DC Comics’ Weirdest Events, Ranked

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Now I’m not saying these events are bad, mind you. Every comic is someone’s favorite, after all. But as someone who’s spent the majority of their life reading comics, I can say for certain that some epic storylines are quite out-of-left-field. Like Knight Terrors and its focus on the bad dreams of heroes and villains, or Amazons Attack! and how it had the warriors of Themyscira use a bee weapon to attack Washington. Again, no slight to anyone who likes any of these stories, but the following 5 events are some of the weirdest in DC Comics’ history.

5. Knight Terrors

I was a bit more forgiving of Knight Terrors than most, but it was pretty weird. First off, it was a horror event that took place over the summer of 2023 instead of fall (how do you not align that with Halloween?). And while a four-issue series drove the main plot, the majority of this event was told via 2-part stories set in the dreams of characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Joker. Few people were actually at risk, and it really didn’t leave any kind of mark aside from setting up a minor character in Titans: Beast World.

4. Underworld Unleashed

Underworld Unleashed is remembered for one thing, though it is admittedly a doozy. This event saw the demon lord of Hell, Neron, approach the villains of the DC Universe with a bargain. In exchange for their souls, Neron agreed to provide them with buffs to make them more powerful than ever. Admittedly, it’s an interesting concept for an event, and we got to see some cool results from it. But the idea of villains being so committed to hating their foes that they’d be willing to sacrifice their immortal souls is just plain cuckoo.

3. Amazons Attack!

This event has few defenders, and it’s kind of understandable why. Amazons Attack! features Wonder Woman’s sisters in a horrible light. After Diana is imprisoned by the U.S. government, the Amazons launch an attack to liberate her. Fans of Wonder Woman did not appreciate how the Amazons came off, especially Diana’s mother, Hippolyta. But what really makes this event so memorable is the Amazons’ plan to use weaponized bees, leading to a hilarious, out-of-context panel with Batman contemplating the horrors of bees. The entire thing is incredibly bizarre and probably not the best read for hardcore Wonder Woman fans.

2. Emperor Joker

Turns out, there is something more terrifying than the Joker, and it’s Joker when he’s gained nigh-omnipotent powers. The Emperor Joker storyline saw the Clown Prince of Crime steal most of Mr. Mxyzptlk’s reality-bending abilities to make the Joker the unquestionable ruler of the world. And yes, it’s just as bad and darkly humorous as you can imagine. From torturing and killing Batman every day to literally eating the entire country of China, nothing was off-limits for Joker here. I’m honestly surprised this one isn’t talked about more because, as weird as it was, it was very entertaining.

1. Milk Wars

You can’t talk about the DC Universe’s weirdest events without talking about Milk Wars. This event was a crossover between the mainline heroes and the protagonists of Gerard Way’s Young Animal line. A multiversal company called Retconn came to the DC Universe to brainwash its heroes with hypnotic milk and make the DCU more ‘wholesome’ and sell it off for a profit. I’ll say that, as bizarre as all of that sounds, it was a very good story that wasn’t just weird; it was a story that acknowledged that weirdness belongs in the DC Universe.

What do you think the weirdest event in the DC Universe is? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!