, and capabilities". The Batman in the event is from 1939, to represent the Golden Age of Comic Books; Sinestro represents the Silver Age of Comic Books; Kamandi is a representation of DC Comics' 1970s publishing and a link to the Great Disaster future; Booster Gold, Starfire, and Doctor Light represent the 1980s; and Steel represents the 1990s.

Lead-up
Following his incarceration for his role in the massacre on Sanctuary, Wally West is forcibly recruited by Tempus Fuginaut to restore the balance between the Light and Dark Multiverses. When Wally finds Metron's Mobius Chair, he also finds his children, Jai and Iris, being trapped. Before sitting on the Chair, he makes a deal with Tempus to save his children and return them to his wife Linda Park. Tempus agrees and Linda, Jai and Iris are reunited. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the Mobius Chair was upgraded with a big portion of Doctor Manhattan's powers, which causes Wally to become a godlike persona of himself.

"A Brave New World"
During the 1939 New York World's Fair, Wonder Woman saves President Franklin D. Roosevelt from terrorists, which causes inspiration around everyone in the country, including people like Alan Scott.

"Generation Zero"
With Doctor Manhattan's powers, Wally begins investigating reality and finds out time and space are out of synchronicity, despite Manhattan restored the universe. During a brief conversation with Tempus, Wally decides to complete the restoration of the timeline by mending all realities in one. But as he attempts to do that, Wally is interrupted by the presence of The Batman Who Laughs, who wants to obtain those new powers. Wally has no choice but to find the Batman Who Laughs first.

"Generations: Fractured"
In Gotham City, Batman is searching for a gang of museum vandals led by Calendar Man, but as a mysterious flash of light appears to break reality, Batman is transported back to 1939 and transformed into his Golden Age counterpart, when he meets Kamandi, who was sent by Booster Gold to save reailty.